SCOTT OLSON, PUBLISHER, THE CRESWELL CHRONICLE
It seems the older I get, the faster time passes on.
It’s amazing how fast this year has gone by. We are now in the home stretch of 2018, getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving and then Christmas and another new year.
As I reflect over this past year, I truly have a many things that I’m thankful for. First is the love and support of my family. Spending precious time with my family is always tops on my list. My two grandsons are another year older and are becoming more and more engaging, which makes time with grandma and grandpa even more special.
As my kids get older and college, jobs, relationships and careers limit our time together, I really cherish the time we are able to spend together as a family. I love listening to the important things that are happening in their lives. It’s exciting to see them take on new challenges and make mature decisions.
This past summer I had the opportunity to host a family reunion, which was also a very special experience for me. My mom and dad passed away back in 1996 and 1997 respectively, and I felt it was important to reach out to my dad’s family for a weekend of reminiscing and catching up. The Swedish cuisine and skits were the icing on the cake – a wonderful family get-together.
Aside from my family, I really blessed to have found a hobby that makes me feel good about myself and brightens my day – which is working out at Emerald Valley Fitness Club. The commitment of working out almost every day has helped me create wonderful friendships with several of the like-minded individuals who strive to stay in shape. Being able to come up with a schedule that is ”my time” is something I look forward to every day.
I’m also truly thankful for my staff at The Creswell Chronicle. Most of you are aware of the changes that have taken place at The Chronicle the past couple years. I basically brought on a whole new staff that includes Cheryl Richard as my marketing director, Erin Tierney as my editor, Andrew von Engel as my graphic artist, and Pamela Palmer who uploads items to our website. Gini Davis continues to do her outstanding work covering Creswell sports, and I was able to find some very talented freelance writers and photographers to help us out when needed as well. As a result, The Chronicle has been able to grow far beyond my expectations.
Of course I was able to utilize Cheryl’s magazine knowledge and talents to launch Emerald Valley Magazine last year, and it has only gotten bigger and better in 2018. We are now producing a South Lane County Emerald Valley Magazine along with a Springfield Emerald Valley Magazine and might even branch out more in 2019.
The Chronicle has grown in size as well. Back a few years ago we were producing 12 or 16 page newspapers on a weekly basis. Now we are up to 24 to 28 page newspapers.
When I go to newspaper publisher conventions or Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association Board of Director meetings, I can’t help but talk about how successful the past couple years have been for The Chronicle. It all has to do with a staff, advertisers and readers who are committed to supporting a locally owned business. And The Chronicle staff is committed to helping support our local businesses as well, through print advertising, social media or word of mouth, so that we can all be successful and thrive. We love the relationships we’ve created and we hope to build on this success in 2019.
Thank you for allowing me to be apart of this community and do something that is so near and dear to my heart. I love what I do in journalism. I love bringing the community together.
Happy Thanksgiving!
