Opinion

The essence of journalism is
information - good, bad, ugly
of families, students

We live in the Information Age - of that, there is little doubt. But maybe there is too much information in the Information Age. Maybe we read, hear and see too much nowadays.

We had a visit from a member of the Hamby family last week. The lady was very unhappy we had run stories about a personal family tragedy, and she said it was shameful for us to have done so..

We expressed our sorrow at what is, essentially, a double tragedy that no family ever deserves - to have a family member murdered, and have another family member accused of the murder..

But the lady, even though she was upset with us, said she had read the newspaper for 12 years, and acknowledged that we have a job to do. And therein lies the key..

We believe our duty and job description is to report the events - both good and bad - in our community. We write far more feature and personality profile stories, with accompanying photos, than we do negative news or crime stories, such as murders..

However, if a crime is logged or reported, we feel it is our duty to report what happens locally. It is never fun or enjoyable. It is always troubling..

The stories we write are formed by the questions we ask and the answers we are given. We ask a straight question and expect a straight answer. If people lie to us, be it in a feature or hard news story, we have little way of verifying all the information we are given. We rely on trust and honesty in our business every day, just like our readers and city residents do..

There is nothing in it for us - financially, personally or morally - to report absurd rumor, half-truths or outright lies. We simply try to put together as complete, as balanced, as interesting and as fair a newspaper as possible. Each edition. Every edition..

And those editions we publish containing serious crime stories are the hardest papers for us to put together. We understand that with every crime or accident story we run, there are people who are hurting, and who would wish that the clock could be turned back. We hope no one is ever hurt in crashes, and we desperately wish no ever commits a violent crime. But if we learn about a serious crime or accident, we feel obliged to ask questions and get answers..

The Hamby family member said it was evil and wrong for one of our reporters to try to attend a gathering for the late Roscoe Hamby. We apologized, but explained we never disturb people and merely observe proceedings in an effort to learn a little about the deceased. It is often the only way, along with obituary notices, to find out anything about somebody who has died. We also believe it is more appropriate and less intrusive than calling grieving relatives..

We don't like attending funerals and wish we never felt we had to. But we have never been to a funeral to glean anything other than people's sense of what the person was like and why they would be missed..

The last funeral we went to was for Nick Coleman, a young volunteer firefighter who aspired to be a full-time lifesaver..

How do we know he wanted to be a professional firefighter? Because we heard attending firefighters recount such stories at his Woodburn funeral. They were among many emotional, illuminating and touching stories told about Nick. We never took photos at the church - we later gave our photos of a funeral procession of fire trucks to firefighters - and were respectful and unobtrusive in the church. We respected that it was a poignant and sad day for the Coleman family..

The information we got from the funeral enabled us to write a more lucid, detailed account of Nick, a man whose life was cut way too short. But we hope our story had some resonance in the lives of our readers who, like us, never had the chance to meet such an inspirational and dedicated fellow. If we upset the Colemans with what we wrote, we apologize, as we do to the Hambys and all the other unfortunate extended victims of crime and accidents we have ever reported on..

But in the Information Age, perhaps we know too much about tragedy - and too little about its causes. Is it helpful or hurtful to inform people about tragic events? Is it appropriate or necessary to let people know? Should the paper only include optimistic, upbeat stories? Is it important to give a fuller picture of the community? These are questions central to the very essence of journalism..

What do you, the reader, think? Write, fax, e-mail cherald@eaglenewspapers.com, or come in and talk to us - because the Information Age is your age, too, and so is your local newspaper.

Letters to the editor

Pacific Rock employee believes
company is doing the right thing

To the editor:
As an employee of Pacific Rock Products and a lifelong resident of the Canby area, I have been watching and reading about the permitting process for raising the amount of aggregate that can be mined at the Barlow Road facility.

I have been employed by Pacific Rock Products for two-and-a-half years and have enjoyed working for them more than any other company I have worked for. (I'm 56, and have worked for three other companies, so I don't change jobs often.)

I know there is nearly always opposition to new enterprises, but what is irritating to me is the opposition doesn't seem to stick to facts. They always exaggerate and spread false information. For instance, the opposition says Pacific Rock Products is requesting to increase production to 3 million ton per year. That is not true.

The market here will never support such an increase. Pacific Rock simply requested the limit be removed to avoid hearings year after year as sales volumes grow. The planning commission suggested the 3 million ton limit.

