Posted inEditorials

Prairie Dog

by Vince Bushell

I know trying to define one’s public persona is near impossible, and it may be presumptuous of me to assume I have one. However, publishing a paper puts me in a situation akin to an ambitious prairie dog that is constantly sticking his head up out of his hole. Sooner or later someone is going to take a shot at the dog.

Posted inEditorials

Ah, Spring Again…

by Sonya Jongsma Knauss

Time to come out of hibernation. There really is nothing like sun on your skin and the gentle play of the spring breeze. It’s a kind of pure delight that reminds me of being a kid. I find I do some of my best thinking and writing while I am running through the streets and parks of Riverwest, though they’re not nearly as distraction-free as the cornfields I used to run past growing up.

Posted inEditorials

How We Lost the War on Terrorism

by Vince Bushell

As the bombs fall on Iraq and the tanks roll on, the future of Saddam and his party appears to be ending in flames. Saddam, like many Arabs, is resentful of U.S. power and influence in the Middle East. He tried to use belligerent statements and the threat of poison to scare the U.S. away. He will be gone and possibly soon forgotten on the world stage.

But the war has little to do with this one man. This conflict, according to President Bush, has something to do with the war on terrorism. The war on terrorism has become the overriding justification for a list of sins.

Posted inEditorials

A Place for You

One year ago we published the first issue of the Riverwest Currents. It had 12 pages, some black and white photos, and a group of folks dedicated to the vision of a paper focused on our community. Our cover story was on the Reservoir on North Avenue. I have lost count of how many people were surprised by the fact that the hill they were so familiar with for so many years was filled with water. Likewise, it is gratifying that so many are so interested in the characters that fill our homes and businesses. Their inner stories comprise a vital ingredient of our mission. Our niche is in and around our neighborhoods. Our audience is the 12-year-old and the 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, 60-, 70-, 80-, and up-year-old black, white, and brown people who live, work, and play here. We are not “glam” and we are not “square” either. There is a place for you here in our neighborhood and in our paper.