Always Striving To Get Better

Starting up a new publication – and I’ve been involved in at least six over the years – is a lot like giving birth to a child.

OK, easy for me to say – I’m a guy. But speaking as a father, there are parallels to the way you worry and fret over a newborn.

Six months after MidWeek Kaua’i was born, the kid is growing and doing quite well. During that span, while endeavoring to bring you local stories that inform, edify and entertain, we’ve made a few tweaks to make the paper better.

Those changes continue this week with a new contributing journalist, Amanda Gregg, joining the MidWeek Kaua’i team. You’ve probably seen her work in other publications on the island, and she’s also the co-author of The Lonely Planet Guide to Kaua’i. Among other duties, she’ll be writing the Kaua’i Kine column. You can send her news and notes at agregg@midweekkauai.com.

Amanda kicks off a new feature, too, “Doctor In The House” – a Q&A with local doctors – that becomes part of our story rotation.

Another recent addition is our local sports photo pages from ace photog Ron Kosen of Photo Spectrum Kaua’i. The guy is a big-league shooter and brings that skill – and some great equipment – to shooting T-ball or whatever event he’s covering that week. This week it’s the start of the high school paddling season.

And in coming weeks, I’m pleased to say that Jon Letman will be helping with our restaurant reviews, sharing duties with Marta and Dan Lane – she writes, he shoots.

The biggest story every week is the cover story, and this week I’m pleased that Ron Wiley’s smiling face graces our Christmas cover. I’ve known Ron since his Honolulu radio days, and count him as a friend. In fact, when we were planning the first MidWeek Kaua’i I called Ron to “pick his brain,” and he put me in touch with Duane Shimogawa to write a Kaua’i sports column. Radio is one of the most unstable businesses, people changing stations and shifts many times in a career. So it says something about Ron – and Kaua’i – that he’s been at KQNG for 21 years. Ron is one of the true good guys.

One of my favorite features in the paper is the Focus on Kaua’i photo page, but we need your help with that one because it’s strictly reader-supplied photos. Whether it’s a family party, an anniversary or wedding, catching a big fish or just playing with your pet, we’d love to share your photos with neighbors across the island. It’s on Page 12 this week. Please send your pix to senior editor Terri Hefner at thefner@midweek.com.

Otherwise, here’s wishing a hearty Merry Christmas to you! And as I look back on 2010, to quote the old song, “it was a very good year.” One of the real highlights for me was the birth and growth of MidWeek Kaua’i.

Hope you agree.