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Portage Lakes, Ohio —
Despite what most writers say, I think writing columns are easy. Even fun.
But not this one.
Not this one because it’s the last one I’ll be writing here at The Suburbanite and Jackson Suburbanite.
After six years, I am stepping down as associate editor, and heading off to start a new chapter in my life.
It’s not easy though. The communities that we cover here have grown on me. It’s the part of the job I love.
Back in 2006, I honestly had never heard of the Portage Lakes. I had no idea Manchester football was a perennial power. Or that Hartville Marketplace is this massive entity that attracts people from all over the surrounding counties.
When I started as an intern, I just figured this would be like my other two internships. Be there for three to four months, learn something and move on. I was given the Coventry football beat by former editor Tammy Proctor, and she told me if I’m lucky, they’d go 5-5. As it turns out, they went 8-2 that year. The Comets went to their first ever - and only - playoff appearance and I was along for the ride. That was the first community I really grew to know, and appreciate, here at the ‘Burb.
After my internship, I stayed on as a freelancer. Soon after, I found myself as the associate editor. Then I started to meet the rest of the communities. I began connecting with the people at Green, Lake, Springfield and Manchester. Then we expanded into Jackson, and I found out about a whole different community just south of our little office.
One of the best parts of this job is the people you get to know, and I have gotten to know a lot of you. But building up those relationships also makes this part of the job one of the worst - saying good-bye.
So first and foremost, good-bye to the people over at Coventry. Despite dealing with a lot of hardships, there are a lot of people there that are trying to make sure their children are getting a good education and also make their presence known in sports. So here’s a quick “please vote yes for Coventry schools” Aug. 7, they need the new buildings to help continue prepping children for the future.
I’ve also gotten to know the people over at Manchester pretty well. Superintendent Sam Reynolds, Board President Richard Sponseller and the rest of the board is a special group who also keeps education and children as their primary concern. It’s people like them that make the community around them better, and those are people are hard to find these days.
Despite what most writers say, I think writing columns are easy. Even fun.
But not this one.
Not this one because it’s the last one I’ll be writing here at The Suburbanite and Jackson Suburbanite.
After six years, I am stepping down as associate editor, and heading off to start a new chapter in my life.
It’s not easy though. The communities that we cover here have grown on me. It’s the part of the job I love.
Back in 2006, I honestly had never heard of the Portage Lakes. I had no idea Manchester football was a perennial power. Or that Hartville Marketplace is this massive entity that attracts people from all over the surrounding counties.
When I started as an intern, I just figured this would be like my other two internships. Be there for three to four months, learn something and move on. I was given the Coventry football beat by former editor Tammy Proctor, and she told me if I’m lucky, they’d go 5-5. As it turns out, they went 8-2 that year. The Comets went to their first ever - and only - playoff appearance and I was along for the ride. That was the first community I really grew to know, and appreciate, here at the ‘Burb.
After my internship, I stayed on as a freelancer. Soon after, I found myself as the associate editor. Then I started to meet the rest of the communities. I began connecting with the people at Green, Lake, Springfield and Manchester. Then we expanded into Jackson, and I found out about a whole different community just south of our little office.
One of the best parts of this job is the people you get to know, and I have gotten to know a lot of you. But building up those relationships also makes this part of the job one of the worst - saying good-bye.
So first and foremost, good-bye to the people over at Coventry. Despite dealing with a lot of hardships, there are a lot of people there that are trying to make sure their children are getting a good education and also make their presence known in sports. So here’s a quick “please vote yes for Coventry schools” Aug. 7, they need the new buildings to help continue prepping children for the future.
I’ve also gotten to know the people over at Manchester pretty well. Superintendent Sam Reynolds, Board President Richard Sponseller and the rest of the board is a special group who also keeps education and children as their primary concern. It’s people like them that make the community around them better, and those are people are hard to find these days.
Then there’s our newest community, Jackson. I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten to know most of their head coaches pretty well, along with their board of education. Once again, just another group of individuals who have their hearts in the right place. And well the biggest school I’ve ever walked into. Even last week, they took me down a new hallway I’d never seen before, despite being in that school about 100 times by now.
There’s no way I can name everyone I’ve gotten to know, so real quickly, thank you for being responsive to us at the paper. I have loved the fact that despite newspapers taking a hit due to the rise of digital media, all the communities here love this paper.
I know you want this paper, because I take lots of calls here in the office when you don’t get it. I won’t lie, I’m not going to miss THAT - but I love the fact you read this paper. There is nothing like hearing, “I get the South Side Leader, but I don’t want it.”
If I had a dollar for the number of times I heard that, I would be talking about my retirement.
Rest assured the paper is going to continue to be published. Also rest assured that the last couple of college signings I went to last spring will get in the paper - I’m not going to avoid writing those just because I’ll be gone.
So keep on reading, and the ‘Burbs will continue to deliver the community news that you want and love.
