FALLING FAR FROM THE TREE
KYLE COOKE
If I had the money, I would be buying Rainbow Courts and keeping everything exactly like it is right now. I had a lot of fun visiting with Dan and Joan Ratliff on Friday for the feature story on the front page. And it was also fun talking to Kathryne and Ward Roddam for their part of the story.
One story I didn’t tell was that Kathryne’s grandfather, the late Harold Parsley’s father, at one point gave all of his grandchildren some jewelry. Kathryne told me she got a very nice diamond ring, which it turned out was payment for some real estate that someone owed her grandfather. The Real Estate Ring, he called it. And this was before Kathryne was even in real estate. She was still a schoolteacher when this happened.
She said she insured it and kept it in a safety deposit box and was afraid to wear it. But now that she has become a successful Realtor, she decided to wear it every day. Coincidence? I think not. Wear it proudly, my friend.
The first thing Dan asked me when I got to their house was, “Why do you think this is such an important story? I don’t understand why you want to write about it.”
History, first and foremost. That is something I understand working for this newspaper, because at a few different points in my parents’ ownership of this paper there was talk of selling The Reporter, but it never happened. And I’m thankful for that.
Of course, it could still happen at some point. The main point given was the Cooke family has run this paper since 1911. That’s a long time and that’s enough. It might be time for another family to run it.
He could have sold it for millions in the 1980s when Alcoa was blowing and going, and we had printing and office supply contracts for them. At that time the paper was running 32 pages per week. But it would have been a difficult and emotional choice.
But things changed for Alcoa, for Rockdale and for The Reporter as well.
And those are exactly the same two adjectives Joan used to describe her choice to sell her family’s business, Rainbow Courts, after 104 years: difficult and emotional. I understand what a diffi cult choice that was for her to make.
And luckily, I will never have to make that decision, but it could be coming one day for The Reporter. I have no kids to leave it to (thank God), and who knows if Ken’s two boys will be interested? Kathy’s girls are not interested in taking over. My late brother Kevin’s sons are iffy. Little Kevin is in college now to become a chef, which is exactly what he ought to be. Augie is a senior this year and plans to go to UT in the fall of 2023.
Mom once told me that no one in the newspaper business is allowed to retire and that is just about right. My grandfather worked a short daily schedule here until the day he died. Dad retired, but he’s still very interested and reads everything from cover to cover every Wednesday and I get a critique that evening, which are all mostly good. So even though he’s officially retired he still has a say and gives good constructive criticism. And who better to get that from after over 60 years at this newspaper?
Joan and Dan, you have worked so hard to turn Rainbow Courts into the award-winning showplace it is today, and you deserve your retirement. No one wants you to leave, but whatever you decide, Rockdale is behind you. Thank you, and your ancestors, for being behind Rockdale all these years.
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