Holverson files final Cardinal report

(Class of 66er Larry Holverson retired Friday as the Echo Press Sports Editor and from 38 years in the newspaper business. I like to think I helped Larry along some when he started out as a sports reporter for the AlHi Times. I was the sports editor then, Judy Blanchard was the editor-in-chief, and Black Pete was the advisor. Larry took over as sports editor in his senior year. Here's Larry's swan song. -- TB)

Lou Gehrig said he was the luckiest man on Earth the day he retired as a player for the New York Yankees.
I can honestly say that he was the second luckiest person.
Today is my final day here at the Echo Press after 33 years and 38 in newspapers overall, including five years at the Little Falls Daily Transcript.
It all started when I was in high school and through my career I have witnessed an amazing number of changes from the linotype setters to the computer.
Pages used to be put together with hot metal. Now pages are sent via e-mail to the printer.
The telephone was the early method of gathering event details.
There were many nights when the phone would ring constantly for at least 90 minutes. The latest call I ever received was at 1:45 a.m. Thankfully, that happened just one time.
The fax machine made things easier and saved time. Then e-mail came into existence to simplify things even more – if you could figure out how to use it.
Today there are probably around eight coaches that talk to me on the phone.
I miss not talking live to the coaches.
Photography has also been a big change for the better, going from big clunky cameras to 35-millimeter to digital.
Larry Scott and the late Larry Larson were very instrumental in my career.
We were known as the three Larrys. We were all Alexandrians and all had a passion for sports.
Scott has been the sports information director at Moorhead State University.
Larson gave me my first big break when he recommended me for the job in Little Falls and I was fortunate to get the position.
In September of 1975, I got another big break when Jon Haaven offered me the job here at the Echo Press.
It took me awhile to decide what to do but the opportunity to come back to my hometown was too good to turn down.
Jon was very supportive and one of my favorite things about him was that he let me do my job the way I believed it should be done and was always supportive.
His successor, Jody Hanson, has been the same.
I miss the small town schools. Some nights if it worked out right, I could get pictures of eight games, starting at Cyrus, going to Hoffman, Kensington and Barrett for basketball games and then, work my way back for boys’ games.
I owe the State Patrol, sheriff’s deputies and city police a great deal of thanks when I was on the road because some nights I had to use my heavy foot.
I was stopped just once in my career and I got by with a warning.
Now with communities pairing and sharing, I was lucky to get to two games a night.
Then there have been nights where we have gone on wild goose chases where I have sent photographer Arlan Anderson to a game in Parkers Prairie only to find out the event was in Henning.
There have also been nights when Arlan and I were at the same game, mistakenly, as I forgot who was covering what.
There have been a couple of embarrassing moments as well, but fortunately, not that many.
Like the night in Evansville where the basketball bounced off my shoulder and knocked the flash off its mount and all the batteries rolled onto the floor.
My good, close personal friend, Will Rogers, once said that if you find a job you love you will never work a day in your life.
That fits me to a tee (please don’t tell the boss, I will owe a good deal of back pay).
I love my job but more importantly I love the people I work with – from all of the coaches and others to our wonderful staff here at the Echo Press.
I have been lucky enough to witness many record breaking moments and many state champions, individual and team.
It has been fun following the professional careers of Gary Serum and Tom Lehman among others who have come close to making the big leagues.
Lori Mork will be the new sports editor. She has been my assistant the past 10 years and will do a bang-up job.
Coaches, students, support staff and teachers have all touched my life over the past. Thanks for 33 great years.
God bless each and every one of you.