Extra, extra: 5/8/08
Here are some stories to expect in The Jamestown Sun's Thursday issue.
Local: Stutsman County is officially classified as being in a drought, but it's not as bad as it could be. Also, local education officials defend a reading program that is in place nationwide and we've got coverage of today's Park board meeting.
Nation: Negotiators say they have reached an agreement in getting the farm bill passed.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 07, 2008 at 7:51 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Dreams and nightmares
I promised you a fish story, and by golly, here you go.
I went fishing out on Jamestown Reservoir Monday afternoon for a bit of fishing. I parked my car on the east end of the dam and followed a trail down the very southeast corner of the lake.
There was no wind when I started out, the water was like glass and everything was utterly silent. I started with a jig at first and went half an hour without any response from the deep. Then I tried a little crankbait that has similar colors to one I'd had as a kid -- one that caught walleye the way a 50" television catches middle-age men.
The wind had started coming out of the north by this time though, and the light little crankbait just wouldn't make it out past the shadows, so I switched to a chartreuse spoon because, well, chartreuse just works. Twenty minutes later I caught the longest fish I've ever touched in my life, and I got it fair and square.
I've tried to write about what it's like it have a fish on the line, but there are no words that fully describe what it is like, at least in the English language. Instead, I simply recommend you try it for yourself. Believe me, it's worth the wait and effort.
I lugged the beautiful northern pike out of the water, and he remained defiant long after he was in my net and several yards from the waterline. I kept trying to get to the hook, but he would spin himself up in my net until he was wrapped up into several layers of netting so I couldn't get to him. Finally, after several wrap-ups, he calmed down long enough for me to reach into his toothy maw (thank heaven I had a hook disgorger with me) and pull out the treble hook from the right-fin side of his jaw. I made sure to take his picture, but i didn't have a tape measure or a scale with me to properly document his size. Instead, I laid him down in about 2 inches of water and held my net's handle up to him so I could mark his length before giving him a gentle nudge back toward the deep.
That fish was a dream come true for me, but soon after an old nightmare of mine came true. You see, there are few feelings in the world quite like the one that fills you when you realize the little dangly blob that floated down from the tip of you hat's bill is a spider, and that the little bugger is looking at you.
Here's a nature lesson for you. Some baby spiders, not long after they hatch, sprout little lengths of webbing into the wind that they use to fly off to a new place. I had been fishing downwind of a bunch of baby spiders, and they used me as a landing pad. I took off my hat; there were five crawling around the top.
Then I looked at my right shoulder, and there was a much bigger spider that had crawled up my leg and shirt to find itself a perch. He looked up at me with eyes that seemed to say "I claim this land for Spain!" This explorer, and the several other spiders I found on my person in the next few minutes, were promptly smashed.
I should at that I am fidgeting and shaking nervously as I type this because just the thought of all those spiders using me as a couch just creeps the everliving hell out of me.
Eventually the arachnid assault became too much to keep me by the lake, so I went home. I measured the length that I'd marked on my net. That pike had been 32 inches long, which according to N.D. Game & Fish puts it at about 7 or 8 pounds.
I'm certainly more than willing to bet that my next one will be even bigger, but I sure hope nature holds off with the spiders.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 07, 2008 at 4:47 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Catch that dog
Jamestown police are being called about a loose dog going about somewhere in town. What really interested me is that this dog has a leather collar with diamond studs in it, if what they're saying on the scanner is true. I mean, who the heck gives diamonds to a dog?
I missed it when they said what breed it was or what location. If I do find out, I'll have a cheap solution for anyone needing an engagement ring.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 07, 2008 at 3:30 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Extra, extra: 5/7/08
I've got a moment now to do a preview post, so here are some things to expect in The Jamestown Sun on Wednesday:
Local: Coverage of the Stutsman County Commission's meeting, news about the National Buffalo Museum, and some area airports get some money.
State/Region: Former N.D. Gov. George Sinner celebrates his 80th birthday in Bismarck.
Nation: It looks like ethanol might not have been such a bright idea after all.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 06, 2008 at 7:20 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Fire call
Firefighters are responding to a grass fire out by the runway on the east side of Jamestown Regional Airport. Our reporters are headed to the scene.
Scanner chatter indicates that the fire is small and mostly just smoldering. Some firefighters are being told to hold back because they don't want to have too many people on scene.
Now that I think about it, this is about the time of day when the afternoon flight comes in from Brainerd, Minn. I'd hate to be in that plane. Imagine it: "This is your captain speaking. We cannot land the plane at this moment because the airport is on fire."
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 06, 2008 at 3:11 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink
A tease
Like I've posted before, I'm very busy and will continue to be busy for the next two weeks.
However, I do have a bit of a teaser for you of things to come:
This is a 32 inch northern pike I caught yesterday at Jamestown Reservoir. It weighed about 7 or 8 pounds. I'll have the story of how I caught this fish, and how moments later I was covered in spiders, the next chance I get to make a bigger post. Until then, admire my fish.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 06, 2008 at 12:48 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink
Plans
Things are going to be kind of crazy for the next two weeks, which means this blog is going to be updated a little more sparsely. Here's what's happening:
1. Playing with video. My new camcorder is a whole new challenge to learn, and I'm doing my best. I hope to be delivering some interesting stuff a few weeks from now.
