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Butch Furse
For the past 50 years I’ve been facing a deadline and now it’s time for me to move on while I’m still able to move. Putting it in blunt words, this will be the final issue of my Around the Square column.
In 1972 I , as a co-publisher of the Aurora News-Register, took over the writing of the column and editorials following the death of my father, co-publisher R.R. Furse. Since that date it has been 2,600 weekly columns and that’s enough for a writer and probably more than enough for ANR readers.
Weekly column deadlines were once a fun challenge, but now have changed many times to an inconvenience. Printer’s ink is still in my veins, but has become more of just a trickle.
After selling the newspaper 22 years ago and “slowing down” from many business and community activities, column topics began to revolve more around humorous home experiences about my relationship involving the Betterhalf and the kids. Those experiences dwindled when we evolved to become empty-nesters and the Betterhalf sometimes raising her voice about a certain published column observation.
My computer became harder for me to comprehend and general technology was a challenge. Thanks to the patience of the Betterhalf and the ANR staff those challenges were resolved . . . and yes, the Betterhalf still continues to live with me!
I extend a thank you to ANR co-publishers Kurt and Paula Johnson for allowing me over the 22 years to carry the title of Publisher Emeritus; dabble in printer’s ink; and feel I was still part of the newspaper family. For the ANR employees, I extend a big thank you to each of you for your assistance and continued friendship.
Of course there’s a big “thank you” to my column readers and even those who were not regular readers. Your comments were appreciated (good or bad) and I’ll miss them.
So it’s time for my old column writing computer with its outdated software to be retired next to an even older manual typewriter on a shelf in my basement home office. It’s time for both the Betterhalf and myself to continue to laugh at each other with her knowing our “incidents” will not make a column.
With just a trickle of that printer’s ink left still in my blood I hope to PRESS on with a good life without deadlines.
Thanks to each of you for my successful newspaper career.
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RL Furse is publisher emeritus of the News-Register
