Yep. It’s another one of those It’s Your Right to Know weeks. That’s when we brag about us hard-working journalists who sit through endless public meetings, pore over police and sheriff records, then publish stuff about our neighbors and onetime friends.

Years ago a guy at a cocktail party complained about us printing a Gossip Column in our newspaper. He finally said he referred to the records about who sued who and who got arrested. I later learned that he’d been sued and arrested. It was the last time we were invited to a party. That was 1980 and we’d only been on the job a year.

We don’t try to make people mad, but it happens.

We also don’t always get it right, but we try.

We don’t always agree with our decisions at the time, and that goes double for spouses who work together.

Back in the day before child molesters were more commonplace in our schools, we had a story about a local man charged with molesting a child.

It was about 6 a.m. and I was finishing up the pasteup of the paper when my husband suggested I leave the man’s address out of the story.

A few minutes later, our delivery guy came in to pick up the pages to take them to the printer. As usual, Wilson asked, “What’s the big news?”

I told him and he asked, as if on cue, “Where did he live?”

It is your right to know, and it’s our right to tell you.

It’s also your right, and I believe your duty also, to ask questions and make complaints.

To us in a letter to the editor.

To school officials.

To town officials.

To county and state officials.

Some people have it in their heads that only public officials may attend public meetings.

Wrong!

It’s public!

Go and ask questions.

Most boards have an agenda item for comments from the public, or allow them with a time limit, while others require advance notifications.

If you don’t know their requirements, or when and where they meet, then call them, or call us.

Help us shine the light on our government.