Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us March 17, 2006 Just for the record, I’ve got a lot going on Small-town newspaper editors are often far more connected to the local community, are known by more people and have less separation between their professional life and personal life. For me, as the editor of the Tidings, this is exceptionally true because my wife and I own businesses in Ashland. We work hard to keep our private life separate from my professional role as the editor of the paper. To that end, we often issue disclosures about our other interests in town, and we follow a clear policy that works to eliminate any unfair advantage that can be gained for me the person from me the editor. Last week, one of our businesses moved into downtown Ashland on the Plaza. Pipon’s Cocina y Cantina was formerly located in Talent. My wife and I share ownership with three other partners, Jorge Oliva who operates the business, and two of our best friends from high school who live in California. Because of our involvement, the Tidings elected not to do a story about the business change. A story about Pipon’s opening, which was consistent with our coverage of new restaurants, was printed in April 2005. As a matter of policy, I step aside when decisions about stories involving me or my family are made. I appreciate my staff’s thoughtfulness in this regard. I also appreciate my business partners’ understanding that they will likely have less access to the media, and possibly more criticism from those who take issue with me as editor. Pipon’s joins our other businesses in downtown Ashland, Lithia Stationers, The Main Source and Main Source Reservations. For my wife and I, staying here meant a significant sea change and a determined commitment to stay. When we moved here, my wife worked from our home as a human resources specialist for Sun Microsystems. In June 2004, her job was outsourced. Her only choice to remain employed in her profession was for us to move to a larger city, less than a year after making a significant change in my career. We opted to stay and find her a new career as a business owner, rather than for us to move to place where we would both make significantly more money in our respective professions. People say we are entrepreneurs, and perhaps we are. But we are simply trying to carve out the life we want with the opportunities that face us in the place we want to live. In the ongoing interest of full disclosure, I want to state that I serve on the YMCA board as part of my service to the local community. As parents to four children, ages 19,17,14 and 7, my wife and I are enthusiastic supporters of programs for kids. We personally support the YMCA. Our businesses also donate to the Ashland Schools Foundation and the Ashland Public Schools as often we reasonably can. This has nothing to do with my job as the editor, but everything to do with the conviction my wife and I share that we need to give back to the community we live in. Finally, we believe we are advocates for the local arts community, offering our businesses as a showplace for local artists and donating money to sponsor plays. Our businesses are part of who we are. Our philosophies spill over into them often. Just as we learned first-hand that good jobs are hard to find, we are committed to increase the opportunity for others to live and work here, just as we do. Our employee handbook documents our goal that each of our businesses will pay every employee a living wage by the end of 2007. We offer paid vacation and sick days. We are by no means great at what we do. Like other small businesses, we struggle, make mistakes, learn from them and try to get better. It isn’t easy, but because we love it here, we do it gladly. Our family’s interest and involvement in the community extends beyond business ventures. We consider ourselves enthusiastic supporters of the local community. We love the First Friday Art Walk, the Ashland Independent Film Festival, ScienceWorks and A Taste of Ashland, just to name a few. We often attend functions and participate in silent auctions as a way to donate to local causes. We love seeing a play at the festival (we buy our tickets), Oregon Cabaret Theatre (my wife’s personal favorite), Oregon Stage Works and Camelot Theatre in Talent. We always try to take our friends to a show when they come to visit. We try to never miss a Fourth of July parade, Halloween parade, Festival of Lights parade or most of the other local events. This is why we moved here in the first place. My job as the editor of a small-town newspaper continues to be a fulfilling and rewarding experience. If you all knew the people who work for me as I do, you’d understand my enthusiasm. I am amazed at the level of work these people do and how much they love this community. I am very fortunate. I am ever mindful of how rare it is to find a good job in this city, to own a home and to have an opportunity for my wife and I to build toward retirement in an place that is among our favorite on the globe. For that reason, we work very hard to keep all these different balls in the air, separately though the fly. Have a great weekend. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams