– Time For A Tiara: Column by Ginna Young – - A century and a half, and still going strong

Being in business for 150 years, is pretty dang impressive. When that 150 years, is the newspaper business – that’s incredible.

Well, say hello to incredible or, as we call it, SN. We like abbreviations in the office or acronyms, so SN actually stands for Star News, which is our sister paper.

Serving Taylor County, since 1875, SN continues to turn out award-winning editions, every single week. The history of the publication coincides with the history of Taylor County, in that both were born in 1875.

The first newspaper in Taylor County – the Taylor County News – was published March 31, 1875, by the two Ogden brothers.

Anyway, chances are, you’ve probably seen at least one of the SN employees at an event and didn’t even know it, especially if you travel to your kids’ or grandkids’ sporting events.

If not, since you read this paper, you’ve probably seen the editorial at the top of this publication, on Page 2 (an editorial differs from our opinion columns). That’s typically written by SN editor Brian Wilson, who so kindly takes on that task for us, each and every week.

Even when he’s on vacation, Brian tries to write a couple ahead, so we have what we need. This guy has won countless Golden Quill and Wisconsin Newspaper Association awards.

Brian, we’re so proud of you! If you read the sports section, you’ve probably noticed the name now and then, of Matt Frey, who is the sports editor at SN. We try to help each other out, when our teams are on the road, so when Matt gets some shots of Cadott, Cornell or Lake Holcombe athletes, we can run those.

Likewise, I send him Gilman, Medford or Rib Lake athletes. Matt is like a legend in the area he covers and at State competitions. Matt, thanks for mentoring me and walking me through State press procedure, you rock!

While they have yet to run (gotta have the space), you’re going to see photos of an awards ceremony by Mandee Ellis, who so graciously covered the awards for me, so I could see some of my precious kids graduate. Mandee, I’m forever indebted, we really need to hang out sometime!

Since a newspaper is able to stay in business by the amount of paid advertisements in each issue, I’d be remiss, if I didn’t mention Kelly Schmidt, our amazing ad manager, who always believes I can do whatever she assigns to me. She also has one of the best laughs ever.

We adore you, Kelly! Another part of the sales team, getting ads to fill our paper, is the ever-funny Todd Lundy, even though we don’t see him much over here anymore. He always makes company parties fun and interesting.

Thanks for making us laugh, Todd! And, if you read the classified page (Page 15), then a lot of the line ads (just text, no box around them), are typed by Lydia, who never fails to let me know when they’re ready to go. Lydia, you’re so sweet, we think you’re great!

Finally, I come to the publishers, who make everything possible, mother/daughter team, Kris and Carol O’Leary, and Kevin Flink (Kris’ husband). Jay O’Leary and wife, Carol, bought the Star News in August 1986.

Jay had experimented with computers for several years; he was very knowledgeable about computers and computer programs, so, he usually had to explain new equipment and software programs to computer dealers. The Star News soon became one of the first newspapers in the state, daily or weekly, to use computers for typesetting and scanning photographs.

SN began using pagination (designing and making up newspaper pages entirely on a computer) in 1992, becoming one of the first, if not THEE first weekly newspaper in the state, to do so.

Carol took over running SN and their other ventures, when Jay suddenly passed away. Out of that, Central Wisconsin Publications has five newspapers and two shoppers, while there’s also TP Printing, that prints this issue and many other newspapers around the state, as well as anything under the sun you want printed. For example, business cards, banners, brochures – you name it, they can do it!

Carol, Kris, Kevin, I can never express how much it means, that you have such faith in us over here and for the faith you have in me!

Mandee, Lydia and I think, Matt, have never even set foot in our office here in Cornell, but they, along with everyone else I mentioned, make each week’s Courier Sentinel (CS to us) possible. So, although we are about an hour away from each other, we all pitch in to help the other newspapers, as best we can. I can only hope to win as many awards as SN has and to be as well-known in the newspaper world.

I really should mention the other three papers in the company, but sorry, this is SN’s time to shine. Here’s to another 150 years, getting the news out that is important to the communities you serve!