After much deliberation, soul-searching, planning and researching, I decided the time had come for me to retire and find a new caretaker to carry on with the paper. This August 2014 issue is my last issue.
After nearly a year of seeking interest, I’m excited to say that the paper will be owned by a group of community members whose interest is to carry on with the paper. Hopefully they will be able to take it to the next level of success. Their first issue at the helm will be the September 2014 issue!
Fourteen years ago this month I became the editor/owner of the Community Word. It was an exciting and overwhelming experience. I learned so much about this business, about this community of Peoria, about the CW staff members, about the many wonderful people of the Peoria area, and even about myself.
One can’t help but look behind before going forward. As I look back, I can honestly say that I left my mark on this wonderful publication. Circulation increased, the number of pages increased, new writers came onboard, and an online presence was established after I took the helm. Did you know that the Community Word was the first newspaper in the area to place each issue’s content onto a website? At that time, other papers only used websites as an informational platform to tell people about their publications. So much news arrived in between the monthly issues, that I launched the paper’s blog site: CWNotes. And, of course, a Twitter and Facebook presence soon followed.
I’m going forward into a new chapter in my book of life. I hope to spend more time with my husband, my two grown children, my new son-in-law, and my friends. I eventually hope to get back to writing and to pursue other projects. Recent events have shown me just how short life can be. So, the plan is to give myself the time to embrace life and enjoy it. This work-a-holic is hoping to learn how to have fun!