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THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER Vol. 97, No. 10 October /November 2012
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association and Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington • www.wnpa.com
WNPA starts ‘next 125 years’ Forhan succeeds Stoner; executive panel selected
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ill Forhan, publisher with NCW Media in Leavenworth, was installed as president of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association board at a luncheon held Sept. 28 during WNPA’s 125th annual convention, held at the Red Lion HotelYakima Center. NCW Media publishes the Cashmere Valley Record, Lake Chelan Mirror, Leavenworth Echo, Quad City Herald in Brewster, and the Wenatchee Business Journal. Outgoing president Jana Stoner, in remarks reviewing her presidency, said she had wanted from the start of her term to leave a legacy of a special publication for WNPA’s 125th anniversary. “It was a blast to put together, and our thanks go to the Wenatchee World for printing it for us,” said Stoner, publisher Heather Perry/WNPA of the Northern Kittitas County WNPA Executive Director Bill Will gets a ‘high five’ from outgoing president Jana Tribune, Cle Elum. Stoner during the awards luncheon at the annual convention in Yakima. She passed the gavel to Forhan, who assumed the podium and said, “Thank you for the confidence the board and you placed in me. “I feel really good about the board we have, a mix of young people with knowledge about changing technology and the old guard who have been through onoring accomplished and devoted the wars and keep us relevant in people in our state’s community newsour communities. Bill Keven Lori paper industry is a much-anticipated “I look forward to starting the Forhan Graves Maxim part of the annual awards luncheon each year. next 125 years,“ he said. joined the WNPA executive commitFor the 125th anniversary event, WNPA The first 125 years began on tee as second vice president and will Oct. 6, 1887, when members approved Executive Director Bill Will presented awards chair the Convention & Workshops the bylaws at a North Yakima meeting to a particularly compelling group of honorees, Committee. Maxim has been active on spearheaded by Charles W. Hobart, ediand all received standing ovations. tor and publisher of the Yakima Republic. the Advertising Committee for several Josh Johnson, publisher of the Liberty On the 2012-13 WNPA Executive years and joined the board in 2010. Lake Splash, broke new ground in the Better Committee, Keven Graves, publisher Vice President of West Sound Newspaper Contest by receiving two plaques in of Nisqually Valley News in Yelm, adNewspaper Operations, she is responsible the Community Service division. His projects vanced to first vice president. A for the Sound Publishing Inc. newspapers were “Blessings Under the Bridge: The 12 trustee since 2007 and chair of the 2012 in the San Juan Islands, on Vashon and Dollars of Christmas,” which provided 1,200 Convention & Workshops Committee, he Whidbey islands and in Kitsap County. meals to homeless people, and third place, will chair the Advertising Committee. See AWARDS, page 16 See WNPA, page 2 Lori Maxim of Sound Publishing
Awards luncheon recognizes best of state’s press
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Auction raises cash for interns
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or internship scholarships, $6,367 was donated to the WNPA Foundation by attendees at the 125th Annual WNPA Convention. From gift baskets, art and books to kayaking and wine tasting, items donated to the silent auction raised $1,047. Foundation President Scott Wilson, publisher of the Port Townsend Leader, raised $3,750 in a live auction held during an intermission of the Better Newspaper Contest Awards presentation. Competitive live bidding put golf and other weekend stays, baskets of wine and gourmet foods into the hands of publishers and staff members at WNPA newspapers. The final $1,500 was donated in $250 increments by volunteers answering Wilson’s call to fund just one more student internship for 2013. The names and newspapers of all donors and winning bidders are on page 16. WNPA past presidents Debbie Berto, Sue Ellen Riesau, and Scott Wilson coordinated the auction to benefit Washington’s student journalists and community newspapers. The Foundation will announce its 2013 internship scholarship opportunities in December in this newspaper and by email to publishers and universities. Nominations from publishers and applications from college nominees will be due in February 2013. Questions about the internship program may be directed to Wilson, swilson@ptleader. com, or Mae Waldron, mwaldron@wnpa.com.
10 regional papers win annual Blethen awards
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he 2012 C.B. Blethen Memorial Awards for Distinguished Newspaper Reporting were presented Sept. 13 to writers from 10 daily newspapers in the region. Rob Blethen, publisher of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin and fifth generation member of the Blethen family, presented the awards at the annual meeting of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association (PNNA) in Portland, Ore. The awards honor reporters from newspapers in two circulation divisions, over 50,000
circulation and under 50,000 circulation. The Debby Lowman Award for Distinguished Reporting of Consumer Rob Blethen Affairs is an open competition. Lowman, a Seattle Times consumer reporter, died of cancer in 1978. The first- and second-place winners in each category receive plaques provided by the Seattle Times.
Winners of the 2012 C.B. Blethen Memorial Awards are:
Under 50,000 Circulation Division Distinguished Coverage of Diversity 1. Chronicle, Centralia. Adam Pearson: “Life Without a License” 2. Herald & News, Klamath Falls, Ore. Shelby King: “Seven Myths About the Klamath Tribes” Deadline Reporting 1. Chronicle, Centralia. Staff: “Centralia Fire Aftermath: Extraordinary Moments of Heroism, Compassion” 2. Chronicle, Centralia. Eric Schwartz, Adam Pearson: “Vicious Triple-Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison Without Parole”
Enterprise Reporting 1. Columbian, Vancouver. Marissa Harshman: “Vancouver’s Former Payette Clinic: A Legacy of Pain” 2. Columbian, Vancouver. Jaques Von Lunen: “Funding Basic Ed Isn’t So Basic” Feature Writing 1. Idaho State Journal, Pocatello. Staff: “Sept. 11: Ten Years Later, Serving in Crisis” 2. Daily Herald, Everett. Alejandro Dominguez: “The Daring, DeathDefying (and Quite Profitable!) Stunts of See BLETHEN, page 4
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012
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Free speech worth defending even if we disagree
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reedom of speech is the political right to communicate one’s opinions and ideas. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute, and instead is subject to limitations, as with obscenity and incitement to commit a crime. After our Sept. 5 issue was published, the Whidbey NewsTimes website was hit by an onslaught of online comments directed at an elderly woman who had written a letter critical of the noise accompanying touch-and-go practice at the Coupeville Outlying Field. The majority of comments posted voiced support for the Navy and strong opposition to the letter-writer’s opinion. In a community like ours, where support for the military is
strong, visible and vocal, that comes as no surprise. By Wednesday night, long after our office had closed Kasia for the day, Pierzga the newspaper Publisher, website was Whidbey hit with a tor- News-Times, rent of online Oak Harbor comments. Many included obscenities or hateful remarks. But those comments paled in comparison to the ones that provided the letter writer’s home address and home phone number and urged people to terrorize her. Some people actually followed through on those threats,
repeatedly calling and driving by this woman’s home throughout the night. The worst online comments encouraged violence against her – even rape. Speech that incites violence against someone is a serious crime. The Island County Sheriff’s Office and authorities from the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station are now investigating the member of the military who made the rape threat. Investigations of additional Facebook users who posted threats against the letter writer may follow. Overnight the volume of comments far exceeded our ability to monitor. Ultimately we determined the only way we could prevent additional threats was to turn off the commenting
option altogether. Now, because the original letter remains on the website, people insist the newspaper is now allowing only one opinion. They are demanding that we censor this woman’s letter because they disagree with it. The fact is, we are not censoring anyone’s opinion. Those who want to air an opinion should send a signed letter to the editor or post their opinion on Facebook. However, we cannot allow comments that threaten harm to someone. We are very disappointed to see that some of the threats and nasty comments came from people who identified themselves as members of the military. Navy leadership must be disappointed about this as well. But so far, the public response from NAS
Whidbey has been “no comment.” The Whidbey Island community – and especially Oak Harbor – is extremely supportive of our Navy neighbors. We all are grateful to the members of the military who make great sacrifices to defend and protect our nation. Many of the commenters were angry that the newspaper had supported this woman’s freespeech rights “Don’t you know that we risk our lives to protect your freedom?” We know the members of the military who posted those comments are aware of which freedoms they are protecting. And free speech is one of them. Reprinted with permission.
A nip and a tuck, and public record returns Officers: President: Bill Forhan, NCW Media, Leavenworth l First Vice President: Keven Graves, Nisqually Valley News, Yelm l Second Vice President: Lori Maxim, Sound Publishing l Past President: Jana Stoner, Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum l Secretary: Bill Will, WNPA, Seattle Trustees: Mike Dillon, Pacific Publishing Co., Seattle l Josh Johnson, Liberty Lake Splash, Liberty Lake l Eric LaFontaine, Othello Outlook l Imbert Matthee, Waitsburg Times l Stephen McFadden, Ritzville-Adams County Journal l Fred Obee, Port Townsend Leader Staff: Executive Director: Bill Will l Editor/Manager of Member Services: Mae Waldron
Officers: President: W. Stacey Cowles, The Spokesman-Review l Vice President: Mike Shepard, Seattle Times Company Board: Rufus Friday, Tri-City Herald l Jill Mackie, The Seattle Times l Dennis Waller, Chronicle, Centralia Executive Director: Rowland Thompson
THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER is the official publication of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. It is published monthly by WNPA, 12354 30th Ave NE, Seattle WA 98125, phone (206) 634-3838. Email: mwaldron@wnpa.com; URL: www.wnpa.com, in conjunction with Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, P.O. Box 29, Olympia, WA 98507, (360) 943-9960. Email: anewspaper@aol.com.
