Today I wanted to let you know about a column I'm writing for the Monday newspapers illustrating how challenging it was to put together front pages, like the one we did Monday with the Red Sox World Series championship.

Yup, that's what we saw last weekend at the Wal-Mart in Augusta.

The former nursery area was 80-90 percent stocked with Christmas stuff —lights, balls, garland, wrapping paper. I know there's nothing new to saying this is happening earlier and earlier every year. But the Halloween stuff was still being sold!

I guess it worked. I didn't buy any decorations but bought my daughters and wife a few presents while I was there, stashed them in the garage upon my return home. Now if only I can remember on Dec. 24 whether I bought them and where I hid them. That would be good — and a first, too.

We're not desperate. Really. We have a reporting position open and we have some good applications in hand.

But one thing we don't have enough of: Qualified applications from Maine natives, or people who went to high school here, and want to live in central Maine and work as a reporter at the Kennebec Journal or Morning Sentinel. Why is that? We produce two fine daily newpapers, which we think are getting better. Our Web site just was voted best in New England for newspapers of 40,000 circulation or below. Our company is an excellent employer. We offer competitive salaries and every benefit you could ask for — health care, eye and dental care, a 401k run by Fidelity, weekly overtime. Etc.

Sometimes, in reader comments, in e-mails or in comments at other Web sites that I browse occasionally, there will be criticisms that we don't hire enough Mainers —young journalists from this area, Maine journalism-school graduates, people from here who perhaps work at smaller daily newspapers or weeklies. I get asked about this when I speak in public sometimes. My answer: I'd love to hire more Mainers, and in fact we do hire people like this more than you might think. (Recent copy-desk hires Lucas Knowles and Andy Nagy are from Winthrop and Gardiner. Scott Martin, our new sports editor, grew up in Naples.)

But not enough Maine journalists and journalism students apply here. Nor did they at the Portland Press Herald, where I worked as an editor for more than 10 years. I just don't see as many applications from the University of Maine, U-Maine Farmington, University of Southern Maine and the state's fine, literary private schools as I'd like. I will make it a personal priority in the coming year to "reach out" to professors at these schools, encouraging them to send students our way, though it seems obvious that they should.

But for now, if you know young journalists like this — or know someone who does — please, give them my name. We'd do better with more of them.

If you're like me, you're finding it tough to stay up all night watching the Red Sox with these 8:20 p.m. games. As much as I wanted to stay up, I retired at 11:30 p.m. last night with the Sox leading 5-2 and Papelbon pitching. I knew I was missing the celebration stuff but figured the game was in hand — and boy was I right.

We're looking to do a story in the next few days about, "Tired Sox fans." Are you falling asleep during these games? Are you staying up and chugging coffee the following day? Are you skipping work or even school? Let us know because we know you're in good company.

You can email me at: econrad@centralmaine.com

You can e-mail our sports editor at: smartin@centralmaine.com

We're assembling a complete look at election issues, polling places and names of candidates here at our Web sites. In fact, the election collection is located right above these blogs.

This is another example of how the Internet can help us do better journalism. We could not run election lists like this in the print newspaper every day — it would take up too much space, be seen as repetitive, and crowd out other news stories. But we can build these things online, leave them in a prominent location for several weeks, and tell print readers where to go if they want to see a complete election package.

We really do take it seriously, our role as journalists to inform people about government issues and elections.

That's why, starting last week, we've been informing readers in-depth about upcoming election measures: the racino vote in Washington County; the Land For Maine's Future bond proposal; the economic-development bond.

I'm offering a few links here, leading with staff writer Alan Crowell's in-depth look at the land-preservation vote:Voters to consider $17 million funding package

Over the next few weeks, you will see even more of this kind of coverage from us. We're also committed to covering town and city elections and referenda, such as whether to expand Lithgow Library in Augusta,whether to change the Augusta utilities district and merge part of it with Hallowell, and whether Winthrop should build a new public-safety headquarters.

He talked about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. About cutting taxes. About consolidating a bunch of things -- schools, prisons, natural-resources agencies, and more. He talked about his different approach to governing from his first to his second term in office.

Gov. John Baldacci met with the editorial board of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel on Oct. 2. In case you missed statehouse reporter Susan's Cover's article about that meeting, you can read it here: Baldacci defends policies

This Sunday, we will carry an editorial about Baldacci, analyzing his performance and tenure. We'll also publish an extensive printed transcript of the questions and answers from that meeting in both newspapers. If you're into state politics, issues, taxes or spending, it's close to a must-read.

Just spent part of my morning touring the State Museum with my daughter's elementary school class as part of Earth-Science Day. We had fun.

It was the first time that I spent several hours really working my way through the museum. To start, museum employee Dave Hunt told the students to ask a lot of questions, but to keep "your voices low." It was a nice suggestion that probably achieved mixed results. He said upward of 2,000 students were expected to tour the place today. I saw buses from Livermore Falls, Winthrop, Augusta and other districts.

The lobby was filled with exhibits. My daughter and her friend enjoyed "sifting for gold" at a display run by the Maine Prospectors organization, which I didn't know existed. Guess what? Both girls found gold.

Poland Spring Water had a good exhibit that actually worked (with red dye and water) to show the effects of pollution and how easily surface pollution can contaminate lakes and streams.

