Well, I now have 5,000 copies of Encounter Calhoun to get distributed before the end of the month.

Is it perfect? No.

In fact, on about half of the copies, the mayor looks green.

That's right. The man is green.

It was nothing we did - unless I suppose choosing to work with a new printer for the project is something we did. (And yes, choosing the new printer was my decision. . . Their bid was about $300 less.)

Of course, everyone else says I'm too critical. That it looks great, looks wonderful, is amazing.

Actually, it does look pretty good for a newsprint piece. The photos are crisp, the writing is fresh, the whole county is represented. We reached farther than we ever have before, trying new design features, different print screens, full-color on four pages, spot color on four other pages.

We did well.

It is the first-ever for Calhoun County, West Virginia. The first-ever full-color map of the county with all the recreation areas noted. The first-ever map of the hiking trails at the county park. The first ever piece with all the festivals, all the parks, all the features of the county and annual events included.

No one has ever done it before.

I am proud of the publication - even if the mayor is green.

I suppose finishing a great project is like finishing a good book. When you're done, you are a little disappointed to have to return to the real world.

Now that this little project is done, I'm back wearing to my reporter's hat - writing black and white news articles about the reality of every day life.

. . .

Sigh.