Every summer to avoid the scorching heat we would make a trip to Coronado when my family lived in Arizona.
The kids loved the pristine beaches, ice cream at the Hotel del Coronado and numerous trips to Fizziwig’s for decedent caramel apples.
I often would tell my wife, Pam, that if I ever got rich, I would start a newspaper in Coronado.
Well, the wealth never came, but I did have the privilege of starting The Coronado News a year ago, thanks to businessman and entrepreneur Paul Huntsman. And I even snuck my beagle, Daisy, as the first pet of the week.
It has been an amazing run to start a paper from scratch, but after 32 years as a print journalist I’ve been given the opportunity to become an investigative reporter for ABC 10News San Diego.
I will be part of the Scripps Journalism Journey Initiative that recruits mid-career journalists into broadcast news careers.
A very hard decision
It was a very hard decision.
I love my staff who took a risk on me and The Coronado News when we had nothing but an idea.
I’m incredibly grateful to Madeline Yang, Julieta Soto, Sofie Fransen and my long-time friend Dennis Wagner, a Pulitzer Prize winner who led our award-winning investigation of the Tijuana sewage crisis.
We also couldn’t have started The Coronado News without our web and print designers Ben Cunningham and Scott Goldman as well as an amazing group of interns from Point Loma Nazarene University and San Diego State University.
And, we are indebted to Felix Tinkov, a California Public Records Act specialist, who represented us as we won documents from the school district and city hall in a public records fight.
A special thanks to several in community
There also are several people who welcomed us to Coronado and opened doors to great stories.
They include:
*Businessman and philanthropist Don Budinger, who donated the landmark building at 1100 Orange Ave. to the Coronado Historical Association.
*Businesswoman Kelly Sarber, who knows everyone in town and introduced us to her lovely mother, Phyl.
*Mayor Richard Bailey, who always had time to answer our questions and explain the nuances of Coronado.
*Members of the Optimist Club, who are some of the kindest and most giving people I’ve ever met.
*Coach George Green who diligently sent us great stories about his cross country and track athletes at Coronado High School.
*Amy Hall, who served on our editorial board and shared personal stories about her victory over cancer.
Coronado News in great hands
In being a journalist for more than three decades, you always learn something, and I received some very valuable lessons in my time as editor and associate publisher. For example, be careful about picking a fight with a beloved local institution like the Coronado Schools Foundation which does great work for the community.
Coronado, it has been a great honor to be a part of your community, and The Coronado News is in great hands with Fransen, our new editor.
She is an amazing writer and an even better person.
Please reach out to her as well as our other staff members.
They will continue to provide investigative stories about the sewage crisis and other issues that mater to you, and they will keep covering Coronado’s schools and city hall and write profiles of fascinating residents. And, of course, The Coronado News will continue to have a pet of the week.
Thank you.
