Published: May 27, 2009
Melody Kinser
The need was there, the want was there, the support was there.
And The Mechanicsville Local became a reality.
In a recent phone conversation with founder Jim Varian, he talked about how he and his former wife Carrie realized the potential — and promise — of a publication dedicated and devoted to the Mechanicsville community.
Now, it isn’t just a notion to start up a newspaper and it took time to get all the factors in motion.
But, Varian said they were determined, as well as incredibly excited, about the possibilities.
When he first returned my call, he was surprised that it had been 25 years. He was a young man when he started The Local and — like most of us — wondered where the years had gone.
Varian now makes his home in Florida, but fondly recalls his days in Mechanicsville. They got The Mechanicsville Local off its feet, nurtured it, watched it grow, and after four years decided to sell and pursue other interests.
Several owners and many employees have been part of The Mechanicsville Local since its inception, but all have stayed true to the role it plays in the community, as well as Hanover County.
We look ahead with the goal of continuing established traditions and keeping you, our readers, informed.
Before our conversation ended, I made a point to thank Varian on behalf of those of us who work here. His vision has provided employment for many people through the years and an emphasis on Mechanicsville area news and our goal is to continue what he started a quarter-century ago.
Just as that first publication on May 1, 1984, stated “Stops at every home in town,” we deliver to your home every Wednesday. With advancements in technology, you also can find us online at http://www.mechlocal.com and sports editor Charlie Leffler and I have joined the world of Twitter. (Charlie is mechsports and I’m MLeditor — please check us out and become followers.)
Let’s hear it for 25 more!
