Michael and Melissa’s departures

I was dismayed to see the terse announcement in the Jour nal about the de par ture of Michael Romain. I have felt for some time that were for tunate to have a writer and thinker of his caliber and had been concer ned that he might move on to greener pastures sooner rather than later, which seems now to have occurred.

But then to find another similar announcement about the de par ture of Melissa Elsmo is doubly concer ning, given the expansion of coverage that she instigated of our local and re gional food scene to the benefit of our small businesses, as well as to her readers by piquing the interest of residents and aler ting us to the breadth of local dining options through her lively writing. I will miss both of them and feel that the Jour nal has lost two of its most impor tant contributors.

Christine Worny, Oak Park