News-Record.com

My friend, mentor and colleague, Bill Snider, writes his farewell column in this Sunday's News & Record. We'll miss him.

Bill is former editor of the News & Record, a brilliant journalist and author who has stood by his principles with every stroke of his typewriter (he eschews writing on computers although he's becoming a prolific e-mailer to his grandkids).

"Now that I'm in my 85th year -- and in a retirement home to boot -- the time has come for me to give up writing my Sunday column on a regular basis," he wrote in a surprise note to me a few days ago.

It's hard to think of Bill as 85. He's as spry as you or me.

And he has been invaluable for his advice and guidance, which I have sought and appreciated since the day I took this job. Bill also cherishes this newspaper, whose tradition and excellence he helped build.

Bill won't go away that quietly, though. He'll still write an occasional piece for us when the inpiration strikes.

And when he's not out playing tennis.