editor colorado
Inside: Henninger: Use great photos and play to your strengths. PAGE 3
Official publication of the Colorado Press Association / coloradopressassociation.com / Vol. LXXXIII, No. 7
reorganization
New PAC will help CPA make big impact After more than a year of legal and technical legwork, the Colorado Press Association Foundation has been reorganized, refocused and renamed— and is ready to have an impact in expanded ways. The Philanthropic Advisory Committee is the new name of the CPA’s charitable arm. Its mission, as stated in PAC Operating Guidelines adopted on May 11, includes: • Contributing positively to the continued viability of journalism and the newspaper industry;
July 2012
journalism plus
CU moves on with new program By Christine Mahoney Internship & Career Coordinator, University of Colorado Journalism & Mass Communication The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. ~Mark Twain
Mahoney
Journalism is alive and well at the University of Colorado Boulder! Starting this
fall, we’ll be into the second semester of Journalism Plus. Journalism Plus is a dynamic new program that combines media study and practice, immersion in a liberal arts discipline and cutting-edge skill development for the changing demands of the journalism profession. What does that mean for you? Simply put, it means CU JMC is still a great pipeline for talented, industrious students to
add to your staff as interns or entry-level writers and multimedia journalists. As CU leaderships takes some time to study a new entity that would include journalism with other academic disciplines, we here at JMC are moving forward. Our “traditional” print students know how to write for websites, are learning video shooting and editing skills and are comfortable interacting
history of heroes
Pair joins to tell stories of WWII veterans
• Developing, and supporting the development of, New Media applications and utilization in ways that perpetuate the historic principles of a journalistically sound free press; and
By Jean Gray
• Encouraging the responsible use of the First Amendment protections provided under the United States Constitution. Previously, the Denver Foundation administered the CPA’s scholarship program as the Press Association’s sole charitable activity. All funds raised in the name of the CPA Foundation were placed in what is called a Restricted Fund. Money in such a fund can legally be used only for purposes designated at the time the fund was created, which, in the CPA’s case, was its long-standing array of college student, high school student and high school advisor scholarship programs. As a result of efforts begun in late 2010, the fund held by the Denver Foundation was divided, with about one-third of the existing balance reassigned to what is called a Donor-Advised Fund. This change will enable the CPA, through its Philanthropic Advisory Committee, to initiate a variety of activities that are outside the limited scope of scholarships or individual financial aid and reflect the wider mission as expressed in the new Operating Guidelines. “Through this change the Colorado Press Association will be able to have a more dramatic and far-reaching impact on PAC on page 5
CU on page 2
Making history
Blackhawk Mayor David Spellman holds the 100th Anniversary Edition of the Weekly Register-Call. Last month, the Register-Call celebrated 150 years of publishing. Story on Page 3.
With an estimated 1,100 World War II veterans dying daily in the United States, telling their stories becomes critical to the preservation of that era, says Dr. John Elliff of Sterling. “It’s like the little kid in class. The teacher says, ‘we are going to Elliff talk about Pearl Harbor.’ And the little kid says, ‘who’s Pearl Harbor?’ That’s why it’s important. These things slip by us.” People living in Northeast Dressman Colorado and a few in the Denver Metro area may recognize the name, Dr. John Elliff, either through his 50STORIES on page 8
stolen paper law
Commission votes to recommend repeal of newspaper theft law Last week, the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice voted to recommend to the Colorado General Assembly that they repeal the law that makes theft of newspapers illegal. The law, which was implemented in 2004, made theft of newspapers for the purpose of depriving other people access to information a crime. The recommendation by the CCJJ, in effect, legalizes the crime of newspaper theft. “Stealing is a crime. Stealing news-
Page 8 Ex-lawmaker, journalists weigh in
papers for the purpose of depriving the public of information contained therein is theft and censorship,” said Colorado Press Association Executive Director Samantha Johnston. “There is never a time when it is appropriate for a thief to deprive the public of access to information in newspapers.” Carl Miller, D-Leadville, served in
the Colorado House of Representatives from 1997 to 2004 and co-sponsored HB 1057 with Senator Jack Taylor in 2004. “It seems pretty simple to me. You don’t take things that don’t belong to you,” Rep. Miller said. “If the legislature accepts this ill-conceived recommendation to repeal the law, it will create open season on a free press as stealing newspapers for the purpose of censoring information will be legalized in Colorado.”
If the recommendation makes its way to the legislature in January, Colorado Press Association will put this at the top of its legislative priority list in 2013. “Beyond the danger of repealing a law that will legalize a previously criminal act, we are disappointed in the process by which (the commission) made its decision,” said CPA President Brenda Brandt. “Newspapers, their THEFT on page 8
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colorado editor
July 2012
S.D. publisher wins Cervi Award colorado editor ISSN #162-0010 USPS # 0122-940 Vol. LXXXIII, Issue 7 July 2012 Colorado Editor is the official publication of the Colorado Press Association and is published monthly at 1336 Glenarm Place. Denver, CO 80204-2115 p: 303-571-5117 f: 303-571-1803 coloradopressassociation.com
Subscription rate: $10 per year, $1 single copy Staff Samantha Johnston Publisher/Executive Director sjohnston@colopress.net Brian Clark Design Editor Board of Directors OFFICERS President Brenda Brandt The Holyoke Enterprise bbholent@chase3000.com Vice President Bryce Jacobson Craig Daily Press bjacobson@craigdailypress.com Treasurer Terri House The Pagosa Springs SUN terri@pagosasun.com Secretary Keith Cerny Alamosa Valley Courier krcemail@aol.com DIRECTORS Mark Drudge Cortez Journal mdrudge@cortezjournal.com Bart Smith The Greeley Tribune bsmith@greeleytribune.com Jane Rawlings The Pueblo Chieftain janer@chieftain.com Laurena Mayne Davis The Daily Sentinel laurena.davis@gjsentinel.com David McClain Sterling Journal-Advocate dmcclain@journal-advocate.com Paula Murphy Trinidad Times Independent paulamurphy@ratonrange.com Curtis Hubbard The Denver Post chubbard@denverpost.com Periodical postage paid at Denver, CO 80202. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Colorado Editor 1336 Glenarm Place Denver, CO 80204-2115
South Dakota publisher Tim L. Waltner has won the prestigious Eugene Cervi Award from the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE) for a career of outstanding public service through community journalism. The 37th annual Cervi Award was presented to Waltner at the ISWNE’s annual conference at Western Washington University in Bellingham on June 30. The award honors the memory of Eugene Cervi, who established the Rocky Mountain Journal in Denver in 1948 under the conviction that “good journalism begets good government.” Waltner began working for the Freeman Courier in 1972 as a printer’s devil and became editor the following year. After spending two years in Ohio, he returned to the Courier in 1977 and ended up buying the paper seven years later. The Courier has won numerous awards for all aspects of journalism from the South Dakota Newspaper Association, including either general
excellence and/ or sweepstakes awards in 17 of the past 20 years. The Courier has earned well over 150 first-place awards for news, feature and opinWaltner ion writing, photography, typography and advertising over the past 30 years. The Courier has also won photography and writing awards from the National Newspaper Association and nine editorial writing awards from ISWNE; Tim has received seven Golden Dozen awards and his son, Jeremy, was the 2003 Golden Quill winner. Waltner has traveled in the United States and Canada as a speaker, panelist and facilitator for newspaper groups. He is currently the editorial critique coordinator for ISWNE. “In South Dakota, Tim Waltner is Mr. First Amendment,” wrote Jack
The Holyoke
Enterprise Community Newspaper covering Phillips County in NE Colorado
Full-Service Commercial Printing 970-854-2811•holyokeenterprise.com
Marsh, president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute, in a letter of nomination. “He is a model journalist and newspaper executive who understands and embraces the media’s watchdog role over government, public officials and public institutions. “If ISWNE’s award for public service through community journalism hadn’t already been named for Eugene Cervi, it could be named the Tim Waltner Award. These two exceptional journalists have much in common.” Bill Haupt, former ISWNE president, said Waltner represents the “gold standard” when it comes to community journalism. “He has consistently edited and published one of the very finest small community weeklies in America for more than 25 years,” Haupt wrote. Richard Lee, head of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at South Dakota State University from 1978 to 2002, said Waltner has been a “fearless advo-
cate” of First Amendment rights and continues to be a strong voice in the South Dakota Newspaper Association’s First Amendment Committee. “He has served SDNA twice as its president,” Lee wrote. “He has served ISWNE has its president, as a conference co-host (Rapid City in 2007) and an enthusiastic speaker. He has become a sought-after speaker in the United States and in Canada on editorial writing and on newspaper excellence. Tim Waltner is cast perfectly from the mold of what the Eugene Cervi Award is about. ISWNE can do no better.” David Bordewyk, SDNA general manager, said any time someone asks him for the name of someone who epitomizes the best in South Dakota newspapering, he refers them to Waltner. “Tim publishes and edits one of the best, if not the best, weekly newspaper in South Dakota,” Bordewyk wrote. “And he has been doing it for more than three decades. He truly is a leader in our industry and our state.
