Kids behind the camera
Check out the video that goes with this as well. You can find it on the main CDA Press Web site.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Article on a different subject
This story was pretty interesting and I learned quite a bit from it. There might be follow-up stories later this summer on Chinese tourism.
U.S. doors open to millions of Chinese tourists
U.S. doors open to millions of Chinese tourists
Monday, July 28, 2008
Slowing down
The city editor has been on vacation for the past week so assignments have slowed down. Here's my latest feature:
ATVs, trucks part of back country law
ATVs, trucks part of back country law
Saturday, July 19, 2008
My favorite so far
Team of Twelve
This has been my favorite story to write so far. Unfortunately they are getting a lot of flak on the comments for not adopting within the U.S. first. I regret leaving out the part where the mother told me they tried to adopt two children from the U.S. then lost them four months later. She said she couldn't emotionally handle going through that again, so they decided not to adopt from the U.S. again. The story was getting really long and I felt something had to go, so I cut that part out. Now I wish I hadn't. I don't think it's right for them to get comments like that when they're doing such an amazing thing, and I feel bad that it came from my story.
This has been my favorite story to write so far. Unfortunately they are getting a lot of flak on the comments for not adopting within the U.S. first. I regret leaving out the part where the mother told me they tried to adopt two children from the U.S. then lost them four months later. She said she couldn't emotionally handle going through that again, so they decided not to adopt from the U.S. again. The story was getting really long and I felt something had to go, so I cut that part out. Now I wish I hadn't. I don't think it's right for them to get comments like that when they're doing such an amazing thing, and I feel bad that it came from my story.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
"Hot Flashes from Heaven"
As printed in the Coeur d'Alene Press 7/16/08
By AMANDA WINTERS
Staff writer
WORLEY — Like all women do when they hit mid-life, Ronna Snyder went through “the change.” But unlike most, she kicked it off with a bottle of purple nail polish and a Harley-Davidson to match. She didn’t want to be June Cleaver anymore.
The Worley resident said she was feeling “old, frumpy and dumpy” when a voice in her soul told her to buy a bottle of purple nail polish at Wal-Mart several years ago.
“So I picked it up and was really embarrassed at the cash register - women my age don’t wear purple nail polish,” she said. “When I put it on I realized my mom would never wear this polish and a lot of my friends would never wear this polish. Then I thought, ‘I’m buying a purple bike.’”
The nail polish, bike and voice in her soul were the inspiration for her new book, “Hot Flashes From Heaven.” Snyder said the book is about what the brain goes through during menopause.
“ I just took notes of what I thought was an estrogen-deprived epiphany,” she said. “They would come like a hot flash from heaven.”
Snyder described her book as “inspiration for the hormonally challenged” and said it addresses the questions that arise in a woman’s mind during mid-life.
“Am I a mother anymore? Am I of value in the workplace? Who the heck is this man that I’m married to and do I even want to continue?” she said. “If women stop, slow down a little bit and listen, they’ll hear answers to those mid-life questions.”
One of those answers came that night at Wal-Mart, telling her to buy a purple Harley. Snyder said she had ridden on the back of her husband’s Harley for years and eventually he convinced her to buy a bike of her own.
“I was scared to death,” she said. “For a year I put 7,000 miles on it and hated every minute of it. But I decided to give it one more try and I bought a brand new bike all on my own.”
Snyder said the decision to buy a new bike was earth-shattering. She hadn’t made financial decisions like that in her marriage before. Her husband advised her to buy a black one, since it’d be easy to resell and he didn’t have a lot of faith she would want to keep it. But she did.
“There was something about that bike and the fact that I made that decision to buy the bike,” she said. “Mentally it connected. It wasn’t any easier to ride, but mentally I realized a lot of the stuff that goes on in my life is affected by my brain and if I can wrap my head around this maybe I can get a grip on this thing that I’m so scared about.”
After the voice in her soul told her to, Snyder traded the black bike in for a purple one and said everything exploded from there.
“I think (my children) were slightly horrified when I started wearing purple leather,” she said. “I had these Kiss rock star boots, purple python leather pants and purple boas. I was positively menopause gone mad for several years. I’ve kind of toned things down, but during those years they were a bit in shock.”
Niki Anderson, a fellow writer and friend of Snyder’s, said she encouraged Snyder to write the book and loves the finished product.
