Editorial - And to all a good night...

Talk about it

Editor’s note: In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, we’re reprinting this editorial that appeared in the December 24, 2004 Echo Press.

‘Twas the hour before deadline and all through the Press,

the employees were dealing with Christmas Eve stress.

Some pages were done and already sent

but others weren’t ready and we knew what that meant.

We’d have to work fast to get everything done

or get heat from our bosses for missing the mail run.

So it was high time to kick things into full gear

and work hard and fast to get the paper out of here.

We knew we could do it; we’ve done it before.

It just takes teamwork to make light of the chore.

With all the departments each lending a hand,

we could finish in time and meet the demand.

Why does our office function so well?

It starts with the front desk — they all are so swell.

They take ads, direct calls and answer the phone.

They’re friendly and quick and their smiles set the tone.

Our business department makes sure the books balance.

For figures and budgets, they have great talents.

Our sales people work hard with every one of their clients.

Their ads are so good they’ve got it down to a science.

Our production designers make each page spring to life

with graphics and images as sharp as a knife.

Our reporters work hard to bring readers the news —

from box scores and features to Opinion page views.

There are other key roles that the newspaper keeps needing:

Photographers and typists and sharp eyes for proofreading.

Watco press in Wadena also adds to the team.

They make all of our pages look bright, crisp and clean.

Last, but not least, is our loyal LDS crew.

They drive all the vans to bring the paper to you.

Through sleet and through snow, in all kinds of conditions,

they conquer the elements to complete their missions.

As the minutes slipped by on this pre-holiday morn,

we worked through it together — as is our norm.

Through a computerized glitch and a printer that’s slow,

we pressed on and made deadline with just minutes to go.

But before we finish this Christmas-time rhyme,

we thank you, our readers, for being so kind.

You give us ideas; you write letters; you care – about the who and the why, the when and the where.

You’re the ones we write for, the biggest chain in the link.

Without you, our paper wouldn’t be worth the ink.

So thank you for reading all these words we write,

and a Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night

•?•?•

Echo Press editorials are the position of the newspaper’s editorial board, which includes Jody Hanson, publisher; Al Edenloff, editor; and news reporters Celeste Beam and Mike Enright.

Tags: christmas, story, editorial, holiday, spirit, twas, the, night, before