When the much-beloved Rose Post retired from the Post, I thought that no one could take her place in terms of superior writing of stories that everyone enjoyed reading.

Mark Wineka came as close as possible to filling the void she left. He excelled in getting the sometimes reticent subjects of his stories to open up and reveal things that most would not. He proved not only to be a superb writer but also was a good listener. He quickly earned the trust of the public and was flooded with ideas for interesting stories. He took those ideas and turned them into great interviews and then wrote some of the most interesting stories ever published.

During my career, I have been privileged to be interviewed by many people. Rose Post and Bill Friday have been my two favorite because they put their subjects at ease and we answered their questions with no hesitation.

We knew they would be respectful but sometimes challenging with their questions. Above all, they were both fair and accurate. Wineka joined Post and Friday as my two favorites grew to three.

Thank you, Mark, for giving your best to the loyal readers of the Post and thanks for continuing to make our lives richer and more enjoyable through your writing in Salisbury the Magazine.

Thanks also to those editors who gave you the freedom and the flexibility to write about your chosen subjects.

Phil Kirk

Raleigh