It was just over 12 years ago that I first walked into the office of The Fountain Hills Times. I was hired to cover schools and sports and, if my math checks out, that means this year’s group of high school graduates was in the first grade when I first took up those beats.
That’s 12 years of covering weekly games, classroom projects, school board meetings, awards, presentations, Senior Recognition Nights, band concerts, etc. And that’s just the tip of the ice berg. This town’s youth stay very, very busy.
I always did my best to fill the pages with as many stories as possible because I loved the idea of giving members of the community something to hang on their fridge, be it a daughter being named FHHS drum major, a son earning a big win in a track meet, or a friend of the family popping up in a photo from graduation.
Over the past couple of years, though, I’ve learned that it’s pretty difficult to be the paper’s editor while simultaneously covering such busy beats as schools and sports. And that’s why we have decided to bring on a new reporter.
Before I get to that, I would be remiss if I did not voice my deepest and most sincere thanks to the town of Fountain Hills. You folks let me into your lives to share your stories, and for that I am grateful.
While it feels like I’m writing a Dear John letter, this is actually all fantastic news. It’s hard for me to move on from the beats I’ve been covering for more than a decade, but I’m also looking forward to focusing on other ways to continue improving the newspaper.
I’ll be spending more time making sure we’re printing the best product we’re capable of. I’ll also be working on more features and stories that don’t quite fit into our weekly schedule. I’ll be implementing some new initiatives with the paper, as well as figuring out ways to get more news to our readers in more ways than ever before.
So this is certainly not a “goodbye.” I may not be in the classrooms or on the fields like I used to be, but that’s exactly why we’ve brought on our new schools and sports reporter, Joey Postiglione.
A recent graduate from Northern Arizona University, Joey studied journalism, political science and philosophy, and is currently completing an internship. That gig is set to wrap in mid-April, at which point he’ll be rolling full steam ahead on covering the community.
I’m excited to have Joey on staff because it means local schools and sports will once again be the main focus of one of our reporters. Our youngsters deserve that kind of attention, so we’re happy to provide it.
Keep your eye out for Joey in the future and be sure to send schools and sports information/story ideas his way at joey@fhtimes.com. I’m sure everyone will be just as welcoming of Joey as you’ve been of me these past 12 years.
To the countless students, parents, teachers, administrators, coaches and community members who have worked with me over the years, I literally could not have done this without you. Thanks again.
