By Robert M. Sarwark
At our recent event, “40 Years on the Porch” (October 24), we recognized several individuals who have been integral to this newspaper’s success over the years. They are as follows. (This text has been adapted from the spoken remarks.)
1. Elena Kaplan
Elena not only agreed to help us become a fully official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2025, but she also followed through on a more than yearlong and sometimes painstaking process to get us there. As a certified tax attorney, she also did this in her free time and at no cost.
Becoming a recognized 501(c)(3) – which is never a given – unlocked thousands of dollars in annual savings when we lowered our postage costs to the USPS nonprofit rate. We can also now offer our donors an attractive tax deduction, which is especially important when they want to give larger amounts.
2. Riki and Paul Bolster
This married couple have been with us from the start, and they have been pillars of our community, specifically here in Ormewood Park, for even longer. Riki has been so dedicated to our cause that she has bylines and other contributions in not only our very first issue in 1986, but also in our most recent issues…and literally dozens more in the forty years in between.
Paul has been a lawyer, an environmental advocate, a state representative, a college professor, and, in the last several years, another stalwart contributor to The Porch Press, often as our politics correspondent.
Both Riki and Paul represent the people-centered culture of southeast Atlanta at its very finest, and we hope that both of them will keep up their great work with us for as long as they would like.
3. Tom McGowan
Tom has also been giving back to our community for many decades. Though he was born and raised in New York City, in the 1970s he chose Atlanta, and specifically Grant Park, as his adopted home. And he has never left.
Tom has given us so many types of support, not the least of which are his wonderful essays on his life and times in Atlanta, on the comings and goings of his street and its environs, and furthermore, on this strange and beautiful thing that we call life.
4. State Senator Nan Orrock
Here in NPU-W, we have two state senators representing us, those of districts 44 and 36. But most of our area is covered by District 36.
That’s why it’s been so important for us to have support and encouragement from the legislator holding that office, Nan Orrock. And fortunately, this is what we have always received, since our very beginnings in the mid-1980s.
Nan’s office always places an ad in our paper that includes a simple but heartfelt message about grassroots involvement in democracy. And it always begins, “Thank you for supporting my good friends at The Porch Press.” This issue is no exception.
5. Bill Adams and Adams Realtors
It’s difficult to summarize just how essential Bill Adams has been to not only the success of The Porch Press, but its very existence. We have always needed a physical space to put each issue together, and that also requires computers, printers, desks, tables, chairs, and, of course, a little electricity and maybe a restroom for good measure.
We have been in good hands since the beginning because we have had the support of someone like Bill, who deeply understands what it means to invest in our community at the most fundamental level.
For allowing us to use their office space, for putting up with the occasional ruckus, for wise counsel and friendship, and moreover for believing in what we do since day one, we are proud to honor not only Bill Adams, but also his generous colleagues at Adams Realtors.
6. Henry Bryant and Family
Henry has worn many hats at The Porch Press. From co-founder, to East Atlanta editor, to general correspondent…from production manager to board president…he has pretty much done it all and more, especially when there was a vacancy that simply had to be filled. He also continues to write thoughtful and detailed articles of deep local interest on a regular basis.
Henry is our CEO on legal documents, but in truth, he is the glue that keeps this newspaper together. He has never wavered in his support for this project over the course of more than forty years. He shows up every month, and he gets the job done.
We are sad to see Henry step down soon from many of his active duties, but very glad that he will be staying on our board and as an invaluable source of institutional, practical, and local knowledge. He will also continue to write, should his bandwidth permit.
We, the Executive Board, didn’t think that Henry deserved just one award, so we got him six…
On the evening of Oct. 24, we presented Henry and his family with the first three of six bound volumes of his personal copies of The Porch Press, starting in 1987. As we stated then, “Henry has put forty years of care and commitment into every single issue, so we are honored to present these volumes, hand-bound by Kasie Janssen of Cincinnati, Ohio, as a token of our appreciation.” We also wanted to recognize how much support he has received from his family, most of which was present at the event, over the years.
Congratulations and thank you to every single one of our Neighborhood News Champions! We literally could not do this without you.
