This is one in a series of articles to introduce readers to correspondents covering their communities within The St. Ignace News readership area. When Linda Livermore began writing for The St. Ignace News in 1984, the Rexton-Garnet telephone numbers were only three-digits long. That was 23 years ago, and she has trouble believing it has been that long.

"I still remember Mrs. Browning had the crank [on her telephone], which she had to wind whenever she wanted to call out," said Mrs. Livermore.

Being a social correspondent is only a part-time job for Mrs. Livermore, who is employed full time at 92nd District Court in Mackinac County. She enjoys writing for the News, something she considers a hobby rather than work, however, she said, "It's hard sometimes to find enough news in a small town."

Mrs. Livermore was born and reared in Moran, but the family moved to Rexton early in her life when her stepfather, David Beaudoin, who worked for the Michigan Highway Department, was transferred from the Michigan State Ferries operation in St. Ignace to the state highway garage in Rexton.

Linda Livermore, who works for 92nd District Court in St. Ignace, has been the The St. Ignace News correspondent for the Rexton-Garnet area for 23 years. She attended elementary school in the St. Ignace Third Ward, took seventh and eighth grade at Rexton, and was graduated from Engadine High School in 1963.

She married David Livermore shortly after graduation and they moved to Pontiac. Their wedding was held in December because it was the only time Mr. Livermore could get leave from the Army, into which he had been drafted that summer.

The couple, who celebrate their 44th anniversary this year, returned to the Eastern Upper Peninsula in 1976 and reside in Garnet.

They have four children, Sheila, who lives in Engadine, Scott of Garnet, David, who is stationed with the Army at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and Andy of Grand Rapids. The Livermores also have six grandchildren.

While living in Pontiac, Mrs. Livermore would call then-Engadine correspondent Julie Sanborne (now deceased) to find out who was visiting in the area. When she moved back here, the job became hers and, at first, she was not sure how to begin.

Heyward Browning stands next to a stack of cut timber at his Browning shingle mill in Garnet. He operated the mill until his death in 2002. The mill and sawdust remain at the site today. (Photograph courtesy of John Browning) "I just started calling everybody in town," she said. "Fortunately, the town is small."

Rexton was once the headquarters for the D.N. McLeod Lumber Company and its white pine operations, and Canadian bankers financed the building of the railroad through Rexton.

Garnet is known for its historic Browning shingle mill, which has been out of business for about six years, said Mrs. Livermore. Heyward Browning operated the mill up until his death in 2002. Today, she said, there are many new residents from the Lower Peninsula in Garnet and Rexton.

Rexton and Garnet residents consider themselves one community, since only three miles separate the two small towns, said Mrs. Livermore.

"I really like writing because I like to know the more personal things that people are doing, such as who is visiting, and what family event they are celebrating," said Mrs. Livermore.

"You could say I like to be nosey," she laughed, "but I like it because people are so neighborly. I've always been impressed with their willingness to be so neighborly, to help others out whenever they need it."

Mrs. Livermore has learned that to be a correspondent for a local newspaper and for a community, especially a small community, getting all of the news is necessary.

"If I miss someone's birthday, I get called onto the carpet," she said.

She enjoys passing along local news to readers, and once helped a caller who asked her for genealogy information.

"I remember a man in town wanted me to put in my column that his 'cat' was for sale," Mrs. Livermore chuckled. "When I asked what color it was, he was kind of perplexed. It wasn't until further into the conversation that I realized he was talking about his [Caterpillar] bulldozer."

With many years of writing experience, Mrs. Livermore said she has learned to relax with her writing style, and she adds a little humor whenever she can.

"I like to write how I talk," she said. "When you get to know people out there in the community, you get used to writing like you talk, because you know these people so well.

"My punctuation, however, hasn't improved much over the years," she laughed, "but thanks to a great news staff, it looks pretty good in the newspaper."

News can be submitted to Mrs. Livermore at (906) 595-7283.