Today marks the final column of “Questions Anyone?” in The News.

Alpena resident Vernie Nethercut has decided that the time is right to retire the column. While sad about that decision, we certainly understand it.

Anyone familiar with Vernie knows how physically challenging putting the column together would have been. Thankfully Vernie is blessed with a loving husband who would do anything for her, including assisting her greatly in the column’s preparation.

Writing a column is by no means an easy undertaking, as Vernie quickly discovered, yet she believed in the concept that she pitched to us and thus, she stuck to her deadlines and worked hard to answer questions people posed to her. She became a modern-day fountain of history and education on the community via her writing.

We are sure there are many, like us, who will be disappointed by the news. Certainly we understand those thoughts. We even debated continuing the column on with another author but honestly, we don’t believe anyone would give it the same love and attention that Vernie did.

Vernie, we wish you well. And thanks for enlightening all of us by answering the questions posed to you. You truly were an encyclopedia of the region.