#WELL-READ
Alonzo Weston
July 18, 2017
DEFINITION: Having extensive information and understanding; deeply versed through reading.
He’s spent years lying in the shadows. Now, more than ever, the world needs his courage. St. Joseph’s most influential writer, Alonzo Weston, has revealed his secret identity. He. Is. A. Nerd.
…Alonzo Weston has been frequenting Cosmic Collectables for the past few years. Curtis Coldry, owner of the superhero sanctuary, admits he was a little surprised to see the highly- regarded newspaper columnist initially walk through his door at 16th and Garfield.
“You look at him and he’s not the type, but they come in all shapes and sizes.”
In a way, Alonzo identifies with the plight of the superhero. For years, he kept his comic book and video game obsession under wraps.
“I didn’t let anybody know that I read them, because I thought it was just kind of weird. It was like a deep, dark secret. So here I am, 62 and I’m still loving it, so I’m just gonna own it. I love comics and video games!”
Many locals know Alonzo Weston as a journalist for the St. Joseph News-Press , but he didn’t set out to become a writer.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be a comic book artist. My first love was art. Somewhere along the way, I just wanted to write more than I wanted to draw.”
In his distinguished career, he’s been honored with a number of prestigious awards including the YWCA/NAACP Kelsey Beshears Racial Justice Award in 2005 and the Department of Mental Health Media Award in 2002 for a series of stories on local mental health issues.
His list of accolades continues with nationally published byline stories in the Nashville Tennessean and the New York Daily News.
Today, his face beams with pride as he stands near the statue of fellow St. Joseph native, Coleman Hawkins. Situated at Seventh and Felix streets, the statue and the corresponding Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival brings throngs of jazz appreciators to this historic tract of downtown real estate each year. Both are efforts in which Alonzo played a major role.
From working his way up the ranks at the paper as an intern in 1989 with no formal journalism training to earning his degree in 2002, to being voted the city’s favorite columnist for nearly two decades, Alonzo is the very definition of a self-made man.
He’s worked more jobs than he can count – as a baker, vacuum cleaner salesman, on the railroad, and at WireCo’s former steel wire rope manufacturing plant in St. Joseph. For many of his WireCo years, Alonzo was pulling double duty, writing part time for the News-Press. Alonzo says those years of factory work and back breaking labor helped shape who he is and his unique writing style.
“People always say that I’m the voice of the people in the street. I guess I get that from being in that world.”
You can tell that his uncommon path to becoming one of the most trusted voices in our community is something he takes great pride in.
Alonzo sums up his accomplishments and legacy with a simple thought that encompasses his values of education, experience, passion and persistence — a thought that doubles as a call to action to our entire community.
“If you want something bad enough, you gotta go after it…I just never gave up.”
#AWESOME
Built in 1873, the Buchanan County Courthouse, with its majestic white pointed dome, stands as an architectural icon during the day and casts a warm stately glow over downtown St. Joseph in the evening light.
#HUMBLE
If you ask him about his career playing and coaching tennis, he’ll tell you he just hopes that people try the sport.
#INVENTIVE
For several area students, a summer afternoon doesn’t involve much channel surfing. Instead, they’ll be practicing new skills and refining others, such as giving commands. Building functions. Envisioning new virtual worlds. Making specially-created animated heroes. Working within the access interface. And coding on the back-end, for front-end awesome action and results.
#STRONG
What does the road to a dream look like? If it’s a sports dream, there are early, dark mornings – lacing up shoes before any lights flicker on the block. There are late nights, pushing past physical and emotional limits, even when it seems out of reach. There are countless sacrifices at every turn. And there are often amazing mentors and coaches, right there to say, “We don’t quit. Not today.”
#GROUNDBREAKING
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, this architectural feat, designed by esteemed local architects Eckel and Mann, is getting a second life thanks to a $20 million shot in the arm from Mosaic Life Care.