It strikes me as I write this annual article that it seems like just yesterday I was giving OnMilwaukee.com a pat on the back for celebrating our third anniversary.

But, it's a whole year later, and though many have told me that each year passes faster than the previous, the last 12 months have really been a blur here at our North Avenue offices.

Last year, I reported to you that we were positioned for a healthy year in 2002. And then, just 10 days later, the events of September 11 changed everything. A teetering economy fell apart, and we watched media companies in Milwaukee and around the country lay off scores of employees. Some companies went out of business, others scaled back. And we, like everyone else, saw our biggest source of revenue, advertising, almost completely dry up.

That said, we dug in and found a way to keep everyone working. We trimmed our already lean operations and kept a full staff through the winter. And as the snow melted, things began to turn around. In fact, this summer was our best season ever. Fall looks even better. We buckled down as a team and rode out the storm. All metaphors aside, we did it, and now please allow me to take a deep breath and recognize this important anniversary.

This turbulent year did bring a lot of turnover at OnMilwaukee.com, but in the end, it was all for the best. Fully staffed, our talent is better than ever. When I didn't think it was possible to find better employees, they found us. As we celebrate our four years online (which is about a century in dot com years), many exciting things await us. The future looks very bright, indeed.

When Jon Krouse, Jeff Sherman and I "flipped the switch" on August 1, 1998, I'm not sure I understood the full implications of creating Milwaukee's first online media company. Sitting at our makeshift offices in the dining room of my East Side apartment, I didn't fathom we would grow into the city's second largest publication. I doubted we would eventually employ 11 of Milwaukee's best, most talented people. I didn't expect we would launch joint ventures, attract investors or take over two stories of an office building with our name prominently displayed on the side.

But we did, and I've almost forgotten what life was like before OnMilwaukee.com. I know my partners feel the same way. Nearly 10,000 people visit our little Web site each day, though I know it's not so little anymore. In fact, it's grown up a lot since 1998. And in these last 12 months, as a company, we've truly come of age.

The idea of creating a city guide that I was kicking around my head as early as 1996, has matured in Milwaukee's only daily magazine. Many now imitate, but none succeed in presenting our content the way we do. There's something unique and creative way in the way we tap into the city's entertainment scene. If I had a nickel for every compliment I get about OnMilwaukee.com, I really would be a dot com millionaire by now.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the hard work of our dedicated employees. Our graphic designer, Frank, told me the other day, "This is the first job I've ever had where I really care about the success of the company, almost as if I'm an owner." If you polled our employees, I think you'd find most would feel the same way. That's something that money can't buy, and when I wonder if we're doing a good job here, I take comfort in comments like that. For all of our mistakes these last four years, and there have been plenty, it's obvious that we've made 11 right decisions. I'd like to take a moment to thank each of them, in order of tenure with the company.

Zach Karpinski, lead programmer and master of everything technical: Zach has been with OMC for more than two years, and quite honestly, is the most brilliant programmer I've ever met. He has a unique ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical people. Like a great chess player, he thinks several steps ahead when developing an application. You can credit him for all the awesome features you use on our site every day. He's progressed to a point where Jon or I can give him a rough idea of what we're looking for, and then we just stand back while he brings it to fruition. There's nothing more comforting knowing that your programmer can think for himself in every aspect of the development process. It's a rare skill in the industry, and I'm thankful every day that we found our "Apache Chief."

Bobby Tanzilo, managing editor and my right hand man: I tell Bobby about once week that he's what keeps me sane around here. Level-headed, a giant Simpsons fan and one hell of a writer, we're always on the same page, editorially speaking. For two years, Bobby has stood beside me charting our way and providing the content that Milwaukee has come to love. His desk is strategically placed next to the naugahyde sofa that I plop down on at least once a day to vent. I trust his advice always, and I can rest easy knowing that Bobby will take care of anything, any time, usually without me even asking. What a guy.

