THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501220059
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: RON SPEER
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Have you heard the one about the Outer Banks publication with such hot news that the paper smoked?
Ooooh. Not funny. Not today.
Not much is funny for me today. Fire can take the laughter out of life.
But a fire like the one that wiped us out in the Virginian-Pilot and Carolina Coast offices Friday night can't take away our feeling that we're family on the Outer Banks.
In fact, we've never felt so much like family.
The outpouring of concern has overwhelmed all of us on the staff.
And the staffer who has lived here longest and who lost the most in the fire - photographer Drew Wilson, whose negatives are priceless - said it best:
``When I dashed in the basement to get boxes of negatives, there were firefighters right behind me carrying boxes out, too. They seemed to know how important they are to me, and I felt like it was my family helping.''
Friends like John Harper and Mary Ellen Riddle helped Drew, too, and scores of callers and friends and acquaintances and readers made it clear to us all, with their offers of help, that we are family.
A car dealer, a publisher, a businessman and a school board chief were among those offering temporary quarters. A hardwareman used his truck to haul salvaged stuff to a storage place he provided. People brought coffee and offered vehicles and a darkroom.
Best of all, they cared. We hurt, so they too hurt. They shared our pain.
And maybe we'll be a bit more understanding of others' pain when we cover their troubles in the future.
That future is now, because as we used to say in a newspaper promotion, the Virginian-Pilot doesn't miss a beat.
So it is time to get back to covering the news instead of making it.
Our reporters, our photographers and our sales reps will be back on the streets Monday.
We hope to settle into temporary quarters in the next few days. Meanwhile, we'll be operating out of my house in Manteo and other staff members' homes. By Monday, we hope, our old telephone numbers will be linked to the right people. You can call 441-1620 for any kind of newspaper business and we'll try to steer you to the right people. Feel free to phone. We love calls from family.
While we're building up to speed, we'll keep you posted in the paper. Life will soon be back to normal for us. Never quite the same, but normal.
By the way, have you heard about the newspaper that was so hot . . .
To reach the newspapers, Outer Banks readers should use the following numbers: News, (919) 441-1620 or (804) 446-2314; Advertising, (919) 338-1872; Circulation, (800) 446-2005. by CNB