In this weeks edition:

A forgotten item…

In all the hustle of trying to keep up with the pandemic, I forgot an important notification last week. It dealt with the Rotary Club’s Elimination Dinner. Of course, by the time you read this, you undoubtedly realize that we didn’t have the dinner as scheduled last Saturday. I should have put a notice in last week’s edition saying that the date had been changed until Saturday, May 16. And no, we are not sure we can do it even then. Hopefully we can, but between now and then we hope to develop an alternative plan. I promise to do a better job of keeping you informed and I apologize to anyone who was inconvenienced by my dereliction of not making the announcement in a timely manner.
I don’t know about you, but the curtailment of my normal routine has opened the door for me to get to some of those items on the back burner. Here at the office, I have managed to clean out some files and space has allowed us to print Herb Cogar’s detailed story regarding William Holly Griffith and the killing of a Gassaway Policeman. We have part II in this issue and will conclude the historical document next week.
With all the cancellations, finding subject matter for stories has been our biggest obstacle. Our community is noted for coming to the aid of their neighbors in a time of need. This pandemic is no exception. We have what I hope to be our first “Hometown Heroes” article detailing a few of the many who have dropped what they were doing and come to are help make up the shortage in masks. If you know of someone who is doing something that is worth sharing with our readers call or email me. While they are not asking for notoriety, they should be recognized in someway for their generosity and hard work. Let us do that by calling our office with the basic information.
I will conclude this column on a sad note. Not many weeks ago I mentioned in this space a newspaper icon had passed away, Dr. Ralph Turner. Unfortunately, the Press Association told us this week of another member of our newspaper hierarchy who has left us. George Wallace was a good friend, whom I met through the Association. George was the publisher of the Brook County Review. We served together on the Press Association and WVPA Foundation Boards. Jeanine and I always looked forward to visiting with George and his wife MaryKay at WVPA events. George was a great storyteller. He always had a smile on his face and epitomized what a country editor should be. Our industry and I will truly miss George Wallace. He was one of a kind.