Editor’s Journal: A Month of Saturdays

Story and pictures by Hal Goodtree, Editor of CaryCitizen.

Cary, NC – What is news? At its most basic, it’s anything that’s new.

Newsworthiness is another issue. Some publications think only controversy is newsworthy. I beg to differ.

A Month of Saturdays

Sometimes, I just like to drive around with my camera and see what’s going on around town on Saturday mornings.

Inevitably, I take more pictures than can possibly end up in stories, but they’re all newsworthy, at least to me.

So here’s my Editor’s Journal for the last month: Stories that didn’t get told.

Saturday March 12

The pear blossoms were in full bloom and I drove downtown to take some pictures for a story about the Cary Arts Center.

Right across the street is the Community Pocket Garden. Winter onions were looking sturdy and pansies were ready for planting.

Also downtown, construction continues on the Cary train station. The upgraded depot will open in late summer 2011 and feature full service ticket agents and baggage check.

The town is rich in sculpture. Some is permanent, but much of it is on-loan to the community. I like figurative art, and the strong lines of the bull in front of city hall caught my attention.

Saturday, March 19

I love it that Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe does her own social media for her town. Checking Facebook on Saturday morning, I saw that Morrisville was having a roadside cleanup. When I visited mid-morning, they had already counted 122 volunteers and untold bags of trash.

I was on my way to take a few pictures of the new stretch of Morrisville Parkway, but had to stop to get a picture of Hatcher Grove Baptist Church, one of the most storied congregations in the Triangle. The sun was in and out of the clouds on this particular Saturday morning.

Saturday April 2

Yesterday was cool and beautiful with a clear, windy sky. I wanted to visit both Cary Farmers Markets.

I started with the market downtown. Enthusiasm was high under the big, old trees and fresh produce was in abundance.

Before getting back in my car, I had another one of those moments where I just had to take a picture, this one of the iconic house/antique store on East Chatham.

Across town, things were hopping for the spring opening of the Western Wake Farmers Market.

I’m always amazed at the variety of things for sale in addition to fresh produce. A new vendor this year is the Sausage Wagon. Next time I’ll know not to eat breakfast before I head out with my camera on Saturday morning.

What’s Newsworthy?

Events like the opening of the farmers markets or a town clean-up next door may not be news in Raleigh, Sacramento, New York or Paris. But it is news about our community, interesting to us because it’s where we live.

Hope you enjoyed this edition of Editor’s Journal!