Ann Miller worked her last day yesterday at the only full-time job she's ever had, which had lasted 30 years.

“;It was just surreal,”; said Miller, who was at a small gathering of employees from The Honolulu Advertiser last night. “;It was hard to be there.”;

“;To think that you're not going to see those people again was very, very difficult,”; said sports reporter Miller, who will be working at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

The Advertiser finished its last regular workday yesterday after nearly 154 years.

Assistant Editor Marsha McFadden said about 20 employees will work today on the Advertiser's last edition, but some staff members are planning to drop by to finish packing or witness the “;end run.”;

Tomorrow the historic News Building at 605 Kapiolani Blvd. will be empty, McFadden said.

“;Everybody, I think, remains pretty speechless,”; said McFadden, who will join the Honolulu Star-Advertiser as city desk editor. “;It's a very sad day.”;

With the merger of the Advertiser with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, about 450 employees are losing their jobs with 356 of them coming from the Advertiser, said Honolulu Star-Bulletin Editor Frank Bridgewater.

The Star-Advertiser will have 475 employees—more than the 300 at the Star-Bulletin and fewer than the 580 at the Advertiser.

Norman Shapiro, an Advertiser photographer for 18 years, said the mood at the paper yesterday was “;better than it has been the last few days.”;

“;If anything, it's like a relief,”; he said.

He was one of eight photographers not offered a spot on the new staff and said it will be difficult finding full-time work as a photographer in Honolulu. He plans to file for unemployment on Monday.

“;There's no work in this town,”; he said, but added he plans to relax.

“;I think everybody's happy it's over finally,”; he said. “;It's been dragging out for so long. We can move on.”;

Holly Amuro, of retail advertising, said former employees came by the office yesterday to say goodbye, and employees had a potluck lunch.

“;We kind of had our last hurrah,”; she said, adding she was hired for the new paper. The new employees will report to the Star-Advertiser at Restaurant Row on Monday.

Miller, volleyball reporter for the Advertiser, said she “;was blessed”; to be able do to her job for 30 years.

On Monday she will be one of 30 newsroom staff hired from the Advertiser.

She considered the closure of the Advertiser a “;huge loss”; for the community and worried for her friends who were not offered a spot in the new venture.

“;Sixteen of my closest friends are not working on Monday,”; she said. “;It makes me so sad.”;