I've just finished making the final corrections, last-minute event changes and design tweaks for my very first issue of the Entertainer.

Whew!

To be fair, I'm exhausted. But, I also feel exhilarated to be given the opportunity to cover arts and entertainment in the mid-valley, the place where I grew up and a place I love.

I've spent the last year working behind the scenes for the Entertainer, preparing the calendar sections and writing occasional stories about snowboarders, pop stars, local bands, artists, film fests, derby girls, community theater and the like.

I've enjoyed talking to people about what they are passionate about, and I found that there are plenty of passionate people right here in our communities, often doing amazing, unheralded work.

Needless to say, I'm stoked to continue to cover interesting and provocative people and events in my new position as Entertainer editor.

However, before I go on gushing for the rest of the column, I think I had better explain a few of the changes you've probably already noticed about the section.

Here at Entertainer central, we've been forced to tighten our belts a bit lately. Apparently, we aren't immune to the general state of the economy, which is a total bummer.

Anyway, the good news is that it has forced us to rethink what we've been doing and get creative about how we present news and events to you, the readers.

One of the first challenges we've been dealt is a reduction in the number of pages in the printed version of the Entertainer.

In order to keep both sections kicking, we've combined the Entertainer with the weekly TV schedule.

To accommodate that merger we decided to slim down some of our calendar sections, in particular Box Office and On Display in the printed version. Some might argue they needed to go on a diet anyway.

Never fear, however, we've still got the full set of listings on our Web site. Just visit www.gazette

times.com or www.democrat

herald.com and click on the link to "Entertainment."

Also, starting this week we'll be using the centerfold space (see pages 16-17) to highlight some events we recommend in the next week, as opposed to a single feature story, as we have done in the past.

We'll still have feature stories and movie reviews in the printed version, of course. This week's selection runs the gamut from the miracle of birth (see page 12) to a mixed martial arts competition (check out page 3).

In the next few weeks we hope to add some regular online exclusives to our Web site, as well. After all, we're not going to let a lack of space in the paper stop us from covering just as much of the mid-valley scene as we always have.

Also happening in the next few weeks will be the debut of a brand new online calendar system on our Web site. It should allow you to easily submit and search for all sorts of events - not just entertainment - by date, category or location.

In the meantime, feel free to check out my blog at www.gazettetimes.com.

I plan to use it as a place to share my 25 years of local knowledge, whether it be a post about a great new place to kayak, bike or run, or a review of a new place to grab a bite to eat, or even a snippit of music from a local band; look for it there. And of course, feel free to share your thoughts and check back often.

And please make it a two-way conversataion. Drop me a line anytime and let me know what you think of our coverage. Tell me what you'd like to see in the Entertainer in the future.

After all, it's your section. I'm just the editor.

Nancy Raskauskas can be reached at 758-9542 or nancy.raskauskas@lee.net.