Out with the old

After covering the Lakes Region for this newspaper for the last seven years, I’ve decided it’s time for a change. I don’t yet know what the future holds for me, but I’m looking forward to new adventures and challenges. Because this issue will be my last, I wanted to take some time to review how much has changed – and stayed the same – over the last few years.

First, the Windham Rotary Club should be proud of its efforts with DerbyFest, the biggest wintertime event in southern Maine. Tom Noonan and all the hardworking Rotarians have battled through difficult years with rain, lack of ice, and untimely storms to make the derby better than ever. The derby has grown into a statewide phenomenon and is ranked as one of the best five derbies in the country. It was fun covering each derby, waking up early Saturday morning to snap pictures of registrants at Jordan’s Store in Sebago and then getting to interview the winning ice fisherman. We should all take great pride in the derby, especially since its main purpose is raising money for charity.

Another big change has been the newspaper itself. When I was hired in January 2001, we covered Windham, Standish, Gorham and Raymond in a paper that had little in the way of photos or local voices. This past September, we started covering the entire Lakes Region with community columnists covering the nine towns of the Lakes Region, and the paper is full of big photos and lively front pages. A good newspaper is key to a healthy community, and I think this paper (formerly The Suburban News) has made real strides under Current Publishing.

Another big change has been the Internet. We now have a Web site broadcasting up-to-the-minute news. For readers of a weekly paper, the Web site is a huge advantage since they can now get information about their community each day. For someone who started his news career using glue and Exacto knives to paste up the paper, www.keepmecurrent.com is surely a huge step in the evolution of local news.

But the Internet has had its downsides as well. When I started, folks would walk into the office to drop off press releases. Office Manager Sharon Hubbard would type them up and I’d get them in the paper. Now, it’s all done by e-mail. It means less typing for Sharon, but also less interpersonal communication for me, which is really the heart of this people-focused business and something I enjoyed.

Speaking of Sharon, only a few things haven’t changed in the past seven years. Reporters have come and gone, but Sharon is still here, and former Suburban News editor Kay Soldier remains a stalwart. I’m sure readers will agree that her “Good Word” column and historic photo are two of the best things in the paper.

I could go on and on about this area and the people who call it home, but we don’t have the space. I knew little when I came to this job but now I’m proud to say I know the Lakes Region well, its people, places and history. It seems I’ve covered a story in just about every nook and cranny of the Lakes Region including the lakes as well!

So, I’ll end by saying the paper is in good hands (better hands, even!) with David Harry coming on board as editor. Dave has been an employee at Current Publishing for several years having been the editor of The Citizen, which covered western Maine towns in the Sacopee Valley. Recently, he’s been covering Bridgton, Sebago and Naples as well as writing and editing the Arts & Entertainment section.

I wish you all well, and hope you have enjoyed the last seven years as much as I have. Thanks for reading.

-John Balentine, editor