Publisher's Point Of View

The fallen leaves dance in a circle behind the speeding car in front of me.

The stunning beauty of this October morning reminds me that life is good. I am lucky to be alive, lucky to have something to go and do today that's meaningful, lucky in countless ways.

I love the drive here. It's 17 miles on the button. My drive to the surely, but slowlydeveloping office in Coudersport is 13.7 miles. Since I am not punching a clock, the 20-or-so minute drive gives me time to put things in perspective, get my attitude right for the challenges of the day.

It's Wednesday and I can feel the momentum and consequent pressure building as we kick up production for this edition. It's the time of week I hate to love.

Most weeks I see the production of Endeavor News as a mission, something I'm selfishly driven to do to make me whole, to keep me right with the world.

This week, that's exactly how I feel; like this work we do is necessary and bigger than you or me. It's work that affects people's lives; work that, when compassionately and passionately done, is a positive guide for today and an important record for tomorrow.

For the first half of the week, the realities and challenges of being a young business in a relatively small area consume my mind and it takes a lot of effort to stay committed to this work. Those days are devoted to figuring out how this product is going to make money.

I enjoy that aspect of the business as much as any now, but it does take a toll on creativity, as longtime readers have noticed by my lack of production in this section of Endeavor News. And strangely, I have more to say now than ever, just less time to sit down and say it.

But change is in season.

Endeavor News is no longer a personal project of mine; no longer a side business that allows me to hang onto a phoney-baloney job that gives me an outlet for my neversatisfied creativity; no longer a forum for my sometimes unusual and eccentric approach to editorial works of art.

In short, Endeavor News is too big for my britches and for many reasons, that's a good thing.

And it's growing as I write. I am informed that Endeavor News sold out on several newsstands this week.

I believe it to be official enough now to announce that my wife Britta is on board the good ship Endeavor until she sails into retirement or the ship sinks into bankruptcy. She was recently "rifed" (reduction in force-- ironically an anagram for fired), a 50-cent phrase for being laid off, as part of Level 3's changes in Coudersport.

She's educated, driven and talented, so she could have taken another road, but instead she has decided that her destiny is better in her hands than it is someone else's.

She has a bachelor's degree in business management with a minor in marketing, so she's certainly qualified for the challenge. My degree is in communications with an emphasis on public relations. I guess this is where we are meant to be.

But frustration and loss have made us wise over the past five years, so we are moving ahead slowly.

Over the next several weeks, we will be interviewing for sales, office and writing positions. We'll also be continuing our planning for our Coudersport office. If you know someone who would like to give any of those jobs a shot, let us know.

We're also working with the Sweden Feedin' Club and the Beef and Ale House in Coudersport to put on a new and unique big buck contest. Please stay tuned for more on that.

As if that's not enough to keep us busy, we are working with our web providers to add additional features to our website.

In the meantime, we'll continue to be responsible in what we say and do and responsive to what you say and what you think we should do.

Thank you and please stay patient.