“It’s real,” Anderson said. “She doesn’t hide her faults or failures and she has so much good, wise advice to give.”
Snyder said putting her innermost thoughts and personal experiences on paper was a little creepy.
“But that’s also part of the change,” she said. “You’re tired of pretending and you know everyone else is likely pretending too, so some of us get a little ornery about pretending. We’ve lived long enough to know that life kinda sucks sometimes, so why candy coat it and pretend that it doesn’t when it kinda does? And it really, really does at mid-life for some women - so let’s talk about it.”
Each of the 20 chapters in her book has a side bar at the end with helpful tips for women on everything from battling depression to planning retirement. Snyder said her upfront approach in the book is to help women be proactive about their lives and encourage them to do something different and not be afraid.
Anderson, who lives in Spokane, said Snyder’s approach to menopause is optimistic and relatable for all women.
“She takes the age-old theme and changes it into the beginning of a new adventure,” she said.
Snyder said her own adventure consisted largely of redefining herself and realizing that there were things she couldn’t control. She realized her children were individuals and would disappoint her. She realized she would disappoint them as well. She let go of the fantasies she had created in her head about being a wife and mother, and searched for dreams instead.
Snyder encourages all women facing the challenges of mid-life to see a counselor and to quiet their lives.
“If you’re so busy you can’t even ask the questions that are unsettling your soul you certainly can’t hear the answers,” she said.
Snyder said she set aside this next year to travel and give speaking engagements on her book. For more information go to: www.ronnasnyder.com
By AMANDA WINTERS
Staff writer
WORLEY — Like all women do when they hit mid-life, Ronna Snyder went through “the change.” But unlike most, she kicked it off with a bottle of purple nail polish and a Harley-Davidson to match. She didn’t want to be June Cleaver anymore.
The Worley resident said she was feeling “old, frumpy and dumpy” when a voice in her soul told her to buy a bottle of purple nail polish at Wal-Mart several years ago.
“So I picked it up and was really embarrassed at the cash register - women my age don’t wear purple nail polish,” she said. “When I put it on I realized my mom would never wear this polish and a lot of my friends would never wear this polish. Then I thought, ‘I’m buying a purple bike.’”
The nail polish, bike and voice in her soul were the inspiration for her new book, “Hot Flashes From Heaven.” Snyder said the book is about what the brain goes through during menopause.
“ I just took notes of what I thought was an estrogen-deprived epiphany,” she said. “They would come like a hot flash from heaven.”
Snyder described her book as “inspiration for the hormonally challenged” and said it addresses the questions that arise in a woman’s mind during mid-life.
“Am I a mother anymore? Am I of value in the workplace? Who the heck is this man that I’m married to and do I even want to continue?” she said. “If women stop, slow down a little bit and listen, they’ll hear answers to those mid-life questions.”
One of those answers came that night at Wal-Mart, telling her to buy a purple Harley. Snyder said she had ridden on the back of her husband’s Harley for years and eventually he convinced her to buy a bike of her own.
“I was scared to death,” she said. “For a year I put 7,000 miles on it and hated every minute of it. But I decided to give it one more try and I bought a brand new bike all on my own.”
Snyder said the decision to buy a new bike was earth-shattering. She hadn’t made financial decisions like that in her marriage before. Her husband advised her to buy a black one, since it’d be easy to resell and he didn’t have a lot of faith she would want to keep it. But she did.
“There was something about that bike and the fact that I made that decision to buy the bike,” she said. “Mentally it connected. It wasn’t any easier to ride, but mentally I realized a lot of the stuff that goes on in my life is affected by my brain and if I can wrap my head around this maybe I can get a grip on this thing that I’m so scared about.”
After the voice in her soul told her to, Snyder traded the black bike in for a purple one and said everything exploded from there.
“I think (my children) were slightly horrified when I started wearing purple leather,” she said. “I had these Kiss rock star boots, purple python leather pants and purple boas. I was positively menopause gone mad for several years. I’ve kind of toned things down, but during those years they were a bit in shock.”
Niki Anderson, a fellow writer and friend of Snyder’s, said she encouraged Snyder to write the book and loves the finished product.
“It’s real,” Anderson said. “She doesn’t hide her faults or failures and she has so much good, wise advice to give.”
Snyder said putting her innermost thoughts and personal experiences on paper was a little creepy.
