An introduction of sorts

You'll have to forgive me — I've been very rude. This week marks the fourth month of being editor, and I haven't introduced myself.

People should know their local editor, and while I've been busy introducing myself at sporting events, city council, school board, Chamber of Commerce and other public meetings, I have not taken the time to do so in the paper.

I'd be willing to bet a few of you are curious. After all the shake-up at the Leader last fall, who wouldn't be? Introducing myself around town as the new editor was like walking into a room and saying, "Hi, I'm from the IRS and I'm here to help."

I got more than a few curious glances.

I was working up at the Hungry Horse News in Columbia Falls when I heard that the former editor and several staff members had given notice and decided to start their own paper. Upon finding out that two thirds of the Leader staff had up and left, I remember thinking to myself, "Gee, I'm glad I'm not working down there."

(For the record, working for one of two Pulitzer prize-winning Montana newspapers was a great learning experience, and I hope that that's reflected in the Leader's coverage. Although I'm new to Lake County, I'm not new to Western Montana and the issues facing residents here.)

One of the first questions I asked in December was "How many people canceled their subscriptions?" Answer? One or two. One of them told us they renewed their subscription once they saw our sports coverage rebound.

I realized later most Leader subscribers didn't cancel probably because they were dying to see what happened each week. Cancel your subscription? Heck no! We were the news…

Speaking of subscribers, thanks for sticking with us. I'm pleased to report that 148 new subscribers have joined us since the beginning of the year, and our subscriber numbers have increased each month from the same time a year ago - the first time that's happened in years. More than once I've seen an empty sales rack at the local gas station by week's end. (That makes an editor feel good until he realizes there's folks who wanted to pay for a paper and couldn't get their hands on one.)

What's in the past is in the past. All we could do at the time was look to the future of the paper, and start by rebuilding relationships and the paper itself. We needed to get back to what a local newspaper is for - reporting the news.

To that end, I think we've been doing pretty well. We have a regular dialogue with city and county officials, Tribal officials, athletic directors, school superintendents, coaches, community leaders, and law enforcement personnel, all of whom have welcomed me without judgment, probably knowing that I didn't have anything to do with the career choices others had made before me.

We've added Mission Valley native Nate Traylor to our staff, who joins Associated Press-winning photographer and Montana State University grad Craig Moore. Through it all, Leader staple Paul Fugleberg, who is synonymous with editorial coverage in the valley, has been our steady rock.

And we are still improving every week. Having said that, though, I welcome your feedback. You can email me at editor@leaderadvertiser.com. or call me at 883-4343.

We are accountable to you, the 5,900 folks who pay to have our paper delivered to your mailbox each week. Thanks for sticking around.