By Paul Olsen (past president and editor emeritus)
Two years, or 12 issues ago, layout of The Hayes Valley Voice was turned over to William Ulrich, and things haven’t been the same since! As past president and long time editor, I had been privileged to work with several people over the years, and seen our newsletter grow to be a standard for other neighborhood organizations in the City. So, I worried about what this change would mean to us.
I needn’t have worried. From the very first issue, William’s graphic artistry further enhanced The Voice, and even more positive comments started coming in. There weren’t huge changes – more subtle ones – but they started immediately. That first issue, in January 2009, had too many entries for the calendar, and William and I were worried that the back cover of the newsletter wouldn’t be inviting as a result. William had the idea of breaking up the text by using small photos of the plants at Patricia’s Green as headers for each month. Nothing momentous, but a great change that still helps break up the page.
That William is an artist with an eye to detail quickly became clear in his layout, use of fonts, and other tools. He has frequently run out and taken photos to accompany articles, added graphics of his own design, and generally ensured that the look of The Voice would be appealing and lead to more people reading more about the neighborhood.
William’s artistry does not stop at The Voice. He paints, sketches, creates pieces from different media and even works on enhancing architectural details in private homes. William has participated in Open Studios, drawing people to the ‘hood and supporting other artists in doing the same.
As we move further into 2011, William is turning over his layout duties to Paulo Asuncion and following a new path. Literally, as William has moved further down the street to the edge of the neighborhood, and figuratively, as he has several other projects in which he is involved, and of which we are likely to hear more about as time goes on.
Please join me, the Communications Committee, and all of us who have benefited from William’s efforts, in wishing him good luck!