CLICK HERE for my latest column.
As we close in on Issue No. 116, Vol. No. 366 (it was a Leap Year, remember), we can look back on 2008 as a year of significant changes for The Register Citizen, both in what the reader sees every day and behind the scenes.

CLICK HERE for my latest column.
Even though it’s just a few hundred yards from our office, I haven’t made it over to Christmas Village yet this year. First of all, I’m not too clear on the age limit for making requests of Santa Claus, and until this column was done, I was still working on my list.
And here it is, a set of Christmas present wishes for Northwest Connecticut, in no particular order...

Our 20th anniversary Warm the Children campaign stands at $18.648.63 as of this morning toward our goal of $20,000.
The difference between where we're at now and reaching our goal over the next week is being able to serve 14 additional children, who otherwise will be added to the waiting list of kids we're not able to help.
As always, 100 percent of the money donated goes directly to the purchase of new, warm winter clothing for needy local kids.
Donations can be made to Warm the Children, care of The Register Citizen, 190 Water St., Torrington, CT 06790, or online at http://northwestunitedway.org/.

CLICK HERE for my latest column, about the critical juncture Torrington is approaching with the possible selection of a new school superintendent and new mayor.

CLICK HERE for an online version of our "Buy Local" Gift Guide if you missed it in yesterday's newspaper.

CLICK HERE for an online version of an earlier Christmas Gift Guide we published.

Another will be appearing in The Register Citizen on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

CLICK HERE for my latest column. Locally owned banks have money to lend, and local auto dealers are competing to offer you a great deal.

Thursday's Register Citizen will include a special Christmas Gift Guide focusing on gift ideas from locally owned shops.
And you could win a $100 gift certificate to one of those shops by counting the "Big Event" logos inside. It's all leading up to the chance to win a $500 gift certificate in a special advertising section the day after Christmas.
Also in tomorrow's Register Citizen will be the latest edition of our new Arts and Entertainment section. There are still tons of local events and performances happening leading up to Christmas.

If you missed Editor Jordan Fenster's article this morning on how the Torrington area's unemployment rate compares with the rest of Connecticut and the nation, CLICK HERE because it's a must read.
The gist is that Torrington's numbers are better than the state and the country, reeling from a year-long recession and shedding jobs by the thousands each day.
And the reason is the "diversity" of the industrial base.
Torrington was hit hard by the purchase and dismantling of the Torrington Co. earlier this decade. But what has sprung up in its place are a variety of entrepreneurs and small manufacturers. They are small, but some extremely successful. And if one fails, it doesn't have the kind of impact of a big fish like a Torrington Co./Timken going down.

CLICK HERE for Kingston, N.Y., Daily Freeman Publisher Ira Fusfeld's memories of longtime former Journal Register Co. CEO Bob Jelenic, who passed away on Wednesday night after a three-year battle with cancer.

And memories of Bob from his pre-JRC colleagues at the Toronto Sun can be found HERE, HERE and HERE.

CLICK HERE for The Register Citizen's editorial today on Bob's passing.

After a brief hiatus, we are relaunching a new-and-improved daily headline email service starting tomorrow morning.
CLICK HERE to sign up (it's as simple as typing in your email address), and each morning you will receive what is essentially an email version of The Register Citizen's front page, with clickable links to whatever headlines you are interested in.
It's perfect for the busy person who has a lot of Web sites bookmarked and doesn't have the time to visit them all regularly. This comes to you, and you can click through if you see what you like, or hit delete if you don't.
You will also receive on occasion an email alert when important local news breaks.
If you try it and it's not your thing, every email you receive from the service allows you to unsubscribe at any time.