2013 golden quill & golden dozen awards -...

The 38th Annual Gene Cervi Awardand the

Editorial skills and courage exemplified by winners of the ISWNE contest

volume 54, no. 2 • summer 2013

2013 Golden Quill & Golden Dozen Awards

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Editor: Dr. Chad Stebbins Graphic Designer: Liz FordGrassroots Editor (USPS 227-040, ISSN 0017-3541) is published quarterly for $25 per year by the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors, Institute of International Studies, Missouri Southern State University, 3950 East Newman Road, Joplin, MO 64801-1595. Periodicals post-age paid at Joplin, Mo., and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Grassroots Editor, Institute of International Studies Missouri Southern State University 3950 E. Newman Road Joplin, MO 64801-1595 Volume 54, Issue 2, Summer 2013.Subscription Rate: $25 per year in the United States and Canada; $28 per year elsewhere. Officers of the International Societyof Weekly Newspaper EditorsPresident: Cheryl Wormley The Woodstock Independent Woodstock, Ill. Vice President: Kelly Clemmer Star News Inc. Wainwright, Albert Executive Director: Dr. Chad Stebbins, Director, Institute of International Studies, Missouri Southern State University, 3950 E. Newman Road, Joplin, MO 64801-1595 Phone: (417) 625-9736 Fax: (417) 659-4445 E-mail: [email protected]

Board of Directors: Steve Bonspiel The Eastern Door Kahnawake, QuebecDave Gordon Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Paul MacNeill The Eastern Graphic Montague, Prince Edward IslandGary Sosniecki TownNews.com, Moline, Ill.Andy Schotz The Herald-Mail Hagerstown, Md.Barry Wilson Asset Media Services Kiama, NSW, AustraliaImmediate Past President: Kris O’Leary The Star News Medford, Wis.

The judge’s comments, About the judge and First Golden Quill winner By Art Drake ................................................................................................................................................... Page 3

Coolville II By Peter Weinschenk, Editor, The Record-Review, April 25, 2012 ............................ Page 4

An explanation from the winner By Peter Weinschenk, Editor, The Record-Review ......................................................................................... Page 5Buckeye’s impulse buys leave sour taste By Cary Hines, Managing editor, West Valley View, August 28, 2012 .......................................................... Page 6The Georgetown Conference will PUSH THE RURAL RESET BUTTON By Paul MacNeill, Publisher, Eastern Graphic, October 10, 2012 ............................................................... Page 7Six priorities to consider when selecting Freeman city leaders By Tim L. Waltner, Publisher, Freeman Courier, March 28, 2012................................................................ Page 8Have we lost all say on wildlife? By Roger Harnack, Editor and publisher, Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle, May 30, 2012 .................... Page 9Band-Aid solutions do not work By Steve Ranson, Editor, Lahonton Valley News, July 11, 2012 ................................................................. Page 10‘No one was injured’ By M. Dickey Drysdale, Editor and publisher, The Herald of Randolph, December 6, 2012 .................... Page 11Medford City Council headed down troubling path By Brian Wilson, News editor, The Star News, December 13, 2012 ........................................................... Page 12The budget hearing that never was By Marcia Martinek, Editor, Herald Democrat, December 6, 2012 ............................................................ Page 13Liar, liar, campaign on fire! By Elliott Freireich, Publisher, West Valley News, October 12, 2012 ...........................................................Page 14It’s not up to council to rebrand Ponoka By George Brown, Editor, Ponoka News, July 25, 2012 ..............................................................................Page 15Redistricting lawsuit served legitimate purpose By Andrew Broman, Editor, Independent Review, May 7, 2012 ..................................................................Page 16

Golden Quill Winner

The Golden Dozen

grassroots editor • summer 2013

2013 Golden Quill contestand Eugene Cervi Award

The Gene Cervi AwardWilliam F. Schanen III and letters of nomination ....................................................................... Page 17

his year’s Golden Quill winner is only the sixth person to win the award twice, joining Robert Estabrook (1973 and 1978), William F. Schanen III (1985 and 2001), Bill Lueders (1990 and 2005), Jeff McMahon (1999 and 2000), and Gary Sosniecki (1998 and 2006).

Peter Weinschenk was named editor of The Record-Review, a rural weekly in western Marathon County, Wisconsin, in 1981 and has held the same position for more than three

decades. A native of Fresno, California, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1978 and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1980. In col-lege, he studied English, philosophy, linguistics and classical languages.

Weinschenk also won the Golden Quill in 2011 and Golden Dozen awards in 2010 and 2012. To say he’s on a roll would be an understatement.

ISWNE received 87 Golden Quill entries from 49 individuals this year. The 12 best are gathered together as the Golden Dozen. The summer issue of Grassroots Editor traditionally contains these editorials along with comments from the judge. It is an opportunity to see the quality of commentary in the weekly press.

William F. Schanen, the winner of the 2013 Eugene Cervi Award, has worked for the Ozaukee Press in Port Washington, Wisconsin, for nearly 50 years — including 42 as publisher. When his father, Bill Schanen Jr., died suddenly in 1971, Bill III was 28 years old and left to somehow keep alive a news-paper that was on the very edge of having to fold because of an advertiser boycott. Schanen never gave an inch on the principles that led them to fight the boycott and, in fact, made the Press a stronger voice than ever in fighting for press freedom and freedom of information, while also making the paper a vital, influential, successful weekly.

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1961 Hal DeCell Deer Creek Pilot, Rolling Fork, Miss.1962 Don Pease Oberlin (Ohio) News Tribune1963 Hazel Brannon Smith Lexington (Miss.) Advertiser1964 Mrs. R.M.B. Hicks Dallas (Pa.) Post1965 Robert E. Fisher Crossett (Ark.) News Observer1966 Owen J. McNamara Brookline (Mass.) Chronicle-Citizen1967 Alvin J. Remmenga Cloverdale (Calif.) Reveille1968 Henry H. Null IV The Abington Journal, Clarks Summit, Pa.1969 Dan Hicks Jr. Monroe County Democrat, Madisonville, Tenn.1970 Richard Taylor Kennett News & Advertiser, Kennett Square, Pa.1971 Edward DeCourcy Newport (N.H.) Argus Champion1972 C. Peter Jorgenson The Advocate, Arlington, Mass.1973 Robert Estabrook Lakeville (Conn.) Journal1974 Phil McLaughlin The Miami Republican, Paola, Kan.1975 Betsy Cox The Madison County Newsweek, Richmond, Ky.1976 Peter Bodley Coon Rapids Herald, Anoka, Minn.1977 Rodney A. Smith Gretna (Va.) Gazette1978 Robert Estabrook Lakeville (Conn.) Journal1979 R. W. van de Velde The Valley Voice, Middlebury, Vt.1980 Garrett Ray Independent Newspapers, Littleton, Colo.1981 Janelou Buck Sebring (Fla.) News1982 Albert Scardino The Georgia Gazette, Savannah, Ga.1983 Francis C. Zanger Bellows Falls (Vt.) News-Review1984 John McCall The SandPaper, Ocean City, N.J.1985 William F. Schanen III Ozaukee Press, Port Washington, Wis.1986 Henry G. Gay Shelton-Mason County Journal, Shelton, Wash.

1987 Ellen L. Albanese The Country Gazette, Franklin, Mass.1988 Michael G. Lacey The New Times, Phoenix, Ariz.1989 Tim Redmond Bay Guardian, San Francisco, Calif.1990 Bill Lueders Isthmus, Madison, Wis.1991 Stuart Taylor Jr. Legal Times, Washington, D.C.1992 Hope Aldrich The Santa Fe (N.M.) Reporter1993 Michael D. Myers Granite City (Ill.) Press-Record1994 Jim MacNeill The Eastern Graphic, Montague, PEI, Canada1995 Brian J. Hunhoff The Missouri Valley Observer, Yankton, S.D.1996 Patricia Calhoun Denver Westword, Denver, Colo.1997 Tim Giago Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D.1998 Gary Sosniecki Webster County Citizen, Seymour, Mo.1999 Jeff McMahon New Times, San Luis Obispo, Calif.2000 Jeff McMahon New Times, San Luis Obispo, Calif.2001 William F. Schanen III Ozaukee Press, Port Washington, Wis.2002 Paul MacNeill The Eastern Graphic, Montague, PEI, Canada2003 Jeremy Waltner Freeman Courier, Freeman, S.D.2004 Charles Gay Shelton-Mason County Journal, Shelton, Wash.2005 Bill Lueders Isthmus, Madison, Wis.2006 Gary Sosniecki The Vandalia Leader, Vandalia, Mo.2007 Lori Evans Homer News, Homer, Alaska2008 Melissa Hale-Spencer The Altamont Enterprise, Altamont, New York2009 David Martin The Pitch, Kansas City, Mo.2010 Mo Mehlsak The Forecaster, Falmouth, Maine 2011 Peter Weinschenk The Record-Review, Abbotsford, Wis.2012 Vernon Oickle The Lunenburg County Progress Bulletin, Bridgewater, NS, Canada 2013 Peter Weinschenk The Record-Review, Abbotsford, Wis.

