CCS Graduate Connolly Joins Iron String Press Editorial Staff

COOPERSTOWN—As it turns out, you can go home again. Kristian Connolly joined Iron String Press Inc. as a staff writer on Monday, August 12.

A 1995 graduate of Cooperstown Central School, Connolly first joined the Cooperstown community as a 9-year-old in 1987, and he’s been reading (and sometimes appearing in) “The Freeman’s Journal” ever since. After exploring other parts of the country and world for the past two-plus decades, he is extremely pleased that the only place he’s ever truly considered home is now his place once again.

A national and international communications, media, and advocacy professional since 2000, Connolly holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Binghamton University and a graduate certificate in Native American Studies from Montana State University. His professional past includes stops with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the Minnesota Twins, MLB.com, The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund, the D.C. law firm Williams & Connolly (no relation), and the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

“Cherokee author, lecturer and artist Thomas King has said that, ‘The truth about stories is that that’s all we are,’” said Connolly. “I share King’s sentiment about it being stories that create the world around us, and that not only does every single person and place have a story, but every single person and place IS a story.”

Connolly also believes that there is always more to the story than the basic facts or the official narrative, and that there are always interesting stories to be found in unexpected places. A true believer in the power of language and the importance of place, Connolly’s goal is to share meaningful, engaging, exploratory, and enlightening stories with the community.

“Kristian’s arrival on the scene marks a new chapter at Iron String Press,” said General Manager/Senior Editor Darla M. Youngs. “His experience in communications and the media, in particular, position us to be able to focus more on municipal and government news and to balance that coverage with our human-interest content. We are very excited to have Kristian on board.”

“We are very fortunate to have Kristian join us,” said Publisher Tara Barnwell. “He brings a vast amount of knowledge, both globally and locally, with him that he plans on sharing with our readers. I know our readers will like his style. We welcome him to our media group and our community.”

A longtime proponent of local and print news and the importance of a paper to its community, Connolly noted that he “doesn’t believe there are ‘small-town’ newspapers. Rather, I believe only that there are newspapers in small towns, and that the people should be well served and informed by their community paper.”

Connolly currently, and very happily, lives on seven acres in Fly Creek with his wife, Deborah, a clinical and community herbalist; his soon-to-be-teenage daughter, Cora; and the family’s senior feline companion, Santiago.