Frontiersman staff celebrates, grieves …

Frontiersman editorial board

This past week has been a time of great joy and great sorrow for the employees, families and friends of the Frontiersman.

The joy came with the arrival of Managing Editor Tracy Wilson's first child. Nina Rose was born Monday afternoon at the Alaska Native Medical Center. She weighed in at a perfect 8 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 22 inches long.

The baby came into the world nearly a week later than expected, but both mother and daughter are doing well since the delivery.

While Wilson is on maternity leave during the months of December and January, adjusting to her new role as mom, Frontiersman reporter Eowyn LeMay Ivey is filling in as interim editor.

Any questions, comments or concerns about news content may be directed to Ivey at the Frontiersman by calling 352-2250.

E-mail may be sent to her at editor@alaska.net.

Everyone here at the Frontiersman wishes Wilson, her husband and their new daughter the very best, and we know they will have a wonderful first Christmas together as a family.

Even as we celebrated the arrival of Wilson's daughter, however, we grieved at the news that the daughter of another co-worker was fighting for her own life.

Julie Menerey, the 16-year-old daughter of Frontiersman editorial designer Amy Menerey, was involved in a serious vehicle accident last Friday night on the Parks Highway.

The collision left her with a fractured skull and she remains in a coma at Alaska Regional Hospital.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Amy and her family during these difficult times, and like the many people who have called the Frontiersman since the accident, we all wish there was more we could do to help.

Many of us have tried to make sense of these two events, occurring within just a few days of each other.

If nothing else, it is clear that life is precious.

Events like these change our lives in a matter of moments, and the effects ripple through the entire community.

Maybe all we can do is continue to reach out to one another as we celebrate the joys of life and console each other through the tragedies.