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ublic record is back. A year ago, I made the hard decision to stop publishing district court filings, the Montesano Police Department and Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office blotters and the county jail bookings. We didn’t have enough space in the paper to print them every week and couldn’t find advertisers willing to sponsor the page. I had considered other options, but there wasn’t other content in the paper that took up the same volume each week. I heard from dozens of readers unhappy with the decision. They wanted to know who got booked with a DUI, who was getting divorced and where the cows were rampaging in the roads. Some suggested I cut their least favorite columnist to make space. Others said to cut their least favorite columnist, but you better not cut their favorite, which, by the by, was the least favorite of the other callers. Some suggested I get rid of monthly advertiser-sponsored pages (sorry, they only run once
a month and I’m not turning away advertising money). Others suggested I do away with all that boring city council Leif news. But, if Nesheim there’s no news Editor, in the paper, Montesano its not a news- Vidette paper. Some suggested I keep covering local government but nix all those silly feature stories about festivals and fundraisers. Others suggested I get rid of all those hiking columns I seem so fond of — you know, the ones I’m stopped at least twice a day by people who say they love them and save them for visiting family members (plus they only run like once a month). Some suggested I get rid of all those sports stories that nobody but parents care about. Others suggested I get rid of those boring legal notices that fill up
half the paper, but those are paid ads that bring in almost half our revenue; without them I’d have a paper less than half the size or no paper at all. Monte residents said I could get rid of all those Elma stories nobody reads. Elma residents said I should get rid of all those Monte stories nobody reads. But just about everybody said I needed to bring public record back. Unfortunately, nobody could agree on what to eliminate to make room for it every week. I’d love to just print a few extra pages each week for public record. But that costs money and I don’t have the advertising to support it. So, I have to nip here and tuck there. I’m sure not everybody will be happy. How did I make room? I’m reducing the frequency that four of the newspapers columnists run. Annie Valentine, Pat Neal and Tom Frederiksen will still be in the paper. However, instead of appearing weekly, they will appear twice a month. Julieanna Chilman will
appear once a month. That frees up a little more than half a page of space each week — about the amount of space the police blotters and district court fill. I had kept Superior Court (even expanding criminal court coverage). I will not be publishing the jail bookings. It is inconsistent with our policy of not naming individuals accused of a crime until charged with a crime to publish jail booking records prior to charges. Once charged with a crime, they will appear in either the Superior Court or District Court listings in a week or so. You can’t please all of the people all of the time. A newspaper is designed to have a little bit of something for everybody. Hopefully more people will be happier with the change than are unhappier because of it. Either way, let me know by emailing editor@thevidette.com, calling 249-3311 or stopping by the office, 109 W. Marcy St., Montesano. Reprinted with permission.
It’s not up to USPS to pick winners and losers National Newspaper Association
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he newspaper business— both small and large papers—has sounded full-throated opposition this past month about a plan by the U.S. Postal Service to purposely entice advertising out of the newspaper so ads can be placed instead with USPS favored stakeholder Valassis Inc., which bought direct mail company ADVO in 2006. The goal of USPS is to create more advertising mail. To newspapers that count on advertising to pay its reporters and cover the news, this new venture is beyond alarming. Many think it will push some newspapers—already made fragile by the economy and the Internet—over the edge. If that happens, it is the communities across our country that will feel the most long-term harm. People have a love-hate relationship with advertising, whether in the newspaper or in the mail. When advertising helps them find deals or shop
smartly, they love it. When it doesn’t happen to scratch the shopping itch, they may not like it so much. But most people understand advertising drives the economy and it brings other intangible benefits, like the paying the bill for news coverage that keeps communities informed. On every level advertising is highly competitive. Local, regional and nationally, newspapers compete with a growing field of ad media, from Internet to television and door hangers to direct mailers. But now the Postal Service wants to pick winners and losers in this market. It is providing postage rebates to Valassis of more than 30 percent if Valassis can divert more ad inserts into direct mail from newspapers. Not everyone can play. The discounts can be offered by Valassis only to large national retailers. Newspapers cannot get the same discount for their own mail because they can’t sign one national postage contract, as the direct mail company did, with
USPS. Neither can a small clothing or bookstore or a hairdresser or auto parts shop. We—the newspaper and our small businesses—are all local. This deal is only for the big guys. For the little guys, USPS has another advertising plan that enables businesses to bring unaddressed advertising directly to the post office. What’s wrong with this picture? It is that USPS isn’t a business. It is owned by Uncle Sam. It exists to serve all. It shouldn’t
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be picking winners and losers in any marketplace. It shouldn’t be competing with and undercutting its stakeholders, which are all of us. It should deliver the mail that exists, promptly and affordably. One of USPS’s big goals is to carry even more advertising, as the Internet saps away letters and bills. But we have to ask ourselves: does America need a federallyowned advertising service? This newspaper says no.
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She is also responsible for 13 Little Nickel publications distributed in Western Washington and Oregon. Since Maxim joined Sound Publishing in 1988, she has held positions of publisher, group publisher, director of marketing and national sales manager. Stoner will continue on the committee as past president. Continuing trustees are Mike Dillon of Pacific Publishing
Co. in Seattle, publishers Josh Johnson of the Liberty Lake Splash, Eric LaFontaine of the Othello Outlook, Imbert Matthee of the Waitsburg Times, Stephen McFadden of the RitzvilleAdams County Journal, and Fred Obee, general manager of the Port Townsend Leader. Bill Will, WNPA Executive Director, continues as board secretary.
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012
OPEN ACCESS & LEGAL ISSUES
State hire may have violated meetings act theolympian.com
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he state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council hired a new permanent director last month, but only after holding interviews that violated the state Open Public Meetings Act. The seven-member council, which includes top legislators and state agency directors, went into closed-door sessions, which are allowed under the law for discussing personnel matters. But the council failed to first issue public notice that they were convening a quorum of members for the purpose of interviewing three finalists for the
roughly $140,000-a-year job. Instead, council chairman Ed Orcutt and four others went straight into private sessions, bringing along some staffers. Moreover, the forecast council came to enough of an agreement behind closed doors that Orcutt put out an Aug. 31 news release saying that interim director Steve Lerch would become the new permanent director once the council was able to vote in public on his hiring. “We couldn’t have made a better choice,” Orcutt said in the release. Lerch was judged the best of 17 applicants. His hiring was made official at a public meeting last Thursday.
Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government and a former state lawmaker, said the council’s earlier sessions clearly violated the public meetings law. “If they have a quorum of the entire board there, then it is a meeting of the board. There is a very clear attorney general opinion about that,” Nixon explained. Nixon added that to have such an executive session, the council would have had to advertise a regular meeting, then announced publicly during the meeting that members would be going into a special session – while also explaining the purpose of that session and
how long it would last. Once in an executive session, the members’ actions would be limited. “There is absolutely clear case law that they can’t make the final decision in executive session, and they can’t really do a straw poll to try to narrow the field in an executive session,” Nixon said. “(I)t’s obvious they did that – because they published a news release, even if it was accidental, before the meeting. They clearly violated the open meetings act.’’ A court can impose fines of up to $100 per person for violations of the meetings law, but
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he question of whether the governor of Washington state can claim an “executive privilege” as a reason to withhold certain documents from the public is now in the hands of the state Supreme Court, which heard opposing arguments last month on whether the exemption cited hundreds of times by Gov. Chris Gregoire is allowed by the state constitution or an attempt at secrecy that violates the state’s voter-approved public records law.
The high court heard nearly an hour of arguments in the case brought by The Freedom Foundation, a libertarian think tank that sued the governor last year. An attorney for the group argued that executive privilege isn’t a legitimate exemption and that the governor is using it to keep a broad range of documents secret. The Public Records Act is written so that its mandate for disclosure is to be interpreted broadly, and any exemptions are to be interpreted narrowly, ensuring public disclosure whenever possible.
There are more than 300 recognized exemptions in state law, but executive privilege is not one of them. However, a Thurston County judge ruled last year that Gregoire, a Democrat, was allowed to use it as a reason to keep internal documents private. The foundation appealed to the state Supreme Court to reverse that ruling. “We have never in this state allowed an executive to have a secrecy-forever promise,” said attorney Michele Earl-Hubbard. The foundation said the governor’s office has cited execu-
Whidbey News-Times, Oak Harbor
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tive privilege at least 500 times in the last four years as grounds for withholding records. Currently at issue are six documents the foundation is seeking on a variety of subjects, including the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement, medical marijuana and criminal pardons. The state told justices that executive privilege is inherent in the constitutional guarantee of separation of powers and that it is necessary so advisers can talk candidly as they work to make decisions.
eputies with the Island County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the harassment of an elderly Coupeville woman who wrote a letter to the editor that spawned a controversy. Deputy Chris Garden said the letter writer, Caralyn Haglund, was in the sheriff’s office crying because of continuous harassing phone calls and cars driving by her home since the letter was published in the News-Times Sept. 5. Garden said the behavior is criminal harassment. He urges people to refrain from calling or going to the woman’s house. “People should grow up and be mature about this kind of thing,” he said. “It’s OK for people to have a difference of opinion.” Haglund, reached Sept. 7, said the situation has been a nightmare for her and her husband. After the letter was published, she received non-stop harassing phone calls, day and night, until she was forced to turn off her phone. She’s getting a new number because she needs to stay in touch with her sister, who is dying.
