New Year's speech by Mayor Bouwman

New Year's message from Andries Bouwman, mayor of Opsterland municipality

Living together!  

A year ago, I wished you a happy new year. But has 2025 been a happy year? If I am to believe the news reports, we are glad to leave 2025 behind us. There was little cause for cheer. Nationally and internationally, 2025 was a year of crisis and conflict. A year of increasing uncertainty and declining solidarity. 2025 became the year of self-interest; it was the year of "what's in it for me?"

When I look at Opsterland, I see exactly the opposite. I dare say that 2025 was a positive year in Opsterland! So it was not for nothing that we raised our glasses together. 

There were some wonderful initiatives last year. I was fortunate enough to attend many positive and meaningful events in our beautiful municipality and to experience once again our strong and close-knit community spirit. In these times of international tensions and national turmoil, I would like to give a brief overview of the beautiful things in our municipality.

Firstly: the Tour de Odense in Beetsterzwaag, which raised €50,000 for the Odense House in Beetsterzwaag. Participants in this event cycled 600 kilometers from Odense in Denmark to Beetsterzwaag in just a few days. Second: the Loop van Morgen in Gorredijk, in which the entire town of Gorredijk and the surrounding area raised no less than €141,213 for KWF Kankerbestrijding (Dutch Cancer Society) in 24 hours.

At both events, the participants received a grand and particularly heartfelt welcome. Amazing amounts of money, amazing initiatives. But the proceeds were much greater than that. The proceeds were the collective feeling of working together towards a common goal, standing together for something, with the focus on the other person. That other person who is facing cancer or dementia. 

These are moments when the complaining "I," with its self-interest, rights, or political divisions, ceases to exist for a moment. These are moments when life reveals itself as it is meant to be: the realization that life only matters when we live for others. This is the core of our society. Living together!

We also lived together during all the village activities and celebrations that were organized. So much is organized in our villages! Thanks to the efforts of an incredible number of volunteers, the quality of life in our villages is high. Here are some of the most notable events: in Wijnjewoude, there was an anniversary edition with a full week of festivities and a real parade. Streets built floats together and neighbors found each other. It was a beautiful, colorful parade.  

The Turftrappers also celebrated an anniversary in 2025. They have been providing entertainment in Pipegaelsgea for 44 years. But the carnival association does more than just provide entertainment during carnival week: it is an association that is widely committed to different layers of the community. For example, the Turftrappers have been visiting people with intellectual disabilities at Alliade for many years. And if I am to believe the Turftrappers, this is an evening of exuberant dancing, hosting, and endless polonaise. Talk about living together!

I would also like to mention the wonderful production of Scrooge in Beetsterzwaag. More than 300 volunteers turned Beetsterzwaag into one big theater. And Scrooge is precisely the story that we need as a society: the realization that we need each other in order to truly be human. That we should not be takers, but givers. 

2025 was also the year in which Opsterland commemorated. With 16 commemorations (all organized by volunteers), a beautifully designed teaching package and presentation about Jan Eizenga, a lesson plan for schools about the labor and internment camps in Hemrik and Spanjeburd, an impressive commemorative evening Relive Ureterp in wartime, and a special commemorative newspaper, we in Opsterland reflected on 80 years of liberation. How fortunate we are to have peace and freedom.

In my May 4 speech, I compared peace to a tree. A tree that does not have it easy and must root itself deeply so as not to be blown over. Because if a tree is not rooted, it will blow over. And do you know what the roots of that tree are? They are you. They are all of us together. Because we realize and do not forget or downplay what happened, the roots of the tree of peace grow and become stronger and stronger, enabling it to withstand storms. Storms that we are now facing internationally.

Peace cannot be taken for granted. This became clear once again when we received three delegations from Ukraine last year, including the ambassador. Their stories of injustice, loss, and uncertainty remain heartbreaking.

2025 was also a year in which we Map further Map our economy. In the spring, the Frisian Company of the Year 2025 election took place in our municipality. It was a grand event. With Rinsma Gorredijk, Lauswolt, Alliade, and Revalidatie Friesland as locations, Opsterland presented itself as a wonderful entrepreneurial showcase. In addition, the council had the opportunity to visit many companies. I am always amazed at the original and progressive gems we have in our municipality.

Meanwhile, construction is also underway and the housing program is gaining momentum. With the start of 23 homes in Nij Beets, 16 homes in Terwispel, 30 social housing units in Gorredijk, the start of construction of 8 homes in Wijnjewoude, and the start of sales of building land for homes in Loevestein phase 4 in Gorredijk, we remain on track to realize a total of 1,000 new homes by 2035. Housing construction remains a tough issue with many interests at stake, which does not always speed up the process. Here too, it is important that we keep the other party in mind.

But it's not just houses that are being built. I felt like Gorredijk was literally one big construction site last year. So many developments are taking place there. Gorredijk is really putting itself on the Map. The highlight for us was definitely the opening of the beautiful new Kortezwaag sports complex. It was a major project with a long history. It took a lot of effort and sweat, but now we have a professional sports complex with a fantastic look and feel. Sporty Gorredijk and our top club LDODK will be able to use it for decades to come.

The cork was also popped for the BHS. After a similarly lengthy process, they can now begin construction of a new school, ensuring that secondary education in our municipality remains secure. And there is more in store for Gorredijk. It looks like a final decision will be made in the spring on a beautiful design and budget for the new Skâns.

There were many other wonderful things happening too. The return of the medieval altar stone to Langezwaag. The flag of Opsterland now flying in the European Parliament. And, of course, the phenomenal performance of Femke Kok, who smashed the world record in the 500 meters. The Winter Olympics in Milan will have an Opsterland touch!

2025 also had its challenges. It wasn't all great. There was division. Not all developments are embraced by everyone. The search for a reception center for status holders kept Ureterp busy and caused tension. But I am proud and grateful that we in Opsterland are conducting the discussion in a decent manner. Unfortunately, that is not a given everywhere.

And now 2026 is just around the corner. What kind of year will it be? What we know for sure is that it will be a year of change. Elections will be held in March. There will be a new council and a new program. We will say goodbye to council members and aldermen and welcome new faces. I call on all eligible voters to cast their ballots. You determine the course and future of our Opsterland community.

In 2026, we will also continue to make Opsterland more resilient. I also considered this last year. What can residents do themselves if the power goes out or there is no water for a few days? No doom scenarios, but realistic risks. The digital infrastructure is vulnerable. Threats are increasing. 

You are familiar with the Think Ahead campaign. And no matter how light-hearted I tried to make it, with a fake Christmas tree, a glass of wine, and cat food, the message remains serious. That is why I am going on another village tour to work out village plans with all the villages on how to make them crisis-proof.

I hope that 2026 will be just as positive a year as 2025. We hold the key to this together. Because 2025 did not just happen to be a positive year. We made it happen together. If we live with the awareness that we can only flourish by putting others first. By giving instead of taking. By focusing on our moral duties instead of our rights. By ensuring strong roots and learning from history instead of denying or downplaying it. By truly shaping life together. Then we will allow Opsterland to grow and flourish, with very strong roots, against the current tone and tide.

I wish you all a very happy, healthy, and, from a personal perspective, blessed 2026.

Andries Bouwman, mayor of the municipality of Opsterland.