An old friend graces the cover of the Hollister Free Lance today.
Our errant knight has returned to ride again within the pages of your local paper.
In medieval Europe during the days of kings and queens, knights were among the most honored personnel of the crown's military force. Fierce in battle, highly trained and truly noble, knights still remain a revered element of medieval legend.
Yet, a free lance knight, at least to journalists, holds a higher degree of romanticism than any who sat around King Arthur's round table. A free lance is a knight in the service of no monarch, answering only to the call of justice.
It's an attractive ideal for journalists committed to keeping the public informed on the issues affecting daily life. And, if the pen truly is mightier than the sword, it's no wonder many journalists liken themselves to such a symbol of honesty, even if only in our own minds.
We see the return of the knight as a commitment to driving the paper to its old standards of quality. Many in San Benito County still remember the era of Millard Hoyle, Jr. who, with his father, combined the Free Lance with two other publications to create the area's first daily newspaper.
Millard F. Hoyle joined the Free Lance in 1911 and became the sole owner by 1917. After his death in 1941, Millard Hoyle Jr. carried the publication forward until his death in August of 1986.
It's been a long, but important, run for a little paper in a small town.
Over its 130-year history, the Free Lance may have tilted at a few windmills like Don Quixote in Cervantes' epic, but the publication also has slain a few dragons.
We're proud to produce this newspaper and contribute to its already lengthy history. With our staff of committed journalists, a new reader-friendly design, and a commitment rooted in the past, we feel ready to pick up Hoyle's lance and carry on the charge into the future.
For the new owners and editorial leaders at the Free Lance, the knight represents our connection to the traditions of the past.
Granted the newspaper, much like the community itself, has endured many changes since Millard Hoyle's day, however, its commitment to Hollister and the residents of San Benito country remains as strong as ever.
We're still here fighting the good fight and we're here to stay.
To respond to this editorial or comment on this issue or any other issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, The Hollister Free Lance, 350 Sixth St., Hollister, Calif. 95023 or e-mail to editor@freelancenews.com.
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