I received a back lighted keyboard to replace the keyboard that I have worn the lettering off of with use. It even has a built in palm rest and one touch volume controls for music and video! I never thought I would live this long to experience these innovations! So here it is year 2013 and time to wish you a joyous New Year.

Many of us have now pushed through the hustle and bustle of so-called Black Friday, which actually began on Thanksgiving Thursday in many outlets this year, and we’ve clicked our way through the Cyber Monday deals. But if you’re anything like me — and I know a lot of you are because I see you out there every holiday shopping season — there’s still plenty of gift-buying left to do.

Here on the eve of Election Day, first and foremost our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to our fellow New Yorkers, especially to the families who have lost loved ones, but as well to everyone throughout the downstate region and on Long Island who continue to work to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

As sophisticated as we think we are, as prepared as we fancy ourselves to be against any challenge, we are always at the mercy of Mother Nature.

The birth control issue came up again in the latest presidential debate, with Gov. Mitt Romney fudging his previously stated opposition to requirements under the Affordable Care Act that employers include contraceptives in employee insurance plans.

Trustee Griffith and I were blindsided by the events of the evening. The partisan crowd, the prepared statements, the swift motions, the absence of any board or community discussions of the proposal, and the sudden demise of the LCWSA proposal made it apparent that everything was prearranged by three members of the board and the special interest group.

Dansville trustees voted earlier this month to consider giving control of village water and sewer systems to the Livingston County Water and Sewer Authority. While some may think this is an easy way out of the village’s water and sewer mess, nothing is further from the truth.

For all the criticism of New York’s property tax law — a far from perfect implementation of the idea — it’s a noble effort to rein in the uncontrolled tax hikes of the past.

It’s right there for the taking, so we might as well go ahead and apply this very same thought to New York State’s budget adoption process, which unquestionably comes in like a lion this month (beginning this week, in fact) along with the hope that it will go out a lot more agreeably with the enactment of a new state budget sometime before the April 1 start of New York’s 2012-2013 fiscal year.

In January, the Express reported on differences of opinion between Dansville’s mayor and trustees. Interestingly enough, since we ran that story on Jan. 12, both Mayor Peter Vogt and at least one trustee have publicly said our reporting got it wrong.

Of all the many statistics being used to highlight the dangers of distracted driving — in other words, driving while talking or texting on a cellphone, or even now, unbelievably, browsing the Web on a smartphone — maybe this one drives the point home most of all: police officers in New York State have issued 118,757 tickets since July 2011 for using an electronic handheld device while driving.

As most of you are undoubtedly aware, the village has initiated two infrastructure-related capital projects: the waste water treatment (sewer) plant and a water meter replacement program.

There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered and wounded animal, or so it is said. The world may be seeing that in the animals who run Syria and Iran.

New York State public schools are in the midst of some of the most significant challenges in state history. As the Regents Reform Agenda moves forward, all schools are grappling with the ability to meet the challenges of significant change, which redefines teaching and learning.

I am often heartened to see the stories that crop up around the holidays of people helping people.

It’s hard to believe that the final days of my first year as this region’s State Senator are on the doorstep, but here they are. I can’t think of a better way to ring out year one than by recalling some of the thoughts I started with back in January, especially this one: the economic and fiscal challenges may be as daunting as they’ve ever been in New York State, but there has never been a more important time to serve.

As we near the end of the calendar year and embrace the winter season, there is much that has to be accomplished in the village, particularly on the infrastructure side of business. While much of the talk has been about the waste water treatment plant, our water metering system needs updating. We also need to address storm drainage, streets and sidewalks.

We should learn from the past. We need to go slow on hydrofracking in New York State.

Your neighbor gets a fracking station, and you and your other neighbors water wells become tainted. Suddenly you can’t drink the water, or cook with it, or bathe or shower in it, or wash your clothes, or water your garden, or water your livestock. Now what do you do?

The purpose of this column is to inform you of the financial and educational challenges that we currently face as a school community. Dansville Central School District is in real trouble and the elected officials listed at the end of this column have the power to help us overcome the obstacles set before us.