Newspaper career coming to end

By Ken Carpenter: Nearly two years ago, editor Kathleen Willbond asked me to try my hand at writing a column for our newspapers. With my advertising/marketing background the task seemed uncomfortable at the very least, even for this publisher. Twenty columns later we've reached this point. This will be my last column submission as a publisher of these fine community newspapers.

I sincerely appreciate the readers' nice comments over the past two years and the understanding that an unpolished writer enjoys such a challenge by being able to express his thoughts on life as he sees it.

As you have probably surmised, I'm ending my 43-year career in the newspaper industry and seven great years with the Amherst News-Times, Oberlin News-Tribune, Wellington Enterprise and the Shopping News on the 23rd of this month.

I've learned that as you age, you get a good sense of timing on issues that are right for oneself. This is the right time for me to turn the reins over to someone else. I'm certain that Gary Merrell, my group publisher, will seek out the best and the brightest for my replacement and the continued success of these community newspapers.

My experiences in this business are priceless. From The Cleveland Press to the Oberlin News-Tribune the people that have crossed my life have made it the most rewarding. Thinking back, I've played a role in all of my newspaper families' lives. I've witnessed the joys of marriage, the challenges of divorce, the birth of children and death of family members. I've experienced sharing all the emotions of a newspaper family through the people I've worked with.

My sense is that newspaper families bond together better due to the common goals that we share in delivering community information to our readers. I'll miss these family members and their life stories the most.

The most difficult part for me of being "the boss" is separating the established friendships from the responsibility of being in charge and making the tough decisions that I've made over the years. It's all been a great life-learning experience.

The past 43 years, I've been doing something I love -- being a part of delivering information to the communities we serve. I've always attempted to give more to my employer and the communities than I've taken away and I've been rewarded well for just doing my job.

It's become more difficult for the newspaper industry to grow. Newspapers rely heavily on advertising revenue and the marketing options for clients in today's environment are numerous.

The newspaper industry has changed dramatically. With the advent and growth of the electronic information highway, the sources where newspaper readers get their information are extremely abundant. It's also a bit discouraging that our younger generation doesn't seem to read the newspaper as we did. Too many distractions I guess.

And so it is with regret that I bid farewell to the friends, clients and people that I've had the pleasure of knowing and working with over the past my seven years in Lorain County. Thank you all for making my life more rewarding.

I also wish to thank the Callaghan family, previous owners of our newspapers, and our current owners, Brown Publishing Company for their support and patience in our quest to make these newspapers a viable, profitable and informative newspaper group.

Thanks for the memories, it's really been a wonderful experience; I can't think of one thing that I would change. Well, maybe writing these columns.

Best Regards,

Ken E. Carpenter

KC has left the building.