In 1961 when I first moved to Heyworth, the Heyworth Star was a thriving weekly newspaper. I can't tell you the whole history of the paper, but it was then run by Glen Beverage and his son Jim. I also don't remember a lot about Glen except that he always had a smile when I saw him.
Jim lived 3 doors away from us on Poplar St. with his wife Nancy who taught school in a near by community and Sonja their girl who was the same age as I.
Jim was a newspaper man through and through. Always looking for the scoop. Always at the local sports events. Always wearing a dress hat, carrying a camera, tablet and pen and when it was cold, a trench styled overcoat. He was inquisitive and full of common sense. He also liked to show off his shop to any youngster that showed an interest. More than once I walked in unannounced and he would appear in the front office and offer a quick tour. Didn't matter how busy he was, he always had time for an interested youth.
In those days it was type press machinery. All the type was set on aluminum plates, put together on carriers and loaded into the press. All the plates were made on site at the Star. I may still have a couple floating around somewhere that Jim made for me on one of those tours. Clink, clink, clang, bang and there was your name on the edge of one. The Star also printed stationary, invitations, etc. to bolster the coffers and add a service to the community.
Several years ago, Jim passed on and Nancy became the owner of the Star and kept it open with employees. Gone also were the typeset days and computers replaced much of that layout and printing work. Staying the same was the offering of local news about Heyworth to the community and to those who had lived there an moved on.
Speed ahead to about 2 years ago... The economy in the tank, the newspaper industry sinking under the weight of new "paperless" technologies, and her age, Nancy decided to sell the Star to the Daily 12 miles to the north. The Pantagraph was able to justify and keep the paper open until last month when it announced that it was pulling the plug on 3 or more weeklies it had been publishing. It seemed the town would be without a mainstay that it had for a long long time.
Enter newpaper man, Ed Pyne. Ed jumped at the opportunity to get a paper in the Heyworth communuty. He had also bid on the Star when it was for sale a few years ago. The inaugural edition of the new Heyworth Buzz was published on November 18. Not knowing what to put into the first edition was a real puzzler until the Heyworth High School Hornet volleyball team won the state title in their division. The Hornets had never won a title in any sport. The volleyball match against Scales Mound was exciting and had maybe one of the best finished of any volleyball match I've ever viewed or covered. The Hornets came from behind at match point for the final 5 points to put away their opponent. Too bad Jim couldn't have been around to see it. He was one of Heyworth's biggest cheerleaders for a long time.
Congrats to Heyworth Hornets, the Heyworth Buzz and the whole community.
20101113 Heyworth v Scales Mound - Images by Alan Look
Alan, just to clarify, the Pantagraph bought the Star in 2004. I was hired as the editor in September 2005 after working in the advertising department at The Pantagraph for 13 years. I think the Pantagraph would have kept the Star - and the LeRoy and Farmer City papers - open if they could have, but corporate ownership being what it is these days...sigh.
ReplyDeleteTroy Semple
former Heyworth Star editor