6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL June 22, 2016
Body Balance
Arms-Core-Legs
Chatterbox
The
Betty’s 20 years of
Sentinel memories
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BY BETTY KAISER
For the Sentinel
M
y, how time fl ies! This month I
am celebrating an unplanned, 20-
year career in the newspaper industry. It
all began in 1996 when I walked through
the front door of the Sentinel and applied
for an offi ce job that they were advertis-
ing. I knew absolutely nothing about of-
fi ce work…but how hard could it be? Talk
about chutzpah!
Nevertheless, Publisher Jody Rolnick
decided to take a chance on this older
newbie. On June 9, 1996 I entered a new
world. My colleagues, Retta and Rosie,
and I were busy. We answered phones,
fi elded questions and complaints and
forwarded calls to the appropriate ad or
newsperson. All classifi ed ads and bills
were written by hand, as were subscrip-
tion receipts. Those went into notebook
fi les. I loved the offi ce buzz and meeting
new people.
My job description was: Accounts Pay-
able. I remember thinking, “How hard
could this be?” I managed our checkbook
at home, and it always balanced. Enter a
new animal—the computer. Gulp. Let’s
just say that I was a slow learner, and
there’s a special place in heaven for those
who were my instructors. But I did learn
and that experience began my love affair
with computers today.
So how did I morph from the front of-
fi ce to the newsroom?
Well, I’ve always loved writing. I grew
up in the era of Emily Post and would
write a thank-you note as soon as a gift
was opened. In school, essay tests were
a breeze. Put me on a committee and I
would end up secretary or writing a “how-
to-do-the-job” manual. In college I had
taken some journalism classes and writ-
ten for the campus paper, but that was the
extent of my formal experience.
Jody and I would occasionally talk
about the need for a column on people,
parties, places to go, things to do, cele-
brations, recipes, etc. — sort of a hybrid
commentary, old-fashioned local gossip
column. News staff was not available for
that sort of thing, so I volunteered.
The Chatterbox debuted on April 7,
1999. In that column I requested the pub-
lic’s input. I was counting on them to be
my eyes and ears in the extended Cottage
Grove community. I started sharing my
life experiences and readers responded
with stories of their own. Thus the adven-
ture began.
Originally, ABC/Disney owned the Sen-
tinel. Later it was sold to Lee Enterprises.
Then, Editor Finn John came aboard. He
was young, enthusiastic, energetic and full
of ideas! One of his visions for the news-
paper was to include an old-fashioned
society page level of hometown news. I
was already writing the Chatterbox, so he
brought me from the front offi ce into the
newsroom.
Suddenly my job morphed from one to
three columns a week—The Chatterbox,
Cook’s Corner and Neighborhood News.
We often had a full page of military news,
graduation lists, anniversaries and wed-
dings. Eventually I added the monthly
Faith Page and started covering news sto-
ries as well. It was one of the best times
of my life.
I loved telling our town’s stories. Inter-
esting things happen in our corner of the
world. Some good. Some bad. Some ugly.
Lee Enterprises published my columns on
the Internet, and I started hearing from
people around the world. Wow. That was
fun.
One of the most memorable stories I
covered was Uno, a German Shepherd and
his handler, Pat Gartman. A certifi ed crisis
response dog, he and Pat, with Bill as sup-
port, fl ew to Ground Zero after the 9/11
tragedy. The core temperature at the attack
site was 1,800 degrees. The workers were
numb, tired, dirty, grieving, expressionless
and overwhelmed with the enormous task.
Pat said, “Uno would pick the one who
needed the most comfort. He’d put his
head in the worker’s lap and inevita-
bly, the worker would start petting him,
talking to him, holding him. Uno’s back
would be wet with tears,“ I cry every time
I remember that story.
I prefer to write good news, but re-
porting an ugly situation won me a First
Place Social Issues award in 2004 from
the Society of Professional Journalists.
