It takes a Valley to publish a newspaper

The Saratoga Sun staff earned second place in general excellence and editorial leadership this past weekend.

We also won three first place pacemaker awards, three second place pacemaker awards and one honorable mention.

There is nothing more rewarding than having your peers classify your work as exceptional.

This was my ninth year attending the Wyoming Press Association Convention. I always learn something new and try to implement what I learn into the Saratoga Sun.

The opportunity to network with publishers, editors, writers and others from around the state and learn what they are doing is an experience in itself.

By the end of the weekend, my brain is full of information, new ideas and a desire to serve the Platte Valley community even better.

I also know the most important person in our community is you, the reader. Without you and your willingness to share your stories with the Saratoga Sun, we would not be your community newspaper.

Our ad on page 15 tells you what the judges said.

What it doesn't tell you is the hugs and congratulations we received from attendees at the event. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso congratulated me and Wyoming Superintendent of Schools Cindy Hill gave me a hug too.

Reed Eckhardt, editor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, was waiting to congratulate me when I returned to the table after accepting our second major award.

Bob Bonnar, who has been president of the Wyoming Press Association board for the past year, handed out the awards.

He is a talented writer and his newspaper, the Newcastle News Letter Journal, has been taking home the general excellence award for the past several years. As we hugged, he told me how proud he was of me and the Saratoga Sun and told me he knew how hard we had worked to earn this honor.

Later in the evening, I told Bob that I plan to give him a run for his money for the general excellence award next year.

I have been fortunate enough to have a wonderful team of people to work for and with me. Keith McLendon does a great job designing the ads and perfecting the layout. He is also pretty good at headlines.

I have also had a talented group of people come and go through these doors. Two of them, Tom Dixon and intern Leah Todd, now work at the Casper Star Tribune. One, Zachary Laux, is now the publisher at the Pine Bluffs Post and another, KayCee Alameda, has become the executive director for Voices of the Valley. Brittani Rogers, who was an intern for two summers with the Saratoga Sun is now the lead copy coordinator-radio traffic at Clear Channel Communications, Inc. in San Antonio, Texas.

Mentors like Gary Stevenson, Patrick Cossel and Dick Perue have guided me through the years and executive director of the Wyoming Press Association, Jim Angell is always there to answer questions.

Now, I have two young reporters, Doug Radunich and Mike Dunn. They know what I expect from them and they have done a great job.

I would not be able to do any of this if it were not for the patience and support of my husband Jerry. Thanks for always being there.

Thanks to all of you who make it a pleasure to come to work everyday.