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The Herald from May, 1975 to May 2000 Toby Olszewski Herald/Country Market Publisher Go to story. |
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That was the truth, now here's the real story Mary Ann Kirsch Writer & Reader Go to story. |
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Thanks everyone, for 25 years of memories Toby Olszewski Herald/Country Market Publisher Go to story. |
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25 years ago in The Herald... |
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The Herald from May, 1975 to May 2000
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| Toby Olszewski Herald/Country Market Publisher |
| Early in 1975, former Bourbonnais mayor John Slater and a friend from California, Robert E. Hunter, discussed starting a newspaper. They were joined in the planning by attorney Dennis Norden and Ron Romano of Bourbonnais and Dean Kirchner of Bradley. Believing that the market was ready for a second newspaper, they decided to give the Bradley-Bourbonnais area a newspaper of their own. The group formed Village Publications and on May 8, 1975, the first edition of the newspaper was published. At that time, there were two papers, The Bourbonnais Herald and The Bradley Press. That first issue, published from 443 S. Main, included advertisers who are still in business today including Fitzpatrick Funeral Homes, Cromwell Clothiers, Bade Appliance & Electronics, Kankakee Federal Savings and Loan, Stan James Realtor, Clancy's Funeral Home, Bradley VFW, Rudolf Express Co., LaBea's Marine, Joe's Automotive, Tri-City Construction, Bradley American Legion, The Shoppe, The Swing Kings, Arrow Glass, Dale's Pizza, Reed's Rent-All, Country Fruit Market and Slater Plaza. Some business' names have changed. The Little Corporal is now America's Bistro. Jim's Red Light Bike Shop is now The Tern of the Wheel. Banks are the most changed. City National Bank is now National City. Meadowview Bank is First American. Bradley State and Savings is part of National City. Bradley Bank is Home-Star. The staff was composed of Hunter as publisher; David Nygren as advertising manager; Jay Lalond, Bob Drozda, Bill Smothers and Dann Henning in display advertising sales and Patricia Hoop in classified. James Fikes, Adele Sandberg and Marilyn Lewis were writers. From the beginning, the newspaper was dedicated to giving the most accurate information possible, a tradition followed for 25 years. After a few months, then Kankakee alderman Gerald Enright was approached to join the group. According to Enright, he had "just come through a period of frustration with the existing news media" and "felt the need for another voice in the area". When the group agreed to publish a Kankakee edition, the Kankakee Star News was born. It is hard enough to start any business, but nursing a newspaper into profitability is particularly difficult. Some of the backers decided this venture was no longer for them. The corporation was reformed as Compass Publications and Patrick Cleary was brought in to manage the paper. Cleary, the publisher of Farmers' Weekly Review, was experienced and was a well-known deputy coroner. The office was now located at 187 W. Harrison in Bourbonnais. However, the directors of the company decided to sell the papers and found a buyer in the person of Lewis P. Fons of Wellsville, New York. Fons was the owner of The Penny Saver. Originally from Milwaukee, he and his family wanted to return to the Midwest. He formed B & B Publishing Company, Inc. and took over in September, 1977. During his tenure, he combined the three papers into one called The Community News. Intermittently, he published a free distribution paper called The Free Press. The newspaper was still struggling, but things were improving. However, on July 9, 1979, Fons died from an aortic aneurysm. His wife, Jean, who had been working at the paper, assumed leadership. Fons purchased the building at 536 N. Convent, and continued publishing with a staff that was now totally female. In August, following plans laid down by her husband, Fons began publishing the Mini-Herald, a total marketing vehicle for Bradley and Bourbonnais. Although things were improving for the newspaper, being a publisher was not Jean Fons' idea of a career. She wanted to be a teacher and enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University to get her bachelor's degree in education. She was hired to teach at Maternity BVM School in Bourbonnais where she is still employed. Fons sold the newspaper to Bob and Toby Olszewski, Kankakee, in November, 1983. The combined circulation of the newspapers was 7,000. In the first year with Toby Olszewski as publisher, new typesetting equipment was purchased. In January of 1985, The Herald moved to new quarters at 390 N. Convent. There the newspaper increased its circulation and its advertising revenues. Despite some very tough times that both the community and the newspaper went through in the '80s, the paper continued its dedication to giving the people of the area accurate and non-sensational coverage. In July 18, 1989, The Country Market began. The addition to The Herald, was also sent to the communities of Manteno, Aroma