What a year it's been!  One year ago this Wednesday, March 5, TV3 Winchester hit the airwaves for the first time.  I can very easily say I've never been through a more rewarding year, or a more challenging year.

I think the emotion that sticks out the most is one of pride.  I couldn't be more proud of the team we have in place or the job they have done.  I think when our careers are over, soon for some and much longer for others, many of us will look back at this group of people as the most dedicated and team-oriented group of people we'll have ever worked with.

In no particular order, 20 things I will never forget about the last 365 days, our first 365 on the air...

1.) That first day.  At about 6:15pm our video signal started freezing periodically.  Much troubleshooting on many fronts yielded few clues.  Our 7pm show open, the big 3 swooping in, froze, but the show went on fairly smoothly from there.

2.) Drinks at Coalie Harry's (sp?) after the 11pm show that first night.  That was a celebration I'll never forget, and well deserved for all those involved.  Jim Stutzman, yes the Jim Stutzman, joined us at 1am to congratulate the team.  Jim and his wife Kim have been huge supporters from well before day one, and we will forever be grateful.

3.) Election night... our news team nailed it!  Another cause to celebrate after midnight (we work late in the news biz), this time at Brewbaker's!

4.) Our web channel growth... just over 30,000 page views a year ago, we'll probably break 100,000 this month or next.  Thanks for being here!

5.) The many technical challenges that led to the "more challenging year" I referred to in the opening paragraph.  At home, you probably never knew just how bad it got at times.  We all stuck together and that's why I believe in this team!  We won't use this forum to talk about any of our vendors.  :)

6.) Apple Blossom... It was cool to see the talent decked out in pink and green thanks to Bell's.  From our pink and green graphics, to apple blossom flowers on the set, I think we nailed it, especially for having been on the air for just two months.

7.) April 16.  As a Virginia Tech alum, I'll always be angry that my career got in the way that day.  I wasn't allowed to grieve like I wanted to and needed to because our work gets more demanding on days like that.  I was especially frustrated because my wife, also a Tech grad, was very upset and needed me more than ever.  I am proud of the job our team did that day, and proud of the job Wendi Redman did on the scene.  She'll be back there for the anniversary, to tell the story of the anniversary through the eyes of students from our area.

8.) Bruce Smith at the Apple Blossom Sports Breakfast.  I'll never forget Sebastian Salazar's reaction when he found out Bruce was coming (Sebastian is from Buffalo).  My wife's best friend's husband is from Buffalo and when I called him that week to tell him I was going to introduce him to Bruce Smith he almost had an accident in his pants.  Bruce, a VT grad, gave a very touching tribute to the Virginia Tech students and the way they handle the events of April 16.

9.) Sebastian Salazar as the spokesperson for the Chili Cookoff.

10.) Tony Versley and Shaun Galang sharing our Employee of the Year honor, so fitting and emblematic of the teamwork we see inside our walls every day.

11.) Our live 27th District Senate debate.  It was great to partner with the Star.  I watched from the studio and was struck that night by what an honor it was to provide such a great service to our viewers.

12.) Taking the first sick days I've ever taken.  I had never taken a sick day, at any job, until two weeks ago.  I always got sick on the weekends.  But then I got hit by that killer flu going around.  I wish I could blame the wrong strains in the flu shot, but I didn't get a flu shot.  Never have.  But, I think I've finally learned my lesson.

13.) Our dedication ceremony in March.  It was great to have a day of celebration with Dr. Davis and our partners at Shenandoah Univertsity, and Jim and Jane Vickers, big supporters of TV3 Winchester.  The president of our company was here and he stood beside Russ Potts for the ribbon cutting.  Russ convinced him to double our promotional budget, so I'm trying to get the two of them back together.  I'm not paying Russ as much as Handley is!

14.) The many advertisers who have made it possible for us to serve this community.

15.) Accepting the Top of Virginia Building Association award for Media Partner of the Year.

16.) Donating more than $120,000 in airtime to non-profit organizations and events.

17.) An e-mail I got March 5, 2007 from a fellow Gray Television GM in Texas.  He suggested that I take the day as slowly as I could.  He had signed on a community's first radio station some 20 years earlier.  He said, "quite simply, nothing has ever tasted the same, smelled the same, or felt the same as it did that day."  I had to fight back the tears, and a few escaped anyway.  It will be very hard to ever top the pride I have in what we have done for this community by launching its first TV station. 

18.) The vacation I took in June.

19.) My wife.  She has been incredible.  I can honestly say I could not have made it through the last year without her.

20.) Most importantly, the day my wife and I found out we had our first child on the way!  That quickly put it all in perspective!