Second semester for CU program • Follow us on Twitter: @JMCInternships •JMC LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/ groups/UniversityColorado-BoulderJournalism-Mass-1028047
CU from Page 1 of social media communities. This is where I come in. As the new Internship & Career Coordinator, I welcome your questions and your involvement in our program. I come from a broadcast news background, having worked as a radio and TV reporter/anchor for 12 years, before starting my own media production company, Honk! Media. For the past nine years, I’ve been teaching news writing classes here at CU JMC. My friend and colleague, Alan Kirkpatrick, retired about a year ago and says “Aloha!” We hope you’ll embrace the new JMC! Please don’t hesitate to contact me about placing interns, advertising jobs and communicating your needs. I can be reached at Christine. Mahoney@colorado.edu or 303492-5480.
Regional Meetings kick off in August The annual CPA Regional Meeting session will begin Thursday, August 16 in Grand Junction. This year’s partnership with the Colorado District Attorney’s Council will focus on the relationship between the news media, law enforcement and district attorneys with respect to access to records and information. Meeting locations and additional details will be released next week. Meeting Schedule All meetings are from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. • Grand Junction – Thursday, Aug. 16 • Durango – Friday, Aug. 17 • Frisco – Thursday, Aug. 23 • Fort Collins – Friday, Aug. 24 • Pueblo – Thursday, Sept. 13 • Sterling – Friday, Sept. 14 Contact Samantha Johnston at 303-571-5117, sjohnston@colopress. net, facebook.com/coloradopress or DM us on Twitter @ColoradoPress.
colorado editor
July 2012
Big anniversary for Weekly Register-Call
Play to your strengths Some newspapers are “photo papers.” Others excel at typography. Still others use graphics very well. Do you know which you are? And...if you do...do you use those skills to make your paper more appealing to readers? If you have a star photographer on your staff, it’s to your benefit to create more photo packages and more photo pages to showcase her skills. ed Give her more opporhenninger tunities—and give your readers more compelling packages as a result. Better yet, get her involved in your weekly (or daily) and long-term planning sessions. (You do have regular planning sessions, don’t you?) With her visual skills, she’s bound to offer more ideas for you to attract readers. Let’s assume otherwise: You don’t have that super photographer—but you do have a page designer who can take good (not great) photos and package them will with your stories to create pages that capture your readers’ attention. So be it! If that’s the case, then have that designer help guide your newspaper’s destiny with strong input in every issue—and even stronger input in long-term editorial planning. He can help point the way by suggesting story ideas and photographic approaches that will bring increased attention to your every issue. OK, so you have neither. No star photographer, no super designer. But you do have writers. And they may be the key to your winning more readers. If, that is, you encourage good writing. No, we’re not talking about the inverted pyramid and the county sewer board meeting. But we are talking about those writers who can fashion gripping and memorable stories about your community and your readers. I recall one newspaper I reviewed many years ago. Terrible design. But that paper
Business cards Letterhead Envelopes Postcards Sales fliers Circulation forms Rate cards Promotional brochures Presentation folders Special publications Invoices Carbonless forms
Publisher’s Note: To try and review 150 years of history in one issue would be daunting to both you as the reader, and to me as CoPublisher & Editor. So we’ll start with a short history of the origin and merging of multiple newspapers as presented in the 100th Anniversary issue, followed by interesting excerpts from the archives as selected by our Senior Reporter, Lynn Volkens. We’ll continue in short segments for the next few weeks, and we welcome your comments. Thanks, Aaron Storms
The First Hundred Years
If photos are your strength, play your photos—big!
had more than 95 percent penetration in its community. One of the reasons: its obituaries told the life stories of people in that town. These weren’t obits—they were true tales of how those people lived. And loved. And were loved. And those stories were, well...memorable. The publisher of that newspaper asked me: “Why do I need to redesign? We are the story of our community!” Why, indeed? His point was well made...and well taken. And my point is this: Every newspaper has a star...a light that can glow for all readers to see. That light may be a photographer. Perhaps a designer. Maybe a writer. Or maybe even a clerk who does your accounts and can make gorgeous charts with Excel. What ever your light is, don’t hide it under a basket.
we’ll BRING it TO you
FYI
conTacT uS 466 Yampa Avenue Craig, CO 81625 (970) 824-7031 Fax (970) 824-6810 www.craigdailypress.com
adverTiSing deadLineS
Cancellation deadline is the same as the order deadline. If an ad is cancelled after the deadline, there will be a charge equal to 50% of the cost of the space reservation.
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{
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$10.70
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$6.85
Our publications are the source of news in Moffat County. Our newspapers are read throughout Moffat and Routt Counties and beyond. The Craig Daily Press is distributed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Press run is 3550. Saturday Morning Press press run is 9500.
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Craig Daily Press P.O. Box 5 Craig, CO 81626
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“One hundred years with their lights and shadows having faded into oblivion. Established in 1862, and published continuously without missing an issue.” From Weekly Register-Call Vol. C, CENTRAL CITY, COLORADO FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 1962, NO.51 Gilpin County Newspapers A short history regarding the various newspapers published in Gilpin County since 1861. The following article, written by former Gov. Teller Ammons, in collaboration with the Editor. This week’s issue of the Weekly RegisterCall marks the one hundred anniversary of the foundation of the paper, still published each week in one of the two buildings that withstood the flames of the conflagration of May 21, 1874, the other being the Teller House. Both are of massive stone and brick construction, and these venerable structures stand across the street from each other. The Register-Call is published on the second floor; above it, on the third, is one of the most picturesque as well as historic Masonic Temples in the country, with its murals, all of which were painted by candlelight, its handwrought fixtures and furniture over which a collector would wax enthusiastic. And in the composing room of the Register-Call, lighted by large windows in the thick wall, high up, a protection against the mountain cold-for heating still is furnished by the big potbellied stove-there is a wealth of ancient type, including thirty cases of hand-carved wooden letters, that are museum pieces of rare value. The very first newspaper in Gilpin County was started by William N. Byers, who gave Colorado its first newspaper, the Rocky Mountain News. Byers started from Omaha with Gibson and John L. Daily March 8, 1859, with wagons carrying the Washington hand press and type. April 22, the first copy of the News came from Uncle Dick Wooten’s story-and-a-half log cabin in what is now west Denver. While Denver may claim the distinction of having the first newspaper plant in the state, Gilpin County was not far behind, as the first newspaper printed in the county was known as the Rocky Mountain Gold Reporter, and later, the Mountain City Herald. It was printed at Gregory Point, midway between Central City and Black Hawk, by Thomas Gibson, about two months later than the founding of the Rocky Mountain News, of Denver, in 1859. In November of that year, the plant was sold and removed to Golden by ox teams, where it was published under the caption of The Mountaineer, by the Boston Company, which started the town, the idea being that Golden should supersede Denver as the metropolis of the mountains. The editors of The Mountaineer were A.P. Richardson, Col. Thomas L. Knox, and George West, the last named gentleman, now deceased, later changing the name to the Transcript, of which he was the editor to the time of his