See COURT, page 4
See SPEECH, page 9
See HIRE, page 4
High court hears challenge to executive privilege claim The Associated Press
Controversy, threats lead to probe
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S-R series wins Connelly honor R
adioactivity on the Spokane Reservation,” a series published in the Spokesman-Review, is winner of the 2012 Dolly Connelly Excellence in Environmental Journalism Award. The award honors the memory of Dolly Connelly, a longtime Time-Life correspondent and freelance writer based in Bellingham who covered Northwest environmental struggles, from creation of the North Cascades National Park to pollution of Puget Sound and the Columbia River. In the words of judge Peter Jackson, editorial page editor of the Herald of Everett, “The Spokesman-Review’s coverage of the Midnite Mine and the
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Spokane Tribe reflects the best in public service environmental journalism. It’s original reporting that humanizes and makes whole the insidious legacy of the Cold War.” Same Howe Verhovek, author and former national correspondent with the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, described the series as “an especially artful and deft melding of feature, explanatory and investigative journalism, driven home by some extraordinary photography.” The award was presented Sept. 13 during Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association’s awards dinner.
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Al Faussett” Investigative Reporting 1. Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Ore. Ty Beaver: “The Betty Lou Parks Case” 2. Bulletin, Bend, Ore. Heidi Hagemeier: “Foreclosure Middlemen” Over 50,000 Circulation Division Distinguished Coverage of Diversity 1. Oregonian, Portland, Ore. Nikole HannahJones: “Housing Bias in the City of Portland” 2. News Tribune, Tacoma. Kathleen Merryman: “Cecil’s Story” Deadline Reporting 1. Seattle Times. Seattle Times Staff: “Café Racer and Downtown Seattle Shootings” 2. News Tribune, Tacoma. Staff: “January Storm” Enterprise Reporting 1. Seattle Times. Christine Willmsen: “The Price of Protection” 2. News Tribune, Tacoma. Staff: “Ten Years at War: When Duty Keeps Calling” Feature Writing 1. Oregonian, Portland, Ore. Anne Saker: “The War Bride” 2. Seattle Times. Staff: “Elwha: The Grand Experiment to Restore a Legendary Valley” Investigative Reporting 1. Oregonian, Portland,
Ore. Ted Sickinger, Jeff Mapes: “PERS: Oregon’s Retirement System Challenges” 2. Seattle Times, Seattle, WA. Michael J. Berens, Ken Armstrong: “Methadone and The Politics of Pain” Debby Lowman Award for Distinguished Reporting of Consumer Affairs 1. Seattle Times. Maureen O’Hagan: “Feeling the Weight: A Child’s Tale of Temptation, Comfort and Compulsion” 2. Tri-City Herald, Kennewick. Staff: “Hanford Layoffs: The Ripple Effect”
The awards were established in 1977 in honor of C.B. Blethen, publisher of the Seattle Times for 26 years, from 1915 to 1941. PNNA daily newspaper members in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Alaska, Alberta and British Columbia are eligible to enter the contest, which is administered completely independent from the Seattle Times by PNNA. Judges are top news executives from respected daily newspapers outside the PNNA area and are not affiliated with PNNA member groups.
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Investigative records bar raised The Associated Press
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ashington’s Supreme Court determined Sept. 27 that prosecutors improperly withheld documents in a sex offender case after a Public Records Act request, as justices took a narrow view of a state law that allows officials to keep investigative records from the public. The files involved in the case included a recommendation for a special sentencing program and a statement made by a victim. Thurston County prosecutors had argued that the files were investigative records and should not be disclosed to the public. In their 6-3 decision, justices
said neither of the records was part of the actual investigation into criminal activity. They said it is not enough that a prosecutor simply considered a document or even that the document may be useful in making a sentencing recommendation to the courts. “Neither of these records is part of an investigation into criminal activity or an allegation of malfeasance,” wrote Chief Justice Barbara A. Madsen in the majority opinion. The ruling reversed a Court of Appeals decision that had determined the victim statement was exempt from disclosure but the sentencing
recommendation was not. Justice Tom Chambers wrote in dissent that the documents contained deeply personal information and that the public’s interest in the files is minimal. He called on the Legislature to establish more protections to prevent the release of sensitive information. “I do not believe the people or the Legislature intended that the most sensitive information of victims of a crime, especially a sex crime, should be revealed to newspapers and the public, causing victims to be victimized all over again,” Chambers wrote.
Splash, Gazette win at NNA contest
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he Sequim Gazette and Liberty Lake Splash earned awards in the 2012 National Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. The Sequim Gazette placed third in General Excellence, and earned seven other awards. The Gazette won first place for “Join us, won’t you?,” a feature story by Mark St.J. Couhig. Couhig, Amanda Winters and Matthew Nash placed second for an investigative piece, “The Lowdown on the Slowdown,” about the real estate and mortgage industries. Additional awards were second place for a feature story,
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third places in editorials and editorial pages, and honorable mention in the Best Family Life/Living Section/Pages and sports photo categories. The Liberty Lake Splash earned an Honorable Mention for “ The face of new technology/Making leaps and bounds,” a business feature story by
Kelly Moore. All these awards were in the non-daily division, circulation 6,000-9,999, and were announced Oct. 6 during NNA’s annual convention and trade show in Charleston, S.C. The 2012 contest is NNA’s first use of betterbnc.com, the contest platform developed by SmallTownPapers of Shelton. The company is a WNPA affiliate member and has sponsored WNPA’s contest since 2007.
commissions like the forecast council are not specifically exempted. Orcutt also argued the council hadn’t had an executive session, believing it was an interview panel – not a meeting of the council. Hunter later said he agreed with a reporter’s objections – that a quorum of council members had met without public notice. But Hunter said he did not think the hiring decision – which Orcutt now must complete by negotiating a contract with Lerch – is in legal peril. State budget director Marty
Brown, who served his final meeting on the council this week as he moves to a new job, also said he thought there should have been better notice of the meeting. Orcutt did not acknowledge the process was flawed, but said he would seek legal advice in the future. Brown, Hunter and Orcutt all attended the interviews, at which state revenue director Brad Flaherty and state treasurer Jim McIntire also were present. Others in the room included stand-ins for two state senators on the council, Dino Rossi and Ed Murray.
lege, as part of the balancing of power between the president and Congress. Copsey and Earl-Hubbard said that seven other states have affirmed executive privilege for their governors based on that U.S. Supreme Court ruling: New Jersey, Alaska, New Mexico, Vermont, Delaware, Maryland and Ohio. Gregoire’s office sent out an email before the hearing, saying that the office has released more than 90,000 pages of public records since 2007, and that only 250 pages have been withheld through executive privilege, and that some have since been released. “Executive privilege is necessary, in rare circum-
stances, to ensure the governor, whoever that person may be, continues to have access to frank and open advice when they are making important decisions,” wrote Gregoire’s spokeswoman, Karina Shagren. The Washington Supreme court doesn’t have a specific timeline on when it will rule, but its decisions often come six to nine months after a hearing. WNPA and Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington joined with the Washington Coalition for Open Government in a friend of the court brief in case that supports The Freedom Foundation’s stance against the executive privilege claims.
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that rarely happens. Both Orcutt and Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina and chairman of the House budget committee, initially defended the council’s actions. “We had to count the votes. That’s what you do in executive session,” Hunter said. But he apparently was confusing “executive sessions” that the Legislature’s caucuses hold to determine strategy and vote counts with the “executive sessions” held by bodies governed by the open meetings act. The Legislature has exempted itself from the meetings law, although boards and
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“We’re not asking for a bright line saying that should or should not be disclosed,” Alan Copsey, deputy solicitor general, told the justices. “What we’re saying is that the governor should have the decision space, the elbow room, to consult with close advisers about the important issues that she must decide.” The state cites the same historical ruling as the Thurston County judge did in her ruling: a 1970s U.S. Supreme Court decision where the court ordered President Richard Nixon to turn over taped conversations to a criminal prosecutor. In that case, however, the justices also formally recognized the doctrine of executive privi-
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012
PASSINGS
Record-Bulletin’s unsinkable Dodgson dies at 66 Prosser Record-Bulletin
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inda Lee Dodgson passed away unexpectedly on Aug. 29, 2012, of complications after being diagnosed with cancer. Friends and family surrounded her at Kadlec Medical Center in Richland. She was born in a nursing home in Wapato, Washington, on Jan. 18, 1946, the daughter of Clair and Opal (Myers) Dodgson. Linda was fondly thought of as the matriarch of the Dodgson family, a title bestowed when her grandpa gave her the keys to his ’55 Ford and informed her that she’d be doing the driving from that point forward. She was 16 years old. She took her role seriously and was extremely loyal to her family throughout her life. Linda attended Prosser schools and after graduation in 1964, attended Yakima Business
College. Upon finishing college, she immediately began working full-time at the Prosser RecordBulletin in the layout and Linda design depart- Dodgson ment. She made multitudes of friends over the next 46 years. From toddlerhood on, Linda looked up at her two older brothers, Larry and George. The threesome explored and lived adventurously out in the country near train tracks, building forts from willows and cattails. When George and Larry shot quail and squab, Linda cooked a small feast in a coffee tin oven at their self-proclaimed “camp.“ Linda was just eight years old
when her father was killed. Her mother went to work, and Linda picked up the slack for her family, cooking, cleaning and helping care for Val, nearly eight years younger than she. The Dodgson children’s favorite pastime was swimming. Linda was known for her floating expertise and her brothers agree, “There was no sinking her!” George and Larry recall fun trips to cut Christmas trees and sledding behind a vehicle driven by Linda at what seemed like 50 miles per hour, though she claimed to only be going 15 mph. Linda’s cooking prowess, learned in the outdoor “camps” as a child, continued into adulthood. Beginning in 1978 and continuing for decades, Linda enjoyed staying at base camp in the Blue Mountains while her brothers and friends hunted. She
was fondly nicknamed “Blue Mountain Mama,” for the amazing homemade noodles (rolled with an empty whiskey bottle), stews, soups and apple pies she baked in makeshift ovens at camp. Linda enjoyed a full life — one packed with family, friends and adventure. She helped raise her niece, Trisha, and eventually, Trisha’s three children. During high school, Trisha’s friends also found a “home” at Auntie Linda’s house. She took them camping many times. During her long tenure at the Prosser Record-Bulletin, Linda saw many changes. She played a major role in the inaugural Grape Vine, a tourist publication, and helped kick off the Great Prosser Balloon Rally. She volunteered as a member of the Prosser Wine and Food Fair Committee for more than 20
years. Linda also moonlighted at Bern’s Tavern, owned by Darren (Carla), for the past 12 years. As Larry said, “She didn’t let the grass grow under her feet; she was always busy.” Linda was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Val LaRae Dodgson. Survivors include her brothers Larry (Julie) Dodgson and George (Diane) Dodgson and her niece Trisha Dodgson and Trisha’s children Dakota, Sydney and Samantha Benefit, all of Prosser; cousin Paul “Vern” Austin; nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, cousins and a host of friends. Those wishing to honor Linda’s memory may make donations to the American Cancer Society.
