Today at the ADT

Smoke and fire

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:04:30 GMT

This week has been record-setting for the Tidings website. Our page views skyrocketed on Monday, thanks to the Siskiyou fire, which burned 190 acres in the hills of south Ashland. Like the rest of Ashland, we were worried about the threat to the town, but while others were evacuating, hosing down their homes or trying to find information about what was going on, we were trying to cover the blaze.

The fire broke shortly before our noon deadline, but thanks to reporter Hannah Guzik and freelancers Elon Glucklich and Dennis Dunleavy (and sending the paper to the press a little late), we were able to get a story and photos on the front page of Monday’s paper. Of course, by the time the paper came out in the afternoon some of the information was a little out of date as the fire spread and more evacuations were ordered. Cue: the website.

Hannah did an excellent job of providing updates throughout Monday. As soon as she found out new information, we posted it on the website. (Check out Hannah’s blog post about covering the fire.)

Meanwhile, freelancer Mandy Valencia shot and edited an initial video of the fire, which she followed up with a second video that afternoon. Another video came from Ashlander Marshall Ryan, who was in the Tolman Creek area as the fire grew.

Between freelancers, staffers and contributions from the community, we ended up with four “creatively” named photo galleries: Fire in Ashland, Ashland on fire, Ashland fire forces evacuations, destroys one home and Kayla's Fire Photos. You can also view a Reader Fire Photos gallery on ConnectAshland.

Then there were several follow-up fire stories throughout the week, and a page of letters to the editor thanking the firefighters.

Now the Valley is even smokier than it was when the Siskiyou fire was raging, but the haze is coming from fires to the north.

Considering how small of a staff we have at the Tidings, we think we did a pretty good job of covering the fire, but there’s always room for improvement. We’re interested in hearing your take on the fire and our coverage. Post your comments here, or send letters to the editor to tidingsopinion@dailytidings.com.

No more forums (for now)

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:49:44 GMT

We published a story on the disappearance of the forums last week, but I thought I would repost it here, as we've had a few questions from readers.

A change is coming to the Daily Tidings online forum and story-response system.

Effective Wednesday [Sept. 9], dailytidings.com will suspend the system that allows forum comments on stories and blogs.

Readers may notice a different look in our staff-written blogs by the end of September and will see a new, moderated reader commenting system on the site by the end of October.

Between Wednesday and the date the new systems are in place, readers will not be able to comment on stories or blogs.

Previous forum comments will not be accessible in the interim or once the new system is in place.

Thanks for your patience with this change.

We’ll provide more information about the new system and how it will work soon.

Basically, the company that owns us is switching forum providers, which has resulted in this down period. The new forum system is supposed to be up by the end of October. The new system will let readers comment on stories, but they won't be able to start free-standing discussions (which not that many people seemed to do anyway). The new forums will be moderated.

I know this has frustrated some people. (I miss being able to get a feeling for the community's reaction to a story.) In the meantime, if you want to share your opinions/thoughts/etc. on an issue, send letters to the editor to tidingsopinion@dailytidings.com. You can also join the Tidings' social networking site, ConnectAshland.com, and post blogs and start discussions there.

Thanks for your patience!

Back to school

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:31:55 GMT

This week marked the beginning of school (the bike path on the way to work is much more crowded), and the return of fall sports.

Tidings freelance photographer Larry Stauth has been out capturing photo galleries of some of the games:

Ashland High boys soccer vs. Klamath Falls

Ashland High football vs. Henley

Faces in the Crowd: AHS football vs. Henley

And for SOU football fans, Raiders vs. Mountaineers

In other recent photo galleries, we have Remembering 9-11, a small gallery of photos of the 9-11 remembrance held this morning at the Ashland Fire & Rescue Headquarters.

Tidings correspondent Mandy Valencia spent the start of the month in the Nevada desert, attending the Burning Man festival. Check out the crazy art pieces in her photo gallery.

Mandy also followed up her highly-viewed Mandy on the Street: Public Nudity in Ashland video with Mandy on the Street: Psychics.

So that’s a quick roundup of some of the new media on www.dailytidings.com. And if you’re looking to show some school spirit, we still have some Grizzly T-shirts available. Join ConnectAshland and leave a comment for me, Kira, about why you want a Grizzlies T. (As I post this, ConnectAshland.com is down for maintenance, but it's supposed to be back up soon.)

No paper Monday

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:58:55 GMT

The forecast calls for chilly temperatures and possibly a few showers, but who cares; it’s a three-day weekend!

That goes for the Tidings too. We won’t publish a Daily Tidings on Monday, so don’t panic when your paper doesn’t show up on your driveway or the website doesn’t change. We’ll be back on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, check out the newest Tidings Café performance by self-described “rock ‘n’ roll with country soul” group Sugarwall.

Or join the Tidings Café group on ConnectAshland.com to make suggestions for bands we should feature and stay up to date on performances.

Have a great holiday!

Locals in Iraq: You think Ashland's heat wave was bad

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:01:15 GMT

This week I worked on a story about 50 Rogue Valley residents who are stationed in Iraq with the Oregon Army National Guard.

Mayor John Stromberg is staying in contact with the troops.

That’s how he learned that it was 130 degrees in Tallil, Iraq this week, where the local troops are stationed.

At each City Council meeting, he gives an update on the conditions the soldiers are facing.

Here’s a preview of the news story:

In Iraq, where about 50 Oregon Army National Guard Troops from the Rogue Valley are stationed, temperatures have reached 130 degrees this week.

Mayor John Stromberg has been mindful of this, as he has been mindful of many of the details about the lives of the local soldiers stationed there since late July.

After speaking to the troops at a deployment ceremony in Central Point in May, Stromberg realized he didn’t want to forget the local soldiers as they combed Iraq for roadside bombs and completed other missions as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“I pledged for the whole time they’re over there — and it’s going to be something like 10 months — that we would be mindful of them,” he said.

Check the paper or the Tidings Web site on Saturday for the entire story. We also plan to print excerpts from e-mails sent from army commanders to Stromberg. To read a blog post the mayor wrote about the troops, click here.

—Hannah Guzik

Photos courtesy of Capt. Karl Haeckler and the Oregon Army National Guard.