2. On Thursday, I'm leaving for Dickinson, N.D., to attend the 2008 North Dakota Newspaper Association Convention. I'll be gone until Sunday. I doubt I'll be able to make posts while in Dickinson, but I imagine I'll have some very interesting video once I get back.
3. On Wednesday, May 14, I'm hopping a plane out of Jamestown to go back to Kansas for a little spring vacation. My little brother is getting promoted from grade school to high school, and several of my friends are graduating high school and college. Naturally, I need to visit. You can also expect some interesting videos and photos from that.
OK, time to get back to fishing.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 05, 2008 at 7:32 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Hanging around
To those of you who have been wondering why I haven't been posting lately, it's because I've been screwing around with my new camcorder and trying to produce something that isn't total crap. So far, it's just been crap, so you'll have to wait a while for hot, new videos.
In other news, I seem to have mastered the art of catching ridiculously large carp. As for pike, well, that's another story.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 04, 2008 at 10:24 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Extra, extra: 5/3/08
Here is a list of things to look for in your Saturday newspaper:
Local: The first direct flight from Jamestown to Minneapolis in a long time took off this morning. Also, the Brothers of the Brush and the Sisters of the Swish are preparing for the 125th Celebration.
State/Region: The Public Service Commission met for a public hearing in Valley City today to consider a wind farm that would be built near Lake Ashtabula.
Nation: The farm bill is a little bit closer to being signed into law.
Opinion: We've got four Bravos and three Buffalo chips (assuming I counted right).
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 02, 2008 at 7:57 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Worth repeating
"Was it fabulous?"
"Fantastic."
-two members of Jamestown's law enforcement agencies talking about, well, something.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 02, 2008 at 7:36 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
My column | Businesses in this area need to work on customer service
Originally printed in The Jamestown Sun on Thursday, May 1, 2008.
The conventional wisdom these days is that big, shareholder-owned companies tend to offer lousy customer service because their bulk makes them too big to see the individual customers.
My experience with the airline industry certainly backs that up.
The Consumerist, a blog with the tagline "Shoppers bite back," also supports that belief with story after story about big corporations that try to cheat customers. Reading through its stories can easily make you want to seek out the nearest mom-and-pop operation, but I have bad news:
Even the little guys have trouble understanding how important it is to treat their customers well, and that's dangerous because -- as any small-business owner should already know -- one of the few ways they can survive among the big guys and ultra-low prices is with superior service.
Case in point: I went to a certain locally owned dealer of new and used automobiles last fall looking to trade in my old car for something different. I asked one of the salesmen about a certain truck that I'd heard about that was made by the dealer's brand.
That salesman effectively told me he wasn't interested in selling me the truck I wanted. In fact, I've been told to go to hell with a more friendly tone of voice than the one he used.
I didn't get angry or demand to see his manager. I just walked off the lot and never went back.
This was not the first time I got crappy service from a local place in this city, and it wasn't even close to the last. Area bosses, pay attention: Whip your companies into shape fast, or your local flair will be replaced by big boxes and corporate uniformity.
It gets worse, though. As you should already know, there are thousands of jobs in this state without people to fill them. With "Help Wanted" signs posted in windows all over North Dakota, a threat of unemployment doesn't carry the usual oomph. I know the thought is enough to make some bosses cry, but it looks like a lot of you top dogs are going to have to consider positive reinforcement and pay raises if you want more friendly and productive workers.
But customer service doesn't stop with smiling faces. A little creativity goes a long way, too.
Customers primarily want products and services but, though they rarely will say it, they also want experiences and surprises. We want a pleasant place to shop or dine, to feel something unexpected and real.
Getting a friendly server at a restaurant is good. Getting a friendly server who knows the menu inside and out at a restaurant with good music, comfortable seats and an interesting menu, now thats a great experience.
The same goes for car dealerships. It's good to get the car you want, but it's great to get a salesperson who gives a damn about all the money you're spending and wants to make sure you make the right choice.
Those great experiences do more than create happy, likely-to-return customers. It should go without saying, but it seems many area bosses need to be reminded of the incredible power customers have when they tell their friends and family about how so-and-so down the street treated them.
Even more importantly, remember that one angry customer can have far more effect on a business's bottom line than a dozen content ones. Just ask yourself: Are you more likely to warn a friend about a business that mistreated you or tell a friend about a place that did OK?
And bosses, if that didn't scare you enough, maybe this will: I didn't list any names in this column, but you can bet I told quite a few of my friends and coworkers after that run-in with the car salesman. That's the same reaction most any other mistreated customer will have.
Think about it. Customers are already giving you money to support your livelihood. At least be sure you're treating them like people.
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 02, 2008 at 5:01 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
A video rant
I got a new video recorder in today, so I naturally had to put it to use. Here is my first video rant of 2008:
Posted by: Logan C. Adams on May 02, 2008 at 1:03 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