death. Within two weeks, John Hamilton Gregory struck gold at grass roots at what is the present Central City. By June 10 when the News issued the first extra ever published west of the Missouri, containing the signed statement of Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune that he, with A.D. Richardson, noted correspondent of the Boston Journal, and Henry Villard of the Cincinnati Commercial, who accompanied him west, had actually seen gold and that he was satisfied it was there in paying quality and quantity, there were 5,000 men already on the ground. This was too much for Gibson. He left Byers and that summer, in a cabin opposite Gregory Point, marking the original discovery, published the Rocky Mountain Gold Reporter and Mountain City Herald, when snows of autumn threatened Gibson came back to Denver. For three years the camp, which was the marvel of the world, was without a newspaper. Alfred Thomson brought out from Glenwood, IA., in the early summer of 1862, a Washington hand-press and type, to Central City, July 28, the first number of The Miners’ Register was run off. It was a tri-weekly. Thanks to David C. Collier, it thrived. A few days later, Thompson was unavoidably detained while absent from Central City and it appeared there would be no issue. Collier, a young lawyer, took charge, writing editorials and news, and doing it so well that Thompson retained him. Collier was from Wyandotte, Kansas. He reached Denver just about the time General Larimer was finishing the first house on the Denver side of Cherry Creek, and the Larimers, son and father, invited him to live with them. Larimer had brought the only window with panes on Cherry Creek. There were no carpenter’s tools, and he used his penknife to shape the sashes for the four panes. This was in November, 1858. He had brought law and other books with him, and when Central City became the largest and wealthiest town in Colorado, moved there. He was practicing law when Thomson’s absence made him a newspaper man. Of good education and a clear-thinking mind, he was an excellent editorial writer. He had wide knowledge of national politics, and this was invaluable during the progress of the heated campaign; indeed, his ringing editorials appealing to the loyalty of his fellow citizens helped materially to keep Colorado a staunch member of the Union. Colorado was in a dangerous situation; there were many brilliant Southern sympathizers here and arguments for secession were strong. He wrote editorials during the campaign and also proved himself a good reporter. It was natural, therefore, that his name should remain permanently at the head of the editorial columns. The paper prospered, and April 9, 1863, Collier, with two other employees, Hugh Glenn and George A. Wells bought Thomson out, the firm becoming Collier, Glenn & Company. Collier had charge of the editorial department, Wells of the mechanical, and Glenn of the circulation. May 30, it was enlarged to a 24-page sheet; August 10, it appeared as a morning daily. The issue of September 29, announced that Glenn had sold his interest to his partners; the firm became Collier & Wells. November 7, The Miners’ Register appeared in an entirely new dress and a truly metropolitan form. The telegraph line having just been completed, it commenced the regular publication of telegraphic REGISTER-CALL on page 6
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colorado editor
Plan now for endorsements
Readers have been Those endorsements will inundated for months be scrutinized both for with coverage of the 2012 whom the newspaper does presidential election. and does not endorse. It Newsrooms also should is naive to believe that be brainstorming for ways personal relationships do to bring attention to local not play a role in endorseraces. In many instances, ments, but issues ought to reporting is well under be the foundation for each way. decision. jim Election coverage is In that regard, one of pumarlo one of the most exhausthe early exercises should tive and scrutinized be a brainstorming sestasks facing community sion on the primary issues newsrooms. Substantive in each race. These issues coverage also is vitally will be the basis for candiimportant to an informed and date interviews, and the candidates’ engaged citizenry. responses will provide a framework Most important, editors and for endorsements. publishers should give considerFor those newspapers that ation to endorsing candidates for still are skeptical about endorsing local office. Newspapers have a specific individuals in local races, right – indeed, a responsibility – as consider this idea as a first step. an institution in their communiWrite an editorial outlining what ties. They are also in excellent the newspaper considers to be the position to do so as a clearinghouse key issues in a race – and where of information. you stand on these issues – and Editorial endorsements often encourage readers to vote for the receive the usual outcry from individuals who align with those readers: “What gives you the right stances. The editorial has not idento tell us who to vote for?” The tified specific candidates, but the anticipated pushback only makes message allows readers to connect newspapers more hesitant. It is also the dots. an excellent reminder that editors The final step is to allow should make it regular practice feedback. The effectiveness of any to educate readers on the role of editorial is minimized if readers editorial pages. A healthy exchange aren’t allowed to debate its merits. of ideas is at the core of healthy Newspapers routinely promote the communities. editorial page as the heart of the Don’t misinterpret. This is not First Amendment. Yet too many to minimize the challenges inhernewspapers routinely present their ent in offering local endorsements. endorsements only days before Perhaps the best advice is: “Just -- and sometimes even after -- the the facts, please.” In other words, deadline has passed for election in most cases stick to issues and commentary. avoid personalities. The strongest It’s unfortunate – and even editorials are those that identify a bit paradoxical – that editothe issues paramount in a race, and rial endorsements are becoming then recommend candidates based increasingly scarce. Consider that on their stances. editorials frequently urge governThe reality is that commument bodies to take action, or take nity newspaper editors – absent officials to task for lack of action. It a personal relationship with, say, seems a natural parallel that newsa member of Congress, find it papers should have equally strong relatively painless to weigh in on convictions about the people the strengths and shortcomings who will ultimately make those of national candidates. It’s quite decisions. If newspapers tout their the opposite when newspapers roles as government watchdogs, are recommending who citizens endorsing candidates for elected should support for the local school bodies should be at the top of their board, city council or county board responsibilities. – and even legislative contests. Yet these races are arguably the most Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and important for community newspaprovides training on community pers to address in news profiles and newsroom success strategies. His endorsements. newest book is “Journalism Primer: Editors and publishers rouA Guide to Community News Covtinely are challenged on editorials, erage.” He also is author of “Votes especially if readers perceive a and Quotes: A Guide to Outstandfeud or ongoing editorial disagreeing Election Coverage” and “Bad ments between a newspaper and a News and Good Judgment: A Guide particular candidate. The most difto Reporting on Sensitive Issues in ficult circumstances are local races Small-Town Newspapers.” where all or some of the candidates He can be reached at may have personal relationships www.pumarlo.com and with the newspaper -- specifically welcomes comments and questions with someone in management. at jim@pumarlo.com.
coloradopressassociation.com
July 2012
Girl’s death highlights tragedy of children having children By Steve Henson and Matt Lubich The Johnstown Breeze The death sent the media into a frenzy. Headlines and newscasters screamed: “Sister and boyfriend kill little girl acting out moves from the video game Mortal Kombat.” It was front-page news and featured on CNN and other TV networks. Talking heads and columnists nationwide spouted indignation about the danger of violent video games. Trouble is, the story wasn’t true. Seven-year-old Zoe Garcia did die at her home in Johnstown, Colo., and she had been beaten to death. But it had nothing to do with Mortal Kombat. And the older sister’s involvement was mostly that of a bystander who didn’t know how to stop her drunk and violent boyfriend. A tragedy made media-simple by blaming it on violent video games was far more complex. To understand it, you need to come to terms with children having children, the numbing of logic brought on by reliance on bureaucracy, poverty, drug abuse and parental neglect. Yes, the sister and the boyfriend played the game Mortal Kombat. But that was one of the few normal, kid-like things that was going on in a rental house in the 500 block of Charlotte Street in Johnstown, a tiny community southwest of Greeley. It was the early winter of 2007, with Christmas just around the corner . . .
Sister/mom
Heather Trujillo, now 21, is scheduled for release in December from the Colorado Department of Corrections Youthful Offender System prison on the grounds of the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. She agreed to an interview recently with The Pueblo Chieftain. Her story is a terrible one, a tale of her parent who was a drug abuser and mostly absent. A tale of a young girl who by the age of 10 was raising her siblings, three of them toddlers. A tale of a teenage boyfriend from a broken home who was drunk and brutal. It’s the story of how she begged for money outside a convenience store to buy diapers and food for herself and her siblings, but also to buy marijuana and booze for herself and her boyfriend. It’s the sad and violent epitaph for the slain victim, a first-grader who had the misfortune to be born into hell, who by the time she died already was smoking cigarettes and pot. It’s also the story of how the system failed. How social services responded numerous times to calls involving the family in both New Mexico and Colorado, but didn’t take definitive action. Today, it’s the tale of a young woman who wants to save what’s left of her life. To do that, in part, she must exorcise her past. And that means setting the record straight . . .
