Sook: And Ye Shall Find by Gary D. Crawford
Many years ago, I published a weekly “newspaper” for the people on and around Tilghman’s Island. Lots of us come-heres were moving in just a s t he Bay ha r ve st wa s declining, putting pressure on the island’s way of life. Not wanting to see this fine community break up into little neighborhoods where folks know only their closest neighbors, like in the city, I got to wondering what might help to bring us together. Not that the deep differences in our respective cultures could ever be eliminated, you understand, but I wondered how they might be bridged. One way people come to know and develop regard for one another is by working together on something. They might help with some project, or join one of our civic organizations, like the fire company or the church. The retirees living here full time could do that, if they knew how they might help and whom to contact. But many of the good folks buying property here were not full-time residents. As weekenders, they lacked a good way of knowing what was going on around town. Not knowing which weekends to come down, they missed out on a lot. Actually, many of us who did live here full time weren’t always
“in the loop,” either. Too often, we found out about events after they happened. (“Say what? Bird Dog and the Road Kings were at the fire hall last night? Aw, shoot!”) I began wonder ing if a sma ll newspaper would prove useful. Not everybody would be interested in all the local happenings, of course, but if they didn’t have news of them, then they didn’t really have the option. Our local organizations needed more public support, but without a regular, convenient and inexpensive communication tool, it was difficult for them to reach out effectively. What would it take to produce a newspaper myself? How much time would be involved? A daily would be far too much work and wasn’t needed any way. A monthly paper would lack that “bulletin” immediacy that seemed necessary to keep people up-to-date. I consulted several local people. Most were dumbfounded t hat I would attempt such a thing and just looked at me like I had a screw loose. Others worried that it couldn’t work unless I took in paid advertising, which I really wanted to avoid. A few people expressed downright concern: “Oh, man, you’ll get your taste buds shot off!” Most people
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