Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Editor, There are only a few people who have changed the course of my life, and Liz Wood is one of them. Almost three years ago, I was a senior in college armed only with a liberal arts degree and a determination to not go home and live with my parents. I sent out around 50 resumes to papers all over the country. I got calls back on three job listings. Two of those phone calls replied with a “thanks, but no thanks.” But Liz, she gave me a shot. There was no place better for me to learn than at the Saratoga Sun — espec...
To the Editor in Chief Dear Saratogans: On February 19th The Saratoga Sun will lose the most award-winning editor it has ever had. Not that we haven’t had other good editors, but Liz Wood has made our newspaper into an award winning and highly thought of paper in the state. Never has the paper garnered so many awards for the thoughtful editorials, the high profile Sno-Rag and Adventure Guide, the sports coverage of the Valley and the coverage of the entire Valley’s events. We have been blessed with such a person and will tru...
I went on vacation last week. I had planned it for months. Get some much-needed relaxation and unwind a bit, you know. The plan was to fly to Houston and then board a cruise ship going to the Yucatan Peninsula. I did that. I had some fun. But the day before I was to leave I got some bad news. Liz Wood, the Sun’s general manager and my favorite boss ever, informed me she was leaving for greener pastures. I knew this was going to be on my mind the whole trip. You try to NOT t...
he Star Wars franchise, I’ve heard, is one of the most pervasive cultural reference systems in modern America. I don’t believe you can fully understand that unless you grew up never having seen it, watching the films for the first time in your 20s. That’s what I did. When Luke, alongside Yoda, is trying to use The Force1 to raise a submerged spaceship2 from the swamp3 in The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda famously says “Do or do not. There is no try.” I had no idea that was from...
Thirty years is a long time in between Editorial Leadership Awards. When Gary Stevenson told me we needed to write more editorials three years ago, my response was: "We are too diverse to agree on anything." You should hear some of the arguments we have in this office. No matter who the reporters are, we don't always agree, but we started finding ways to agree on something. This year, we finally brought home the Editorial Leadership award for our work in 2015. The last one...
Editor, What if you could solve the Saratoga sewer treatment plant problems and save the local taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Would you be interested? The unelected and unaccountable Joint Powers Board has decided to build a 12” pipeline that continuously dumps ammonia laden discharge water directly into the N. Platte River. Cost to you – 1 million dollars to be paid by you in your sewer and water bill every month for the next 20 years. They claimed there was no other solution, which is absolutely false. All acro...
It is no secret around the Saratoga Sun office and at home that I have been feeling grumpier than usual lately. I definitely fit into the curmudgeon category sometimes, and lately I have fallen in to the trap of resentment. As the saying goes, holding a resentment against someone is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will get sick. I have found it a fine line to walk, working for the newspaper and trying not to judge people. Another saying is that it is none of m...
Somewhere in the Middle East a new scourge is rising with the goal of taking down the American federal government. Okay, so the Middle East I am talking about is the middle east of Oregon and the terrorists involved here are a bunch of mostly white rednecks with “legitimate” axes to grind with the federal gummint. So righteous were “Y’all Qaeda’s1” claims that they banded together to raid and occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, the offices of which were closed for...
I’ve learned a lot about myself through cooking. Some of my fonder memories include sitting around while my dad made dinner, eating grapes and picking up on things through exposure while not really paying attention. When I got a little older, I started helping my mom make things too, which involved “recipe following,” or kind of vaguely throwing things together with the assumption of common sense about how things taste. By some kind of magic, it always seemed to work. When I w...
Well, it is resolution time ... again. And like many others I am a resolution person. I usually break them all. I don’t intend to at the beginning of the year, but it just happens. Last year, I wrote my resolutions based on a top 10 from research done by the University of Scranton. They were the normal – lose weight, get organized, attain financial balance, live life to its fullest, stay fit, learn something exciting, quit smoking, help others with their resolution, more fam...
Let me be honest. I have hit the holiday wall. I’m not sure why I am done with the holidays before they are done with me each year, but it is definitely a reality. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to see my family for Christmas and New Year’s, but I am over all of the build -up, and am just looking forward to a little relaxation without the Christmas hype. While pondering this I realize that I could apply the same 12 steps that I use in the rest of my life to get me through...
Dear Editor, Thank you for publishing the Madeline Weiss piece about the economic squeeze being felt by our young adults. To Madeline I want to say your piece was courageous, brave and gutsy. Good writing tells the truth even if it hurts and you told your truth. Another article in the same Sun issue described the non-profit thrift shop Bridge Street bargains. I am a volunteer worker in that shop and I want you to know, Madeline, we are here for you. We are not just about the mentioned two thousand dollar dress and one...
Editor, I don’t usually talk publicly about my patients after they pass but this week is a different week. David Starr passed away this last Sunday after a sudden illness. David Starr was an unsung hero in this community. No matter the time, middle of the day or middle of the night, weekday or weekend, we all could count on Dave to answer the call. You see, Dave was the guy driving the ambulance when many of us needed emergency care. No fanfare, no awards, no articles ... just a kind smile and a steady hand (or foot in his c...
Have you heard about this “Elf on the Shelf” character? Perhaps I should say Elves on the Shelves. There are definitely more than one. I hadn’t until this year. Apparently elves appear on east coast shelves more than out here in the west (or in the south for that matter). Probably a denser population thing. Can’t overtax Santa’s attitude meter can we? The deal is that elves, which appear to be figures made of ceramic, wood or cloth during the daylight hours, keep an eye on th...
I didn’t imagine that when I graduated college I would still be fighting and hoping for a decent minimum wage, but I am. I think about it daily, because I actually can’t imagine what life would be like without significant financial struggles. I’ll admit it: I’m one of America’s poor. I’m not one of America’s poorest, but I’m not in the position to save more than a few dollars every month, if any dollars at all. I have some light college debt, but those loan payments still...