< 6 Degrees

A 19th century tradition for these folks was to deliver eloquent Christmas poems to the townspeople. The poems were called "Carrier Addresses" and some were romantic ballads, variations of the Christmas story or poetically told stories about the townspeople and businesses of the time. These "Carrier Addresses" were written and
delivered by the newspaper carriers.


Meet Dick Johnson, our newspaper carrier for over 9 years. When asked why he does this job he responded "I wasn't happy with the way my paper was being delivered so when the route became available I took the job. Also my father had recently died from diabetes and I needed to do something about my health." How many degrees separate you from Dick?

Dick works full time at JMU as Director of Technical Services. He is happily married and the father of three children. One of the rewards of walking the streets in the wee hours of the morning is "The peace and beauty of a fresh fallen snow. It is also fun to be the first to make tracks in the snow and I was able to do a lot of that this past winter."

Not many people see you but many of us benefit from your wonderful work. These little things help to enrich our lives. Kudos to you Dick Johnson from all of us.