“But that’s also part of the change,” she said. “You’re tired of pretending and you know everyone else is likely pretending too, so some of us get a little ornery about pretending. We’ve lived long enough to know that life kinda sucks sometimes, so why candy coat it and pretend that it doesn’t when it kinda does? And it really, really does at mid-life for some women - so let’s talk about it.”
Each of the 20 chapters in her book has a side bar at the end with helpful tips for women on everything from battling depression to planning retirement. Snyder said her upfront approach in the book is to help women be proactive about their lives and encourage them to do something different and not be afraid.
Anderson, who lives in Spokane, said Snyder’s approach to menopause is optimistic and relatable for all women.
“She takes the age-old theme and changes it into the beginning of a new adventure,” she said.
Snyder said her own adventure consisted largely of redefining herself and realizing that there were things she couldn’t control. She realized her children were individuals and would disappoint her. She realized she would disappoint them as well. She let go of the fantasies she had created in her head about being a wife and mother, and searched for dreams instead.
Snyder encourages all women facing the challenges of mid-life to see a counselor and to quiet their lives.
“If you’re so busy you can’t even ask the questions that are unsettling your soul you certainly can’t hear the answers,” she said.
Snyder said she set aside this next year to travel and give speaking engagements on her book. For more information go to: www.ronnasnyder.com
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Perfect Game
As printed in the Coeur d’Alene Press 7/5/08
By AMANDA WINTERS
Staff Writer
“Davenport is perfect,” read the headline in a Georgia paper where Tom Davenport bowled his first perfect 300 game a decade ago. Since then, the Coeur d’Alene man has bowled two more 300’s, and in December set a new city record of 838 for a three game series with the Sundowners mixed league at the Sunset Bowling Center.
“After I threw the last ball in the third game, Dave Barnes comes up, shakes my hand and says ‘I think you just set a new city record.’” Davenport said.
The scores Davenport posted in the three games were 269, 300 and 269. Davenport said he didn’t know if he’d ever bowl an 800 game. He considers himself a late-blooming-bowler since he didn’t bowl very often, or seriously, until he was 23 years old. That’s when he moved to Atlanta, Ga., and met fellow Delta Airline employee, Roy Lefevre.
“Everyone always said, ‘Roy is a good bowler,’” Davenport said. “I always thought I was pretty good even though I’d never really seriously (bowled). So one day I challenged him and said I bet I could beat him. I was wrong.”
That day they went to a pro bowling shop and Davenport bought his first bowling ball. Since that moment, bowling has been one of Davenport’s biggest hobbies and passions, which he shares with his wife, Kristina, and their three children: Mikayla, 12, and 7-year-old twins Cody and Jackson.
“When I first met him I was like, ‘Oh my gosh you’re a bowler,’” Kristina said. “Now that I understand how hard it is to get a score like that it’s pretty impressive.”
In 2006, Davenport was on the team that won Idaho’s state bowling tournament. He considers that win the biggest accomplishment of his bowling career, a long shot from throwing the ball down the lane and hoping for the best as he did growing up.
“It’s tough for a group of five guys to all bowl well at the same time,” he said.
The men on that team are part of group of eight or 10 men Davenport said are not only his team mates but also some of his closest friends. He said the men comprising the Frame and Smetana Engineering team as well as the Durk Wholesale Lumber team are the reason he has continued bowling over the past five years since moving to Coeur d’Alene.
“In all the years I’ve been bowling, I haven’t been with a group of guys like this,” Davenport said. “We’re friends and teammates but above that there’s a place in my heart for all of them. I’ve learned more from bowling in the last four or five years than ever. I owe it to these guys. They have pushed me to the level I’m at.”
Jack Smetana, president of the Idaho State Bowling Association, is the team captain of the Frame and Smetana team. Smetana said that in its hay day bowling was a team sport. But often people see it as an individual sport.
“Tom is a great team player,” Smetana said. “Not a lot of teams feature good chemistry, but we do.”
Smetana said Davenport brings not only an advanced level of skill, but also an earnest desire to learn and understand the game. There are a number of small adjustments that a bowler must make in order to make the shot and Smetana said he has seen Davenport improve that part of his game tremendously over the past several years they’ve bowled together.
