There are moments in life when saying goodbye does not mean putting a period at the end of a story, but rather pausing to look at everything that has been built and trusting in what comes next. When I officially submitted my resignation from Sol del Valle because of my move to another state, I did not expect to have the honor of continuing alongside this newspaper for another six months. As with everything in life, each chapter has its time.
That is why today I want to invite our community to welcome Owen McArdle, the new editor of Sol del Valle, and to accompany him as he begins this new chapter.
From the very beginning, my goal as editor was clear: that Sol del Valle truly reflected the diversity of our community.
Our valley has an incomparable beauty in the way our cultures, languages, stories and the communities on both sides of these two valleys intertwine. Here, people with different roots, experiences and ways of seeing the world live side by side, but we also share something in common: this place we call home.
I once wrote in these pages a few words for the future editor of Sol del Valle. Today, I am grateful to remember a little of that letter, “This newspaper belongs to the community that reads it. Take care of it, listen to it and let it guide you.”
Today, those words hold a special meaning for me.
Sol del Valle has something that transcends any editor: its voice is built by all of us.
It takes an entire community to build a strong resource, a newspaper that does not simply publish about a community, but truly listens to it and sees itself reflected on every page.
Every story, business, family, organization and every person who shares their voice helps shape what Sol del Valle is and what it can become.
I invite you to continue staying connected with us through every edition, every social media post, every correction you send our way, every question you ask and every topic you bring to our table.
I will always be grateful for the opportunity this community gave me over these years. It allowed me to meet stories and people I might never otherwise have had the opportunity to know.
When Sol del Valle began, perhaps none of us could have imagined all that it would come to mean to our community.
Although today I am saying goodbye to my role as editor, I do not feel that I am saying goodbye to everything Sol del Valle represents. I am taking with me the stories, conversations and lessons.
Now a new chapter begins because Sol del Valle does not belong to one person or one organization; it belongs to an entire community.
As long as that community continues reading, participating and believing in this project, Sol del Valle will continue to have a reason to exist.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of this, our story.
THANK YOU
To my Sol del Valle team:
- Diane Amsden
- Pérez Family
- Ingrid Zúniga
- Margarita Alvarez
Sol del Valle Advisory Council
CoWest Noticias Collaborative
Our contributors and artists
The Sopris Sun
Translation assisted by AI.