I must admit that I'm new to this sort of thing, so I wanted to make this first entry more of an introduction, to be followed by some suggestions from you, the readers, as to what you might like to see.

As you probably know, I am the assistant editor here, at the BannerGraphic, but I have worked at the paper four years. During that time I have covered just about everything a reporter can in a small town like Greencastle.

Currently I cover city government, which means I attend all the city council meetings, board of works, plan commission and park board gatherings. For those of you who want to talk about that, there will be a place for you here.

Although I did not grow up in Greencastle, my family roots go deep here. Most notably, my great-great-grandfather, William B. Vestal, was the sheriff of Putnam County at the beginning of the 1900s.

My grandfather was born at Putnamville in 1917 and was a 1935 graduate of Greencastle High School. His brother -- my great-uncle -- lived on Washington Street, next to the Clark gas station, for years.

It is because of my family's history, namely my grandfather's occupation as a farmer, that I gained a love of old tractors, machinery and a general love of the outdoors. My most cherished possession is his 1958 International tractor, which I do my best to maintain.

Oh yeah, and I have this little thing called a four-wheeler, which landed me in the hospital last year but remains a hobby of mine. So to all you antique tractor and four-wheeler enthusiasts out there, I'd love to here from you as well.

Finally to those of you who cherish the simple things in life, like taking a walk down a country road on a summer's evening, or old friends who stop by just because they see you outside working in your yard: I want to hear from you. What inspires you? How are you helping make the world around you a better place?

As a final note: Try to keep your comments brief and please be polite to one another when writing your blog. Happy writing.