Here we are, three weeks in and none the worse for wear. For those of you not up to speed with the recent changes here at The Evening Sun, a quick recap ... new editorship, a pair of reporters-in-arms working tirelessly and without complaint (well, most of the time), and some good news for a change (and people say we never report good news); starting Monday, we will be up to strength here in the newsroom.

Yes, we have filled our seemingly (at least to me) lengthy journalistic vacancy at long last. With that said, a warm welcome goes out to Ashley Biviano, our incoming reporter.

Now let’s see what we can accomplish with a full roster: Shawn, Kevin, Ms. Biviano ... Brad, Jill, Pat and – as if we could ever forget – the one and only Frank Speziale. Not to mention the many writers who also contribute to this publication on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. My friend Josh Sheldon springs immediately to mind, and I’m glad to see his outdoor column appearing weekly now, versus every other week as in the past.

That, I must say, is the kind of local content I love to see, and I’m hoping you’ll see more – covering all manner of topics – as we continue forward.

Contrary to what far too many seem to think, this is not an easy job, whether you’re reporting our local news like Shawn or Kevin, selling ads for this one-of-a-kind newspaper like Brad or Jill, covering high school sports (in excellent fashion, I might add) as Pat does day in and day out, or putting the whole deal together each morning before it heads to Sun Printing (now there’s a group that deserves an enormous amount of credit). We can’t please all the people all the time, no matter how hard we may try, yet I can honestly say this crew of ours is unique in its abilities ... we have the talent to do some great things here and – more importantly – I believe we have the desire to do so.

That’s not to say you’ll see too many big changes at this stage, but change is inevitable, in the long run. For the time being, however, we will continue to focus on covering both sides of every debate, reporting the facts as they are provided us and – ultimately – voicing our respective opinions when called upon to do so. That’s what makes a great newspaper, and that’s exactly what we have here in Chenango County, in my opinion ... a daily publication that goes to print five days a week, and one that is less a novelty and more a responsibility; a public trust that is earned and not deserved. If there is any lesson I have learned over the past three weeks, it’s that.

Well, that and deadlines. We live and breathe deadlines around here.

As for Shawn and Kevin ... well , I can’t say enough. Understaffed, a new and untested editor, new beats and long hours notwithstanding, both have done an unbelievable job since I took the reins. Many may consider us a small, local paper, yet an entire county to cover – with two reporters working full-time (and then some) – is no easy task. I’ve relied heavily on both Kevin and Shawn over the past fifteen editions and they have not disappointed. Any who disagree, I’m not listening.

Most importantly, however, this paper is about you; the readers, organizations, businesses and agencies that allow us to share the news. Without all of you, there is no paper. Without your patience, communication and cooperation, there is no moving forward. Which is probably why this publication has existed as long as it has, because the right people, those who truly care about this community, would never have it any other way.

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