It may be out with the old and in with the new, but many of the events that made headlines in the year we're just completing will be back in the news in 2005.

Here are just some of the headlines of old stories that we'll see again in the coming year:

Road Work Ahead—In October, the Los Gatos Town Council discussed plans to resume major construction on N. Santa Cruz Avenue. Council members were unanimous in their approval of a four-week plan that would require complete end-to-end closure of the road for at least two to three weeks. The project is scheduled for the summer ahead, with the noisy work to be done between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Troubled Bridge Over Water—The Los Gatos Creek meanders calmly and peacefully under the Roberts Road Bridge, but there was nothing calm and peaceful about residents' reactions to the closure of the historic span. The council voted in September to close the bridge to vehicular traffic as of Dec. 1 in order to maintain the historic structure in its current state. Parks and Public Works Director John Curtis had presented three options to the council: close the bridge to traffic, repair and rehabilitate it or replace it with a new bridge that conforms to current state standards. The council members voted for closure, but residents let their feelings be known at a November meeting that they were not pleased with the decision. The town decided to postpone closure until Jan. 17, but this is clearly an issue far from closure.

Just Plein Touching—Two incredible cultural activities in town celebrated their inaugural events in 2004. Touch My heART, an art auction to benefit The Museums of Los Gatos, and the Los Gatos Art Fest, a "plein air" painting competition, both left their enriching marks on the town in the year just past, and both are scheduled to return for a second sensational year in '05.

School Work—Construction was completed last year on two local campuses, Louise Van Meter Elementary School and Raymond J. Fisher Middle School. But as beautiful as the projects turned out, some controversy surrounds renovation plans at Dave Avenue and Blossom Hill elementaries. And look for those schools to be in the headlines in 2005.

Skate, Rattle and Roll—The long-awaited skatepark in Los Gatos seems to have found a home, at 41 Miles Ave., with the planning commission's approval for a conditional use permit at the site. Now the process of raising the money for construction and the finalization of plans for the project begin.

So while we may bid farewell to another year past, we still have some unfinished business to take care of in the year to come. And the Los Gatos Weekly-Times will be there to tell the stories.

Happy New Year.