Golden Quill Winners1961-2013

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By Art Drake

love judging columns and editorials. It takes courage for an editor to take a strong stand that will likely upset some people around you. I respect that. And I admire the craftsmanship that goes into

fashioning a coherent statement about issues that are complex and multifaceted.

Those who have judged contests know that the cream rises to the top fairly easily. The

hard part comes in evaluating the cream of the cream.

I tried to stick to ISWNE’s judging guide-lines and favored entries that identified local issues, offered an opinion and supported a course of action. Most of your editors selected their entries with those purposes in mind.

And then there’s the writing. An editorial or a column must be clear and focused. And it helps if the piece is just plain good reading. An editorial is not a term paper, folks. These are

hard standards when the writer is trying to convey nuance and a sense of fairness while dealing with daily crises. My advice to opinion writers (as if any of ISWNE’s capable mem-bers need my advice) is to take the extra time to edit yourselves.

This is big talk from a retired guy who can go days without answering a phone call.

Art Drake can be contacted at [email protected].

The judge’s commentsI

About the judge

rt Drake worked at newspapers in Paxton, Ill., and Indianapolis before 1981 when he bought The Waunakee Tribune, a weekly newspaper in

southern Wisconsin. Later, he bought weekly newspapers in nearby DeForest and Poynette. Drake sold the newspapers and retired in 2006. He and his wife, Jan, live in Bloomington, Ill.

Art Drake

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al DeCell of the Deer Creek Pilot in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, received the first Golden Quill award in 1961, although he was not on hand to accept it. In an article by Garrett Ray, written

25 years after DeCell got the award, the winner remembered discovering the honor through a tele-phone call from an aunt in Akron, Ohio. “Congratulations on your award!” she said.

The co-owner of the weekly was mystified. His aunt explained she’d read in the Akron newspaper that he’d received the first Golden Quill for edito-rial writing awarded at something called the International Conference of Weekly Newspaper

Editors. DeCell called Howard Long to ask about “winning something.” Long said, “Didn’t some-body call you?”

“So, he sent me the plaque,” recalled DeCell, who never attended a meeting of the group that presented the award. Long began the annual tradi-tion of printing a booklet that included the Golden Dozen — the winner and 11 runners-up, but a copy of that first booklet hasn’t been found.

— from Watchdogs, Town Criers, Historians: The People and Newspapers of ISWNE, by Vickie Canfield Peters

First Golden Quill winner wasn’t told about award

Hal DeCell

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Peter WeinschenkEditor,

The Record-Review103 W. Spruce St.

Abbotsford, Wisconsin 54405

April 25, 2012

Peter Weinschenk also won the Golden Quill award in

2011 and Golden Dozen awards in 2010 and 2012.

Coolsville IIGolden Quill Winner

ow cool is Marathon County? Well, after last week’s county board vote, incredibly cool.

We are so cool…we’re smokin’ hot.Following up on a Community Handprint Study, the county board voted without

objection to spend $91,760 in tax dollars on five grant proposals from local agencies, both public and private, to hip up the county a notch and lure young, highly-educated professionals to this area.Our Balmain slim fit jeans are snugging up just below our waist just talking about it.

The general idea is to turn Marathon County — land of paper mills, dairy farms and the Sunday polka jam-boree — into a mecca of urban cool, a magnet for life-style-oriented, upwardly mobile, laptop-carrying Generation XYZers with college degrees by the dozen. Once the county creates a critical mass of these latte sippers, major employers will swoop in and employ them in some next wave technology. The county will prosper.

Should the plan succeed, we will all be cool and rich, which, last time we checked, was very cool.

It’s about time Marathon County invested in cool.Look at other counties. What do they spend their tax

money on? Well, all the normal dumb stuff. Road salt. Squad cars. Bed pans. Army surplus jackets and Led Zeppelin t-shirts for the undercover drug agent. In other words, boring.

Instead, Marathon County will spend $4,095 to have McDevco, its economic development arm, give away complementary computer flash drives to people chill-ing out at the Wausau kayak races. That’s not just cool, it is techno. And that in itself is uber-cool.

Saa-weet!Also, the county will spend $12,950 for the Health

Department to put up bike and pedestrian signs around the county. This is totally magnet. Could there be a sadder picture than a bunch of spandex-wearing bicy-clists with masters degrees and Phd’s utterly lost some-where on the country trunk highway system? And unable to get Google maps on the iPhones for lack of

cellphone reception? Preventing this disaster could be critical to the county’s next economic “big step.”

The county will also spend $19,980 for UW-Marathon County to form something called an Emerging Leaders Coalition. We don’t know what that is, but we support it completely. A coalition is always very cool. We get a very positive vibe from anything that is emerging. We are definitely in favor of emer-gence.

Our only problem with last week’s county board action is that it didn’t go far enough.

The county budgeted $125,000 in 2012 to fund its young professionals grant program. Last week’s vote left $33,240 unspent. This means the county isn’t doing everything it can to be cool. There is a cool gap.

Thankfully, we have some great ideas where the remainder of this budget should be spent:• Dark Sunglasses Day. Send every man, woman

and child a pair of dark sunglasses so that on a given day we can all wear them at the same time. On the coolness scale, this is good for at least two Portlands. (Check with county Corporation Counsel Scott Corbett if the county would incur liability for people bumping into one another).

• Encourage new art. One suggestion: A Zombies in Art exhibition.

• Create a Marathon County Cool Department. This department would be so cool it would have no employees, just an empty office with a Bob Marley poster thumb-tacked to the wall.

• Declare all of Marathon County a free-range chick zone.

So, the journey beckons us all. The county will be transformed — from Jerkwater to Bevent, from Rozellville to Nutterville — from a place people say they are from to a place people will want to come to. The universe is a very, very cool place. And we will be at its precise center.

Peter Weinschenk can be contacted at [email protected].

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This piece uses barrels of sarcasm to poke fun at the

county’s rebranding efforts. I don’t think the sarcasm was

disrespectful to county officials, but I suspect they

felt a sting anyway. This editorial was fun to read, and

there can be no doubt that where the writer stands.

By Peter Weinschenk

have always been a smart ass.My first words, I am sure, were not babble.

They were sass.In writing an editorial, “Coolsville II,” I

used my innate talent for sarcasm to lampoon a proposal funded by the Marathon County

Board, here in central Wisconsin, to boost our flagging economy by importing young professionals to our communities with bike paths, kayak races, internet availability and slick marketing.

The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors has named my editorial as the 2013 winner of the Golden Quill Award.

I am grateful for the honor and recognition. But mostly I am overjoyed that my talents as a wisen-heimer have finally received not just national, but international recognition.

It is a lifetime vindication.I have a pretty simple philosophy of writing editori-

als. I don’t write an editorial until I am certain that a unit of government is hopelessly lost in the swamp. Several approaches can be taken. One can daintily hold the hand of the elected officials and lead them out of the muck. One can apply a swift boot to the rear. Thirdly, one can employ ridicule.

The editorial, “Coolsville II,” uses the third tech-nique. It was so incredibly appropriate.

County board members dropped six figures in tax money in a silly attempt to replace a closed major paper mill and insulated window manufacturer with companies in pursuit of latte-sipping, skateboard-rid-ing Ph.D.’s looking for the next indie rock fest.

The wacky investment followed up on a marketing effort emphasizing that Marathon County’s greatest strength is its “centrality.” The marketing slogan is that

our residents uniquely enjoy something called “central time.”

Needless to say, Marathon County’s unemployment is still stuck in the middling 8 percent range, despite being, if you can believe the advertising, a baseball toss away from the center of the universe.

Who would have thought the center of the universe would have a sucky economy?

There are, of course, some serious, simple questions behind all of this levity.

How much must we change as people, as communi-ties, to keep current with the economy? A little bit? Or must we completely reinvent ourselves?

We find ourselves in a strange political environ-ment. It was Thomas Hobbes in his masterwork, The Leviathan, who argued back in the 17th century that the basis of government was for men to rally behind a autocrat to protect themselves and their possessions from the calamities that might befall what was then a short and brutish life. This is not fully enlightened political science, but it is a theory I, at least, can understand.

Now, the question is flipped upside down. It becomes how we, the people, must change to protect the government and other major institutions from bud-get shortfalls and other structural failure.

The people used to come first, but not in our brave new world of economic development.

For some people, this may be enough to make them cry and wring their hands.

I am sympathetic, but, frankly, I am more prone to laugh.

That’s just the way I am.

Peter Weinschenk can be contacted at [email protected].

An explanation from the winner

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From the Judge

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Cary Hines

This editorial calls out the town of Buckeye for spending

big bucks on a couple of historical renovation projects

before knowing how much dough it would take to bring them up to safety standards.

Once again, this editorial is clear, focused and easy

to follow.

Managing editor, West Valley View1050 E. Riley Dr.

Avondale, Arizona 85323August 28, 2012

From the Judge

efore you buy a car, you take it for a test drive. If it’s a used car, the dealership should have already done an inspection and if you’re buying it from a private seller, you should take it to a mechanic for an inspection.

