Rather than continuing the tradition of publishing the Cortez Sentinel on Saturday and the Montezuma Valley Journal on Tuesday and Thursday, the two publications (and all their predecessors) have evolved into one. The historical trail of Montezuma County newspapers over the past century is important, and we value the differences in ownership, style and philosophy of all those papers. At the same time, the dual identity was confusing to the people we serve: our advertisers and our readers. The Journal and Sentinel have been essentially one newspaper for many years; the new name will reflect that reality.

This latest version of our publication, with its 111-year history, is called the Cortez Journal for many reasons, all of them thoroughly researched and debated. It's the Journal because the Montezuma Journal was the first newspaper in this area, and we have great respect for that history. It's the Cortez Journal because we believe that a strong place name is important. Potential readers can identify Cortez on any map; "Montezuma" is a little more nebulous. While we are committed to covering the entire Montezuma Valley and indeed the entire region, the center of that region is indisputably Cortez.

As the visible symbol of the Cortez Journal, we have chosen the most notable feature of our horizon: the Sleeping Ute Mountain, a feature unique to Montezuma County. Of all the graphic elements considered for a place on our flag, that one best symbolized the spirit of this place.

We have added features, most notably the Associated Press newswire, which will enable us to provide our readers with coverage of regional, state and national issues. We've also added a comics page, complete with crossword puzzle, in response to reader requests. That page also will include Ann Landers and "Hints from Heloise," as well as a feature for children.

Also in response to our readers, we have brought back some old favorites. The popular "Remember When" column, quotes from past Journals and Sentinels, returns to our Opinion Page, as do staff-written columns.

News will appear on some new pages. Special pages on agriculture and education issues will appear on alternate Saturdays; timely coverage on any of these topics will continue to appear daily. Coverage of religion will continue on a page that will now be called "Faith," recognizing that for some of our readers, spirituality is not the same as organized religion. A business page will run on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, the family page will continue to highlight local names and faces, and it will be joined by a sister page about topics that affect our daily lives. Sometimes it will be "Food," sometimes "Home" and sometimes "Garden." Those pages will always relate to the way people really live and work in the Four Corners, and will carry articles by local writers.

A Cortez Journal Web site is in its developmental phase. As technology becomes increasingly accessible, more and more people in distant communities, who want to visit, relocate or invest here, are keeping in touch through local community Web sites. Log on to www.cortezjournal.com to get a glimpse, and check back frequently to see what new features we're adding.

Readers can submit news items via e-mail to the Journal at news@cortezjournal.com. Letters to the editor can still be mailed in or hand-delivered, but now they can also be e-mailed to editor@cortezjournal.com. (Please include a physical address and phone number so that we can verify signatures.) For more e-mail addresses, see the staff box on page 6A of today's paper.

Astute readers will notice that nothing has disappeared to make way for the changes. The Journal's focus will continue to be on local news. Our readers have told us repeatedly that local news is what's most important to them, and the Cortez Journal is committed to meeting that need. That's what this business is all about.