By Mike Lavelle
As the New Year comes and the past year becomes history, I reflect upon my own history and the changes that have come about. While change happens continually, sometimes the advent of a new year can give us pause to reflect on our path, and the new paths in life before us.
One change, this year, for me and the paper, is that I moved to Sierra Vista and with this issue, will no longer be the editor of The Vail Voice. I moved to Vail after retiring in 2012, and having written columns for other publications, started writing for The Vail Voice, and soon thereafter joined Lucretia as the editor. I was apprehensive at first, since I was not trained or experienced as a journalist or editor.
My becoming the editor was just one way of being involved in the community and it has been fun and interesting. I will miss some very good friends who live at Del Webb, Rancho del Lago and I will miss feeling like my work helped the community, even if only some small way. However, change happens and the paper has grown from around 24 pages to its current 40.
In my career, and when I was in the military, I moved around quite a bit. I have lived in three big cities (Brooklyn, San Francisco, and San Diego), and some smaller ones (Yuma and 29 Palms, for example), and some in between and some overseas. I have noticed that no two cities or towns are alike, they each have their own character, formed by their history and the people who live there. Even towns like Sierra Vista, although close in geography, can have a very different feel, look, and history.
Vail has a strong sense of community, identity, and celebration of its western roots. Lucretia’s work and vision with The Vail Voice has contributed to that culture and will do so in the coming future. Readers may just see my continued presence with the paper, as I am considering writing a column titled “musings.”
Finally, as the New Year arrives, as Benjamin Franklin once wrote, may you “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man,” (or woman, I would add).
