Bonnie King
Salem-News.com Publisher
Email: bonnie@salem-news.com
Bonnie King`s career is unique, she is one of the few media professionals who has extensive time in four relevant areas; radio, television, newspaper and Internet. She has been with Salem-News.com since August '04.
Her television career began in 1988, at Lincoln City, Oregon`s cable TV station, TV 10, in dual roles as News Anchor and Sales/Promotion Director. This was a natural evolution of her journalistic aspirations, since she was first "bit by the bug" while serving as Editor in Chief of her high school yearbook for two years. She graduated from Bassist College in Portland, Oregon in 1986.
Bonnie has interviewed legends like Aaron Spelling, Hugh Miles and Peter Frampton; others include Nadia Komenich, the feisty Judge Mills Lane, and the stars from CHARMED, FELICITY, ROSWELL, 7TH HEAVEN and BUFFY the VAMPIRE SLAYER. She has interviewed Oregon`s governors, congressmen, and she was on the award-winning news crew that first spoke to Evander Holyfield the night of the notorious Tyson ear-biting incident.
As Producer, she was instrumental in the completion of the WWII documentary `Fallen Fortress at Cape Lookout` which aired on Oregon Public Broadcasting in 1993. She is presently working on two Oregon based documentaries.
Bonnie has served in a number of different positions in the broadcast industry; TV Production Manager at KVWB (Las Vegas WB) and Producer/Director for the TV series "Hot Wheels in Las Vegas" (2 seasons), and her path also led to posts as TV Promotion Director for KYMA (NBC), and KFBT (Ind.), Asst. Marketing Director (SUPERSHOPPER MAGAZINE), Director/Co-Host (Coast Entertainment Show), radio Promotion Director (KBCH/KCRF), and Newspapers In Education/Circulation Sales Manager (STATESMAN JOURNAL NEWSPAPER).
Bonnie has a depth of understanding that reaches further than just behind the scenes, and that thoroughness of her nature is demonstrated in the perseverance to correctly present each story with the wit and wisdom necessary to compel and captivate viewers.
Tim King
Salem-News.com Vice-President/Executive Editor
Email: tim@salem-news.com
Tim's myspace: myspace.com/timsalemnews
Tim King launched Salem-News.com during the summer of 2004 when he was a photojournalist/reporter for KATU Channel-2 News, the ABC affiliate in Portland, Oregon. Assigned to cover Salem for the station, Tim began Salem-News as an overflow for his daily work for the television station.
About a year and a half later, Tim left KATU to become fully devoted to the growth, development and daily news needs of Salem-News.com along with Bonnie King, who had left her position at the Statesman Journal in Salem, Oregon where she served as the Newspapers in Education Director.
After two years, Salem-News.com was selected by Google to be one of its contributing news organizations and traffic on the site grew ten times overnight; with the daily number of visitors jumping from 600 to 6,000.
Over the last year, Tim spent two months in Afghanistan covering the war there through the eyes of 900 Oregon soldiers. Tim reported for Salem-News.com and Oregon's KPTV FOX-12 from a number of regions and situations in Afghanistan. His work was also shown in two documentaries produced by the Portland FOX station in the weeks following his return.
More recently, Tim spent five weeks covering the war in Iraq, embedded once again with an Oregon Guard unit. Tim produced reports with the Army's 101st Airborne and Marines from the 2nd Marine Air Wing during the summer of 2008.
Tim's Background prior to Salem-News.com
Tim`s history is steeped in his ability and desire to tell a great story - which first lead him to the television newsroom in 1988, serving as News Anchor/Reporter for Lincoln City, Oregon`s cable TV station, TV 10. That`s where Tim found his calling.
Since those first years, Tim has moved on to serve as News Photojournalist/Reporter for KATU (ABC), Photojournalist at KVVU (FOX), KVBC (NBC), and KYMA (NBC), the News Assignment Editor for KVVU (FOX) in Las Vegas, NV, as well as radio News Director (KBCH/KCRF). In addition, he was the Producer/Host for the `Coast Entertainment Show`, Executive Producer (creator) of the TV series `Hot Wheels in Las Vegas`, and Executive Producer of the 30-minute documentary `Fallen Fortress at Cape Lookout` which aired on Oregon Public Broadcasting in 1993.
