Thanks for the welcome, Bigfork

Letter from the editor

Bigfork, you have surprised me.

You never know what to expect on the first week of a new job, but I certainly didn't expect this.

Before I even started, I had e-mails welcoming me to the community.

Throughout the week, I received phone calls, not just from leaders of local organizations, but also from average community members introducing themselves.

At a previous paper I worked for, I had maybe two people call and introduce themselves when I started. Here, I've already lost count.

It's truly a mark of a healthy community and a valued relationship between the newspaper and all of you.

I hope to maintain that and the faith that you have in me. It shows me that I have big shoes to fill.

I would like to express my appreciation for the members of the community that have reached out to welcome me with open arms.

I appreciate your dialogue and the willingness to share conversations and ideas. This is your community newspaper n and that's what this is about.

I've learned a lot about the people of Bigfork through these conversations.

Through this past week I've learned that the people of Bigfork take pride in the beauty of their village and its surroundings n and won't hesitate to remind you of it.

But Bigfork residents also have concerns about growth and preserving that beauty, dreams about the future of their community and a surprising optimism during a time when situations could look economically bleak.

I hope that these conversations will continue past my first few weeks on the job.

I look forward to your calls and e-mails to let me know when you have concerns and when there are issues you are curious about and that are important to you.

To the people who have made this transition a smooth one, I thank you for your support and your patience n and ask you for a little bit more.

Thanks for the welcome.

-Jasmine Linabary