Two Outdoor Writers Join Salem-News.com Staff

"Fishing & Outdoor" articles are highly sought after, and we are pleased to bring this popular subject to our readers.

Mitch Webb and Geritt Roelof

(SALEM, Ore.) - If there is one thing that we have wished we could cover more at Salem-News, it is the great outdoors. No state has more to offer than Oregon when it comes to fishing, hiking, boating, hunting, biking, and other outdoor recreational activity.

We are very pleased to announce the addition of Outdoor Reporters Mitch Webb and Gerrit Roelof, who will bring our viewers spectacular stories and photographs and video reports from Oregon's endless natural wildlands.

Forests, rivers, mountains and beaches abound in this state. There are the usual places, and also endless undiscovered and off the beaten path locations where fish and game hide.

Each of our new writers is steeped in experience and they are both very committed individuals when it comes to helping their communities.

They also strongly believe in following the established rules, especially when it comes to fishing and hunting, and keeping our environmental system in balance.

Mitch Webb is a State Fish & Wildlife Volunteer who devotes large amounts of time to helping children discover fishing, getting American combat vets out for a day on the river, and educating people about the environmental stewardship that is necessary for fishing to continue as a sport.

Mitch may be best known as the operator of a special driftboat named for his friend Kevin Davis who was killed in Iraq. The boat is dedicated to helping veterans; especially those who suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, get a new perspective by spending a day on the river.

Mitch's friend Kevin was a Staff Sergeant in the Oregon National Guard when he was traveling in a HUMVEE that was struck by an explosion from a roadside bomb on April 8th, 2005 in Hawijah, Iraq. He later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

Kevin Davis was just days away from coming home on leave when the IED went off that day. He had just told Mitch on the phone that he was looking forward to going out for a day in his new driftboat and sadly this would never happen. Initial reports were that his injury was not life-threatening, but Kevin didn't make it.

"Kevin's Driftboat" did become a reality though and Mitch doesn't let a day pass without telling someone about his friend's sacrifice and the good it has resulted in for those soldiers and Marines that Mitch has been able to take out on the river. There is a long list of veterans and it is always growing.

Mitch's loss of a great friend was felt by many, including members of the Redmond, Oregon 82nd Cavalry's G Company, which S/Sgt Davis was attached to in Iraq.

If a picture ever told a story, it is the soldiers unable to maintain their composure for the camera when the shot was taken with Kevin's photo.

I have seen the immense grief of soldiers who have lost one of their own in combat. I've heard the chilling, unanswered, repeated calling of the soldier's name as the Sgt. Major's voice waivers and cracks and drifts off.

It is the rifle and the helmet; the photos, this is a sort of grief that is numbing, even to those who didn't know the individual. How family members and friends of those killed in war cope with that loss, we all hope to never personally know. This is the reality of a country at war.

Mitch always wears a bracelet bearing Kevin Davis' name

This tragic loss propelled Mitch to dedicate "Kevin's Driftboats" in honor of his friend, and the vessel is used on the Deschutes and Clackamas Rivers to get combat veterans into a peaceful environment that allows them to focus on the sport of fishing, and get their minds off of other problems that life often holds for those who served in war.

In the years that have passed since then, Mitch has become a sort of icon on Internet sites like ifish.net and his fishing stories and photographs are a perfect match for the positive energy he perpetually generates over fishing. He recently returned from a TV commercial shoot in Florida that will air on the Fishing network. (see: ODFW Angling Instructor Wins Anglers Legacy Contest (VIDEO))

The best part about Mitch's presentation is that he holds equally, the attention of fishing enthusiasts and people who have never even gone fishing.

The respect he holds in the fishing community is a result of his steadfast adherence to helping people in the fishing community polish their skills, his education of fishermen which allows people to stay out of trouble, and his unwavering and humble support of those who have served the United States armed forces.

Firefighter at Ground Zero

I was absolutely blown away by the story of Gerrit Roelof. He is one of a handful of professionals from the ranks of firefighters who transitioned into police work. Today Gerrit works for the city of Salem, Oregon as a police officer.

After September 11th 2001, he was one of the firefighters who went to New York's ground zero.

The shock that ripped through the city of New York that day and the ensuing aftermath, is something that only those who were there could really comprehend. The rest of us should be glad for that. Like most Americans, I have a hard time not losing it every time I see the footage of the people running as massive clouds of concrete and rubble exploded like Hell itself and reigned down on them.

In his own words, Gerrit said, "We lost 343 members of our family in one terrible morning. In the following months, many of us ascended on New York City, offering to do anything needed. Some of us dug at the site, others brought engines and ladders in to cover firehouses in NYC. Many of us started raising funds, often totaling in the tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. We wrote letters and sent emails. We wore our colors proudly, and bought memorial shirts, flags and stickers: proclaiming our love and support."

He says he and all of the firefighters in this nation also grieved.

"We attended memorials in our own communities. We went down to the firehouse to be with each other. We gave our spouses a stronger hug or a longer kiss, and spent more time with our children. We silently sat alone with our thoughts, each experiencing the event in our own way."

Gerrit and his family moved to Oregon in 1996. As an experienced firefighter, Gerrit became a Lieutenant with Marion County Fire District #1. From there he made the decision to join the law enforcement community and undertook the necessary academy and training to become a Salem Police Officer.

Today, when time allows, Gerrit and his family make the break to the Detroit Lake area and other parts of Oregon where hunting and fishing are the order of the day.

Like Mitch, Gerrit has a way with words that is drawn from both education and life experience. Those who survive and weather tragedy sometimes have an inherent kindness and gentle strength that comes across in person as well as on video and through written articles.

While Gerrit has a full time career in law enforcement and firefighting before that, he has also taken the time to polish his somewhat natural skills at delivering written and visual information. He used to have an outdoor column in the South Salem Post. He has also written regular articles for Oregon Fishing & Hunting News and ESPN.com.

I have seen a good deal of Gerrit's work and I am extremely excited about bringing his news articles and video reports to our thousands of daily visitors on Salem-News.com.

Gerrit's experience in life is both awe-inspiring and honorable. Along with Mitch, I don't think I could ask for more likable, uniquely qualified, energetic and down to earth people to help fill the void when it comes to articles about all of the amazing things Oregon has to offer those who have a connection with nature; be it through hiking, fishing, photography, hunting, or so many other outdoor activities here.

It will also be great for Salem-News.com to have a non-political offering for our viewers' reading enjoyment.

The Lord knows we normally can't go two sentences without involving politics in our writing and reporting, and it isn't like we have a choice, but these outdoor articles will be a refreshing break at any rate.

In my view, the backgrounds of these new Salem-News.com reporters are a perfect match for those of us here, who care greatly about the people who serve this country. Salem-News.com has had on-the-ground reports from Iraq and Afghanistan, our writer Dr. Phil Leveque is a WWII combat veteran, our founding News Director Kevin Hays is a disabled Desert Storm Veteran, and we have a close alliance with Q Madp of IraqWarHeroes.org who is dedicated to memorializing all who die in the wars overseas. The list goes on and on.

There is a strong connection between veterans and outdoor life and recreation, and it is our hope that the reports and the Outdoor Section itself will be of great therapeutic value for all, but especially for them.