TNT’s MacGougan passes at 83 Valley publisher The News Tribune, Tacoma
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enny MacGougan, the popular Tacoma News Tribune columnist who – for better or worse – was the newspaper’s unofficial voice through the 1970s and early 1980s, died Aug. 15 at a Gig Harbor nursing home. He was 83. “It was not unexpected,” MacGougan’s son, Scott said. “He hadn’t been well for quite a while.” MacGougan suffered from dementia in his later years, his son said, and for the past two years lived at the Manor Care Health Services in Gig Harbor. MacGougan was hired at the News Tribune in 1951, shortly after he graduated from the University of Washington. He worked as a city hall reporter and as an editor, but did not find his true voice until he became a columnist in the early 1970s. His column, “MacGougan At Large,” ran four times a week, positioned along with his photo in a prominent spot on Page A2. It was the first thing many readers turned to.
The newspaper capitalized on MacGougan’s popularity, at least once featuring him in a marketing campaign that Denny put his face MacGougan on billboards throughout the city. MacGougan wrote in a style popularized by San Francisco columnist Herb Caen and sometimes referred to as “threedot journalism” – short items separated by ellipses, heavy on insider gossip, humor, puns, politics and goings on about town. “He was the Herb Caen of Tacoma,” said John Gillie, a News Tribune reporter who worked with MacGougan. “His repertoire included a cast of local characters who offered opinions on almost anything – most of the time when they’d had a drink or two. “He was not a 9-to-5 guy,” Gillie said. “He’d spend a lot of time out of the office, which
I think usually meant Honan’s Bar, across from City Hall.” News Tribune columnist Kathleen Merryman also worked with MacGougan. “He was part of the great generation of reporters who lived like they had ink in their blood and would tell anyone that they did have ink in their blood – and probably a few imbibibles,” Merryman said. “He kept abreast of issues in a true old Tacoma way,” she said, “finding out what people were talking about at Honan’s and Red Kelly’s. He was a man of his day.” MacGougan was born and raised in Everett. At UW, he was the editor of a humor magazine called Columns, and was vice president of his senior class. Ardene Reeder, MacGougan’s first wife, was secretary of the senior class that year, Scott MacGougan said. They were married for 22 years and had three children: Scott in 1952, Mark in 1954 and Margaret “Meg” in 1956. See MacGOUGAN, page 9
Former Cle Elum, Odessa publisher dies Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum
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alter Richard (Walt) Larson of Ellensburg, retired publisher of the Northern Kittitas County Tribune in Cle Elum, died Sept. 23. He was 88. Born April 30, 1924, in Glendive, Mont., Larson grew up in Circle, Mont., the fifth of 10 children of Ben and Josephine Larson. He was proud to be a World War II veteran, entering action on D-Day + 1 at Omaha beach and serving in Europe as part of a Signal Radio Intelligence company. Walt married Mary Lou Harrison on Sept. 17, 1948 in Billings, Mont. In 1949, he graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in journalism. Over the course of his lifetime, Walt was the owner and publisher of eight weekly
newspapers in Montana, Idaho and Washington, including the Odessa Record in Odessa, Wash. from 1964 to 1978 and the Northern Kittitas County Tribune in Cle Elum from 1972 to 1999. Walt was strongly invested in the communities in which he lived, with involvement in city council, chamber of commerce, school board and community planning activities. He was considered to be a thoughtful voice of reason and quiet leader. One of his most rewarding achievements was taking part in establishing the annual Deutschesfest in Odessa. Walt and Mary Lou were partners in both life and business, working side-by-side at each newspaper, even at one time writing the “WRLing ’round” and “MLLing ’round” columns for their readers of the Missoula Times weekly paper. They had
seven children together. Faith was very important to Walt. He was an active member and had leadership roles in churches in every community in which he lived, including First Lutheran Church in Ellensburg. Walt was a musician, having learned to play the baritone horn as a child. He sang throughout his life and enjoyed singing in many church choirs. He could even be caught at times walking over to the family piano and “tickling the keys” a bit on his own. Family was also a cornerstone of Walt’s life. He was a dedicated father and continued to provide inspiration and support to his children even throughout their adult lives. He liked spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They have already been told the See LARSON, page 9
Fournier dies, 75
Public memorial set for Nov. 9 on Whidbey Island Yakima Herald-Republic
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ohn Fournier Jr., longtime owner and publisher of weekly newspapers in Grandview and Prosser, died Oct. 1 at age 75. Fournier had owned the Grandview Herald and the Prosser Record-Bulletin since 1986. Fournier died at a hospital on Whidbey Island, where he lived with his wife, Christine, after a battle with cancer and strokes. His daughter, Danielle Fournier, 38, also of Whidbey Island, will take over as interim publisher of both weeklies. “We’re not totally sure what we’re doing long term,” she said in an Oct. 1 phone interview. Danielle Fournier remembered her father as a man with a sarcastic sense of humor who believed small town newspapers helped create a sense of community. “He liked talking to people, he told great stories and believed in the power of community,” she said. Fournier was raised in the newspaper industry. His father, John Fournier Sr., purchased the Aberdeen Cruiser in 1938. The family later purchased three newspapers in the Kent area and at one point owned the Valley Daily News in Renton, Danielle Fournier said. Fournier attended Kent High School and served in the Marine Corps before joining his father’s business. When Fournier Sr. died in 1972, he took over, Danielle Fournier said. His brother, Charles Fournier, and stepmother, Jean Morgan, also have owned newspapers. He was an honor-
ary life member and past president of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. “He knew so John much about FournierJr. publishing,” said Karen Derrick, who worked for Fournier in Prosser since 1986. “He just knew everything.” Derrick, who semi-retired from the business about five years ago, recalled her former boss as an energetic man whose mind raced rapidly from topic to topic. Fournier owned a home on Whidbey Island as his primary residence but spent four days a week in Prosser overseeing the production of the newspapers, which publish every Wednesday, Danielle Fournier said. All four of Fournier’s children at one point worked in nearly every part of the business, said Danielle Fournier. They are Suzette Nordstrom of Spokane, John Fournier III of Bend, Ore., and Matthew Fournier in Sacramento, Calif. Danielle Fournier took to the reporting and photography more than her siblings and returned to the business full time in 2004 as associate publisher, she said. Fournier’s widow, Christine Fournier, owns her own horse tack business. Survivors also include his sister, Gail Dallas of Redmond; brother, Charles Fournier of St. Simons Island, Ga.; stepmother, Jean Morgan of Swainsboro, Ga.; and four grandchildren. For information on the Nov. 9 memorial service, contact Bill Will, bwill@wnpa.com, (206) 634-3838 ext. 0.