Before you buy a house, you hire an inspector. The inspector checks out everything from structural integrity to roof leaks.

It’s called due diligence, and most people are willing to spend the extra time and money to protect themselves from spending big bucks on lemons.

Besides, most people have the time to inspect their big-dollar purchases before making them since most don’t buy such things on a whim.

But the town of Buckeye isn’t like most people.The town of Buckeye sees something it wants and

instead of making sure it’s buying smartly lets its emo-tions control its purse strings.

Much like the immediate gratification every small child desires.

We saw it with the Raney House and we’re seeing it again with Eastman Gin.

The Nels Benson/Raney House was a 3,500-square-foot, two-story historic farmhouse built in 1895 by Nels Benson. It was donated to Buckeye in the early 2000s when the town had visions of turning it into a visitors center or town offices.

Originally located on the corner of Beloat and Miller roads, the house was moved to three lots the town pur-chased for about $392,000 on Monroe Avenue just east of the Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The cost to move the house came in at about $42,000.And much like the child who begs and begs for the

latest and greatest toy only to cast it aside minutes after he gets it, the town left the iconic building on blocks for the next two years.

Because the house was not on a proper foundation for so long, it sustained major structural damage and was deemed unsafe and dangerous and would cost the town about $1.8 million to renovate. To make matters worse, a study found that because the house was moved from its original location, it was no longer historic and could not be considered for historical registry.

All of those factors left the town with few options. It could spend $35,000 to demolish it, spend $750,000 to build a replica at another location, spend $20,000-$40,000 to move it again or auction it off.

So it was put on the auction block and eventually donated to Buckeye resident Ian Horvath who at the time had plans to move it to Fourth Street and Hazen Road, restore it and turn it into a microbrewery.

One would think that the amount of egg on the faces of the Town Council members would have been enough for them to do some research before spending more tax-payer dollars, but much like the child who has just cast aside his new toy, the town had its sights fixed on anoth-er big purchase.

The council voted unanimously in 2007 to purchase the Eastman Gin on Miller Road for $2.1 million (kind of makes the Raney House look like a bargain), restore it, and turn the property into a park and history and agri-cultural museum.

But an environmental and structural survey conducted after the town purchased it found the gin to be unsound.

Seems that the gin, which was built in 1928, had sev-eral add-ons constructed to the original frame, and the way the equipment was removed when it closed in 2005 damaged the structure. Add to that lead paint and a bur-geoning pigeon population and voila: another lemon paid for the Buckeye taxpayers.

And more decisions for the rather impulsive council: spend $1.4 million to restore the building, tear it down and build a new one for $1 million or demolish it for an estimated $100,000.

Lucky for the taxpayers the estimate to demolish it came in a bit high and the town last month decided to tear it down at a cost not to exceed $70,000.

We can only hope that spending more than $2.2 mil-lion of the taxpayers’ money on these two failed projects will be a learning experience for the council and it will stop and think before it leaps into another million dollar impulse buy.

Cary Hines can be contacted at [email protected].

Buckeye’s impulse buys leave sour taste

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Paul MacNeillPublisher, Eastern Graphic567 Main Street Montague, PEI C0A 1R0 October 10, 2012

Paul powerfully outlined the problems faced by rural communities. Beyond that, he is leading the search for solutions, acknowledging that government institutions have only part of the answer. Although I see a danger in using news columns to cheer-lead, I give credit to Paul and the Newspapers Atlantic for using their opinion page to offer clear leadership.

Paul MacNeill also won the Golden Quill award in 2002 and Golden Dozen awards in 1998,1999, 2000, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

From the Judge

ow do you grown rural PEI?It is a simple question with a layered and

complex answer. There is no easy solution; no magic formula to increase our popula-tion or create jobs that will keep our youth at home. There is no fountain of youth to

turn back our aging demographic. No advertisement that will lure and keep immigrants or diversify our economy overnight beyond farming and fishing.

Some believe the issues we face are too big to solve. They have already written off rural Atlantic Canada.

I don’t buy it.I don’t accept it.And I’m willing to fight to prove them wrong.Rural PEI is not alone. Our reality is shared with

communities throughout Atlantic Canada. Too often governments — regardless of political stripe — are incapable of looking at the real pressures impacting rural communities. It’s not because politicians are igno-rant of the challenges. It is because difficult questions are easier to ignore when they don’t fit neatly into a political calendar.

For instance, it’s why governments continue to throw money at call centres when a micro-financing system would create greater, longer lasting wealth. Call centres have a 25-year history of boom or bust in this region. Yet politicians continue to pony up public cash know-ing the firm is apt to leave town the minute a contract is lost or government subsidies end. Yet the single mother who needs $500 to create her own job has no place to turn. Why? The call centre is a photo opportu-nity; the single mother is not. Unfortunately it is a real-ity of how government operates.

The Georgetown Conference, Rural Redefined is a major grassroots effort aimed at resetting the discus-sion, identifying the real issues and focusing on solu-tions and opportunities that will work on a local level in communities throughout Atlantic Canada. It will be held in October 2013. Planning is already well under-way for what is guaranteed to be a powerful and unique event.

You’re probably asking why Georgetown? It’s sim-ple. The idea for The Georgetown Conference origi-nates in my office, so from the moment the idea was hatched the Kings County capital was a natural to be the face of the effort.

Georgetown is a small town that has suffered enough body blows to knock out many a lesser community. Its resilience is inspiring as evidenced by its opposition to government’s attempt to close the local school. There is an optimism and vibrancy to Georgetown that flies in the face of its economic reality.

But Georgetown is not unique. There are communi-ties in every province with a similar story and vibrancy where ordinary people are committed to revitalizing

their hometowns. Georgetown is the face not because it is unique, but because it is not.

The Georgetown Conference, Rural Redefined is all about tapping into the vibrancy that still exists. It is about getting the right community leaders in the room — the vast majority of whom will not be elected. It is about attracting the right people from across the Atlantic Canada who can take a kernel of an idea and make it work when they return home. It is about con-fronting the biases — both within our region and out-side our shores — that stymie growth.

And it is about creating a world-class event hosted at Kings Playhouse where a single mother can sit beside leading regional business people and discuss solutions in equality.

Our primary sponsor is an association I’m proud to be a member of, Newspapers Atlantic. It represents 70 community papers — both corporate and independently owned — from all corners of the region with a com-bined weekly circulation of 700,000 plus. Our members live in rural Atlantic Canada and have a vested interest in seeing rural communities grow and prosper. That is our sole motivation. It is a special association that puts money on the table first and says ‘let us search for solutions to the problems we all face.’

This commitment will allow us to deliver a confer-ence free of government influence. Our four co-chairs are each leaders in their home province and beyond: John Bragg, founder of Oxford Fine Foods is the larg-est blueberry producer in the world; Donna Butt of Newfoundland is making theatre an economic pillar of a rural economy and Gilles LePage of Caraquet, New Brunswick was named by Maclean’s Magazine as ‘One of the 10 Canadians Who Make A Difference.’

Most importantly UPEI President Emeritus Wade MacLauchlan has energetically taken on the task of act-ing as our chief organizer. His contribution is key. He brings historical perspective, vision, equal credibility on Island wharves and Bay Street conference rooms and importantly political neutrality. The Georgetown Conference will not be a forum to rant against past fail-ures.

Our goal is a conference driven from the bottom up. It is a conference about ideas and solutions. You can help identify who must attend and the issues that must be addressed. Elsewhere in this edition you will find a full-page ad outlining ways to connect with The Georgetown Conference via webpage, Facebook or Twitter.

Every idea counts.It’s our future.Collectively we can help shape it.

Paul MacNeill can be contacted at [email protected].

The Georgetown Conference will PUSH THE RURAL RESET BUTTONH

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The editorial delivers on the headline. Tim helps voters think through issues faced

by their community. This is a classic good-government

editorial — useful but not flashy.

Tim Waltner also won Golden Dozen awards in 1994, 2000,

2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, and 2010.

Tim L. WaltnerPublisher

Freeman Courier308 S. Main

Freeman, South Dakota 57029

March 28, 2012

n what basis should voters cast their bal-lots in the municipal election in Freeman April 10? There are numerous factors ranging from experience to personality to leadership skills to commitment. But those factors don’t exist in a vacuum;

they need to be applied in the context of the agenda of the city’s leadership team. Ultimately, what matters is how the people we elect will deal with issues of impor-tance to the future of Freeman.

Infrastructure projects While city officials need to pay attention to a wide

range of infrastructure needs, there are three projects that rise to the top of the agenda in upcoming years; an industrial park, the sewer system and streets/drainage. While there may be debate over which is the most important, it is essential the city pursue all three.

INDUSTRIAL PARKIf the city is to maintain stability with the potential

for growth, creating an industrial park is essential. Currently, there is no property in city limits that is zoned or with the infrastructure to accommodate a new industry. All the candidates speak about the need for jobs and economic development. But until we have a place that businesses can come to with the basic infra-structure and zoning they need, we’ll be at a huge dis-advantage in creating those jobs.

