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Come Tuesday, after 39 years, Elizabeth Butler will retire from The Valdosta Daily Times.
Through the years, as The Times Lifestyles editor, Elizabeth has brought readers stories of power and faith. She has told the stories of people who have overcome grave illnesses and great odds. She has told the stories of people who have faced horrible losses but have retained their resilience of faith.
As Elizabeth said for a story about her career, she has often felt telling these stories has been a calling. She didn’t so much find these stories as they found her.
Elizabeth Butler’s departure will leave a void in The Times pages as well as in our organization, but it is a void we hope to fill by the standards of her example.
It is rare in newspapers, or really almost any business any more, that someone stays with the same company and location for decades. Elizabeth Butler has remained committed to The Times and her calling for telling stories for 39 years.
She is a role model not only to the ideals of commitment but to the standards of excellence.
At one time she planned to be a teacher. Elizabeth even tried teaching for a short period before entering newspapers. Though she left teaching as a profession, the teacher has remained an integral part of Elizabeth.
Through advice and the example of her sterling copy, she has taught generations of reporters the proper way to dot there i’s and cross their t’s. She has shown that remaining committed to a community earns a person a well-respected place in that community.
Elizabeth Butler has served as a role model for not only generations of reporters but she has shined a light on what is good and right in our own community and within ourselves.
The Times wishes Elizabeth well in retirement and asks the community to help us share our well wishes with a public reception for Elizabeth, 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at The Times’ 201 N. Troup St., offices.
What We Think
Farewell to The Times’ Elizabeth Butler
- What We Think
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Charity never tasted so good
For one night, you can indulge your sweet tooth while contributing to a worthy cause at the same time.
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Historic day celebrated
On January 1, 1863, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, announcing that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas are and henceforth shall be free.
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How this garden grew
A special-needs couple wanted a garden. A teacher not only wanted to teach gardening skills but she also wanted to instill a sense of community purpose within her young students.
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Happy Father’s Day
He beamed with pride on our birth. He understood worry upon our birth. He is the giant by which we would judge all men. He protected us. He provided for us. He often sacrificed time with us to provide for us. He spent time with us.
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Thumbs up
THUMBS UP: To Stevie Young of Valdosta. The owner of Artistic Taxidermy, Young won Best in the World, Turkey, in the 2013 World Taxidermy Championship. His eastern wild turkey display dominated the competition, earning him the distinction of best in the world. Another title for TitleTown!
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Canning preserves food, way of life
When the going gets tough, the tough getting canning. Valdosta-Lowndes County residents have this opportunity.
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PSST!: Round Two!
With tonight’s opening of “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” Peach State Summer Theatre presents its second show of the 2013 season.
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A responsible fix for pets
The photo and story in Sunday’s paper about the dog whose owners had left him tied up with an electrical cord elicited a tremendous response from readers, outraged at the dog’s treatment.
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A band-aid in a crisis?
The announcement Monday by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities that a crisis stabilization center will be built in Lowndes County is good news for some, not so great for others.
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Slowing down for summer
Twenty-some years ago, it seemed Valdosta and South Georgia slowed down for the summer. School was out. Controversies seemed to dwindle. People seemed to work shorter hours despite the longer days.
- More What We Think Headlines
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Charity never tasted so good