Michelle Cowan, traffic manager and event calendar queen: Chelle, or sometimes Sheila (as she doesn't like to be called) has been here since March, but it's tough to remember life without her. Beyond the obvious things, like brightening up the office by laughing at my lame jokes, and her general tendency to make our office smell better, she's as competent and devoted as they come. See those 500 events in our event calendar? Yup, that's Michelle who put all those bad boys in there. She also coordinates the ad campaigns, answers the phone and manages the photo interns. She keeps us in line with a smile on her face at all times. Calling her a ray of sunshine is an understatement. We're so very lucky we found Michelle.

Erin Smith, advertising account executive and morale booster: We knew Erin would make a good sales person, but we were pleasantly surprised to see her get this good this quickly. Because of her knowledge of the industry, not to mention her tenacious drive to succeed, she's made a big splash in just a few months on the job. She exceeds our expectations daily, and she does it with an assertive yet laid back attitude that meshed here right away. Erin is on her way to greatness, and I think she might just know it. And that's exactly what we were looking for in a sales person.

Frank Connelly, graphic designer and speediest man alive: I'd met Frank a few times before we hired him, so when he sent his resume with the subject line, "Graphic Designer Position. Done," I knew I'd stumbled upon greatness. A real live graphic artist who can pound out awesome banner ads in the blink of an eye, I recognized how good he was getting when I noticed that I hadn't spoken to him in two days. That's because he didn't need any advice or direction from me. For someone as new as he is, Frank has a unique capacity for teaching himself. Basically, he just sits down and does it. As he gradually makes his mark on the look and feel of OMC, he becomes more and more valuable. Quiet but hardly shy, Frank is an excellent addition to staff.

Molly Snyder Edler, staff writer and creative genius: Not everyone can write for OnMilwaukee.com, though nearly everyone has tried. Molly, on the other hand, appears to be cut out of her job absolutely perfectly. Her wonderful demeanor, attitude and tattoos aside, she hit the ground running with unique articles that have been incredibly popular. Here's one example that sums it up nicely: a few weeks ago, I realized that we hadn't written any new articles in the Bars and Clubs channel recently, so I told Molly to whip something up. In a flash, she wrote "A girl's guide to clean Milwaukee bathrooms." Not only was the article wildly popular, her work was featured on TV and radio. I think I like Molly because she thinks like Bobby and me, and rounds out our editorial staff so perfectly. I'm so glad she came to work for us.

Paul Blaha, advertising account executive and the new guy: Paul just got here, but we're expecting big things from this seasoned sales person. He's a hard worker with a dry sense of humor, which is just what we like. He's also promised to teach me to golf, so I'm looking forward to his success here at OnMilwaukee.com. It's exciting to watch our sales team grow, and we're confident he'll be a perfect fit.

Of course, there's more to our success than just our great staff. We also have a quality intern in Taylor "Pipey" Pipes and a wonderful working relationship with Lightburn Designs. With them, we've spawned a new company called RummageWorks, which powers the new OnMilwaukee.com Classifieds and Personals. Here's to increased collaboration, and hopefully, increased revenue.

I must also acknowledge my partners in crime, Jeff Sherman and Jon Krouse. In a nutshell, Jeff heads up PR and communications and has been doing an increasing amount of sales. Jon is the sales manager and heads up new business development, as well as keeping the lights on here and paying the rent. In case you are wondering, I head up the creative side of things here, both editorially and in Web design work. But we all do a little of everything, and that's part of what makes us great. Through our differences, we turn out a quality product day in and day out.

Finally, I must thank you, our users and our advertisers. The 250,000 Milwaukeeans who visit OMC each month view 1.5 million pages of our unique content. Our advertisers buy that inventory and keep this company alive and growing.

On behalf of Jeff and Jon, we're looking forward to another year of innovation. Jeff is fond of saying OnMilwaukee.com "helps Milwaukee help itself." I'm not sure if we're that important yet, but it is rewarding to know that this town takes us seriously. We'll be throwing a four year anniversary party sometime in September. All of you are cordially invited. Stay tuned for details -- we guarantee it will be good time.

Thanks again, Milwaukee. We're proud to celebrate four years online and look forward to many more to come.