the editor talks with you

Less than an hour after we closed the sale of the Dispatch News Sept. 6, 1984, Raymond Caughman and R.W. McCormick came calling. I was amazed. No one else in Lexington knew that Mark Ethridge had sold us the newspaper. They did. What an intelligence network they must have, I marveled. Even in a growing community, they knew what was going on. He and R.W., who ran Lexington State Bank’s Main Street branch, now the Bodhi Thai restaurant, had come to welcome us. I later figured it out. Mark Ethridge had gone to the bank to deposit our down payment check. The teller must have notified R.W. and he called Raymond. But it was impressive. The local bankers had figured it out before anyone else in town. The important lesson they taught me was, build an intelligence network to keep you updated on what is important.

That was just the 1st of many amazing lessons Raymond Caughman taught me. When Raymond passed last month, he left a legacy of public service. I won’t try to enumerate all that he did as it appeared in this little newspaper last week. Our correspondent Michael Aun, who has known Raymond all his life, wrote a marveluous tribute to him last week. If you missed it, I recommend you get a copy.

Here’s another story. Once we were tangling with county officials over policies we felt were not good for the community. Raymond cautioned me to be careful. “You may be too harsh on them,” he said. He was right. We didn’t back off from what we thought was right but we did tone it down.

early one morning, we were talking in his office. He told me that he and his wife Lib each morning at breakfast discussed who they might help that day. They made a commitment to do it before the day’s end. That was the kind of role models they were not just for those who worked at the bank. Many of us knew and admired them for all they did for so many of us. We had heard the stories of how he had started Lexington State Bank. He had been at the Bank of Lexington. With a group of local investors, he made an offer for the bank. The owners said no. He and his long-time assistant Carol Metts set up an office on Sen. A.J. Dooley’s law office porch on East Main Street. There they did the research and filings necessary to earn a state charter for a bank. When Lexington State Bank opened its doors for the 1st time, local people stood in line to open accounts and make deposits.

When MacLeod and I tried to buy out our Dispatch News partners, Raymond agreed to loan us what we would need. He arranged for an appraisal and we made our partners an offer. They refused. Raymond and other community leaders encouraged us to start the Chronicle. It was a leap of faith. Lexington was still a small community. Would it support what we would need to succeed? All of you did. We know Raymond had a hand in encouraging others in Lexington to help us. We are grateful for all he and Lib did for us and so many others. We thank all of you for helping us make a success of the Chronicle.

Are you a maverick?

Get your life off to a profitable start with our new “Maverick Entrepreneurs’ Million Dollar Strategies.” Inspire yourself or a friend with a personally-autographed copy for only $20. Call 359-7633.