Giving thanks for so many things
Reflecting on turkeys and the nature of thankfulness got me thinking about owls. We have many creatures inhabiting our woods, including wild turkeys, but it is the owls that bring renewed delight each time we hear them. We have heard Northern Saw Whets, Barred and Eastern Screech owls since moving to this area, and having these incredible creatures along with a host of other amazing flora and fauna as a part of my lifelong experience is certainly something to be thankful for.
Speaking of Owls, I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to foster the advent and flight of Owl Light News. With each issue, I am amazed at the response I receive and overwhelmed by the incredible people willing to contribute. There are always new contributors offering their voices. Hearing regularly from community writers is a blessing beyond belief. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to provide a print and online forum that allows people to share what is happening out there, in the communities all around us.
There are so many people to thank for this opportunity to build a sustainable local press. People often ask how, as a free newspaper, we are able to exist. The short answer is advertisers. Each Owl issue generously supports and promotes arts and artists, community events, faith communities, community organizations and small businesses through articles, press releases and calendar postings, but this is not the content that keeps us going. You being able to pick up the Owl every two weeks would not be possible without the advertisers that purchase space – some of whom have had continuous ads with us from the beginning. Thank you one and all, big and small; you all help make quality local community publications a reality.
Speaking of local publications, one more thing to be thankful for is having found a courteous and responsive printing team. AdNet Direct Printing has served Canadice Press from the start. They continue to support and guide us as our readership expands and our content becomes more diverse.
All of our contributors offer voices worthy of reading, listening to and reflecting on.
Every small note that comes in, every e-mail posting, every phone call, every request for coverage of something important, every press release and every article that magically makes its way to me is something to be thankful for. I am especially thankful for the regular feature writers that provide the meat and bones – turkey if you wish – for our content. In most cases, these regular writers require minimal editorial oversight. Articles arrive in my “in” box carefully crafted and thoughtfully prepared.
As editor of Owl Light News, I often speak in “I” in my commentary and when working with contributors. More and more that “I” editorial voice is being replaced with a “We.” There are many people who contribute in a myriad of ways, including a few who are here, helping out each and every issue. All of our contributors offer voices worthy of reading, listening to and reflecting on.
First there is my husband and life partner Todd Touris, who is always “on call” to keep the machinery of our operation running smoothly and me on track. He also takes on a regular delivery route covering Avon and Lima. There is Laurie Phillips, who helps me keep the books. Laurie also does deliveries near Keuka Lake and other points to the southeast and contributes periodic articles. Georgeanne Vyverberg delivers in Honeoye, Honeoye Falls and other points north. She also contributes a regular gardening column. Another person assisting each issue with deliveries is Deb Bump. Deb is the face of the Owl in Mt, Morris, Perry, Geneseo and other points to the west. There are many others who take less active roles but have been supportive and important contributors, too many to mention here. They write, they share, they reach out to me, to the community and are ready to offer support with each and every issue of the Owl Light News. All are part of the “we” that makes the Owl possible.
Most importantly we are thankful to our readers, the many, many people who smile when we walk in the door with the most recent issue of the Owl, who reach out and ask for a copy. This includes our Owl-at-Home subscribers, who show us how much they enjoy the Owl by asking for home delivery. Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts and ideas on how we can continue as your community newspaper.
More than anything, I am thankful for being given the time and opportunity to create something that reaches out and shares the words and ideas of other people. I am thankful for living in a time and place of peace that allows me to experience the amazing beauty all around us, to be a part of all that the Finger Lakes Region has to offer.
D.E. Bentley
Editor, Owl Light News