Park, Grant Park, Herscher, St. Anne, Momence, Manhattan, Peotone, Beecher and Monee. Today, the combined circulation of The Herald and The Country Market is 34,750. The newspaper has been supportive of the community in many ways. It was the location of the first Bourbonnais library when Lew Fons had shelves built in the front office to hold the books collected by the Friends of the Library. The Herald distributed at no charge Le Journal du Village that was the quarterly publication of the Bourbonnais Grove Historical Society. Mary Ann Kirsch, one of the founders of the Society was editor and writer of the newsletter. She started to work for The Herald soon after Fons died. When the Perry Farm was threatened with commercial development, The Herald, with Mary Ann Kirsch, who was by then the feature editor of the newspaper, led the campaign to have the state of Illinois give the 170 acres of open space to Bourbonnais Township. In the spring of 1986, Kirsch learned that the Letourneau Home, the original home of George R. Letourneau, the first Bourbonnais village president, was scheduled to be destroyed to make way for commercial development. The home was located across Rt. 102 from the old post office. It was dilapidated and run down, but it was a historic site. Kirsch negotiated a promise from the owner of the home to sell it to the historical society for $1, but he wanted it moved. Olszewski pledged a portion of the newspaper's meager resources to help relocate the Letourneau Home from its site on to its new home on Stratford Dr. West. Former state senator Jerome Joyce, D-Essex, procured a $100,000 grant from the state of Illinois to renovate the house. It is now a museum on the Adrien Richard Preserve. In addition, The Herald has supported community projects too numerous to list including sponsoring youth sports teams and donating to hundreds of events for charities. In March, 1994, The Herald moved into a home built specifically for the newspaper at 500 Brown Blvd. Throughout the years, The Herald has won many writing and design awards from both the National Newspaper Association and the Illinois Press Association as well as honors from many local civic and charitable organizations. The Herald has also been honored as a Permanent Friend of Education for its support of schools in this area. |
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That was the truth, now here's the real story
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| Mary Ann Kirsch Writer & Reader |
| There are two ways for a newspaper to report a story. One is to make readers aware of the truth. The other is to tell the real story. And, since The Herald is celebrating its 25th birthday with this issue, it seems no better time than now to tell both, the true one and the real one. On the first page of this anniversary section, Toby Olszewski, tells The Herald's true story. She reveals some of the who's, why's, when's and where's of a newspaper that, no doubt, began with some guys sharing coffee one morning at a place like the Little Corporal restaurant. One of them had a great idea. Some bucks and a humble beginning later, a new little piece of community history was born. In her true account, Olszew-ski touches lightly on the paper's growing pains and modestly admits to some of its more obvious successes. Talk about the tip of the iceberg. Left out is the angst; sadness and joy; frustration and tender loving care; pain and euphoria. The graphic details of the blood, sweat and tears that went into turning a good idea into a great and lasting one. The worrisome, exhausting, exhilarating job of publishing a newspaper. Entwined within this real story are events, news, personal interest stories, births, deaths, weddings, graduations, meetings, parties, crises, festivals, all held fast into a lasting fabric, a uniquely historic tapestry made by people. So many people. The initial movers and shakers. The ones who soon came along and comprised what could, at times, best be described as a shoestring staff; those who hung on for as long as 20 years, others who stayed just weeks and, yes, sometimes only a day. The sons and daughters of staff who cut their on-the-job teeth with part-time jobs at The Herald. The shy neighbor girl who came as a shy, insecure high school student/proofreader, left for college and completed the cycle by returning to the paper as a confident and energetic journalist. The husbands (and wives) who were not above running out with a camera to assist his reporter/wife in pursuit of a late-night story. Those who for years remained on stand-by to: assist in construction work, computer repair, trouble-shoot, diagnose mechanical emergencies, bring in fast-food on those late nights when the candle was still burning. There would have been nothing for them to do, however, were it not for the paper's supporters, its advertisers and readers. By the time The Herald had reached toddler stage, it already had earned the attention of businesses and a growing number of loyal readers. The Herald can be proud of its outstanding achievements, overcoming early-on the inevitable naysayers that said 'it' couldn't be done; be thrilled with each new writing or advertising award. As well it should. But the paper's greatest