I cleaned out my desk on Friday.
I’d learned, not 24 hours before, that the Eagle Newspaper board had decided to disband the company.
No more Hood River News. No more The Dalles Chronicle or White Salmon Enterprise. No more Gorge Magazine.
I am devastated. But I’m grateful we have the opportunity to put out this edition. I’m glad we get to say good-bye.
I’ve been trying to figure out what I want to cover in this last column. I have a notebook filled with story ideas ranging from topics for Behind the Scenes (the history of the portraits that hang in the front office, for example) to possible Kaleidoscopes (there’s a coffee group that has been meeting in Parkdale for 50 years) to articles (the radon pockets in the valley, the career center at the high school). None of those ideas are helping me here.
I think what I want to say is this:
I have learned so much about journalism and reporting from editor Kirby Neumann-Rea, and I’m thankful he took me on in 2000 as the Odell Community Columnist, because that gig is what later opened the door for my front office position when I applied in 2011. He has helped me gain confidence not only as a writer, but as a member of the newsroom. And I will forever be impressed with his ability to Crank Stories Out.
I am going to miss reporter Emily Fitzgerald so much — she’s amazing. She has tackled such tough topics for the News and she never complains. I count on her eyes and her opinion for my own articles, and I just enjoy working with her in general. I have told her this numerous times, but I’m going to say it again: We lucked out when they moved her from the Chronicle to the News.
And also EF: It's FINE.
Ditto for LisaAnn Kawachi at the front desk. I remember the first time she came back into editorial to help us with proofing the paper — it was evident that She Knew What She Was Doing and our paper has been better for it. I will miss talking to her. I will miss her coming into editorial with a proof filled with red marks and saying, “Trisha, you’re not going to like this …” and getting to say, “No sweat, LisaAnn Kawachi, I will make whatever changes you want. Except that one.”
I want to thank Chelsea Marr, our publisher, for all of the support and kind words over the years. I want to thank our ad staff, particularly Jody Thompson, Suzette Gehring, Niki Piacente and Tamara Emler Ball, for keeping the lights on for so long. Thanks to Classified Manager Kelly Gallagher for being such a cheerful spot in the office. Thank you to former reporters Ben Mitchell, Patrick Mulvihill, RJ Chavez and Caleb Lundquist, who have moved on from the News but still check in and let me know what they’re up to. And to Gabriel Bravo, our newest staff member — I hope I do see you around, and we will reminisce about the good ol’ days.
And I also want to thank you for reading, for subscribing, for supporting us on this mission. It has meant more to me than I can say.
Well … the end, I guess.
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