New Issue

Check out the latest issue of the Community Free Press. It continues to be a good little paper, and-- at the risk of sounding cheesy-- I am proud of my association with it.

Someone told me the other day that he always finds good stuff in there to read, which is a really high compliment coming from someone who isn't trying to suck-up.

Fines Massey took over the 'public defender' piece for me after I posted my take here, and delivered a very fine story. He is a solid writer, and a funny guy. I think we're lucky to have him on staff. I was glad to hear that things in the local office are getting better.

Kelsey Garman's 'Maturity Matters' story was interesting, too. So was... and on and on. It's a good issue. Enough said. No one here needs to read a sappy plug.

But then, that's all I had in mind.

Except for this: I am often dissatisfied with how much gets left out of any story I write. This isn't to say that Chris or anyone at CFP is doing anything wrong. The story lengths are good. The topics are fine, too. But, short of videotaping each interview, there is always good stuff that will be left out.

In doing the 'Animal Control' story on page 1, the audience wouldn't necessarily know that I rode around with Nicole Fowler, an animal control officer, for two hours last Thursday. I mention her only in the caption.

I thought it was interesting to know that she still gets attached to some of the dogs, cats, etc. she captures. Of course she would. Now when you consider the shelter has to euthanize over 2,000 animals a year...you can see how her story is interesting, too.

In a town of 150,000 people, stories are everywhere I guess.