06/26/2024
It is time for this dream to end
Lisa Craft
Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
This is a big and bold quote, but I have found it to be true in my life and the path that I have followed.
This is the second column that I have written. After my first column was read by a colleague, I was told that it was clinical and that they expected more emotion from me. As I reread the first attempt, I have to say I agree. I believe the only reason for it sounding so unemotional is that the whole situation is bittersweet. This is not how I expected this dream to end.
If you read the stories on the front page then you know that The Monett Times has been sold and will merge with the Lawrence County Record, owned by Squibb Media, LLC.
The newspaper was my dream. I never thought I would own it. I thought about it a lot over my career but never thought it would happen until Dec. 2022, and then it happened very quickly. Maybe it was too little, too late. I had big expectations that a lot of people questioned because of the dismal future of newspapers painted by many, but I personally did not accept that.
This was my hometown community newspaper that had been in existence ever since I could remember. It served a purpose to the residents and in turn gave me purpose. It was never “just a job.” It was a way to create relationships with whoever I spoke to, interviewed or sold ads to.
My family has been in Monett for many years and those that I associated with, in my job, I either already knew, or they knew my family. So, I would say that more often than not, the interviews, the sales, the meetings, etc. were always blended into relationships. I mattered because the entity that I worked for mattered, and I was proud of the fact that somehow, some way, by working for the local newspaper I could make a difference.
There is a saying that goes “once the ink is in your veins, you cannot get it out.” That is so true, almost to the point that it is a bit of an addiction. There is a story around every corner whether it be good or bad, it is there waiting for us to write it and then present it to the public. When one gets the story, there is always more you can find, and you feel like you must continue digging. That is the addictive part. A person in this line of business does not want to leave anything unsaid.
I am sure that I have written material that community members were not happy to see in print, but that is part of the job. As much as we love to write warm, fuzzy stories about local people or businesses and some of their accomplishments, we also must give information about criminals, accidents, deaths, and a few times, even murder. It is all a part of the job, but it has never been boring.
When I bought the paper there was a lot of damage control that I had to take care of. My intention was to take care of that damage, do my best to build it back up and at the end of three years, name a new publisher and become an owner who could sit in the shadows and check in occasionally. We were making progress towards that.
On Sept. 16, 2023, my husband, Max Craft, suddenly passed away. He had not been ill (to my knowledge), and as far as I knew everything was normal. He had cut hay that day and had planned to go to work. Everything took a dramatic turn that evening and on the morning of Sept. 16, he passed quickly. I cannot explain the emotions or what I experienced at the time other than to say I was in shock.
My entire world suddenly changed in a very brief period of time. My outlook changed along with my motivation. I thought perhaps I just needed to give it some time, but I was wrong. Apparently, the solid truth is that I will never look at things the way I did before Sept. 16, 2023.
I continued to hold on to the newspaper as best I could. It has been nine months since my husband passed and believe me when I say it feels like last week. I have not gotten over the grief of not having him at my side. The person I was with him is not the same person I am without him.
I have invested 35 years of my life to this business, experiencing almost every title available. I have seen it thrive and I have seen numerous changes. I, along with most of my colleagues past and present, have a passion for this type of work and we literally love it. I regret not being able to fulfill my three-year plan, but as we all know, it doesn’t always work out the way we want.
SoSo, since this will be my last written piece while I still own the newspaper, I want to say thank you. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my dream and serve my community at the same time. Thank you for standing by my side when Max passed away. Thank you for all of your praise about the stories, columns, etc. Thank you for continuing to be just you, a community that wanted to see the newspaper live without being corporately owned.
My passion for this work kept me trying what I could to keep the newspaper going. Selling it to Squibb Media is the best local chance to walk away and see the work continue.
I ask you, as the community, to approach this with an open mind. If there is one thing you can always count on, it is change. You will now get more for your money by combining the news of Lawrence and Barry Counties. Those of you who have paid in advance will continue to receive the paper in the mail. I encourage everyone to remain loyal to our hometown news, whether it be by individual subscriptions or by advertising businesses. It is the support of the community that keeps entities like this alive and serving the residents and businesses. Don’t let each other down. I also ask that you be patient as records and files are being transferred to the new owner. This is not an easy task and it may take a while to get it in order. So if you don’t get a paper one week, you can give them a call but be nice. They will be working very hard to get everything done.
I also want to thank my staff who remained by my side. They are all an exceptional group of people and friends. From the beginning of the purchase my business manager, Jennifer Baker, and my sales rep., Marion Chrysler, stuck it out with me to the end. I appreciate their loyalty and dedication.
Murray Bishoff continued to try to officially retire but has not done it. He continued to contribute and when the news staff shortened, he jumped in twice to become the dedicated reporter he has always proven to be. He will also continue to contribute his writing and reporting talents to the new owner. Definitely has ink in his veins!
Steve Chapman was hired about a year ago and has proven to be very dedicated and never seems to get tired of working. I thank you for never complaining about the amount of work and always being ready to take on a task.
Kevin Funcannon made sure your newspaper was in the mail and in the racks. He also made sure the magazine was delivered. I never had to worry about that getting done and that means a lot! Thank you.
And to the phrase, “here he comes to save the day” Brad Stout was formerly employed as a designer and took another job. When I was in a crisis and needed a designer, he worked it out with his schedule to come help me and then it worked out that he could help me permanently. That meant a lot and he will never know how much I appreciate him. Thank you.
Jared Lankford has remained a good friend and continued his flair of sports writing by contributing some columns and was a stringer during football season. Our work history proved to be a bit rocky in the beginning, but I am grateful that it turned out to be a lasting friendship. God does work in mysterious ways.
I will also include Mike Gervais who was the managing editor until he went to work for the City of Monett. I appreciate him standing by my side as long as he did.
I could not offer my employees a lot, but they continued with me anyway. Thank you all for being excellent employees and good friends, more like family.
I enjoyed collaborating with the independent contractors that free lanced for the magazine. They were all a talented blessing.
Christa Stout gave birth to a monthly column entitled “Rescued is my favorite breed.” Her love for pets and rescuing them gave a new insight to the poor animals that are abandoned. She also shared details on rescue facilities and shared a lot of her own personal first hand experiences. I thank you for your dedication and love for that cause.
Janell Patton, Cox Health Monett Community Relations Manager, Marketing and Planning, made sure we always had a health column from different contributors. They shared different subjects on eating healthy, programs at the hospital and other items of interest. I thank Cox Health for their loyalty to the magazine, the writers of the columns and Janell for always making sure our information was submitted before the deadline.
Meagan Ruffing sent a monthly parenting column sharing her expertise as a parenting journalist and a marriage and family therapist. She has given readers a lot of good advice on being a single parent, struggling during these times and moving forward. I’ve enjoyed Meagan’s column that shared her outlook personally and professionally and sharing her family with us.
In the past we have had numerous contributors like Annie Smith, Pam Wormington, Jordan Troutman, Sheila Harris, Mike Gervais, Amannda Deboef, Murray Bishoff, Steve Chapman, myself, Kyle Troutman, and many more that I am probably overlooking and apologize for the absent mindedness. Everyone that has been a part of the magazine has had a part of what it is today. A very popular local classy magazine full of talent. I also want to extend a thank you to Lisa Schlichtmann for creating Connection magazine and showing the area just what we could accomplish as a team and the talent that we had to offer. I know I have forgotten someone but I send out a generic thank you to blanket all of those that have contributed, written, and created the magazine, the newspaper and digital information. You will never know what these 35 years have meant to me.
“Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go,” Hermann Hesse.
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