Obviously, building an industrial park will require more than just city efforts, and strengthening the part-nership with the Freeman Economic Development Corporation needs to be a related priority. But if increasing jobs is important — and it is — an industri-al park needs to be high on the agenda.

SEWER SYSTEMFreeman’s sewer system is taken for granted, largely

because we don’t see it. The pipes are underground and the plant is several miles outside city limits. And, because it’s designed to not give off an odor, we don’t smell it.

The fact that it has been working so well gives us a false sense of security. Given the age of the plant and the lack of a major comprehensive renovation of the system in the past 30 years, the decision by city offi-cials to do a study in recent months is wise. But a study alone isn’t enough. The city will need to deter-mine what steps to take sooner rather than later to ensure the system is upgraded so residents will enjoy the same service the next 30 years.

STREET/DRAINAGEThe most obvious infrastructure in Freeman is our

streets. But the street surface if only half of it; proper drainage is directly related to the condition of those streets. While the city has done a good job of address-ing drainage issues in recent years, there are a number of areas of the city that need attention.

A comprehensive approach that prioritizes those areas that need to be addressed is essential. But that also has to be part of a larger comprehensive, integrat-ed and cohesive plan that enables the city to, not only improve streets and drainage, but also pursue orderly growth and expansion of the city.

Non-infrastructure issuesBricks and mortar are generally the easier priorities

to identify as a city looks to position itself for stability, responsiveness to citizens’ needs and orderly growth and development. But how the city functions and how city officials put governance into practice is critical. While there are numerous issues that are part of this dynamic, three areas rise to the top of the city’s agen-da: maintaining relationships, setting goals, and reviewing ordinances.

MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPSEffective city government is more than action taken

at the council table. It includes establishing and main-taining working relationships. Obviously, that needs to include citizens and community groups; it’s essential that the city work arm in arm with groups like the Freeman Community Development Corporation in strengthening the economic vitality of the community. But it also includes working with regional and state resources.

The city’s successful pursuit of grants for the library and the geothermal heating/cooling system for the community center are just two examples of the value of building and maintaining those resources. Whether it’s District III Planning and Development or contacts with our state and national representatives, our local leadership team needs to maintain and strengthen part-nerships built on solid personal and professional rela-tionships.

SETTING GOALSEffective city government is more than responding

to immediate needs. It requires regularly taking a long-term look at the needs of the city. It includes assessing the status and viability of the city’s infrastructure and organizational structures and then establishing a short-term, mid-term and long-term agenda to make improvements that are needed.

Involving the community in those discussions is important. The survey conducted two years ago was a good exercise. But that’s only as good as responding to the issues identified. Tapping outside resources is also important. The recent analysis of the city’s sewer sys-tem is a good example. But that is helpful only if city leaders plan on how and when to proceed with the rec-ommended upgrade improvement — and then follow through with action.

REVIEWING AND ENFORCING ORDINANCESThe city’s ordinances provide the structure, rules and

guidelines for citizens and under which city officials

O

From the Judge

Six priorities to consider when selecting Freeman city leaders

continued on page 11

9


his week, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet in Olympia to dis-cuss more land acquisitions here and wolf management issues, among other things.

That state board includes area resident Jay Kehne.

In his role, Kehne is supposed to represent Eastern Washington on the variety of issues relating to manag-ing fish and wildlife statewide.

But on two of the most critical issues to those of us living in Okanogan and Ferry counties, Kehne has to recuse himself.

Those issues are the wolf management plan and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s continued land acquisitions here.

Why should Kehne abstain from participation in those issues?

Simply put, his employer, Conservation Northwest — and therefore, Kehne — has a vested interest in the discussion and the outcome of any board decisions.

The liberal Conservation Northwest group is largely involved in an effort to reintroduce and restore the wolf population here in the state.

The same organization is also behind numerous efforts to acquire land for wildlife corridors and remov-ing tracts from agricultural production.

On both of these matters, Kehne should not only abstain from voting, but also recuse himself from all discussions so as to avoid appearing to be a paid lobby-ist for his employer.

Since he cannot ethically participate in several of the issues, why then is Kehne still serving on the board?

As a commissioner, Kehne is supposed to be a voice for Eastern Washington. But how can he be that voice when his employer is behind many of the policies being pushed on the board?

Kehne’s presence on the commission is essentially denying the residents of Eastern Washington the voice they are entitled to have.

Let’s look at the wolf management and land acquisi-

tion issues on the agenda this week.Fish and Wildlife Director Phil Anderson is expected

to present an update on the implementation of wolf management plan.

That presentation is sure to include details on the recent calf-killing by a wolf in the Methow Valley. As a point of reference, I should note few in Okanogan County support the reintroduction of wolves.

So when Anderson makes his presentation, who will be the voice to question his information on wolf man-agement?

Who will be the voice of area ranchers who are already telling the state wolf management plans are failing them.

Who will be the voice for residents who want wolf management policies changed?

Nobody.Maybe it doesn’t matter.If Kehne has a voice, he would most likely support

his employer’s position, rather than the constituency he is supposed to represent in Eastern Washington.

And what about the land acquisition measures on the agenda? With Conservation Northwest pushing the state agency to acquire another 8,055 acres of land here, who will be the voice for Okanogan County?

Who will stand up to the state agency and say enough is enough?

Nobody.Again, even if Kehne had a voice in this matter, he

would support the acquisition his employer has pushed so hard to achieve.

As a resident of Eastern Washington, I’m very con-cerned about the lack of voice our area has when it comes to state policies regarding fish and wildlife man-agement in our area.

You should be, too.

Roger Harnack can be contacted at [email protected].

T

Have we lost all say on wildlife?

Roger HarnackEditor and publisher, Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle618 Okoma Dr. Omak, Washington 98841May 30, 2012

An employee of a conservation group sits on a state board that oversees wildlife management. As a result of the conflict of interest, the board member must abstain from voting on various issues that come before the board. Roger clearly outlines how these abstentions leave his community without the representation it deserves.

From the Judge

10


e have said it more than once, and we will say it again: the Churchill County School Board has reached another junc-ture in its duties where it must decide logically — without knee-jerk response

— to put more than a Band-Aid on the hemorrhaging issues that it and the district face.

During the past two years the School Board has evolved more into P.T. Barnum’s three-ring circus than a group of concerned, elected officials seeking the best interest of Churchill County students; instead, a small number of trustees are continually turning the entire board upside-down with constant bickering and lack of support for the superintendent. This led to Dr. Carolyn Ross’ resignation on Monday.

Unless something is resolved soon between Ross and the trustees, the image of the former superintendent may haunt the School Board for months because Ross filed a lawsuit against the School Board on Friday. The lawsuit alleges that the trustees breached her employ-ment contract, stepped outside of CCSD policy in its functions and interfered with Ross in carrying out her duties; furthermore, Ross alleges in her lawsuit that Trustee Nona McFarlane has made slanderous com-ments to school district employees and community members about Ross’ character and leadership.

And the list goes on including charges that four or more trustees met on their own on several occasions to discuss board items.

That being said, the School Board, therefore, must make crucial decisions at its Thursday meeting in the wake of Ross’ resignation. The LVN suggests these actions:• Trustees must appoint an interim superintendent

for the 2012-13 school year who will keep the school district afloat and run the district as smoothly as possible. To do so, trustees would be wise to either appoint a building administrator who either has district-level experience (Scott Meihack or Greg Malkovich) or offer the position to a retired administrator who has a working knowledge of the entire district. Jane Anderson could easily fill that role and possibly unite the board. To appoint a building administrator with no district-office experience would be ludicrous

because so many potentially touchy issues face the district, especially with the move away from No Child Left Behind and the resignation of the dis-trict’s business manager.

• The seven members must work with the superin-tendent; they must tell employees to follow the superintendent’s directions and not usurp his or her power as the district’s CEO — no matter who they select to fill in the interim. Trustees must support the superintendent, and some of the board members need to quit acting like loose cannons.

• The School Board needs to be honest with itself. Too many rumors are circulating that four or more trustees have conversed on certain issues outside the Open Meeting Law; as a result the LVN is fil-ing requests in accordance with NRS 239 to deter-mine if the board has violated the OML and the people’s trust.

• Trustees should begin to advertise for a new superintendent for the 2013-2014 school year in consultation with a professional firm that special-izes in such searches. The last three of four super-intendents have come from out of state. Now is the time to look within the Silver State’s boundar-ies to hire a person knowledgeable of the issues special to this state and its school districts.

The eyes of the community are fixed on the trustees and what actions they will take Thursday. The LVN expects the trustees to look at their choices logically and intelligently because these decisions will affect the district for some time.

Both our residents, who still pay taxes to support the schools, and parents deserve transparency from the Board of 7. Those residents and parents also expect some trustees to take the FUN out of dysfunctional and begin behaving like adults without vendettas. The trust-ees must behave as adults, serious adults.

