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Your editor hasn't forgotten you!

As some of you will recall, I mentioned that the contest is going to be in a *future* issue.  Right now, we are holding our Rock-a-bye Baby photo contest for sleeping babies, and those entries will be published in the NEXT issue of The Northwest Voice.

After that, look for the Hannah pictures to be posted.  In the meantime, gather all of your Hannah "gear" and take a picture with it, wearing it, in front of it, or covered in it!  The prize (of some GREAT Hannah Montana stuff) will go to the best photo!

A special THANK YOU to my oldest and dearest Hannah Montana fans (you know who you are!).  I know I said that I'd post the pics this weekend, but I haven't gotten to them yet.  Look for them soon --

Have a great one!

~Dana
P.S.  I've included a sneak peak of some of my cute pics!

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Whew!  It's finally over!!

My first whole week as the official editor is behind me.  I've been spending a BUNCH of hours at the downtown office just trying to figure out WHAT IN THE HECK AM I DOING??

Some of the highlights of my first official week

I spoke at San Lauren Elementary School at Career Day.  That was a blast.  Thank you to Mrs. Jackson's 6th grade class, who took a wrong turn and ended up in the room where I was speaking.  They know how funny it was!

We at The Northwest Voice have a visitor from Denmark!  She is Marianne Due, a journalist and graduate student, who is studying hyper-local journalism.  She has chosen US to fulfill one of her graduate requirements.  

Marianne is very interested in our model of citizen (or niche) journalism, and as the No. 1 citizen newspaper project in the United States, she is VERY interested in seeing how we do things!  She has been busy all week asking questions and looking at all of your contributions on the Web!  Keep an eye out for a future issue featuring Marianne and her story. She has even agreed to write an article FOR us!  By the way, she speaks very good English and told me that kids in Denmark begin learning English in the 3rd grade!!  Pretty cool!!!

I'm also PROUD to announce that the coming issue (indeed, my FIRST!) will feature a CONTRIBUTOR as the writer of the cover story!!  That's right!  CAROLINE REID, who you might remember writes our "Silver Lining" and "Let's Laugh" columns, has written a wonderful article about someone who is a long-time staple in the Bakersfield community!  "Stay tuned" for your first peek at Caroline's story!!

After learing about everything that goes into producing the product you get in the mail (or on the rack, or at  your school), I went out to Edwards Theater and took more pictures of our HANNAH MONTANA FANS!!!  I love getting out and meeting everyone!

So much for week 1!!  I can't wait to see what's on the horizon.

~d.

Greetings, Northwest Bakersfieldians!

It just occurred to me that I have not properly introduced myself to our loyal online readership. 

My name is Dana, and I am your new (proud, ecstatic, energetic, friendly) Voice editor.

Happy isn't a close enough adjective for how I feel about this turn of events.  I went from a prolific citizen journalist (like many of you) to sitting in the big, cushy, high rise office downtown (OK, it isn't big or cushy, and we are only on the 3rd floor, but I love it like it's in Trump Tower).  

Before becoming editor, I was like YOU--mom, dad, student, grandparent, retiree, policeman, neighbor, teacher, doctor--looking at my photos and thinking, "Ya know, I think I will post this in The Northwest Voice," and before I knew what I had done, I had gone and posted upward of 60 different submissions!

I wrote about school events, and many about schools that my children didn't attend.  The point is that I wanted this citizen journalism project to work, and for it to work, I knew I had to take part in it!

Many people thought I was employed by The Voice because of my frequent stories and photos... but I wasn't.  Not until now.  What I did do, though, is help to fill the pages with content so that there would be something NEW to read the next time it hit our driveways.

OH!!  That brings me to a very important announcement!  Some of you may be reading this and scratching your head as if to say, "Hmm... I haven't gotten a Northwest Voice on my driveway in a while." 

If you haven't seen us lately, you gotta subscribe!  We are still FREE, but you must register now so we can deliver our glossy new magazine-style newspaper right to your mailbox!!

 You can register from the top o' the home page.  There's a little button called: 

 -----> Subscribe <------ 

Go there now.  I'll wait.  Let me know when you're finshed.

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Does anyone else watch LOST? 

We were very busy last season when Lost was airing.  We caught a few episodes here and there.  We've been avid fans since the beginning.  Actually, another pilot started the same night that Lost started.  It was a show with Heather Locklear called LAX.  It was VERY good, but for some reason, it got canceled.  So, we switched to Lost.

What wondrous fate. 

So, anyway, because we were so busy last spring, we recorded several of the episodes, then spent the summer, fall, and winter telling ourselves that we need to watch them all before the season premier.  Well, the season premier was this Thursday, so what did we do?  Sat down with our dinner, and we tried to watch all our missed episodes before the new one came on at....  8???

We didn't realize it was a 2-hour season premier.  We missed the entire 1st hour because we were playing catch-up from last season!!  Talk about procrastination.  Our procrastination just cost us an hour of a show we've been waiting almost a year to watch.

So, instead of this being a blog about "Wow...did you see that awesome season premier last night?" -- it's one about, "Wow!  Did you see the season finale last spring???"  I can't believe how it ended!!!  Instead of a flashBACK, they were showing a flash-forward!!!  "We made a mistake!" he told Kate.  "We need to go back!" (to the island!). 

Unbelievable.

Don't tell me what happens in the 1st hour.  Someone must have recorded it.

Easily the best TV show ever made.  You can disagree, but if you do... you must not watch Lost.  :)