The executive editors of The Post look back on time spent with city official while reporting.
Tuesday's election will mark the beginning of the end for current Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl’s tenure in office.
Athens City Councilman Steve Patterson, D-At Large, is an Ohio University psychology professor and is running unopposed for the mayoral seat. Patterson will officially begin his position as Athens mayor in January.
Out of the four editors sitting in the executive office at The Post, two have reported on city council and have spent quite a bit of time using Wiehl as a source, leaving them with some fond memories of Wiehl (or the interviews he gave us).
For Emma Ockerman, editor-in-chief of The Post, a lot of it had to do with the several budget-related questions asked after city council meetings, perhaps to the annoyance (but great patience) of Wiehl. Occasionally, it was calling five minutes before he was set to leave work at 5 p.m. and keeping him on the phone for 30 minutes. Sometimes it was calling, emailing, calling and then emailing for a quote. Still, he always seemed to pull through.
When current digital managing editor Samuel Howard covered city government for The Post during the 2012-13 academic year, he spent part of every Wednesday afternoon with Wiehl at the mayor’s weekly news conference.
Often times, our sources are dodgy when asked pointed questions. Wiehl, though, usually was a straight-shooter.
When once asked by The Post on one of those Wednesdays about unsolved crimes in Athens, Wiehl told Post reporters his doubts about a more-than-ten-year-old unsolved murder case ever getting solved.
“There aren't a bunch of Sherlock Holmeses out there doing this,” Wiehl said.
That type of connection established between reporters and Wiehl is one of the things we'll miss the most about the official.
We'll be sad to see Wiehl, a mayor never hesitant to work with our young reporters, leave office. As we look ahead to a new Athens mayor, we hope Patterson will offer the same congeniality to a new generation of Posties.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post's executive editors: Editor-in-Chief Emma Ockerman, Managing Editor Rebekah Barnes, Opinion Editor Will Gibbs and Digital Managing Editor Samuel Howard. Post editorials are independent of the publication's news coverage.