Then we went on a "scavenger hunt" for facts throughout the museum, looking for names of sardine canners, numbers about Maine fruits and such. I'm a native of central Pennsylvania, and was surprised to read that American Indians from the Susquehanna Valley traveled to Maine 3,500 years ago and advanced some of the tool-making and stonework here at the time.

Roger Griswold, a meteorologist with WCSH Channel 6 in Portland, also provided a highlight. He showed students a dramatic and informative video about lightning. I asked how he was enjoying the hectic day and he explained that, when he was a high school student, he went on a field trip and a meteorologist so impressed him, that he went into the profession. That's why he does these events. Cool explanation.

"Judge said: What you got in your defense, son?"
"Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on. Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on."
-- Bruce Springsteen

I can feel it coming on already. Major League Baseball's regular season is over. Aside from sports, my viewing habits on TV essentially equal "24" -- last season was a disappointment -- and occasional old movies. I don't watch much else. I used to watch political shows but can't take the hardened positions and all the yelling like I used to.

So, now we're in MLB playoff mode -- thank goodness, the Sox are still in it -- and the National Football League's playing. Boston College is No. 4 in the nation in football too, when you can find them on television.

This is a great time of year to be into TV sports, because the games are so meaningful. But they're not on every night now. Winter's coming. You can feel it inside as well as outside.

Hey, at least it's not as bad as that lull between the Super Bowl and spring training (though perhaps the Celtics will be competitive, with Garnett?).

For me, it’s easy: Phillies vs. Red Sox. (The way the Phillies hit yesterday, I need to write this blog while I still can!)

I’m a Pennsylvania native and spent many hours with my mom watching the Phillies on TV, or listening to them on the radio as we drank mint tea (Yes, I was kind of a dork). There were some highlights during the Mike Schmidt/Steve Carlton years, for sure. There were a lot of down years, too. Anyone else remember Roger Freed? Steve Jeltz? Denny Doyle?

I’ve lived in Maine since 1995, after a six-year working “vacation” in Florida, where I covered the Marlins’ first-ever home opener. So I’ve taken on the Red Sox as my second-favorite team. My older daughter loves Manny Ramirez. I kind of like him, too.

It’s funny, because with football I’ve switched allegiances as I’ve moved: Eagles, Dolphins (I was a season ticketholder), Patriots. But with baseball, I’ll never completely changed (though I often wish I could). I’d love to see the Phillies and Red Sox go at it in Fenway and the underrated Citizens Bank Ballpark.

What is your dream matchup in the World Series?

Do you really want to see the Sox and Yankees collide again in the ALCS?

Are you sure? Really sure?

We were caught by surprise last Thursday, when the Maine Civil Liberties Union sent out a press release via e-mail that said it negotiated a settlement between the school and a girl who'd been strip-searched from the waist up at Winslow High in December 2006.

We had no idea that had happened and, as it turns out, most parents and students didn't either. The MCLU statement, however, contained few details and school officials and the MCLU had agreed to say very little in addition to that initial press release. You can read our story here:Strip search leads to agreement

That same day, Morning Sentinel Staff Writer Joel Elliott, City Editor Joe Rankin and I talked and the Sentinel filed a Freedom of Access request -- which has the power of state law on its side, when we're right -- seeking more details than what the Winslow school and MCLU had provided. We were skeptical, for example, as to whether money changed hands, as it often does in cases like this. If it had, that would be taxpayer money, or insurance money and the insurers are paid by taxpayers.

Meantime, our follow-up story appeared Saturday. Winslow parents and students were upset that this happened and they were caught by surprise. While we were talking to parents and high school students, a school official even tried to shoo our reporters off the school sidewalks. You can read our second-day story here:Parents speak out against hushed school strip-search

We came to work Monday and, by early afternoon, got word that the law firm representing the school district would provide court documents to us in response to our FOA request. The law was on our side. Turns out, the school did pay $6,500 to lawyers and $8,500 to the girl who was strip-searched because of the incident. The documents also provided other details, including the name of the assistant principal who ordered it be done (no drugs were found) and told two female employees to do it. You can read our third story here:Strip-search settlement detailed

I write this to show you how Maine's FOA laws work for you. If not for the law, we may never have known that Winslow paid a settlement, who ordered the strip search, and much more. We didn't file this demand to "sell newspapers" (I doubt our sales increased because of this story). We filed this to get you as many facts about school conditions, public employees and taxpaper money as we could.

Bringing you up to speed on some important staff changes:

Reporter Meghan Malloy joined our Kennebec Journal reporting staff last week, covering police, public safety and commuting issues. Meghan is a native of suburban Des Moines, Iowa. She joins us after a one-year internship at the respected Des Moines Register. She's living in Gardiner.

Scott Martin takes over as executive sports editor of the KJ and Morning Sentinel today. I blogged about this appointment a few weeks ago but today's officially his first. Scott's been with us for about 10 years as a sports writer. He knows the area and he shares my ambition of making our sports sections among the best for papers our size in the U.S. Scott lives in Hallowell.

Former sports editor Ben Sturtevant today starts as Web manager. He will be THE key guy in developing our Web sites, from both an Advertising and News point of view. Ben's moving to a new work area in the middle of the KJ newsroom but he'll report to Publisher John Christie. Ben lives in Hallowell.