The tables have been turned and now it is time for the people who have been talking and writing about Mineola for the past five decades, Lou and Grace Sanders, to answer the tough questions.

The Sanders celebrated 50 years of marriage recently, a marriage that bore three children and one newspaper, the Mineola American. In modest reflection of the past 50 years, these two promoters of the printed word recalled their own story for print in the publication they themselves created.

Surrounded on the Pavilion at the Wyndham in Garden City by two sons, a daughter, two daughters-in-law, three granddaughters and an intimate group of family and lifelong friends, Grace and Lou celebrated their 50th anniversary by renewing their vows in a ceremony written by their daughter, Sister Anne Marie, with music provided by Sister Patricia Scalese.

Fifty years ago it was a group of 60 at St. Anne's Church in Stewart Manor that witnessed the wedding of the couple who had met two years earlier thanks to a mutual friend.

One day this friend told Lou of a wonderful registrar and secretary who worked for the Sewanhaka School District who had caught the friend's eye.

"One night he made the foolish mistake of introducing me to her," said Lou, and he and Grace have been together ever since.

Lou spent two years as a sales representative and sports reporter with the Franklin Square Bulletin, before he and Grace moved upstate, so Lou could work on the Binghampton Press. It was there the duo decided after two years that Long Island was where they belonged, so they headed back to start a weekly newspaper of their own.

"I had gone to local publishers and they had told me that Mineola could not support a weekly newspaper, never could support a weekly newspaper and never will," recalled Lou.

Using his experience in journalism and sales and the help of a number of diligent workers most notable among them Charlie Alfiere, Dorothy Koehler and Jim McLees, Lou and Grace proved the naysayers wrong in 1952. The village chosen was one which, at the time, had no paper of its own, but would become home to the Mineola American.

Grace, more experienced with the school systems than publishing, provided the full range of skills including proofreading, managing subscriptions, bookkeeping, writing restaurant reviews and recipe columns and interviewing people.

"I told him I would help him get started and 40 years later I was still working," said Grace, "I guess I never got tired of it."

Though the name Mineola was familiar to Lou who was from Garden City and Grace who was from Stewart Manor, the workings of the village itself was not familiar to the couple, and the Sanders quickly put into action a plan to rectify the situation.

In 1953 the couple moved to Mineola, where they raised a family and still live, in order to develop a sense of community. "That is the way I wanted to run the paper," he explained.

Lou joined numerous organizations such as the Knights of Columbus and the Lions Club. Also, the former combat engineer joined the VFW and the American Legion.

Lou is a past president of the Long Island Press Association and a five time president of the Mineola Chamber of Commerce.

He is still active as an usher for Masses held at Corpus Christi and for the past 28 years he has sat on the Mineola Pool Board.

The idea was to become involved in the community, and the Sanders did just that carving out a name for their paper and a reputation as well. As a member of the community the paper would demand changes and speak as a voice for those who could not be heard.

Through fiery editorials Lou battled the village on a number of issues including legal advertising, extended term limits and spikes in the cost of parking meters, and in each case the paper played a part in forcing the village boards to not only reconsider the issue, but to change their vote.

From the early days of editorials calling for a two party government system, Lou has switched to lighter fare. His biweekly Around Town with Lou column epitomizes the community spirit of the Sanders, recognizing the accomplishments and happenings of their Mineola neighbors.

Lou himself was recognized four years ago by the Mineola Garden City Rotary Club who awarded him the Kirby Award for Outstanding Community Service, something he considers one of his greatest honors.

However, the real thrill for Lou and Grace is the impact their newspaper has had on the village and people of Mineola. Whether speaking to children about journalism or highlighting the accomplishments of a neighbor, the Sanders know that they leave behind work that will be cherished for a lifetime.

It is a milestone in its own right that the couple has spent 50 years together, but it is more incredible to note that they have spent just about the same amount of time in the newspaper business.

"Every day is fresh and different," explained Lou, "We love the work." When asked if that recipe resulted in their successful marriage, Lou responded "Yeah."

Their philosophy toward life is very simple, supported by faith and commitment, they have successfully dealt with the complicated matters inherent in the production of a weekly newspaper. Through all this the couple has watched their family; Richard, Tom, AnnMarie, Debbie, Laurie, Tracey, Kimberly and Colleen; grow up to take on the world, and they have watched their child, the Mineola American, grow into a thriving publication and an integral part of Mineola life.