Some of you have been reading my “Intentional Walks” column for the past five years. I have tried to preserve and present some of the fascinating sports history of our county. Occasionally, I offered my opinions on contemporary sports topics of the day.
I have been incredibly lucky in my professional life. I spent three decades teaching and coaching at McGuffey High School. I then spent another 11 years with Greene County as the Director of Community Service and the Director of Recreation. I could not have asked for a more rewarding and enjoyable career.
However, last March yet another opportunity presented itself. I began contributing other articles and tried my hand at restructuring and expanding some aspects of this magazine. With the support and shared insights of the entire staff, I feel we have continued to provide the community with a valuable service. The GreeneScene provides a communal source of information, celebration, and recollection.
Upon my latest (and last) retirement, I will now assume the duties of editor of the GreeneScene. Therefore, I would like to share our continuing vision for upcoming issues.
I remember the days when “reading the paper” meant grabbing the Democrat-Messenger from your porch or mailbox and opening it to your preferred section without having to check the index. Everything you needed to navigate your day and plan your weekend was available over breakfast.
Local news, engagements, anniversaries, box scores, and classifieds were available in glorious black and white print. You knew which movies were playing at the theaters or drive-ins, and which bands were playing at your local club or tavern.
The fact I get to recreate this nexus of information is even more special to me because my father Jim Moore was the editor of the Messenger in my formative years. I loved going to his office and hearing the constant chatter of the Associated Press ticker tape and the squeaky wheel of the dumbwaiter that sent stories down to the print room.
I understand that no amount of romanticization can bring back print journalism to its glory days. However, we hope to capture the zeitgeist of those years, while still embracing the new technologies of social media and podcasts.
Producing a small-town newspaper has always been an act of quiet devotion, capturing the events and ordinary moments that somehow become history. The challenge today is finding a way to carry the soul of a bygone era into a landscape reshaped by screens, scrolls, and shrinking attention spans. The old newsroom rhythms still echo with the awareness that local stories matter because they belong to someone you might pass in the grocery store.
As the new editor, I’m standing at the crossroads of memory and momentum, carefully weaving the warmth of yesterday’s stories with the energy of today’s voices. By honoring the traditions that shaped the community while embracing emerging trends, fresh perspectives, and modern platforms, I want to ensure this magazine remains both a cherished keepsake and a vibrant reflection of the present. In blending nostalgia with innovation, we aren’t just preserving the past, we are reimagining it, creating a publication that feels timeless, relevant, and deeply rooted in the people it serves.
