My first two grandchildren are now grown. Hayley is the mother of a beautiful girl who turned one last July.
Her brother Desmond took a full-time position at as a dental assistant this past summer.
Life changes so quickly.
Both of them seem to have found the career path that fits them. For her it’s motherhood. For her brother its health care. He has chosen to be a dental assistant and is working to a permanent career as a dental hygienist.
Written in 2009 by Pat Desmond
The Milton Times was born nearly 15 years ago.At the time there were two other newspapers covering the town. The Patriot Ledger and the Milton Record Transcript.
And from time to time, the Globe would do a story or two about the community. Competition is a good thing. It keeps a business sharp and focused. Maybe it’s not so good for people.
A good local newspaper covers all sides of an issue. A successful local newspaper keeps its focus on the positive aspects of the community. Many newspapers are facing economic disaster this year. The Globe is still laying off reporters and cutting costs.
The Patriot Ledger had a full-time reporter assigned to Milton until the past few years. Reductions in staff at the daily have resulted in diminished focus on towns like Milton. Readership at both the Globe and the Ledger has decreased.
The Record Transcript published a statement of ownership this year (something any newspaper using the mail is required to do) showing that it has 144 paid subcribers.
The Milton Times has been on a readership plateau this year. People in the community want local news and continue to support the Times. We are fortunate to have that support. Each week we sell 4,500 papers. This translates into at least 11,250 readers. Our paid subscriptions, through the mail, are documented each October in our own statement of ownership. (That statement changed in 2022 to include June Desmond’s portion of ownership of the Milton Times. In the next few years she will end up owning 100% as I firm up my retirement.)
Competition in the news business was once a friendly sort of endeavor.
Back in 1952 I was the girl with bows tied on her pigtails. First row, second from the left. Ann Condon was far left. Janet Fallon was next to me. On the other side was Roberta Jennings. Then Eileen Scully and Karen DeCross. St. Agatha School was a simple parochial institution, taught by nuns and filled with quiet children who all wondered what their friends were thinking about life and their possible futures.
It was a past worth remembering, being with those old friends. I had no idea I would become the publisher of a weekly newspaper in my hometown. I had no idea that was even an option.
All those other young girls in the front row have new last names and they are all still alive. I think we were in first grade because the uniforms are not in the photo.
I felt very much like an observer back then. Quiet but watchful. The days of long silences were the perfect background to a life as a journalist. Paying attention was all it took. My past created my present. I am grateful to the nuns who insisted the class be orderly.
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