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Keep the gold

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Staff

A Thousand Words
By Jock Lauterer

This may strike some readers as hopelessly outdated, but in much of this country the success of the local newspaper is largely dependent on the work of the society/women’s editor. Though that section is typically called “Lifestyle” now, the detailed accounts of local weddings, anniversaries, engagements, births and deaths are no less important to the life of the community. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I choose 98-year-old Virginia Rucker as my honorary Valentine. She lives in a rest home outside Forest City in the foothills of North Carolina, where I once co-owned and operated a community newspaper. To the extent that our paper was such a resounding success is directly attributable to the work of this veteran journalist. During a recent visit with Virginia, the Grande Dame of Forest City regaled me with memories of our journalistic outings together in the ’70s (she, the writer, and I, the photographer, always saying, “Yes, Ma’am, Mrs. Rucker,” and doing precisely as directed). And for the record, though she no longer writes for the paper, Virginia is still listed in the masthead of the Daily Courier as Contributing Editor. What’s that song my daughter used to sing in Girl Scouts? “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.”

A THOUSAND WORDS
Do you have an important old photo that you value? Email your photo to jock@email.unc.edu and include the story behind the picture. Because every picture tells a story. And its worth? A thousand words.
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