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Show Page A7 (EIe Thursday, January 15, 2004 (Etmeg-tt&gpgnhe- nt Castle Valley Comments by Ron Drake guest editorial Times-Independe- nt by Laura Pierce Contrary to popular belief, a life in newspapering involves more than sitting on ones pratt, drinking bad coffee and splicing quotes. Occasionally it requires us to work, demanding our presence at meetings, parades, accidents - even funerals, if the de- ceased had been interesting enough while breathing, Given the colorful history of newspapers in our country - circulation routes with dogsleds and airplanes, publishing on wood shingles to protest paper prices, cranking tattle sheets by hand out of tar shacks in the Old West - it stands to reason the people haunting these places of commerce must be colorful too, at times - or at least slightly odd. Why else would we put in long hours for low pay, all for the obscure pleasure of seeing our lifes work in a box, selling for 50 cents a copy? If youre not going to love it, youve no business fooling around with printers ink. The stain of the stuff carries a happy, worthwhile sort of slavery. I wouldnt swap places with anyone, wrote Robert C. Rivers, Jr. of the Watauga Democrat of North Carolina, as recounted in the book From Quill to Computer: The Story of Americas Community Newspapers. Id like to share with you some snapshots from small-tow- n newspapers, which surely have had their rough edges - and editors so obsessed with the inkpot theyd put their families into indentured servitude to print their weekly pound of flesh. Again, my thanks to From Quill to Computer, a wonderful historical account written by Robert E. Karolevitz and printed by the National Newspaper Association Foundation, for these vignettes of community journalism. In 1937, Tom Bodine of the Paris (MO) Mercury, requested two weeks before he died that his body be made to lie in state in his newspaper office with all the machinery running. His staff carried out his wish. In 1878, the founder ofthe Arizona Silver Belt in Globe realized he didnt have type that was large enough for a nameplate on his paper. So he found an oxen yoke and carved the nameplate out of that. Shortly after . World War. I ended, rising paper prices were making a serious dent in newspaper revenue. In protest, the Cowlitz County Advocate printed a special edition on cedar shingles. F.R. Birdsall, editor of the Yazoo (MS) Sentinel, remained a newsman to the bitter end. Shot in 1930 by the towns mayor, who was enraged by bad publicity Birdsall had given him, Birdsall on his deathbed instructed an assistant, Get the story to the newspapers. Dont get scooped. Be impartial. Tell the truth and fear nothing. Carry on. Revenues must have been tight. J. D. Coffman, editor of the Fair Grove (MO) Times, resorted to using a shotgun to collect on an account in 1912. He was arrested and went to jail, rather than paying a $100 fine for threatening with the gun. Coffman later said he opted for the guilty plea, because he couldnt have gotten an attorney for less than a hundred bucks. And while he cooled his heels behind .bars, Coffmans wife put out the weeks paper. Newspapering had unique hazards in the days of casting hot lead into type. Harold Eves, an editor in 1924, was gravely wounded when the bottom ofhis casting box dropped out and molten lead poured out onto his shoes. The liquid metal filled his shoes, literally encasing his feet in the molten metal, according to the 1924 as quoted in From Quill to - " Publish-ersAuxiliar- Dave Vaughn snapped this shot near his home in Castle Valley. Producers at one of Salt Lake's local television stations liked it enough to use on the air during a weather forecast. Brrrrrr! cil was to be responsible for selecting the y, Computer. Theres an old story in frontier journalism about the wife of a publisher who went on strike for more money, after years of setting type, keeping books, writing social items, making glue, folding papers and sweeping the office. Following short delibinerations, she was granted a crease. She would now be making nothing and a half. I think that in other ways (besides shotd shoes) the engun collections and of our terprising spirit journalistic forebears has continued on in our local smalltown newspapers. You, our readers, are the reason were here to serve. If it werent for you, we wouldnt be here, carrying on. Thats enough to make up for the bad nt lead-fille- coffee. Laura Pierce is editor of the Sedro- Woolley (WA) Courier-Time- s, where this , edi-tori- al first appeared. Letters to the Editor Thanks to 'Incredible Moab" and Allen Memorial Incredible Moab: To those many people who supported me during my recent head injury. I was amazed at the number of calls, gifts and cards I received. A deep apology to my fellow workers who had to bear an increased work load due to my absence. I truly miss my customers and Im looking forward to the day Ill be back delivering their mail. It is unfortunate that sometimes in life we take things for granted and just dont realize how good we have it. Two Drabners at one hospital Adrien, I couldnt help notice the rather extensive article regarding Allen Memorials new development director on page B1 in last weeks TI. While Im certain Mr. David L. Drabner is eminently qualified for this position, there is a remarkable coincidence between his last name and that of Ms. Marla the Shelby-Drabne- r, hospitals CEO. According to the articlepress release, Mr. Drabner will be reporting directly to Ms. Drabner, a hierarchy not uncommon at my house. However, unless this is indeed purely Jkl