Dear sir:
Twenty-five years ago, on May 5, 1980, I drove into Fort Frances a shy, quiet, and reserved 20-year-old journalism school grad looking with anticipation and fear to starting my first job in the business.
Today, I’m still shy, quiet, and reserved, and I am forever grateful to the Cumming family and the people of Fort Frances for the experiences I had in your wonderful community for seven amazing years which I truly believe set the groundwork for my continued success in this business.
I still remember fondly how my career in Fort Frances got off to an ominous start when my first interview subject, Steve Kosowick, told me most newcomers to the Times never stay long. That same day, it got more ominous when recreation director Toolie Kawulia told me I’d either love the town and stay there forever or hate it and leave within a year.
Well, thanks to the kindness and friendship of people in the Fort, I managed to spend seven glorious years there covering and participating in the bounty of recreational activities that make Fort Frances such a special and memorable place.
I still consider the Fort my home, and thanks to the Cumming family and Harry Vandetti, and people like Dave Egan, the Martinuks, Witherspoons, Taggarts, Camerons, Allens (Doug and Bennie, and all those M and S Cougars), not to mention Kosowick and Kawulia, Gus Lindberg, etc., it will always be my home.
There are many people in Fort Frances I owe for my continued success and to those who I haven’t mentioned, well, I’ll see you in the White Pine some day and tell you in person, I hope.
Take care and thanks for all the memories.
(Signed),
Al Beeber
Entertainment editor
Lethbridge Herald
al.beeber@lethbridgeherald.com
(1-403-388-1143)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
