Today, I’m turning over the reigns of my usual Sunday ramblings to our talented team of ThurstonTalk writers. As is customary at this time of year, many groups look back on 2012 to recount successes over the past twelve months. It would have been easy to pull up our stats page, look at the most popular articles, and crank out a five or ten point list. Instead, I relinquish control to our outstanding team of writers, asking each of them to share their favorite article written in 2012.
In their own words, here are the favorite articles written by ThurstonTalk writers, who all live, work and play in Thurston County.
Natasha Ashenhurst
This has been a year of transition. I’ve gone from spending the majority of my time caring for my family and home, volunteering and working on small freelance projects to spending a lot of my time away from home working on larger projects, from freelance writing to marketing work. I was hesitant to jump back into a busy career, and not really sure what my work should be.
This changed when I started interviewing business owners and individuals in the community for ThurstonTalk. Interviewing the group featured in For Love and Money was particularly inspiring, and when Amy Evans made the astute observation that your work should be something that you love doing Minute by Minute, Hour by Hour, and Day by Day it really struck home with me. I’ve carved out a life that I love minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day.
It is a life lived in the details and all those details add up to something good. My work is not an all consuming passion that the inspiring dancers at the Johansen Olympia Dance center displayed when I talked to them for this article, but it is good and something to be proud of. Thank you to all the people I’ve had a chance to interview over the past few months!
Alec Clayton
By far my favorite article was the Faces of Capital City Pride story about the three gay and lesbian couples awaiting an opportunity to get married. I interviewed the six of them along with three of their children in one interview session sitting around a picnic table on one of the couple’s patio overlooking Long Lake. They were so heartfelt, sincere and kind that it was a pleasure talking to them and writing about them.
Jennifer Crain
On a sunny day in early October I visited HJ Farms, 107 acres of bok choy, daikon radishes and other Asian vegetables that B.J. Jin and Kum Lee grow and ship from the Rochester farm to points all along the West coast. As a food writer (celebrity chef visit notwithstanding), this was my favorite assignment. I loved touring the farm with Kum Lee and hearing the story of how they transformed the land from a rocky-earthed dairy farm to a powerhouse of vegetable production in only 14 months.
Doris Faltys
Meeting with sculptor Ross Matteson for the article, “Local Artist with Strong Wings,” I was surprised by the level of dedication, energy, and self that Ross gives to his work. As he put it, “I think that a finished bronze sculpture has a responsibility to enlighten future viewers for as long as the bronze lasts – which may be a very long time!” I came away from that meeting inspired and awed – a great feeling!
Stacy Fisher
My favorite article this year was the story I wrote on Tyler Brown, our local hockey player. When I interviewed Tyler Brown and his father, you could really sense the love and the devotion the family had towards Tyler’s ambition of becoming a great player. Tyler, being only 15, was as composed as they come. I do not follow hockey teams generally, but I find myself looking this kid up. His ambition was contagious and his family’s devotion was a wonderful tribute to his talent. I’m a fan – Go Tyler!
Katie Hurley
My favorite article to write was Bayview Bulk Foods, because it changed the way I shop. I realized how much I can save even buying small quantities in bulk, and now I reuse more of my jars and spice containers by refilling them.
Anne Larsen
My favorite article of the year was WAY back in January – Karen Steen. It was so great to sit down with my friend and running partner and have her share her amazing experiences with me. She’s always encouraging her running partners and never boasts about her incredible experiences, so that was special for me. Plus I got to reveal how many workouts she can squeeze in without a shower. It was a special treat to share Karen with the rest of Thurston County!
Jake Luplow
Out of all of the articles I have done, the Russell Day article was my all time favorite. When you sit down to interview a 99-year-old man and you listen to his story and when you contact all of the people who he has impacted, people who revere him like an oracle, something happens at the core of your heart. Something that transcends all logic, leaving you with one beautiful truth: life is not empty.
Leslie Merchant
It’s hard to pick a favorite since I enjoy reading what others compile. I would have to pick the article about Griffin School students transitioning to Capital High School. It was my first article and closest to my heart.
Laurie O’Brien
Last spring, I was asked to write an article on the Thurston County K-9 Unit. I lucked out because I already knew Rod Ditrich. Getting to watch him train with his canine partner, Rex, was a really special experience. I gained a new found respect for the work that these dedicated TCSO Deputies, both human and canine, do every day.
Emmett O’Connell
My favorite article so far was the first one I wrote, about the migrating history of Olympia High School from the capitol campus to its current location. First, I was able to do some interesting overlays with maps I was able to get online through the library. Also, it was interesting to see how two families (the Millers and the Stevens) were intertwined in one institution.
Mary Ellen Psaltis
We live in an area blessed with an abundance of food lovers. We have farmers, restaurateurs, Slow Food members, and likely you and your neighbors, who care about the quality of the food we eat. I get to write about these love affairs and share them with you. Thanks for opening your hearts, refrigerators, and mouths; we’ll have even more fun in 2013. All the food articles are my favorites!
Tom Rohrer
While I focus on sports and athletics a majority of the time, my favorite story to write was about Nicholas Holt, the talented percussionist from Tenino High School. Nicholas was deserving of receiving press prior to my article, and yet his rhythm had gone unnoticed to the majority of the Thurston County community. I had the privilege of talking to Nicholas following band class at THS, and I could tell he was nervous to talk to me.
However, he really opened up and it was clear how much the Beaver Band meant to him and vice-versa. Mr.Bowerly, the band director, had nothing but high praise for Nicholas and spoke about how much he meant to the program. It was just nice to have the opportunity to write about someone who deserved to be noticed by the community.
Kate Scriven
The article that resonates most with me from this year would have to be the Fall Leaf Journal article. Speaking with arborist Tom Otto gave me a new appreciation for the complexity of life around us here in the PNW and I learned many new things about the roll of trees in the cycle of nature. It also prompted me to really stop and observe the colors of fall and to involve my children in slowing down our fast paced life to enjoy the beauty that is all around us each day. Our leaf journals will be kept and added to next fall.
Stacee Sledge
I was fortunate to write a series of articles this year leading up to the grand opening of the new Hands On Children’s Museum. It was fascinating to watch the progression of this amazing new facility come to life — and to experience it with my kids, who came along with me and have long loved the museum.
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