Jasper ‘rang his chimes’ more than 15 years
Willis Webb

O N JUNE 5, 1991, my first column appeared in The Jasper Newsboy. The headline read: “Just who is this Webb guy

anyway?” In that first column

on the first opinion page in The Newsboy in a number of years, I attempted to let readers know what “rings my chimes.”

Here we are at Dec. 20, 2006, and this is my final column. How my final column. How often did my chimes ring in my 15 years and seven months here?

Among the things I enumerated that bring on the ringing were humor and laughter. There have been loads of humor and laughter coming from individuals and situations. I am thankful for that because there have been too many occasions when I shed tears and felt pain for a community I loved instantly and will always love.

Among the defining beliefs listed in that initial offering were how serious a newspaper's role is in the community. Following very emphatically in that vein was a statement about my strong belief in the First Amendment - freedom of speech and press in particular - and I said I would fight for those rights. And, with talented news people and conscientious Jasperites, we've done that.

Open government and open records follow with that First Amendment pledge and The Newsboy has stepped forth every time we felt the people's right to know has been challenged. Numerous awards in column and editorial writing on the First Amendment and open government have come to the newspaper, the zenith being a first place in editorial writing from the National Newspaper Association.

Nothing has changed from my 1991 statement about loving small towns, characters and people with character. Jasper has shown its mettle with abundance both of characters and stand-up people who exhibit character every day.

Equality was a major issue for me in that opening missive. It still is. I'm appreciative of the many in Jasper who have it as a priority every day.

In that initial “opinion” offering, was one of the most critical duties of any newspaper - reporting all of the news, as far as news sources will tell us both sides, then letting the readers make up their own minds. And, I said, I believed in reporting good and bad news, but I did ask that if you don't like the message, please don't kill the messenger. On occasion, I felt some of you wanted to do so.

We've worked hard here, as promised, to report the news in a way that reflects Jasper as it is.

There was a confession in that first column about not knowing much about things mechanical. In almost six full decades in this business, I've seen it go from printing from raised metal type to “cold type” and the offset printing method to phototype to computerized typesetting to digital desktop publishing. Now, we build full color pages on a computer screen, then hit a couple of keys and zap, it's flying through cyberspace to the printing plant. Okay, I oversimplified it.

A great deal of space in that initial column dealt with an opinion-editorial-viewpoint page and what it would say and do - a free flow of ideas and opinions from the community and from us, in addition to praise for good deeds, accomplishments and service. And, yes, there would be criticism of public officials for failure to do the best thing for the most people.

But, things happened here that I didn't expect.

If you had told me the day I arrived in Jasper that over the course of the next 15- plus years we'd cover a horrendous, racially motivated murder; a 17,000-acre forest fire that threatened a neighboring town; a fire (on press day) that destroyed a historic church; the crash of the space shuttle in a neighboring county; and Hurricane Rita plus a few other pretty major stories, I'd have snorted at you and said, “Those kinds of things never happen in Small Town, America.”

Forty-plus years of experience helped get me through the professional part of those events. The personal things, however, were another matter - troubling in the emotions they evoked, priceless in the lessons they provided and eternal in the friendships they cemented.

In covering the horrific murder of James Byrd, Jr., came one of my greatest lessons and some of those everlasting friendships. Our news team's first meeting with the Byrd family was emotionally charged for us because we felt the terrible hurt of the community and the yearning to offer something of comfort to the family. Out of that introduction to James Sr. and Stella Byrd and daughter, Clara Taylor, came a feeling of helplessness for me but, thankfully, it was accompanied by the greatest lesson of deep faith, grace and dignity I have ever witnessed.

From that began a much appreciated and mutual loving inclusion in that family and opportunities to not only help them over these last several years, but the privilege of witnessing to hundreds and hundreds of people of the effect their deep and abiding faith had on my and Julie's life.

In a short time our involvement with other members of the Byrd family included daughter Betty Boatner, son Thurman and his wife, Merlin, and their daughter, Ashley, as well as occasional visits with the senior Byrds' other children.

We learn that frequently good things and blessings come from terrible events.

Many members of our community stepped up in those dark days following the murder and during the ensuing criminal trials of the three men charged in the case. They rallied the community and the world saw a loving, caring populace.

Volunteerism and bravery make a bold and potent mix and that has been proven in Jasper over and over again.

Jasperites help not only their neighbors in time of need but perfect strangers as well. I witnessed examples of it from Day One but several do stand out. This city's volunteer fire department has

long been one of the best in East Texas. They were a major part of the reason the 17,000-acre forest fire was stopped near the Newton city limits. They performed with great strength when the First Baptist Church burned and tried valiantly to help save the Newton County Courthouse. Then, they were in the forefront of leading the search in Sabine County for the astronauts' bodies and for the parts of the Challenger space shuttle after its disintegration in the East Texas skies.

Volunteerism lifted its beautiful head again last year when Hurricane Rita's eye stalled for 8-9 hours over Jasper County, and in the troubling aftermath of that storm.

Jasper and the area's response to trouble, disaster and distress is by now legendary.

As I retire from the newspaper business and move near my ancestral Central Texas home, there are many things with which I will busy myself.

One, of course, is to enjoy my full family to a degree I've never been able to do. Another is to continue the spate of public speaking engagements in which I tell of the strength and resilience of Jasper. I intend to try to write three books I've had in mind for several years.

But, I would like nothing better than to add to those speaking engagements and those books, the story of how this city and area harnessed those great strengths and the resilience. The happy ending would be utilizing those traits to foster open and effective government, to expand the tax and job bases so that the wonderful resource of youth is kept at home; and to tout its magnificent natural resources so thousands more retirees and tourists can enjoy them and boost the local economy.

And, that is what “rings my chimes.” Now, Julie and I saddle up and turn west toward our future, but it's been an absolutely terrific ride. Thank you.

Willis Webb is retiring Jan. 1, 2007, after serving as editor and publisher of The Jasper Newsboy since May 20, 1991. His final day in the office will be Dec. 20 and he will be on vacation through Dec. 31. Messages will be forwarded to him.