We continue to add new features and make more content available on our Web site, Missoulian.com. Now, for instance, you can read almost all of our syndicated columnists online. Starting this past Friday, the lineup of syndicated columnists will include a name that is already a regular feature on the Opinion page: Joel Stein, whose often humorous take on current events and issues spares no one.
Stein's column will replace those of our two regular contributors for the past year, Joe Barnhart and Kathleen Clary Miller. Let us know if you like the switch - or if you have a suggestion for another columnist. Opinion page editor Tyler Christensen is always happy to hear from readers; reach her at 523-5215 or oped@missoulian.com.
Each day, we highlight a comment from one of these letters, or from an online comment, and run it at the top of this page. And each Wednesday, we also run a new feature called Chatterbox that aims to give print readers a taste of the riveting conversations taking place on our Web site.
And finally, we are thrilled to introduce our new editorial advisory board. First, however, we must thank our previous board, whose one-year terms expired in March - and whose valuable input has helped us steer the Opinion page, both in print and online. Our deepest thanks are due to David Edgell, Denise Dowling, Matt Hisel, Andrea Holland, Cedric Jacobsen, Dale Mahlum, Iris Olsen, Jim Shockley, Michele Reinhart, Barbara Evans and Barbara Wickel - for taking the time to serve on this all-volunteer board.
These generous folks have met with the Missoulian's editorial board - which consists of Missoulian publisher Stacey Mueller, editor Sherry Devlin, director of sales and marketing Jim McGowan, city editor Gwen Florio and Christensen - once a month for the past year to help us craft stronger editorials, and indeed, a stronger Opinion page. The Missoulian's Opinion page is meant to provide our readers with a community forum in which to advance new ideas, debate public issues and help us better understand one another. Missoula is home to a great number of thoughtful, passionate souls willing to share their problems and solutions with the wider community, and we are constantly amazed at the level of commitment and caring they demonstrate.
In that spirit, here are the members of our current editorial advisory board:
Evans and Wickel have agreed to stay on as a “transition team” of sorts. Evans is a former Missoula County commissioner, now retired, and Wickel is the executive director of the nonprofit Ronald McDonald House in Missoula.
Chuck Zadra, a retired teacher and school administrator.
Larry Swanson, director of the University of Montana's O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West.
Scott Douglas, director of the entertainment management program at the UM School of Business.
Ross Peterson, a founding member of the Missoula Skatepark Association.
Paul Keiper, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Washington Corp.
Genevieve King, director of the Sustainable Business Council in Missoula.
Lara Shadwick, director of marketing and public relations for St. Patrick Hospital.
Carol Van Valkenburg, from the University of Montana School of Journalism.
Scott Burke, president of First Security Bank.
They may not always agree with us, or even with one another, on our editorial positions. But they share our commitment to making the Opinion pages relevant to everyone who calls western Montana home. So go ahead - stop them on the streets and share your opinion. Or pick up the phone and give us a call, or send us an e-mail.
Let's keep the conversation going.
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