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Real estate Survey: Publishers of small dailies most optimistic section, ad revenue grow for Herald University of Missouri
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he publishers of U.S. dailies remain optimistic about the future of newspapers. In the largest survey of its kind, nearly two-thirds of responding publishers expressed optimism about the future of the newspaper industry. Forty percent said they were “somewhat optimistic,” while 25 percent identified themselves as “very optimistic.” Thirty-one percent were neutral. Only four percent identified themselves as “not optimistic;” no respondent chose “not optimistic at all.” The question was asked as part of the RJI Publishers Confidence Index, the first in an annual series of surveys benchmarking opinions of
Daily Herald, Everett
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ince the Herald launched an expanded and upgraded real estate advertising section this past June, Herald real estate advertising sales have been up 20 percent compared to 2011, advertising director Ron Lee said. The section offers a mix of informational articles about the nuts and bolts of real estate financing and transactions, Q-and-A profiles of Snohomish County real estate agents, an improved listing of open houses that includes a locator map, and advertising that’s considerably more colorful and visually appealing than traditional textheavy newspaper classified ads. Lynn Jefferson of the Herald’s art department designed the section, the content of which is produced entirely by the advertising department. Sales for the real estate section and its digital counterpart are handled by Herald real estate account executive Patrick Johnson, whose professional background is well-suited to the job — he’s worked both at newspapers and as a licensed real estate agent. “Everybody has been excited about it,” Johnson said. “I’ve talked to a Realtor who said he’s bringing the section to open houses to hand out to people.” The section also brings together advertising for both existing and new homes for sale, which has pleased local builders, Lee said. After several difficult years during the Great Recession, “we’re seeing a definite (improvement) in the real estate market,” Lee said. “New home builders especially have seen an increase in business.”
newspaper leaders about the future of the industry and their organizations’ ability to adapt to fast-changing market conditions. The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) at the Missouri School of Journalism is devoted to exploring new ideas, experiments and research that will improve and sustain journalism, and released the survey in mid-September. In the survey, 458 in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with publishers, presidents, senior vice presidents or other senior managers or editors designated by the publisher. The interviews, conducted by the RJI Insight and Survey Center, represent one-third of the daily newspapers in the United States. In assembling
the sample, researchers were careful to ensure it reflected the distribution of circulation sizes across the industry. Circulation size was a key factor associated with the degree of optimism expressed by publishers. Although publishers from every circulation size were included in both the “very optimistic” and “somewhat optimistic” groups, 83 percent of those in the “very optimistic” category lead papers with average weekday circulations below 50,000. Although the survey revealed increased effort being poured into development of new digital products at newspapers, many publishers are counting on the print edition to continue to play a significant role in future
success. Responding to the question, “Do you ever envision a time when your organization will not publish a printed edition,” 62 percent replied “no.” Onethird of the respondents replied “yes,” and 5 percent said “maybe.” Circulation size also was associated with answers to this question, with publishers of smaller papers less likely to envision a time without a printed edition. Of those publishers who envision a day when their companies will no longer print, 19 percent expect that to happen in less than 10 years; 46 percent estimated it would happen in 10-20 years; 14 percent expect it will not happen for at least 20 years.
Forecast: Print ad revenue to grow again, finally
Borrell and Associates
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he newspaper industry’s print ad revenue will finally start to grow again, albeit slowly, Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, said during NetNewsCheck’s “Prioritizing Digital in 2013: Maximizing New Revenue Streams” webinar early this month. For the industry overall, print revenue is predicted to rise 0.5 percent in 2013, Borrell said. Most of that growth will come from small papers. Mid-sized papers, those in the 50,000 to 100,000 circulation range, are expected to see mixed results, with revenue staying mostly flat. At large metro papers,
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Borrell predicts hard times will continue, with revenue declines in the 4 percent to 6 percent range predicted. The consultant’s forecast for preprint advertising is cloudy. The USPS negotiated service agreement with Valassis earlier this year — which national newspaper groups are attempting to block both in court and in Congress — could shift some of
that money to the direct mailer and negate any growth the industry might see. “If that goes away, all bets are off.” Borrell also projected that most markets will see local online ad revenue rise 30 percent next year. in 2013. Targeted banner ads related to content readers covet and video will be the primary drivers behind the
rise. Borrell attributed the rise of video ads to a shift in how users consume online content. Consumer habits have switched from “reading the Internet” to “watching the Internet,” he noted. The increase of broadband speeds and the growing popularity of tablet computers have made online video more attractive to web surfers.
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012
Top picks from Adobe’s latest suites I
t’s that time of year again. Fall means lots of road trips to conventions and training events. One of the things I really enjoy when speaking at a conference is the chance to lead a workshop or two while there. This fall, I took it upon myself to create all new material for my workshops. While time consuming for me, it gives people who have heard me multiple times something new to go home with. And for me, it makes teaching that much more interesting. One thing that I always keep in mind is that most of us can’t keep the latest version of software on our computers all the time. It can get expensive to try to stay up to date with the latest and greatest. But every now and then, it becomes necessary to upgrade. My rule of thumb is to stay within two versions of the latest software. That means if I’m a QuarkXPress user, I’m using version 8 or 9. For InDesign users, that would be CS5 or 6. No, I didn’t forget 5.5, but let’s stick with whole numbers. Adobe recently released version 6 of the Creative Suite. I wrote about a few of the new tools in InDesign a while back. But what about the other CS applications that we use? OK, they are, in no particular order: My favorite new features in Adobe Creative Suite 6. We’ll stick with the applications most used by newspapers.
Photoshop CS6
Perspective Crop Tool: Oh geez, I love this one. Now don’t start an email campaign against me. This tool is not for use with news photos. But for those of us who are constantly working on photos and illustrations for ad design, the Perspective Crop Tool is going to be a favorite. It’s incredibly simple to use. Just
take a pic shot in perspective. I shot a photo down a hallway in my home. On the wall was a caricature of my kids and me. Using the Kevin Slimp Perspective Director, Crop Tool, I Institute of was able to Newspaper Technology select the area around the caricature and, voila, watch as it was replaced by a near perfect pic of the caricature as if taken directly in front of it. Incredible. Content Aware Patch: Adobe introduced Content Aware Fill in CS5. This allows the user to make something disappear from a photo by making a selection of the offending object and clicking a couple of buttons. It’s really handy when removing a car that’s blocking a house in a realty ad. CS6 introduces Content Aware Patch, which makes it a one-step process to duplicate something from one area of a photo to another, while seamlessly editing the surrounding pixels so the duplicated area looks like it belongs there.
InDesign CS6
Linked Content: Imagine being able to change text on one page and have it automatically change to match on other pages in the same document. Now imagine changing a story in one document and having it change automatically in another document. Linked Content allows the user to do just that. Simply select the original content, select Edit>Place and Link, and you’re ready to go. Alternate Layouts: Wouldn’t it be nice if you could design a print version of your newspaper and an iPad version at the same time? Now it’s possible with
The Perspective Crop Tool in Photoshop CS6 allows the user to take a photo like this ...
InDesign’s Linked Files allow you to make a change to a text block on one page and see the change take place throughout your document. This also allows you to make universal changes between documents. Alternate (Liquid) Layouts. Using your Pages Panel, you can create alternate layouts for Web pages, iPads, Kindles and more. When you design the print version of your newspaper, the elements automatically are recreated as a separate layout that can be exported on its own. Arrange Documents: View two or more InDesign documents side by side while working on them. Users can use this feature to drag pages from one document into another.
... and make it look like this.
The Arrange Document function in InDesign CS6 allows the user to move pages from one InDesign document to another.
Flash CS6
HTML5 Export: I had no problem deciding what my favorite new feature in Flash was. The ability to export existing Flash files to HTML5 is the answer to the problem with Flash on iPhones and iPads. Move over SWF. HTML is the new king.
Illustrator CS6
Most of the buzz about the latest version of Illustrator surrounds its appearance. The interface has been rebuilt from the ground up, promising a more pleasant and efficient design experience for users.
Pattern Creation: Illustrator users will appreciate the ability to create repeated patterns from vector graphics that have been traced or created from scratch. Improved Tracing: Illustrator traces more quickly and with more accuracy than before. As with any major upgrade, there are thousands of enhancements in Adobe Create Suite 6. These are a few of my favorites. Download a free full functioning demo version from Adobe. com and try out these and other features for yourself.
Reach Kevin at Kevin@ kevinslimp.com
Two WNPA member papers celebrate 20th anniversaries Review’s reprint part of birthday in Sammamish
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appy birthday to us” read the headline in the Aug. 29 Sammamish Review, where the newspaper’s 20th birthday was commemorated with a reprint of the first front page, dated August 1992. The accompanying anniversary story outlined the history of the suburban community, initially composed of large residential subdivisions adjacent to but not part of the neighboring towns—Redmond to the north and Issaquah to the south.
“(Sammamish) was struggling with an identity crisis,” publisher Debbie Berto said. “You had two halves—one that related to Redmond and one that related to Issaquah. Each half had its own school district — there was this divide right down the middle. …We thought, “If this is going to be a city, we want to be its newspaper.” The 1992 attempt at incorporation failed (58.4 percent of voters were opposed), but in 1998 the measure passed by 67 percent. Sammamish City Councilman Don Gerend understands the value of the paper, and talked about it with Review Reporter Caleb Heeringa.
“We don’t really have a physical heart and soul as a community yet,” Gerend said. “We’ve got the plaza with City Hall and Sammamish Commons and that’s a good start, but our local paper really is the heart and soul of the community.” A lighthearted sidebar described Gerend’s early idea for naming the city Heaven. He wanted to install pearly gates at the entrances and have Providence Point, a large retirement community outside city limits, describe itself as “the closest place to heaven on Earth.” The first council talked about the idea, Gerend said, but the city is named for the nearby lake.
Beacon marks second decade
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hen the Mukilteo Beacon reached its 20th year this year, Publisher Paul Archipley selected several ways to communicate the good news to readers. A photo of the staff standing in front of the company banner, a fresh design, and columns about the anniversary and the newspaper’s origins were published the Sept. 5 issue. Archipley publishes three Beacons, weeklies serving Mukilteo and Edmonds and, since February 2011, a monthly covering South Everett, and websites for each paper. A director of the WNPA Foundation, Archipley completed his service on the board of Washington Newspaper Publishers Association when his term as 2011-12 Past President ended at last month’s WNPA convention.
