Dear readers,
It is with more than a little wistfulness that I bid you farewell — today’s edition is my last with
Hometown Weekly. I have spent nearly seven years with the paper, and I am full of gratitude for
my publishers, Paul Stanton and Mike DeSario, for trusting me with their publication and
supporting me every step of the way; for my collaborators in production, sales and editorial —
most especially General Manager Adam Witham — who kept the paper running and full of
content; and of course, to you, our audience.
In my last breaths as editor, I want to take a moment, in “Sunday notes” fashion, to deliver some
final thoughts and observations:
• Your neighbor, former State Trooper Tommy McAnulty of Walpole, is currently in end stage
kidney failure and needs to find a living kidney donor. If you’d like to consider donating and
scheduling an evaluation, visit bidmc.org/kidneydonor to begin the process — and be sure to
include Thomas McAnulty as the recipient.
• His departure from the paper precedes mine, but I still feel compelled to shout out Mike
Flanagan, whose work as Hometown Weekly’s sports editor was a cornerstone of the paper’s
success throughout my tenure — and whose levity and friendship kept me [mostly] sane!
• You have some very talented neighbors. Whether it’s the Needham Art Association, the
Walpole Footlighters, the Westwood Artists, the Gazebo Players of Medfield, the Tapples, the
Rhododendron Needlers Quilt Guild, the Dover Foundation, or number of other organizations in
town, the number of gifted individuals in our midst has never ceased to amaze me. Pay
attention to their efforts on stage, page, film and canvas!
• My favorite birding spot in Hometown Weekly’s communities remains Pine Hill Cemetery in
Sherborn. A final tip of the cap to Mr. Eliot Taylor, whose work first brought me there.
• Our communities know how to care for and celebrate their veterans, and it is very heartening
to see. It’s helped along by some very devoted, wonderful folks with Veterans Services, the
VFW, and American Legion, among others. I implore you to continue to give the veterans, and
those who serve them, the care and attention we owe them as citizens.
• The spirit of philanthropy and volunteerism is strong in Hometown Weekly’s communities, and
there are newer avenues for it than ever. I encourage our readers not to sleep, however, on the
very vibrant organizations that have been active in our communities beyond our living
memories: the Knights of Columbus, Masons, Exchange, Rotary, and Lions come to mind, and
are perpetually doing good in these towns.
• In all of Hometown Weekly’s communities, the Council on Aging staff is borderline saintly. I
have been admiring your tireless work for years, as well as your constant humble insistence on
deferring all plaudits and attention. You won’t succeed in that latter item today; my compliments
to you all!
• On our games and comics page, Tim Jones’ Sour Grapes keeps readers laughing. We’re lucky
to be among the first wave of newspapers to syndicate his strip. Tim is an independent
cartoonist out of RI (and an all-around great guy), and a fixture at local comic conventions. His
work is worthy of your attention every week!
Keep looking out for one another and acting in good faith. In my humble opinion, that’s what
sets these lovely communities apart.
It’s been a pleasure,
Steve
