2016 ended pretty brightly for Lochgelly with the former mining burgh winning Scotland's Mot Improved Town award and little Ava Stark getting the stem cell transplant she so desperately needed.

But as one year ends another starts and people will be wondering what 2017 will have to offer.

Certainly there will be momentum there to keep Lochgelly's improvements going and with the cycle loop track set to be constructed near the town's High School and the RockGelly project well and truly up and running the centre of the town is going to continue to improve.

Meanwhile in Cowdenbeath the Shutter Art Project will start to pay dividends in the spring while the many projects to enhance High Street, including the Green Square upgrade, will near fruition.

And remember 2017 will be the year that Cowdenbeath gets its new community centre in Stenhouse Street.

So there is much to look forward to while in the villages of Kelty, Crossgates, Benarty and Cardenden there is an enthusiasm there to see even more progress in these communities.

This coming year will also see the Fife Council elections and there will be change in the Cowdenbeath Area Committee no matter what the election results bring with chairman Mark Hood stepping down.

What 2017 can bring should see more positive progress throughout the area.