While Davenport has three bowling pin trophies for posting a 300, a plaque for the Most Outstanding Accomplishment for his 838 series, three rings from the United States Bowling Congress for 300 games and one from an 800 game, he still easily admits he sometimes bowls some lousy games.
“Last year I did shoot a 120-something and a couple 130-somethings,” he said. “A 500 series is not good - but it happens. That’s what keeps me coming back to the game every week: You don’t always bowl well and it’s a challenge.”
The most challenging league he’s ever participated in was a Wednesday night merchant league last season, September - June, where they changed the oil pattern on the lane every six weeks.
“If you miss too far to the right, that ball might go into the gutter,” he said. “It humbles me because I’m used to averaging 200, but in that Wednesday night league I averaged 193.”
Davenport said he’s not concerned about wear-and-tear on his shoulders, but has in the past had concerns about his fingers. Up until last August, Davenport was an airplane mechanic and would sometimes slip with a wrench while working around pieces of sharp metal - running the risk of breaking a finger.
“It concerned me sometimes when I would slip off,” he said, flexing his fingers and exhaling with relief. “Then you think, ‘Yeah, I can still bowl.’”
Davenport knows his passion for bowling is something not everyone can understand. People who don’t know very much about the game often find it boring, like his wife did before she learned how much goes into the game.
“It’s a sport,” he said. “I don’t care what anybody says.”
Davenport said his future with bowling lies with the leagues he has stuck with for the past five years, and hopes one day they can make it to the top 100 in the national tournament this February, where approximately 16,000 teams compete. Last year the team made it to the top 300.
“I can’t imagine bowling on a team without any of them, I really can’t,” Davenport said.
The headline from his first 300 game remains in his “bowling drawer.” A reminder, he said, of one of the few times in his life he was perfect.
By AMANDA WINTERS
Staff Writer
“Davenport is perfect,” read the headline in a Georgia paper where Tom Davenport bowled his first perfect 300 game a decade ago. Since then, the Coeur d’Alene man has bowled two more 300’s, and in December set a new city record of 838 for a three game series with the Sundowners mixed league at the Sunset Bowling Center.
“After I threw the last ball in the third game, Dave Barnes comes up, shakes my hand and says ‘I think you just set a new city record.’” Davenport said.
The scores Davenport posted in the three games were 269, 300 and 269. Davenport said he didn’t know if he’d ever bowl an 800 game. He considers himself a late-blooming-bowler since he didn’t bowl very often, or seriously, until he was 23 years old. That’s when he moved to Atlanta, Ga., and met fellow Delta Airline employee, Roy Lefevre.
“Everyone always said, ‘Roy is a good bowler,’” Davenport said. “I always thought I was pretty good even though I’d never really seriously (bowled). So one day I challenged him and said I bet I could beat him. I was wrong.”
That day they went to a pro bowling shop and Davenport bought his first bowling ball. Since that moment, bowling has been one of Davenport’s biggest hobbies and passions, which he shares with his wife, Kristina, and their three children: Mikayla, 12, and 7-year-old twins Cody and Jackson.
“When I first met him I was like, ‘Oh my gosh you’re a bowler,’” Kristina said. “Now that I understand how hard it is to get a score like that it’s pretty impressive.”
In 2006, Davenport was on the team that won Idaho’s state bowling tournament. He considers that win the biggest accomplishment of his bowling career, a long shot from throwing the ball down the lane and hoping for the best as he did growing up.
“It’s tough for a group of five guys to all bowl well at the same time,” he said.
The men on that team are part of group of eight or 10 men Davenport said are not only his team mates but also some of his closest friends. He said the men comprising the Frame and Smetana Engineering team as well as the Durk Wholesale Lumber team are the reason he has continued bowling over the past five years since moving to Coeur d’Alene.
“In all the years I’ve been bowling, I haven’t been with a group of guys like this,” Davenport said. “We’re friends and teammates but above that there’s a place in my heart for all of them. I’ve learned more from bowling in the last four or five years than ever. I owe it to these guys. They have pushed me to the level I’m at.”
Jack Smetana, president of the Idaho State Bowling Association, is the team captain of the Frame and Smetana team. Smetana said that in its hay day bowling was a team sport. But often people see it as an individual sport.
“Tom is a great team player,” Smetana said. “Not a lot of teams feature good chemistry, but we do.”
