Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 J U N E 1 0 , 2 0 1 9 I N S I D E T H E N OT E B O O K James McCarthy, Mainebiz digital editor, can be reached at jmccarthy @ mainebiz.biz. I t was my lucky day in late winter 2012 when Carol Coultas, Mainebiz editor at that time, called me at home with a hint of desperation in her voice. "Have you finished up at Bangor Daily News?" she asked. "Two people gave me their notice and I'm about to go on vacation. I could really use your help, if you're free." It so happened that I had just finished a nine-week stint as a tem- porary editor at BDN, filling in for someone who was out on medical leave. Even with the long daily drives to the newspaper's office in Bangor, I relished my time there. Until then, after being downsized as the editorial page editor at e Times Record the previous summer by the newspaper's out-of-state owners, I'd been thinking my days in journal- ism were over. I'd been at the Brunswick daily for 26 ½ years, including 10 years as its managing editor, after a two-and- a-half year stint at a weekly newspaper in New Hampshire. My time at BDN rekindled my hopes of being employed in journalism again and here was Carol — some- one I'd known from her time at the Lewiston Sun Journal that paralleled mine at e Times Record — inviting me to fill in at Mainebiz. I quickly said, "Yes," figuring there was nothing to lose and, perhaps, everything to gain. When Carol came back from vacation I told her I'd like to join her on the Mainbiz staff as senior writer. Seven years later, my Mainebiz portfolio includes stories reported from Aroostook to York county, from Millinocket and Greenville to Monhegan Island and Isle au Haut. I've met dozens of memorable Mainers and did my best to tell their stories. I've gained important friendships among my talented and hardworking co-workers here at Mainebiz. Working here has deepened my love for Maine and its people. I'd known since moving here from Cleveland and working as a construc- tion laborer on the paper mill in Jay during the winter of 1976 that it takes hard work and determination to make a living in this state. And almost three decades of community journalism in the Midcoast region helped me appre- ciate the way unsung heroes — people both young and old from all walks of life — pitch in to make their commu- nities better places to live in. But the business focus of Mainebiz broadened my perspective and helped me realize the equally vital role played by entrepreneurs, bankers, business owners, nonprofits and, yes, even politicians. It takes courage to put one's time and money on the line to succeed in business, as every owner knows in their very bones. It takes vision and trust to lend the money that can make some- one's dream a reality. It takes idealism and grit to advocate year after year for countless good causes, knowing that those causes, for some, are seen as frills. It takes dogged determination to do the people's business, enduring hours of debate and plowing through reams of paper that accompany even the sim- plest of civic endeavors. I arrived here from Cleveland in 1974 with the ambition to be an artist and the good fortune of being hired to work in a small summer gallery in Newagen, at the tip of Southport Island. It took me almost a decade to find my way into journalism and a career that would engage my creative skills to be part of the wider community-building efforts of fellow Mainers. And now, at age 66, it's time to retire. My final day at Mainebiz is June 14. Will Hall has been hired to replace me as digital editor and he'll bring to that role his own creative talents and ideas. To those who ask me why I'm retir- ing now, I can think of no better answer than the one Henry David oreau gave when he left Walden Pond after living there for two years: "It seemed to me that I had several more lives to live." I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had working here, especially col- laborating with my Mainebiz col- leagues in telling the stories that busi- ness owners and others have trusted us to share with our faithful readers. To one and all: anks. Saying goodbye after a 35-year career in journalism Plus: Personal Assistance in moving any existing accounts to Kennebec Savings Bank Business Loans • Lines of Credit • Operating Accounts • Business Savings Accounts Cash Management Services • Bill Pay • Online Banking • Remote Deposit Capture for more information, visit us at www.KennebecSavings.Bank or call us at (207) 865-1550 You have goals. We have solutions. Whether you're starting to grow your business or your business has been growing for the last 100 years, we have solutions to help you succeed! Financial Support For Any Size Business Renee Doble, Economic Development Specialist D'arcy Main-Boyington, Economic Development Director. BREWERMAINE.GOV/BIZ

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