' ,. , ,
Pa00e 2
, k :
Several of the visitors who
stopped to chat with me were
proud of their hometown papers.
I was quick to point out, each
time, that the best way to keep
your hometown paper is to thank
the businesses that advertise in
it. It's simple, but it works, and it's
important.
A few of our readers popped in
to say "hi". (You all know who you
are.) Thanks!
Most of all, I gained an appreci-
ation for the good old days of news-
papering. Using the old machines,
I think we'd have to write the news
two weeks ago in order to have
enough time to set the type with hot
lead, and print it out one page at a
time on a hand-fed press. I like the
smell of the ink and lead and oil; but
I'm really happy that my hands stay
clean doing our newspaper on com-
puter. It took several people four
days to put out a single, four-page
newspaper for the Fair.
The Fair runs through Monday
(Labor Day) and there's still time
to visit the museum.
The Minnesota Newspaper Museum is in the corner of Heritage
Square at the State Fair. About 5,000 people a day come through the
museum. Volunteers from around the state staff the museum, open
from 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
I am a quiet person living in a
loud world.
TVs, radios, music players,
ringtones and voices all compete
for attention. Sounds scatter in
the air. I am surrounded by back-
ground noise.
My family pays no heed. They
are not affected by the sound
effects. In fact, they are contribu-
tors to the chaos and confusion.
For instance, sometimes, one
or more of my children set two of
the household TVs to the same
channel. Then they leave, and the
house is empty except for me and
the loud televisions. On the best
days, the show playing is the car-
toon known as Sponge Bob. He
talks incessantly. His voice is high-
pitched and nasal. I find it impos-
sible to ignore. My family does not.
Oh sure, I can get up, walk over
to the TVs and hit the off but-
tons, but my rescue is short-lived.
The young people living with me
return and soon Mr. Square Pants
is back on the small screen, and
the joy of my quiet is no more.
The same thing happens in the
car. Loud music with a hippity
hip hop bippity bop beat does not
enhance my driving skills. It dis-
tracts me. When I listen to music
I do not feel like driving. I feel like
dancing, and we all know dancing
while driving is prohibited in at
least 49 states.
I've come to the conclusion that
most people are comfortable with
sound waves because they can
disregard them. The members of
my family, for instance, have no
trouble concentrating with the TV
on, music piping through head-
phones and a video game playing
on a cell phone.
I am not skilled in this man-
ner. My brain works best when
my thoughts experience no out-
side competition. I've decided this
is caused by a filtering affliction.
I lack the ability to sort through
information, and instead, have
a propensity to give it my full
attention. When confronted with
audio stimulation from multiple
sources, I jump from one to the
other, which results in a discom-
bobulation of my brain function.
In other words, I am unable to hear
myself think.
I may be a rare and dying spe-
cies. Certainly the ability to multi-
task while facing an onslaught of
information, music and noise is a
skill worthy of survival of the fit-
test. I am far from fit. But, I'm will-
ing to bet I'm not alone in my quest
for calm. There must be others,
like me, out there, suffering in out-
of-shape silence.
I've decided to form a club for
those of us who enjoy being alone
with our thoughts. We'll call our-
selves the Silence Seekers. So far
there are three members - me,
myself and I, but I'm accepting
applications starting today. You
can rest assured membership sta-
tus will be kept confidential. It's
on the QT, so to speak (or prefer-
ably not to speak). We don't want
anyone shouting this from the
rooftops. I think you know what
I mean. I'd appreciate it if you'd
keep this information on the hush
hush, but consider yourself (qui-
etly) invited. Text me. I'll have my
ringtone set to silent.
Jill Pertler, award-winning syn-
dicated columnist and author of
"The Do-It-Yourselfer's Guide to
Self-Syndication" is collecting
fans on Facebook on her Slices of
Life page. E-mail her at pertmn@
qwest.net; or visit her website at
http://marketing-by-design.home.
mchsi.com/.
/! t , : ".
Two of the volunteer pressmen are discussing the intricacies of the
1962 linotype in the Newspaper Museum. This and the 1903 model
S:et ath)o t Yr:e fdrtthis year's four-page Fair newspaper. Sta ffphotos by e p00.8:
2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2
!.
