Juliet Bickford’s fond farewell

A final thank you and goodbye.
Friday, February 29 My last morning show.
This is it—my last day!  I am glad we’ve taken the last two weeks to look back at my highlights here and let me say goodbye to all of you.  It would be so hard to sum it all up today.  I am overwhelmed in so many ways.  Especially at the e-mails I’ve gotten.  They are so heartfelt and touching.  I feel blessed to have been a part of all your lives.  And I really appreciate all of the good wishes you sent my way as I make my big move.  I tried to answer so many of them at the beginning.  But, this week has gotten away from me.  So, if you left me a message—I want you to know I truly appreciate it even if I didn’t get a chance to reply.  If you want to keep up with me—you can see me on WTKR or at wtkr.com.  To my friends at WSLS and all of Southwest Virginia—Thank you and I will miss you!

Thursday, February 28 I share more e-mails.
I had breakfast today with the entire morning crew at Tudor’s.  We had so much fun looking back on old memories from the morning show.  They really touched me this morning when they snuck a goodbye message on the air today around 6:45.  I know I’ve said it before—but I have worked with a real “Dream Team” when it comes to the behind-the-scenes crew for the morning show.  Our Director, Ken Orris always keeps his cool and keeps us on the air.  All the while—he’s still one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.  And, I always say my producer Greg O’Brien makes me look good every morning on the air.  He writes pretty much all of the scripts I read so early in the morning.  Without his attention to detail—I’d be lost.  And, almost as important—he makes me laugh all morning by talking in my earpiece.

On another note—I’ve been thanking viewers for their e-mails.  But, today I got the most creative one yet.  I wanted to share it with you.  It’s a poem from “JK”:
      Juliette’s Gone
      Juliette, oh Juliette,
      Where forth art thou oh Juliette?
      Why hast thou taken
      the star from our sky,
      And left us here,
      with a tear in our eye?
      For we’re in the night
        but thou art the star,
      That shines in the morning
        and lights up the dark.
      With a voice as cheerful
        as a sweet songbird,
      Brought us the news
        and the latest word,
      Of what’s goin’ on ‘round town,
        or all over the world.
      No bright sunny smile
        to waken our day,
      Our sweet Juliette
        is moving away.
      But alas, when we gaze yonder,
        on Mill Mountain star,
      It’s Juliette we’ll ponder
        and cry no more,
      For she shines on
        in a land afar,
      Norfolk now has
        our bright morning star.
      Shine on Juliette,
        shine on evermore!
                                        We love you!
                                                JK

Wednesday, February 27 I look back at some more serious stories I’ve covered.
Today I shot my last ‘Round Town at WSLS.  I was out at the boat show at the Roanoke Civic Center.  It was a very fitting place for my last shoot—since I love boats!  I grew up on the Hampton River and boating has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I really love the mountains up here—but I really have missed the water so much.  I am looking forward to spending time boating with my family and living back on the water.  I have two brothers, my sister-in-law and my nephew who also live in Hampton Roads.  So, I think together we will have many more new adventures on the water!

Tuesday, February 26 I share some of the e-mails I’ve received from viewers.
It’s been a very busy morning.  As I said yesterday—I was looking through old tapes of breaking news.  And this morning we had some breaking news that reminded me a lot of the morning of April 16.  We started getting calls into our newsroom around 8:00 about a situation on Ferrum College’s campus—possibly a shooting.  I talked to one woman on the phone who was crying because she couldn’t get in touch with her daughter who goes to Ferrum.  She lives in Richmond and couldn’t watch WSLS.  I told her to keeep her computer on our website and that she could call me back later if she still needed information.  The outcome of the lockdown at Ferrum turned out to be very different than the shootings at Virginia Tech.  But situations like today remind me that our job as journalists in a time of crisis is to inform and calm people whenever possible.  I hope I was able to offer some sense of calm to that mother today.

