As I mentioned last week, this is my end-of-year column. Please refrain from carrying out giant sighs of relief as it leads to my cats becoming airborne.
I always attempt to be uplifting in my last columns of the year and will try to stick to that theme. However, and you knew that was coming, I do need to acknowledge a few things that aren’t exactly delightful in nature.
As many of you know, my “stepson” Austin died back in the spring so emotions have been all over the map at times. This is the first holiday season in sixteen years without him being in our orbit, so to speak. I admit it seems odd that no festive packages have an “A” marked on them this year. I want to thank you all again for your support and understanding over the past several months.
It seems like we lost a plethora of community members in 2019. As I root through the papers from last year for various advertising campaigns, I’m oft’ reminded that this or that person has passed on.
Seeing someone’s ad in the paper with seasonal greetings takes me back and leads to smiles. It has also resulted in a misty eye or two, depending on my mood.
I shall dedicate this paper to those who passed on in 2019. I was going to list some people by name but I better not do that as I would feel horrible if I missed someone.
OK the time has come for me to gently, yet effectively, segue into something a bit more festive.
Thank you to my coworkers for helping to make this an award-winning paper. (I should explain that the awards are only in my head as we’ve not officially been handed a plaque or a Pulitzer Prize, to be clear.)
Roseanne has kept me entertained with her detailed descriptions of the shenanigans that seem to unfold during her monthly meetings.
That kind of atmosphere would make me nervous so I am thankful that most are pretty well behaved up in Conneautville when I attend the borough meetings.
I cover the police meetings as well which might best be described as “snoozefests.” I’m NOT complaining; Chief Pfeifer, please don’t start barking at the police commission or anything like that for the sake of my sick entertainment desires! I’m fine with the way things are, I promise.
Tom is always coming to my rescue in one way or another so I’d like to tip a hat or bandanna to him as well. He is fairly patient with me—note, I said fairly—and deserves accolades for his efforts.
I’m thankful to the boss as well for keeping the paper going for all these DECADES. Since he is not a part of a corporate media machine of any kind, we don’t have to kowtow to this or that conglomerate. That means we can report on anything that is in the public’s best interest without the fear of an advertiser pulling his/her millions from us. Heck, I wish we had advertisers with millions TO pull but clearly that is not the case.
I’d like to thank all those who advertised in this paper over the past year. We rely on the small business owners to keep us afloat and when we can, we certainly utilize the services of those “Mom and Pop” stores in turn.
If you have not advertised, please consider making it your new year’s resolution to do so. We have excellent rates plus I’m known for wheeling and dealing with my clients, which is something I picked up from my father. Just keep us in mind.
Staying on the topic of resolutions, maybe consider attending a local governmental meeting every now and again as well. In the small municipalities the citizen’s voice is actually heard. Boards have been known to table votes and change their minds entirely when residents voice their views during a monthly governmental gathering. I’ve seen this first hand over the thousands of years I’ve worked for this stunning publication.
As you know, our federal “representatives” don’t really represent us as they are beholden to their donors so we should be thankful that we can be heard on a local and even a state level.
Wow, I didn’t mean to launch into a lecture about meeting attendance but I seemed to veer off in that direction. Please forgive me. I shall get back to praising this or that person or group at this time.
Judith M. Villeneuve of Maine has been a great help to me this year and in years gone by as well. She goes over my pieces and demands that I remove commas or change sentences that seem “clunky” prior to my emailing said pieces into the boss.
Since she is from the western region of this fine state and understands the mindset of the citizens, she also tells me if a particular column might be too much for radio and not quite enough for television. I appreciate all she does for me.
All of the other reporters who cover this or that region for the paper do a great job as well. Plus the library news providers are terrific. Christy Lindsay of “In the Atlantic Community” uses such lovely imagery in her columns; it makes me feel like I’m actually IN the Atlantic community!
The bottom line is I’m grateful to have this gig with the award-winning paper you are currently reading. The boss has been kind to me and even though I don’t see my coworkers a whole lot I feel like we are somewhat of a family—dysfunctional, but a family nonetheless.
I think I best sign off for the week before I start getting too silly. I hope everyone has a terrific holiday season and I wish you all the best in the new year.
THE END. (Interstate Crosscheck, “War is a Racket,” by General Smedley Butler, checktheevidence.com)