Gary Reid celebrates two important milestones each year at this time – his fi rst foray into the world of newspapers as a fresh-faced journalism graduate from Oklahoma State University and his arrival in Kingfisher as the new publisher of the Times & Free Press.

If you’re counting, this January marks 62 years since the first event and 40 years since the second.

In typical Reid fashion, he won’t let us make much of a fuss about either anniversary.

But if you wanted to drop by the offi ce between 2 and 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon for a cup of coffee, punch or tea, a cookie or two and a few minutes shooting the breeze with a state Hall of Fame journalist and former Citizen of the Year, he’d love to see you.

In the 22 years before he arrived in Kingfisher, Reid worked for the Pauls Valley Daily Democrat, was the editor of the Wewoka Daily News and owner and publisher of the Hollis News.

Devoting 62 years to the same career is a pretty amazing accomplishment for anyone, but what’s even more remarkable is that Reid is still at his desk at least 40 hours a week hammering out the editorial page plus a few news stories for each edition.