The new year always holds a promise of new rewards and new challenges. For the staff at The Mason County News, for the first time in memory, it also means that we will spend our weekdays without the company of Tom Kent. In early December, Tom made the decision to fully retire, after 28 years of working at the News. Prior to serving as our delivery coordinator, and being in charge of managing our in-house print services, Tom and his wife Frances owned their own business in Rising Star.