By Steven K. Betrand / Herald Forum

When I was a kid growing up in Mill Town, there were always a few things you could count on. There was always Bob Dylan singing on the radio, “I Love Lucy” on the television, milk in the fridge, a neighborhood baseball game on the sandlot, and a newspaper on the front porch.

I can still picture my grandfather seated in his favorite chair, smoking a pipe and reading the Everett Herald front to back page after church on Sundays. My grandmother always got a good laugh after reading Dear Abby. My father would come home from his job at Boeing, eat dinner, then settle on the couch and browse the sports section. My mother liked the local news. My brothers and I loved the comics.

When I became and teacher and coach in the Everett School District, the newspaper was an integral part of my English classroom. I’d also read and post sports articles on the locker room bulletin board for my athletes. When I joined the ranks of our esteemed local historians, the Everett Herald was very helpful in supporting these ventures with photos, information and publicity. They even published a few pieces. Thus a very special relationship emerged.

Yes, the Everett Herald has always been something we could count on. Since 1901, the Everett Herald has tirelessly served this community.

“I Love Lucy” has come and gone. I now drink coconut and almond milk. I don’t get to the sandlot anymore. But the Everett Herald has remained a daily part of my life. A cup of coffee in the morning wouldn’t taste the same without our newspaper. It has been the life-blood of our community.

I have nothing but praise for the tireless work our writers, proofreaders, editors, photographers, chiefs, etc. who make up our newspaper staff. A century-plus worth of headlines, bylines, leads, bodies and tails. Dylan may still be crooning “The Times They Are A-Changin’”; but, in the case of the Everett Herald, I wish it weren’t the case. I wish we could undo the recent cutbacks to our Everett Herald staff.

I want you all to know you have served us well with your integrity, hard work ethic and honest reporting. And, as we have moved from a mill town to a jet town to a shipping town, your stories have remained timely, current, impactful, relevant and interesting.

As a result, you have gained the trust of a community. I’m sorry to see you going through such hard times. Here’s to you folks and your 123 years of service to our community!

Steve K. Bertrand after 42 years with the Everett School District, most recently as a teacher and coach at Cascade High School, is retiring.