My name is John Estridge. I was the editor of the Brookville Democrat/American for about 30 years and editor of the Liberty Herald for almost 20 years. I was fired by the relatively new newspaper owners on Jan. 30, 2020, two days after my 63rd birthday. I was told by two of the three new owners the reason I was being fired is the newspapers are going in a new direction. So, I decided to start a news and sports blog concerning the Whitewater Valley.
I want this to be somewhat like the old direction of the formerly named newspapers. I intend to allow Letters to the Fired Editor. All letters to the fired editor must contain one’s real name and contact information for me to contact. Thus, one had better use one’s own name or that person who wrote the letter will not be allowed to publish a letter to the fired editor again. I will publish the person’s name and town or city in which they live at the bottom of the letter. One can write about anything, but one cannot libel another. I will take emails: jestridge@yahoo.com. I will have a mailing address if one wants to go old school and do it through snail mail. As I did in the before-mentioned newspapers before the new owners took over, I will allow all opinions. Once they are published, people have to realize these are not my opinions. But I think it is important in America if everyone can express their opinions. I have always strongly believed that to be a right of every American.
Besides news and sports, I plan to put in items such as arrests, accidents, real estate transfers, court news and marriage licenses.
In the old direction, I also wrote columns, and I plan to continue that.
As those who knew me in the old direction, I am not tech savvy so there may be some free laughs along the way as I try to do simple things such as publish things like this. I have a pretty thick skin since I raised three children and now have grandchildren and great grandchildren so I can and do laugh at myself. And I am not offended when others laugh at me.
If anyone has an idea for an article, please email me or send something by snail mail when I get my mailing address set up.
Thank you.