Dysfunctional family
Dana Trujillo was 13 years old when she gave birth to Heather in Socorro, N.M. Heather’s father and Dana were divorced five years later, and Dana was left to raise, at any given time, up to 10 children from several men. By all accounts, she did a miserable job. She worked mostly as a bartender and abused drugs, mostly methamphetamine. She was seldom home and, when she was, she was too high to be of any help to anyone. By the time Heather was 12, what was left of the family — Dana, Heather, Zoe and two younger twin sisters — was on the run. A New Mexico arrest warrant had been issued for Dana Trujillo, charging her with child neglect following an investigation by social services there. “I was glad to leave New Mexico,” Heather said. “I was bullied all of the time by the kids there. I had a Hispanic name but didn’t look Hispanic. They were always taunting me, taking stuff out of my backpack and keeping it from me. Harassment-type stuff.” The family fled to Colorado, living with relatives in various places and sometimes in their car, homeless. They finally landed in Johnstown. Dana Trujillo got a
job bartending and returned to her New Mexico
Well, I thought it was love. I was 14.” Heather Trujillo ways; namely, spending most of the time high and away from home.
Where was social services?
Over the period of months prior to Zoe’s death, the Weld County Department of Social Services was at the house several times, and police on other occasions, due to outside complaints of neglect, according to official records. Neighbors heard babies crying for hours, or loud noises, or saw an infant wandering in the front yard wearing only a soiled diaper. But no serious action was taken. Dana Trujillo retained custody and Heather “raised” herself and her siblings. It was a terrible situation that became worse when Heather and a classmate, Lamar Roberts, met at school and fell in love. “Well, I thought it was love,” she said. “I was 14.” Roberts had his own mess at home. His mother was an alcoholic and his brother died at the age of 11. In many ways, the two dysfunctional teenagers reached out to each other for support. It would be a tragic connection. It wasn’t long before the two were sexually active and abusing drugs — marijuana, Ecstasy, pain-killers and alcohol. Within a year, Roberts ran away from his home and moved in with Heather. Roberts was only slightly older; the two were 15 at the time. It remains a mystery how the mothers of these two — and social services — allowed this to happen and continue. A 2008 report released by the Colorado Department of Human Services, which investigated Weld County social services’ role in this case, detailed a “chaotic” and “dangerous” living situation that Dana Trujillo had little control over or involvement in. Weld County social services denied wrongdoing, but instituted numerous reforms in an attempt to prevent a future similar tragedy. They may have responded to calls alleging neglect, but the officials had no idea what really was happening in that home. “We didn’t have any money, so I panhandled at the (convenience store) by our house,” Heather said. “I’d buy food, weed, vodka for Lamar. I was paying the rent, buying everything we needed . . . Later, I sold drugs there. “. . . I came home from school one day and social services was there,” she said. “The baby (a sister less than a year old) had been crying for hours. My mom wasn’t around, and the oldest girl (Zoe) in the house (at that time) was 4. I didn’t go back to school after that.” She became a dropout, living with a teenage boy who was demonstrating a frequent and escalating propensity to be physically abusive as his drinking got worse. The two frequently were high. Her mom was seldom home and of no use when she was.
Abuse escalates
“At first, (Roberts) would drink and call me names,” Heather said. “Then he started pushing, then hitting me. He had studied martial arts, said he had a black belt, and he’d use arm bars on me, smother me with pillows, use choke holds on me until I’d pass out.” Why didn’t she call the authorities? “I’m not sure,” she said. “I loved him, and he was helping me raise the girls.” Plus, she added, “social services had been to my house and his house about 20 times. They never did anything. I didn’t think authorities would do anything.”
colorado editor
July 2012
5
When it comes to backups, do as I say, not as I do You’ve heard me say it time and there were two problems. time again. Julie, in Minnesota, even First, the files and folders on the wrote to me a couple of years ago to hard drive would not transfer. Every thank me for “saving her life” after time I tried to move a folder, the convincing her to add backup drives computer locked up and had to be to all her machines. restarted. So it is with much chagrin (I’ve Second, I soon learned that my been waiting almost 20 years for an hard drive wasn’t the only thing opportunity to use “chagrin” in a destined to make my holiday week column) that I admit that this doctor less than celebratory. Something kevin is his own worst patient. had happened to my LaCie external simp That’s right. On July 2, two days backup drive. It, too, was history. I before my country’s Independence quickly tried to restore it using Data celebration, my five year old iMac Rescue III, by Prosoft. But it was too began to crawl. little, too late. To be completely frank, I thought Never one to give in to hardthe computer was about two years old. Between ware hyperbole, I didn’t panic. I had a second computers at my home and office, not to menbackup in the “cloud.” tion laptops, iPads and iPhones, I have a hard I get asked quite often about clouds. Clouds time remembering when I got what. are nothing more than computer servers in a I did what any self-respecting guru would remote location that you use as if they were in do at a sign of slowdown. I restarted. Upon reyour own building. My data was being stored start, I was greeted by a gray screen. You know on a computer up in the “cloud” somewhere. the one. The one that eventually turns to blue, Much to my chagrin (there’s that word then fills with folders and drives. again), I quickly learned that my space in the The problem was that I didn’t see any foldcloud was full and hadn’t backed up anything ers. Or drives. All I saw was a gray screen. in a few weeks. No problem, I thought. I pulled out After a full day trying to resurrect my critimy handy Disk Warrior CD, restarted the cal information, I realized this drive was dead. computer, then ran the utility that can fix just Kaput. No files were going to be saved. about anything wrong with a Mac, other than a Fortunately, I have a third backup. It’s a “fried” drive or faulty memory chip. Western Digital external USB drive that I used Disk Warrior found the errant drive, then to backup my Time Capsule backup (original began a process of checking the hard disk for backup drive that had gone bad). For PC users, problems. It found one. Then another. Before Time Capsule is a utility built into Macs since it was done, Disk Warrior found dozens of bad OS 10.6. This means it’s been around for a sectors on the drive. couple of years. Time Capsule automatically I began the process in Disk Warrior to backs up your entire computer and external restore the files on the bad disk and copy them drives throughout the day. At any time, you can over to my backup drive. I quickly learned go back to any point in history and restore your
CrashPlan is a favorite of many Mac and PC users because of its ability to backup on-site and off-site at the same time. Individual unlimited licenses available for $3 each per month. Multiple licenses available for as little as $6 per month. www.crashplan. com .
computer to that point. II make it a habit to leave this drive at my home, in case some type of emergency destroys my computer and all its drives Newspapers who have dealt with fires know of what I speak. Every couple of weeks, I bring this drive to the office and do a complete clone of the original backup. So at least I have my information from two weeks ago. This meant I could restore most of my email and critical files, but anything I’ve saved on my computer over the past two weeks is history. I really am mad at myself. After spending three full days restoring my computer, you have no idea how mad that is. What can you learn from my mistakes? Plenty. Let me share what I relearned, never to forget again:
1. Have some type of backup device for each computer in your office. Most of mine are Firewire drives, but there are other types available. 2. Have an off-site backup plan. There are many of these around. I was using a popular application called Dropbox. I just installed a new cloud backup called “Just Cloud” that gets great reviews for both Macs and PCs. Unlimited backup space for one computer runs around $10 per month. 3. Make sure that Time Machine (if you’re a Mac user), your backup drive and off-site backups are all working correctly. I thought mine were. I was wrong. Like Julie in Minnesota, someone will write me soon to let me know that I’ve “saved his life” by reminding him to get his backup program up to date.
