On September 3, 1940, Long Islanders were introduced to a brand new newspaper – Newsday. Published and edited by the pioneering Alicia Patterson, the initial run of 15,000 copies rumbled off a used press in a converted Hempstead garage.

From such humble beginnings, Newsday has grown to become one of the nation's largest -- and most respected -- newspapers, earning seventeen Pulitzer Prizes and countless prestigious local and national awards.

As Newsday's new publisher, I am mindful of the challenges faced by my predecessors. In recent months, we have encountered new and difficult challenges involving the reporting of circulation figures. I am confident, however, that with the implementation of steps to ensure accountability, Newsday is already in the process of emerging a stronger and more responsive newspaper, reflecting the highest level of responsibility and integrity.

More than any other medium, a newspaper must reflect its community, respond to its community, and be an effective force for change in its community. Newsday has evolved over the years as the community it serves has changed and grown. To meet the demand for a 24-hour multimedia information source, Newsday.com was created. To meet the individualized needs of our readers, we have introduced special coverage that explores retirement, money management, health, science and topics relevant to young readers. To reflect the increased diversity of our communities, the Spanish language newspaper Hoy was born. As new areas emerge that deserve and demand attention, Newsday will be there to provide readers with objective, intelligent and useful news and information.

Do I expect Newsday to continue to change? Yes. But as we change, we will always be the "village square" of Long Island where news is communicated, readers are informed and entertained, where buyers and sellers meet, and where the public expresses its views. Our editorial pages will remain fiercely independent. Our news coverage, whether from Manhasset, Montauk, Manhattan or Moscow will consistently be accurate, courageous and unbiased. In short, through our news reporting, our advertising and our opinion pages, we are committed to our role as a valued community resource, providing local information you can't find anywhere else.

At Newsday we also take seriously our role as a corporate citizen. We provide strong support in many different ways to countless non-profit organizations that work so hard to improve Long Island's quality of life. For decades, Newsday has been an integral part of our educational system. In virtually every school district, Newsday becomes a classroom learning tool, and hundreds of thousands of students participate in Newsday's innovative school-based programs like FutureCorps. Through Newsday's community programs, we promote volunteerism, we spotlight student athletes and we celebrate our shared heritage.

Over the next few months I'll be talking with our advertisers, business leaders and our readers to see how Newsday can better serve you every day. Your ideas will help shape the future of Newsday.

I look forward to making this journey with each of you.