by Alexandra Edwards

Feeling frustration over the way local government were trying to implement a restrictive county wide zoning plan, and the one sided news coverage it was getting, my husband, Pete Edwards, decided he was going to start his own free newspaper. My initial reaction was that of surprise, not only had he no prior journalistic experience, but couldn't even type, let alone use a personal computer. Not wanting to be any part of this crazy notion, I told him flat that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. However, anyone who knows my husband well, understands that once he decides to do something, he does it. Within a few weeks he had bought a desktop computer, an ink jet printer, along with some typing tutor software and our spare bedroom was suddenly converted into an office. After seeing the sheer determination and self-discipline my husband had put into this new venture, I folded, feeling the least I could do was try and get some ads to cover printing costs of his publication.

Columnist, Joe Kirkpatrick, was owner of a foreign auto parts business and was well known locally in the community. Recipe writer, Pauline Murphy, was owner of an ice cream shop at the mall. Her late husband Leo, in his early 90s at the time, always had some really fascinating stories to tell. Sports writer Jerry Keys, I met at a local Title loan company, though he was not interested in buying an ad, he offered to write on several different aspects of sports for the paper. While the somewhat 'controversial' June Griffin from Dayton, Tennessee was met at the Bradley County Planning meetings, fighting against the same restrictive countywide zoning that got the newspaper started. Pettus Read, former editor of the Tennessee Farm Bureau News has contributed by forwarding his Read All About It columns over the past 16 years.

Other early long-term writers that contributed to The People News were, County Commissioner, Mel Griffith, met while protecting property rights, was a regular columnist for The People News until just a couple of years ago. As was World War ll veteran, Cecil Owen, who sent in his hand-written column World War ll Secrets through the mail each month for several years. Pastor, Joel Lawler wrote inspirational articles our readers easily related to in his A Matter of Faith column, and retired school teacher, B.J. Armstrong, managed to write her health articles even when her eyesight was rapidly deteriorating.

All these Writers generously contributed their articles for over a decade without any compensation, yet none ever missed an issue. Ashley Murphy, has been employed as the paper's managing editor for the past few years adding a refreshing younger view in her article each month and newcomer Daniel Gardner has been regularly contributing his conservative viewpoint for the past four years.

Last, but not least, spending precious time with my husband during local government meetings was more like regular dates, far better than staying home and watching television. Remembering the smell of newsprint at the printers and the excitement we felt at seeing each edition as it came off the press and the fun we had distributing the paper around the county together each month. Staying up till all hours of the morning in order to meet the deadlines, which were always met. Listening to praises from readers that were so grateful for an alternative, conservative view that finally they could personally relate to.

All of the above have made me extremely proud to be married to the Publisher of The People News.

Thank you, Pete Edwards.

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