Editor Mary Kate Leming and Publisher Jerry Lower, were honored by the Boys and Girls Club.
Photo provided
When we started The Coastal Star in November 2008, the last thing we anticipated was to be recognized with a community award.
After many years in daily journalism, we knew the important role a newspaper can play in its community, of course. And we understood it was critical to dig into local coverage: to put pressure on government when questions of transparency and fairness arise, to let the majority know what is happening when the few try to make change happen without public debate. Hell, we learned sometimes you even have to count the votes.
It’s seldom an easy job and we often get weary of the work hours, the staff management and, more recently, the legal fees.
So, we were honored (and humbled) to be recognized by the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach with the Forrest & Francis Lattner Community Impact Award at their March 19 “Be Great” dinner.
Recognized that same evening was Kyra Dobard, 17, the 2015 Youth of the Year award winner.
Kyra, too, is an important part of our community. After nine years as an active participant at the Boys & Girls Club, she’s about to head off to college to pursue a pharmacy degree. We wish her much success.
We hope she’ll return to the area when she graduates. Young people like Kyra are the rock on which we build our future. Kyra makes me believe our future is solid.
In our shifting media landscape, I suspect it will be a rare day when Kyra holds a print newspaper in her hand. We hope that her mobile device will deliver digital “news” where the principles of journalism have not been chipped away by corporate desires for cheap and easy niche marketing and unrealistic profit margin expectations.
We are fortunate to have so many local businesses that support our journalism. We work closely with these businesses — and with our friends at the nonprofits — in many ways to strengthen the broader community. The Coastal Star is honored to be part of this ongoing relationship and grateful for this community recognition.
And because we believe all of the children in our community hold the keys to our future, we ask you to join us in supporting the work of the Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach.
To support the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach, call 561-683-3287 or visit bgcpbc.org.
— Mary Kate Leming, Editor
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