Editors' Corner

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STACY HANNA

A couple of days ago, I received a call from a woman who has worked with local nonprofits for several years and does a lot of good work. She called because she was concerned about a question posed to her by a reporter regarding the amount of money being spent on a particular event. As the marketing director for this nonprofit — a large nonprofit that funnels money to many local organizations and is fueled with local donations — she was worried that the focus of the story would be on the cost of the somewhat controversial event, rather than the benefit it would provide.

Her question, in a nutshell? What does the cost of the event have to do with the news?

As I explained to her, and to others in the past, anytime public money (taxes, donations, etc.) pay for an event, it is our responsibility to report the amount. It is the readers' right to know where their money is going and how it's being used by the people it's been entrusted to disseminate. It's a standard question — the money question — in most news stories and not one we use to shine a light on controversial projects or topics.

It's our job to report the facts. All of them that are available and relevant. The money question is almost always relevant.

Harsh language in Deal story

Eric J. Greene

Our story today about alleged online predator Troy Deal contains some harsh language, particularly in the direct quotes, allegedly from Deal, that were introduced as evidence in his trial yesterday.

Anticipating questions about the Enquirer's decision to include such language in the story, I'd like to explain. This trial is about proving whether a man intended to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Central to proving that intent, for prosecutors, is explaining what he said and how he said it during online chats to a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Thus, to further a reader's understanding of what exactly was said, we chose to use some direct quotations.

I'm told by courts reporter Trace Christenson that the conversations read in court were quite sordid and included words and phrases that most people would find offensive. We chose not to publish those. Instead, we chose a couple quotes that, while tamer than the rest, demonstrated the defendant's intentions and state of mind.

Congrats to sports

BILL BRODERICK

Congratulations goes out to all the members of my staff in the Enquirer sports department for earning a Michigan Associated Press Award for its coverage of prep football.
While there was a lot of hard work done in the writing, photos, editing and everything else that goes into getting high school football covered the way we do it at the Enquirer, a bigger thanks goes to the community itself.
We put a lot of effort into our high school prep coverage, including football, because the Battle Creek-area community expects that. And because we know you want the best we can give, we want to give you the best we have.
Look for more of the same in the future.

Binder Park Zoo

JOHN GRAP

This morning reporter Stephanie Rutherford, videographer Andy Fitzpatrick and I got a look at the construction of the the zoo's new home for their snow leopards. Look for the story, video, and photos in Enquirer tomorrow.

 

Meanwhile the animals are resting up and are almost ready for visitors.

The zoo opens on Tuesday, April 22, in one short week.

The potholes persist

BILL MILLER

Don't know about you, but it seems to me that most of the potholes I've encountered on state and county roadways this winter in the Battle Creek area are still out there, unfilled.

I have a feeling that many of you agree, based on the 409 submissions we've had to our "Map your potholes" page. And we're still getting them, with May only three weeks away.

One of the worst stretches — certainly the worst that I've driven — is 6-Mile Road, from Beckley Road to K Drive South. In fact, we published a "Your Opinions" letter by Joan Bradstreet on Monday about it.

If you haven't dodged and weaved its cavities or had your vehicle's wheel alignment popped, come along for a short ride with me. Turn up your volume to hear my play-by-play:

Spring break

JOHN GRAP

Lots of people are enjoying spring break, like our very own Kevin Hare, who sent back this beautiful photo, with this note, "Hello from FLA!!!! Just kickin' back on the beach with a Corona in one hand and (as always) my camera in the other. Hope all is well in BC. See you all next week".

New photo contest

JOHN GRAP

While I was at the Art Center yesterday Linda Holderbaum asked me to promote the Michigan Photo Competition, details of which can be found at their website. The deadline for entries is May 2.

KEENER 14

BILL MILLER

Once in a while I get these waves of nostalgia that the Internet lets me indulge — so I find old, REALLY OLD, radio programs to listen to.

If you've been around Battle Creek since the '60s, you'll no doubt fondly recall WKFR Keener 14.

I'm not talking about WKFR 103.3 FM which has been Kalamazoo-based for a long, long time. I'm talking BEFORE that. When it was here in Battle Creek. When it was a sister station to the legendary WKNR in Dearborn. When those stations and their music and their DJs defined what it meant to be cool.

It's the summer of '68, you're cruising down Michigan Avenue, just digging the tunes...

Slamer leaving is a loss for Battle Creek

BILL BRODERICK

Often you can tell winners and loser by what is said on the scoreboard.
There's no scoreboard this time, but Battle Creek definitely is on the losing end of this move as longtime football coach Al Slamer has left the Bearcat football program to become the new  head coach at Holt High School near Lansing.
Slamer is a difference-maker in the city of Battle Creek  and whenever you lose one of those it is difficult to bounce back from.
He won his share of games on the field for Battle Creek Central, but his real value to the school and to this community is what he did away from the field.
He ran a clean program at Battle Creek Central where the players were respectful off the field. He was a leader among local coaches and due to his ties across the state, he brought the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association clinic to Battle Creek every year.
In high school sports, coaching is everything. And that is even more the case in football where you have 50-70 players on a team. If the leader of the group is doing his job, the rest of the team can be successful players on the field and successful men and women off the field.
I am happy for Slamer if he found a job that makes him happy.
But I am sad for the Battle Creek community, which is on the losing end of the scoreboard today.