Garnering Insight: On the right track

SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
Garnering Insight: On the right track

I had the great privilege of attending the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Conference last month in Lexington, Kentucky. Besides getting to commiserate with fellow newspaper junkies, I was proud to attend and accept a highly coveted Golden Quill Award on behalf of our own Geoffrey Woehlk.

Geoffrey not only writes wonderful and striking columns, he is someone who cares about the issues that impact our community. This award and the feedback I received about our paper has reaffirmed to me that we here at the Maryville Forum are on the right track.

The positions we take on our editorial pages as well as the stories we commit to writing and following are not always the most popular positions and sometimes ruffle feathers. Heck, they may not always be my own opinions and/or I may even have some trepidation about it. However, I recognize that although my wife and I own the paper in name, it is the public who truly owns a newspaper. It is a civic treasure for which we are only placeholders, the authors of the first draft of history.

Striking a major chord with me at the conference was how much all those newspaper enthusiasts, creators and makers really care about the communities they cover. We are no different.

So congratulations to Geoffrey on yet another distinguished award, but congratulations to you the subscribers to the Maryville Forum for supporting quality local community journalism.

Ken Garner is the owner and publisher of The Maryville Forum and The Post.