By Steve Crum

THROWING BACK to 1954, when 7 year-old Stephen Crum began his journey/destiny of journalism. In my 61st & Ann Avenue home in KCK, I loved reading The Kansas City Times and Star (both the morning and evening editions). So I published my own newspaper, really a one-pager, The Ann Avenue News. Since I had no typewriter or copy machine, it was a laborious task. Every story was hand written by me…and included my single panel comic, Sammy Shoe. (It featured a dorky kid with huge feet.) I churned out maybe six copies of the same issue each week, and hand delivered them to a like number of neighbors. The stories were brief and gossipy. This enterprise lasted two issues. 

My journalistic spirit rekindled big time when I was a junior and senior at Wyandotte High School. As a member of the Pantograph newspaper staff, I drew cartoons, took photos, and wrote news and features. Thirty-five years later, I was teaching journalism at Wyandotte, and advising the Pantograph. 

In between, I became associate editor of The Bulletin student newspaper at Emporia State (then Kansas State Teachers College). I also wrote news and features (play reviews, etc.), and drew cartoons. 

After my stint in the Army, I briefly wrote for an arts and entertainment magazine, Greenhouse, distributed throughout Greater Kansas City. That was 1974.

I surprised myself when I researched the number of high school newspapers I advised over the years following college. They include: Rosedale High School’s The Rosedalian, Harmon’s The Talon, Washington’s The Washingtonian, Schlagle’s Diachron, Wyandotte’s Pantograph, and Bishop Ward’s Outburst. 

In the midst of all the writing, teaching and deadlines, I proudly served as President of the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, 1985-87.

Factor in three city newspapers for which I wrote film and stage reviews and interviews, and drew cartoons: The Kansas City Kansan, The Wyandotte West, and Courier Tribune (Kansas City Missouri’s Northland).  

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Sadly, few local newspapers still publish. The Internet rules. 

I miss those deadlines..sort of. I miss being able to actually hold a paper copy of one’s publication. I miss feeling the pride and accomplishment on distribution day.