I’m pretty comfortable talking to people I don’t know. I have to be, considering a reporter’s job is to talk to people — sometimes strangers — to get their story, or to ask people of all walks of life all sorts of questions.

As anyone who may have received a voicemail from me knows, however, I certainly can ramble and take too long to get to the point.

And, like many of you, get me in front of a group of people and not only do I ramble and forget half of what I planned to say, I feel my face heat up as it turns beat red and my voice starts to quiver.

After a year of significant changes for Echo Publishing in 2012, bear with us as we introduce you to a few more in 2013.

These changes aren’t quite as drastic as closing our Pine River building, reducing our open hours at our Pequot Lakes building and consolidating our operations with the Brainerd Dispatch, all of which happened in early 2012.

The start of 2013 has simply brought a few changes to our editorial staff.

Three years ago Tina and Garry Grewe’s lives changed drastically with a phone call from Lutheran Social Services, telling them their four-year wait to adopt a baby had come to an end.

In fact, the Grewes of Pequot Lakes had just two weeks to prepare for the arrival of not one baby, but twins — Teresa and Joshua.

More surprising, Tina didn’t ease her community volunteering when her family size doubled.

For that reason, Tina is the 2012 Pequot Lakes-Breezy Point Citizen of the Year, sponsored annually by Echo Publishing.

Tina’s volunteer commitments include:

The Christmas for Kids organization has been going strong in the lakes area for years, and this year helped more than 85 lakes area families have a brighter Christmas.

The program provides gifts and a holiday meal for less fortunate children in the Nisswa, Lake Shore, Pequot Lakes, Breezy Point, Jenkins, Ideal Corners and Merrifield areas. On Christmas Eve day, area law enforcement authorities and other volunteers dress as Santa and elves to deliver all the presents.