Pages from the editor’s notebook
Today’s edition of The Elgin Courier marks the first time my byline has appeared in that historic periodical. After almost 30 years of reporting on Bastrop County affairs and those of its cities, school boards and related local government units I’ve finally broken into print in all three of the county’s historic newspapers. Who cares besides me?
Elgin readers I hope, to begin with. It’s a story about the Gary Keller murder trial in Bastrop. The Elgin area resident was acquitted of deliberately killing Jimmy Munoz almost three years ago. See my news item posted on this site earlier today.
I make this post to note that I’ve reported on local affairs in Bastrop County for 30 years, first as a reporter for the Bastrop Advertiser, later as a reporter for the (former) Bastrop County Times, now known by its historic title, The Smithville Times. Then from August 1986 to June 2008 I was editor of The Bastrop Advertiser.
At times during this period I was also an editor, staff reporter and contributor to newspapers in Austin, Abilene, Hawkinsville and Perry, Georgia as well as some national magazines and news syndicates. But with the piece in The Courier I’ve hit a kind of personal trifecta, which doesn’t really mean a huge cash payoff, however. Still I’m kind of proud of it.
Of course I’m also writing and editing the Bastrop-News.com blog which you’re reading and which I hope you’ll continue to follow. In addition you can see another take on Bastrop news on Bastrop Community Access Television (Time Warner cable chanel 10 in Bastrop, available on the web at upstartbastrop.com/bcat). To see the BCAT News Update, go to the web site and hit the button saying “Watch TV Now” daily at 6 p.m. CST.
In an entirely different and equally personal direction, folks in or passing through the Bastrop vicinity can see another line of personal activity by stopping in at 1022 Main St. in Bastrop where you’ll find River Road Studio, a gallery offering for sale art work I and friends have been creating for longer than I’ve been a local reporter. What you’ll mostly see is local and regional landscapes in watercolor–our lovely woods and waters. Other goodies include short, illustrated fiction by Carolyn Banks, my wife.
The gallery is presently open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Call 303-1531 for a special appointment.