MATT DRISCOLL: STEP ONE >>>

As you’ve probably realized, the world is in the middle of an economic crap sandwich right now. Things are tough all over, and â€" while we’d like to be able to say it wasn’t affecting us here at the Weekly Volcano â€" unfortunately it is. (And I’m not just talking about the Top Ramen I’ve been forced to eat at lunch.) We’ve had to trim costs, and that has meant some tough decisions that no one has enjoyed making â€" like combining the Fort Lewis Ranger (another paper we produce here at Swarner Communications) with the Volcano into one. It’s a decision we hated making, but it has allowed us to survive and avoid laying people off â€" which, we believe, is pretty important stuff in the long run.

We know and realize this decision may have caught you off guard, and perhaps even made you wonder what the heck was going on. How could it not? Though the Volcano originally started as the arts and entertainment insert of the Ranger, and has always been inside the Ranger, the Volcano has come a long way since those humble beginnings back in 2001. Combining the South Sound’s only alternative press weekly with a paper geared toward the military was bound to inspire a little head scratching.

But things are getting better â€" and this week, as evidence of the promise of the future and as a gesture to our valued readers â€" we’ve made a step forward.

From this point on, until the economy fully recovers and we’re all back to buying houses we can’t afford (you know, like the good ol’ days), the Weekly Volcano will be a full fledged pull-out of the Ranger â€" meaning you can physically remove the Volcano from its military shell (and hug it, and kiss it, and love it, and read it.) No longer will you need to wade through military news to get the Volcano you crave â€" you can simply go straight for the gooey, creamy, delicious Weekly Volcano center.

It’s like an Oreo, only better. Go ahead, give it a whirl. It’s fun.

And thanks for reading. Just like you â€" we have no intention of letting this “Great Recession” keep us down.

Things are already looking up.

P.S. Of course, you can read several Weekly Volcano stories online, too.