Dear readers, Friday was my last day with the Greenfield Recorder.
I’m not used to breaking news about myself in print. I’ve come to a crossroads of personal and professional lives, and I’m taking the jump to pursue some new professional opportunities that will move my fiancée and I closer to family on the eastern end of the state while we start the next chapter in our personal lives. Out of fear of jinxing myself, I refuse to write any pending professional opportunities in permanence here.
I’ve shared the news with those I have managed to get on the phone for some of my last assignments, and it’s been a bittersweet conversation each time. I’m thankful for the well wishes received thus far and hope this isn’t the last time you’ll see my name in ink. While I may not be staffing the North County news desk, I encourage all of you to keep sharing your stories with whoever may take the seat next.
When I started as the North County reporter in summer 2019, I was a complete and total stranger to Franklin County and I was nervous about diving into the pace of my first job at a daily newspaper. I got lost and was late to my very first Selectboard meeting in Warwick because I was relying on Google Maps and my phone insisted on a route that was closed to construction. Despite being late, these first-day jitters were quickly shaken by the warm welcome I got from residents.
After 2½ years and hundreds of meetings, half of which were held remotely under COVID-19 health safety guidelines, this welcome from residents and board members alike continues … and I’m still occasionally late. Whether I’m calling about good news or bad, (most of) you have picked up the phone to help keep your neighbors informed.
Beyond Selectboard and school committee meetings, the best part of being a community journalist has been getting a glimpse into the inspiring, and often creative, lives that so many of our neighbors are leading. From the artists scattered through the hilltowns, to new and former business owners and local environmental leaders — I wish I could thank each of you who took the time to share your stories with me in one good-bye column, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
I’ve been honored to write many of your stories, and I hope to stay in touch with some of you as I keep writing my own.