W. Curt Vincent
Editor
I need help.
No, not from the folks at Eastpointe. My mother never had me tested, but I’m fairly certain my mental health is OK — though there are a few of you who would disagree.
What I need help with is finding someone who wants to write for the Bladen Journal.
Maybe I buried the lead here, which is that Chuck Thompson has left us.
Just typing that saddens me — for a number of reasons.
I liked Chuck. Even though the interview and hiring process took place during a few phone calls, he came across as a very likeable and genuine person. Those traits were only strengthened when he arrived for his first day of work on April 4.
I was impressed that Chuck wanted to work for the Bladen Journal so much that he planned to drive back and forth from Sanford until he found a place to live — a search that came up terribly short.
I was also impressed with how Chuck jumped right in and began to get familiar with the surroundings, the people and the issues. He was energetic to write about local meetings, local features, local sports and anything else he could. The items he produced for us — including a story about the 701 bridge and local volunteers — was exactly the kind of thing we need.
It was also good to see Chuck taking aim at living in the White Lake area. He’s an outdoor kind of guy who enjoys fishing and hiking, so White Lake would have suited him perfectly.
The bottom line is that Chuck was simply a nice guy with small-town values. He fit in.
But after just 11 workdays, the drive and the search for a place to live, lumped in with a family medical situation out of state just did him in — and sent us back to square one to find a full-time writer.
There were really high hopes for Chuck. In fact — and I even mentioned this to him once — I think he would be exactly the kind of person I’d want to someday take over for me as the GM/editor here when I decide to close my laptop for the last time and retire.
But now … oh well.
That square one I mentioned means the advertisement that attracted Chuck to us has been placed back on Indeed and also on the North Carolina Press Association job boards.
But perhaps there’s somebody in Bladen County who might like to join the Bladen Journal staff and write about local things. A wide variety of things. Fun things. Interesting things. Important things. Historical things.
Sure, there are also difficult things and things that simply aren’t much fun. That goes for any job, right?
But there’s something about documenting local events and activities and information, putting your name at the top of it and knowing it will be part of the official record for decades to come. It will be there for your children, your grandchildren and local folks to see forever.
Pretty cool feeling.
So here’s my pitch: Whether you are a high school grad who always enjoyed writing or a college grad who wants to write or a single parent looking for something meaningful to do or … well, whatever the case may be, I’d like to chat with you.
I’m not going to plug in just anyone. You’ve got to be able to put a sentence together, speak well and not be intimidated. There has to be some ambition. You’ve got to want to learn and care about the people you write about. And you have to have a forgiving, friendly personality.
Chuck may be gone, and I might be desperate, but he did set a standard that I’m still hoping someone can match.
If you might be interested, send me an email or give me a call.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-862-4163 or [email protected].