Editor moves on from The Winsted Journal

After 13-plus years at the helm of The Winsted Journal, Michael Marciano is leaving the weekly newspaper to become managing editor at the New Britain Herald. His last day will be Friday, Jan. 17, and he will begin his new post at the Herald on Jan. 20. “The feeling is certainly bittersweet,” Marciano said. “My final day at The Winsted Journal marks 13-and-a-half years I have proudly served as editor of an award-winning community newspaper and a happy member of The Lakeville Journal family. “These years of my life have been filled with ups and downs, but mostly fond memories of learning how to become a part of the Winsted-Winchester community and to cover it as fairly and accurately as I could. I am grateful for the experience this position has given me and for the lessons I have learned along the way.”During Marciano’s tenure, The Winsted Journal won awards for editorial writing, arts and entertainment section, and photography from the New England Newspaper and Press Association based in Boston. There was a move of the office from one storefront on Main Street to another, from 452 to 396 Main St. While there have been multiple reporters and office managers during those 13 years, those who serve under Marciano now have stuck with it for years. Office Manager Lauren DiMauro has been running the office and greeting readers there since 2005, and reporter Shaw Israel Izikson has been with The Lakeville Journal Company since 2007, and at The Winsted Journal since 2010. Marciano gave some further parting words: “The fact that the editorial and publishing brass at the New Britain Herald see in me an opportunity to make positive strides is a testament to the strength of Winsted and The Winsted Journal as a proving ground for professional journalists. With amazing influences like the late sages Whitney Ellsworth and Bob Estabrook, we have all been blessed with the opportunity to work with exceptional, visionary figures who helped to propel great journalism into the 21st century.”It is with sadness we at The Lakeville Journal Company see Marciano leave The Winsted Journal, but we are glad it is to move on in the world of Connecticut media. Marciano, who grew up in West Hartford, is a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University with a degree in journalism and spent six years at the Hartford Advocate before coming to The Winsted Journal as editor in 2000. His roots in Connecticut go deep, and we are confident he will continue to further the cause of good journalism in the state. We wish him only the best as he begins a new chapter in his life.Izikson will serve as interim editor of The Winsted Journal on Marciano’s departure. You will be able to find him at the office on Main Street, covering meetings and events or walking around town. He is always willing to discuss story ideas, and he will welcome input from the community on any topic. Contact him at shawi@winstedjournal.com or 860-738-4418, or on The Winsted Journal page on Facebook.— Janet Manko, publisher and editor in chiefThe Winsted JournalThe Lakeville Journal Company