<i>Communicator</i> Begins New Era of Eastford News
“Looking back on the last 32 years, and ahead to the future”
Photos courtesy Liz Scranton
Elizabeth Scranton (née Munson) was 8 years old when her family moved to Eastford. She had spent previous years visiting Crystal Pond in the summertime and visiting family, but officially became a resident in November of 1991. Her father, Jon Munson, was always passionate about the news, history, and politics.
“He was not happy with the fact that not one news organization covered Eastford happenings well,” Scranton said about her father. “With so many organizations in town, no one knew when they met or where meetings were being held.”
One day, Scranton said her father was at the Town Office Building speaking with newly elected First Selectman John Schmitt, when another Eastford resident, Sue Orcutt, came in to speak with him regarding this very issue.
“[Orcutt] had similar feelings regarding the news and things happening in Eastford,” Scranton said, “and when speaking with John Schmitt, he introduced her to my father. The two spoke and came up with a plan to meet and discuss how they might conquer this informational discord.”
The early 1990s was a time of technological simplicity. The internet was still a few years away, as were cell phones. Cable television was a luxury. News was brought to the people via newspaper, magazines, radio, local word of mouth, phone call, or the local broadcast via “bunny ears” antennae. Computers were not in every household, and to create a newspaper, or lay one out, you needed a very specific set of specialty skills.
Nevertheless, a small group of Eastford residents pursued the project. There were a few meetings over the winter months about the name of the paper, content, roles, mailings, timelines, how it would be paid for, and all the other logistical considerations one must take into account when starting a local news source. The one consistent theme for what would become “The Communicator” was to not be political, to inform the residents of Eastford of what was happening in town, and what was coming up in the next month.
“My father spent several evenings in the basement of Barbara Klare’s house on Crystal Pond creating the first issue,” Scranton recalled. “At the time, she was the only one in the group with a computer capable of taking on the task.”
The first issue of “The Eastford Communicator” was published in April 1992. Scranton said that once the first issue was published, there was a lot of positive feedback from the community — and people could not wait for the second issue. It came in June 1992.
“As I was reading those first issues, I was amazed at all the content it provided to the town,” Scranton said. “The Hiking Club told of which trails were open or closed due to hazards and when the next Gardening Club meeting would be. There was an article welcoming newcomers and information on the next potluck dinner. There was information from the principal about what the school children were focusing on that month. There was also a piece focusing on a local individual in town, John Savage, written by Sue Orcutt, who was a state representative, former first selectman of the town and agriculturalist.”
While interviewing Savage, Orcutt met his wife, Katherine, or “Kate” as she was more affectionately known. Orcutt expressed the need for people to join the little paper, and thus came on staff as the treasurer. Little did she know she would eventually become co-editor, and then chief editor.
“Once the paper hit its stride, Kate and my father would spend two or three evenings laying out the articles on his computer and scanner,” Scranton remembered. “They had a contest to see if someone could produce a drawing/logo for the little paper and it appeared in issue 11. People would send in articles via snail mail and my father would scan them in or retype them depending on how much space was needed. Sometimes, there would be arguments between [Kate Savage and Jon Munson] regarding articles received because the paper did not want to be a space for individual opinions. However, if there was a topic in town that affected most families and someone submitted a thorough opinion, it might have made it to print.”
Scranton added that there were many other individuals who helped make “The Communicator” a success. The publication had such positions as a telephone coordinator, events manager, billing manager, treasurer, and mailing liaison. There were groups of people, such as the senior citizens, who would spend an evening putting labels on so that the paper could make it into each household. There were also those who went out to businesses and asked them to place an advertisement, since many businesses did not know there was a paper in Eastford.
“All of these individuals and groups supported ‘The Communicator’ and it gave everyone a sense of community and togetherness,” Scranton said. “It is my belief that without these individuals, ‘The Communicator’ would not have been as successful as it was in those early years.”
Jon Munson died suddenly in May 2001, and the torch was fully passed to Kate Savage. She continued on for a few more years until Debbie Yazo took over, and eventually, the role was taken on by Carol Davidge in 2009. With her long career in journalism, Davidge knew firsthand the impact that the news — or lack thereof — could have on a community.
Eventually, as technology became more user-friendly, fewer and fewer individuals volunteered at “The Communicator.” Every once in a while, there would be a note from the editor requesting assistance, but fewer people became involved. Eventually, Davidge became the only person responsible for putting out the publication every month, and with her at the helm, the publication endured for 14 more years under her care.
Sadly, in August 2023, Davidge passed away suddenly, seemingly ending the legacy of town-wide communication that she, and those that came before her, cared for so deeply.
A Legacy Continued
It was not long after Davidge’s death that questions about the future of the Communicator began to arise. Was it finished? Would it even be possible to pick up the pieces and continue? Because Davidge was involved so completely in every aspect of the publication, there was no one immediately in line to take over if the unthinkable happened. Unfortunately, when it did, the future seemed uncertain.
