I told you last week I’d be back for more writing. Here I am, a little sooner than I expected. In fact, stay tuned in the coming weeks for a new members-only “Publisher’s Memo” we’ll be premiering, along with other perks for supporters.
What I’m thinking about this morning: We publish so much daily content that I sometimes wonder whether all items actually receive the attention they deserve.
With that in mind, I figured I’d shine a curation spotlight on a few Examiner pieces from last week that deserve an encore appearance, along with one article from last month:
First off, did you hear about the local Vietnam veteran, Melvin Morris, who earned a grand marshal honor at this past weekend’s Mount Pleasant Medal of Honor parade? Reading about the Green Beret and staff sergeant’s harrowing day on Sept. 17, 1969, sure helps deliver a sense of perspective over mundane day-to-day type aggravations we all gripe about.
Examiner Editor-in-Chief Martin Wilbur describes the events that followed Morris learning that a sergeant commanding another Special Forces unit had been killed near an enemy bunker.
Morris was deservedly but belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor in 2014 by former President Barack Obama, more than four decades after displaying such heroism. Thankfully, the local community is also making sure Morris is recognized. Click hereto read the story.
Next up is Martin’s report on the sentencing of three anti-abortion protestors who disrupted service at a White Plains healthcare facility for women last November. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Roe v. Wade, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah delivered a strong statement about the status of rights here at home, in our local community: “Abortion is legal in the state of New York,” Rocah asserted after the sentencing, “and interfering with a patient’s right to access medical and reproductive care is a crime.” Click here to read last week’s brief breaking news report.
Sometimes one of our packages is so comprehensive and important that it warrants not just a one-time encore but also a third showcase. Reporter Bailey Hosfelt busts through the BS to tell the true story about the so-called “CRT” in our two-part series. Part two was published last Monday, and, as our subhead explains, the coverage explores how an alphabet soup of academic terms has been politicized to bring Lakeland schools, in particular, to a disconcerting boiling point. However, the larger issue is on display in all of our local school districts, not just Lakeland. Don’t miss our reporting on such a pressing issue. Click here to read part one of this special report, and click here to jump to part two.
Speaking of local school boards, a quick salute to Bedford Trustee Ed Reder for advocating to continue the Q&A sessions during public comment sessions for at least one meeting a month for the upcoming school year. It’s important for officials to balance board meeting efficiency and civility with engagement and transparency. Especially when there’s simmering distrust between the board and the community, like in Bedford, which has suffered through more than its fair share of recent controversies. Click here for our quick recap.
As a small-town community news publisher, it’s sometimes hard to separate the personal from the professional. Ed and I first became friendly a few years ago when we coached our daughters together at Katonah Lewisboro Bedford Softball, better known as KLBS. But as much as I work to avoid the personal impacting the professional, and as comfortable as I am to publish less than flattering honest news even about people I know and respect, I think it’s equally suspect to be biased in the opposite direction, refusing to endorse good works just because of an existing relationship. That’s why I also proudly wanted to shout out Ed’s new effort to expand and enhance the local youth field hockey scene. If you have a first through eighth grader interested in field hockey, check out the new organization Ed and his partners have just created by clicking here.
Lastly, a quick reminder about a pair of recent pieces with a historical bent, one from last week and another from a few weeks ago. The lower Hudson Valley is rich in history, and thank goodness we have people in our communities who care about recognizing and protecting that history.
Martin reported on the Town of North Castle’s decision to preserve a vital piece of American history at a local Revolutionary War site. By occupying the high ground at the so-called Mount Misery site, the Americans were able to track the movement of British troops during the Battle of White Plains. Click here for that report.
Also, Examiner freelance reporter Sherrie Dulworth posed an important local historical question to herself as she began her research a few months ago. Were the Underhills of Yorktown Unrecognized Abolitionists? Knowing the thoroughness of Sherrie’s research file, I’ll tell you she could have written a book (or several volumes) with the information she unearthed. Instead, she wrote you a newspaper article. It’s another one that wins a second look. Click here to see what Sherrie found for our July report.
OK, that’s all for now. I could go on. But that would defeat the purpose. I’ll resist the urge to babble. Have a great week!
Best, Adam
Adam Stone is the publisher of Examiner Media. When not running local news outlets or chauffeuring his children, Stone can be found on the tennis courts at Mt. Kisco’s Leonard Park, on his Ipad playing chess, or on the floor cleaning after his two dogs.
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