This is my final column for 2012 and as such I hope you’ll allow me to indulge for the next 400 words or so and reflect on what has been a remarkable year in our city.
It was the year we lost the iconic Log Cabin hotel, and the year the residents of Londonderry were left soaked and shocked by devastating floods. It was the year we cheered as Jessica Fox did us proud at the London Olympics, winning a silver medal, and a year when Penrith announced it was “here”.
We debated the Victoria Bridge, got angry over waste going to Kemps Creek and voted in a new-look Council.
The thousands of stories we’ve presented to you this year in The Western Weekender each make up a jigsaw puzzle of a city that gets up when it gets knocked down, shows resilience in the toughest of times and proves that good still very much exists in the world, as is evident by the many good news stories we’ve been able to bring you this year.
I’d like to thank all of those who play a part in the jigsaw puzzle, because the Weekender family is large and varied.
Firstly, I would very much like to thank my small but dedicated team of journalists who bring you the stories that shape our city each week. Cassandra O’Connor, Katherine Tweed and Nathan Taylor are the finest journalists in this city we call home, and this year have been on the ground at more stories than any other local newspaper, re-affirming the Weekender’s position as Penrith’s news leader.
I cannot thank them enough for how good they make me look every week, and I am proud of each of them.
I’d like to thank all of our regular columnists and contributors – Peter Overton, Sarah Stewart, Mark Davies, Paul Dorin, Michael Todd, Michelle Grice, Richard Markowski, David Ellis, Francis Bevan, Elisha Stein, David Stein, Anthony Walker, Trent Baker, Martin Cominotto, John Lavender, Lorraine Pozza, ‘Century’, Matthew Halse, Warren Miller and Adam Scroggy – for their work during 2012.
Thank you to all of our story subjects in 2012 – answering that phone call or email from our journalists is very much appreciated.
I’d like to pass on my deepest gratitude to the management of the Weekender whose continued faith and support means that I enter my fifth year as Editor in 2013.
I thank our sales executives who do an excellent job in servicing the businesses in our community, and it is no surprise that we carry more local advertising than any other local newspaper.
So, thanks to the largest on-the-ground sales team in Penrith – Simon, James, Sergio, Linda, Rebecca, Ali, Cameron and Andrew.
On that note, we at the Weekender are so grateful to the business community and all of our advertisers, no matter how big or small, for their continued stamp of approval each and every week.
I’ve had a word with Santa Claus and hopefully he leaves an extra big present under the Christmas tree for our production team this year, because they continue to work exceptionally hard to produce our publication each week.
My deepest of thanks to Irene, Alana and Madeline. Thanks to Melinda for capturing the moments that shaped 2012, to all the media advisors, marketing managers and PR folk who assist us from week to week, and to my wider team across our network of newspapers who are assisting to formulate a powerful, unprecedented group of independent publications.
Most of all, on behalf of everyone at the paper, I would like to thank you – our readers – for your continued support. Each week when you pick up this newspaper, we hope you feel you get the most complete snapshot of our area you could hope for, because that’s our aim.
We finish 2012 in a position to be proud of, and can hold our heads up high when we say that The Western Weekender is the number one newspaper in Penrith.
We enter 2013 with the promise of building on that foundation, not resting on our laurels, and presenting to you the roller coaster ride of a year that it will almost certainly be. I would like to wish each and every one of you a very happy Christmas, and all the best for the holiday period.
Our team will be back on deck on Monday, January 7 and our first edition of 2013 will be released on Friday, January 11. If the tragedy in the United States this past week has taught us anything, it’s that at this time of the year, nothing is more important than family, and being together. Rest up, drink up and have a great break over the holidays.
We’ll see you next year and will be raring to go… the story of Penrith 2013 is waiting to be told.
