I like small towns. I have chosen to live in them at various times throughout my life. The one thing I have learned �” often the hard way �” is that I am an outsider.
This makes being a reporter challenging. Since I am not yet part of the fabric of this community, people do not call me when life-changing events happen such as a couple becoming engaged, getting married or having a baby. I do not hear about 100th birthday parties at the senior center or when triplet calves are born on a farm up Smith River.
These are important stories in Reedsport’s history. But often it is only by chance that I hear about them in a passing conversation, long after the fact, or read about them in The World.
My job as a reporter is to write about what is happening in Reedsport now and what has happened here in the past. I record the history of the town and I tell stories about the people who live here. But I cannot do it without “insider” help and you, our readers, are my inside sources.
Past, present and future events make interesting stories. If you know of one, please give me a call (541-271-7474 ext. 206). Let’s work together to record the history of Reedsport.
