Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/190797
When we took our children to Disney World many, many years ago, we all enjoyed a feature I am not sure even exists anymore. It was called "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride." It was a mad crazy exhilarating adventure — just what the name implies. Sometimes when I start this letter on Thursdays, I feel as though I have been on that wild ride again. Not only have I been editing the work of my colleagues — and reviewing final page proofs — but also I often have had to turn out a story or two myself on deadline. One of the nicest compliments I ever received from a co-worker occurred one afternoon a couple of years ago after I churned out a story from a County Commission meeting within an hour of my return to the office. My colleague voiced amazement that I had completed it so fast. All of us veterans of the newspaper trade learn to write on deadline. Some days, though, it admittedly is much easier than others. You do not have to be a member of the Fourth Estate to recognize the stomach-churning feeling that comes with glancing repeatedly at a clock and knowing you have a certain amount of time to finish your work — yet the final quality cannot reflect the speed with which the work was done. Now that my adrenaline rush is ebbing, I invite you to take a look this week not just at the late-breaking news, but also at what I consider to be a comprehensive roundup of many, many actions in Sarasota County this week. Editor and Publisher