“A newspaper is lumber made malleable. It is ink made into words and pictures. It is conceived, born, grows up and dies of old age in a day.” -Jim Bishop

What an incredible journey life has been. This paper. It’s been around almost as long as I’ve been alive. I’m a ‘72 and it was born in ’77. I started at the paper on Halloween day, 2006. I was pregnant with my surro baby. I was so excited. 

My own kids have grown up with the paper. Inserted and delivered thousands. Been quiet so I could work on deadline. Been supportive on a particularly tough week. And left me alone when I needed it most, to contemplate and figure out how to pull off another issue, week, month, year of making it happen. 

Doug’s been part of it for over nine years too. He’s inserted and labeled thousands, carried boxes, driven from Lyons to Broomfield to pick it up, delivered, edited and most of all supported the process every week. 

I also worked with an amazing woman (thank you Cynthia Chambers) that was absolutely the best part of the process of purchasing the paper. I’ve had the most amazing staff, some incredibly talented people. Even those that didn’t last, taught me something. Every single one of them. 

I’ve had financial support from many, loans from more than that, family support from all over the place and over 100 staff members over the years. I’d name them all but I know I’ll forget someone along the way and that would make me feel bad. So, ALL of you, thank you.

It’s been my greatest joy and my largest frustration. I have a love-hate relationship with it. Sometimes, I love to hate it. Sometimes I hate to love it. Most of the time I love to love it. Sometimes it frustrates me to no end, gives me extreme anxiety and makes about half the people I know happy, the other half sad or mad. 

It’s hard to get through deadline some weeks. Then when I do, it’s a big sigh of relief, like the weight is gone from my shoulders. Then I take a deep breath and start again. Every week. This week we begin our 43rd year in print. 

A lot of people have absolutely NO concept of what this work takes (for little to NO pay). A lot of people feel like it just all comes together magically (I assure you, it doesn’t). 

There are a lot of people that think the paper should be free, people that think the paper should offer to advertise for free and people that complain about the cost of any part of it. 

I appreciate the people that allow me to vent and truly listen to what I’m saying about the operation of this entire thing. Day to day or a couple times a year. You’re all part of this process.

And, blessedly, there are the newspaper people. The ones that understand what it’s all about. Every part of it. From the idea or concept of every story, to the completion of sending it to the printer.  Every minuscule moment that goes into creating it. Every week. 

And the people that appreciate the reality that it’s about sharing news. Good and bad. About supporting local business, through stories and advertising. About being part of a thing that’s far bigger than me, than one entity, than one town, then one paper. It is COMMUNITY.

Thank you to everyone that has been part of the process. Raise a glass with me to the start of a new year. New hope. New ideas. Cheers! 

Barbara Hardt, Publisher