Thank You and Goodbye Grafton

It’s never easy to leave home. And although my home address is located on the outskirts of town, in many ways I consider Grafton my home.

But today, I am leaving my job as editor of Grafton Patch to pursue another professional opportunity.

The decision was not made easily.

As I have told so many people, Grafton is the best town I have ever covered.

The town’s physical beauty rivals any New England town I know, with a charming town center surrounded by expanses of open spaces and farmland.

The Common serves as a true town treasure, a place where all are welcome to relax, socialize and share events in all four seasons. I have been steadily impressed by how such a small town is able to host such a range of events there all year.

As with any town, the people make the place. And from my first day here, the people, virtually without exception, have been friendly and welcoming.

And that welcome was much appreciated, because I was covering Grafton in a way that was new to me and came far from naturally at first.

This was my first foray into online journalism. With no actual office, I took my trusty laptop and camera and worked at the library, in coffee shops (thank you, Branded Bear Deli!) and sometimes in the passenger seat of my car.

The methods differ greatly from the manual typewriter I used at my first job. But the approach to community journalism never changed: Get to know people, drive around and listen to people’s stories.

And people shared their time and stories graciously and generously.

Online journalism allowed me to cover news in real time. That was a fascinating and enlightening experience that I hope kept you informed with news you needed as you needed it.

I also learned so much about social media, which was relatively unknown to me two years ago. Thanks to your support and interest, I shared interactive conversations and developed true friendships through the Grafton Patch Facebook page and learned the thrill of being “retweeted’’ by readers of my Twitter feed.

I believe and hope I have provided impartial and fair coverage.

But as I approach the 30-year mark in this business, I am learning that being a news professional does not prevent you from having a personality or displaying a sense of humor.

We are all human, and we all strive for interaction along with our information. That was an important lesson, and one I credit the people of Grafton for helping me understand.

I cannot thank everyone in town enough for their help, insight and kindness. I will miss you all very much.

I have covered my share of towns.

But in Grafton, I was lucky enough to cover a community.