Eleven talented professionals part of new committee PAC from Page 1
future of newspapers in our state,” said CPA executive director Sam Johnston. Eleven highly qualified and seriously committed professionals from newspaper publishing and related fields have accepted positions on the PAC. They include: Richard Ballantine, publisher of the Durango Herald, who served as CPA president in 1999; Doug Bell, editor of Evergreen Newspapers, adjunct professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver and a member of the Region 9 Board of Directors of The Society of Professional Journalists; Denny Dressman, retired executive at the Rocky Mountain News and a CPA past president (1993); Jean Gray, retired publisher of the Haxtun Herald and a former CPA president (1994); Greg Luft, Alumni Coordinator and Chair of the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication at Colorado State University; Joe McGowan, retired chief of bureau for The Associated Press in Denver, among many postings during a long career as an AP correspondent and bureau head; Dan Petty, social media editor at The Denver Post; Willard D. (Wick) Rowland, president and CEO of Colorado Public Television and former dean of the University of Colorado School
of Journalism and Mass Communication; Jim Saccomano, vice president of corporate communications for the Denver Broncos; Suzanne Schlicht, chief operating officer for The World Company who leld the CPA as president in 2003; and Kay Turnbaugh, former publisher of The Mountain Ear in Nederland, CPA president in 1992, and originator of the Colorado Press Association Foundation. Denny Dressman is serving as the PAC’s first chairman; Joe McGowan as vice-chair; and Greg Luft and treasurer. Three task forces will be responsible for various dimensions of PAC operation. Luft will head the Finance Task Force, joined by Wick Rowland and Jim Saccomano. Jean Gray is chair of the Programs Task Force, joined by Doug Bell and Dan Petty. Suzanne Schlicht will chair the Grants Task Force, joined by Richard Ballantine and Kay Turnbaugh. As PAC chair and vice-chair, Dressman and McGowan will assist all three task forces as needed. The PAC will meet four times per year. At its next meeting on August 10, PAC task forces will discuss fund-raising and PAC awareness efforts; consider a variety of program options; and begin to formalize procedures for accepting grant applications and making awards. Look for monthly reports on PAC activities and programs in succeeding issues of The Colorado Editor.
Ballantine
Bell
Dressman
Gray
Luft
McGowan
Petty
Saccomano
Schlicht
Turnbaugh
Rowland
6
colorado editor
July 2012
REGISTER-CALL from Page 3 The Civil War was at its height; every person, man, woman and child was absorbed in the great conflict. Extras were issued as often as the news warranted, day and night. As soon as the newsboys came rushing from the office, a shout was heard and people gathered in groups to buy, read and listen. As soon as the carrier put in an appearance, each quartz mill whistle would be blown by the engineer. When carriers reached the mills simultaneously the roar amid the encircling hills was deafening. Wells sold his interest to Frank Hall, October 17, 1865, and the firm became Collier & Hall. Meanwhile the Register building of stone had then been erected. This is the fine old structure, still occupied. Frank Hall, afterward Secretary of the Territory of Colorado, author of one of the best histories of the state, and prior to his death the mining editor of the Denver Post, brought his young bride to Central City and became one of its best beloved and leading citizens. Two years before, in 1863, William Train Muir had started in the town of Black Hawk, adjoining Central City, the Colorado Miner, a weekly, which the same year was purchased by Ovando J. Hollister, who changed its name to Black Hawk Mining Journal. Toward the close of 1863, Frank Hall became associated in the management, and remained until he went to the Miner’s Register. July 26, 1868, the name was shortened to Central City Register. It was hard work, even though the whirligig of drama in that roaring camp was a mental stimulant and the profits were large. Collier had a physical breakdown, from excessive mental labor, and June 12, 1873, sold his interest to W.W. Whipple, the firm becoming Hall & Whipple, Hall taking care of the editorial department and Whipple of the mechanical end. June 1, 1877, the partnership having been dissolved some time before, Hall, sole owner, sold to James A. Smith and Den Marlow, who conducted it until February 1, 1878, when Halsey M. Rhoads bought in. A few months prior to the change in the Register, H.M. Rhoads established a small daily, called the Town Talk, which was issued from G.M. Laird’s job office, and after several months’ publication, he discontinued the Town Talk, and started another paper, called the Republican, which suspended publication after a short life. G.M. Laird, who had worked on the old Register under Hall, as a young lad, with Den Marlow, started that month The Evening Call, and the following May purchased the Register, lock, stock and barrel, and consolidated it with their paper. The Register-Call came out as a daily and a weekly, with Colonel John S. Dormer as editor, and J.P. Waterman as mining reporter. In 1936, that splendid gentleman, the dean of Colorado journalists, George Laird, died. He carried on, week after week during the decline and fall of the once great mining city; the Register-Call came out regularly though the years were laying a heavy toll upon the editor who had seen so much and written so many millions of words that someday will furnish the historian, from the files of the Register-Call, the material for an epic. He represented the ideal newspaper man, in many respects. He courageously fought for what was right; he never compromised, and the golden kingdom of Gilpin was better for his pen and his presence. And he was the friend of all, rich and poor; when the shadows fell and the pots of gold were empty, and no longer sounded the whistles of the mills, he stayed on, one and the leading one, of the few hundreds left. For he was their friend, and he had faith in the old town and the brooding hills that he had seen pour forth golden streams. There was work to do, in bringing back Central City, and he stuck at his post until he saw the beginning of the revival of mining and knew his dreams were coming true at last.
Weekly RegisterCall Publisher Aaron Storms holds the 100th Anniversary Edition of the Weekly RegisterCall. Last month, the Register-Call celebrated 150 years of publishing.
Black Hawk was also represented by newspapers, as the Journal was established in 1861 in that city by D. J. Hollister and Frank Hall, and continued publication until 1866, when it was sold and moved to Central City, where it was published as the Times and one year later Thomas Campbell purchased the plant and again changed the name, this time to the Colorado Herald. Three years later, Frank Fossett became the proprietor, and the paper continued under his management until late in the summer of 1873, when it suspended. In February, 1878, G.M. Laird and Den Marlow started the Evening Call, a fivecolumn daily, which was printed in Laird’s job office, then situated in the building now occupied by the Chain O’ Mines Hotel. It was printed one page at a time on a Gordon job press, (which job press, by the way, is still in the office of the Register-Call and still being used.) Motive power was supplied by the leg, the proprietors and printers taking turns “kicking off ” the edition, which was in the neighborhood of 1,200, one page being printed at a time, necessitating close to 5,000 impressions each day. In May, of the same year, Laird and Marlow purchased the Register plant and consolidated the Call bringing to life the Register-Call. On the 13th of October, 1895, Mr. Marlow died, and in 1896, Mr. Laird purchased his interest and up to the time of his death in April 1936, was the sole editor and proprietor. In 1876, Wm. McLaughlin and W.W. Sullivan established the Times in Black Hawk, and a short time later Mr. James R. Oliver purchased Mr. Sullivan’s interests and at the death of McLaughlin, the firm name became Oliver & Brandgust. The plant was later moved to Central City and the name of the paper changed to The Post and after short life was again changed to The Gilpin Observer, which was edited by Alex McLeod, and after several years was leased to several parties, among the latter being Fritz J. Altvater, who published the same for a number of years, later selling the plant to W. J. Stull who continued the publication until about 1920, when he suspended publication and moved the plant to Wyoming. The Gilpin Observer plant was purchased by the Observer Publishing Company, June 21, 1887, the stock holders all being residents of Gilpin County, from the late A.C. Crosson who established the Black Hawk Times in 1885. The company continued to publish it as the Post until July 27th, when it was merged into the Gilpin Observer. The directors were:
James McD. Livesay, Joseph S. Beaman and Alexander McLeod, the latter gentleman being the editor and Mr. McD. Livesay, manager. After the retirement of Mr. McLeod, its publication was continued under different managements until October, 1898, when it was purchased by Fritz Altvater. The Observer was issued in the interests of the Democratic Party and at times in addition to the above gentlemen mentioned was also owned and published by Mr. J. C. Calhoun and also by A. B. Gray. The Hon. John C. McShane, Hon. Henry C. Bolsinger, and Fred Bolsinger were at times owners. For several years, or until 1898, Mr. J. D. Hurd edited and published the paper for the above mentioned owners. In politics it was originally published and continued until 1898, as a Democratic paper, but in that year it espoused the cause of the Silver Republicans, Populists, and Silver Democrats, which caused the sale of it to Mr. Altvater, and the old time Democrats then set up a new paper called The Miner, and which was edited by Mr. Hurd. Mr. Altvater operated the Observer until 1904 when after being elected County Clerk & Recorder, he sold it to W. J. Stull. In December 1883, Calvin & Lucas started the publication of the Weekly Ledger from Central City, and continued for about a year, when it suspended publication. In December, 1897, Charles M. Johnson and Louis Slingerland started The Star at Black Hawk which suspended the following year. In July of the same year, Daniel Sayrs started The Independent at that city which was consolidated a few months later with The Republican in Central City, which was published by Wright and Sayrs and later by W. C. Fullerton. In the fall of 1900, the Kingdom of Gilpin was started by Hassett and Pense at Pine Creek, or Apex, a small mining camp some six miles west of Central City, having for its object the publication of the proposed amendments to the Constitution of the State of Colorado, and after the election it suspended. In 1896 another paper was started at Apex called the Pine Creek Silver Belt, and which existed for a few months, when it folded up and in the fall of that year, another paper, The Pine Cone was brought to light, and it, like its predecessors, existed but a short time. After operating The Gilpin Observer, which was purchased by W. J. Stull from Fritz Altvater, until 1924, Stull removed his equipment to Graybull, Wyo., where he remained in business for several years, and due to contro-
