Farewell
It took me a long time to write this column. I’ve struggled with how to explain my sudden disappearance from the pages of this newspaper. Without getting into too many details, I’ll just say that I’ve been dealing with a worsening medical problem that has now made it impossible to do my job at the level I want.
Unfortunately, about two weeks ago, I had to tell my boss that I’m resigning as editor of the Tribune-Phonograph.
That was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. My job at the TP has been nothing short of a dream job, one that makes good use of my college degree and has provided me with plenty of independence to run a weekly paper without undue interference.
I can’t say enough about how great Kris O’Leary, Kevin Flink and Carol O’Leary have been as employers. They have a true passion for small-town journalism that is getting harder and harder to find these days.
Every reader of this paper owes them a debt of gratitude for maintaining a locally owned, locally produced news and information source.
Operations like these are not easy to run, especially in the era of social media and free (but unreliable) Internet content. To say I’ve enjoyed my last 13 years here would be an understatement. The newsroom is a constant source of energy, stress, open discussion and pure fun. I will miss all of my co-workers dearly, from those in the pressroom, all the way through the front office and up to the management.
No matter how rough-and-tumble the world outside the office got, I could always count on returning to a friendly environment with supportive colleagues. Even during the grinding stress of a deadline, when the words exchanged weren’t always cordial, I could always tell that everyone was working toward the same goal of getting out a quality weekly product.
Speaking of which, a special shout-out needs to go to Ross Pattermann, Martha Ried and Sami Yocius, who have been putting a lot of extra time and effort to get the newspaper out in my absence. Kudos are also owed to Brian Wilson and Julia Wolf, who have taken time from their jobs at other papers to fill in for me at meetings.
Kris O’Leary has graciously offered to consider my application in the future if another position opens up in the editorial department. Right now, I have to concentrate on getting healthy so I can regain my abilities and confidence, but I’m definitely interested in continuing my career in journalism once my health is back on track.
I want to thank all of the community members out there who have made the last 13 years so special for me. That includes all of the people I interviewed for articles, covered at meetings or corresponded with over email. I’m especially thankful to all our readers, who continue to make the TP Printing Company possible through their dedicated support. Without people to read the paper, take out advertisements and buy subscriptions, the TP wouldn’t be what it is – a great place to work and a wonderful place to get your local news.
OUT FOR A WALK
KEVIN O’BRIEN
EDITOR
