Running a newspaper in today’s world isn’t for the faint of heart. Running ten of them? Well, that’s a different beast altogether. Over the past 6 months, I’ve had the privilege—and the challenge—of overseeing a network of small-town newspapers across Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. Each community is unique, with its own stories, traditions, and challenges, but they all share one thing in common: a deep need for reliable, local journalism.

I often have to remind myself of that when I’m elbow deep in profit and loss statements, if the USPS didn’t deliver my papers on time, or if a reporter calls to tell me he’s been in an accident speeding to a fire scene. Ten newspapers, 10 towns, 60 employees and 2.8 million papers to deliver a year can weigh you.

I’ve written before that when the stress starts getting to me, I retreat to one of two places, behind the scope of a rifle shooting in rimfire benchrest competitions or behind the lens of my trusty Nikon cameras shooting stories for the Daily News.

This past Christmas morning, just like the more than 25 other Christmas mornings before it, I found myself in that familiar place, behind the camera focusing on visual storytelling. I was standing alongside Bowling Green Fire Department firefighters, their families, Marine Corps League volunteers and Toys for Tots folks documenting their annual toy delivery in the Housing Authority of Bowling Green.

The event is very predictable for the most part. Firefighters, Marines and Santa carrying bags loaded with toys and wheeling new bicycles to homes of unsuspecting children. The only thing that is unpredictable is the reaction of the children. Some are subdued and some come completely apart.

This year was no different. The first home found a half-dozen siblings pressed up against the frosted window watching Santa, portrayed by Don Butler, approach with toys. They threw open the door, still in their pajamas even though the air was crisp and cold. From youngest to oldest, they circled Santa like the Indians did General Custer. Santa handed over the booty and they giggled and screamed.

It made for heart-warming photos as their mom made each child line up to hug and thank Santa. Even the adults joined in the thanksgiving. This event was just the therapy I needed to push my troubled thoughts of running 10 small businesses to the back of my mind.

The good moments and photos kept coming as we moved from house to house. The same scene played out over and over a dozen times before I decided to move ahead of the group and position myself for a bike delivery 50 years off the road.

By now, news of Santa and the firefighters had spread through Astronaut Village. Children and adults were standing on their front porches in anticipation. I stood by a youngster and his mom as he anxiously watched a firefighter wheel a brand new BMX bike towards a waiting group.

In the quiet calm before he realized the bike was for him, he looked up at me and softly whispered, “Hey, are you Santa Claus?” I was completely caught off guard and stammered, “I might look like him, but not today buddy, Santa is over there, dressed in red.”

He thanked me and then bolted towards bike-toting firefighters Cameron Wallace and Nick Tutor where he danced and skipped around them until jumping on his new steed while his mother cried. Through her tears she said, “Thank you so much, the kids wouldn’t have had Christmas if it weren’t for you.”

I moved on to the next house where I posted up by the window as a firefighter knocked on the door. I saw a child lift the blinds, see me and yelled to his parents, “Santa’s outside!”

I called it quits after that. I had captured plenty of good moments and besides I was licking my wounds a little. Being called Santa twice in the span to 30 minutes was a first. Then I realized this is the first year I photographed the event sporting my white beard.

The Santa story got a lot of laughs with my family and friends on Christmas Day and it reminded me why I love getting out behind the lens and documenting life. It recharged my batteries that day and made me realize that my day in and day out problems running newspapers aren’t so bad after all.

Joe Imel is the Publisher of the Daily News and 9 other Carpenter Media Group newspapers in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. He can be reached at (270) 783-3273 or via email at joe.imel@bgdailynews.com.