Things change, things stay the same

Exactly two years ago, I wrote a commentary on this page declaring that I would be away from the paper on maternity leave for a few months and that I was leaving the paper in very capable hands while I was away. I wrote that while I would be stepping back from the endless deadlines and late night meetings, I knew I would be up against a different set of challenges as I gave birth to my first child.
As we often talk about in the newsroom, community news is cyclical. Lots of things happen on a schedule, year after year, and other stories that were written years ago about community issues, come back again and again.
Maybe this is a similar situation. This is my last paper before stepping away for maternity leave. Last time I wrote about this — in the April 15, 2010 issue — my baby girl was born the next day. I’m crossing my fingers that at least that part isn’t cyclical. I’m trying to take a few weeks off to adjust before baby number 2 arrives, but I guess that remains to be seen.
While I’m gone, familiar faces will be taking over the day-to-day work of the Healdsburg Tribune.
Matthew Hall, the current Windsor Times editor and a former Tribune reporter, will do most of the layout and in-house work that it takes to get the paper out. He did this last time I was gone, too. He’ll also be covering City Council meetings and keeping an eye on City Hall as we enter another tough budget cycle this summer.
Robin Hug and Lynda Hopkins will continue to cover schools, community events, and everything else that makes Healdsburg what it is.
To make things easy for our readers, we’ll continue to use my current e-mail and contact information for letters to the editor, press releases, news tips, obituaries and everything else (

ke****@so********.com











).
I’m excited to begin this next chapter of my life as the mother of two little girls and I appreciate the support I have received from our community of readers.
I’ll be gone for between three and four months (depending on when the baby is born) and like I said last time … I have a lot to look forward to over the next few months and hope to return with a fresh perspective at summer’s end.
Kerrie Lindecker is the editor of the Healdsburg Tribune. To contact the newspaper, email kerrie @sonomawest.com or call 433-4451.