I made the announcement before, but here's his views about the future of the sports section of the WPD Click here
or
As new sports editor, I'm ready
By AARON TURNER Sunday, January 23, 2005 11:50 PM EST
There comes a time when everyone has a decision to make. And mine came recently.
When former sports editor Darren Phillips informed The Plain Dealer of his plans to move on, I was given a choice to make.
I was offered the sports editor's position and graciously accepted, and here's why.
Usually it takes me a long time to mull things over. I go over and over the different pros and cons of situations, but the decision to be included in the mix was instantaneous.
In Saturday's newspaper, it listed my awards and whatnot, but even without the state-recognized awards, it's the people in the community for which I applied.
Having grown up in Wabash County, I know the importance of local athletics. No matter which sport, no matter how bad the record, people still love to go to the games and to read about it the next morning.
That's where I step in.
For two years I was the sports department at a little bi-weekly newspaper in Southern Indiana, a town with roughly one-third the population of Wabash.
It was there that I, a green-horned kid right out of college, realized what all I could do for the community.
At Salem, I did the photos (which thank goodness for Greg because he does a wonderful job), the layout as well as composing all the text that went into the paper.
Here, at The Plain Dealer, we're blessed with The Associated Press. But I'm not going to use that as a crutch.
The way I see it is that everyone has a story to tell, and I'm here to tell it to everyone.
I think I've proven, even while I've only been with The Plain Dealer a couple months, that feature stories are fun for me to write and people enjoy reading them.
I'm also developing a following with my columns, and even though I'll still be doing page layouts and whatnot, I'll still find time to make fun of myself or tell a different type of story from my views up here in "The Cheap Seats."
There are several ideas that I'm mulling over and with your help, the community in Wabash County, the sports section will be one of the best in the state.
When I was at Salem, I realized the importance of local sports, and the local community. Oh, I'll use the AP, but I hope I very rarely put out an all-AP section, unless, like recently, nearly every sporting event has been postponed, like Saturday night.
I want everybody to know that I'm accessible at any time by e-mail at sports@pmgnews.com. Or, since I'm out and about quite a bit, come up to me at a game just to say, "Hey."
There may be a few road bumps along the way, but trust me and be patient. Good things will come.
Well, that's it for now and until next time, I'll see you in The Cheap Seats.
Aaron Turner is sports editor for The Wabash Plain Dealer. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.