Over the 3-plus decades of our existence as Wrangler News, quite a procession of talented contributors has passed through our portals. Some have dropped by to visit in the months and years after their move to new opportunities; others we’ve managed to follow simply by seeing their names or spotting impressive evidence of their professional growth. A common thread, however, among nearly all those who have come and gone has been the remarkable talent they have brought to the small, neighborhood focused newspaper that we take pride in producing. Some names come readily to mind. Others pop into memory by the simple happenstance of seeing a byline in the stacks upon stacks of old issues.
Either way, we are indeed privileged to have had so many fine writers, photographers, advertising specialists and others willing to share their abilities with us for short or long periods of time. Thus it is with no minor degree of disappointment that we soon will be losing Andrew Lwowski, who has risen through the ranks to our job of associate publisher, to which we appointed him several months ago. Andrew has been offered an opportunity that will allow him to pursue new challenges that his hard work and professionalism have more than adequately prepared him for. While Andrew has set a record of considerable achievement with us, we feel that our good fortune in attracting Kathryn Baldanza to succeed him will help us to bridge the gap between Andrew’s departure and Katie’s own determination to help Wrangler News grow to new levels.
While we’ll indeed miss Andrew, we believe that Katie’s history that includes her appointment as the first female ROTC battalion commander at Marcos de Niza High School, followed soon thereafter by 12 years as a U.S. Army medic in one of our world’s most dangerous battlefields, provide ample evidence that she’ll do a great job in the (hopefully!) less rigorous environs of our little Warner Road newsroom. While she’s been with us for only a few days, Katie already has demonstrated what many will see as an infectious enthusiam for taking Wrangler News to new heights.
As we get up and running with a new face and a new energy in our midst, we’d like you to drop by and meet Katie if you happen to be in our neighborhood. We think you’ll find her the perfect fit to help guide our publishing future. Finally, to Andrew, we’re proud of you and will miss you. Best wishes to a valued colleague and friend.
