WILLIAMSON — Publisher Gaither Perry’s introduction to the city of Williamson and its longtime daily newspaper was less than idealic, but nearly two years later he remains confident of its future.

“The weekend I arrived in Williamson,” Perry told the Williamson Kiwanis Club on Monday night, “I received a call telling me to stop short because Williamson was flooded.

“Something else you need to know,” he was told that April 2007, “Your lead pressman was injured Friday night and will be out for an indeterminate time.”

Perry, who was introduced by program chairman Mike Pfaffenberger, told Kiwanians at their weekly dinner meeting at The Brass Tree about the succession of changes the Williamson Daily News has experienced over the last year and a half.

He recounted the changes in personnel and procedures, stating that many former employees have returned and new ones have been put in place.

The Montgomery, Ala., native said the most dramatic change that has moved from temporary to permanent during his stay in Williamson is the relocation of the press and post-press operations to the Daily News’ sister newspaper, The Logan Banner, in the city of Logan.

“When we realized it would be very difficult to replace the entire press crew with experienced personnel, we decided to make the transition to Logan permanent, which also prompted the return to afternoon publication,” Perry said. This was done just less than a year ago, and the post-press operations, inserting, bund-ling, etc., was completed earlier in February of this year.

“I am sure you have all heard the rumors that the entire operation will eventually move to Logan,” he told the club. “Well, that’s just not happening.

“The consolidation of production has been discussed since my arrival, and it only makes sense to do so,” said Perry. “The migration to Logan ends there.”

He also addressed the future of newspapers, telling his listeners, “Although I don’t think anyone in this room will live to see the day that the newspaper will cease to print, the move is more and more toward digital publication. Newspapers will still be an integral part of the community.”

Perry said the internet is a great disseminator of information “but a lousy gatherer. The community journalists will still be here to cover the local meetings, sports, events that affect our daily lives, and no one else is prepared to do that. The metros and television cover the big events state- and world-wide, but the community newspaper is here for the day-to-day coverage over the long haul.”

He noted hat the Williamson Daily News launched its online version of the newspaper for subscription on Feb. 13. “It is an electronic version of the paper that mirrors the print publication. If it is in our printed edition, you can now get it online – ads, comics, puzzles and all,” he said.

Perry summarized with the comment that the Williamson Daily News (established about 1912) has experienced many changes and streamlining.

“Although personnel churn is common to many businesses, I feel the right people are in place now to make this newspaper what I, and you, want it to be.”

Perry earned a degree in Visual Communications (Commercial Art, Advertis-ing) from Auburn University. He started his newspaper career with a weekly newspaper in Millbrook, Ala., in 1977, moving to North Carolina as an advertising representative in 1981. He became publisher in Clinton, N.C. in 1986.

His next stint was as publisher of papers in Virginia before returning to North Carolina. The Williamson paper was purchased by Heartland Publications of Jacksonville, Fla., in April 2004, and Perry arrived on the local scene in April 2007.