Things are beginning to get exciting around The Clanton Advertiser office as we are getting ready to produce our largest paper of the year, Progress 2009. Traditionally, this is the section where we put together some of our best work from the entire year.

Everyone here has been working hard on it this year. Things have been difficult this year because we, like everyone else, are being affected by the economy. It might not be as big as other editions we have put out in the past, but the quality hasn’t been affected.

Our advertising staff has been diligently working to see who wants to participate in this major edition. Our composing staff is putting the finishing touches on those advertisements that people have been willing to put in our edition. And everything is looking good.

In the news department, we have spent time talking with numerous people in the community and writing about them. We have a look back to 2008, which is more of a photo timeline of last year. There are numerous pictures that you will see again.

Also, we have undertaken the daunting task of talking to many of our elected officials. You might not think that is a large number of people, but it actually is a very large group. In each of our four municipalities, you have an elected mayor and five council members. That’s 24.

Then, there are seven commissioners, seven Board of Education members and a school superintendent. That makes 39. There are many others on the county level including the tax assessor, tax collector, circuit clerk, probate judge and sheriff. When you add state legislators and others officials, that becomes a large number of people.

In addition to those sections, we will produce another section that will focus on our “unsung heroes.” These are people that everyone knows but that don’t always get the credit for the good they’ve done in the community. I know there will be some people we will miss, but this is just a short list of good people.

We also will have sections focusing on the medical and homebuilding fields. There is another favorite of mine, which is the calendar. It’s the only calendar I know that goes from March to February.

Lastly, we will also announce our Citizen of the Year. Last year, it was Gay West, and this year’s winner is another good selection, but I can’t tell you who it is yet. If you really want to know, buy the Feb. 27 edition of the Advertiser to see that and the rest of Progress 2009.

– Brent Maze is the managing editor for The Clanton Advertiser. His column appears each Wednesday.