Over the past 23 years as a freelance writer, I have written articles about interesting people and places in the Brockport area.
I am pleased to share these stories through the kindness of Seymour Library. I invite you to peruse three portfolios with 130 of my human interest articles dating between 2015 and 1992. The retrospective is scheduled at Seymour Library from December 1 to January 1 in the new Local History Room. The library is located at 161 East Avenue, Brockport.
I started freelance writing after retiring from a career in college administration. The people in these stories first captured my attention in the daily course of my life in the Brockport area. The article clippings with photos were hidden in my files for more than two decades. Recently retrieving them and laying them out gave a visual delight in the rich human fabric of our community. The woven threads are a variety of fascinating people and treasured places.
With each published article I enjoyed the skilled editorship of Evelyn Dow. She was editor for over 30 years and now is editor emeritus. I am grateful for her support over the decades in what has become a kind of part-time second career.
All the articles were written for the Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald, publications of Westside News, Inc. Besides writing about people in our history, I am honored to have my writings in these community newspapers with their own rich history.
Suburban News dates back to the early 1950s. Several years prior it was the Suburban Pennysaver circulating in the Churchville, Spencerport area; it was renamed Suburban News in February 1953.
Suburban News West Edition was originally named the Brockport Republic Democrat-Holley Standard edition, echoing two newspaper names which are among the oldest in New York State.
Hamlin-Clarkson Herald resurrected the Hamlin Herald nameplate of a newspaper which circulated in Hamlin.
Westside News owns both Suburban News (including three geographic area editions) and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald as well as the names of several local newspapers.
Visit the Seymour Library beginning December 1 and enjoy stories and photos of a variety of people and places at the heart of our community for over two decades.
Doug Hickerson
Town of Sweden
Freelance writer, Westside News Inc.
