Many of you have heard that song from “The Sound of Music” that ends with the words, “So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, and good-bye.” Sometimes we just have to say good-bye.
All good things come to an end, no matter how much we like doing them. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this newspaper column. I am a workaholic, but I am 85 years old, and after recent heart surgery, I needed to start to cut back on some of my workload. I will be retiring from writing for the Journal Tribune, after almost a decade as a columnist for the paper. While I believe in my heart that I will never retire entirely, I’ve already started to cut back on several of the many commitments in which I am involved.
I will miss writing my Journal Tribune column, which has been published every other Thursday, year-round. It takes me several days of hard work every other week to research a column that is to be written, edited and finally rewritten. Whether a column is on local, national or international issues, it has to be fact-checked. Also, I am unfortunately one of the world’s slowest typists. Yet, it is most gratifying to see the positive results in print. I hope it has been an enjoyable experience for the readers, too.
My wife, Dr. Sandra Featherman, and I have always believed in serving others. It has brought us both satisfaction and pride to help others. As a columnist, I tried to let people learn to help themselves. I tried to do this through self-help business columns, aimed at Maine small businesses and entrepreneurial start-ups, and in columns that sought to understand what is happening in our community, our nation and our world.
Sandra was the president of University of New England for 11 years. She has served on many nonprofit boards like Maine Community Foundation, Girl Scouts of Maine, University of Maine Law School Foundation and more than a dozen other nonprofit organizations in the region.
Besides writing for the Journal Tribune, I was the president of Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce, and served on the boards of the American Red Cross, the Maine Merchants Association and the Wardwell Retirement Community. I also served as a corporator of Southern Maine Health Care, as a member of the Coastal Counties Workforce, and as chairman of the six New England states for the United States Small Business Administration Regulatory Fairness Board.
It has been a great pleasure to work with the Journal Tribune. The newspaper is a wonderful resource for our community, providing a focus on local and relevant news that helps readers keep informed on issues and happenings that affect them.
I have enjoyed working with the Journal Tribune news staff, including Managing Editor Kristen Muszynski, who is one of the hardest working, smartest newspaper editors in the business. She sees that the Journal Tribune turns out good and interesting issues. The newspaper is really lucky to have such talented people as Kristen and her staff to keep the news flowing to you.
I have met many wonderful and special people during my time in Maine. One of the people I will especially remember was Harold Alfond, who gave so much to Maine colleges and schools. When we had dinner together years ago, he made a remark that stayed with me all these years, even after he passed away. Harold said, in his unpretentious way, “I played golf with Warren Buffet today, and Bill Gates asked to join us. Now, that’s pretty good for a small-town Mainer like me.” Buffet and Gates are billionaires, and I would not be surprised if they decided to give away so much of their wealth because of Harold’s example.
Mainers are really special people. I love Maine. My cup truly runneth over with joy and pride to know so many good friends here; working men and women on all income levels; heads of private companies; schools and local government leaders; including our United States senators, our governors, and President George H. W. Bush and his lovely wife Barbara, during our 19 years living in Maine. Yes, I will be retiring now, but I will always treasure Maine and the friendships my wife and I made here.
Like the French saying, “Je suis dans mon assiette chez toi!” (Your house is my house.) And my house is your house.
— Contact Bernard Featherman at bernard@featherman.com.
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