You're probably looking at this web page because you expect to find something worthwhile here. Maybe it's calendar listings or columns. Maybe it's arts coverage or a deeper look at the news, explored in ways that give you something to think about. I'm not going to mess with that.

As the new editor of the North Coast Journal, I'm going to try to build on what already works, and bring another pair of hands, ears and eyes to writing about what matters here.

Because I'm new to Humboldt County, I can pretty much guarantee that I'll blunder now and then, misunderstanding the place or getting something screamingly wrong. Tell me. Let me know when the Journal delights you, when it infuriates you, and when it disappoints you. We won't always agree, but I will listen. Let me know if you've wondered about writing for the Journal. Arts and entertainment editor Bob Doran would like to hear from writers interested in the arts, and I'm looking for someone who wants to write about the outdoors. You can reach me at [email protected], or 442-1400, extension 321. Because I'm new here, you won't see my byline much at first. I need to learn a little more before I can write anything intelligent.

I've been visiting the North Coast a couple of times a year for the past decade. My husband and I have long planned to move here. We've stayed in Trinidad and McKinleyville, Eureka and Arcata. So while there's plenty I don't know yet, there are a few things I do know about Humboldt's coast. I know that the Arcata Bottoms, on a day when sun breaks through clouds, can take my breath away. I know that I can watch a flock of wheeling dunlins as if I were watching a ballet, transfixed by the patterns of light and dark. I know I love Loleta Cheese Factory's roasted garlic cheddar, Ramone's scones, Japhy's soups and just about everybody's microbrews. And that's a start.