It was a beautiful opening
day at the Minnesota State Fair. I
headed down early, and arrived
more than five hours early for my
afternoon shift as "Editor for the
Day" in the Newspaper Museum
in Heritage Square.
It wasn't anything like I
expected, although it was as
rewarding as I'd hoped.
Instead of hiding in the office or
in my car, huddled over my com-
puter getting work done, I got out
and mingled. I met and talked
with several interesting people out
in the Fair before settling into my
corner of the museum to answer
questions.
I don't know how many times I
repeated "Thanks for coming" as
people exited through the doors
at my right. People came to see the
working presses, in the back of the
museum. Some stood to watch the
linotype machines, one from 1903,
the other from 1962, click-clack-
ing lead letters into single lines of
type. Kids loved making their own
printers' caps out of a newspaper.
POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to the Tri-County News, RO.
Box 220, Kimball MN 55353.
The Tri-County News (USPS 639-
180) is entered at the Post Office,
Kimball, Minnesota 55353, as Periodi-
cals. It is published Thursdays by the
Tri-County News, Inc., RO. Box 220,
Kimball MN 55353, Stearns County.
LOCATION: Our office is at 70 Main
Street South in downtown Kimball.
Weekday office hours are Monday
9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesday through Fri-
day 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Our telephone and
fax number is (320) 398-5000. E-marl
can be addressed to <news@tricounty
news.MN>. Our Web site is <www.
tricountynews.htN>. We also have a
drop site at Ertt Hardware Hank in
downtown Watkins.
DEADLINE: 2 p.m. Monday.
RATES: Subscription rates are
$36/year ($26 for age 62 and older)
in Minnesota; $46/year ($36 for se-
niors) elsewhere in the U.S. Single
copy price is one dollar.
STAFF: Jean Doran Matua,
Editor and Publisher
Sue Hughes: Creative Designer
Maxine Doran: Admin. Associate
Marguerite Laabs: Photographer
Marlene A. Young: Ad Sates Rep
Jayme Olson: Intern
The staff of the Tri-County News
recognizes that it has a responsibili-
ty to report the news accurately and
fairly, and that it is accountable to
the public. Please contact our office
if you feet we've fatten short of that
objective.
LEFrERS: The Tri-County News
welcomes fetters promoting the ex-
change of ideas and opinions. To be
considered for publication, fetters
shoutd address a topic of current or
genera[ interest. Private thanks, po-
[itica[ self-promotion, [ibetous fetters,
or fetters denigrating character or
reputation witt not be published. At[
letters must bear the writer's signa-
ture, address and telephone number.
We reserve the right to edit for ctarity
and readabitity.
LEGAL PUBLICATION: The Tr/-
County News is the publication of
record for the city of Kimbatl, Inde-
pendent Schoo[ District #739, Ctear-
water River Watershed District, Stea-
rns County, and the Townships of Fair
Haven, Kingston and Maine Prairie.
RECYCLING: The Tri-County
News is printed with soy inks on re-
cycted paper whenever possibte. We
encourage recycting.
COPYRIGHT: AU content herein is
the property of the Tri-County News
and is protected by U.S. copyright
iaw; content may not be reproduced
without our written prior consent.
We are proud to be a member of:
Minnesota Newspaper Assoc.
Kimbal[ Area Chamber
Kimball Area Historical Society
Stearns County Press Assoc.
2011 MNAAd Contest first-place
winner; 2010 MNA Award for Best
Website; 2010 MNA Award for Best
Self-Promotion Ad; 2010 MNA Award
for Best Color Ad; 2010 MNAAward
for Best News Photo; 2009 MNA
Award for Best Serf-Promotion Ad;
2008 MNA Award for Best Advertise-
ment; 2008 Award for Portrait and
Personality Photography;
2007 MNA Award for Advertising
Excellence; 2007 MNA Award,
Best Information Graphic;
2006 MNA Award, Classified Adver-
tising; 2004 MNA Award, Advertising
Excellence; 2000 MNA Award,
Best Local News Story.
© 2011, Tri-County News
Jill Pettier
.... - "Slices of Life"
A great day at the Fair Quiet, please
opi i Thursday, September 1, 2011
n on Tri-County News* Kimball, MN
TCN Office will be CLOSED
after 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2
and all day Monday, Sept.
DEADLINE for next week is
2 p.m. Friday, Sept.
