You probably noticed The Courier-Herald looks different this week – very different.

This week the newspaper is celebrating the Best of the Plateau, from best pizzas, top burgers, spirits and some notable folks. This edition celebrates the top of the hill.

The staff has been working on this edition for several months. It is the first time we have tried to focus an edition around a concept like the Best of the Plateau.

Plateau-area businesses participated in a “best of” contest with voters casting their ballots for top choices in many categories. The contest results begins on page 13.

You will still find news, sports and other articles, but we thought for one week we would try something different.

The newspaper you are more familiar with will return next week, but expect to see a some of the “Best of the Plateau” stories continuing.

When the editorial staff started trying to figure out what stories to write for this edition, we had so many ideas the problem was to pare it down to a manageable number.

Many of my best ideas hit the editorial room floor with loud crash, thanks to Brian Beckley and his companion in the evil empire, Valerie May, the creative wizard.

While I am talking about the best I need to say, for the record, there is no better editorial staff than those sitting in this office. Kevin Hanson, Daniel Nash and (even) Beckley put out award-winning writing that keeps the community informed and entertained week after week.

On the creative side, check out that front cover. That is Kathy McCauley’s work. I gave her a pile of pictures with the comment, “See if something works.” How she came up with the best front I have seen I do not know, but she did

Let us not forget the months of work and worry the sales staff, Martha Boston and Dottie Bergstresser, put into this edition.

This is the first attempt at a themed edition. I hope you have as much fun with it as we have. Let us know what you think.