You’ve got two choices: put your garbage out or don’t.
These were essentially the last words I told a disgruntled Waste Management customer who called me in July before I left on maternity leave. Waste Management workers had gone on strike that week and by the evening of Friday, July 27 it was still unclear whether workers would collect garbage the following week.
There are some things that happen in the newsroom that we are glad to walk away from. Stinking garbage is one of them.
That Friday, I was 39 weeks pregnant and had contractions all day, but they were so far apart I didn’t think anything of it. So I went home for the weekend and at 2 a.m. Saturday morning, I turned over in my sleep and my water broke.
That was the start of my nine weeks away from the newsroom.
While I enjoyed spending time with my newborn daughter, I missed chasing the news. The garbage strike ended and other things happened in Kirkland: a new SummerFest, the Junior Softball World Series and election coverage.
And then there was the bad news: the death of Lake Washington Institute of Technology President, Dr. David Woodall, a deceased man found at Juanita Bay Park, two home-invasion robberies and a tragic DUI accident.
I found myself reading about these news stories as I held my newborn on my lap, propped up on a Boppy. I discovered that journalism is not just my job – it’s an integral part of my existence.
Needless to say, I am thrilled to be back in the newsroom this week and ready to get out and cover Kirkland news.
I’m back with an energized passion and fresh outlook on community news. It’s that same vigor I came into the newsroom with when I took over the editor seat five years ago. And just like I did at that time, I’m coming to you – our readers – again to ask you how your community paper is doing.
Do you like our coverage of city and breaking news, schools, etc.? Is there more coverage of a particular thing you would like to see? Give me a call or shoot me an email and let me know! Thanks, Kirkland, and again, it’s great to be back.
