“I’ve always thought of you as a Franklin County person.”
I’ve been told some version of this phrase a lot over the years. That’s probably because I’ve spent a lot of time in these parts. As a college student at UMass, I freelanced for the Recorder, covering high school football on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons (remember when many of our schools didn’t have lights?). That was 20 years ago, and I’ve either been involved with the paper directly or indirectly ever since.
For the past eight-plus years, I’ve worked full-time in the sports department. That’ll change after this week, as I’m leaving for a new job working in sports at MassLive. My last day is Friday.
I grew up in Holyoke, and don’t remember spending much, if any, time in Franklin County until stumbling into a stringer gig as a freshman at UMass with the Recorder. But I’ve immersed myself in the culture for 20 years, hence why many in the area just assume I’m born and bred.
It’s a bittersweet decision. I’m excited for a new adventure, a chance to spread my wings and help run a statewide news organization that is seeking to expand its high school sports coverage. It’s a big job, and I’ll have a lot of responsibility, but it’s something I’m looking forward to.
Much has changed in this company during my tenure, and certainly with print media as a whole. The Recorder will always be the place I cut my teeth, learned how to write and grew a thick skin. The last couple of years have brought upon tremendous change, and more and more obstacles to navigate. But while it’s been challenging as sports editor, in the long run I think it will make me a better journalist. Someday, when I write a book about the media industry, there’ll be plenty of tales and lessons from years spent on the front lines.
I’ll always have a soft spot for this newspaper. As a former colleague told me years ago, “it’s a great place to have once worked.” And that’s a compliment to the nth degree, knowing the talented individuals who have punched away at typewriters and keyboards over the years on Hope Street. Late nights in the newsroom, fueled by Village Pizza, have created lasting memories. Some of my best friends were my coworkers — heck, the guy who officiated my wedding was Jaywalking Jay — and we’ll always have the Recorder to provide endless stories and tales. I’m leaving with warm feelings and a smile on my face.
But I’m happy to still be involved with local sports, albeit for a different entity. So while I’m leaving Franklin County directly, I’ll continue to be involved with it indirectly. You’ll still probably see me out and about at some games and events. You’ve got an ally at MassLive now — that can’t be a bad thing, right?
Thank you to everyone in the community who I’ve met along the way, and thank you to my coworkers, the coaches and athletic directors, and outstanding athletes who have made this job such a blast. You don’t get into this industry for the money; you do it because you love what you do. And because of you, I did.
Jeff Lajoie is the sports editor of the Greenfield Recorder and Daily Hampshire Gazette. He can be reached at jlajoie@recorder.com