Garland Forman promoted to publisher in Ville Platte; leaving Bunkie and Avoyelles after 31 years

After serving more than 31 years as sports editor, editor and general manager of the Bunkie Record, I must inform readers that I have been promoted to the position of publisher of the Ville Platte group of papers for Louisiana State Newspapers.
This is the same group that hired me to come to Bunkie in 1987.
My last day in Bunkie will be on Thursday, Sept. 20. This will be a new challenge in my career as I will now oversee five newspapers. 
It was a decision that my wife Debbie and I thought deeply about and prayed about before accepting the position. We feel the move will be beneficial for me and the family.
It will be hard to say goodbye to the many friends in Bunkie and elsewhere in Avoyelles Parish. 
Thirty-one years ago an unproven and unknown journalist came to Bunkie to begin a career that has exceeded my dreams.
It was you, the readers, who accepted me and made me feel welcome when I arrived in Bunkie.
Over the years those friendships continued to grow and more were made as people moved into the community.
Not once in my time in Bunkie did I feel that I didn’t want to come to work. That is because of the people I came into contact with every day.
There are so many people Debbie and I would like to thank for helping us during our time in Bunkie and Avoyelles Parish.
While I can’t name everyone, I do want to personally thank Randy and Susan Decuir, owners of Avoyelles Publishing, for allowing me to write the news and sports in Bunkie.
I want to thank the current staff of Avoyelles Publishing and those who have worked for the paper over the years. During our time, the Bunkie Record was named Newspaper of the Year three times since 2005 for our size paper, Editorial Paper of the Year four times and won over 400 awards total in the past 30 years.
While I have always lived in Evangeline Parish, my wife and I raised our four children coming to events in Avoyelles Parish -- festivals, church fairs, football games throughout the parish.
I always felt I needed to be involved in the community and served on several civic boards in Avoyelles, mainly in Bunkie. I believed for the paper to be successful it had to be part of the community.
I always felt students should be honored for their accomplishments in academics, school clubs and athletics.
I will miss covering high school sports events. Over the past three decades, I have witnessed great athletic events in our high schools -- including several schools that reached the state finals.
There have been many great times and there have been struggles in this community.
Each time we tried to give people thanks where it was needed and options to help Bunkie and Avoyelles during our struggles.
Over the years, Bunkie and Avoyelles have faced many harsh times with the economy. Those times still continue, but this parish continues to fight to help pull itself up.
Avoyelles Parish is like a brother and sister in a family. It’s all right for the brother to argue with the sister, but if an outsider criticizes a family member they have to deal with the whole family.
This parish always amazed me when it was threatened with a flood, winter storm or hurricane. The parish came together and helped each other recover after the natural disaster and move on.
I look forward to keeping your friendship and ties with Bunkie.
Just remember, I am just down the road. Bunkie is truly the “Best Spot Topside God’s Green Earth.”
Thank you again for being a big part of my life.
Garland Forman