Editor's Notes: Memories of working for a weekly

I was sitting in an office of the Tri-County Newspapers suite in Willows on Thursday morning, listening to newsroom staffers and getting that warm glow of pleasant nostalgia for my old days.

It's a fun and hardworking bunch, the TCN news crew, and hanging out with them brought back memories of happy times working at a little weekly newspaper back when I was beginning my career — handling everything from kindergarten graduations to county elections, garden club news to courtroom murder cases. And all of it was important to the community.

TCN is a department of the Appeal-Democrat that publishes twice-a-week community papers out of Colusa, Orland, Willows and Corning. Reporters/photographers and sports guys work out in their counties, under the direction of TCN Managing Editor Todd Hansen. Appeal-Democrat staffers in Marysville paginate their pages and print their publications.

We're happy to be partners; and we've been impressed with the range of local reporting and the numbers of local people represented in their pages. They're serving their communities well.

Thumbs up

When was it not cool to be in agriculture? Well, depending on when you were connected, where you were, and whether your family was prospering or going broke or not, there might have been a difference. Still, it was always a great business and lifestyle. But the idea that increasingly, of late, kids are looking at careers in agriculture as a real possibility, as reported by Ryan McCarthy in the Thursday paper: That is cool.

Thumbs up

Good for the Yuba-Sutter Transit folks for taking care of business. They're planning to let bids for installation of security cameras at local park-and-ride lots. We want people to park their cars and ride the bus — it's good for the transit system, good for local traffic flow, saves energy. But even an older used car is a big investment for most of us, and we don't want to leave it unattended all day in a lot that could be targeted by knuckleheads. Security cameras, we think, will be well worth the price.

Thumbs down

Feral animals cause problems, there's no doubting that. A bunch of feral pigs going through a meadow could be the equivalent of a group of roto-tillers set loose on the land, from what we've had described to us. And we've heard that the population around here probably exceeds a thousand … it's a problem that needs to be dealt with. We're just not sure that a fence is going to make that much difference. We're hoping that concerned parties come up with a cooperative and more comprehensive plan.

Thumbs up

It's a dramatic and attention-drawing accent — the Ellis Lake lighted fountain. We're happy that the lights will be on at least most of each week because some local citizens care enough to donate funding to pay for the electricity that the cash-strapped city can't afford. Our thanks.

Thumbs down/up

We don't like seeing it here, we like seeing it here. Law enforcement officers dressed in SWAT gear, guns drawn, eyes wide open … taking part in simulated situations in which a supposed active shooter is threatening folks in a building (in this exercise, the old Peach Tree Mall in Linda). It's been decades since we started reporting on simulated natural disaster drills, car accident drills … and now "shooter" drills. We hate that it's come to this; we're grateful that officers are preparing.

They've been doing drills similar to this for some time. But this one was decidedly well-publicized. The message, perhaps, is that we should all consider what we should do in such a situation.

Helping the cause

Want to clear some space out in your back room, garage or shed?

Our friends at the Salvation Army would be happy to take your old (but in working condition) clothes washers and dryers for the Depot.

The former train station is now used by the Salvation Army as temporary housing for families in recovery.

They need to improve laundry facilities. Not only will they be happy to help you recover space, they'll come and pick up the machines for you.

Call them at 530-216-4559.