This is a column I never really thought about writing. After all I believe it is in our DNA not to think of the end – and when most of us do, we believe there won’t be an end.

So, as you may have read in last week’s paper, Beacon Communications is on the verge of going through a transition. This is not an end. It’s a fresh beginning. Joy Fox, who has incorporated Beacon Media, will step in as publisher.

This has hardly been a snap decision. We have been talking for months and our commitment to local news align. Joy will bring not only her widespread contacts and knowledge of Rhode Island to the paper but her knowledge on how to better connect with and serve the community. As some Beacon readers know, I’m not big on social media although for awhile I vigorously sought to create at least one video a week for our webpage and Facebook page. That, I confess, would have continued had Microsoft not deleted the platform I had been using. It seemed too daunting to start all over again when there was so much more to do.

Yet, it’s impossible not to recognize how the means of communicating has multiplied. That became no more apparent than the 2020 General Election when independent Frank Picozzi, who we dubbed “The Facebook Candidate” swept into office. Frank used Facebook, and still does, to talk to people directly. And he reaches out on his page with information and events about the city.

So, you might ask, what more can the Beacon bring me?

That’s easy to answer.

We strive to tell stories that inform you of what’s happening in our community from the successes and achievements of our residents to developments that will impact everything from the quality of life, taxes, traffic, schools and the cost of living. We have likewise sought to be a marketplace for ideas and opinions.

I’m sure Joy will use this space to expand on what she aims to bring to the Beacon.

This, as I said in opening, is a transition, not a farewell. You will find me at the Beacon and once I’m back on my feet, notebook and camera in hand, looking to tell Warwick stories rather than bugging people by phone and email.

For the moment I’m basking in all the calls, texts, emails, cards and even a barrel-sized basket with oranges as big as grapefruits from the folks at Dave’s Fresh Marketplace. Thank you. Those who know Joy are excited for her and the papers – don’t forget Beacon Communications also publishes the Cranston Herald, the Johnston Sun Rise and The Reminder, a Coventry based shopping guide.

I’ve received congratulations from former employees and people I haven’t seen in years and from strangers.

They’re excited for the future, for a new generation and what that will bring to the communities we serve. I’m grateful to my family who in different ways had a lot do with making this a reality. Their investment of time, advice and support has been unwavering.

Indeed, transition also brings challenges. We look to meeting them with your input and commitment to making what we call “home” even better.