Circulation audit firms ABC, CAC to join forces, add services The Inlander, Inland Press
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ertified Audit of Circulations (CAC) will become a subsidiary of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) later this fall, the two newspaper auditing organizations announced. The union will create a central repository of audited data from nearly 2,000 dailies and weeklies, with CAC-member
papers included in ABC’s twice-yearly FAS-FAX reports. Combining the two auditors will result in “additional service opportunities for CAC members and anticipated cost savings,” the announcement said. Wayne, N.J.-based CAC will remain an independent brand with its own board of directors, bylaws, audit statements and staff, the organizations said. The cashless
transaction is subject to member approval at CAC and ABC, which is headquartered in Arlington Hts., Ill. “The publishers on the CAC board are also strongly supporting this effort,” said Mike Gugliotto, president and CEO of Pioneer Newspapers Inc. and a CAC director. “This initiative offers newspapers more services and more visibility in a new database. And with a separate board
and staff, CAC member interests will continue to be top of mind.” “CAC and ABC joining forces is a win for the newspaper industry. GateHouse Media works with both organizations, and this initiative will bring more than 100 of our titles into a central database for greater visibility to our advertisers,” said Kirk Davis, president and COO of GateHouse Media and an ABC board director.
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CAREER MOVES n Sharon Ostant celebrated her 37th year as editor of the Senior Focus and her 40th year at Senior Services of Snohomish County this summer. In covering the celebration for the Mukilteo Beacon, publisher Paul Archipley included observations from Ostant’s colleagues. Teri Baker, who has been writing for the newspaper for 19 years, said Ostant has an innate ability to spot newsworthy stories. “She’s wise enough to know what’s a good story, an excellent editor,” Baker said. Robert Quirk, director of social services at the agency and a longtime coworker, said the newspaper’s importance can’t be overstated, citing recent articles on elder abuse that generated numerous calls to Senior Services. n Ed Parker is the new circulation manager at the TriCity Herald in Kennewick. He joined the Herald after six years as the home delivery manager at the Idaho Statesman in Boise. He has 40 years’ experience in the industry, and will manage the Herald’s 350 carrier routes, all handled by independent contractors. n Anita Hedahl is new at the front desk of the Stanwood/ Camano News. She worked in the office supply business for 25 years, owning a store in Smokey Point and later managing two stores on Camano Island. She has lived on the island since 1979, and in 2004 was the community’s Woman of the Year. She and her retired husband enjoy camping, hunt-
ing and fishing, and watching her 18 chickens. “They have cool personalities, she said. “It’s kind of like the casino … mindless, but entertaining because you just have to watch what happens next.” Also new on the News staff is Rhonda Hundertmark, who succeeded Beth Harrison as a page designer. Hundertmark, a graphic designer with her own business, has lived on the island with her husband, Frederic, for six years. She works with local businesses and artists, and directed the Camano Island Studio Tour for four years. She has degrees in graphic design and digital illustration from Everett Community College. n The Columbia Basin Herald in Moses Lake hired Tiffany Sukola as business and agriculture reporter. Earlier this year Sukola graduated in English from Eastern Oregon University in LaGrande. She took a year off from school to intern at a newspaper on Guam, where she thrived while reporting on public utilities, politics and the island’s legislature. Sukola was born in Hawaii and grew up on Guam, and now looks to Moses Lake for a water view. n Marc Stiles, former managing editor of the Kent Reporter, has joined the Puget Sound Business Journal as a staff writer covering commercial real estate and government. Most recently he reported for Seattle’s Daily Journal of Commerce, covering com-
mercial real estate, Sound Transit and Seattle City Hall. His background includes a stint as a junior real estate broker, as well as assistant editor of the Highline News in Burien and news editor of the Chinook Observer in Long Beach. n Cary Rosenbaum has been named managing editor of the Omak-Okanogan Chronicle. Previously he worked for the Chronicle in Centralia, the Tribal Tribune in Nespelem and the Easterner in Cheney. Rosenbaum, 27, was born in Inchelium and introduced himself to Chronicle readers as “yearning for knowledge, especially from this area of which my ancestors, both American Indian and white, hailed from.” He succeeds Dee Camp, who continues on the staff as a reporter. n Eugenie Jones, for 20 years fitness guru at the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, wrote her last weekly column for the newspaper late in August. Though budgetary decisions and a reorganization of the paper’s features closed out her space, she used her final column to challenge her readers to keep fitness as a priority. n After nearly 36 years, Joan Morrish retired in August from her carrier position at the Peninsula Daily News in Port Angeles. When Morrish started as a carrier, she was a newly single mother in 1976, working two part-time jobs in addition to her newspaper route, she said. Morrish gradually built
up her route and quit the other two jobs. When publisher John Brewer named her Carrier of the Year in 2000, he estimated she had driven 50,000 miles, delivered 3 million copies of the paper, and had a complaint ratio of only 0.25 per 1,000 papers delivered — one service error for every 4,000 papers. Morrish went through at least 10 cars during her career, which at its height included 777 customers and 87 miles of driving each day. She turned her route over to Dave Johnson of Joyce, who has been her substitute for more than 10 years. n Josh O’Connor of Sound Publishing’s Bellevue office has announced several staff changes at Reporter newspapers in north and east King County. Andy Nystrom, for more than five years editor of the BothellKenmore Reporter, has been named editor of the Redmond Reporter. Nystrom started his Washington career covering sports and business news for the B-K Reporter and its predecessor, the Northshore Citizen. He wrote for the Reporters covering Bellevue and Redmond in the early 2000s. Previously, Nystrom worked for seven years at the Los Altos Town Crier, near Palo Alto, Calif. Nystrom succeeds Bill Christianson, who left the newspaper after five years as editor to become a full-time father to his infant son, Blake. Christianson’s fiance Holly Diehl returned to work last month, and the couple plans a December wedding.
Press Forward We applaud the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s commitment to advocating for community newspapers, freedom of the press and open government. We are honored to continue serving as a resource in these valuable efforts.
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Matt Phelps is the new assistant editor at the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter, succeeding Nystrom. Phelps covered sports for the Mercer Island Reporter beginning in 2000, then joined the Kirkland Reporter staff in 2009. New on the Kirkland Reporter staff is Raechel Dawson, a 2012 graduate of the University of Washington. Dawson covered the Washington State Legislature in 2012 for the UW News Lab, working alongside WNPA Legislative Reporting Interns Scott Panitz and Maida Suljevic. Dawson will work with Phelps and Carrie (Wood) Rodriguez in the Reporter newspapers’ Totem Lake office. Rodriguez has been editor of the Kirkland Reporter for four years, and returns from maternity leave this month to begin her new role as regional editor for the Kirkland and Bothell newspapers. n Normand Garcia, most recently the lead reporter for a Spanish-language paper in Utah, has joined El Sol de Yakima as its new editor. The 35-yearold Peruvian native comes to Yakima from Salt Lake City, where he worked for Ahora, the award-winning Spanishlanguage newspaper of the Salt Lake Tribune. Garcia studied journalism at the Universidad de San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru, finishing his degree in 2007. He worked in Salt Lake City for more than a year before Ahora folded for financial reasons.
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WNPA adds new member from Republic
Ex-Lower Valley publisher vows to bring back closed papers
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Yakima Herald-Republic
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he previous publisher of a group of small Lower Valley newspapers that ended operations Aug. 31 said he plans to restart them. The Toppenish-based newspaper group — Yakima Valley Newspapers — published two weeklies, the Review Independent and Spanishlanguage Viva, and the monthly Yakima Valley Business Journal in addition to the free Central Valley Shopper. In response to the closure, Jim Flint, the former owner and publisher of the newspaper group, said in an email that “I intend to make sure the publications are reactivated and give the communities the kind of newspapers they deserve.” In the email, Flint said he was in France and unable to elaborate on his plans at this time, but that he would divulge more when he returns Sept. 7. Longtime Toppenish City Councilman Blaine Thorington said he hopes the newspapers are revived, especially the Review Independent, which is the city’s official newspaper. “I certainly hope somebody picks it up,” he said during a Saturday telephone interview. “It predates me. As long as I can remember, there has always been a newspaper. I hope it can be ressurrected. It would be a sad thing if we don’t have a local paper.” In 2006, Flint sold the newspaper group to former Wyoming newspaper broker Mike Lindsey. Lindsey notified the Yakima Herald-Republic’s printing department of the closure on Aug. 31. The Herald-Republic provided commercial printing for the newspaper group. The closure came as a shock to the Toppenish Chamber of Commerce, said Chamber Director Zack Dorr. “Personally, I will miss picking up my weekly copy every Wednesday morning at the convenience store,” he said. “Reading it always gives me that small-town feeling that I love. I can remember reading articles on my favorite local sports stars as a child.” The Review Independent emerged in 1999, when the Wapato Independent merged with the Toppenish Review, which began in 1904. Flint’s parents operated both newspapers before he took them over in 1975.