out-of-to- . . . thank you to Dr. Sherer and the staff at Allen Memorial Hospital for their Also, a big excellent care and quick decision to get me to Grand Junction where I could be treated by a neurologist. All of these people deserve a huge pat on the back. The residents of Moab need to know what great medical help we have and what citizens we are blessed with. God bless each and every one of you. May big-heart- ed Sincerely, -- Kevin Denney Moab coincidence I feel the T--I and Allen Memorial have done your readers a disservice by pointedly failing to mention this relationship. --Jim Collar La Sal, UT (Editors Note: It is our understanding, taken directly from the wording of the news rer lease from AMH, that both Marla and David L. Drabner will be reporting to the board of directors of Moab Valley Healthcare and to Rural Health Management. It could have been more clearly written.) Shelby-Drabne- Bob Lippman (left) and Jerry Bidinger receive the oath of office from town clerk Dorothy Harding. They took their place on the Castle Valley Town Council last week. Two special meetings, one for the Castle Valley Town Council and the other for the Municipal Building Authority for the town were held last Friday afternoon at the LDS Church. Before the meeting was called to order, town clerk Dorothy Harding administered the oath of office to the two new council members, Bob Lippman and Jerry Bidinger. During the meeting, the council adopted a resolution amending the previous resolution by the town to revise the payment schedule on the series 2003 bonds. Back on March 26 the town authorized the payment schedule for the new town community building to be paid in March 2004. Because of several setbacks in the bidding process, the building still has not been constructed and the March date is not applicable. The repayment schedule on the bonds was set for March 2005. Once the resolution was authorized by the town council, the meeting was adjourned and the meeting of the municipal building authority was convened including, incidentally, the same group of people. They had to formally go through the same act of adopting the resolution to amend the prior resolution and set the new date. The rest of the meeting was devoted to bringing the new council members up to speed on the new municipal building. Mayor Bruce Keeler received an interestcall last week from a man inquiring if the ing annual Castle Valley scholarship had been awarded this year. He informed him that Katrina Funk and Dashiel Kulander split the $2,000 award as was reported on July 24 in this column. Katrina is attending Grinnell College in Iowa and Dashiel is at the University of San Diego. Near the end of the conversation, the mayor realized he was talking to the anonymous donor who generously donates the annual scholarship to graduating high school seniors. Mayor Keeler said it was nice to talk to him and said it is really wonderful of him to give the scholarship so generously every year. The mayor said the man was careful to maintain his anonymity. The donor began providing the scholarship in 1991 when Mayor John Groo made the announcement. The March 21 column said he had been contacted by a person who wishes to remain anonymous, who will make available $1,000 every year to help finance college for one or more Castle Valley students. The town coun ( -- A theOverlook I Looking back ten years ago in the old files reveals the oath of office being administered to Lois Wagstaff and Donovan Roberts on the town council and Valli Smouse received the oath as the valleys third mayor by clerk Patt Plastow. They received a $4,000 grant for trees and shrubs for the town lot and set meetings for the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Twenty years ago high officials from Carlsberg Corporation, the original developer of the river ranchos, were to hold a public meeting with the residents during the monthly POA meeting. They rented a car in Moab but got stuck on Pace Hill because of a light snow that fell that morning but finally made it over the top of the hill. They met with the board of directors briefly in the afternoon then made a hasty retreat back to sunny southern California. Committees were being formed then to gather information and input on the possibility of incorporating the valley into a town and the fire department members were in CPR during their monthly meeting by Barbara McGann. One hundred years ago January 15, accordto ing the Grand Valley Times, John Branson and wife of Castleton were Moab visitors yesterday, John Martin and Sidney Pace of Little Castle Valley, were Moab arrivals Tuesday. A resident of Porcupine Springs Ranch this winter, indicates that something will be doing there next spring. John E. Pace, one of Little Castle Valleys most substantial and most progressive farmers, visited Moab Wednesday. Alex Reid, one of Castle Valleys most prosperous ranchman and stock growers, visited Moab yesterday taking part with the Woodmen in the funeral services of the day. It was a long trip to Moab from Castle Valley in those days and such a trip was sure to make the paper, prosperous or not. And finally, nothing to do with Castle Valley but good advise nonetheless. A prominent citizen of this burgh was called under the lime and compelled to lislight by his mother-in-laten to a lecture on the evils of using too much fluid for irrigational purposes. So live, that if you were suddenly called away, your friends do not need to go to the editor and have him suppress some of the facts to give you a respectable standing in the community. 83 E. 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