We had cake in the office Tuesday to celebrate my 30 years as Star Herald editor. I love what I do, and I cherish the role of a weekly paper in a community, so it’s definitely worth celebrating.
Thirty years sounds impressive, but it’s just on par with countless feature stories we’ve written about people in their jobs for 30 or more years.
When I started at the Star Herald in April 1993, Charlie Braa was still running the County Auditor’s Office — and the County Board, too, from what I could tell.
Bill Weber had just replaced Gordy Gits as Luverne mayor, and Andy Steensma was representing us in the State Capitol where Arne Carlson was governor.
In my first months on the job, I wrote about Kyle Oldre starting as county personnel director (now administrator) and Dr. Diane Kennedy starting at Luverne Community Hospital (when it was still located downtown).
I wrote about Betty Mann’s retirement from 25 years of teaching. Norm Miller was school superintendent and Ed Salzer was elementary principal in the three-story brick building in the middle of town. Magnolia elementary students still attended classes in Magnolia.
The Veterans Home had just opened in 1993 and the Evergreen housing additions were still part of the city’s long-range plan.
I came to Rock County after writing for the U of M campus daily in Minneapolis and at the Worthington Daily Globe.
Lynn Taylor was the outgoing editor and Carole Olson was the reporter who became my mentor and dear friend.
We were still photographing on film, which we developed in the darkroom where we printed images on paper in chemical trays. We pieced together the weekly editions one strip of waxed news copy at a time on pages that were driven to a press room 30 miles away.
Today we’re digitally produced and sent to printers online. We still circulate news on paper, but many of our subscribers like the E-edition.
What hasn’t changed in 30 years, however, is our approach to local news.
We’re more committed than ever to telling the stories of Rock County — the schools, governments, businesses and, of course, the citizens.
In the name of journalism, I’ve had rare opportunities to get close to people and families I may have never otherwise met, and I’m a better person (and better journalist) for knowing them.
If this job has taught me anything, it’s that we’re all human, and everybody hurts.
And more than that, I’m repeatedly impressed by the resiliency of our people and the generosity of our community when someone needs help.
It's what sets us apart from other communities, and it’s what makes my work so rewarding.
I consider it an honor and privilege to have been documenting Rock County’s history for 30 years, and Lord willing, I’ll be here many more.
Thank you, dear readers, for the journey and for allowing me to tell your story.