Martin Luther King Jr. Day is tomorrow, setting bank employees and school children free to enjoy the holiday.

Tuesday will be a special day for another reason — the 44th president, Barack Obama, will be sworn into office.

None of us in the newsroom can remember any previous inauguration creating quite so much interest, but this is a historic event and is being treated as such by the newspaper.

Throughout the week, the Times has been receiving phone calls and e-mails from individuals traveling to D.C., some with no idea where they are going to stay, to see the inauguration. Some will be attending balls, while others will be literally driving to D.C. to see the event and turning around to drive back.

The Times is following the inauguration through people who are there and is producing editions that are certain to be collectors items for those who want to remember this day.

Regardless of your political leanings, this week is certain to bring the country together to watch the swearing in and to hope that the promised change will bring stability to our economy.

For coverage of this weeks’ events, check the paper and the Web site for the latest news, and enjoy the inauguration section in today’s paper.

State of the City

Mayor John Fretti will deliver Valdosta’s State of the City address Thursday evening at the Valdosta City Council meeting, outlining his hopes and expectations for the coming year.

Each year of his administration, Fretti has delivered the address to showcase the staff’s achievements, to highlight the progress Valdosta has made, and to outline the city’s plans for the future.

With the economy going south in so much of the country, it will be a pleasant change for Valdosta to hear about how much better the community is doing in contrast. Although there are unfortunate economic issues here as well, let’s hope the cuts are less drastic and last much less time than in other areas.

I understand the mayor’s speech will be broadcast on the city’s new Channel 17 on Mediacom if you’d like to watch this week.

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