Dear Readers,

After decades of involvement with The Astorian and Clatsop County in a variety of roles, I’m taking on an expanded job as regional editor overseeing our publications on both sides of the Columbia River.

We’re still in the process of identifying a news editor specifically for The Astorian. In the meantime, interim editor Mike McInally, associate editor Lissa Brewer and our hardworking Astorian staff continue producing top-quality, unique local content. My aim is to avidly support the ongoing mission of creating informative and entertaining news, features, sports and photos for our print and online publications.

For those who don’t know me, here’s a brief summary.

My wife Donna and I live in Ilwaco. Our daughter Beth attended Star of the Sea School and Clatsop Community College, which she loved. She graduates from the University of Oregon this spring. My stepson Brian lives in Bellevue, Washington, where he helps manage finances for Nintendo.

I’ve run the Chinook Observer since 1991, where our staff has been honored many times as one of Washington state’s top news teams. I have degrees in economics and law, but have mostly always worked in journalism. Being first to tell people about important news has always been one of my biggest thrills.

My dad was an Oregon veteran — working his way up from buck private to retiring as a light colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. His grandparents had a farm in Josephine County in southwest Oregon, along with a little gold mine on Oscar Creek near Grants Pass. Mom worked as an X-ray technician at Portland’s Emanuel Hospital during World War II and its aftermath. She retired to Seaside in the early 1990s before eventually moving to Seaview, Washington to be nearer to me.

Much of my work for our Clatsop and Pacific county newspapers has focused on fisheries, the Columbia River and other subjects closely tied to our economy and culture. The many ways people find to thrive here are important to all of us. I gained a thorough appreciation for Clatsop County business as publisher of the Coast River Business Journal. We’ll be expanding business coverage in The Astorian, highlighting aspiring entrepreneurs and critical industries.

I’m also intensely interested in Pacific Northwest history and the outdoors, and will be looking for ways for our talented writers, photographers and community contributors to bring more of these stories to our pages and websites. Astoria and the wider North Coast region have been among the West’s most fascinating places for centuries. The drama, humor and tragedy of the past make for compelling reading.

The Chinook Indian Nation’s ongoing quest for formal recognition by the U.S. government is a cause we should all support, both in the interest of basic justice and for the variety of benefits it would bring for all who live here. Shining a light on this will remain a priority for as long as I’m around. The Clatsop-Nehalem Tribe also deserves attention.

I believe news publications must be objective, fair and diligent, while at the same time being unafraid of conflict when necessary. Newspapers like The Astorian and Seaside Signal must continue making local news our primary product, while also paying attention to state and national developments that impact our communities. In more ways than usual, federal actions are likely to ripple all the way to our remote western shore. Documenting these moves will be interesting and essential.

There’s much more I could say, but the news business is a classic case of presenting a product that everyone can best judge for themselves. Over coming months and years, my goal is to ensure the newspapers of Clatsop and Pacific counties continue to prosper and accurately reflect the goings-on of all the economically and politically diverse communities we serve.

As is true of the United States as a whole, we who live in this remarkable place have much more in common than we do things that divide us. I look forward to constantly reminding everyone of our shared destiny, and supporting the journalists who report the facts that matter to all of us.

I welcome story ideas and other constructive advice: mwinters@dailyastorian.com.