WS Chronicle

A lot has changed here at The Chronicle since 1993. Reporters and photographers have come and gone, several editors have moved on, and we’ve even seen a transition in ownership. But over the past 27 years there has remained one constant at the city’s oldest and most respected community newspaper: Paulette Lewis Moore.

Moore, a native of Winston-Salem, joined The Chronicle as part of the mailing department. In those days when The Chronicle ran its own presses, she was responsible for making sure papers had mailing labels. She said she did that for about three years. Then Ernie Pitt, founder and former publisher of The Chronicle, found out she could type. 

“When I first started, I would just come in on Wednesday nights,” Moore said. “Then Mr. Pitt found out I could type and offered me a position as his secretary and helping out in the newsroom.”

And from there the legend of “Mrs. Paulette” came to life and has continued to grow at The Chronicle. As secretary and office assistant, Moore is responsible for managing subscriptions, greeting visitors, answering the phone, and a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the weekly paper functioning smoothly. During her 27-year tenure, Mrs. Paulette has become the voice and the face of The Chronicle. 

Moore is also responsible for the annual Season’s Greetings page, a page of ads included in the Christmas edition, where local churches and businesses send holiday greetings to readers. 

When discussing her time at The Chronicle, Moore said in 1993 she never imagined that she would still be here more than two decades later, but it’s hard to leave family. 

“All the staff members over the years, all my subscribers, they’re just like family now,” Moore said. “I love my subscribers because a lot of them have been the backbone of the paper.”

Although it was a tough decision to make, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, Moore officially retired from The Chronicle. To celebrate her retirement, staff hosted a drive-thru event where subscribers had the opportunity to bid Moore farewell. Moore said the fact that she’s retiring hasn’t really set in yet, but when it does she knows she’ll miss it.

“I will miss it because after all these years getting up and coming here, it’s become like a habit … just out of habit I might even come in next week,” Moore laughed. 

Despite the fact she’s retiring, Moore said she doesn’t plan on sitting at home being bored. Moore has always been active in the community and at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where she has been a member for years. She doesn’t expect that to change. 

“Whenever things get better with COVID, I can always go to the school system and do volunteer work or Samaritan Ministries, where my daughter is the assistant director. I won’t get bored,” she laughed. “I can choose what I want to do, but I know I won’t get bored.”

When discussing the impact Moore has had on The Chronicle and the community, editor-in-chief, Bridget Elam said with her smile that can light up a room and her warm and caring personality, for years Moore has been the “Community’s Administrative Assistant.” Elam said Moore was her first face-to-face contact with The Chronicle and from the moment she walked in the door, Moore made her feel like she was home. 

“When I became part of The Chronicle officially, we had to work together more and more. She was like a resource because she had all the historical knowledge about everything,” Elam said. “I’m really going to miss her because she has definitely been the backbone of The Chronicle for 27 years. And over the years I’ve learned that she wasn’t just our administrative assistant, she was the community’s administrative assistant.”

Publisher James Taylor, referred to Moore as a “living legend.”

“She is certainly a living legend that has made a positive impact on the lives of many,” Taylor continued. “I count it a privilege to be able to glean from her wisdom of the industry and her knowledge of our culture.”