Building on the work of those who came before me

The first time I hiked to the CCC quarry at DeSoto State Park, I was moved by the visible presence of history. There I stood among rocks where, a few decades before, young men had quarried the stones used to build so many of the structures we still enjoy at the park. They weren’t just building things, they were building a legacy.

I feel much the same way today in accepting the role of editor for The Groundhog. So many dedicated souls have come before me, doing the hard work to create and maintain a quality publication for the region. This newspaper is their legacy, one that continues to benefit us all.

Just as the state park system has built upon what those CCC boys created, I see the great work of my predecessors as a foundation. With MERF as its publisher, The Groundhog is in the ideal hands to become even more important to the communities it serves. I’m honored to be part of this work at such an important transition point.

You may have noticed my byline in these pages a few times since last fall. When MERF secured The Groundhog, my wife, Michele, began designing the newspaper. I’ve stepped in a few times to write some articles, including the occasional Little River Arts Council column (Michele and I both serve on the LRAC board). After 36 years of marriage and 28 years of working together, we’re pretty much inseparable. A package deal, if you will.

In the months ahead, I plan to learn more of your stories. Here’s a bit of mine. Growing up, my family spent a lot of time on Lookout Mountain. Mentone, Little River Canyon, and DeSoto State Park are the backdrop of so many memories, which I continued to foster as an adult when I started my own family. And I can’t leave out Valley Head. Both sets of grandparents went to church together at Bethel Baptist, where two teenagers met who would become my parents. I was always in awe of Winston Place as a child, riding by the historical treasure as we headed to the front porch of my great-grandparents for family gatherings. With three cousins who graduated from Valley Head High School, I saw my share of ball games there.

In the early 90s, I spent five years as a reporter, photographer, and news editor at The Weekly Post, a community newspaper based in Rainsville that covered DeKalb and parts of Jackson counties. It was a great experience, and where I learned much about how society functions, won some statewide awards, and met countless wonderful people.

One of my favorite memories from my newspaper days is a series I authored called “Doin’ DeKalb.” Like it sounds, I went all over the county participating in interesting and fun things, documenting them to share with readers. The installment that stands out the most is when Bill Adams took Michele and me on a rafting trip from Billy’s Ford to Little River Falls.

It was also during this time that I met legends like Jack Jones. I recently ran across my copy of his book “Come Sit a Spell,” which he signed with a nice note to me. One of our most treasured art pieces is a painting Jack gave us of a couple standing at Billy’s Ford. Ironically, they look a bit like a younger version of us.

In December of 1995, the staff of The Weekly Post held its Christmas party at The Mentone Inn. It was there that I announced I would be leaving the newspaper to start a little communications firm with my wife. On New Year’s Day 1996, we launched WordSouth on one contract and a prayer, with two small children and no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

One of our first clients was Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative (FTC). We launched their Connected magazine in 1997, and I’m proud to say that magazine continues to this day. Our work in publishing and marketing expanded to other cooperatives, both telcos and electrics, and we were blessed with tremendous growth. In 2020, our firm had grown to 30 employees working remotely from six states, serving clients from Texas to South Carolina and from Florida to Minnesota. That summer we were named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing independent companies.

It was also that summer that we finalized plans to sell our company to a strategic acquirer (a communications cooperative) on the other side of the country. With the pandemic shutting everything down, we culminated a year of negotiations across Zoom calls and emails, with none of the parties ever being in the same room together.

While we’ve continued to provide some management support to the new owners, Michele and I launched another mom-and-pop agency in 2021. We enjoy working locally again, providing social media and other communications support to groups like the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce and DeKalb Tourism. Other fun projects include “Fred Hunter’s Alabama” and “The Lookout Sessions.”

Some of you have met our pride and joy, Ryder, the two-year-old grandson that changed our world. His parents are our son, Lucas (an audio engineer who runs Lucky Sound Studio in Fort Payne), and our daughter-in-law, Anna (a graphic designer and potter). Our daughter, Kayleigh, is Director of Theatre at Northeast Alabama Community College. Yep, we’re a family of quirky creative types.

I promise that my “From The Editor” column won’t be all about me (or this long) moving forward, but I wanted to give you a sense of how I view this opportunity to serve as The Groundhog’s editor. It’s personal, because this area is so special and important to me and my family.

In closing, I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of the MERF board of directors. They had the foresight to understand what an asset The Groundhog could be to their mission of educational support and community development. The wisdom in their vision will continue to reveal itself over time.

A special thank you to Anna Mae Horn. She stepped up at a crucial time to add editor duties to her already busy schedule as MERF’s executive director. She did more than “keep it between the ditches” … she shepherded the paper through the transition like the true champ she is.

It is said that new friends are silver but old friends are gold. I must acknowledge a true golden friend in Ben Shurett, who was publisher at The Times-Journal way back when I was earning my stripes (remind me to tell you sometime about how we worked together on a project in the very early days of the web that practically broke the internet). It was Ben who reached out to Michele and me last fall as he was helping assemble a team to save The Groundhog. I never imagined it would lead to this, and I am grateful for the opportunity it has brought my way.

I’m honored to continue building the legacy of this newspaper. I appreciate what it means to the community today and the increasingly important role it will play in MERF’s mission. Exciting days are ahead. As a bonus, I’m thrilled at the opportunity to meet more of the wonderful people in this area, and to work with you on the future of this treasured publication. Drop me a note at stephenvsmith@me.com, or look for the Groundhog email address in the masthead. We’ll see you around town!