Trustees: Thursday seems like a good time to renew your vows of commitment to the community and the people you serve by healing yourselves with something bigger than adhesive bandages.

We expect no less from adults.

Steve Ranson can be contacted at [email protected].

Band-Aid solutions do not workW

Churchill County’s school district went through some

turmoil, and the Valley News editorial spells them out

cogently. Then over half the piece is devoted to a call to

action in the form of four bul-let points. This is a clear, no-nonsense editorial that calls on trustees to act like adults.

(Good luck with that; frac-tious boards are much better

at pointing fingers than solving problems.)

Steve Ranson also won a Golden Dozen award in 2009.

Steve RansonEditor,

Lahontan Valley News2152 Reno Highway, Suite H

Fallon, Nevada 89406July 11, 2012

From the Judge

11


hat happened during a police action in the town of Corinth two days ago was the exact opposite of what happened in Corinth in 2006.

Somebody should get a medal for this week’s work.

Six years ago, a phalanx of officers entered the Corinth woods in pursuit of a mentally ill man who, his father advised, was armed and harbored a deep fear of police. Police found the young man, Joseph Fortunati, who was acting in a confused and agitated manner. Within just a few minutes, Fortunati was dead from a police bullet, and his father was under arrest for refusing to obey a police order.

Fast forward to this Tuesday, when state troopers, aided by members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, faced a situation that appeared even more threatening. A fugitive on the lam, Michael J. Hoehl, led pursuing officers into the woods. Once there, he turned toward the troopers and displayed a handgun. He indicated the gun was loaded and the safety was off. He dared the police to kill him.

What followed, however, was not a volley of shots and a dead suspect. What followed was a negotiation session that lasted an hour until Hoehl surrendered and was taken into custody.

“No one was injured as a result of this case,” the police report says pointedly.

Were the officers in this week’s incident better trained, or better led, than the ones who cornered Fortunati in 2006? Were the circumstances greatly dif-ferent? Did the outcry about the Fortunati killing have an impact? It’s hard to tell. What’s certain is that the outcome this week was far better, and that it was due to exemplary police work.

We hope this message gets through to the Vermont Attorney General’s office, which has consistently found no fault with the police action in the Fortunati case.

Just 10 days ago, a federal court found that a crimi-nal case against the police should not go ahead. Asst. Atty. Gen. David Groff responded with a grotesque overstatement about the decision.

“We think it justifies the troopers’ conduct in the case,” he told the Valley News. “As we said all along, we think they took proper action…”

But though the strategies and actions of enforcement officers in 2006 may have been technically legal, the brave officers who faced down Michael Hoehl in the woods this week found a better, far better, way to enforce the law and protect the public.

As we said, somebody should get a medal.

M. Dickey Drysdale can be contacted at [email protected].

‘No one was injured’W

M. Dickey DrysdaleEditor and publisher, The Herald of Randolph30 Pleasant Street Randolph, Vermont 05060December 6, 2012

A standoff between police and an armed fugitive did NOT turn deadly — in contrast to a similar episode several years earlier. This editorial points to the difference in the police approach in the two incidents. The police attitude seems to have come a long way, and for that, the Herald says, “somebody should get a medal.”

M. Dickey Drysdale also won Golden Dozen awards in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2004, and 2010.

From the Judge

Six priorities to consider when selecting city leaders from page 8

operate. Those ordinances have evolved over the years through changes made by the council primarily when an issue comes up that requires action.

Citizens and city leaders alike would be well served by a thorough and comprehensive review and enforce-ment of the rules. There’s no better example than the way the city has dealt (or failed to deal) with sidewalks. The ordinance that requires sidewalks for new construc-tion has not been consistently enforced over the years. The lack of sidewalks in areas of the city is a public safety concern.

There are other ordinance issues facing the city that also need to be addressed — dealing with animals in city limits is one example. That’s why a comprehensive review is essential. Ordinances that are not being enforced or are outdated should be revised. Once city ordinances have been reviewed and adjusted — deemed realistic and workable — they need to be enforced.

Conclusion There is no question that the candidates seeking a

seat at the table of city government in Freeman have the city’s interest at heart. The challenge facing voters is deciding who will best provide a voice and leadership for action on key issues including the infrastructure and non-infrastructure issues outlined here. The stakes are far too important to simply base a vote on a single issue or personality. That’s why reading the interviews with the candidates should be part of voter preparation.

The critical next step is to show up and vote on Tuesday, April 10. The polls will be open at Freeman City Hall from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A sample ballot will be printed in the Courier next week.

Tim L. Waltner can be contacted at [email protected].

12


Brian WilsonNews editor,

The Star NewsP.O. Box 180

Medford, Wisconsin 54451December 13, 2012

Brian calls out the city council for reneging on its

agreement on a community improvement. Then one

council member is unjustly accused of conflict of interest

for contributing his time to that same improvement

project. Brian stands up to council members and

wonders why anyone wants to get involved with the

city in anything.

Brian Wilson also won Golden Dozen awards in 2008 and

2009.

he actions of aldermen at the Medford city council committee of the whole meeting Monday night were both disappointing and troubling.

The disappointment came when rather than contributing the $10,000 pledged to the Riverwalk bridge project by the council more than a year ago, city leaders instead resorted to accounting sleight of hand to claim work the city crew did in the city park should count against the pledged amount. The city figured in the employee wages and benefits for arriving at their number along with the time the crew’s pick-up trucks were sitting down at the worksite.

The bridge project was originally expected to cost about $100,000. The committee of civic groups planned to raise $90,000 of that building on an assurance from the city that $10,000 would be contributed.

Some unforeseen expenses, including some addition-al hoops the city required, bumped that price tag up to around $120,000. The committee has worked hard to fill the gap and increased their fund-raising efforts col-lecting to date $105,000. The bridge project is still about $13,000 short. In order to make sure contractors were paid while waiting for donations to trickle in, a committee member covered the shortfall out of his own pocket by making a no-interest loan. This is just the sort of thing people who put on events or make things happen do to keep projects moving forward.

To date, the bridge project has not received a dime of city money and if the council follows through with the recommendation from earlier this week, the city will have gained a heck of a deal spending only $3,600 for a community improvement that will serve the area for the next 50 years or more.

The city council’s lukewarm reception to those who have worked hard to make this project a reality is dis-appointing. If the city treats those who would donate their time, energies and financial resources this way, it

won’t be long before no one wants to work with the city in any capacity.

Beyond the disappointment, the council touched on something truly troubling. Alderman Clem Johnson is the city council representative to the bridge committee. He was appointed to the committee by Mayor Mike Wellner. Johnson has been a tireless worker in making sure the project advanced, including many hours he spent working in the park.

As a reward for his dedication, Alderman Pat DeChatelets called for him to be prohibited from speak-ing about the project, making motions or voting on the funding of the bridge project because in her mind he has a conflict of interest. Johnson is a nice guy and rather than cause a ruckus voluntarily abstained from voting, even though calling on him to do so was improper and offensive.

The city council may do well to give its aldermen a refresher course in conflict of interest, because by the standard set by DeChatelets only those who don’t care about their community or don’t contribute to their com-munity should be allowed to vote on anything.

Clem Johnson gains no financial benefit from the bridge project, nor does he benefit from it in any way other than to know that children, families and senior citizens can use the park system more safely than they did before.

To suggest Johnson has some ulterior motive in wanting to make sure the bridge project comes to a suc-cessful finish is an insult to him and to all those who volunteer their time or donate to community causes.

Perhaps DeChatelets needs a refresher course in community service or at the very least some better advice before she slaps the faces of those who have given tremendously to their community.

Brian Wilson can be contacted at [email protected].

T

From the Judge

Medford City Council headed down troubling path

13


The budget hearing that never wasast week the St. Vincent Hospital Board of Directors held its regular monthly meeting, and the board voted 4-0 to approve the hos-pital’s 2012 budget.

But, oops. Somehow the board either for-got or chose not to hold the public hearing on the bud-get that is required by state law. Actually there are two other possibilities. The board may have had no idea that a public hearing was required or the board may have had no idea of what constitutes a public hearing on the budget. (None of these possibilities fills us with confi-dence, by the way.)

We attended the meeting. Because the 2012 budget was one of the items under the chief financial officer’s portion of the agenda, we thought (OK, we hoped) that the board would set a public hearing and order a notice of that public hearing published in the newspaper, let-ting residents of the hospital district know where they might review the budget as well as the date and time of said public hearing. This meant that we at the Herald would also be able to see the budget, a document we had heretofore been unable to obtain.

So when one member of the board moved that the budget be approved, and a vote followed, we were stunned. We’ve never seen a public body ignore a pub-lic hearing on a budget before.

It just voted and moved to the next item on the agenda.During the recess before the board went into execu-

tive session, we approached the chief financial officer asking (1) for a copy of the budget and (2) why there was no public hearing. He said that he thought there had been one. We said we were pretty sure there had not. He then referred to a special meeting of the board on Oct. 23 where a preliminary budget had been a dis-cussion item. We said no notice of a public hearing had been published in the paper as required, no time and date had been announced, and no information had been provided as to where someone could actually see the budget.

