Reality Bytes columnist makes her great escape

One of the things I miss most about former Entertainer editor Jake TenPas is discussing his master escape plan for when the zombies attack. Although he normally had a pretty tight grip on reality, bring up the imminent approach of the undead and he was quick to respond with a five-pronged approach that culminated in an epic showdown at the local WinCo. Don’t ask.

The point is, Jake was a man with a plan, and I find that kind of forward thinking admirable. In fact, now that Capt. TenPas has hit the road, I have found myself following in his footsteps, although not quite as literally. I’m staying here in Corvallis, but starting Dec. 8, I will no longer be a part of the Gazette-Times team.

I will still be writing, but my new audience will be the faculty and staff at Oregon State University. Those of you familiar with OSU This Week, which has now transformed into Life @ OSU, will soon be seeing my name on those pages. For me, having covered OSU for years, and with family and friends associated with the university, the transition is a happy and comfortable one.

But that’s not to say it’s easy to leave the Gazette-Times. I have been a journalist for the past 12 years, with more than eight and a half years here at the paper. My ties with the staff, current and former, are strong, and my admiration for the work of the small but dedicated team of reporters, editors, photographers and copy deskers knows no bounds.

As anyone who follows the state of newspapers knows, being a hometown paper has become more and more difficult. The advent of the Internet, the shrinking pool of ad revenue, the challenge of competing with an increasing number of media outlets, has all added up to making delivering the community news a daily struggle. It’s one worth fighting, and I hope that my departure does not signal that I don’t recognize the importance of the work we do here.

No one is going to step in and cover our community the way that the Gazette-Times does. Larger newspapers don’t waste their time, television stations barely acknowledge us and then only to cover stories that we’ve already written about in the paper, and alternative media, while a valuable asset to Benton County, doesn’t have the scale, the resources or the support to do what this newsroom does.

I have chosen to explore a new path, with new expectations and a slightly more focused audience, but the skills I have learned while working at the Gazette-Times will certainly be carried forward as I continue storytelling in a new venue.

Meanwhile, although this column will no longer appear in the Entertainer, I will continue to be a guest blogger on our Web site, at www.gazettetimes.com/gt

blogs/theresa_hogue/. It allows me to keep at least some connection to the Gazette-Times, and it’s a fun outlet for me.

I have loved my job at the Gazette-Times and treasure the many amazing people I have met along the way, from the brief shining light that was Boey Byers to the courage of the Puttin’ On the Pink fashion models, to the amazing neighbors who have made up the Story Next Door series every Tuesday.

I have also been honored to work with some folks who have gone onto other great things, like photographers Karl Maasdam and Ryan Gardner, who now run their own thriving local businesses, to reporters Rebecca Barrett and Jennifer Nitson, who are now doing well in the world of health-care marketing. John Baur is living the pirate lifestyle in the U.S. Virgin Islands, while John Butterworth travels the world helping others. Tiffany Brown is kicking butt as a photographer for the Las Vegas Sun, and Mary Ann Albright does amazing feature stories for The Columbian in Vancouver. And those are just a few of the shining stars who prove that the Gazette-Times has been home to some stellar writers, editors and photographers.

Those of you who read the G-T each week don’t have to be told about the great people who remain, and I am going to miss them more than words can say. Luckily, I am remaining in the community, and will be only a few short blocks from my old stomping grounds, which means the separation won’t have to be too dramatic.

And just so you know, if the zombies do attack, I’ve got the TenPas five-point plan memorized. I’ll meet you all at the WinCo. Bring your flashlights and a can opener. I’ll do the rest.