HOPE E. TREMBLAY
On Sunday I attended a lovely event at Westfield State University for the first time. It was the fourth annual Farm to Table Dinner in Henry’s Garden and I can only describe it as “delightful.”
The Westfield News was a sponsor of the dinner, which took place beside a vegetable garden at the Horace Mann Center. It was beautiful – a perfect night sitting on Adirondack chairs, sipping an adult beverage while chatting with my colleagues, some friends I ran into, and folks I’d never met before.
The food was exceptional and locally sourced. Chef Mary Reilly outdid herself. I cannot say enough about the crostini with goat cheese, strawberries and balsamic drizzle, or the smoked salmon wrapped in zucchini. And Swiss chard roll-ups filled with beets and beans in an herbed yogurt sauce . . . who knew?
The event benefits the Henry Wefing Journalism Scholarship Fund. Wefing was a professor of journalism and writing at WSU from 1985-2014. He died in 2015 and from what I’m told about him, I am sorry I never knew him. In addition to teaching, Wefing was an avid gardener and maintained a garden on campus, known as Henry’s Garden. The scholarship was started by Wefing’s family, including his wife Marilyn Sandidge, a WSU professor of English, after his death. Before teaching, Wefing was a reporter and editor and believed in the same values I believe in as a journalist: Reporters must be fair, accurate and curious. His legacy – both in journalism and gardening – lives on with a scholarship and the annual dinner.
The scholarship fund supports students interested in pursuing a career in journalism. This is not the most stable future, as was noted by a speaker at the event. He spoke about the recent acquisition of Gannett by GateHouse Media and the layoffs of journalists that followed. Dozens of newspaper staff were laid off across the country, including as close to home as Brockton, Mass. and Providence, RI.
The speaker said anyone entering the unsteady career of journalism is brave.
I listened to him talk about the closing of newspapers nationwide, and I wished I was on the speaking agenda. Because what I would have said was that despite what may be happening in the wide world of newspapers, there is a success story right here in Western Massachusetts and I am proud to be part of it.
Recently The Westfield News Group, which includes The Westfield News, Original Pennysaver, The Longmeadow News and the Enfield Press, was purchased by Reminder Publishing. We are now part of a company that runs 11 publications from two offices. And yes, we are part of the same company that owns The Republican, which is an international family-owned media company. And guess what? Unlike what is happening with the Gannett/GateHouse acquisition, Reminder Publishing has no plans to close newspapers or layoff journalists. In fact, we have expanded and now have three fulltime reporters at the WN (including myself), a fulltime editor for Longmeadow and Enfield, a part-time reporter and regular freelance writers. In addition, we are one company now, so the editorial staff of The Reminder papers are additional resources.
Expanding community newspapers – it’s practically unheard of, but we’re doing it.
So, as I hear about all the “bad things” happening in journalism, I actually feel hopeful. And proud. And so very excited for our readers, both current and future, because we are continuing to report LOCAL news and we have some big changes coming your way that will bring you even more local news. And you know what? We may not be perfect, but we are here day in and day out doing our very best to report news that matters to you.
And on that note, tell me what matters to you. Tell me what you want to read about. Send me a note at [email protected].