We also pointed out that there had been no action taken regarding the mill levy. He said that no action was required on the mill levy. He referred us to the CEO and her assistant, saying he would have them con-tact us. He also said he’d email us a budget. Then he hurried off.

That was Thursday night. We waited until after the noon hour on Friday to see if we’d receive a call or if we’d receive a budget. Then we called the CFO and the CEO (reaching neither, but leaving voice mails) explaining again that we needed the budget and expressing again our concerns about the lack of a pub-lic budget hearing.

By this time we had thoroughly reviewed state law regarding the budget process for special districts and spoken to an official at the Colorado Division of Local Affairs, which has oversight for special districts. We had also spoken with County Clerk Patty Berger, who confirmed what we already knew. Assuming a properly noticed public hearing had been held, it should have resulted in the passage of two board resolutions, one setting the budget and the other setting the mill levy. (If the 2012 budget had been amended in any way, a third resolution would also have been required.)

Budgets for all governmental entities are due Dec. 15. The city, county, water board, school board and san-itation-district board are all somewhere in the budget process. Public notices have been submitted and pub-lished, hearing dates have been set, and budgets have been reviewed by members of the public.

Although all of these entities have locally elected boards, only the hospital board is paying big bucks each month for a management company to run its facil-ities.

At last week’s hospital-board meeting we watched as the board approved the monthly (not annual, mind you, but monthly) bill from Quorum Health Resources, the company the board has contracted to run St. Vincent. That bill included $43,301 for salaries of Quorum employees (CEO and CFO) and $26,597 for “profes-sional fees.”

We also watched a presentation on the financials for the year and learned that as of Oct. 31, 2012, the hospi-tal is $1,178,795 in the red when it comes to net income.

Can this hospital be saved? Wish we could see how.

Marcia Martinek can be contacted at [email protected].

LMarcia MartinekEditor, Herald Democrat717 Harrison Ave. Leadville, Colorado 80461December 6, 2012

This editorial calls out a hospital board for enacting a budget without following proper procedures. With this kind of editorial, there’s a danger of sinking into a solemn and boring recitation of what should’ve been done vs. what was done. Marcia deftly walks the line. She’s serious but throws in a little humor to make this piece readable.

Marcia Martinek also won a Golden Dozen award in 2010.

From the Judge

14


Elliott FreireichPublisher,

West Valley View1050 E. Riley Dr.

Avondale, Arizona 85323October 12, 2012

arin Mitchell doesn’t live in Litchfield Park, he lives in Avondale.

But he’s running for state representative in District 13 and lists a home in Litchfield Park as his residence. But that home is under construction and is barely livable.

Neighbors say they haven’t seen him at the house and he answers that by saying he normally goes home very late at night and leaves very early in the morning. It was also reported that there was a bare mattress on the floor, which Mitchell explains away by saying every morning he takes the sheets off the bed and stores them away from the dust that the remodelers make and then every night puts them back on the bed. There is no sink in the master bathroom.

Mitchell’s name only remains on the ballot due to a technicality. Judge Robert Oberbillig of Maricopa County Superior Court declared there was “credible evidence” establishing that Mitchell had not established “physical presence” and an “intent to remain” in District 13, as required by Arizona law.

But Mitchell appealed that he wasn’t given ample opportunity to defend himself and the Court of Appeals blocked enforcement of the order issued by the trial judge. The court of Appeals didn’t take up the claim of whether or not Mitchell was a resident of District 13.

Residents of District 19 should be happy. That’s where Mitchell lives. If Mitchell wins a seat in the state

Legislature, District 19 will essentially have three rep-resentatives while District 13 will have only one.

Mitchell defeated Russ Jones of Yuma who was a three-term state representative in District 24 before the legislative districts were redrawn for the current elec-tion. Yuma and Litchfield Park are part of the new District 13.

Jones had filed the lawsuit that claimed Mitchell didn’t live in the district. Neighbors of the Mitchell house had told Jones the house had been vacant for more than a year.

Now Jones is in court again attempting to be allowed to run as a write-in candidate. But for that to happen, the courts have to declare Mitchell ineligible to run. Since only two candidates are on the ballot for the two seats available, Mitchell is a shoo-in to win if the courts allow the misrepresentation to continue.

We hope that doesn’t happen because Mitchell should not represent District 13. In fact he shouldn’t represent any district.

We aren’t comfortable with a state representative who lied to get into office. If he lied to get into office, how will we ever be able to trust him to tell the truth in office?

Elliott Freireich can be contacted at [email protected].

Liar, liar, campaign on fire!

Elliott wastes no time in getting to the point: A

candidate for the legislature doesn’t live in the district that he claims he does. Elliott also calls this what it is: “If he lied to get into office, how will we

ever be able to trust him to tell the truth in office?” An editorial doesn’t get much more forthright than that.

Elliott Freireich also won Golden Dozen awards in

2000 and 2006.

D

From the Judge

15


here’s the beef?That’s the slogan Ponoka residents

and businesspeople should be reciting after the preview last week of the first step in the town’s rebranding effort.

The Town of Ponoka is attempting to rebrand, to change the stereotypical perceptions of the community — from within and beyond. What we’ve seen thus far is the unveiling of a slogan and reinforcement of the horse head logo. These elements are not Ponoka’s brand.

A brand is the view people have of Ponoka that has been or will be developed and reinforced over time, built on products, services and experiences businesses and organizations offer to attract and retain customers. Or don’t offer.

Ponoka’s new slogan, “Keep it real,” is council and administration’s promise to the community that the cor-porate municipality will be true to itself and to its west-ern roots; other than zoning and bylaw controls, town council should have no real influence on brand devel-opment.

It’s the chamber of commerce, the Ponoka Stampede Association and the Ponoka Agricultural Society and other key groups that should be driving Ponoka’s rebranding.

Ponoka can’t aspire to be something it’s not. Mental health services, agriculture and rodeo may not be the reason why all of us live, work or play in Ponoka but as the town synthesizes its new challenges and opportu-nities into its new brand, it must be rooted in that reali-ty.

The “Keep it real” brand book is chock-full of generic descriptions and platitudes appropriate for any lethargic community that aspires to revitalization.

“Ponoka is a model for economic sustainability in a rural setting.” Really? Been downtown lately?

It’s been decades since Ponoka has seen real popula-tion growth and this town council was elected to create an economic environment that is inviting to business investment and new residents. Not one candidate for council campaigned to legislate friendliness; not one promised, if elected, to make Ponoka crab grass and thistle-free.

With no real budget or professional support, council has embarked on its own to update its municipal devel-opment plan, the key to fine-tuning its other statutory plans and focusing its vision for Ponoka’s future. It may be premature for the rebranding strategy to be rolled out before these other plans are complete. There are bound to be inconsistencies and contradictions that need to be massaged so that all municipal concepts for growth, business development and market Ponoka dovetail.

Why does every consultant think the only way stag-nant small towns can thrive is through some trumped up tourism contrivance? Wouldn’t a widget plant or more retail shops create more jobs and help diversify the economy and develop lasting spinoff opportunities?

Ask Wetaskiwin how much impact the Reynolds-Alberta Museum has on their economy.

It’s up to residents and businesspeople in Ponoka to work together to present a new attitude and create an atmosphere for change. Town council is not in the busi-ness to sell men’s clothing, sporting goods or open a nightclub.

George Brown can be contacted at [email protected]

WGeorge BrownEditor, Ponoka News5019A Chipman Ave. Ponoka, Alberta T4J 1R6July 25, 2012

This column struck a chord with me in my first read-through. Why does the local government feel qualified to market a community’s “brand?” George’s clear, strong writing administered a dose of reality to the discussion.

George Brown also won Golden Dozen awards in 2006, 2008, and 2012.

From the Judge

It’s not up to council to rebrand Ponoka

16


Boston newspaper coined the term, gerry-mander, in 1812 as a description for then-Gov. Elbridge Gerry’s attempt to draw vot-ing district boundaries within Massa-chusetts in a shape resembling a salaman-

der. The district was allegedly crafted to benefit Gerry’s Democratic-Republican Party. “Gerry” and “salaman-der” were combined to form gerrymander, a word mar-ried to politics ever since.

Voters have, in many ways, come to expect politi-cians to rig the game in their favor. So when Mike Housman accused the Meeker County Board of Commissioners last month of engaging in gerrymander-ing, his accusation wasn’t exactly shocking.

The shocking part is that this Kingston Township resident found the time to crunch population data, devise several counter-proposals, and file a lawsuit over the County Board’s adoption of a redistricting plan at an April 17 meeting. Even one of the alleged gerrymanderers, Board Chairman Jim Swenson, had to give Housman credit.

“You worked hard,” Swenson told Housman at a May 8 meeting. Housman did more than work hard. He single-handedly forced the County Board to call a spe-cial meeting and pick a new redistricting plan.

