July 21, 2008

The hard work is getting acquainted

Since I’ve been at the News-Banner, I’ve been hugged by a police officer, had a nice chat with a school superintendent and Bluffton’s mayor, and been greeted warmly by two members of the Wells County Council and a Wells County Commissioner.

People around here sure know how to make a new guy feel welcome.

One of the first people to say “hi” to me was longtime Wells County Council President Pete Cole. Pete’s path has crossed mine before; I interviewed him for a previous employer and at that time we compared notes on counties and governments and the way things work in the world. So it was with some degree of familiarity I talked with him at the 4-H Fair the other day. When he saw me the second day, he shook my hand again. “Well, two days in a row — I guess you really are coming,” he said with a smile.

Pretty good guess there, Sherlock. And I’m glad to be here.

I wandered into the bookstore downtown and a man recognized me from my picture in the paper. (Which reminds me — I need to get my hair cut.) He wanted to know what I thought about Bluffton and Wells County. I told him my impressions have been positive. He introduced himself as Leroy Cramer and added, just so I would know, that he is a County Council member.

Paul Bonham and I go back a few years. He’s a member of the Warren Church of Christ, and I’ve been invited to speak there a few times in the last quarter-century. Seriously, a quarter-century. So he’s a Wells County Commissioner and now we have to adjust our relationship from a friends-only type to that of a reporter and source.

Believe it or not, it’s possible for a reporter and a source to be friends. In fact, in a place like Wells County where you meet people in the grocery store, in a restaurant, and at the gas station on a daily basis, it’s a requirement that they at least not be enemies. The friendship can work, but the source can’t hold it against the reporter when he’s just doing his job. Sample dialogue:

“How could you write that about me?”

“Was it true?”

“Well, yes, it was — but still, how could you write that about me?”

I’ve actually had that conversation. As you can imagine, it’s a great deal of fun.

I scheduled a meeting with Dr. Julie Wood, superintendent of the Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District, and we chatted about issues coming up for the district over the next few months. The big thing right now is that the district is considering its budget for 2009 without knowing for sure how much money it will have available. In that, the Bluffton-Harrison MSD has plenty of company.

Bluffton Mayor Ellis is going through the same thing as Dr. Wood — sweating the budget process. He’s confident that the city has a pretty good handle on issues, though, and that’s a good thing.

Which brings us to Bruce Holland, an officer with the Bluffton Police Department. Bruce and I share a special bond — we both lived in Timothy Hall, a dormitory at Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, Ill. The dorm was originally an administration and classroom building; it was converted in the 1960s to a men’s dormitory. The conversion wasn’t perfect, and the men who lived there gave it a nickname — Timothy Hole. They called themselves Holers. The place was the residence of the Holey Spirit. (Didn’t see that last one coming, did you?)

With that as the background, you should know that my oldest son is named Timothy. He actually followed me to LCC. He lived in Timothy Hole for less than one semester. “Dad, I don’t know what it was like when you lived here, but I don’t think it’s the same,” he said — and off he went to the other men’s dorm on campus.

So when Bruce and I finally tracked each other down a few days ago, he put out his arms and gave me a hug — a hug I gladly returned. When one shares college years of ice-cold floors and showers, assorted experiences with mice, and dealing with three men living in dorm rooms designed for two, souls are knit together forever.

We caught up on each other’s lives and I asked him about his brother Mike, a fellow Holer. And then he got called away to help on a traffic situation. I’m assuming a dinner meeting will be in our future.

There have been others who have greeted me as well. I met a woman who grew up in my home town. I had people come up to me at the fair to welcome to me to the community. I am so blessed.

There will be problems. I don’t expect to be universally loved. I’m sure my kids waver from time to time on whether Dad is worth the effort.

On the other hand, dear reader, I will work hard to earn your respect. As I’ve said before, about 16 paragraphs or so, I’m glad to be here.

Is this a great place, or what?

daves@news-banner.com

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