Sometimes, you just stumble into good stories.
On Tuesday, things were a little slow on the photography front. Our photographer, Brenda Steurer, was heading out to look for something for Wednesdays newspaper. I call these Wild Art runs. Literally, the photographer hops in the car, drives around and looks to see if theres something going on to take pictures of. Its especially difficult when its zero degrees outside. Whos outside?!
Brenda is particularly good at Wild Art runs. She knows the community and its people extremely well. I think its pretty rare for her to go out and have no idea at all what shes looking for.
On Tuesday afternoon, she came back into the office with some photos and a bright smile on her face. Ive got some page one pictures, but I really think we ought to have a story to go along with it, Brenda said.
She had come across a mother and her 7-year-old son who were doing their weekly volunteering duties at Monroe Manor. Molly Jasper and her son, Elliott Seefeldt, have been going every Tuesday for nearly a year to push a cart of books, magazines and puzzles around to residents.
Brenda was taken by the mom-and-sons giving spirit, and the boys gregarious and fun-loving nature with the residents. Most 7-year-old boys, Brenda noted, clam up around adults.
So we discussed having a reporter get in contact with the mother on Wednesday morning to have a story to go along with the pictures Brenda had taken. And this morning, reporter Tere Dunlap talked to Jasper and to an assistant activities director at the Manor about their volunteering.
And we ended up with a nice 350-word story to go along with the images.
This good story we stumbled into. But it certainly helps when readers can help point us in the right direction. If you know of people like this mother and her son who do a really neat thing for other people, let me know. You can e-mail me (editor@themonroetimes.com) or simply post a reader comment to this blog.
On Tuesday, things were a little slow on the photography front. Our photographer, Brenda Steurer, was heading out to look for something for Wednesdays newspaper. I call these Wild Art runs. Literally, the photographer hops in the car, drives around and looks to see if theres something going on to take pictures of. Its especially difficult when its zero degrees outside. Whos outside?!
Brenda is particularly good at Wild Art runs. She knows the community and its people extremely well. I think its pretty rare for her to go out and have no idea at all what shes looking for.
On Tuesday afternoon, she came back into the office with some photos and a bright smile on her face. Ive got some page one pictures, but I really think we ought to have a story to go along with it, Brenda said.
She had come across a mother and her 7-year-old son who were doing their weekly volunteering duties at Monroe Manor. Molly Jasper and her son, Elliott Seefeldt, have been going every Tuesday for nearly a year to push a cart of books, magazines and puzzles around to residents.
Brenda was taken by the mom-and-sons giving spirit, and the boys gregarious and fun-loving nature with the residents. Most 7-year-old boys, Brenda noted, clam up around adults.
So we discussed having a reporter get in contact with the mother on Wednesday morning to have a story to go along with the pictures Brenda had taken. And this morning, reporter Tere Dunlap talked to Jasper and to an assistant activities director at the Manor about their volunteering.
And we ended up with a nice 350-word story to go along with the images.
This good story we stumbled into. But it certainly helps when readers can help point us in the right direction. If you know of people like this mother and her son who do a really neat thing for other people, let me know. You can e-mail me (editor@themonroetimes.com) or simply post a reader comment to this blog.
