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Next Monday, Dec. 2, I will be moving to Newnan to be closer to my brother Tom and the rest of my family.

That means I will be officially retiring from the Bainbridge Post-Searchlight, a position that I loved for almost 50 years.

I am now living at Riverside Place, where director Sheree Hall and her staff provide myself and all the other residents great Christian care and love on a daily basis.

Former Georgia Governor Marvin Griffin, who served as publisher from 1933 to 1972, his son Sam M. Griffin, Jr., who served as publisher from 1972 to 2008 and Mary Ann Griffin, who served as assistant publisher from 1972 to 2008, were all outstanding journalists whom I admired and learned from greatly.

Current publisher Mark Pope, current managing editor Powell Cobb, current lifestyle editor Carolyn Iamon and current reporter Jill Holloway are also outstanding journalists who challenge the readers from issue to issue.

Boone Newspapers, the current owners of The Post-Searchlight, have continued the newspaper’s top rating of general excellence.

During my career with this outstanding newspaper, I have had the opportunity to meet many outstanding athletes and and coaches. Among them are current University of Georgia Bulldogs head football coach Kirby Smart, who was an All SEC defensive back with the University of Georgia Bulldogs. A former Bearcat shortstop and third baseman, Ernie Riles, who went on to be named “USA Today Rookie of the Year” with the Milwaukee Brewers is also a player I have fond memories of covering. While with the San Francisco Giants, Riles hit the 10,000th home run in the history of the Giants franchise in New York and San Francisco.

One year, when my late mother and I were driving to New Jersey to visit relatives, we stopped at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and took a tour of the Hall of Fame Museum. I told the tour guide that I covered Ernie Riles in high school. He showed my mother and I the 10,000th home run bat and ball, and I took a picture of it and brought it home to Ernie.

As you can tell, I have a lot of wonderful memories as sports editor for this newspaper and my time in this community.

I will miss you all.