Franklin's humble servant honored

Part of being a journalist is trying to keep a slight disconnect so you can go about doing your job.
Sometimes that disconnect is hard. As small community journalists we meet our subjects who we eventually realize are our neighbors. So covering them we will have some sort of an emotional connection.

Sunday, during the intermission portion of the Taste of Talent, I knew there was going to be a presentation given to honor the life's work of Ronnie Beith who sat unknowing this was about to happen. When she realized what was happening,  her face became so beautifully moved that I too stood there with tears in my eyes listening to the praise lauded on this most deserving and humble neighbor to all of us.

​Mayor Doug White even declared it Ronnie Beith Day.

Ronnie is one of those people who ask, "What can I do to help you?"
Always.
She and her late husband Bill looked at the city of Franklin as a blank canvas awaiting a masterpiece. And that's what these true artists of hometown small community/big mind visionaries worked hard to do - create a masterpiece.

Now Ronnie is going to call me later and assure me that it isn't just her and Bill, that it takes a lot of people to pull off seamless events... and she is correct. But it is also true that a talented choreographer, a smart coach or a champion of people is needed to corral all the pieces together and make everything a success.

​That is Ronnie Beith through and through.

I first met her in 2015. At the time I was "the new Jerry" and I know everyone, including Ronnie, was a bit apprehensive that Jerry Sowden was no longer their newspaper photographer and they had to get to know this new guy. Ronnie embraced me immediately and gave me encouragement and said I'd do fine. At the time, I didn't realize that this is what this graciosos champion of Franklin does for everyone, she lifts us up and looks for ways for us to be better knowing if she does this, we are all better.

She tirelessly works and even when she wasn't allowed to work during the pandemic, she just quietly and nonchalantly made sure things did not get lost or forgotten.

​So when I caught wind she was going to be honored at the Taste of Talent finals, I changed my plans in order to be a witness.

I don't believe anyone deserves to honored by Franklin more than Ronnie does. Her brilliant, tireless leadership even through difficult times should be bottled and sold to every community looking for its own heart, because she has it figured out and she is this town's heart.

​And her hand is most certainly in this masterpiece of Franklin, Pennsylvania.