And so it is the New Year, and this Cazenovia Republican is my final issue as editor.

As I sit in my office and hurriedly approach an early deadline, I am confronted with the memories of the last 104 issues.

Overall, the feedback I’ve received has been largely encouraging. Besides the occasional misprint, my overall experience has been incredibly positive.

I want to thank the faithful readership for their continued interest, and those who continuously helped me fill out the paper each week: the freelancers, the columnists, the publicists and the photographers (both amateur and professional).

I want to thank the members of the village and town municipal boards, as well as the board of education, for helping me along the way and always returning my emails.

I want to thank Eagle Newspapers for giving this Radio/TV/Film major a chance, and a job.

I want to thank my family for their tireless love and support. My mother, who has graciously allowed me to inhabit her house on Fenner Street rent-free for the last two years; my father, for always lending a helping hand and copy-editing skills when I am tasked with writing personal columns directed at the readership; and my sister, whose calming effect can always be found on the other end of the telephone during late-night and early-morning deadline crunches.

I also want to thank everyone I’ve forgotten to mention.

Taking over as editor in the near future will be my Eagle Newspapers colleague and fellow Cazenovia resident, Jason Emerson. He is an independent historian, and current editor of the Skaneateles Press. He and his family also reside within the village and he is excitedly anticipating his first issue as editor. I have the utmost confidence he will smoothly transition into this position, and continue to cull interesting, hyper-local news items for each future edition.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year, and hope to see you all around town before I depart — or while I’m back visiting. Adiós, amigos.

Pierce Smith is former editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].