versies with the Typographical Union of that city moved his plant to New Mexico where he operated a job printing plant. The Register-Call was the only newspaper in the county from that date until the latter part of 1954, when the Tommy Knawker, a weekly newspaper, was started by Claude R. Powe. This paper is printed on an offset press which has many advantages over the hot type and cylinder press in use in the Register-Call, inasmuch as it is printed from photoplates and a picture taken could be reproduced on this offset press in a matter of minutes. The Tommy Knawker is still issuing its newspaper each week (as of June 29, 1962). The Past 50 Years (as written in June, 2012) This week’s issue of the Weekly RegisterCall marks the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the paper, still published each week in Gilpin County, though now our office is located in Black Hawk. In 2003 the printing press in Denver who was printing the broadsheet newspaper for the WRC notified the publisher that they would no longer accept manual newspaper layouts as they were going to an all-digital format. These large flats consisted of waxed galley copy manually pasted to layout boards, and were required to be kept cool to keep the wax from melting, and transported carefully from the WRC office to the press. There they were photographed with a huge stat camera to create large negatives before converting to photo-etched metal plates which were then wrapped onto the web printing press drums and ink applied to transfer the image to the paper as it was moving through the press. With the new digital pre-press process called “direct to plate,” the printed product was much better quality as the photo negative process was no longer needed and the computergenerated images were transferred directly to the photo emulsion on the metal plates. Since the WRC didn’t have the knowledge or experience to create a digital layout, one of their reporters referred them to Aaron Storms who had moved to the area from Houston. In that city, he had owned a graphic design company which published monthly magazines in addition to other high-end marketing brochures and web-based graphics. Storms was contracted to create the digital layout and freelance for a year to ensure the transition was smooth and deadlines were met. After finishing with bringing the WRC up to date with current technology, Storms saw a disparity in the news coverage for the community, so after determining there was an interest, he launched the Gilpin County News, a modern tabloid-style newspaper the first week of August, 2004 and published as such through July of 2009 at their Black Hawk office. Within the first year of publication, the City of Black Hawk acquired the Gilpin Gazette, and sold that publication to Storms, who merged it with the Gilpin County News. In July of 2009, after the passing of William Russell, Jr., the 91 year old publisher of the Weekly Register-Call, the executors of his estate contacted long-time resident, businessman, and Black Hawk Mayor David Spellman, to see if he would be interested in purchasing the newspaper. Spellman’s family has been actively involved in the community for 150 years, so he was keenly interested in the local history and saw the value in keeping the publication going. He contacted Storms to see if a partnership agreement could be made to merge the papers and do so without missing an issue. Storms would continue to determine content, do the publishing, editing, design and layout, and they agreed to do the partnership deal for the benefit of the community. So the newspaper continued with the same Gilpin County New staff and format, but took on the Weekly Register-Call name to continue the incredible run of 147 years of consecutive weekly publishing history through today at our 150th anniversary. May we have many more!
colorado editor
July 2012
cpa marketplace SMALL WEEKLY FOR SALE Small weekly in Colorado mountain community. Grosses about $120,000. Good opportunity for young couple starting out, or older “downsized” journalists. Easy news beats. Monopoly situation. All buildings and equipment included in sale price; you can walk in on Monday and put out a paper on Tuesday. Current owner will stick around to help with transition. Beautiful location, great for fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation. Excellent schools, low crime, no traffic. Price includes office building and residence. July price reduced to $220,000 from $270,000. Call 970-723-4404.
We’re looking for someone to lead a small staff, someone who is intent on covering community news. Responsibilities include supervision of two full-time staff and and part-time contributors; news content; design and pagination; and web direction. Health and medical insurance provided. Send letter and resume to Merle Baranczyk, publisher, via e-mail: merleb@avpsalida.com; or to POB 189, Salida, Colorado 81201.
FULL TIME GENERAL MANAGER A print and digital media company, publishing Monday thru Saturday in a rural Colorado town, is looking for a General Manager to oversee its operation. The successful candidate must have extensive print and digital sales experience and will be expected to lead a sales team to continue growing digital revenue while maintaining and growing strong print advertising products. This is not just a desk job. The General Manager will take an active role in helping to drive the growth of total print and digital audiences through successful implementation of growth strategies established for the market. Qualified candidates must have a proven track record of successful leadership, innovation and goal achievement in a multimedia company. The staff is small but the opportunities are great. Development of digital and print revenue from metropolitan areas located just minutes away will be vital to the success of the company. Salary plus annual MBO. We offer a choice of medical insurance, dental insurance, life/AD&D, managed disability insurance and a 401(k) investment savings plan. Apply to Human Resources, Attn: General Manager, P. O. Box 592, Boulder, Colorado 80306.
REPORTER The Cortez Journal is seeking an experienced reporter with strong investigative and writing skills and a commitment to community journalism. Candidate will be expected to cover a variety of issues, manage beats and develop sources with limited guidance. Some photography will be expected. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with a drive to produce quality content and the motivation to always do better. The Cortez Journal is an award-winning three-day-a-week publication committed to excellence. The opportunities to do special journalism is here and the next member of our team will be in position to make a difference in our community. Cortez is a community of around 8,500 located in Southwest Colorado, where the surroundings range from high desert country to mountain peaks rising more than 14,000 feet. Residents here enjoy hiking, mountain biking, four-wheeling, camping, fly fishing, hunting, skiing, kayaking, river rafting and other activities. Mesa Verde National Park is next door, and southern Utah’s canyon country is a short drive away. Potential applicants are encouraged to research the area online before they apply. The Journal offers a full benefit package, including medical/dental/vision and life insurance, paid time off and 401k plan with a generous company match. The Journal is an equal-opportunity employer. The publication offers a drug-free workplace, and drug screening is mandatory for new employees. E-mail a cover letter, resume, 3-5 clips and references to newsjobs@cortezjournal.com or send them to Human Resources, 123 N. Roger Smith Ave., Cortez, CO 81321.
EDITOR Editor for mountain weekly in Buena Vista, Colo. The Upper Arkansas Valley offers a bounty of outdoor action, from skiing and shoeing to river sports, hunting, fishing and cycling. Experience necessary but this could also be an opportunity for the right person to be stepping up.
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR/REPORTER The Pueblo Chieftain, Colorado’s third-largest daily and the state’s oldest newspaper, continues to move aggressively into the digital world and is expanding its newsroom to include the position of Social Media Editor/Reporter. “This individual would work closely with
SENIOR OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE SYNC2 MEDIA/CPA The Outside Sales Representative is responsible for establishing and maintaining profitable relationships with customers on behalf of SYNC2 Media and actively prospecting for new accounts and maximizing sales potential with existing customers. As the Outside Sales Representative, you are the primary external representative of SYNC2 Media in addition to the VP of Sales and Marketing; you must convey a sense of expertise in our print and digital services and capabilities, as you serve as a key educator to our community and business accounts. This is an aggressive sales position and will require high call volume when in the office and many outside meetings with agencies, direct clients and association members. You are a member of the Sales Team and together we are accountable for meeting the monthly, quarterly and annual metrics, revenue and sales goals of the company. The sales and strategic marketing activities of the team will be designed to achieve these revenue goals. You and the team are responsible for supporting the company vision and mission. Sales Representatives will guarantee satisfaction and value for our clients (agencies, direct clients, other state press associations and member newspapers); Contribute to a work environment that fosters pride in being part of a winning team and promotes personal growth; Maintain personal productivity and quality standards that make possible attractive financial returns so that we may continue to provide
excellent service to our customers and ensure job security and career growth for our staff. Must also have working knowledge of traditional print advertising (ROP, inserts, classified) in addition to digital advertising on multiple platforms (display, mobile, social, e-mail and search). Because you will be in contact with current and prospective customers and you are in a key position to influence their satisfaction and SYNC2 Media’s prosperity, this position requires tact, sensitivity, and professionalism. Responsibilities and Duties: • Communicate effectively with VP of Sales and Marketing, Executive Director and other CPA/SYNC2 Media team members as needed, informing and updating them regularly to guarantee that sales and client objectives are met. • Reports directly to VP of Sales and Marketing • Follow all systems and procedures and actively participate in idea generation and discussion to improve procedures when necessary. • Participate as a key team player by supporting operations as needed. • Assist in developing and implementing contract processes. • Prepare reports of business transactions and keep expense accounts. • Identify prospects, customers, and referral sources and develop/maintain relationships to ensure attainment of company business goals. Support efforts to consistently grow the base of referral sources. • Actively manage short and long-term leads from external referral sources (press associations) to qualified prospects and advance them through the sales process. • Manage marketing data using applicable sales management systems or tools (e.g., database, computerized call calendars and time
REPORTER The Mountain Mail in Salida is seeking a full-time reporter. Duties will include covering county, school district and hospital meetings, as well as courts and community. Send resume to Managing Editor Paul Goetz at pgoetz@themountainmail.com.