Whether board members selected a particular redis-tricting plan to protect their seats, as Housman alleges, is only one concern. The other concern is process. Housman criticized the board for failing to explain the reason for its selection at the April 17 meeting, even after Housman asked for a justification.

At the May 8 meeting, board members finally pro-vided an explanation and deliberated the pros and cons of various proposals. They ultimately picked one that was, once again, not to Housman’s satisfaction. But at least the board responded to Housman’s lawsuit by openly discussing the redistricting issue.

“This is what I wanted. I wanted discussion,” Housman said after the May 8 meeting.

Some people have questioned Housman’s motives in launching his challenge, noting that he is a former chairman of the Meeker County Republican Party. Housman wouldn’t be the first person to question a government decision in hopes of advancing a political agenda.

If Housman does have ulterior motives, he’s done a good job of covering them up with legal arguments and

detailed, data-driven analysis of the various redistrict-ing options. Ulterior motives or not, Housman forced the County Board to call a special meeting and justify its actions-something elected officials don’t always do.

Democracy becomes vulnerable to cronyism and fraud when politicians are left to do as they please. That’s not to say the County Board necessarily acted in an illegal fashion when it adopted a redistricting plan on April 17. But it is nice to know that citizens, such as Housman, are willing to spend the time and energy to make sure government acts in good faith.

Housman has devised examples of what he considers to be superior redistricting plans. At their special meet-ing, board members opted against selecting any of Housman’s plans. At a court hearing May 10, Housman asked District Judge Steven Drange to appoint an inde-pendent commission to take over redistricting responsi-bilities.

Drange expressed a reluctance to interfere in the County Board’s decision to select a new plan at the May 8 special meeting. He said he didn’t want to be regarded as a “judicial activist.” Drange said Housman had the burden of proving the County Board acted irre-sponsibly in selecting a new plan.

If the County Board had refused to convene a special meeting and ignored Housman’s suit, perhaps Drange would have cause to appoint an independent commis-sion. But given the County Board’s willingness to reconsider the issue, an independent commission could complicate matters by delaying the implementation of a redistricting plan, which then could disrupt this year’s elections.

Housman has done a service to the community be filing his lawsuit. The County Board acted responsibly by tossing out its original plan and adopting a new one, though better redistricting options still might exist.

Politics is a subjective field, and people often dis-agree over the right solution. This is why we have elec-tions. Even if commissioners did engage in gerryman-dering, they cannot prevent someone from running against them in the next election. If Meeker County residents are upset enough over this issue, some of them are likely to challenge the incumbents, regardless of district boundaries.

Andrew Broman can be contacted at [email protected].

A

Mike Houseman seems to be one of those pains-in-the-butt

who comes along now and then to keep local government folks on their toes. He went to court to get Meeker County to

reconsider its redistricting plan. The Independent

Review editorial praised both Houseman’s determina-tion AND the county board’s

decision to adjust its plan. The system CAN work!

Andrew BromanEditor,

Independent Review217 N. Sibley Ave.

Litchfield, Minnesota 55355May 7, 2012

From the Judge

Redistricting lawsuit served legitimate purpose

17


William F. Schanen III

This Year’s Winner Is...

he Eugene Cervi Award was established by ISWNE in 1976 to honor the memory of Eugene Cervi of the Rocky Mountain Journal in Denver by recogniz-

ing a newspaper editor who has consistently acted in the conviction that “good journalism begets good government.”

The award is presented not for a single

brave accomplishment, however deserving, but for a career of outstanding public service through community journalism and for adhering to the high-est standards of the craft with the deep reverence for the English language that was the hallmark of Gene Cervi’s writing. The award also recognizes consistently aggressive reporting of government at the grassroots level and interpretation of local affairs.

Following his death at 64 in 1970, the New York Times described Cervi as “one of the most outspoken voices in American journalism.” Today, several ISWNE members still regard him as their “journalism conscience.”

The 38th annual Eugene Cervi AwardT

I n 1964, with a degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Bill Schanen III was hired as a general assign-ment reporter by Ozaukee Press, the Port Washington, Wisconsin, weekly founded by his parents in 1940 as the first offset-printed newspaper in the United States. He was working as the newspaper’s

managing editor when an advertiser boycott nearly put the Press out of busi-ness.

The boycott, which began with the intimidation of advertisers by a group organized by a wealthy industrialist who supported extreme right-wing causes, was intended to force the Press to stop printing a radical underground newspaper in its plant as a contract printing job. The Press refused, and its fight to survive became a national freedom-of-the-press cause célèbre. Schanen’s father, William F. Schanen, the newspaper’s publisher, died at the height of the boycott. Bill III succeeded him and carried on the fight.

Since becoming publisher in 1971, Schanen has written some 2,500 edito-rials for Ozaukee Press in keeping with the newspaper’s founding ethic to honestly and boldly express its opinions on the conduct of public affairs. Among many editorial-writing awards, Schanen was twice named winner of the ISWNE’s Golden Quill Award, and has been honored as a member of the Golden Dozen finalists for the Golden Quill eight times.

After Ozaukee Press emerged from the boycott, Schanen continued to advocate for the right of publishers of controversial newspapers to have access to a printing press. He received the Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Award in 1981 for defending a Madison, Wisconsin, alternative newspaper in a case that went to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and set a landmark prec-edent for press freedom.

Schanen has served as a board member of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

Ozaukee Press today is a flourishing 9,000-circulation weekly that vigor-ously carries out its mission to report the news of the communities in its coverage area aggressively and in-depth. The paper is published in combina-tion with two free shopping papers and several niche magazines. Schanen’s son, Bill Schanen IV, is editor and general manager.

The newspaper’s parent company, Port Publications, Inc., with Bill Schanen III as president, operates a central newspaper printing plant and publishes SAILING Magazine, a national publication that reflects Schanen’s lifelong avocation pursued on Lake Michigan (which virtually laps at his office door) and other waters of the world. His daughter Erin L. Schanen is executive editor. William F. Schanen III

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By David Gordon

’m writing to support the nomination of William Schanen III for the 2013 Eugene Cervi Award. Bill comes from a proud and accomplished family tradition at the Ozaukee Press and his years of leadership at the paper have only enhanced that tradition. As pub-

lisher, he has consistently been recognized — both formally and informally — as an outstanding edito-rial writer, both for his style and for his timely and fearless approach to the subjects he deals with.

Bill is a two-time Golden Quill winner, in 1985 and again in 2001, and has been a Golden Dozen award recipient a number of times. His writing style is crisp, clear and to the point, and his analysis of issues makes them understandable without over-simplifying them. It’s also worth noting that his editorials deal with more than local issues when that is appropriate. As a recent example of all of these observations, note the lead paragraph of the paper’s editorial on Feb. 27, 2013:

“Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker detests the Affordable Care Act. Like many conservatives, he finds fault with the law’s expansion of the federal government’s role in health care. Like every American citizen, he’s entitled to his opinion. Like every elected official, he’s entitled to use his office as a soapbox to promulgate his views. But when he indulges his ideology at the expense of the taxpay-ers, he should be ready to explain how this serves the interests of the people of Wisconsin.”

The editorial goes on to call for the state Legislature to block the governor’s plan, since it really is “about giving a poke in the eye to Obamacare” and “Wisconsin taxpayers should not have to pay for that indulgence.”

Going back to my University of Wisconsin gradu-ate school days in the 1960s, I recall being in a seminar with Bill Schanen III. It’s been too many years for my unreliable memory to recall the spe-cific focus of that seminar but, whatever it was, Bill made enough of an impression on me then that, nearly 50 years later, I know he held his own in sometimes intense discussions of key issues about mid-1960s journalism.

In honoring Bill III, ISWNE would also be pay-ing a well-deserved tribute to the Schanen family’s courage in defending press freedom over the decades. This was illustrated most dramatically in 1969 and subsequent years when his father, Bill Schanen, Jr., refused to stop printing Kaleidoscope, a Milwaukee underground paper, despite an adver-tising boycott organized by an area industrialist. The boycott organizer, Benjamin Grob, was unhappy with some of the Kaleidoscope content and accused Schanen of “smut peddling.”

The Schanen family continued to print Kaleidoscope — and other underground papers — despite the boycott. The situation was compounded in 1971 by the sudden death of Bill Schanen, Jr. at the age of 57, but the paper eventually outlasted the

boycott. Fast forward to 2013, and the third genera-tion of the family — Bill Schanen IV — is a promi-nent member of the paper’s news staff.

I should also note that the Ozaukee Press was a leader in adopting the new printing technology of offset lithography, replacing the metal type that was standard in 1940 when the paper was founded. It apparently was one of the first, if not the first, news-paper in the country to use the new offset process.

The Schanen family, under the current leadership of Bill Schanen III, exemplifies Eugene Cervi’s commitment to press freedom and vociferous com-munity journalism. Schanen and the Ozaukee Press have long been stalwart defenders of First Amendment freedoms and beacons of editorial strength and independence. I strongly endorse the suggestion that ISWNE recognize this by conferring its 2013 Eugene Cervi Award on William Schanen III and, by extension, the entire Schanen family of dedicated community journalists.

