Dear Bayblog readers,

I wanted to write a short note to say goodbye, for now.

My family and I will be moving to Ann Arbor temporarily. I have been accepted to the Knight-Wallace fellowship at the University of Michigan. My last day here is Friday; I will be returning to The Sun sometime in May.

While in Michigan, I will be studying a subject that has been close to my heart lately -- economic approaches to environmental stability. Most of the things we are collectively doing to harm the Chesapeake Bay are completely legal: building new homes, cutting down trees, fertilizing our yards, driving too far to our jobs, etc. I will be looking to see if there are ways to encourage people to live more sustainably through carrots, since we really wouldn't want regulation to tell us where we can live, how we can garden, what kind of cars we can drive, etc.

In my 14 years as a reporter, I've covered everything from prisons to police to county government and business. I've found things to enjoy in everything, but I've never quite fell in love with a beat the way I have with the Chesapeake Bay. When Mencken talked about newspaper reporting being "the life of kings," I know what he meant. There really is nothing better than spending a beautiful workday out on the water, talking to folks who have done it all their lives. And even when it's bitterly cold and your pen freezes and you get seasick , it still beats a day at the office in my book.

In part, the bay's problems have been the gift that keeps on giving, news-wise. There is never a shortage of story ideas. I am pleased to report that Tim Wheeler will continue to cover the environment in my absence; it's a job that I know he loves as much as I do. He'll be great at it.

Over the year that we've had this blog, there have been peaks and valleys. I apologize I haven't posted very much lately; we're working on my last story before I go and time has been tight.

But I wanted to thank all of you who've stuck with us, and the ones who continue to find us through random paths (sorry all, I don't have oysterman Luke's phone number, and I don't know what happened to the necklace he gave "The Bachelorette.") Getting to know all of you has been great fun, and developing and growing this blog has been one of the highlights of my year.

I didn't start out as a blog apostle. I wanted to have a blog but wasn't sure what exactly we would do with it. It has been immensely rewarding in many ways: as a source of story ideas, a place to have opinions and thoughts both validated and challenged, a way to give voice to topics with a reach beyond Maryland, such as menhaden regulations. 

I will miss it, but I promise to occasionally check in. With Tim, I know it will be in good hands.  Keep those comments coming, and take good care of yourselves.

Until soon, I hope,

Rona Kobell

Chesapeake Bay Reporter

The Baltimore Sun