the newsroom staff under supervision from the director of digital media in delivering content to various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and many others. The person hired must be a journalist, able to write stories, shoot photos, video and obtain audio as needed. The position requires the following specific skills: * Adobe Creative Suite experience (at least PhotoShop, but Illustrator and InDesign experience is helpful). * Microsoft Office and Google Docs conversant (shared workflow, spreadsheets for data). * Familiarity with blogging and content management systems such as WordPress. * Video recording and editing experience desired (Final Cut Pro, Roxio Creator, Adobe Premiere). * Twitter-literate (retweets, hashtags, lists, two-way communication). * Understand the difference between a Facebook profile and a fan page, and be able to exploit each. * Able to moderate online comments and engage with users when necessary. The Pueblo Chieftain is a family-owned newspaper that takes great pride in thoroughly and accurately covering the historic Southern Colorado community of about 150,000. The Chieftain is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For further information or to submit an application, contact Jayson Peters, Digital Media Director, at jpeters@ chieftain.com. WEEKEND AND SPORTS REPORTER The Mountain Mail in Salida is seeking a full-time weekend and sports reporter. Duties will include covering local high school sports, weekend events and breaking news coverage. Send resume to Managing Editor Paul Goetz at pgoetz@themountainmail.com. DESIGNER High Country News, the nonprofit biweekly magazine for people who care about the West, seeks full-time associate designer to work on magazine, promotional materials and hcn.org. Must relocate to Paonia, pop. 1,600. Passion for Western issues, proficiency in Creative Suites, ability to meet deadlines and very high standards a must. Junior-level position. Great benefits. Job description - http://www.hcn.org/about/jobs/ associate-designer/. Cover letter, resume, clips to jobs@hcn.org. EOE
management systems) to maximize efficiency and analyze data/marketing activity on a weekly basis • Effectively present and discuss SYNC2 Media print and digital solutions to current and prospective customers in a way that conveys an image of quality, integrity and superior understanding and delivery of customer needs. • Perform market assessments, competitor analyses, pricing strategies. Draw conclusions from market assessment data on the competitive environment and the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and targets, and provide input to VP of Sales and Marketing. • Develop a strategic sales plan that identifies prospects and customers, prioritizes them according to importance and ability to provide results. • Develop a call schedule to adequately cover territory and provide reports and data on results (KPI spreadsheet). • Investigate and resolve customer problems. • Keep current on new technology. • Understand and comply with the sales system/ program in place. Qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree with previous newspaper sales experience a plus (3-5 years). • Strong verbal and written communication skills and good math skills. • Strong persuasive and interpersonal skills and a sales aptitude. • Ability to identify and meet customers’ needs and requirements. • Strong sense of urgency and ability to work under tight deadlines and juggle multiple projects simultaneously. • Must be a self-starter and a problem solver. • Must possess a valid state motor vehicle operator’s license.
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Advertising by the numbers Let’s take a look at four important numbers in advertising. One: The best ads make one point. The point can be made in several different ways, but the bottom line is that an ad should make only one point. A lot of advertisers think they can multiply their impact by putting numerous selling points in every ad. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work. Years ago, I heard that one of the most important advertising formulas is E=0. Everything equals nothing. When an ad tries to say everything to everybody, the end result is zero impact. That’s especially true in today’s over-communicated society. To break through the clutter, keep it simple. Two: There are two types of advertising – image and response. Image advertising is intended to john strengthen a brand in a genfoust eral sense and give consumers a good feeling about the advertiser. For example, you’ll find the “good hands people” at Allstate. Wrangler sells “Real. Comfortable. Jeans.” And John Deere says, “Nothing runs like a Deere.” On the other hand, response advertising’s objective is to motivate consumers to take some specific action. Save 25 percent on sunglasses this weekend. Better hurry – only three townhomes left. Buy one pizza, get one free. While image advertising has a longer success curve, response advertising is designed to make cash registers ring right away. Too few advertisers realize the difference. They believe that all they have to do is announce they’re open for business, and consumers will flock to their door. Ad sales people should help clients set realistic expectations. Ideally, a campaign should include image-building and response tactics. Three: The headline is the most important part of an ad. Because numerous studies reveal that only about 20 percent of people who read a headline will read the rest of the copy, the headline should tell readers right up front what the ad is about. If a headline is loaded with puffery (“fantastic savings,” “unbelievable quality,” etc.) or doesn’t provide helpful information, it won’t move the needle. There are three types of effective headlines – benefit, news and curiosity. Benefit headlines promise an immediate payoff (“Save 50 percent on new carpet”). News headlines emphasize something newsworthy (“Introducing the daily flight to London”). And curiosity headlines ask a question or make an unusual statement (“Which of these two houses has the lower heating bill?) Because some curiosity headlines are more extreme than others, a case could be made for a separate category – surprise headlines (“If your parachute doesn’t open, the second jump is free”). Four: A typical print ad has four elements – headline, illustration, body copy and logo. The headline should let page-turners know what they’ll learn by reading more. The illustration should have a direct relation to the headline. The body copy should expand on the theme which is introduced in the headline. And the logo – the most prominent logo, if there’s more than one – should identify the advertiser most closely associated with the message. Better advertising? It’s as easy as one, two, three, four. © Copyright 2012 by John Foust. All rights reserved.
