The move from winter to spring, at least on the calendar, shows that the first official day of spring is March 20. But with plenty of 70- and 80-degree days under our belts already this month, we have settled in to the new season and even have seen some glimpses of those early summer temperatures.
Aside from the rise seen on the thermometer, it seems as if the intensity level of activities has also been amped up. I guess after doing a little hibernating during the winter, more people are out and about and more things are happening.
The past couple of weeks are a good example of that; everything from Opening Day for youth baseball and softball in all our Escalon, Oakdale and Riverbank communities to special school events, and more to come, such as the Civil War reenactment, Easter activities, the Oakdale Rodeo, etc.
Personally, a few things I got to cover in Escalon included Read Across America to celebrate reading and the birthday of Dr. Seuss; the annual Arts Alive program that showcases the work of student artists in the Escalon Unified School District; and, more recently, the Every 15 Minutes program.
Oakdale had its E15 in mid-February, while Escalon’s was March 12 and 13.
I have been in Escalon to cover every single one of the E15 events, which started back in 2004. They are staged every two years and they require a monumental, coordinated effort, including months of planning and preparation.
Since I do the majority of coverage for Escalon, chances are good I am going to know a lot of the students involved. This year was no different and even though it is an incredibly hard couple of days – from covering the staged fatal DUI crash on the first day and seeing the students clad in black, The Living Dead, standing with the Grim Reaper, to seeing the video and listening to guest speakers about how DUI impacted their life on the second day – it is a program that can truly help make a difference.
This year, for the first time, after covering the crash and getting back to the office to tend to other tasks for the day, I found myself sending texts of support and encouragement to a few parents of students taking part. Their kids were among those in the crash scene itself and, knowing they weren’t going home that night – which is an integral part of giving the program a realistic feel – I just wanted to let them know I was thinking of them.
People often ask what my favorite part of the job is and there are actually two things that come immediately to mind. First, I love the stories we get to do with kids, to see them active, achieving, thriving, whatever their activity. Second is the variety in this job. No day is boring. There are definitely certain things that must get done on specific days but the nature of the business is anything can happen at any time. Flexibility is key.
Friday, March 13, for instance, I spent most of the morning in the emotional second part of the Every 15 Minutes program, then went back to the office to work on getting the ‘Living’ section of the paper ready to go to press on Friday night. Finally, it was a return to Escalon late afternoon to get photos at a varsity baseball game, which the Cougars won in a no-hitter over Sonora. If that’s not variety, I don’t know what is.
Wonder what tomorrow will have in store for me.
Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.
