Watching politicians trip over themselves to scream, “Now is not the time to talk about (gun control, climate change)!” after we as a nation have come together to grieve the latest mass shooting or apocalyptic storm, might be funny if it weren’t so sickening.
From the hurricanes and flooding in Texas, Florida, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico, to the devastating earthquakes rocking Mexico to the wildfires burning across the West Coast that hit especially close to home, September has been a month marred by disaster.
I recently introduced myself to a stranger and said the usual, “Hi. I’m the new editor at The Post-Record.” They asked how long I’d worked here.
Now that Oregon lawmakers have set the wheels in motion to fight traffic congestion between Portland and Vancouver with toll roads, certain vocal critics have gone on the warpath, admonishing Oregon for unfairly taxing Washington commuters who — they contend — already pay their fair share by contributing to Oregon’s income tax structure.
For so many of us who call this area home, the magical Columbia River Gorge has long been a sort of sanctuary — the one place we can go when we need to shake off our miseries.
There is a section within the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics that tells us: “Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decision to the public.”
There is something powerful about taking a moment of silence. Time slows down. Your mind settles and you can breathe a bit deeper.
It was one of our reporters who first noticed the little dog locked inside a Mercedes SUV across from The Post-Record on a warm Tuesday evening.
The Columbia River Gorge and nearby natural outdoor areas — the Washougal River, Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Cottonwood Beach and Lacamas Lake — offer the Camas-Washougal community the comfort and rehabilitation of nature in such a close proximity that it feels like they truly are in our backyard.
We may be getting a little bit personal with this month’s Cheers & Jeers column, but it’s nice to celebrate journalism wins, especially in the face of a White House administration that cries “fake news” every time members of the media do their job and report news that challenges government officials in any way. In this case, our first August “Cheers” goes to one of our own, Post-Record’s sports reporter, Dan Trujillo, who has won an award from the Washington Newspaper Publishers’ Association for his photography and/or news writing skills. We’re not sure what Dan won yet, or which story or photo clinched the award for him, but we’ll find out in October at the WNPA’s annual gathering of this state’s best publishers, editors and journalists. Despite having to work weekends and late nights — especially during the fall and spring seasons when these local teams can’t seem to stop winning championships — Dan always meets his assignments and deadlines with a cheerful attitude and a grin. Congratulations on your win, Dan, you deserve it!
