Nose for News by Sarah Stultz

We’re wrapping up the final pages this week of our annual Progress edition, and I’m getting excited for you, our readers, to see it. 

This year’s Progress theme is “There’s No Place Like Home,” intended to be a spinoff of the classic movie  “The Wizard of Oz.” 

In the 1939 movie, Dorothy was on a quest down the yellow brick road to Emerald City, where she could ask the Wizard of Oz to help her return home. On her way, she meets a Scarecrow, who wants a brain; the Tin Man, who seeks a heart; and a Cowardly Lion, who wants to have courage. 

We, likewise, searched for brains, heart and courage in our own community to highlight in this special Progress edition, and we quickly found that we didn’t have to look far before we found exemplary examples of these traits. 

Whether it was the Alden-Conger Supermileage team, who year after year is breaking records and making a name for themselves on an international level; this year’s Citizen of the Year, who has led a life of volunteer work; or members of the local fire or police departments, who every day showcase exceptional courage, this section highlights many of the good people  in our community. 

There are teachers and nurses, who showcase all three of these traits on a daily basis, especially during the last few years. 

There are pastors, funeral directors and day care workers, who all have hearts of gold to work day in and day out in their professions, and there are home health care nurses, paramedics and of course National Guard members, who exhibit not only skill but courage as they help others.

These are only a few of the people we highlight in this issue. 

The issue comes out Feb. 26, and we encourage you to pick up a copy of the paper that day and share it with your friends and neighbors. 

Though the last two years have been challenging for us all, we still have much to be grateful for in this place we call home.

We don’t need to look far to realize there’s really no place like home. 

Sarah Stultz is the managing editor of the Tribune. Her column appears every Wednesday.