This week was Carolyn Lee’s last one as a part-time news reporter, a position she has held for the last 17 years. (Johnson Publications photo).
A familiar face will be leaving the Imperial Republican this February. Newspaper reporter Carolyn Lee is retiring after years of dedication and service to Johnson Publications.
Although she is now known for her weekly recipe column and various articles in the paper, Lee has not always been in that position. She got her start by filling in for people who were on maternity leave at both the Republican and Holyoke Enterprise. In the late 1980s, she approached Loral Johnson, publisher at the time, with an idea for a possible column. “It was more of a silly column, so it didn’t really fly,” said Lee. In 2000, Lee was officially asked to become a part of Johnson Publications’ staff.
Her column A Recipe For Life has been published weekly since 2009. The idea came from Lori Pankonin, current co-publisher, after Lee started bringing in food for Johnson Publications’ Friday meetings. Staff has benefited as taste testers for Lee’s recipe column, said Pankonin.