We?re set to begin our 16th year

Next week?s issue will mark the start of our 16th year of publishing the Free Press. I am proud of every single person who has had a part in this operation for the past 15 years. Partner Don has been a key player in this endeavor and I thank him for his expertise and dedication to the project we started a long time ago.

I am equally thankful for all of our advertisers and other supporters who have been there for us the entire way since Day 1.

What is most gratifying is that when people talk about ?the paper? they are talking about the Free Press.

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We have printed 5.85 million papers since our inception, which is remarkable in itself. The other remarkable thing, when I think about it, is that we have made 780 consecutive weekly trips to all of the area post offices.

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We launched our first website in 1999 and have had more than 23 million page views and 7.8 million visitors during that same time. Since the first website was launched, we have upgraded it four times and will be releasing a new version of it this fall. It will be even better and more user-friendly than any we have had to this point.

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My column this week will be 15 years straight without missing a single issue. I know it won?t buy me anything, but I thought I would mention it.

If you read it, I thank you for putting up with it. If you don?t, you won?t see this anyway.

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Three times I was in the hospital, or headed there, plus out of town quite a few times, too. But I was told the space needed to be filled, so I just sent one in via email, no matter the situation.

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The first five years or so we encountered a lot of things we hadn?t seen before, so had to come up with a way to deal with them. Now, after so many years and with a staff seasoned with longevity, we are able to deal with most anything that comes our way.

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We have tried a lot of things along the way, some have worked and some haven?t. One of the best ideas we had was to zone our inserts by zip code so the advertiser could target which?ever area of the county they wanted. That was something no one else in the market could offer?and still cannot.

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My sleep mechanism is working well lately. I didn?t hear any wind or rain this past Friday night. Apparently it knocked out Eagle Internet for a while, but by the time I found the number to call the company, it was working again. Maybe all I need to do is try to find their number and the problem fixes itself.

Outages remind us how much many of us rely on the Internet. In my case, I couldn?t read the Wichita Eagle on my computer, which I do every morning except Sunday, the only day I have the option to have it delivered to my house. If I am out of town on Sunday, I also read it online.

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I can?t finish this column without bragging about Cameli?s Pizza place in Atlanta. It was featured on ?Atlanta Eats? this past Saturday and Sunday mornings on Peachtree TV. If you are ever in Atlanta I would highly recommend checking this place out.

Here is a link to a short video clip of the TV show via the web: http://atlantaeats.com/ restaurants/camelis-pizza/

If you wish to share your comments or ideas, my e-mail address is joel@hillsborofreepress.com.

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