The Time Has Come To Say Farewell and Thank You

Those who know me well know I'm a horrible procrastinator -- especially when it comes to things I find unpleasant.

Writing this column is right up near the top of the list of things I put off as long as possible.

These past three years, as editor of Tewksbury Patch, have been the most rewarding in my quarter-century in this business. I've had the chance to be part of something new in one of the most amazing communities in Massachusetts.

I've been so proud of what we -- and by that I mean you, myself and our staff -- have accomplished here at Tewksbury Patch. More than 6,600 articles, more than 1,000 blog posts and literally 10s of thousands of photos and video clips.

We've told the story of Tewksbury, one day, one story and one chapter at a time. Some chapters made you mad, some made you laugh. Some chapters made you cry and some inspired you.

Every chapter has been important. Every chapter was a new thread in the tapestry of this community.

If folks are considering moving to Tewksbury and want an idea of what this town is all about, all they need to do is spend some quality time on Tewksbury Patch.

But now it's time for my part in this story to come to an end. I've accepted a new position within Patch. It's an exciting new job that brings with it new adventures and new opportunities for my family and I.

On Monday, I will pass the baton to the Chris Gambon, the new Local Editor of Tewksbury Patch. A few of you have already had the chance to meet Chris. Many more of you will meet him Monday night at the Annual Town Meeting.

Chris is a talented young journalist who lives in Chelmsford and comes to this job with great enthusiasm and fresh eyes. Please embrace him as you did me. You'll be delighted with his work and his passion for community journalism.

I know you're thinking, "What did poor Chris do to have his first day on the job be the Tewksbury Annual Town Meeting?" But think about it. What better opportunity will he have to get a taste of the flavor of Tewksbury and its wonderful people.

Tewksbury Patch launched on Aug. 20, 2010, the same day FOX25 came to town for their "Zip Trip."

But my love affair with Tewksbury started about six weeks prior. As part of my efforts to get to know the town, I attended the 2010 July 4th Celebration at the Parks and Recreation facility on Livingston Street. What a wonderful event!! I even entered the pie eating contest. I lost, by the way.

In truth, I knew very little about Tewksbury when I came to town. If you want a good chuckle, taped a few weeks before we launched Tewksbury Patch.

So much has happened over the past few years. I've met people that have changed my life and had the chance to tell stories that have changed my heart.

And along the way I've made friends, good friends that I hope will be a part of my life for years to come.

I promise to pop back in from time to time. I will definitely be around Sunday mornings for breakfast and that fresh squeezed OJ at Vic's Waffle House. I truly hope to be back each year for the Lighting of the Common in December. And I vow to be back in 2014 for the Tewksbury PAC Trivia Night with a team that will end the dynasty of Keith Rauseo and his "Genetically Predisposed" squad.

There's no way to list all the people I need to thank for making my time in Tewksbury special, including folks that have written for us and taken amazing photos and videos, town officials and department heads that have made gathering information very easy and, of course, the best readers in the Patch Universe!

I could go on and on but they tell us that in the new world of Internet journalism, the idea is to keep things short and to the point.

Thank you Tewksbury. Thank you for embracing my family and I. Thank you for embracing Patch.

Oh, and one more thing --

GO REDMEN!! STAY TEWKSBURY TOUGH!!