John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: jfoust@mindspring.com
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colorado editor
July 2012
Interviews with WWII vets led to book on heroes STORIES from Page 1 plus years practicing Ophthalmology in Sterling or through his performances as a soloist jazz pianist or as a member of the Hoagies, a Denverarea jazz and swing-era music group. He splits his time between Denver and Sterling these days. Others may recognize one or more names from the list of 36 veterans, all but one from Northeast Colorado, that Dr. Elliff enticed to tell their stories. Those stories, first video tapped and later transcribed, wound their way through the capable editing of veteran Denver journalist and CPA Past President Denny Dressman, and into a book titled Sterling Heroes of World War II, appropriately launched this past July 4. Dr. Elliff recorded the interviews over a 10-year period beginning in 2000, all but one of the men coming to him as patients. “They chose me,” he says, readily admitting that the 36 men, 17 of which have since passed away, represent a mere fraction of the number from Northeast Colorado who fought in WWII. “We sent thousands of guys from this part
of the country,” he says, adding that he feels the group represents a profile of all who served. “These guys went everywhere. They did everything. They flew. They were in the Pacific. They were in Asia. They were in Europe. We got guys who were in the Navy. We got guys who were prisoners of war. “Everyone of these guys was absolutely sincere in their work. A lot had various adventures, but these guys were true patriots. They were upset about the Japanese attacking us (at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941), so a lot of these guys volunteered when they were 17 and had to have their mothers sign for them to go into the service. A unique bunch of guys.” He says the first person narratives make the book unique. “That’s the difference in this book and most war stories. Most war stories are third person. Somebody is talking about it. This book, these guys are telling their own story.” Ten years into tapping the interviews, he decided he wanted to put them in book form so he asked employee Lila Moore to transcribe
them. Once Moore transcribed the tapes, Dr. Elliff took the manuscript to Scott Johnson, a friend and fellow musician who runs Sputnik Design Works in Denver. Johnson suggested they ask Dressman to edit the transcript to a manageable size. “When I interviewed these guys, I tried to get their story from the service. What happened to them? How did it affect them? How did it affect their family? A lot of that’s not in the book. Denny just chopped it out.” Dressman, a 43-year veteran of the newspaper business and author of four books, read portions of the transcript before signing on. “I read a couple of the interviews from the transcript at random and realized how extraordinary they were,” he says. “I saw tremendous potential. My goal was to present them in the most effective way that would allow their unique first-person accounts to shine. “From that goal, I came up with the idea of the third-person intros, and then realized that, in order to not disrupt the flow of the first-person
accounts, something like the Historical References was needed to explain or elaborate on certain things they talked about.” In his editor’s note at the end of the book, Dressman writes that it is one of the most unusual books in the vast array of Word War II literature published. “You should judge for yourself, but I am proud of the way it turned out. I think it provides a picture of America during the war years, and the experience of military service then, that is unique. It’s a real microcosm of the time in America, and all the more amazing because Dr. Elliff didn’t screen the 36 guys or try to select guys to represent the broad spectrum that he wound up with. These are 36 guys from the same area, who had all of these different experiences. Amazing!” Dr. Elliff, who was 13 in 1941, says he hopes the children and grandchildren of these 36 veterans read the book so they understand, not only what these men did, but what the world was like at that time. “The United States was totally mobilized,” he says. “We had rationing. We had
shoe rationing. We had gas rationing. We had clothing rationing. We had paper drives. We had rubber drives. We had scrap drives. Everybody was into it.” Dressman says he hopes the book becomes one schools use to teach the WWII era in America and America in WWII. He says a quote on the back of the book by Rick Crandall, president of the Colorado Freedom Memorial Foundation, sums up his thoughts on the importance of the book to Colorado. “Colorado has much to be proud of in these hometown heroes,” writes Crandall. “I never tire of reading about the feats of ordinary people in extraordinary times.” An essay in the front of the book notes that, “without exception,” the men who told their stories said, “I am not a hero.” Dr. Elliff disagrees. “These guys represented 100 percent of the effort. Every one of them I called a hero. They risked their necks. Every one of them.” Those interested can order Sterling Heroes at www.ComServeBooks.com.
Theft of newspapers should be a crime
Theft hurts many
Editor’s note: The following is a letter from Brenda Brandt—CPA president and publisher of the Holyoke Enterprise—and Samantha Johnston—executive director of the Colorado Press Association—to James. H. Davis, chair of the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.
Editor’s Note: The following column is by Carl Miller, D-Leadville, who served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1997 until 2004. He also served as a Lake County Commissioner and as a member of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
July 11, 2012 — Dear Mr. Davis: We are writing to express to you and members of the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice the extreme opposition of the Colorado Press Association and our member newspapers throughout Colorado to the proposal from the CCJJ’s Sentencing Task Force that the crime of newspaper theft be repealed. While we understand that some concerns have been raised about whether it makes sense to have the theft of newspapers be its own, unclassified misdemeanor, it is beyond our comprehension how anyone could argue that the underlying crime of stealing newspapers for the express purpose of depriving the public of access to news should not be illegal in our state. While incidents of newspaper theft in Colorado and across the country are relatively rare, there is never a time that it is appropriate for anyone to deprive the public to access to information by theft of newspapers. We understand that the Sentencing Task Force made its recommendation based upon concerns about whether this crime warrants a criminal penalty and that it has been prosecuted just five times since it was implemented in our state in 2004. Additionally, we heard from Rep. Claire Levy that there is concern that no value can be established for papers that are available to the public without cost, that a homeless person who took newspapers to sleep under could be charged, that advertisers should have no expectation of their solicita-
THEFT from Page 1 advertisers and the citizens served by Colorado’s free newspapers had no opportunity for input before a decision was made that could adversely impact all of them. We hope that the CCJJ will reconsider its recommendation.” Colorado Press Association is asking newspaper members and interested parties to contact their legislators and ask them not to support the legalization of newspaper theft if it reaches the legislature in January. “Colorado Press is and has been agreeable to a conversation that will ensure newspaper theft remains a crime, while helping the CCJJ to clean up the statute,” Johnston said. “In our letter to the commission prior to their meeting last week, we made clear our willingness to address the issues and be part of the solution.” tions reaching customers or potential customers in free newspapers and that the crime was established based on an isolated instance and the ability to define intent is not clear. The interested parties and the General Assembly carefully considered most of these issues when House Bill 1057 was adopted in 2004. The reason that the crime of newspaper theft was classified as its own, unclassified misdemeanor was because that was determined as the best way to address the issue of establishing societal values and losses when the public is deprived of information, advertisers have been deprived of their rights to communicate with the public and newspapers have been deprived of their rights to provide information to the public. There was also a general understanding when the law was passed that as a misdemeanor it would not be
charged on any kind of regular basis, but that is was important the prosecutors have a way to proceed when appropriate and that aggrieved members of the public have a civil remedy when criminal prosecutions does not occur. Additionally, our research at the time showed instances across the country of people stealing newspapers when there are things printed in those newspapers that they didn’t want the public to see. The Student Press Law Center correctly characterizes these thefts as, “a terribly effective form of censorship.” We know that our advertisers do expect their ads to reach the public and will be happy to have them share those thoughts with members of the CCJJ and General Assembly if it is necessary. We do not believe that overworked prosecutors will file charges against homeless people for sleeping underneath newspapers. While we believe the current statute works fine, we will make ourselves available to work with CCJJ to address the issues of whether the act of stealing newspapers could be a violation of an existing class of crime or whether additional work should be done to address the issues of intent that Rep. Levy raised. However, we are unequivocally opposed to repealing the underlying crime of stealing newspapers. Should the CCJJ recommend such legislation and should it be introduced, CPA and its member newspapers will make opposition to it among our highest legislative priorities in 2013. Thank you very much for your consideration of these comments. We would appreciate it very much if you will share this letter with the rest of the members of the CCJJ before the recommendation of the Sentencing Task Force to repeal the crime of newspaper theft is considered by the full Commission. We also encourage you and members of the CCJJ to reject the recommendation to repeal the law making theft of newspapers a crime.
Sometimes when you see something that is wrong, you know you need to do something about it. Nine years ago, I was serving as the state representative in District 56, representing the people of Eagle, Lake and Summit Counties in the Colorado House of Representatives. Someone was upset about something written in one of the free distribution newspapers in my district and decided the best way to stop everyone else in town from seeing it would be to steal all the newspapers. The theft of those newspapers was damaging to virtually all of my constituents. The people who depended on that paper for news and information were victims as the thieves effectively violated their First Amendment rights to benefit from a free press when they censored that newspaper by stealing all the copies. The businesses that advertised in the paper spent hard earned money and made business decisions based upon the advertisements they’d purchased were hurt when the entire run of that newspaper was stolen for the express purpose of making sure that no one, including their customers and potential customers, would ever see anything printed in it. Finally, the newspaper itself was hurt. It lost financially as its investment to make the newspaper available was stolen, but even more so by a thief who stole the paper’s right to communicate with its community.
When local prosecutors declined to prosecute the case because they said they no crime had been committed under Colorado law because they couldn’t establish a value for newspapers that were distributed to the public without cost, I knew something had to be done. Working with representatives of law enforcement, business organizations and newspapers, Senator Jack Taylor and I introduced House Bill 1057 in 2004. The bill made it a crime to steal newspapers for the purpose of depriving other people access to information. It passed the legislature by huge margins and was signed into law by Governor Bill Owens. I was shocked to hear earlier this year that a task force of the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice was considering recommending doing away with the newspaper theft law and was even more amazed that the full commission has now recommended repeal to the legislature. It seems pretty simple to me. You don’t take things that don’t belong to you. But beyond that, We carefully crafted HB 1057 to only bring the law into these crimes when it could be proven that the theft took place to deprive other people the right to read what was printed in the newspaper. If the legislature accepts this ill-conceived recommendation to repeal the law, it will create open season on a free press as stealing papers for the purpose of censoring information will be legalized in Colorado. I urge the CCJJ to reconsider its very flawed recommendation, but if it goes forward, the legislature owes it to my former constituents and all Coloradans to swiftly kill the bill and leave existing protections in place.