Farewell to Editor Jaime Rebhan, hello to Editor Liam McKenna

Oct 30, 2013

When Jaime Rebhan joined our staff back in the fall of 2009, Wareham Week and WarehamVillageSoup were just a concept of how local media should be reshaped for the 21st Century – and a plan for putting that concept into action in Wareham.

As Wareham Week’s first reporter, Jaime helped shape how the concept was brought to life. She was there when we put the final touches on our first edition in the early morning hours of Jan. 20, 2010. She was there as we figured out how to use the VillageSoup website to keep residents constantly updated on town news. Jaime was very good at that. She soon became our first online editor.

As Wareham Week’s second editor in chief, she took the reins in the fall of 2010 and has guided the editorial operation through coverage of Town Meetings and elections, hurricanes and blizzards, summer festivals and year-round school activities.

But all good things come to an end.

This week, we say farewell to Jaime as she steps into the next chapter of her Wareham life. (Details to come in the near future.) We wish her well – and thank her for the big piece of Jaime that went into the creation of Wareham Week and WarehamVillageSoup.

"This has been an amazing experience. I've had a blast telling the town's stories," Jaime said. "Wareham is my home now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't thank the community enough for everything it has done for me."

While it would be impossible to precisely fill Jaime’s big shoes, she and I are excited to introduce the community to her successor.

Liam McKenna comes to Wareham from Pennsylvania, where he grew up in Willow Grove, graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, and learned a lot about journalism – in print and online -- with internships at the Bucks County Courier Times in suburban Philadelphia and at PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods.com. In his first semester of school, Liam won three Keystone Press Awards with the Bucks County Community College student newspaper.

Along the way, he spent a semester in London, interning with the Hampstead and Highgate Express. His first assignment there: covering a demonstration by single mothers against welfare reform going through Parliament. (Let’s just say we expect him to be a quick study in learning about New England town government.)

Liam covered rowing for the Temple student newspaper, basketball in London (good job for the American intern -- better than cricket), and lots of community reporting in Philadelphia. Through his experiences mentioned and time with philadelphianieghborhoods.com, he is well-rounded with words, photos, and videos.

Liam moved to town last weekend with support from his family and girlfriend, joined the staff on Monday, and found himself sitting at the press table at Town Meeting on Monday evening.

“Through a few days in Wareham, I find your community to be warm, sincere, and connected,” Liam said. “I am excited to learn and tell your stories honestly.”

“You can feel free to come up and say, ‘hey,’” Liam said. “I am the dude rocking a bowtie who isn’t Alan Slavin.”

On the Wareham Week staff, Liam joins reporter and Wareham native Caitlin Russell. Caitlin and Jaime are this week providing his fast-track Wareham education. But I hope members of the community jump in to help him out. When you see him at a public event, say hello. Have a news tip? Shoot it to liam@warehamweek.com. As you get to know Liam and his work, I think you’ll come to agree that we have found a top-notch successor to Jaime.

And to Jaime: MANY thanks and best of luck in your next endeavor!