The bell will ring

Please pass the word of a community celebration to your associates, friends and neighbors: On this Flag Day (June 14), we will salute our town manager and honor one of our reporters amid the tolling of the Community Bell.

Usually, when the local editor and publisher calls for a surprise party to honor the town manager, in this case, Gregory T. Federspiel on his last full day in office, the idea falls on deaf ears.

Normally, the gathering is usually for the town manager and the selectmen to share their respective final farewells along with town hall employees.

So, how does the  newspaper owner get involved? The answer is simple: We have gotten a lot of copy from the Lenox town officials – more than enough to fill our pages.

And the more I suggest the idea, the more I am aware that it will not be a secret.

For the record, the town manager and the selectmen have given us a lot of copy for Bera B. Dunau and Kameron Z. Spaulding to write about.

This idea is not about Greg alone, but also to sound the Lenox Library’s Community Bell.

Librarian Sharon Hawkes had suggested July 4. I will not be here and neither will Greg, who is  moving to Manchester-by-the-Sea.

Thus we have asked Sean Ward to bring the VFW Color Guard to the ceremonies that begin at 11:30. Also, the Lenox Memorial Middle and High School Band will perform under Jonathan Cade, director.

There will be a public reception for Mr. Federspiel in town hall beginning at 1:30. A luncheon with town hall employees will proceed the reception.

I think we can agree the bell is the “crown” of the library; Ms. Hawkes, the selectmen and town manager have made the library an important part of our community for learning, a connection on the internet and a place where we, as citizens, can be proud.

Our gathering will be Friday at 11:30 at the library. This will be in part our tribute to Flag Day. A reception will follow in town hall.

We can all cheer to this and ringing the bell at the same time.

I also note: Bera has accepted a job at the Oneonta (NY) Star next month as a reporter covering Albany issues. We congratulate him and wish him well.

He was one of the first ones to come to work for The Berkshire Beacon and after two years, is moving on to a daily. I am told he has mixed emotions as he has made friends on the staff and in the Berkshire community.

Thus, we acknowledge him for his informative reporting. I have heard only kind words from the selectmen on our coverage. My goal in starting this newspaper was to take on young people as part of a educational newspaper  laboratory and help them hone their skills before moving on.

The Beacon staff will have a potluck luncheon following the Flag Day event in Lilac Park for its personnel.

Posted by George C. Jordan III on June 13, 2013. Filed under Opinion,View from the Tower. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry