My work in review, part 0

I've decided to link to some of my favorite stuff at the newspaper I work at and comment a little on the articles. This is not everything I've written, just stuff I want to remember. Also, I can't say too much. I don't want to get into trouble.

For this installment, I jump back to my first day of work and the first few stories I worked on. I'll note that once I got up to speed I generally have maybe five stories a day on average, including police logs, to my credit.

• Sunshine Days Run in the Sun slated for Sept. 17 - 15 Aug 2011 - This story is only notable because it is, in fact, my very first published work for the paper.
• Good manners, etiquette focus of clinic held in Sunnyside - 16 Aug 2011 - My second published story.
• Visitor from Japan takes in sights of the Valley - 17 Aug 2011 - Yay, a byline! And amusingly enough, the student's host, Julia Hart, is now my co-worker. She left the paper for a bit and then came back.
• Health fair a big hit in Sunnyside - 23 Aug 2011 - Way way way too warm outside that day.
• Hospice care not just for those with a few days left - 23 Aug 2011 - A hard story to write, but not as hard as the decision to use hospice, I think. Fortunately Rev. Ron Jetter is a really nice guy.
• Grandview teachers want school district to ante up 1.9 percent pay cut OK'd by state - 23 Aug 2011 - My first school board meeting. I sat next to a reporter from the Grandview weekly newspaper and got advice from him.
• New Grandview business turns waste into profit - 23 Aug 2011 - This was a big story for me... anyway, this business is still going strong.
• One man's junk another's treasure - 31 Aug 2011 - This guy had the most awesome workshop ever. He took these old toys and restored them... and a lot of other stuff.
• Starting new at Sun Valley Elementary School - 06 Sep 2011 - I hope to revisit Noah every few years and get his views on the school district.
• Christian girls open with sweep - 07 Sep 2011 - Sportswriting! Not my forte, but thank goodness for coaches like Stephanie who make it easy.
• Port officials explore options for old milk plant - 08 Sep 2011 - I did enjoy touring this building. It was a lot of fun for me for some reason.
• Volunteers seek help preserving Sunnyside's neon heritage - 09 Sep 2011 - I really like the idea of Neon Alley and have been watching it closely since the start. It may still happen someday.
• Alpacas bring agritourism to the valley - 15 Sep 2011 - My first run-in with the local alpaca population was via a Rotary presentation. I eventually got to meet some of these same alpacas in less happy circumstances.
• Energizing meeting jump starts downtown Sunnyside revitalization plans - 15 Sep 2011 - I got in trouble for speaking up at this meeting. I have been a better reporter since, but much less of a resident. The balance is sometimes hard to strike.
• The scoop on poop at the high school - 16 Sep 2011 - I suggested the headline as a joke. The editor kept it because he thought it was funny.
• Minimum wage jumping to $9.04 - 06 Oct 2011 - I ended up talking with a lot of people about this, some who wouldn't go 'on the record' and some with very strong opinions. My own opinion was changed, a little, when I learned that although the state's minimum wage is linked to the consumer price index, there's no consideration when the CPI goes down. This state has one of the highest minimum wages in the country. (sarcasm) Oddly, business still thrives. (/sarcasm)
• Local orthodontist helps create smiles - 13 Oct 2011 - Who is that masked man?
• Prosser rings with Over the Hill Theatricals' current play - 14 Oct 2011 - There is something incredibly odd about seeing someone in the community you know in an official capacity in a play. I absolutely LOVE it, and I love this organization's work.
• Rockets boost learning at Sunnyside High School - 18 Oct 2011 - Yeah, rockets! Wahoo!
• Pumpkin patch sales help local family pay for heart surgery - 20 Oct 2011 - Lil Rey was awesome to meet. I got to see him later after some of his surgeries, too.
• Volunteer will leave part of her soul in Sunnyside - 20 Oct 2011 - She was a powerhouse while she was in town, and I only knew her for a couple of months.
• Popcorn from another angle - 21 Oct 2011 - Man, I love that picture. And the fudge was good, too.
• Sunnyside's Promise receives funding extension for anti-gang efforts - 27 Oct 2011 - An unheard of extension allowed Sunnyside to uncover a lot more information about this situation. Sadly, the funding has been lost since then, but not before a lot of good was done.
• Firefighters offer glow sticks in goodie bags for Halloween - 28 Oct 2011 - I love the comments on this one.

Jump to the next few articles.