We have the fortune of having two interns right now. Ava Adams, is now a sophomore at IVHS and I hope to keep her until she heads off to school in three years through the fund for Oregon Rural Journalism (FORJ). Adams has had access to journalism training that one would not normally get, and you dear reader, will get the benefit of that. I really look forward to mentoring Adams and see her grow. If she finds this career as rewarding as I have, she will be off to a great start in her future endeavors.
Adams is being paid through a program that assists rural newspapers, FORJ.
Jody Lawrence -Turner who is the executive director has been a wonderful resource for me. Turner has been there to listen to me whine and revel in the day to day grind of running a rural newspaper. She has been a rock, and I question where I would be, were it not for her.
Our other intern is Randy Huang. Randy was the IVHS Class of 2024 salutatorian. Huang is heading to Oregon State in September to study engineering. You may have noticed his columns “Generational perspectives.” As a Gen Z he has a different view of the world that I don’t see as a Gen X. He is a smart young man which you likely have gathered by his high school accolades. But he is different to me in a way that our age gap makes painfully clear. I find his perspective interesting and he has the skills to properly convey his points. Huang is extremely funny, and when he loosens up, I find I really enjoy his company.
Today is my birthday. I am now 58-years-old. The fact that I am now older, grey, deaf and blind isn’t that tough of a pill to swallow. It is what it is, you get old or die, no one here gets out alive according to Jim Morrison in the Doors’ song “Five to One.”
As usual I had a great Labor Day Festival. A big thank you to the Lions Club for all the hard work they put into this community event.
Have a great week and thank you for picking up this week’s paper! Enjoy! ~djm