David Gordon is a retired University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire professor who taught mass media law and ethics for many years. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Schanen, Ozaukee Press have long beenstalwart defenders of First AmendmentSchanen, Ozaukee Press have long beenstalwart defenders of First Amendment

Bill Schanen IV, editor and general manager of Ozaukee Press, and William F. Schanen III in the press room of the Ozaukee Press.

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Erin Schanen, executive editor of SAILING Magazine.

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By Bill Haupt

he Eugene Cervi Award was established to recognize community journalists who con-sistently adhere to the highest standards of the craft. The Cervi also recognizes those who champion the role of a free and vibrant press to promote good government and

build strong communities.The Schanen family of Port Washington, Wisconsin

has embraced and embodied these lofty standards since William Schanen Jr. and his wife, Marie, pub-lished the first issue of the Ozaukee Press on August 15, 1940. For more than seven decades, the Press has served as a lighthouse beacon of editorial excellence, journalistic courage, progressive thought, entrepre-neurial verve and abiding citizenship. It is my privi-lege, and really my responsibility as a fellow-newspa-pering Badger, to nominate them for the 2013 Eugene Cervi Award.

Three generations of Schanens have piloted the Press from the same office building that rests snugly above the Port Washington’s Lake Michigan harbor. They have weathered a choppy sea of economic, political and social storms over the years. Through thick and thin, for better or worse, the family has loy-ally adhered to the ambitious creed William Schanen Jr. articulated in the first issue of the Press: “To watch all public offices in the interest of the public. To fight for honesty and efficiency. To present unbiased news. To accept only honest advertising. To publish every sincere, signed contribution — anonymously if the writer so wishes. To raise the standards of the weekly press to the position of dignity to which it is justly entitled…To be the people’s warrior and champion.”

Few have elevated the standards and appreciation for the community press more than the Schanens. Others have noticed. In 1970, William Schanen Jr. was awarded the prestigious Elijah Lovejoy Award for courage in journalism. His son, William Schanen III, has earned two ISWNE Golden Quill awards for out-

standing editorial writing. And the Ozaukee Press could fill a small warehouse with hardware from state and national press contests. Obviously, the Schanens know all the ingredients necessary to publish a great community newspaper and they really know their way around the journalistic kitchen.

But their greatest contribution, at least in my view, is the abiding integrity they have collectively demon-strated in service to their community, state and profes-sion. It isn’t a “sometimes” deal with the Schanens. It’s every day, every week, every year...for more than 73 years. We are all benefactors of their unique legacy

of inspired service. The Cervi Award would be an appropriate acknowledgement of their contributions, and I am proud to nominate them for this distinction without reservation.

Bill Haupt is the former editor and publisher of the Lodi (Wisconsin) Enterprise, past president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, and past president of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Bill and Marie Schanen, when they were very young and had just started Ozaukee Press. It became the first offset-printed newspaper in the United States.

Ozaukee Press a lighthouse beacon of excellence,journalistic courage and entrepreneurial verve

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By Sandra George

met Bill Schanen III during my tenure as executive director of the world’s oldest newspaper association, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, but my law background makes me especially appreciative to his service to the industry. In a 1980 case, Maynard v. Port Publications, this family business successfully defended the printer’s right to do con-

tract printing for others without censoring it. If printers could be held responsible under defamation or other laws for the works that they print, printers would become de factor censors of all print products. Any other ruling would mean that a weekly newspaper that didn’t own its own press would be subject to its print-ers’ legal assessment of potential liability, silencing papers on controversial stories.

As the court said, “Increased costs might preclude the publication of small,

low-budget newspapers. Such potential liability might also deter contract print-ers from contracting to print material they consider to be controversial. All of this would have a deleterious effect on the free dissemination of information which is fundamental in our society. Rather than holding that Port Publications had a privilege to publish defamatory material, Port instead should be granted an immunity from suit.”

Additionally, the Schanens hired great journalists such as the late, great Nancy Mersereau and encouraged their involvement in the newspaper industry to the benefit of all.

I strongly support this nomination.

Sandra George was executive director of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association from 1996 to 2004. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Schanen defended printer’s rights in 1980 case

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Ozaukee Press a lighthouse beacon of excellence,journalistic courage and entrepreneurial verve

Schanen defended printer’s rights in 1980 case

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Bill Schanen III continues parents’ legacyBy Beth Bennett

am very pleased to write a letter supporting the nomination of Bill Schanen III and his family to receive the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors’ Eugene Cervi Award.

The founders of Ozaukee Press, William F. Schanen Jr. and his wife Marie Jacque Schanen, have been hailed as “legends of small-town newspa-pers.” Their legacy continues today: More than 70 years after its founding, Ozaukee Press remains an independent, family owned newspaper.

When the Schanens started the Press in Port Washington in 1940, it was the first newspaper in the country to use offset printing, which produced sharp, clear black-and-white photos instead of the fuzzy, gray images found in newspapers of the time. Decades later, every newspaper in the U.S. would be printed by the method pioneered by Ozaukee Press.

The Schanens’ dedication to quality reached beyond visual excellence: They were committed to tackling even the most controversial issues and aggressively practiced their First Amendment rights. In 1969, William F. Schanen Jr. was featured in a

LIFE magazine profile describing the community’s protest to Schanen’s role in printing Milwaukee’s underground newspaper, Kaleidoscope. Despite the fact the newspaper was merely printed by Schanen and was not distributed in town, advertisers began boycotting Schanen in hopes he would stop printing. The week the boycott began, Schanen learned that the Press had placed first in the National Newspaper Association’s general excellence category.

Bill Schanen Jr. died in 1971. He was inducted posthumously into the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2006. Marie worked at the newspaper as publisher, columnist and publisher emeritus until 2000, her 60th year as a member of the newspaper staff. She died in 2008 at the age of 94.

Their son, Bill Schanen III, took over leadership of the newspaper as editor and publisher after the death of his father. He currently serves as publisher and president. Bill Schanen IV, grandson of the founders, is editor and general manager of the Press.

The Schanen family’s work and service to Wisconsin newspapers continues to be driven by a vision and passion to see our newspapers, our com-munities and our state move forward. The family is well deserving of this recognition.

Beth Bennett is executive director of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. She can be contacted at [email protected].

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2013 William F. Schanen, Ozaukee Press, Port Washington, Wis.,2012 Tim L. Waltner, Feeman Courier, Freeman, S.D.2011 Jack Sigvaldason, Northern News Services, Northwest Territories2010 Tom, Pat & Ben Gish, The Mountain Eagle, Whitesburg, Ky.2009 Garrett Ray, Fort Collins, Colo.2008 Burt & Ursula Freireich, Litchfield Park, Ariz.2007 Guy & Marcia Wood, Angel Fire, N.M.2006 No award given2005 Frank Wood, De Pere, Wis.2004 Frank Garred, The Port Townsend Leader, Port Townsend, Wash.2003 Gary & Helen Sosniecki, The Lebanon Daily Record, Lebanon, Mo.2002 Bill Meyer, Marion County Record, Marion County, Kan.2001 Marg Hennigar, Lighthouse Publishing, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia2000 Allan A. Seiler, The Pike Press, Pittsfield, Ill.1999 No award given1998 Jack Authelet, Foxboro (Mass.) Reporter1997 Carol Wilcox & Cary Stiff, Clear Creek Courant, Idaho Springs, Colo.1996 Charlotte & Marvin Schexnayder, Dumas (Ark.) Clarion1995 No award given1994 Jim MacNeill, The Eastern Graphic, Montague, Prince Edward Island1993 Bob Bliss, The Montgomery County News, Hillsboro, Ill.

1992 Robert Trapp, Rio Grande Sun, Espanola, N.M.1991 Henry Gay, Shelton-Mason County Journal, Shelton, Wash.1990 Karl Monroe, Collinsville (Ill.) Herald1989 William Rotch, Milford (N.H.) Cabinet1988 Bruce Brugmann, San Francisco Bay Guardian1987 James Russell Wiggins, Ellsworth (Maine) American1986 Rollin McCommons, Athens (Ga.) Observer1985 McDill (Huck) Boyd, Phillips County Review, Phillipsburg, Kan.1984 Richard McCord, Santa Fe (N.M.) Reporter1983 Homer Marcum, The Martin Countian, Inez, Ky.1982 Kieth Howard, Yellow Springs (Ohio) News1981 Edward DeCourcy, Newport (N.H.) Argus Champion1980 Robert Estabrook, Lakeville (Conn.) Journal1979 Houstoun Waring, Littleton (Colo.) Independent1978 Tom Leathers, The Squire, Kansas City, Mo.1977 Charles & Virginia Russell, Dewitt County Observer, Clinton, Ill.1976 Blair Macy, Keene Valley Sun, Kennesburg, Colo.

gene Cervi gene Cervi AWARD WINNERS

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Bill Schanen III continues parents’ legacy

William F. Schanen III in front of his newspaper head-quarters in downtown Port Washington, Wisconsin.

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2013 golden quill & golden dozen awards -...

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