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Authors: Judy Christie
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tossing bundles of papers off the dock to various carriers.
Suddenly, she frowned. “Is that going to be a problem? I mean, do you want me to stay in the office all the time? Do you mind me throwing a route?”
I didn’t know what I wanted, needed, or expected. “No problem,” I said and turned my attention to Stan, a lean man in his forties. He smiled and chatted quietly with the carriers as he worked.
Watching the process unfold, I was struck by how everyone pitched in. At big-city papers, each person had a specific job. Most people didn’t volunteer for anything extra and tried to pass work off to others when possible. Here it was less clear-cut.
Shaking my head, I walked back in and stopped by Alex's desk. “Your story on the new lake development is a good read,” I said, shaking his hand. “You put Major Wilson on the spot and got him to admit plans need to be made for displaced tenants. That's good reporting.”
His look of pride mirrored that of my reporters in Dayton, and he leaned so far back in his desk chair that I thought he might fall over.
“I’m working on some new information,” he said. “I’m poking around to see if I can find out why they turned down Dr. Taylor's house and let these go through. And I heard through the grapevine that some E.P.A. analysis has yet to be done. There could be an impact on water quality.” He referred to his notes. “Supposedly, Major's trying to cut that agency out. There have been complaints that he's letting sewage from his houses drain into the lake.”
“Good work,” I said. “Keep digging. See what you can come up with.”
Heading back to my office to prepare for my afternoon meetings, I nearly bumped into Lee Roy.
“Oh, Miss Lois, I was just coming to see you. Wonder if you want me to take you around town this afternoon…for your meetings, I mean.”
Surprised that he knew I had set up visits with the city leaders, I paused and then decided he might provide insight into these unknown people I was meeting with. “That sounds good. Can you head out now?”
“Sure thing, ma’am,” he said. He grabbed his coat and turned off the light in his office.
The afternoon turned out to be interesting and excruciating. The excitement of putting out my first edition subsided, and the reality of small-town politics settled in.
Our first stop was at Major Wilson's real estate office, a modern wood building across the street from the lake, with a nice water view. An attractive woman in her early thirties greeted us and gave Lee Roy a little hug. She looked awkward, as if she didn’t know whether to shake my hand, hug me, or do nothing. She took a step back and dropped her hands to her sides. “Welcome to Green, Miss Lois,” she said. “I’m Linda.”
She ushered us back into Major's office, a large cluttered room with a couple of deer heads and mounted fish—bass, I thought—on the wall. Major stood up and greeted us enthusiastically, shook hands with Lee Roy, and gave me the weird for-women-only grip. He was in his middle sixties, a bit overweight, and sported a large duck on his brass belt buckle.
“I see you met Linder,” he said, putting an “er” on the end of her name. “Can she get you anything? Coffee? Coke?” Without a pause, he looked at his assistant and said, “I’ll take a Coke, heavy on the ice.”
I declined any refreshments to avoid burping my way through my first visit with a town father. Linda returned with a Coke for Major and a Diet Sprite for Lee Roy, something he apparently drank on a regular basis because he had not even asked for it.
“Thank you so much for taking time to meet with me, sir,” I said.
Major interrupted before I could say how happy I was to be in Green. “Sir? Let's get rid of that sir business. I ain’t that old.”
He laughed as he said it, as though it were super funny. “Call me Major. We’re glad to have you
Suddenly, she frowned. “Is that going to be a problem? I mean, do you want me to stay in the office all the time? Do you mind me throwing a route?”
I didn’t know what I wanted, needed, or expected. “No problem,” I said and turned my attention to Stan, a lean man in his forties. He smiled and chatted quietly with the carriers as he worked.
Watching the process unfold, I was struck by how everyone pitched in. At big-city papers, each person had a specific job. Most people didn’t volunteer for anything extra and tried to pass work off to others when possible. Here it was less clear-cut.
Shaking my head, I walked back in and stopped by Alex's desk. “Your story on the new lake development is a good read,” I said, shaking his hand. “You put Major Wilson on the spot and got him to admit plans need to be made for displaced tenants. That's good reporting.”
His look of pride mirrored that of my reporters in Dayton, and he leaned so far back in his desk chair that I thought he might fall over.
“I’m working on some new information,” he said. “I’m poking around to see if I can find out why they turned down Dr. Taylor's house and let these go through. And I heard through the grapevine that some E.P.A. analysis has yet to be done. There could be an impact on water quality.” He referred to his notes. “Supposedly, Major's trying to cut that agency out. There have been complaints that he's letting sewage from his houses drain into the lake.”
“Good work,” I said. “Keep digging. See what you can come up with.”
Heading back to my office to prepare for my afternoon meetings, I nearly bumped into Lee Roy.
“Oh, Miss Lois, I was just coming to see you. Wonder if you want me to take you around town this afternoon…for your meetings, I mean.”
Surprised that he knew I had set up visits with the city leaders, I paused and then decided he might provide insight into these unknown people I was meeting with. “That sounds good. Can you head out now?”
“Sure thing, ma’am,” he said. He grabbed his coat and turned off the light in his office.
The afternoon turned out to be interesting and excruciating. The excitement of putting out my first edition subsided, and the reality of small-town politics settled in.
Our first stop was at Major Wilson's real estate office, a modern wood building across the street from the lake, with a nice water view. An attractive woman in her early thirties greeted us and gave Lee Roy a little hug. She looked awkward, as if she didn’t know whether to shake my hand, hug me, or do nothing. She took a step back and dropped her hands to her sides. “Welcome to Green, Miss Lois,” she said. “I’m Linda.”
She ushered us back into Major's office, a large cluttered room with a couple of deer heads and mounted fish—bass, I thought—on the wall. Major stood up and greeted us enthusiastically, shook hands with Lee Roy, and gave me the weird for-women-only grip. He was in his middle sixties, a bit overweight, and sported a large duck on his brass belt buckle.
“I see you met Linder,” he said, putting an “er” on the end of her name. “Can she get you anything? Coffee? Coke?” Without a pause, he looked at his assistant and said, “I’ll take a Coke, heavy on the ice.”
I declined any refreshments to avoid burping my way through my first visit with a town father. Linda returned with a Coke for Major and a Diet Sprite for Lee Roy, something he apparently drank on a regular basis because he had not even asked for it.
“Thank you so much for taking time to meet with me, sir,” I said.
Major interrupted before I could say how happy I was to be in Green. “Sir? Let's get rid of that sir business. I ain’t that old.”
He laughed as he said it, as though it were super funny. “Call me Major. We’re glad to have you
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