Monday, February 25 click here for more from my interview with Karen
I’ve been looking back at so many funny moments during my time here.  But, I’ve also covered some very serious and often heartbreaking stories.  As I was cleaning out my desk, I found a bumper sticker with Jennifer Short’s picture on it.  It gave me goosebumps to see her big grin.  Two weeks after I first started here in August of 2002—I covered the Short family murders and the search for Jennifer.  As I look back at some of those live shots—it’s one of those stories I will never forget.  I remember the people of Henry County stopping me at gas stations to ask what I knew about the search.  And about a month later—it was hard to go to North Carolina to follow up on the story about a young girl’s body found.  That’s one day that will always stick with me.  And, of course April 16 has become one of those heart-stopping days in my memory.  I sat on the set from about 10:00am to 6:00pm straight that day with Jay Warren.  I’ll never forget a producer telling me in my earpiece to report that 22 people were dead.  I recall feeling like I’d been kicked in the stomach.  And, the day just got worse as we learned to magnitude of the tragedy.  As I look back at the video of our coverage from that day—it’s still so hard.  I remember not knowing what to say to comfort the audience or to put the events in context.  Their simply was no perspective I could give—there had never been a campus shooting like it.  That was the hardest day in my career—yet I think it was the most important one.  I knew I had a tough, but vital job to get the information out to our viewers as the story was breaking.  Even as it is hard to look back at some of these tragic stories—I can appreciate how they have changed me as a journalist and as a person.

Friday, February 22 click here for video
I couldn’t stop laughing this morning while I watched our “behind-the-scenes” moments and bloopers.  It made me realize one of the things I will miss the most here—my co-workers.  Most of us work odd hours and sometimes it seems like we live at the station.  So, really my co-workers are my best friends in Roanoke.  Some people were at WSLS when I got here back in the summer of 2002 and welcomed me with open arms.  Others became my friends more recently.  Either way, I know I will miss their friendship.  And the laughs!  I have had so many funny moments over the years with Jeff Haniewich and the morning crew.  I wonder if I’ll ever find a co-anchor who is as funny and likeable as Jeff?  Probably not.  But, as I’m looking forward to new adventures at my new job—I know the people at WSLS will always hold a special place in my heart.  Thanks to my bosses for giving me such great opportunities as a reporter and anchor.  And thanks to my friends here for making it so much fun!

Thursday, February 21 Watch my resume tape
As an anchor—I spend the whole morning talking mostly to a camera in an empty studio.  It’s hard to picture all the people watching on the other side from their homes.  But lately, I’m getting a better idea of who our viewers are.  I have recieved the nicest e-mails since I announced my departure.  So many of you have told me how you enjoy having your coffee with me every morning.  And, so many say they appreciate how cheerful I am so early in the morning.  For the past five and a half years—I have really enjoyed being a positive start to your mornings.  And I hope it shows that I’ve really had a lot of fun here.  Tomorrow morning, we are going to show some “behind the scenes” blooper moments.  You’ll get an idea of just how much fun we have.  (I’m still laughing!)

Wednesday, February 20 The best of Juliet Bickford’s ‘Round Town
You don’t realize how much you’ve changed until you start looking back at old video.  Wow!  I have spent the past few days going through old tapes.  When I see some clips— I can’t stop laughing!  It’s really funny to look at some of my earliest work and see how much better I’ve gotten.  Not to mention some of my hairstyles and wardrobe choices.  Oh well, live and learn!  I only hope I won’t look back at video from 2008 one day and wonder: “What was I thinking?“  You will know just what I’m talking about it you watch the morning show on Thursday.  We are going to show some video from my first TV job in Texas.  I have a clip of my resume tape ready to air.  Let’s just say, you can tell I jumped in with both feet and was willing to try anything in a live shot!

Tuesday, February 19 video
I am a bit overwhelmed today.  Needless to say—there is so much to do to get ready to move!  I packed boxes all weekend.  And now, I realized that I need to move some of them out of my living room.  Karen McNew is coming by this afternoon to shoot a “sit-down” interview about me leaving and my memories of WSLS and Roanoke.  I just realized it’s not going to work if we can’t find a place to sit!  So, I am going to be working hard to make a path through the boxes.  I am looking forward to chatting with Karen.  I’ve been trying to spend as much time as possible with my friends here in Roanoke before I move.  Maybe trying to fit it all in is why I’m not getting much sleep these days ... wIsh me luck! more from Karen, after the interview

Monday, February 18 video and photos
It’s hard to find the words to sum up the past five and a half years at WSLS.  It’s been a dream come true to work as the morning and noon anchor here.  I feel like the Roanoke Valley has become my second home ... but now it’s time to say goodbye to head to my hometown.  I am taking a job as the morning anchor at WTKR (CBS) in Norfolk.  I grew up there and my whole family still lives there.  So I am very excited at the opportunity to be going back to my hometown of Hampton.  However, it will be so hard to leave the Roanoke Valley.  I have been very fortunate to work with great people at WSLS.  And I have enjoyed being invited into your homes every morning.  Thank you to the people of southwest Virginia for your kindness and support over the years.  I will miss you!