Midwest impressions

Coat most anything with batter and deep fry it, salt it, serve it molten-hot with ranch and/or blue cheese dressing and you’ve got an intoxicating foodstuff.
“Hey, you have to try the Foul Balls,” the guy at the Canaries baseball game said. “Deep-fried turkey testicles.”
Hot, they were delicious with the blue cheese. $3 a heaping serving.
“You don’t want to eat them cold,” he said.
No, you don’t.
Impressions, observations of Sioux Falls:
The Carnegie Library still stands here; built in 1902, the city council meets there.
It has a real downtown, with real businesses and a trail that follows the Big Sioux River. Bike trails connect every park in town.
The newsroom is professional, relaxed, modern. Mac-based computers.
Everyone I called for my story called me back – one – all the rest answered my questions by picking up the phone themselves.
Everyone says hi and/or waves.
Reporters took me to lunch. We went to the Washington Pavilion, an old high school turned museum/restaurant/concert hall/IMAX theater/art gallery. One reporter wanted me to see the great hall. The doors were locked. He asked a custodian vacuuming the floor if he could let us in. He couldn’t, but called someone who could.
“My friend here is thinking of moving to Sioux Falls, but I think seeing the great hall will really make up his mind. Can we go in?”
“Oh, sure, yeah,” the woman said in her South Dakota accent.
The hall was simply amazing; designed like an old opera hall, the acoustics are amazing.
I got invited to the home opener for the Canaries. We drank beer, ate dogs. Watched minor league talent. The night cost me $12 (the guys splurged for the testicles).
There are 25 reporters in the newsroom. They’re looking to add more. That right there is refreshing.
We talked about craft and enterprise and use of talent. Editors genuine about reporters writing good stories. Reporters who are listened to – and are given time to work, should the need arise.
“If a story can benefit from another day of reporting, we do it,” the editor said.
Wowza.

Lots to think about.

Comments

J.C. Montgomery said…
Sounds like a reporters heaven.

Now all you have to decide is if it can be yours too.

I hope it works out. I really do. I will continue to think GOOD thoughts.

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