In the 36 years the Bigfork Eagle has been serving the community, the paper has undergone countless changes in style, size and content. Today's edition features the latest of those changes; the paper you grabbed from your mailbox or off the rack is a bit narrower than usual.

In keeping with the new industry standard, the Eagle has gone to a smaller width in an effort to control skyrocketing newsprint costs. To those readers that have taken the paper for years, you'll note this isn't the first time it's happened, either. The Eagle's archives hold papers from the late 70's and early 80's that can only be opened with arms fully outstretched because of their great width.

Along with the narrower profile, there might be a few small stylistic changes in the coming weeks as we acclimate to what works best in the new format. Some new headline fonts or design elements could creep into the paper, all of which are expected to make it more reader-friendly.

Since most of the reduction in size comes from a reduction of white space around the edges of pages, readability won't be dramatically affected.

Other changes undertaken in the makeover include a remake of the classified page from nine columns to an easier-to-read six column format.

Aside from the narrower width, it's still the same paper you've come to expect, committed to telling the story of Bigfork and the people who live here.