Today marks the Gazette’s one-year anniversary since moving to an online-only format. It’s been quite a year, too, with a lot of ups and downs. First and foremost, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the pandemic. It’s cast such a big shadow over everything for the last six months. But we’ve done our best to carry on and provide Emerson Valley with the same high-quality articles you’re used to getting.

William Cooper has landed some major interviews with some of our town’s most prominent figures. Who can forget his article about Mayor Anthony Faulk’s now-famous mantra of “sweat.” He also dipped his toes into current events reporting when he broke the scandal that helped knock James Foley off the throne he’d held for nearly two decades.

Martin Fitzgerald has had the unenviable task of trying to find fun and interesting things for you to do while stuck at home while quarantining. He tried out some new formats, like “top 10” lists and virtual activities, but he never slacked off when it came to showing the people of Emerson Valley that “lockdown” doesn’t have to mean “letdown.”

Ashton Rook brought his usual unique flair to his lifestyle articles. Sometimes they can be a bit confusing since he loves allegories and metaphors, but if you’re willing to put in the work to parse through them, you’ll find some incredibly insightful things at their core.

“Dear Libby” has never wavered in providing our wonderful town with top-notch advice for all different kinds of situations. She even became part of the news herself when her stalker took things way too far. Lucky for us, she managed to escape her ordeal relatively unscathed to keep giving us her Sunday column week in and week out.

As for me, I’ve tried to stay abreast of all the major happenings in Emerson Valley. Wherever there was a story, I was right there with my pen and notepad in hand, jotting down notes so I could type it up and post it for you to read while things were still fresh. It always brings me a sense of pride to see my name in the byline of a story everyone’s talking about.

All in all, it’s been a pretty successful year for the Emerson Valley Gazette. We’re still making adjustments to our new normal, refining our writing and delivery methods to make sure you don’t miss anything going on. Thank you for coming with us on this journey. We appreciate each and every one of you. Here’s to hoping our next year is just as amazing as our first!

-Sarah Donovan, Editor & Local News, Emerson Valley Gazette