success story has always been the steadfastness of those who recognized early-on the paper's commitment to accurate, interesting and fair reporting and climbed on board for an exciting and rewarding trip. Without them there would be no happy ride for anyone, let alone a cause for celebration. The real story of this newspaper cannot be told without also mentioning the thousands of smiling, crying, dirty, angry faces of the thousands of kids, parents, grandparents, teachers, community leaders and politicians, to name a few, who have appeared in the thousands of pictures published in The Herald these past 25 years. While, at times, especially during those early years, the quality of those photos left a lot to be desired, their subjects never missed telling their own sometimes funny, other times remarkable, often historic stories of an ever-changing and growing community. There isn't space here to tell all of The Herald's story, true or real. Surely, though, there's enough room to recall: sliding on ice to Momence on those ever-recurring Monday nights. The board meetings were over, the stories written and the paper pasted up for another week; the trip to the printer in Momence; then blink and it was another Monday night; the long, sometimes loud, often crazy editorial meetings discussing politics and/or candidate endorsements; whether (or not) to cover a particular story; potential subscription drives; critiquing past issues, planning new ones; late afternoon suppers (when there was no leaving until a special section was finished or the writing done) that somehow turned into sensitivity sessions where no subject was off-limits: pregnancies, PMS, menopause; children and eventually grandchildren; and so much more; saying goodbye to co-workers who were moving away to new challenges or new towns; saying goodbye to Judy, co-worker, friend and source of so much laughter; sharing grief with all its many faces; and sharing joys; the gorilla who came to a birthday party; the open house in The Herald's new home; the parades; milking cows at the county fair. This could go on and on and within each new recollection there are hundreds more stories that could be told. A lot happens in 25 years. In the scope of the universe, one newspaper and its 25 years are just specks, much smaller than grains of sand. From this home vantage, though, the events and achievements this paper has heralded these past 25 years are far from insignificant. Documenting life never is. Happy Birthday and here's to many more! |
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Thanks everyone, for 25 years of memories
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| Toby Olszewski Herald/Country Market Publisher |
| In order to publish a newspaper, there are lots of people who have to support the effort. They include the subscribers, the advertisers, the printer and the staff. Our subscribers are loyal and our readers are very sharp-eyed. The call to tell us what we have done wrong and what we have done right. They are like family to us. Our advertisers had faith in us early on and put their money into the newspaper. Throughout the years we have tried to give them a better product with clearer pictures, better writing and, most of all, increased circulation. From the beginning with just 500 or so papers being printed, we have gone to a combined circulation with The Country Market to almost 35,000, the largest in this area. Both our advertisers and our readers know how much we love our lunch time and often send us great goodies. We thank them for that. We also have to thank our printers. At first the paper was printed in Fairbury, IL at the Cornbelt Press. We later switched to the Momence Progress Reporter where Gene Lincoln and Jim Shaw did a great job for us. Because we needed additional press capacity, we now print at Litho-Type in Lansing where the staff gives us a lovely product. Throughout the years, there have been many people who worked at The Herald. Without their sacrifices and hard work the "little" paper would not have continued. Office manager Mary BeDell, who is now retired, was a walking information book retaining all that information that no one ever bothered to write down. Teri O'Connor was the ad designer who worked with primitive equipment, standing for hours on end at her design table. One of our first typesetters, Jill Kirchberger, had to wade through copy that was so badly typewritten, it could hardly be deciphered. One person in particular is not here to help us celebrate and she is terribly missed. Judy Helgeson was our receptionist, circulation manager, telephone answerer, reminder of lunch time and demander of "large presents" for her birthday. When I would go on vacation, Judy would keep a diary of who did what. She would tell who talked too much or who didn't treat her the way she thought they should. I still have them and they are great fun to read. Judy died in 1995, but she will always be with us. One of our greatest claims to fame was that Mary Ann Kirsch wrote for us. A feature editor with great political instincts, MAK, as we call her, is now a published author who is working on a second book. We remember the summer early on when she wrote and typeset most of the newspaper. Her editorial