Smetana said Davenport brings not only an advanced level of skill, but also an earnest desire to learn and understand the game. There are a number of small adjustments that a bowler must make in order to make the shot and Smetana said he has seen Davenport improve that part of his game tremendously over the past several years they’ve bowled together.
While Davenport has three bowling pin trophies for posting a 300, a plaque for the Most Outstanding Accomplishment for his 838 series, three rings from the United States Bowling Congress for 300 games and one from an 800 game, he still easily admits he sometimes bowls some lousy games.
“Last year I did shoot a 120-something and a couple 130-somethings,” he said. “A 500 series is not good - but it happens. That’s what keeps me coming back to the game every week: You don’t always bowl well and it’s a challenge.”
The most challenging league he’s ever participated in was a Wednesday night merchant league last season, September - June, where they changed the oil pattern on the lane every six weeks.
“If you miss too far to the right, that ball might go into the gutter,” he said. “It humbles me because I’m used to averaging 200, but in that Wednesday night league I averaged 193.”
Davenport said he’s not concerned about wear-and-tear on his shoulders, but has in the past had concerns about his fingers. Up until last August, Davenport was an airplane mechanic and would sometimes slip with a wrench while working around pieces of sharp metal - running the risk of breaking a finger.
“It concerned me sometimes when I would slip off,” he said, flexing his fingers and exhaling with relief. “Then you think, ‘Yeah, I can still bowl.’”
Davenport knows his passion for bowling is something not everyone can understand. People who don’t know very much about the game often find it boring, like his wife did before she learned how much goes into the game.
“It’s a sport,” he said. “I don’t care what anybody says.”
Davenport said his future with bowling lies with the leagues he has stuck with for the past five years, and hopes one day they can make it to the top 100 in the national tournament this February, where approximately 16,000 teams compete. Last year the team made it to the top 300.
“I can’t imagine bowling on a team without any of them, I really can’t,” Davenport said.
The headline from his first 300 game remains in his “bowling drawer.” A reminder, he said, of one of the few times in his life he was perfect.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
First City Council meeting
Hearing Addresses Hayden Canyon (front page)
I actually had a pretty strong personal opinion on this issue, so balance was extremely important to me. Let me know if you can see my opinion in the piece, I need to avoid that at all costs.
I actually had a pretty strong personal opinion on this issue, so balance was extremely important to me. Let me know if you can see my opinion in the piece, I need to avoid that at all costs.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
It gets me every time
I just watched the Lara Logan video clip where she defends journalists in Iraq. It's so inspiring to see someone so passionate, and a small blond woman at that. Often when I tell people I'd like to be an overseas correspondent they look at me like I'm crazy or ask me why. People like that make me doubt myself. But when I see women like Lara Logan doing their job in the face of such opposition and not giving up it inspires me to stick with it.
Here are the links of biggest stories I've written so far (almost two weeks) at the Press, copy and paste them in your browser if you'd like to read them:
Locals Celebrate Ruling (front page!)
Here Comes The Sun (front page!)
Wake-up Call (front page!)
I also wrote a story on a local man who organized an effort to send 350 kites to children in Iraq. Unfortunately it's no longer on the Web site. I received a call from a woman who told me how much she appreciated the story and said she called the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Seattle Times trying to get them to run it. While I'm sure that's a long shot, it's encouraging to know people enjoy my stories that much.
I have more stories that will be running this weekend, along with several more next week. I'll update my blog with links and tidbits about what I'm up to a few times a week so check back in whenever you'd like!
Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive and helpful to me! I don't think I could have come this far and still wanted to continue with out all of you.
Here are the links of biggest stories I've written so far (almost two weeks) at the Press, copy and paste them in your browser if you'd like to read them:
Locals Celebrate Ruling (front page!)
Here Comes The Sun (front page!)
Wake-up Call (front page!)
I also wrote a story on a local man who organized an effort to send 350 kites to children in Iraq. Unfortunately it's no longer on the Web site. I received a call from a woman who told me how much she appreciated the story and said she called the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Seattle Times trying to get them to run it. While I'm sure that's a long shot, it's encouraging to know people enjoy my stories that much.
I have more stories that will be running this weekend, along with several more next week. I'll update my blog with links and tidbits about what I'm up to a few times a week so check back in whenever you'd like!
Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive and helpful to me! I don't think I could have come this far and still wanted to continue with out all of you.
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