IF YOU HAVE been a regular reader
But since I'm heading off into retirement, you'll pardon me if I don't offer to buy each of you a generous parting gift. I suspect I should save my money for things like hearing-aid batteries and boxes of high-fiber cereal.
That's right, I said retirement.
After almost 34 years with The Free Lance-Star, it's time for me to graduate and face the real world.
My plans include a bookstore job that should keep me from becoming a couch potato, some volunteer work with the National Park Service, perhaps some golf, and lots of reading and exercise.
Also, my wife, Gwen, is working on Volume IV of a honey-do list that should keep me busy well into my golden years.
But many times before then, I'm sure I'll sit back and fondly remember my days writing columns about people, places and events in Stafford County.
I promised myself that I wouldn't start thanking people by name, because I surely would overlook someone and feel terrible about it later.
So let me just say "thank you" to some special Staffordians who have helped me greatly during my time here.
Thanks to all the residents who granted me interviews and let me share their stories with readers of our weekly county section, now called Stafford Extra.
Thanks to all the Stafford government employees who suggested story ideas and helped me with the facts and figures I needed to get started.
Thanks to staff members of Stafford County public schools who invited me in on some of the many interesting projects that help inspire our young scholars. I never cease to be amazed by the dedication and creativity that is displayed by Stafford schools' teachers and administrators.
Thanks to the great folks with the Stafford County Historical Society, who accepted me as one of their own. They provided great story ideas and then willingly shared all their resources.
I also must tip my cap to many important figures from Stafford's past. Were it not for their brave deeds and accomplishments, no amount of research could have produced inspiring stories. I hope the list is familiar to you by now. It would start with the likes of George Washington, George Mason, Kate Waller Barrett, Margaret Brent, Moncure Conway, Anthony Burns and James Hunter.
I would be remiss if I didn't thank all of my colleagues at The Free Lance-Star's Stafford bureau on Garrisonville Road and at the main office in Fredericksburg. Thanks to their support, I've been able to focus on getting my facts straight (most of the time, at least) and documenting life in Stafford County, past and present. Sometimes the stories were sad, but most of the time I hope enjoying those slices of life was like enjoying a slice of watermelon on a hot summer day.
And lastly, I want to thank all of the loyal readers who have taken time from busy schedules to spend a few minutes with me each week. If I've accomplished little else, I hope these columns have helped county newcomers, old-timers and residents from all walks of life to appreciate this wonderful place they call home. Stafford residents have much to be proud of and much to look forward to.
This will be my last column, but I still will be "working" at the Garrisonville office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays until the end of the month--mostly sifting through the debris around my desk.
Feel free to call or e-mail, or, better yet, stop by and visit. You can sign my retirement book and perhaps offer some words of advice for the next leg of my journey.
To reach LEE WOOLF:
Email: lwoolf@freelancestar.com