Happy 18th to the Creemore Echo

Editor:
Happy 18th Birthday Creemore Echo, or is it Happy 18th Anniversary? Whatever, the important point is that the Echo continues to be a major source of news and provider of community service at a time when other papers in the area have closed. For this the highest congratulations are in order.
This birthday has special meaning for me because it marks the point that I have been away from the Echo for as long as I was there. Yes, time does fly. I will always be pleased that Phil Stevenson and I decided to restart the newspaper back in 2001, and even prouder of what it has become over those 18 years. Georgi has been there from the start, and without her knowledge and steady hand, we would never have taken the plunge. Sara was our first hire. She was keen to take the job despite believing she had none of the requisite skills to fill it. This is likely the only time she has been so wrong about anything. Trina arrived much later, and I never got the chance to work with her, only to enjoy her writing and story selections online every week.
There have been many, many who have made contributions to the Echo over the years, and all have added to its success. That certainly includes my wife Barbara, who continues to provide the Sudoku puzzles every week. Most of these people have shared their insights and experiences without compensation, just to add value to the paper and the community. A special thank you goes out to these folks.
While it is true that our first day of business was April Fool’s Day, it turns out that the Echo was no joke.
Quite the opposite, and let’s all wish for many more successful years of vital service to the greater Creemore community.
Craig Simpson,
Fairfield, CT.