Then, they say that added to the 3 million tons per year will be material leaving the proposed asphalt plant. Wrong again. The asphalt plant will be using aggregate from the mining facility, which will be part of the yearly limit.

Commissioner Sowa stated he does not think Pacific Rock has the best interests of the community in mind by placing the asphalt plant on property adjoining the mining site. Since truck traffic seems to be the main issue, what better place for the asphalt plant? Raw materials can be supplied to the asphalt plant without trucks going onto Barlow Road.

I operate the Pacific Rock concrete plant in Canby and have been working in the concrete industry for more than 21 years, so I have some knowledge of what kind of materials it takes to make good concrete.

The rock and sand from Pacific Rock's Barlow facility is good quality material. If a company wants to supply concrete to state of Oregon jobs, the sand and rock have to meet state specifications or you will not be considered as a supplier.

Clackamas County, as well as all other agencies (cities, towns, etc.) that issue building permits, requires concrete foundations. Most cities require concrete sidewalks and concrete or asphalt driveways. All new housing developments are required to have asphalt or, in some cases, concrete streets. In rural Clackamas County any new access installed off of a county road is required to have an asphalt or concrete apron.

Pacific Rock Products has a facility at Barlow that produces quality raw material. The demand for these raw materials is strong because the materials are required. Pacific Rock Products is a class act, and all of their facilities are top notch.

I know I have been a little long winded here, but I just wanted to voice my opinion.
Lorin Yoder Jr.
Canby

Company's mining site
is my livelihood and others

To the editor:
As a longtime resident of Canby and employee of Pacific Rock Products, I wanted to write (on behalf of myself and a dozen or so other local employees) to express my dismay concerning the recent advertisement published by opponents to the Pacific Rock mining application.

The individuals who paid for the ad all live or work in very close proximity to the mine site. I understand that they would be concerned with impacts resulting from the approval of our application.

But, these individuals are using scare tactics to elicit opposition. They suggest that Pacific Rock is asking to increase rock production by tenfold and that the result will be a convoy of trucks running through Canby, Barlow and Aurora.

It couldn't be further from the truth. Pacific Rock is merely asking that the current limit be removed so that we can grow with the rest of Canby.

The market doesn't exist today for Pacific Rock to sell anywhere near the amounts the opposition suggests - I know because I'm the sales representative for this area. And, if you don't believe me, just look at traffic generated by the mine next door, which operates without any limits and has for many years. Why no cataclysmic traffic problems from that site?

Pacific Rock is an excellent, community-minded company. Canby is growing - someone will supply the necessary building materials and those materials will be supplied in trucks. So, we have a choice between allowing Pacific Rock to service our market or allowing other companies to transport their rock in from farther out - companies with no stake in our community. I trust Pacific Rock to supply these building materials while keeping Canby's livability in mind.

I would like to remind those opposing the application that their perceived nuisance (more gravel trucks) is my livelihood and that of my family. I understand that you don't want a mine next door, but your scare tactics aren't fair and they hurt me, my family, and fellow Pacific Rock employees who live in Canby.
Jason Fender
Canby

Highway 99E resident does
not see rock trucks
causing any problems

To the editor:
I am writing this in response to letters and statements I have read in the paper. I want to clarify a few points that people have made about Pacific Rock Products.

First, I live on Highway 99E within 1 mile of the 99E and Barlow intersection. I have not had any more trouble getting on the highway than before. I am also a volunteer fire fighter with Aurora. We are called on all major accidents at 99E and Barlow Road to help the Canby Fire District.

The statement that there is a major accident there every other week is not true. There have been no accidents that I can remember involving dump trucks. In fact, the last major accident involved a small truck of Van Gordon's Auction, and the truck was not at fault.

Also, there will not be 1,000 more trucks leaving there every day. That would be a truck every 30 seconds and would be virtually impossible. People who oppose this need to do their math.

I think the opponents of Pacific Rock need to check what they are saying before the say it. Just throwing statements around that have very little reality to them to help their cause makes these people look ignorant and naive.

I also like the fact that Pacific Rock is offering to lower the price for rock to the city of Aurora for the small amount of damage their trucks do to Aurora's roads.

Is it not better to have the money go directly to the city than having it go through the state and all the hoops that they have?

The city is still going to get the state money from the diesel tax. Dan Yoder
Aurora