A promise to make your newspaper even better

From day one as Associate Editor at the Ville Platte Gazette I have always done my best to provide our readers with a newspaper they can be proud of, and tomorrow I will continue to do the same but with the new title of Managing Editor.
So, before we no longer see Raymond Partsch III’s byline in the paper, I want to say thank you to him for all he has given not only to me, but also to our community and our community’s newspaper from a re-design to a multitude of stories on the amazing local people we have living in this parish.
There have been moments where I have felt a little nervous about this new position since I accepted the challenge nearly three weeks ago, but honestly I have mostly just felt ready for this new chapter to begin.
The hardest part about this situation is the fact that it means the man that has taught me everything I need to know about the world of newspapers will no longer be working side by side with me in the newsroom as not just a co-worker, but as my friend.
We have been teammates for almost two years now, and that time spent as Raymond’s right hand man is one of the major reasons why I feel confident that I will be able to continue to make our paper better like he has done since you landed in Ville Platte in 2015.
From learning that “art” means photos and “cut line” means captions, you have taught me the ins and outs of a business I previously knew very little about.
We’ve worked well together since the beginning and I believe that was because our differences created the perfect balance.
As an outsider, the things Raymond was willing to write sometimes seemed insensitive. However, as a native of Evangeline Parish, sometimes it was hard for me to write the story that was going to make some people mad. Together though, we always found the happy medium and provided the community with need to know information. We did our job.
This, I consider to be one of the most valuable lessons Raymond has taught me.
With a degree in History and absolutely no background in journalism until I began working at the Gazette, Raymond somehow made the journey I am about to embark on possible. I will always be grateful to him for that.
Now, as I prepare to become the new Raymond tomorrow, I just want to say that I truly consider it an honor to be a part of the Gazette and a blessing to be able to call myself your new Managing Editor.
Former Gazette editor Paul Kedinger I believe best described a newspaper as “a recorder of the present, a critical examiner of the past, and a trained eye on the future,” and I cannot wait to be the Managing Editor that will continue to allow our paper to be just that.
I look forward to following in the footsteps of the 19 editors that have come before me, and with Tony Marks as my new Associate Editor, I feel confident that we will be able to keep the focus of the Gazette on serving the people of its community the best way possible.
In my closing, I must take a second to also thank Mr. David Ortego - also known as Boss Man - for trusting that I can do this job.
He took a chance on me two years ago, and it was a huge compliment when he decided to do it again by offering me the position of Managing Editor.
If there is one person that loves and cares for this paper as much as I do, it is Mr. David, and for that reason I will do everything in my power to not let him or any of our readers down.
Evangeline Parish is my home, therefore you are my people and this is my community paper too. I promise to give you everything that I have, and it is my hope that I will make you all very proud.