I’ll see you on the other side

I’m a big fan of the Irish goodbye.

For those of you who don’t know, the Irish goodbye is when you up and leave an event or party without telling anyone. For me, it’s my preferred way of saying goodbye because, quite frankly, I hate saying goodbye.

Well, Hill City, I’m not going to give you the Irish goodbye and I will say goodbye to you all. I am leaving the Prevailer. My last day is Friday, and you can consider this my retirement from journalism.

Being the editor of this paper has been the joy of a lifetime. It was the culmination of years of hard work and determination. For me, leaving was not an easy decision, but, for me and my family right now, it’s the right decision.

Being the editor of this paper has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I was a little lost when I got the job here. I had just moved to South Dakota, and nothing seemed to be going right for me at that time. Then this job opened up, and Charley, Norma and Jason were kind enough to take a chance on me. I’m not being dramatic when I say this job very well might have saved my life, and I will be eternally grateful to those three for what they have done for my life.

What transpired after that has been, as I have said, the honor of a lifetime. I’ve told stories, I’ve listened to people, I’ve made connections and friendships that will, hopefully, stand the test of time.

Hill City has some of the best people I’ve ever met. I’m not kidding when I say that. As I have written before, this community welcomed the very definition of an outsider with open arms. I was never looked down upon for not being from here. No, quite the opposite happened.

If you will allow me, I want to talk about some of the people in town who made this job so special.

Sue Anderson is the first person I remember meeting. She stopped by my office to introduce herself and tell me about the Purse Project at the senior center. Since then, I have seen her nearly everywhere I go in town. She is, quite frankly, one of the best people I’ve ever met.

Merle Glenn has been my biggest cheerleader. She always seems to know what I need to hear in a moment when I might be a little down on myself. She will be one of the people who I will miss the most.

Janet Wetovick-Bily is the hardest working person I have ever met. She’s at more Hill City events than I am, and that’s saying something. She has taken the time to answer every question I have asked her, and no one works harder at promoting Hill City than she does.

No one cares more about our kids than Blake Gardner. At a previous paper, I used to be the education reporter. I have never seen a superintendent work as hard or care as much as Blake does. He truly does practice what he preaches, too. He really does have the best interest of the kids in his heart. He doesn’t just talk the talk — he walks the walk.

Hill City has a city hall staff that really does care about the town. Brett McMacken, Dani Schade, Stacia Tallon, Betsy Brose, Tracy Fish and Travis Kettner and his city works staff all do a fantastic job of keeping the city running and functioning. This town is beyond lucky to have them running the ship.

And speaking of city hall, the councils with whom I’ve worked have all been great. Julie Wickware-Klein, Kathy Skorzewski, Dale Householder, Jason Gillaspie, Carl Doaty, Gary Auch, Bill Miner, Jim Peterson, Steve Jarvis and John Johnson all truly did have the city’s best interest in their hearts. Yes, the council might not have always gotten along with each other, but they all just wanted to see the city succeed. If all public servants were as good as them then our country would be in a much better spot than it is today.

Vic Alexander and his whole family worked to make sure that I got the lay of the land in town. It’s rare that Vic and I go a whole week without having a conversation. I’ll miss those conversations.

Other business owners like Randy Berger, Judy Walker, Lorena Freis, the Galluccis, Wally and Moni Matush and so many others I’m forgetting, too, really have the best interests of Hill City in their hearts. They all work so hard to ensure guests feel welcome in Hill City, and what they give back to the community not only through their stores but work to ensure the city is better will never be forgotten by me.

Jeremy and Jamie Duprey are two of the most giving, caring people I’ve ever met. They have welcomed me and my family into both their home and their church on multiple occasions, something I will never forget. I’ll really miss talking both life and sports with both of them.

I’d like to thank Leslie Silverman. I’ve worked around a lot of reporters in my time, but I’ve yet to find one who’s quite like Leslie — but in a good way. She works hard, she asks the right questions, she gets the story done. Her improvement since she started is beyond remarkable. I am so, so proud of her.

Finally, as mentioned above I’d like to thank Charley, Norma and Jason. They took a chance on me when, quite frankly, I wouldn’t have taken a chance on myself. I worked hard to ensure the choice they made was the right one, and I think we will all agree it was. The three of them worked to make sure I was employed during the pandemic when so many others in my field lost their jobs. I am eternally grateful.

I am sorry if I forgot anyone. I don’t mean it as a slight. I have just met so many incredible people since I’ve started here, and I’m running out of space. I could fill an entire paper with anecdotes from my time here. I am so lucky to have met so many incredible people.

My predecessor wrote in his last column that there were stories he wished he had gotten the chance to write. I feel the same way, but like a Ranger at the end of a game, I feel like I’ve left it all out on the field.

If you want, I’m not hard to find on social media. I’d love to see what’s going on in Hill City and in your life.

In the meantime, thank you for making this “aggressively East Coast” (a phrase someone once used to describe me here) feel welcome. I will miss you all.