History's pages turn again

Editor At Large: A column by Don Schelske

Across the room from ye editor’s desk are large carts which serve as bookshelves. On those shelves are many bound volumes of past editions of The Davison Index.

With only a few editions missing, they date all the way back to 1889, when E.A. Wallin launched this weekly newspaper. I’ve tried to pay tribute by borrowing his habit of referring to himself as "ye editor."

Fans of Teri Webber’s "Out Of The Past" column already appreciate how things have changed over the years. But The Index, at its heart, always focused on service to the community. That stayed constant even as ownership of the newspaper changed several times.

For 32 years — more than one-quarter of the newspaper’s 119 years of existence — Jim Sherman has been the guardian of that tradition. I’ve worked for him, in some capacity, for all but two of the past 18 years. We have our disagreements, but we both believe in a newspaper’s ability to impact and enhance the lives of people in the community.

He made sure his staffers understood that mission, and he has done even more behind the scenes. Most don’t realize how much advertising space he donated to good causes (and that counts on the profit-loss statement), and few witnessed how hard he worked on the Care and Share program each year. He also paid his dues with service on government boards and service clubs.

Other media companies have tried to buy him out for years. But he stayed committed to Davison, and it’s not because he (or any of his staff) were getting rich from it.

Now, change will happen again. The new owner is also committed to community journalism, but they will do things differently. So be patient, and look forward to improvements to The Davison Index.

On the other hand, we encourage everyone to hold the new staff’s feet to the fire.

Let them know what you expect from your hometown newspaper. Let them know you appreciate the office in downtown Davison, and let them know your desire for real local news. We think they will have a listening ear.

I wanted to say thanks to Jim, specifically, but there are many others to thank: news sources, contributing writers and columnists, fellow employees and community members who recognize the value of this newspaper.

I’ve had a number of different jobs, including several newspapers, but I’ve worked longer for The Davison Index than any other employer. I have great satisfaction in helping compile several of those books on the other side of the room.