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newlenoxpatriot.com sound off
the new lenox patriot | March 14, 2019 | 13
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New Lenox School District 122 posted this
March 6:
“Congratulations to our Oakview students
that were selected for our Fairness Award.
We are so proud of you for showing good
character and for being such great role
models!”
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@LWWestside, on March 5
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From the Assistant Editor
Bidding my readers a final farewell
Megan Schuller
m.schuller@22ndcm.com
Goodbyes are painful.
Writing this
farewell editorial
is no different.
I have been writing for
The New Lenox Patriot
since May of last year.
The “Home of the Proud
Americans” has become
my own home away from
home as I covered countless
stories across New
Lenox.
From veterans’ ceremonies
to Village Board
meetings, to Board of
Education meetings and
chamber events, I was
there at the center of the
action.
Sometimes, I would
be in the front row of a
meeting typing vigorously
on my laptop, and other
times I was camouflaged
in the foreground. My
face was usually hidden
by the camera held up
to my right eye, but my
presence was given away
by the press pass that
swung around my neck.
For every great moment
of nearly the past year, I
was there.
I covered stories like:
the long-awaited Silver
Oaks Hospital opening,
the madrigals decision
being reversed, the
meetings where Summit
Hill School District 161
moved forward to pursue
the feasibility of acquiring
Lincoln-Way North, the
time that New Lenox was
given the I-80 grant, the
successful season of the
Lincoln-Way Marching
Band and many others. All
of these moments fill my
heart with pride because I
am honored to have been
apart of this community
for these moments in New
Lenox’s history.
New Lenox is in a
prosperous time of growth
and development, but at
the core of that is a solid
foundation of a sense of
community. The nature
of growth comes with
growing pains, but I have
seen the strength in what
the community can do
when it rallies together,
when it gets involved with
local government, and
when it makes its voices
heard. I wish I could be
here to watch New Lenox
continue to grow, but it
is time for my growth to
happen, as well.
To the residents I have
met through each story
and to the readers that
have reached out to me
regarding my work, I say
thank you. I thank you
for giving this humble
reporter, who grew up in
Plainfield and Joliet, a
place to call home in New
Lenox.
I have thoroughly
enjoyed every opportunity
I’ve been given over this
past year at The Patriot.
But, like all good things,
it had to come to an end.
My fiancé, Justin, is now
back from his deployment,
and I secured a job at the
Pacific Business News
in Honolulu, Hawaii to
advance my career and be
closer to him. Bigger and
better things lie before
me at this pivotal moment
in my life. Though
I am excited for my new
adventure, I am cognizant
I leave behind my family,
friends, co-workers and,
of course, my loyal readers.
I have learned a lot of
valuable lessons from
each community I wrote
for. From New Lenox I
learned, the value of a fair
Village Board, the sense
of community fostered
from local organizations,
the importance of local
government and school
boards, the pride that
comes with supporting our
local veterans and law enforcement,
the fun in teens
putting on a scary good
time at Hells Gate and
the plethora of interesting
topics one can learn about
through events held at the
local library.
Journalism challenges
me to always ask and ask
again, to look from every
angle in a unbiased manner
and to listen to understand
not to respond.
The stories I have published
before my readers
in The Patriot appear as
words bound by ink to
paper. But what I see are
multi-dimensional pieces
of a puzzle composed of
perspectives, information
and captured moments
that fit together piece by
piece, word by word.
Yes, journalism continually
challenges me, but
I also write to challenge
journalism as I move forward
with my career.
Every word I write in a
story takes on a life of its
own in your hands after
they leave my fingertips.
The words I have written
for you will long outlive
me once my physical presence
here in New Lenox
is gone. I will not forget
those who made me feel
the presence and impact
I made here through my
words.
In Hawaii the phrase
“Aloha” is often referred
to as a cultural way of
life, but it is also spoken
as a greeting for hello and
goodbye. For me this is a
somber goodbye but it is
also a welcoming hello to
the many new experiences
that await me in Hawaii.
So, I think it’s then only
fitting my last words to
my readers be: Aloha,
New Lenox.
Sound Off Policy
Editorials and columns are the
opinions of the author. Pieces
from 22nd Century Media are
the thoughts of the company as
a whole. The New Lenox Patriot
encourages readers to write
letters to Sound Off. All letters
must be signed, and names and
hometowns will be published.
We also ask that writers include
their address and phone
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publication. Letters should be
limited to 400 words. The New
Lenox Patriot reserves the right
to edit letters. Letters become
property of The New Lenox Patriot.
Letters that are published
do not reflect the thoughts and
views of The New Lenox Patriot.
Letters can be mailed to: The
New Lenox Patriot, 11516 West
183rd Street, Unit SW Office
Condo #3, Orland Park, Illinois,
60467. Fax letters to (708)
326-9179 or e-mail to
james@newlenoxpatriot.com.
www.newlenoxpatriot.com.