As we flip the calendar from 2007 and look ahead at the year to come, one thing is clear: 2008 figures to be a watershed year.

In the next 12 months, our nation will elect a new president, our state will continue to address water and other key issues and our communities will continue to deal with unparalleled growth. The results of these issues likely will be the focus of our reflection next December.

With that in mind, we'd like to sketch out a best-case scenario for 2008:

Election 2008: Our first hope is that the candidates and parties at all levels can run a campaign that will inform and motivate voters in a positive way rather than resort to the usual slash-and-burn tactics. It's a lot to hope for, but campaigns won't change for the better until candidates stop "dumbing down" the races with personal attacks instead of substance.

The upcoming presidential election is historic in many ways. It's the first election since 1928 that won't include a sitting president or vice president. The nomination battles in both parties appear wide open heading into the first caucus in Iowa on Thursday. The race also includes the first major candidacies by a woman (Hillary Clinton) and an African-American (Barack Obama), one of whom is likely to be the Democrats' nominee.

We hope for a spirited, issue-focused race, and that whoever comes out on top Nov. 4 will be a clear winner, mandate or no. We don't need another disputed election to weaken our new president before he or she takes office.

In Georgia , we'll elect a senator and state legislators, while county commission and school board races will fill our local ballots. Our hope is that more qualified, experienced candidates emerge to challenge incumbents and offer voters a choice. Last year's elections were a disappointment in that so many officer-holders ran unopposed. Whatever the job and whoever holds it, that type of rubber-stamp election doesn't serve us well. We need a spirited debate between strong candidates in as many races as possible.

Water. Our first hope is for more rain, the kind that has eased our drought a bit in the last few weeks. Even with a solid statewide plan and an agreement to disperse the resource fairly, we may not be able to withstand another summertime drought like last year's.

Beyond that, we hope state legislators resolve to make this issue the No. 1 priority in the session that begins Jan. 14. A comprehensive statewide policy that encourages conservation and pushes creation of more reservoirs is a vital first step.

We also hope the leaders of Alabama and Florida can come to their senses over our ongoing water wars and realize that we can't keep emptying our lakes and rivers for short-sighted needs. Those states need to make more effort to conserve the water they get from Georgia's river systems or any agreement to share will fall flat. They also must put aside their long-standing resentment over Atlanta's growth and offer realistic expectations over water releases.

Barring that, we hope the federal government can get involved and make the right decisions for all concerned, for both present and future. Lake Lanier and the other Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs are federally-controlled resources and need to be managed for the best interest of all, not just a few.

Growth. When Hall County and other local governments first meet this year, we hope they take a fresh look at the scope of growth in our communities. We've gone back and forth in recent years between slow-growth and pro-growth leaders, with valid points to back each position. But the ongoing water crisis, above all else, has pointed out the folly of approving every 1,000-plus unit subdivision.

The strain on services that are within our control, such as traffic, schools and sewer, is reason enough to tap the brakes on growth. Yet the looming threat of large-scale water shortages, a resource not within our power to produce, offers the best argument yet for managing growth more wisely. What's more, the type of growth -- residential or commercial -- is an important factor on just how tapped those resources may become.

Immigration: Congress whiffed badly in its attempt to create a comprehensive approach to enforcing U.S. borders while addressing the 12 million or more undocumented migrants living in the country. State and local efforts merely deal with the symptoms of illegal immigration and frequently make the issue worse by alienating all foreign nationals, legal immigrants included.

It's time we decided the status quo is unacceptable. We need a solution that, even if it doesn't satisfy all sides fully, makes the legal path into the United States more desirable than the illegal one. We hope Congress will resolve to do so, even in an election year, rather than dump the problem on the new administration.

The Falcons. Flowery Branch's hometown team has endured a brutal year, on and off the field. One coach was fired, another defected in the middle of the season, the star quarterback is in prison and the team enters today's season finale with all of three wins.

We hope owner Arthur Blank finds the right general manager to knit this sagging franchise back together. The Falcons also need a coach who can unite a fractured clubhouse and bring respectability, and fans, back to the Georgia Dome. And we hope Blank will resolve to keep his nose out of the football operations so his new leaders can succeed without him peering over their shoulders.

If all of these wishes come true, New Year's Day 2009 will find us united behind a president-elect and other leaders; an immigration policy that respects both our national borders and the humanity of those who cross them; Lake Lanier's muddy banks covered with fresh water as we devise a plan to share equally with neighboring states; growth in our area controlled at a wiser pace; the state legislature focused on the state's common goals; and the Falcons headed to the playoffs under their new coach.

Yeah, it's a lot to ask for. But we won't achieve much if we don't aim high.

Here's to 2008 and whatever it may bring. We sincerely hope it will include health, happiness and prosperity for all of our readers, and we wish all a Happy New Year.