LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Every day an adventure...

Being a journalist is sometimes like riding a tornado.  

One moment you’re out at the county fair helping young folks celebrate the hard work they put into a Future Farmers of America Project, the next you’re out covering a shooting, and an hour later you’re sitting in a school board meeting while folks debate whether buying better smelling soap or softer toilet paper is more important.  

Yep. I’ve sat through that exact debate. They decided on the softer TP; in case you’re wondering.  

In this gig, we get to do something different every day. As I write this, I’ve got folks following up on the closure of the sleep center in Moses Lake, picking their favorite pictures from the Othello July 4 celebration, and writing up profiles for city council candidates for this fall’s elections.  

Each of those stories is connected to the history of the communities we serve. We get to see all of the challenges and resulting victories or defeats that come along the way. The job is equal parts depression and joy sometimes, but it is definitely never boring.  

Focusing on the positive, my favorite stories are always the ones about the moments in life that are both victories and heartfelt. I was privileged last week when Jerry Pitts and his wife stopped by to speak with me about the Ephrata High School Class of 1955’s 70th high school reunion.  

That sort of interaction is what often gets me out of bed to come to work in the morning, especially after the hard days when we have to write about a child dying or people losing their jobs. Having that bit of joy walk into your day is a privilege, and all of the reporters at the Columbia Basin Herald’s news desk express appreciation for the Jerry Pitts of the world on a nearly daily basis.  

Being a reporter at a community newspaper is like no other job out there. We don’t have the pressures from corporate that folks at the national outlets have. That independence helps us keep from leaning left or right on the political spectrum and focus on being a mirror of the towns and small cities we serve.  

We have a unique, birds-eye view of the Columbia Basin here at the paper. We see how all of the towns of Grant and Adams counties are connected. Moses Lake has water concerns that, while different from Soap Lake’s, are part of the regional community’s challenges to be faced. Every community has water supply concerns, this being a desert. Small businesses, vital to the economic health of our region, face similar challenges.  

We get to tell those stories and hopefully support good outcomes in the long run. We want those water issues to be solved. We want those businesses to thrive. We want to be around to talk about the Class of 2025’s 70th in 2095 — granted, that’ll be a different crew at the news desk.  

All of that said, I wrote this column with a purpose in mind. Not just to say, “Hey, look at my cool job,” but to ask each of you to share your happy moments with us. Send in photos, letters to the editor, news tips and the happy moments you see in the community. Let us share those positive encounters with our readers — your neighbors — and let us celebrate community with you. 

Letters, photos, compliments and even complaints are all welcome and can be sent to me at [email protected].  

Be kind to one another out there. Wear your sunscreen this summer and don’t forget that there’s something to celebrate every day. 

With appreciation, 

R. Hans “Rob” Miller
Managing Editor
Columbia Basin Herald
Basin Business Journal