Business development in small community

Small village municipalities often have a difficult time recruiting new businesses into the community for a variety of reasons, but one Village is engaging in proactive efforts to bring them in.

Public Health issues

What a difference between two county-based agencies and the services they provide. My continuous follow up on the developments and difference between Central Racine and Western Racine County Health Departments lasted three months.
It spanned two different jurisdictions to gauge opinions and feedback from elected officials on the satisfaction of both departments.

Village neighbors disagree, create hour long debate

Public hearings in small village municipalities are seldom attended by residents. But there was an experience involving two business owners and a patio owned by one of them. While there was some emotionally charged debate regarding the use of a patio - it was approved.

I continued to follow up on this after the Planning Commission was given notice the club had the desire to modify its agreement in question.

McDonald's sharing space with Government

Big difference in small community

My eyes lit up when I attended a Union Grove Village Board meeting and saw elementary school children attempting to make a difference in a small community.

The customary Village Board meeting typically is about policies and ordinances but the night I attended had a much difference feel to it.

As a dozen school students stated their goals in making a difference and through my observations discovered the Board really focused in on them. They did everything they could to make their aspirations come true at that moment.

Kenosha Days - Perseverance

Perseverance can be the term used to describe my sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and proved to be the first turning point.

After coming forward applying for a lofty position as an Assistant Sports Editor my freshman year for my student newspaper and walking away empty-handed - there was a sense of discouragement.

The same year I applied for the position as a News Intern with the Kenosha News but had the same result as the editorial position with my student newspaper.

A Year Later

While continuing to write as a general assignment reporter along with a sports beat my sophomore year - something caught my eye - an advertisement in the student newspaper looking for an Assistant Sports Editor. The same position I applied for a year earlier.

Made the decision to not apply for the position while still stinging from being passed over the previous year. Little did I know, some of the editors had me in mind all along - which I was not aware of until my junior year when the photography editor told me.

When the hired Assistant Sports Editor did not pan out - I received a voicemail from the Sports Editor in my dorm room with a simple statement:

"Oh, and the Assistant position is still open, might want to give it another shot."

Within two weeks, I became a member of the Editorial Board at the Royal Purple. More surprising was the news I would move on up to the position of Sports Editor by the next academic year.

Hello, Kenosha

Riding out my newfound promotion into the summer, my writers itch raged on and made the decision to contact the Kenosha News regarding freelance opportunities.

It was my first glimpse into daily newspaper reporting with strict deadlines and became exposed to a sport I never reported on: Triathlons.

Officially-sanctioned United States Triathlons with participation from some of the best athletes in the Midwest.

My comeback

After more than six years of being away from the journalism profession due to a myriad of personal and medical issues, 2013 was the year I was able to make a return.

Following my excellent experience as a News Intern with the Lake County News-Sun, my life hit a snag for several years and since the departure - I wondered if I still had the talent.

Enter in Southern Lakes Newspapers, where I previously served as a Sports Intern eight years earlier for two weekly newspapers (Whitewater Register, Palmyra-Eagle Enterprise) and I was able to make my return.

One thing is certain - having a writer make a return to writing was like riding a bike. I still have the perspective of the citizen in mind, although a bit rusty. But it is a restart I have been waiting for since 2007. 

The challenge of writing for two smaller communities is to dig harder for information and generate stories. While attending Village Board and School Board meetings might not be exciting to an outsider, but many small details and items within meetings can be a major story for a small community.

And sometimes being present at Board meetings catches news NOT contained in the meeting agenda issued. 

In order to understand the significance of small items on meeting agendas, a reporter needs to know the history of the community. Learning about the history in two small communities is a hard task but once I am able to get over the learning curve it will be much easier to follow.

It takes a considerable amount of time for a reporter to not only learn the history but also the public officials and what they stand for.