contributions to the paper are memorialized in some of the First Place writing plaques she won, which hang in the front office. We are glad she ocassionally finds time to write for us including what she did for this 25th anniversary paper. The bad old days of not enough money, not enough equipment, not enough staff are gone. The new days are very nice, but there are times when we miss the 2 a.m. crises and the wine tastings after the paper was put to bed. As personal memories, I remember when Lew Fons would get so frustrated because I was on the phone all the time that he would get scissors and threaten to cut the cord. I remember going on vacation and coming back to find a picture on my desk of the entire staff in party hats with all kinds of refreshments on the lunch table. There was the night of the drinking test with the state police which is better left undescribed. One day an irate man came in to complain about what had been written. He was so angry, he was almost threatening. A staffer had to call the police just to nonchalantly stop in. We were glad they did. Denny Corlett would always drive by when we were working late and shine the spotlight in the windows to let us know he was watching over us. I remember having to go upstairs at 390 N. Convent and stomp through the offices in order to scare away the mice that frightened Mary BeDell so badly. I love to think about the tomato that a reader brought that he thought looked like Richard Nixon. It did. I also remember the support of my family and the help my husband, Bob, and our children have always given to us. Even to Matthew who told me when he was very young that "it was nice Daddy bought this newspaper for you to give you something to do." Like I didn't have enough to do with six children! The memories go on and on. However, there would be no memories and there would be no Herald if it weren't for the people who have worked here over the years. It was their dedication that made the paper survive. They did everything from shovel walks to wash floors. There was nothing that they wouldn't do to make sure we got printed on time, every week. The Herald staff is to be cherished. They are faithful, loyal, hardworking and good at what they do. There are not enough words to thank them and the people who came before for the love and time and consideration they have given to me and to The Herald. |
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25 years ago in The Herald...
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| The Herald/Country Market |
| The first issue was only 10 pages, so there wasn't lots of room for news. This is some of what you could have learned from the pages of the first issue of The Herald on May 8, 1975: A year's subscription to the newspaper cost $7.80. A four-bedroom house in Bourbonnais cost $34,900. To get carpeting in a living room, dining room and hall cleaned cost $24. The new Hardee's on Main St. in Bourbonnais opened. A stove cost $218, a refrigerator $298 and a washer/dryer combo was $438. Plans were underway for the Bourbonnais Centennial. Marla Hayes was chosen as Miss Bourbonnais. Plans were also underway for a new Bradley village hall. Keith Chandler was named police chief in Bourbonnais. The Herald carried a story about a field trip to Brookfield Zoo taken by the third grade students at Bradley East from Mrs. Elnora Owen and Mrs. Linda Murie. A half-page spread in the first issue highlighted the Air Force career of James Kasler. On August 8, 1966, he was shot down in Vietnam and spent 6 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi. After his return home he moved to Bourbonnais. In 1975, he purchased South Shore Country Club which he operates today. Jodie Fier and Suzanne Meissen went to Europe through the International Foreign Exchange Program of the 4-H program. Despite the slimness of the newspaper there were readers. Among those people in Bradley taking a chance on the new paper were Harry Andrews, Irene Harris, Francis Granger, Cletus McCarty, Richard LeFeaur, Blaine Deatherage, Leon Quellette, Charles Howland, Jimıs Red Light Bike Shop, Denny Kirkman, Rev. Victor Fahey, Edwin LaRoc-que, B. R. Smith, Lahorn Cox, Tonya O'Hara, McGrath Whalen, Euginia Martens, Howard Paisley, Dr. A. J. Benoit, Edna Reiniche, Terry Lanthrum, Frances Pretty, Guy Dillon, Fred Yeates, Hessonıs Real Estate, Brian Arseneau, Eldon Fraser and John Krueger. In Bourbonnais, subscribers included Judi Mills, Edward Wheeler, Osmond Trudeau, Emil Bissailion, Lee Springer, Louis Wayne, Michael O'Brien, Lawrence Story, Andrew Milwid, Robert Schumaker, Gary Weber, David Bean, Ernest J. Mooney, Joseph Zaletel, Edward Snyder, Ovid Young, David Spencer, Dorothy Gusin, John Crabtree, Dr. and Mrs. P.W. Sawyer, Cas Daucanski, Ruth Ends, Bradley-Bourbonnais Sportsman's Club, Paul Schreck, Wendell Carman, Roy Miller, Robert Stevens, David Allen, Tom Fitzpatrick, Jesse Tudor, Robert Hanes, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Fair, Burch's Motor Homes, Clarence J. Houde, Harold Sanders, Stephen Hlavach, Rhoda Rinebarger, William Dandur-and and Julius VanMill. If we missed a charter subscriber, we are very sorry. The records are spotty at best. |
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