Progress is where you look for it

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
For the past several days we have been working to get our Progress 2008 edition ready.
Progress is the largest and most read edition of the paper each year. At the end of each February all the months of planning and working pay off with a great product for advertisers and readers alike.
This has been my first year back doing Progress in this type of format and I forgot how much work goes into it.
Retail sales reps start working several months out and planning enough good, interesting stories keeps everyone on the editorial side busy.
But as I made my way around the county yesterday shooting photos and looking at all we have here, it made me realize that Progress is much more than just the name of our paper.
Franklin County has been able to make progress in recent years while maintaining the beauty and charm that makes this place home.
Just passing by the historic Masonic lodge in Newburg is a reminder of what we have.
Johnny Wilson and so many others have worked diligently to make sure that building lives on for future generations.
We have lakes, mountains, historic homes, great schools, thriving businesses and a growing retail base.
There is plenty to be proud of.
I realized again how special this place is Monday night as I waited in line to get tickets for Russellville's area championship game.
Inside the gym, people from all over the county piled in to support the Golden Tigers who are in the midst of the greatest season in school history.
There may be places out there like Franklin County where communities rally around the schools and each trip down the road reveals something memorable about the county. I don't know. This has always been home to me and I am proud of that.
Certainly, there are still many things we need to do to catch up with those around us, but there is plenty here to build on.
Progress is being made. In just a few weeks, you can read all about it.