It has been 57 years exactly, to the day!
August 4, 1964 was the first edition of the Madison County Carrier. My parents (at the young age of 25) founded and started this newspaper with no newspaper experience at all; but with just a lot of hard work, dedication and will-power.
When I was young, growing up, I grew up with my parents owning and publishing the Madison County Carrier, the Mayo Free Press, the Branford News, and the White Springs Leader. I spent many days and nights not only in Madison County but those other counties, as well, laying out newspapers and covering events with my parents for publication in the next newspaper’s issue – for whichever county we were in that day/night.
When I was about 14 years old, my father asked me what I (truly/really) wanted to do when I grew up, and if I wanted the newspaper publishing business as my life. I had answered, “Yes. But I only want Madison. I do not want all the other counties; just Madison.” And so, he sold the Branford News and he had (long since) closed down the White Springs Leader. But yet he never did sell the Mayo Free Press. During my teenage years, I spent many a day working in Mayo at our newspaper there selling advertising and laying out; just as I did in Madison County. (Not to mention the few years we also owned the Swapper and I spent my days and nights laying that out and doing the Swapper paper route, as well.)
In 1992 we went twice-a-week with the Madison County Carrier, publishing every Wednesday and Saturday. In 1993, we sold (traded) the Mayo Free Press and bought (traded) the Madison Enterprise-Recorder; dropping our weekend Carrier and making the Enterprise-Recorder our Friday newspaper. For the next several years, Daddy found himself more and more in other outlets; leaving the newspaper world more to me. By 1999, he made the “official announcement” that he was not “in charge” anymore and I was now his boss (there are a lot of funny stories around that scenario!)
The years rolled on and, in 2007, I bought the Monticello News, in Jefferson County. I began publishing the Monticello News and the Jefferson County Journal every Wednesday and Friday, just as I did in Madison County.
Last year, in the middle of the Covid nightmare – CNHI Newspapers closed down the Suwannee Democrat, Mayo Free Press and Jasper News. My daughter, Cheltsie, and I found ourselves contemplating starting a brand-new newspaper for the Suwannee, Hamilton and Lafayette County citizens. You see, my whole life has been in the newspaper business and my desire in life has always been to tell local stories/happenings and inform local citizens of what is happening around them. I look for ways to make life better in our community and to help the “underdog” climb on top of the mountain. I like to help small businesses and our local citizens strive and thrive in our small communities. I want to build our towns up and make it a place where our children want to grow up and raise their children. I would like to think I am helping change the world, or at least my corner of it. So, on July 29, 2020 (one year ago) we put our first Riverbend News newspaper on the street, servicing Suwannee, Hamilton and Lafayette Counties.
And here we sit, 57 years later … what my Daddy and Mama started back in 1964 has come full circle, in a sense. For they once owned newspapers in Madison County, Lafayette County, Hamilton County and Suwannee County …. And now Cheltsie and I do the same, in the same exact counties, plus Jefferson County. I sure wish my Daddy was alive to see what has transpired; but I’m sure he is smiling down from his (green) mansion in the sky!
The greatest compliment, I believe, I ever receive is, “You’re just like your Daddy!” And to hear, “Your Daddy would be so proud of you,” brings tears to my eyes!
So, it is in this spirit, and in my Daddy’s memory, that I would love to invite everyone to our “Birthday Party” Wednesday, Aug. 4, from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., at our Greene Publishing newspaper office, located at 1695 South State Road 53, in Madison. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served and it is a walk-in party … so you all are free to come when you would like and leave as you would like.
Please stop by and celebrate our 57th birthday with us and let us meet each of you! It would be our pleasure!
Proudly serving Madison County – for the last 57 years!