A group of about a dozen Eastford citizens decided in the fall of 2023 to at least look into the possibility of bringing back the Communicator. After several months of going through Carol's computer and paper files to determine where things stood when she passed, identifying roles that people could take to resurrect the paper, brainstorming, inquiring, researching, and workshopping, a plan began to formulate, and a group of five people emerged that would eventually become the new Board of Directors, led by Eastford residents Arthur Brodeur, Randal Chinnock, Nancy Gingras, Michelle Palulis, and Julia Torcellini. This group solidified the Communicator as an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reconnected with advertisers, added a Facebook page, re-established communication channels, created a new logo, updated mailing lists, obtained a nonprofit postal permit, and finally, began to look into the process of hiring an editor.
Nancy Gingras, who was a part of the process from the beginning, said the large task that faced that initial group began to seem more and more like a reality.
“I learned that there was a meeting being held in September 2023 to discuss the possibility of reviving The Communicator, and I was interested in attending, as I felt its demise left a large void in communicating town happenings and news to our community, and I was curious to learn about what a 'new Communicator’ might entail,” Gingras said. “Little did I know that night when about 10 of us sat around the table at the Town Office Building, asking questions and expressing opinions, that I would become heavily involved in helping to make it a reality 11 months later. It's been a lot of work, but the overwhelmingly positive response we've received from everyone I've contacted about the endeavor has made it all worthwhile. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped — all the volunteers, our advertisers, donors, and the many behind the scenes people who have contributed in some way.”
The search for a new editor ended in July 2024, when the new Board of Directors decided to name longtime Eastford resident Adam Minor as the new managing editor of the Communicator. Minor has an extensive history in local media. He was the managing editor of local publishing company Stonebridge Press for nearly a decade, a company that produced The Woodstock Villager weekly newspaper, a publication that often covered Eastford events. He has 12 years of journalism experience, and even after his journalism career ended in 2017, Minor said his love of writing and local news has never wavered. It was that, as well as a desire to continue on Davidge’s legacy, that ultimately persuaded him to take on the role of managing editor for the new Communicator.
“I worked a lot with Carol on content for the Communicator, even when I was with the Villager,” Minor said. “I loved working with her. She was so kind and considerate. She loved this town. She dedicated herself to it. Her caring was contagious, and I admired her commitment to continuing on the Communicator.”
Once Minor was on board, momentum began to quicken, as it was decided that the new Communicator would re-launch on Aug. 1, 2024.
“It’s been a lot of preparation, but it has also been like riding a bike,” Minor said, referring to his past career in journalism. “It’s been a lot of fun. Many people have stepped up to either support us, advertise with us, or write for us. It has been a true team effort. I’m excited to see how the town responds to this new Communicator.”
Indeed, Davidge’s fingerprints remain on these pages, which is understandable because of her influence in the lives of those that have carried this project on. For Communicator board member Julia Torcellini, Davidge’s influence is hard to calculate.
“Carol was a quiet influencer in our community who touched people's lives in a big way, one by one,” she said. “I know she has positively shaped my homeschooled children and expanded their world with what she did for them and taught them. She was so humble. I don't think she ever understood who she was to us. What I have gleaned from Carol has enabled me to be part of this project of bringing back the Communicator.”
Communicator board member Randal Chinnock had similar sentiments.
“When I travel around the country — or even abroad — I always like to read the local newspapers,” he said. “I’m always interested in the happenings, breaking news, and topics of interest to the communities I visit. So, when I moved to Eastford in 2010, I was delighted to discover The Eastford Communicator. After reading just a few issues, I felt like I was beginning to know some history of the town, become aware of current events, and understand issues of concern.”
“Along the way, I met Carol, who embraced me with her warmth and enthusiasm about the community,” Chinnock continued. “It was truly a sad day when she left us, though I knew immediately that the paper must carry on. I think that she’d be thrilled to see [our] vision of the future, where grants may be won, a small staff employed, and our mission expanded to include original reporting on local — or even regional — newsworthy events.”
First Selectman Deborah Richards added her well wishes for the project, adding she believed it would be a continuation of the “vision” Davidge — and those that came before her — had for the Communicator.
“Carol Davidge had a wonderful vision for the Communicator and for the Eastford community,” Richards said. “A small group of residents had an idea to share local news and increase awareness of events happening in our community. It’s a way to bring us all together, to share and highlight the greatness of Eastford and all the people who make up our amazing town. I look forward to reading the Communicator once again and having another avenue for our community to share information and to become involved in our great town. Congratulations to the Communicator committee who have recreated a community icon, while honoring the authors’ vision.”
Looking to the future of the Communicator, Minor added it would continue to involve as the needs of the community evolve.
“I think the future of the Communicator is bright,” Minor said. “I think Carol would be ecstatic that we are picking up where she left off, and I hope we make her proud with what comes next. At the end of the day, we are all doing this for the same reasons she did. We love this town. We love this community. We want to inform, and along the way, maybe we’ll even have a little fun too. Jon Munson, Sue Orcutt, Debbie Yazo, Kate Savage, Carol Davidge — the legacy of everyone that has ever contributed to this project — we hope their legacies are honored with what is to come.”
“It’s my hope that once again, we as a community can come together and support our little slice of media and continue to ‘communicate’ around town,” said Liz Scranton.