When contacted by Brian Golden, staff writer, to see if I would like to try writing the outdoors column, it came as quite a surprise. I knew my experience in the field was sufficient, but my writing abilities were of personal concern. I mentioned coming up with information for columns would be no problem, but proper punctuation and writing form could be an issue. Thankfully, they were happy to fill in the blanks, so I agreed to try it out. On the 17th of March I received another call from Brian, interim managing editor, asking if I would like to begin a weekly column. He informed me that someone had stated, “it’s like having Bob (McNitt) back,” and that he was receiving positive feedback towards my column. My hopes are that my writing does feel familiar in that the same values Bob had are the values I strive to achieve. The shoes to fill are quite large in my case, but rest assured I will do my best to fill them.

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