I have lived in Montgomery since 1994 except whenever I was in Tuscaloosa for school, in which case I was here for holidays and laundry. I have watched Montgomery grow eastward, and I remember how odd it was that I had to go farther north on I-85 than exit 6 to see a friend who lived in some subdivision called Halcyon. AUM (now Auburn Montgomery) seemed so far out back then, didn't it?

Since I was given the EAST beat, I am reminded every day how many people live "out east." For instance, this week, my editor and I met with Jeff Knox, executive director of the Bell Road YMCA. Did you know they have 12,000 members? Twelve. Thousand. It just seems like a huge number, even if their facility is very well equipped to handle it. There are some technicalities about people who might have their primary membership at Bell Road but use a different facility; still, though, I am impressed. And if you haven't been to the Bell Road Y, go check it out. It greatly altered the class of fitness facility I used to consider "the Y," maybe that will happen to you, too.