Braden River series offers many 'extras'

We introduced a five-part series today on the Braden River, one of the key bodies of water lacing through Manatee County. The project was handled in our East Manatee office, with Editor Jim Jones monitoring the progress for weeks.

But a lot of the planning and execution was handled by Universal Desk Editor Brent Conklin -- and all his work on the project was done above and beyond his multitude of daily duties.

Take a look at his poster page (below) and the video linked to today's story -- both of these "extras" were learning projects for Brent. He also designed the Herald's front-page package, coming in on his days off (Friday and Saturday) to build the pages, tweak the design and then finesse some more. In describing the upcoming days, Brent asks for your stories along the Braden River. We hope he hears from many of you -- email him at bconklin@bradenton.com.

In today's opening story, reporter Sara Kennedy takes you on a trip through the river's history. She had a blast paddling the entire river, much of it accompanied by her daughter, Kate (you'll see Kate's photos throughout the series).

The rest of the series:
Monday: Life on the river
Tuesday: Jiggs Landing
Wednesday: The river's recreation
Thursday: Braden River's economic impact

I learned a lot from the team's work -- it's an invaluable documentation of a core part of our county's evolution.

-- Joan