In today’s edition of The Greenville Advocate, readers will find some additional pages relating to the things that make Butler and Lowndes counties a unique place to live.

It is the 2004 Horizons edition.

This is the Advocate’s most in-depth project of the year and this included over 60 pages, up from just over 40 in last year’s edition.

&uot;Without a doubt this is the biggest, most detailed project we do throughout the year,&uot; said Greenville Newspaper’s president and Publisher Dennis Palmer. &uot;The amount of work and detail that went into producing this year’s Horizon’s edition was extensive, but I firmly believe this year’s edition is the best we’ve ever produced. I’m very proud of our staff for setting the bar high and I’m grateful to our advertising partners for making it a reality and showcasing their businesses to our readers.&uot;

Those constant readers will notice some changes this year compared in previous Horizons editions.

For one, a special section about the Advocate’s Citizen of the Year and the county’s Unsung Heroes is included.

&uot;We decided this was something the newspaper needed to do to recognize those people who work so hard behind the scenes, and never have any public recognition,&uot; Managing Editor Jay Thomas said.

&uot;When we first sent out the call for nominations, we worried we’d have only a few participates but quickly put aside our fears.

In all we had over 400 nomination letters.

From those we let the people speak.&uot;

The Advocate’s first Citizen of the Year is Mark Gruenewald aka &uot;The Candy Man&uot; from Chapman.

Another new section in this edition is &uot;Our Support.&uot;

This section highlights the people who work behind the scenes in official capacities.

They protect our streets, serve in local government, and clean our landscapes and much more.

This gives the readers an opportunity to put a name to a face.

Work on this project started months ago. Due to the amount of planning and detail that goes into producing a project of this magnitude, the Advocate staff began working on Horizons 2004 in October.

The theme of this year’s edition is &uot;A World of Change.&uot; The staff decided on this theme because 2003 will certainly be remembered as one of the most exciting, progressive years in the city’s history.

While Horizons is a major undertaking for the staff of Greenville Newspapers, it is honestly a project of passion that helps as a guide through the process of publishing such an edition.

It’s passion about this community, passion for showcasing the Advocate’s best work, but more than anything it’s a passion for showing, through photos and print, the good things that make this community what it is, the best place anywhere to live.