Returning to roots, ready to listen

The title of Thomas Wolfe’s posthumous novel, You Can’t Go Home Again, is often quoted as a standalone comment, without a context. One lesson in those five words is that when you take a fresh look at things you once knew, you will see them differently – and you should be careful not only about recognizing your new perspective, but also about how you communicate this new perspective.
So here I am, returning to the profession that I began more than 50 years ago while still in high school in my little home town in Western New York. As your new editor of your community newspaper, it feels comfortable for me to go home again to my journalism roots, which began in my home town, then blossomed in my first job as a one-person bureau in a rural county. I remember some of those early interviews and stories as if they occurred yesterday. I also remember how closely my readers, who also were my neighbors, read the words I wrote, and how I learned that empathy is as important as grammar.
I returned to small-town living in the San Lorenzo Valley 13 years ago, first in Ben Lomond and then in Felton. Schools, church, pancake breakfasts, falling trees and unexpected wild animal visits were the life to which I eagerly returned from my daily commutes Over the Hill.
Now I get the rare opportunity to experience these mountain communities not only as a participant, but also as an observer. While “mass media” are foundering and disconnecting, community media — in print and online — are thriving. I believe I can go home again — as a journalist, and as a small-town citizen –and grow and thrive.
As I said, this is your newspaper. That means we can’t observe unless we also listen. We can’t know what “news” is unless you tell us. So let me know what matters to you. Let me know your expectations. Let me know what you need to know. And I will pledge my best efforts to help you grow and thrive.