This week's column

An ode to the outgoing chief
Change. Sometimes it’s not a word I’m fond of. Change can bring good things, but it can take aspects out of your life that you’re not sure you want to lose.Change is happening at The News-Enterprise this week. Features Editor Holly Tabor is leaving our comfortable little team to go back to school for a master’s degree to teach high school English. I know, we’ve all told her she’s crazy, but after dealing with the features team, teenagers should be a piece of cake.With this change there will be several things I’ll miss about having her around. I decided to list some of those things in true Letterman style — a top 10 list.
10. We have the same celebrity crushes (Gerard Butler, Matt Damon and that guy from the other movie that I can’t remember). Nobody else is going to get that.
9. Tapjigalogging and various other words made up by the features team.
8. We both know the value of worst case scenario planning. Between the two of us, every possible fire exit strategy has been covered as well as any intruder possibilities.
7. Squint, duck and say, “Please don’t hit me.” It’s an inside joke the rest of the reading public won’t get, but it comes in handy when a piece of tire tread is flying at you on the interstate.
6. She’s our biggest cheerleader, often saying “fabulous” when we come up with an idea … no matter how lame it may be.
5. Mea-isms. I will miss hearing the latest thing her 3-year-old daughter, Mea, has started saying. “It’s freaking me out” and “You’re pulling my leg right off” are among my favorites.
4. Holly is a very talented writer with insight into stories we often miss, and our work has been better for her attention to detail and depth of storytelling.
3. Multiple sneezing. It’s a newsroom fact that Holly never sneezes once, and you have to pause to make sure she is finished before saying “Bless you.”
2. I will miss our random quotes from “The Princess Bride.” Nuff said.
1. It has been a pleasure to come to work every day and know I not only have a great features editor but also the joy to work with one of my dearest friends. I will miss that most of all.
To Holly: We have had many Lucy and Ethel moments in the features department and I am honored to say that I have worked with you and call you my friend.I never will know how you got up at 4 a.m. to work at a daycare, came to the paper and many times stayed until after 5 p.m., and then had energy to go home and be mom to your kids and a wife to Scott. You have strengths I’m not even sure you realize you have.Good luck in school and with those crazy teens. There was a part of me that wanted to say, “Good luck storming the castle,” and I knew you’d know what I meant.And don’t forget we’re going to see “Machine Gun Preacher” and “Coriolanus” starring Gerard Butler. The quality of the film makes no difference because we both sat through “Gamer” and “Timeline” just because he was in them.You will be greatly missed.
http:///www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/ode-outgoing-chief