I am reminded of how important it is to tell people I admire or love how good and special I think they are while I can. I learned of Trish Vernon’s sudden passing on the day of the full moon. I corresponded with her several times every week and would see her on occasional visits. I got to tell her recently what a wonderful job she had done, thanks be.
Trish chose the content of our newspaper, avoided politics, and sought to promote and keep the news positive. She gave lots of coverage to our schools’ athletes, promoting community spirit and those youths’ pride of accomplishment and team work.
Trish printed every one of my press releases and gardening articles for the past 10 years for public open days at Mill Pond Garden. She promoted many other efforts for community cultural and living enrichment.
Trish last visited Mill Pond Garden in June with mutual friend Carmela Coleman, well-known potter. In retrospect, fortunately, we enjoyed a long confab, reminiscences, especially of her long career. She shared memories of her life, and the founding of the paper, over iced tea and cookies by the garden’s big fountain.
Trish, Carmela, my wife Buffy and I agreed in that last chat, Trish’s work has been a golden age for the coastal Cape area, one of many new schools, fast growth, staggering rate of development, and surging cultural attractions in the arts, theater, restaurant world and so much more. The region‘s old beach town houses are fast being replaced by rental palaces. Outside, nonresident investors increasingly own the property and wealth of the towns. Success of the region has brought a challenging amount of change. Trish and I missed the good old days of slower, lower Delaware! We decided the future has its possibilities, its blessings and its problems and curses. Trish had confidence in us, the fine people who live here, to keep on keeping on. Let’s not let her down.
Local newspapers are the town crier, voice and memory of a community. All the stories of America are in the local papers. Many local and big newspapers have disappeared in this digital age, but this one, the Cape Gazette, is still thriving with national recognition and huge readership. I hope the paper will continue the tradition of helping build local efforts, institutions and improvements needed, with local coverage.
Goodbye, Trish. I will miss you, like so many others. Thank you for all you did for all of us and the culture of the Cape Region. Your work lives on in the success of the many efforts for community you supported with the Cape Gazette. I will plant a new tree in your memory here at Mill Pond Garden, which owes you so much gratitude.
Wishing all Cape friends a wonderful day, I remain,
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