Get Real: Great memories, good times at The Kincardine Independent

So, my former boss has done it again!

Eric Howald, who founded The Kincardine Independent in 1975 and was the editor until 2014, has published the long-anticipated Volume 2, “Of Cabbages and Kings,” which includes some of his favourite columns from 1996-2014.

I worked there from 1995-2007, and people either loved Eric's weekly column, “From the Editor's Notebook,” or they hated it – but they ALWAYS read it. And that's the whole point of publishing, after all, is to get people to read what you've printed!

So, I was one of the first to pick up a copy Friday evening, at The Independent office, where Eric was holding a book-signing of the newly-released edition. It was again amidst little fanfare – while he's blistering with a pen, he's not much for the spotlight. And again, with no refreshments!

The 124-page book is a quick read and for me, it was full of great memories of working as a team to put out the best-read weekly newspaper in Kincardine and possibly the entire region. We took pride in that paper, especially since it was the only locally-owned and locally-operated weekly in the area.

While it evokes those good times, it also has an undercurrent of sadness as Eric has included columns about friends and colleagues who have died, a dear sister-in-law who died 10 years ago at the time of the last Kincardine Reunion, and the end of an era as the editor of the small-town, weekly newspaper.

The column about Dr. Lou Tusz is particularly poignant. I remember working with Lou and recall his adeptness at proofreading. And his annoying persistence that an error, once found, should be fixed immediately. Hey doc, I'm in the middle of laying out a page, I will get to that in a minute – this isn't open-heart surgery, I can make a correction 10 minutes from now and it's not a life-and-death situation!

I vividly remember him proofreading a story I had written in which I used the phrase “different from” and he argued the point that it should be “different than.” I argued it was fine but to appease him, I changed it. Then later, I checked it out, and he was right.

Eric's column about Marketplace Magazine owner Jim Pannell, who died in December, 2016, made me laugh out loud! In it, he refers to Jimmy coming into the office about 15-20 years ago, slamming an almost-empty liquor bottle on the counter and saying, “I'm dying. I want you to write my obituary.” I was in the front office when that happened and I can still see Eric rolling his eyes at JImmy's wild antics!

He told me afterwards that Jimmy had made and lost more fortunes in his lifetime than most people would ever see. He was a good salesman, he loved golf and a good drink, and he was a generous, caring, positive person.

The book touches on a lot of the absurd and crazy times that I remember, particularly in dealings with Kincardine council, amalgamation, snowstorms, bears, and more, and continues through the years since I left in 2007, with even more interesting bits and pieces.

When he signed off as editor, Nov. 12, 2014, Eric said, “Having an opinion every week can sometimes get you in trouble, and I've probably made a few enemies over the years. So in retirement, I'll make some people happy. You should, after all is said and done, have something for everyone in each week's paper. ... This is -30- for The Editor's Notebook.”

It's a good read.

“Of Cabbages and Kings,” and Volume 1, “Houdini, turkeys and the small town editor,” are both available at The Independent office. Cost is $15 plus tax per book (cash or cheque).

Or if you live out of the area, you can receive the books by mail by sending your address along with a cheque for $20 (per book) to: Eric Howald, 840A Queen Street, Kincardine, Ontario, N2Z 2Y2.



Eric Howald (right) of Kincardine signs a copy of his new book, "Of Cabbages and Kings," for seasonal resident Margaret Couse of Orangeville, at the book-signing, Friday evening at The Kincardine Independent office in downtown Kincardine