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Hello, Wallowa County.

If I learned anything when I wrapped up my last job and I wrote my outro column as the sports editor of The Observer, it’s that I’m not good at goodbyes.

I’m finding I’m not the best at hellos, either, as I search for the best words for this intro.

So I’ll start with “hello” and see where this goes.

My name is Ronald Bond, and I am the new editor of the Wallowa County Chieftain — a role that, even a month ago, never seemed remotely like one I would be in.

I do have a sense of Wallowa County, most notably in the sports scene, as I have had opportunities to cover several thrilling Wallowa County sporting events in my time at The Observer. None, though, stand out more than the Joseph girls track and field team winning back-to-back state titles in 2016 and 2017, or the Enterprise girls half-point victory at the 2019 state track meet.

Because of that, I know a few of you. Chieftain General Manager Jennifer Cooney has said, though, that I’m already known by people in the county through my coverage of the sports during my time at The Observer. That may give me an advantage stepping into this role as opposed to someone coming into the region blindly.

But this is a step into an unknown for me. Sports writing is what I have viewed as my strength, and is what originally interested me in journalism close to 15 years ago. News coverage is a move into an area of uncomfortability, of vulnerability and of uncertainty. That also goes for leading a newsroom. This is in spite of the fact that I do have some experience in both. With sports put on the sideline during COVID-19, I have spent more time covering news in the past six months. And I served as The Observer’s interim editor for about six or seven months in 2019, including during the tail end of the paper’s time in bankruptcy before we were bought by EO Media Group.

I’ll be upfront that adjusting to this new role is going to be a time of learning and growing for me. While I have a basis to start from, I am also starting from scratch. Yes, I may be known by some readers and know some people (particularly coaches and athletes) but these are not laurels I can rest on. Being known means expectations likely will be a lot higher than if I was coming in completely unknown by the people here.

When this move was presented to me about three weeks ago and I took a weekend to consider and pray it over, I came to realize that the opportunity placed before me was granted to me by the Lord. That gives me a sense that stepping into something new will be OK, even if it won’t be easy at first. It’ll be an opportunity to grow, to change, to develop.

I’m also looking forward to getting to know many of you in the county, of getting to work with you, and of getting to tell your stories — whatever those stories may be. As noted above, I already have a bit of a jump-start with a handful of you from the last few years. And those I already worked with last week as I began to get integrated have been great. I hope it’s the start of a good season at the Chieftain.

The readers are who make a paper go. Without you, we have nothing. I want to build a great working relationship with the readership up here.

And that means, I want to hear from you at rbond@wallowa.com. If you have a story idea for myself or for one of our reporters or freelancers, please send it along. If you have feedback — positive or negative (please be gracious if sharing negative feedback) — I want to hear that as well. If you have input on what could make the Chieftain better, send it my way. I can’t guarantee it’ll be included, but it can be taken into consideration.

I know I am joining a paper that recently won an ONPA general excellence award. I want to do what I can to not only maintain what was good that led to that award being earned, but to see what can be added to, hopefully, make it even better.

I’m looking forward to what is ahead, and am ready to get started.