MacGOUGAN
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012
State archives celebrate dual role Annual event puts spotlight on ‘Law & Order’ aspect
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he State Archives might not have every episode of the long-running TV series “Law and Order” in its collections, but it does have an extensive collection of legal and historical documents and photos featuring criminals, law enforcement and courts in Washington. This collection provides the theme for the state’s sixth annual Archives Month this October. This year’s official theme is, “Law & Order in the Archives: Crooks, Cops and Courts.” The month-long event, part of a national celebration, is cosponsored by the Washington State Archives, a division of the Office of Secretary of State. Throughout October, the public is encouraged to explore, free of charge, millions of items through the State Archives and its Digital
LARSON
ON THE WEB
Law & Order Archives: www.sos.wa.gov/archives Archives, historical societies, museums, public libraries, and university special collections. State Archivist Jerry Handfield says the State Archives, which is heavily utilized by lawyers, government employees, history buffs and genealogists, plays a crucial role in preserving Washington history. “Whether it’s a famous Washingtonian or someone’s own family history, Archives can help direct you toward the documents and resources that will help you in your search,” Handfield said. All 31 days in October are devoted to helping the public appreciate and better understand the legal and historical records that protect people’s rights and property, and keep government accountable and open, said Handfield, who added that Archives Month is an opportunity to learn how to preserve personal records and
how to use public records to enrich people’s everyday lives. Free events, workshops and copies of an Archives Month poster will be available in Olympia and in the Regional Archives branches in Bellevue, Bellingham, Cheney and Ellensburg. At the State Archives Open House visitors will see some of the interesting documents in the State Archives and can go on a tour of the 1963 nuclear bomb shelter located within the facility. For more information contact Benjamin Helle at (360) 586-7320 or benjamin.helle@ sos.wa.gov. The State Archives houses nearly 2 billion legal and historical items and is the home for the nation’s first Digital Archives (located on the Eastern Washington University campus in Cheney), which preserves electronic records in an award-winning online database that is used by thousands of people every day. Check it out at www. digitalarchives.wa.gov.
from page 5
stories of his long love of hunting duck, antelope, deer and elk in Montana and Washington. He even “bagged a grouse” on what is now the resort property in Cle Elum. Walt spent the last few years living at Dry Creek where he enjoyed getting to know the staff and other residents. Both Walt and his family appreciated the loving
care he received while living there. Larson was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Mary Lou; an infant daughter, Laura; his parents; and three siblings. Survivors include six children: Gwen Larson and Marla (Terry) Firman of Ellensburg, Steve (Rosa) Larson of Cle Elum, Jone (Jeff) Stout of Pasco, Nancy Larson of
Sacramento, Calif. and Ron (Jeanette) Larson of Santa Rosa, Calif.; 8 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren, 6 siblings and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service was held Oct. 5. Memorial contributions may be given to First Lutheran Church in Ellensburg, or ELCA World Hunger.
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Margaret died in 2008. After a divorce, MacGougan married Diane Bassett Lynch. That marriage also ended in divorce. Scott MacGougan said his father wound up his university career with enough credits to graduate, but not enough to qualify him for any one particular major. “They gave him a degree in ‘general studies,’” Scott said.
“That was typical for him.” While his father was mostly known for his writing, Scott MacGougan said he was also an amateur musician who played the banjo and an approximation of the stride style on the piano. “To call him good would have been a stretch,” the younger MacGougan said, “but he made up for it in terms of verve and gusto.”
Jonathan Nesvig, a News Tribune editor who worked with MacGougan, remembers him as an unconventional but effective and congenial journalist. “He made you feel at home,” Nesvig said. “He made you feel comfortable.” He also had a offbeat sense of humor, Nesvig said, remembering that MacGougan once
sent a hearse, complete with coffin, to pick him up for a party and – at least as legend has it – conspiring on an obituary that was accidentally published for another of the paper’s reporters, who was alive and well. MacGougan left The News Tribune in 1986, when the McClatchy Corp. bought out the paper’s local owners.
he Ferry County View, a community newspaper for Republic published by Gregory S. Sheffield, was approved for regular membership at the Sept. 27 meeting of the board of Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. The View has 900 paid circulation and is distributed by mail and single copy sales. A broadsheet newspaper, it is published weekly on Wednesdays and is online at www.ferrycountyview. com. The View was first published in September 2009. It operates in offices at 771 S. Keller St. in Republic. Sheffield also publishes the Ferry County View Extra, a free monthly with distribution to all households in Republic, Curlew, Malo, Danville and Wauconda. Including the View, WNPA has 102 regular members, 18 associate members and 20 affiliate members.
SPEECH
from page 3 “My husband keeps watch during the night. We don’t get any sleep and we are just a wreck,” she said. “This is costing me my health.” A Navy spokesperson said it’s premature for the leadership at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station to comment on the controversy. “The local authorities have the lead on this matter and the Navy will provide assistance where needed with their investigation,” spokeswoman Kim Martin said in a written statement. Haglund’s letter, “Navy should act like our guests,” has definitely touched a nerve in the North Whidbey community. The letter generated more than 300 comments overnight after it was posted on the News-Times website. The publisher of the News-Times closed the comments because of excessive abuse of the terms of use. The majority of the comments expressed anger at Haglund for writing the letter, which criticized the Navy for jet noise, and at the News-Times for printing it. Many resorted to swearing and name calling. Several people posted Hagland’s name and address. Others implied threats. On the other hand, there were civil, intelligent comments. What really seemed to upset people the most was the final line of Haglund’s letter: “Listen up, Navy: We pay taxes here. I suspect you don’t. We aren’t your guests. In reality, you are ours.” The noise from Navy aircraft an issue that has generated a lot of controversy over the years, though never at this level. The Seattle Times and the Everett Herald have recently run stories about Whidbey residents who claim that jets from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station are killing their trees. Just last month, the Island County commissioners’ hearing room was packed with people who were upset about jet noise. Haglund said she is turning over copies of the online comments to the sheriff’s office and the FBI.
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LEADERS IN FORMATION
Proud to be the Hotline Attorneys for WNPA and its Members
Marilou Sullivan/Port Townsend
2011-12 WNPA President Jana Stoner, center with sign, welcomed members to WNPA’s 125th Annual Convention at the Red Lion Hotel, Yakima Center. Stoner is publisher of the Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum. From left are Patrick Sullivan, Port Townsend Leader; Publisher Ellen Morrison, Renton Reporter; Kim Hollister, East County Journal, Morton; Alex Kramer, LaConner Weekly News; Publisher Donna Etchey, Bainbridge Island Review and North Kitsap Herald (Poulsbo); Publisher Colleen Smith-Armstrong, Islands’ Sounder, Eastsound; Publisher Roxanne Angel, Journal of the San Juan Islands, Friday Harbor; on Stoner’s left, Danielle Lothrop, Port Townsend Leader; Lori Maxim, Sound Publishing, Poulsbo; Christina Crea, DeVaul Publishing, Chehalis; Philip L. Watness, Skamania County Pioneer, Stevenson; Mae Waldron, WNPA. Second row: Honorary Life Member Dave Gauger and Rick Gauger, Gauger Media Services; Publisher Scott Hunter, Star, Grand Coulee; Publisher Scott Wilson, Port Townsend Leader; Krista Olson, LaConner; Publisher Sandy Stokes, LaConner Weekly News; Publisher Don Nelson, Methow Valley News, Twisp; Polly Keary, Monroe Monitor & Valley News; Josh O’Connor, Sound Publishing, Bellevue; Gloria Fletcher, Sound Publishing, Poulsbo; Charles Lam, Northwest Asian Weekly, Seattle; Cate Gable, Chinook Observer, Long Beach. Third row, Kathleen Merrill, Issaquah Press; Sebastian Moraga, SnoValley Star, Snoqualmie; Frank & Judy DeVaul, DeVaul Publishing, Chehalis; Andy Taylor, Sound Publishing, Everett; Fred Obee, Port Townsend Leader; Casey Clark, Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum; Terry Hamberg, Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum; Gary DeVon, Okanogan County Gazette-Tribune, Oroville; Jonathan & Rachel Pinkerton, Quincy Valley Post-Register; Mark Journey, FEI, Bellevue. Fourth row: Bill Will, WNPA; Publisher Imbert Matthee, Waitsburg Times; Publisher Paul Archipley, Beacon Publishing, Mukilteo; Angie Evans, Nisqually Valley News, Yelm; Megan Hansen, Nisqually Valley News, Yelm; Publisher Keven Graves, Nisqually Valley News, Yelm; Tyler Whitworth, Nisqually Valley News, Yelm; Cindy Steiner, Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum; Publisher Kasia Pierzga, Whidbey News-Times (Oak Harbor), Whidbey Examiner (Coupeville), South Whidbey Record, Langley; Jean Foster, Skamania County Pioneer, Stevenson; Michele Earl-Hubbard, Allied Law Group, Seattle; Dean Radford, Renton Reporter. Fifth row: Publisher Stephen McFadden, Ritzville-Adams County Journal; Publisher Eric LaFontaine, Othello Outlook; Stephen Barrett, Sound Publishing, Bellevue; Publisher Scott Gray, Enumclaw Courier-Herald, Bonney Lake/ Sumner Courier-Herald; Publisher Rudi Alcott, Federal Way Mirror; Publisher Josh Johnson, Liberty Lake Splash; Jim Fossett, Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum; TeAire Baier, Omak; Publisher Roger Harnack, Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle; Sara Radka, Port Townsend Leader; Honorary Life Member Pat Garred, Port Townsend; Lynn Hoover, Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle. Back row: Publisher Dan Leontescu, Eastern European Echo, Seattle; Meia Glick, WNPA; Valter Hristescu, Eastern European Echo, Seattle; unidentified attendee; Aaron Rider, Daily Sun News, Sunnyside; Honorary Life Member Frank Garred, Port Townsend.
