Here we are, standing on the brink of a new year together.
The transition from one year into another is always interesting. At the end of the old year, we reflect back on everything the year held, all the ups and downs, all the accomplishments and setbacks, all the goals we achieved and those we still have to work on. At the beginning of the new year, we look ahead to the uncertainty and promise of the future. The blank calendar pages feel like a blank slate, a fresh start, where we can work toward all our goals again.
Every year, the Green River Star does a “Year in Review” paper for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Usually, this puts it right at the end of the year as we look back. This year, with the interesting timing of the holidays midweek, we’ve already stepped into the new year even while we take time to pause and reflect on the old.
The opportunity to look back helps give us an overview perspective on what we’ve accomplished.
For our community in Green River, and extending throughout Sweetwater County and Wyoming, 2024 was largely a year of continued momentum. Some discussions that started before 2024 continued through it, like those regarding the BLM’s Resource Management Plan. Some projects are ongoing, like the terminal update at the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport, the new developments in the trona patch, and improvements along the Green River Greenbelt. Some events we’d been anticipating came finally arrived, like the election. Of course, there were unexpected ups and downs during the year, but overall, we saw continued growth.
It’s been a year of growth for the Green River Star as well. Our full-time team of two, General Manager Jackie and Editor Hannah, has received significant help from a growing staff of part-time workers and stringers throughout the year. We also celebrated the Star earning multiple awards on a state-wide, regional, and national level. This year the Star received five pacemaker awards from the Wyoming Press Association, four of which were first place; six excellence in journalism awards from the regional Top of the Rockies contest by the Colorado chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, including one first place; and five awards from the National Newspaper Association Foundation Editorial Contest, including one first place.
Going into 2025, we know our momentum will continue once again, for our newspaper and for our community as a whole. We hope that momentum will carry us all to even greater heights. We look ahead to resolutions and completions for some things, and continued progress for others.
We also know there will be changes. Sometimes this knowledge brings hope, and sometimes it brings fear. We can’t know for sure what will happen in the next year. But what we do hope will happen is that we will all continue to make progress together, listening to and learning from each other, rallying together and supporting each other, and continuing to keep our community strong.
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