The most recent Citizen newspaper delivered to my home (which a neighbor picked up for me while I was away for a short vacation) had a note attached to it which informed me this was the last one. It explained The Citizen would no longer be delivered on “dirt roads,” and I do, as a matter of fact, live on a road which the county has not paved.

It’s with regret that I see The Citizen part company with me. I understand, of course, how the people who deliver newspapers might not like to drive on unpaved roads, as I don’t like it myself. (I bought my house from a former county commissioner who assured me the road was slated to be paved shortly. That was 19 years ago.)

The Citizen, which made its debut well after I came to Fayette County, has always been an inspiration for me. I liked its initial pledge to respect the English language by the use of proper grammar and spelling. It did not fail us often in that respect.

What I liked most, however, was its respect for the views of our local citizens. By publishing letters from members of the public without censorship, The Citizen proved its respect for the First Amendment and its understanding of that constitutional provision’s role in a society that wants to be free.

There’s no freedom when the views of some citizens are suppressed, as we are dependent on having all the information we can get, viewed from all angles, when we’re called upon to make political decisions.

I notice how today The Citizen goes out of its way to help candidates for public office present their qualifications and views to the public, and I applaud heartily.

I’ll miss the paper. It’s true that there’s an electronic version available, but the pictures are missing, the presentation of articles and other items is not the same, and even the ads will be missed.

A lot of these ads are informative, and I might say that one important member of my household will miss especially the garage sale ads. It is only small consolation that even people who live on “dirt roads” are progressive enough to use the Internet.

As we age, we get to say goodbye to a lot of old friends. Some move away, and some die. It’s always a bit sad, but we have to accept life as it is. It’s a voyage, with ever changing scenery. Without The Citizen at the end of the driveway on Wednesday mornings, the scenery will be different in our household. I simply want to say thank you for the many years we’ve been able to enjoy it.

Claude Y. Paquin
Fayette County
cypaquin (at) msn.com

The editor replies: The carrier has been overruled. We expect to continue delivering to your address every Wednesday. We would miss you, too.