November 2014 • FREE
Starting Year Six
Our first issue and last month’s issue featuring our new masthead by award winning designer Cathey Flickinger.
by Rick & Karen Rogers Editors of High Points What a ride this has been as we enter our sixth year of publication. It was a chilly afternoon in early October of 2009 as Lauralee Beck, Kathy Dennis, Wayne Sanchez, Karen and myself sat in the office of InSpirit Marketing on First Avenue in downtown Albany and decided that we would start a new newspaper called High Points. It would feature nothing but good news about the mid valley area, avoiding the negative stories. I had always been told that “good news” never sold newspapers. Boy was that wrong! We needed to get our new venture to press in just two weeks so we could premiere it at our monthly Points for Profit dinner at the end of October. Keep in mind that while Lauralee, Wayne and I all had broadcast experience, none of us had taken on anything like this. We had two weeks with no advertising sold and no stories written. Karen decided she would write a monthly cooking column, I would tackle the front page and several other articles, and we roped friends and supporters into getting us some material for columns. WE DID IT! The first issue was 16 pages with four in color, and the rest typical newspaper black and white. We published 10,000 copies, which we still do today, and quickly set up a distribution network. By the next issue, we were full color and we started expanding our pages. At the end of year five, we had ground out 60 issues and we are still going strong. We have faced a number of challenges over the past year, including a horrific accident the night before our awards banquet, leaving Lauralee hospitalized and out of circulation for quite some time during her recovery. Then, we lost one of our longtime coworkers and our Points for Profit bookkeeper, Donna Barnard, who was ill for several months before she passed away in early July. On top of that, both Karen and I have been going through some severe medical treatments this year. Despite the setbacks, through the grace of God, we have kept going and High Points is bigger and better than ever. For this, we thank you, the readers, supporters, and advertisers. We always appreciate the nice comments when we are out and about. The paper has grown so fast that nowadays we run out of papers before we run out of month. Thank You.
This large flag flies from the Albany Fire Department’s ladder 13 truck at a recent Vets Helping Vets HQ picnic.
Welcome Veterans In the mid-valley, November is a special month. We are known nationwide for our Veteran’s day festivities, including the largest Veteran’s Day Parade west of the Mississippi River. According to organizer Patty Louisiana, this year’s parade will especially honor our World War Two veterans. The activities will include a Veteran of The Year banquet on the evening of November 10th to be held at the Albany American Legion Post 10 building on Pacific Boulevard in Albany. On Tuesday, November 11th, the day will start out with traditional pancake breakfasts in Albany and Lebanon. There will then be a special ceremony at the Veteran’s memorial at Timber Linn Park starting at 8AM. The parade, with the theme “Heroes at Home”, will get underway at 11AM and travel over the Pacific Boulevard overpass, down the ramp onto Lyon Street, down Lyon Street turning west on Second Avenue. Thousands of people line the parade route each year to show their respect to those who have served their country. After the parade, an awards ceremony is held on the steps of the Linn County Courthouse in downtown Albany. For the
first time, this year, the events are being sponsored by Coastal Farm and Home Supply of Albany. For more information on the parade, go the parade’s Facebook page at: VeteransdayparadeAlbanyOR. Other events include the displaying of the HarleyDavidson of Salem “Hall of Honor” at Heritage Mall in Albany, which is on display now through Veteran’s Day. The wall has been updated, and features the names, photos, and short biographies of those who have lost their lives serving their country in recent conflicts. Working to bring the wall up to its current status are Vets Helping Vets HQ and Tribute to the Troops. Then, coming up on November 15th, the annual Bi-Mart Freedom Fest will be held starting at 6PM at the Eagles Lodge on Broadalbin Street in downtown Albany. The event features a free dinner and dance for all veterans, active duty military, and their families, even if the military member is currently deployed. For more information on the Bi-Mart Freedom Fest, or to get information on how to help sponsor this great salute to vets and their families, contact: (541) 791-2901. Welcome to all veterans and family members. We salute you!
Veterans and their families line up to be served dinner at the annual Bi-Mart Freedom Fest.
One of the many color guards in the annual Veterans Day Parade.
by Rick Rogers