Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper
Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper
LOCAL NEWSPAPER INVESTS IN ITS FUTURE – Bill Reynolds is a retired high school history teacher, but he is a lifelong journalist. This week he has a new job, as news editor for the La Conner Weekly News. Yes, that is a typewriter in the window. Stop by with tips and stories. – Photo by Ken Stern
Your weekly newspaper is doubling down on its commitment to La Conner, elevating journalist Bill Reynolds to news editor and buying the property his office is in at 119 North Third Street.
“Bill Reynolds does much more than report on La Conner events. He is practically the town historian and certainly its champion. From the school hall to the town hall, Bill knows, and cares, about everyone. He is a thoughtful, careful journalist and I am thrilled he will increase his role by becoming the news editor,” said Ken Stern, La Conner Weekly News publisher and editor.
Reynolds will work most closely with the paper’s primary freelancers, Anne Basye and Claire Swedberg, plus Michelle Havist and Cindy Vest on the management team. He will continue his wide range of coverage on both sides of the Swinomish Channel and take on managing news coverage and editing responsibilities.
Reynolds is a 1975 graduate of La Conner High School. He has two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Washington, history, 1980, and editorial journalism, 1982. He began writing for the Channel Town Press as an intern in 1978 and became its reporter. He has freelanced with the Weekly News since its inception. Reynolds has also written for the Mart (Texas) Messenger since moving to Texas in 994.
Reynolds got his teaching certificate in 1995 and for 22 years taught a variety of classes at Mart High School, including journalism. As soon as he retired he returned to La Conner. Reynolds has continued freelancing for the Weekly News since Stern bought the paper in June, 2017.
Vest has worked with Reynolds since the 1970s. “He always would make a story interesting with his witty humor. I remember we did a fun two-page story about the historic trailer tour. I still laugh about that one since this day,” she recounted a satire for the Channel Town Press after La Conner showed itself off with a historic home tour.
“I have always felt honored to be a newswriter in La Conner,’ Reynolds reflected. “All through my childhood my parents, Red and Susie Reynolds, instilled in me a great appreciation for the history of La Conner. Writing for newspapers here has allowed me to chronicle that history in real time.”
Reynolds and his wife Karla have created some history of their own with their four children and six grandchildren.
Stern will take on selling advertising.
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