THANK YOU
TO SPONSORS OF THE 125TH ANNUAL WNPA CONVENTION
Helping you tell the stories that need to be told. www.alliedlawgroup.com • Seattle • Olympia
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012
HONORS AND OFFICERS Photos: Heather Perry/WNPA
ABOVE: Bill Forhan, publisher of NCW Media, Leavenworth, accepts the presidential gavel from Jana Stoner, 2011-12 president and publisher of the Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum. TOP RIGHT: After accepting the presidential gavel, Forhan looks ahead to the next 125 years of WNPA. BELOW RIGHT: WNPA Executive Director Bill Will admires a plaque given him by Stoner on behalf of the board. BELOW LEFT: 2009 WNPA President Sue Ellen Riesau, former publisher of the Sequim Gazette, reacts as it becomes clear that Will is presenting the 2012 Miles Turnbull Master Editor/Publisher Award to her. On her right is Eric LaFontaine, publisher of the Othello Outlook. On her left is Liberty Lake Splash Publisher Josh Johnson, who received first and third place in Community Service during the luncheon. BOTTOM PHOTO: More than 100 people gathered in the Garden Terrace, Red Lion Hotel-Yakima Center, for the officer installation and awards luncheon.
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HONORS AND OFFICERS, cont’d Photos: Heather Perry/WNPA
ABOVE LEFT: Stoner shows off the prize won by the Northern Light of Blaine, an enlargement of the staff photo the newspaper submitted for WNPA’s 125th anniversary slide show. ABOVE RIGHT: Jille and Cliff Rowe listen as Bill Will awards WNPA Honorary Life Membership to Cliff, retired journalism professor at Pacific Lutheran University. RIGHT: Krista Olson of the LaConner Weekly News, RitzvilleAdams County Journal Publisher Stephen McFadden, and Alex Kramer of the News enjoy the luncheon presentations.
ABOVE: Jana Stoner reads the Past President’s plaque she received to commemorate her service as 2011-2012 WNPA president. RIGHT: Rowland Thompson, executive director of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, smiles during the awards presentation, where he received the 2012 Walter C. Woodward Freedom’s Light Award.
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IN SESSION Photos: Heather Perry/WNPA
LEFT: NNA postal guru Max Heath elaborates on postal issues at a session for publishers. CENTER LEFT: Danielle Lothrop co-presented a session on selling high-value web advertising campaigns at the Port Townsend Leader. CENTER RIGHT: Beacon Publisher Paul Archipley, 2009-11 WNPA President, takes notes. BOTTOM PHOTO: Advertising presenter Rick Farrell of Tangent Knowledge Systems, Chicago, presents a roleplay session to a group of attendees including Terry Hamberg of Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum; Janet McCall of the Northern Light, Blaine; Robin Doggett of Methow Valley News, Twisp; and Doug Kimball of Beacon Publishing.
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ANNUAL DINNER Photos: Heather Perry/WNPA
TOP PHOTO: Members gather in the Garden Terrace before the Better Newspaper Contest Awards Dinner. ABOVE LEFT: WNPA trustees Eric LaFontaine and Josh Johnson talk before dinner. FAR RIGHT: Members make bids on WNPA Foundation auction items. RIGHT: Mae Waldron of WNPA explains to Robin Doggett of Methow Valley News, Twisp, the list of items she won in the President’s Prize donated by Bill and Carol Forhan, NCW Media, for the annual sponsor-card drawing.
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SPONSORS AND RECEPTION
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Top Three Photos: Heather Perry/WNPA
TOP PHOTO: Among the 2012 convention sponsors were Stephanie Haase and Bill Hart of Rotary Offset Press, Kent. CENTER LEFT: Linda Rowlee of TownNews. com, a 125th anniversary sponsor, talks with WNPA Trustee Imbert Matthee of the Waitsburg Times. ABOVE: Ed Dickman of Yakima HeraldRepublic, a presenting sponsor, talks with convention attendees. RIGHT: MediaSpan Software’s Geoff Kehrer poses with the reception sponsorship sign.
ABOVE: At the 125th Anniversary Reception at Gilbert Cellars, from right are WNPA President John Flaherty (1987), Andy Taylor of Sound Publishing, and WNPA President Tom Baker (1986). RIGHT: Katelin Davidson and Janis Rountree of the Ritzville-Adams County Journal.
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WNPA FOUNDATION AUCTION
ABOVE: Jana Stoner/Northern Kittitas County Tribune; RIGHT: Heather Perry/WNPA
ABOVE: ‘And what am I bid...?’: WNPA Foundation President and Port Townsend Leader Publisher Scott Wilson calls for bids for a basket of items during the foundation’s live auction at the WNPA’s 125th annual convention in Yakima. Leader Marketing Director Sara Radka holds the basket. RIGHT: WNPA Past President (2003) Scott Hunter, publisher of the Star, Grand Coulee, writes bids on silent auction items donated to benefit the Foundation’s intern scholarship fund. See Page 1 for related story.
DONORS AND WINNING BIDDERS
M
any thanks to these generous donors and winning bidders in the 2012 WNPA Foundation Auction: Paul Archipley, Beacon Publishing Christine Fossett, Centralia Chronicle Frank & Judy DeVaul, DeVaul Publishing, Chehalis Frank & Pat Garred, Honorary Life Members, Port Townsend Colleen Smith-Armstrong, Islands’ Sounder, East-
AWARDS
sound Greg Farrar, Issaquah Press Debbie Berto, Issaquah Press Roxanne Angel, Journal of the San Juan Islands, Friday Harbor Mike Lewis, Lynden Tribune & Ferndale Record Don Nelson, Methow Valley News, Twisp Polly Keary, Monroe Monitor & Valley News Doug Kimball, Mukilteo Beacon Bill & Carol Forhan, NCW Media, Leavenworth
Keven Graves, Nisqually Valley News, Yelm Donna Etchey, North Kitsap Herald (Poulsbo), Bainbridge Island Review Jana Stoner & Terry Hamberg, Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Cle Elum Assunta Ng, Northwest Asian Weekly, Seattle Al Camp, Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle Roger Harnack, OmakOkanogan County Chronicle Eric LaFontaine, Othello Outlook
Mike Dillon, Pacific Publishing Co., Seattle Jerry Gay, Photojournalist, Seattle Danielle Lothrop, Port Townsend Leader Patrick & Marilou Sullivan, Port Townsend Leader Scott Wilson, Port Townsend Leader Stephen McFadden, Ritzville-Adams County Journal Jean Foster, Skamania County Pioneer, Stevenson Gloria Fletcher, Sound Publishing, Poulsbo
Lori Maxim, Sound Publishing, Poulsbo Jeremiah O’Hagan, Stanwood/Camano News David Cuillier, University of Arizona School of Journalism Sue Ellen Riesau, WNPA Past President, Sequim Mike Shepard, WNPA Past President, Seattle Times Bill Will, Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
dedication to her community and employees, her strength as a manager, and her effective service to WNPA as qualities that brought her to mind for this year’s award. “What truly matters is someone who values their community,” he said. “She pitched in and worked hard for WNPA, just like she does with the Lavender Festival and other community events in Sequim.” Riesau said she was humbled to “stand with the greats, like Scott (Wilson) and Frank (Garred) and Debbie (Berto),” who she counted as her mentors and thanked for all their years of friendship. “WNPA has been very much a family to me,” she said.
child. As Thompson approached the podium, he urged Port Townsend Leader Publisher Scott Wilson, his friend and WNPA buddy since their ages were in the single digits, to join him. He said the two met at WNPA’s 72nd association meeting at Harrison Hot Springs, where they were the youngest kids. Thompson described helping at the Cowlitz County Advocate, his parents’ newspaper in Castle Rock, when he was just 4 years old, and shared other stories about growing up at the family’s newspaper office. “No award that I’ve ever gotten means more than this,” Thompson said. “I am gobsmacked. “Others are public servants, activists with a noble cause. I’m just a mean bastard with an agenda. I work on your behalf to get you access the records you need to protect the communities you serve.” As he continued, he voiced his concerns about the future of WNPA. “You can’t starve this association anymore. If you don’t have Bill and Mae and me fighting for you, you wouldn’t have the access you have, essentially for free.”
from page 1
“Relay for Life.” Second place went to the Renton Reporter for “Taking Care of Those who Serve,” coverage of returning veterans. Cliff Rowe, retired professor of journalism at Pacific Lutheran University (fondly referred to by his students as the godfather of journalism) was named an Honorary Life Member of WNPA. In addition to training scores of young journalists to think and reason, Bill Will said, Rowe was active on the WNPA Foundation board for many years. “I’ve been lucky to teach great kids,” said Rowe, whose wife Jille Rowe was in the audience. “I was also lucky to find a woman who could tolerate being with a journalist for 53 years.” Rowe said when offered the chance to start the journalism program at PLU at the same time he could have bought a newspaper, he chose PLU as the path he thought would be easiest. While teaching for 30 years in a rapidly changing field presented many of its own challenges, he returned to teach again this fall at PLU.
Advocate extraordinaire
Heather Perry/WNPA
Rowland Thompson, 2012 Freedom’s Light Award winner, amid applause.
Top among publishers
Sue Ellen Riesau received the Miles Turnbull Master Editor/ Publisher Award. Her career at the Sequim
Gazette spanned 23 years, including 16 years as publisher and eight years as a WNPA trustee. Will described Riesau’s
Rowland Thompson, who for decades has represented the interests of Washington newspapers in the state legislature, received the Walter C. Woodward Freedom’s Light Award. Will succeeded in keeping the award a surprise for months. That continued until nearly the end of the presentation, when he talked about the newspaper history of the honoree’s family and the honoree’s attendance at WNPA gatherings as a young