Goodbye, Farewell, Adios

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

It is with decidedly mixed feelings that I herewith submit my last column for Newtown Patch. 

While this decision was not mine to make, be assured that I am not sitting here sobbing in my soup.  I certainly won’t have any trouble filling my time.  For one thing I can now devote more time to my personal website and blog both of which I’ve had for over 5 years.

Almost exactly two years ago, Patch's first editor Hoa Nguyen left a telephone message for me stating that she wanted to speak to me about something new coming to Newtown.  The idea of writing a biweekly and eventually a weekly column for an online media website was the last thing on my mind.

In fact I thought it was just one more of a long list of phone calls I seem always to be getting—in spite of having put my name on the no-call list!

When I first started this, I felt a little panicky at the thought of having to come up with initially two columns a week.  I sat there realizing that was over 100 per year.  How on earth was I going to find enough interesting things to write about?

I shouldn’t have worried.  Close attention to Newtown politics, government, education and just life in general has provided more than enough fodder for the grist mill.

This is my 148th column for Newtown Patch.  I wrote another 60 for Monroe Patch before they too made cutbacks.

In reviewing my list of columns it seems I’ve covered every conceivable subject.  While I was charged with keeping my subject matter pertinent to local issues, I even managed to get in my two cents on some national issues.

Along the way, I’ve received enormous feedback from a great many people.  Most of that feedback was quite positive but as anyone who reads the comments knows, I, too, have my share of detractors.

I’ve also received verbal feedback from people I run into around town, phone calls from others, private emails and letters—all very positive. 

I even received a message from a person from Pennsylvania commenting on something I wrote.  It would seem Newtown Patch has reached some distant places.

In looking back  I found two pieces in particular that resulted in more comments and private feedback than any other. 

The first was a column I did about special education in the Newtown schools.  As I mentioned in a follow-up column, I received numerous private messages from parents who wished not to be identified describing the ordeal of dealing with the Newtown schools special education department.   That is still very much an open issue.

The second column drawing the most comments was my profile of soon-to-be-unemployed owner operators Marsha Moskowitz and Phil Carroll.  That one brought a huge response—and left the town with a very bad feeling indeed of how the leaders of our school system conduct business.

There have been many more but time and space prevent further elaboration.

Yes, it has been quite a ride.  And the opportunity for me to do this was because you—loyal Patch supporters—took the time to read what I had to say.

Thank you one and all—and be assured,  you can look forward (or not) to seeing an occasional comment from me as various issues develop in our town.