It's truly a fascinating time for Selma and Kingsburg.

I say this with all sincerity. I believe both communities are on the edge of significant change. What a wonderful time to be the editor of the communities' newspapers.

Sadly, it is against this backdrop that I am saying goodbye to our Selma and Kingsburg readers. It has been an absolute pleasure and honor to work as the editor of these two papers for the past year and be involved in the two communities.

However, I have recently had a very unexpected -- but privileged honor -- of returning to work in public service for a member of the U.S. Congress as a press secretary.

It's with both joy and sadness that I am writing my last column and overseeing my final edition of The Selma Enterprise and The Kingsburg Recorder.

I am sad to leave at such an exciting time of change.

However, I am excited to be returning to public service in hopes of helping in some way to improve the quality of life for Valley residents.

Many of my friends who attended school here in the Valley have moved on to Sacramento, the Bay Area or Los Angeles over the years. Simply put, they did so in search of better pay, better air and a generally better quality of life.

There's a reason I have remained in the Central Valley throughout my career.

As a Fresno Bee columnist recently noted, the Central Valley tends to be the dumping ground for the rest of California. Politically, we don't carry nearly the muscle in Sacramento as Los Angeles or the Bay Area.

For these reasons I have wanted to remain in the Valley and do my part to help fight for the underdog.

My new employer, Congressman Dennis Cardoza, has been doing this for sometime. As a moderate Democrat in Washington, he has continually worked with the rest of the congress members from the Valley -- both Democrat and Republican -- to try and improve the quality of life for us here in Central California.

It will be both personally and professionally rewarding to join his efforts.

I simply won't have time to say thank you and goodbye to all who have made my time here so rewarding. So I would like to personally thank all of our readers, our news sources, our elected officials and our advertisers for their support of The Selma Enterprise and Kingsburg Recorder.

Serving you as your local newspaper editor has truly been an honor and a privilege. It has also been a privilege to be a part of these two wonderful communities.

I wish to extend my best wishes to all of you.

Warmest regards,

Mike Jensen

Managing Editor

Selma Enterprise

Kingsburg Recorder