My three-part series on homeless teens
was titled, “Under the Bridge,” and it
opened the public’s eyes to the needs of
these hurting, invisible teens and those in
organizations like Parent Partnership who
work on their behalf.
I briefl y retired in 2006 during a time of
turmoil when my husband had a very seri-
ous back surgery. At that time, my friend
and editor Jonni Gratton summed up my
eclectic style and newsroom career:
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Grove Medical Equipment
“B UILDING A H EALTHY C OMMUNITY ”
Sentinel fi le photo
Betty Kaiser began her career with
the Sentinel in the accounts pay-
able department in 1996, though
she found her niche as a colum-
nist and storyteller, documenting
the lives and times of the unique
characters of Cottage Grove.
“Betty Kaiser was a big city California
girl who moved to the country in 1989
and settled into the groove of the Grove.
“She put her heart and soul into every-
thing that she wrote — good, bad, funny
or bitter-sweet. She wrote from the heart
about every segment of local life and her
own experiences — from bats in the bed-
room, a Saginaw slum, homeless teens,
falling off ladders, women in the military,
the tragic death of children and bad hair
days.
A born-and-bred Grover once told her
“that she wrote like one of us.”
“Readers enjoyed bantering with Betty
— correcting her Spanish, disagreeing
with her politics and banning her from
their hair salons.
Mostly, they just opened their hearts
and told her their stories.”
For all of the above reasons and more, I
wasn’t very good at retirement. I returned
to work in 2007 on a part-time basis writ-
ing one column a week. That has since
been reduced to every other week, which
is just about my speed for this stage of
life.
As my 20-year career winds down to
a crawl, I am so grateful to those who
helped me along this path and the read-
ers who supported me. I was a stranger
and you took me into your hearts, sharing
your stories and lives. It has been a won-
derful relationship. Lord willing, I plan to
continue doing this as long as I am able
and making sense.
So, Cottage Grove, thanks for the mem-
ories and keep them coming!
Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about peo-
ple, places, family, and other matters of
the heart. Contact her at 942-1317 or via
e-mail — bchatty@bettykaiser.com
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20 Palmer Ave. n Cottage Grove n (541) 942-0510
PICNIC: July 4, 2016 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
at the VFW (3160 Hillside Drive-CG) Prepared by
Big S
t
FOOD FOR SALE: CHICKEN,
Barb uff
eque
Hot Dogs, Chips & Salads soft drinks,
coffee & tea
(No Alcohol, drugs or fi reworks allowed)
MUSIC: The Country Classic Band,
“Anderson Family & Friends”
12:30pm – 4:30 pm
DEDICATION PROGRAM: 2:00 pm
All proceeds go to our
Veterans Supporting Veterans Program
southlanewheels.org
Delight Valley Church of Christ
33087 Saginaw Road E.
Exit 176 off of I-5
Date: Saturday June 25, 2016
Vendor set up: 8am – 9am
Sales from: 9am – 3pm
RAFFLE
541-942-7099
541-942-0456
GIANT
YARD SALE
VFW 4 TH OF JULY PICNIC
& RAFFLE
Over $2000. Worth of Donations To Give Away!
Provided by the Merchants of Cottage Grove
• Chest freezer with beef included donated by Brad’s Cottage Grove
• Dinners • Car Services • Massages • Gift Certifi cates • Golf
• Health Club Workouts and much more. All this can be yours for just
$2.00 per raffl e ticket 3 for $5.00 or 7 for $10.00 you do not have to
be present to win the winner will be notifi ed by phone or mail
Your Regional Public Transportation Service
No elgibility requirements.
350 Washington, Cottage Grove (behind Better Bodies)
541.942.7934
LOW COST
Local & Metro Weekday Trips
Professional Caring Staff
Bring your stuff, sell it, and make a buck!
No Charge to vendors, bring a table or two!
p
th Grou
Our You lling
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will be s Pop
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Hot Dog raiser
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For a F
Please remember we are a Church, so bringing old
Playboy magazines would be un-cool…Thanks
Phone: 541-942-7711 or 541-517-8493