Veteran vendors - Osbourne Stern

 CROOKED RIVER, Clarendon:

OSBOURNE STERN has been a small-business proprietor in Crooked River, Clarendon, for as long as he can remember and has been selling The Gleaner for 64 years.

Stern said The Gleaner was already being sold in Crooked River when he started his business, but he was asked to continue selling the product in 1950 when the previous agent left. He said he has sold the newspapers, which include The Star, to persons in Crooked River and adjoining communities as well as passers-by until recently.

He said a younger person has taken over the selling of the papers. Although sales are not as high as they used to be, he said there were still 'one and two' people who come by daily to purchase the papers.

"I have always been selling The Gleaner and never had any problem, so I just continued," said Stern. He says he still depends on The Gleaner for news and other information and enjoys reading The Sunday Gleaner. Stern's favourite sections are news and sports.

- Shanique Samuels