Welcome to our annual holiday season issue of The Mountain Breeze! Can you believe we are already almost to the end of another year? Meda and I are thankful to God for seeing us all through another season and are overjoyed to begin preparing to celebrate the holiday season with our friends and family (and it is quite likely that my lovely bride is much more of a Christmas fan than me, but I do so love to see her get excited about decorations and such.)
But we would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment during this also season of thankfulness to stop and show gratitude to all those who help us make our hometown newspaper a success – or even have one that still exists in this format! I have often spoken kindly about the various writers and other contributors to the paper, but in this column, I’d like to take a beat to praise two really unsung heroes on staff – our valiant delivery crew!
What newspaper would be complete without a dedicated paper boy? We are so lucky to have the excellent Bill Swirles on our staff in that position for us. Bill helps deliver the Breeze to all the newsstand locations in and around Lake Lure itself and even goes as far afield as some locations in Polk County when a new issue is ready. His longtime history in the newspaper industry makes him an excellent choice for our delivery duties but also mean he has lots of wisdom to share about how things were previously done when he worked at larger newspapers in much larger markets. Hats off to the paper boy who adds a little something Extra! Extra!
But behind every good paper boy is, of course, a dependable paper girl, right? And we have the best one in Meda’s mother and my favorite mother-in-law ever – Ann Hutchins! Ann has been a fixture of Rutherford County for many years and as a retired school teacher she knows so many of its citizens and taught quite a few such that she is recognized almost every where she goes. If you’re picking up your copy of the Breeze from a location on the Southern or Eastern end of the RC odds are high that Ann delivered it there.
Both of our delivery people delight in interacting with the public and are blessed with a gregarious spirit – and we are blessed to have them assisting us. If you see some one with a stack of The Mountain Breeze in their hands someday soon, be sure to say thanks!
