Making Their Own Record, With Their Own Words

by Dr. Jack Shelton

Beatrice, Pintlala, Camp Hill and Packers Bend. These are rural Alabama communities, sized small to smaller. The Howards, Freddie and Mary. Sara Huff and Diann Harris. Jean Mosley and Messiah Williams. The Burtons, Gary and Jerrie. These are folks who live and work in these largely unchronicled places.

For each and every one of these people, these towns mean something. And in commitment to their communities, as part of the PACERS Rural Community Newspaper Network (PRCNN), they are documenting local life by publishing newspapers: The Pintlala Ledger, The Camp Hill Chronicle, The Beatrice Legacy and The Packer’s Bend Times

The late Richard Tait encouraged the publication of The Packer’s Bend Times to ensure the history of his community will not be lost. Gary Burton is dedicated to The Pintlala Ledger as a community-building vehicle that can draw people together by sharing information common to their lives and experiences.

Jean Mosey aims to resurrect The Camp Hill Chronicle, previously produced by her students at Edward Bell High School and always eagerly received by the community. Mary Howard intends for The Beatrice Legacy to provide a lasting account of current and historical goings-on in Beatrice and north Monroe County.

These publishing founders are also keenly aware of a common reality: Their undocumented rural communities, and places like them throughout Alabama, face unique issues and challenges. And these are the very same concerns their papers will identify, record and ultimately, help address.

These good and worthy pursuits are motivation for the good people in these small communities to take up the task of publishing newspapers.

Local newspapers provide an essential forum for community building and record-keeping. In their collective acts of publication, there are significant assertions to be found:

Our communities are important. Our communities are also worthy of documentation.

With a strong “do it yourself” mentality, these people are confident that fellow members of their communities have the competence and commitment necessary to publish. In order to reach their goal of producing quality papers, they have joined the PACERS newspaper network, underlining their recognition of the power of collaboration.

If there is no lasting record of a small community’s heritage, a sense of place cannot long exist, nor can a sense of identity.

“It is reassuring to know that Pintlala is in a strong network of rural communities developing local newspapers. The network makes being small not hard at all,” said Burton, pastor of Pintlala Baptist Church.

The community staff members for these papers have existing jobs and responsibilities. They know publishing requires them to master new skills, donate time and meet demanding

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All information herein has been checked for accuracy to the best of the publisher’s ability. No responsibility is accepted for deletions, omissions, errors and/or inaccuracies unless special placement within the publication was purchased. Publisher reserves the right to place ads on a first-come, first-serve basis. No materials contained herein may be reproduced without exclusive written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed by contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the publisher’s opinion.

Publisher

DR. JACK SHELTON

Mailing address 8895 Highway 51 Westover AL 35147-9518

Editor GARRETT LANE Designer FRED FLUKER

Advertising inquiries Dr. Jack Shelton (jackshelton@prodigy.net)

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