One of the great joys of working in journalism is that often, it’s not really work at all. Oh, it’s long hours, constant deadlines and tough slogging sometimes to get “the story,” but moreover, it’s fun, invigorating and seldom dull.
When I was in the daily news business, people would often wonder how we dealt with the stress and strain of deadline pressure. My answer: as with anything in life, you adapt, stay positive and learn to go with the flow. Like the old Lego mantra, journalism is “A new toy every day” – encountering new, fascinating people and telling the stories of the individuals and events of our community.
That’s one of the things we strive for at The Lake Report: bringing you stories about your friends, neighbours and the great town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Another thing we strive to do is tell stories you won’t find anywhere else, and I hope as you look through our pages each week in print and online, you see that philosophy reflected.
This week we are pleased to introduce the first of a number of new features, some big, some very tiny, that we hope you will enjoy and embrace.
We have talked a lot about positivity on this page in recent weeks and now we are introducing what is without a doubt the smallest item in the entire paper. NOTL resident Patty Garriock is probably the most positive person I’ve ever met. Whenever something negative happens, she seems to be able to find the silver lining. About three months ago, she suggested we should publish a regular “positive” message to in a small way balance some of the negativity of everyday life.
So, if you look in the bottom left corner of this page, you will find the first instalment of Positive Power +. It is a simple compendium of affirmative thoughts that Patty and her able assistant Bill Garriock have come up with.
Another new item is a weekly environmental tip, courtesy Norm Arsenault, who also happens to be a member of town council. It is right above Positive Power +.
My old Toronto Star colleague Jack Lakey established the hugely popular Fixer column about 15 years ago (inspired by a similar project by a U.S. paper).
Well, that has inspired us to launch Fix It, the NOTL version. As I wrote in the tagline for the first column: Is something broken or in need of attention in your neighbourhood? Tell us about it. But you must include your full name and contact information. No anonymous complaints will be entertained. Email FixIt@niagaranow.com.
No promises of success, but we will consider every submission.
And finally, there’s The Great NOTL Summer Walkabout, which kicks off, suitably, with the annual Laura Secord Walk. This summer-long series will bring you stories of interesting people, places and things our reporters encounter in our community. Some will be familiar, some offbeat, occasionally even a bit odd. We hope you will enjoy them.
