It was good while it lasted Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥” and in this case, weÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™re talking 27 years.

As some of you may have heard by now, last Friday (March 6) was my last day at the Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥.

It was not my choice to leave and my departure was a tad more abrupt than I would have liked, but, hey, thatÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s life. As I always say, thereÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s always somebody who carries a bigger stick.

So onward and upward. IsnÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™t there something about doors closing and doors opening? Guess IÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™ll have to start turning a few door handles.

I have no plans to leave town Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥” just find a new job or win the lottery. The latter is my preference. But what comes next, I guess, time will tell.

I wanted to use this last column to thank everyone who I worked with over the years at the Capital News, as well those in the community who I wrote about, those who helped me do my job and who talked to me (willingly or not), those who I crossed paths with both as a reporter for 26 years with the newspaper and as a regional editor with Black Press for the last year.

Thanks to the nice folks, as well as the not-so nice ones, the people whose stories touched me, and the people who read what I wrote and were touched too Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥” or at least thought about whatever it was I was writing about.

As I told my (now former) colleagues in the newsroom, the media business is all about people and relationships. ItÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s people who make any workplace not only work, but over time, and for those lucky enough to hang around for a while, a home.

In my case, the folks at the Capital New really are like family to me. My time at the paper encompassed many personal, as well as professional, milestones Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥” I started at 29 and left at 56, I got married (and divorced) while working there, I had a daughter, who has grown into a beautiful, talented, intelligent, caring young woman while I was there.

I lost one parent (as well as a dog, a cat and a bird) and watched another age gracefully into her 90s (even if she now canÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™t remember where she put her keys).

I moved into houses that became homes, I made friends and lost friends (literally and figuratively), I did smart things and more than my share of dumb stuff. I got older, fatter, greyer and lost a whole lot of hair.

And through it all, my colleagues Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥” some of whom were there before me, many of whom have since moved on, and even the newcomers helped me through it all.

I figure I spent more time with them than I did with own family. Hey, maybe thatÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s why IÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™m divorced! Just kidding.

But most of all, during my time at the Capital News I got to be what I wanted to be as far back as I remember Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥” to be reporter. It was a privilege to have a front seat for the history of this community to tell the public about it. And, it was the people who made the difference.

I tried my best to inform and I even threw in my two cents worth from time to time. I tried to show I care. To me, caring about others is greatest trait we can strive for.

IÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™ll let others decide if I was successful. So, in the end, this is not goodbye, just the end of a rather lengthy chapter in the ongoing Book of Al.

ItÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s my way of saying thank you to a community that has been my home for the last 27 years.

So, onto the next chapter, whatever that may be. IÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™ll see you bright and cheery at the next gig.