A Reporter's Notebook

It’s been a weird week.

As I hope you have read by now, Nikki Hancock is leaving the Sun-Herald to open her own business. After today she will be hanging up her notebook, shelving her dictionary, and turning in her camera.

Nikki told me she was quitting two weeks ago and when she did, my first thought was “Liar.”

She came into my office, closed the door and told me she had finally decided to trade the bad hours and weird food of a journalist’s life for the bad food and weird hours of a small business owner’s.

I think I may have even said, “That’s funny, but I don’t have time to joke around just now.”

This was not the first time she had talked about leaving to open a business. Twice before I had “talked” her out of it. And, in this case, I define “talked” as: to beg, plead, bribe, cry, threaten, take hostages, and cry again just in case she missed it earlier.

But, she outsmarted me this time and didn’t tell me until it was too late.

But, this job is a lifestyle and it’s too much a part of your personality, I would have argued. All journalists, big and small, crave The Action. There’s a natural desire to at least seek for the cutting edge of “What’s Happening” and you either have it or you don’t - I think Nikki does.

Now when she shows up at a house fire or crime scene with a camera people will think she’s just weird.

Nikki Hancock was only the second female editor in the nearly 150-year history of the Sun-Herald, and the youngest ever (26-years, 14 days) according to John Morton, county historical researcher. Morton said Sallie Morgan, the wife of Will S. Green, Sun-Herald founder, was the only other female editor on record.

“There has been a number of female publishers, managers, and reporters, but when it comes to Editor its only Sallie Morgan and Nikki Hancock,” Morton said.

But, she is not the first of her family to create something of a historic legacy. Nikki is a descendant of the first guy to sign the Declaration of Independence, John Hancock. Yup, that one - his family moved to Elk Creek. Weird.

And as the Sun-Herald editor, her lack of experience and age was compensated for by her strong desire to pursue the truth and an unwavering commitment to her personal beliefs. And she’s funny.

Frequently, I witnessed some make the mistake of trying to buffalo her by yelling or threatening. But, she would smile, “You know, before you started yelling I thought you were wrong, but now that you have screamed at the top of your lungs in a small office, I completely see your point.”

I am not gifted enough to eloquently summarize her impact on my own life as a writer, let alone her impact on Colusa. She will be missed tremendously.

Good luck Nikki. And thank you.

Sun-Herald writer Robert Parsons may be reached at rparsons@tcnpress.com.