Also significant among his achievements are the 2 years he spent as a Wildlife Rescue team leader on the coast of Oregon; and his 3 years in the US Marine Corps. Tim`s career in the broadcast industry has afforded him many opportunities to cover incredible stories as well as meet innumerable celebrities and dignitaries. He has flown in many military planes including an F-16 Air Force Fighter, and produced a three-part series on aviation history of the Southwest region of the United States. Aviation is one of Tim`s passions.
Tim major in journalism at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. He holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), the first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several other awards including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting.
Matt Lintz
Salem-News.com Webmaster / Creator
Occasionaly writes games and diversions: Diversions and Daily Cryptogram Puzzles
Currently working on some projects up north near Bellingham Washington, looking to return to working in the Salem area soon. See Whatcom-Views which is a simple news / images of that area.
The person behind the action at Salem-News.com is Matt Lintz, a graduate of the Institution of Technology in Spokane, Washington. Matt is another Northwest native who found his niche in technology and lives at the forefront of it.
It isn't just the concept, it is the ease of Salem-News.com's design and operation, the search engine that always leads to the desired information, the fact that a person does not have to strain or spend minutes seeking a particular story, that is Matt's design for a news Internet Website.
Matt studied networking and computer security receiving a Bachelors of Science degree in 2005, and that was attained after a life already spent in computer technology.
Henry Clay Ruark
Salem-News.com Opinion / Editorials
S-N Staff:
Henry Clay Ruark is a former newspaper reporter; educational and audio-visual media specialist; agency, institution, corporate public information officer; national trade magazine publisher and editor; and Chicago-based communications media consultant for agency, institution, individual and corporate clients.
Splitting a “very checkered” career between journalism and education, he has written and worked for many newspapers while continuing in educational assignments. He has taught at every level from grades to graduate school, agency/institution seminars, and corporate conferences; written, edited and produced both print and visual learning media in all formats; and written for weeklies, dailies, newsletters, journals and magazines.
At 91, he is still intermittently writing” on assignment” for editors served for decades; and for S-N Op Eds.
Hank is registered as a Democrat, but disregards any and all political-party disciplinary or bias for “the precious independence demanded as foundation for professional reporting”, insisting that one cannot be Democrat, Republican; OR Libertarian,Independent, any more than one can be four-legged and two-faced. Probing, controversial, confirmed conversation (read:”honest, open, democratic dialog”) demands writer be independent, Hank firmly believes.
Dr. Phil Leveque
Salem-News.com Medical Expert/Staff Writer
Email: newsroom@salem-news.com
In a unique new segment, Salem-News.com brings viewers the words and wisdom of one of Oregon's most famous doctors, Dr. Phillip Leveque, a man who fought in World War Two and now fights to make access to marijuana a matter of reality. He also was instrumental in the initial changing of Oregon law that allowed medical the use of Medical Marijuana in the first place.
He's been a fighter since his days in the Army during World War Two, when he captured 26 Nazi officers in a single day by himself. These days this veteran physician fights for the rights of patients who use marijuana as a medicine and for veterans suffering from PTSD, something he is no stranger to.
The world is changing fast and medical marijuana is a daily reality for thousands of patients in Oregon, and hundreds of thousands of people nationwide who suffer from a variety of illnesses.
But who can pot smokers turn to for medical care? Needless to say, a vast majority of users are hesitant to discuss their use with physicians, and doctors are fearful when it comes to discussing a substance that potentially violates the law.
Federal laws still consider possession of pot illegal, even though states and individual counties have adopted their own standards. Because of the federal shadow cast on the situation, hundreds of thousands of legal users and millions of illegal users, go without adequate medical advice.
Until now. We are extremely proud to have this lifelong healer and former WWII combat soldier on our primary team of writers at Salem-News.com
Leonardo (Glen L. Bledsoe)
Salem-News.com Cartoonist
Glen L. Bledsoe was born and raised in Indiana.
He graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelors of Art in Fine Arts and was a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for several years.
Glen made his home in Oregon in the early 80's where he continues to enjoy the mild climate and lack of sales tax.
He and his wife Karen have published seventeen books together for the school library market. Glen has written extensively on the issues of technology and education for the National Education Association and other publications.
When he not is creating "Nota Bene by Leonardo," Glen is either teaching, writing a novel, composing music, or reading.
Daniel Johnson
Salem-News.com Social Critic
Email: Salem-News@gravityshadow.com
Daniel Johnson was born near the midpoint of the twentieth century in Calgary, Alberta. In his teens he knew he was going to be a writer, which is why he was one of only a handful of boys in his high school typing class—a skill he knew was going to be necessary.
He defines himself as a social reformer, not a left winger, the latter being an ideological label which, he says, is why he is not an ideologue. He understands that who he is, is largely defined by where he came from. This, of course, applies to all of us even though most of us are completely unaware of it. There is a 1991 movie, Class Action, starring Gene Hackman (the father) and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (the daughter) who are opposing lawyers in a case. At one point, Laurence Fishburne says to her: “You’re the complete opposite of your father. He stands up, you sit down. He turns left, you turn right.” In other words, what we believe to be freedom, is largely an illusion. Think about it.
The focus for Daniel’s writing came in 1972. After a trip to Europe he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. Alberta and Calgary in particular, was extremely conservative Bible Belt country, more like Houston than any other Canadian city (a direct influence of the oil industry). Two successive Premiers of the province, from 1935 to 1971, had been Baptist evangelicals with a weekly Sunday radio program—“Back to the Bible Hour”, while in office. In Alberta everything was distorted by religion.
When he arrived in Vancouver he still remembers the almost overwhelming culture shock. We all naturally believe that where we grow up is the way the world is everywhere else. When we go to a new place, we make our psychological adjustments. In this case the cultural difference between Calgary and Vancouver was like black and white.
A neighbour there loaned him a copy of Ferdinand Lundberg’s The Rich and the Super Rich. This began his career as a business writer and critic.
From 1975 to 1981 he was reporter, photographer, then editor of the weekly Airdrie Echo. For more than ten years after that he worked with Peter C. Newman, Canada’s top business writer (notably a series of books, The Canadian Establishment). Through this period Daniel also did some national radio and TV broadcasting. He gave up journalism in the early 1980s because he had no interest in being a hack writer for the mainstream media and became a software developer and programmer. He retired from computers last year and is now back to doing what he loves—writing and trying to make the world a better place.
Bruce Sallan
Salem-News.com Writer
Email: bruce.sallan@yahoo.com
Please visit brucesallan.com to contact Bruce and to enjoy the various features his new Web site offers, including a unique Ask Bruce For Advice section, an archive of his columns, contact info, links to his published work, photo galleries, and reader comments, plus much more. Bruce Sallan was an award-winning television executive and producer for 25 years. Google him if you really want to know more (e.g. his credits).
When his boys were quite young, Bruce left show biz to become a full-time Dad. Shortly thereafter his marriage ended and his wife abandoned their children, leaving the State. Bruce found himself a full-time single Dad, in his late forties, as well as a returning single man to the changed world of cyber-dating. It became a classic “sandwich” situation when he also began to care for his ailing parents. He began writing various blogs on the dating sites he used as well as articles for local publications.
The goal of his column, A Dad’s Point-of-View, is to primarily focus on parenting and occasionally other issues from the male perspective. In addition to Salem-News.com, his column is available in over 50 newspapers and Web sites in the U.S. and internationally. Bruce lives in Agoura, California with his second (and last) wife and two boys, who are 15 and 12.
Kenneth G. Ramey
Salem-News.com Religion and Philosophy Writer
Email: darken1@sbcglobal.net
When we met Kenneth G. Ramey, he was a 79-year old "writer without a Website" who was generating excellent, provocative articles on the subject of religion and world affairs.
We are pleased that Ken's "lone wolf" approach as a writer has been replaced by a spot on our team of writers at Salem-News.com.
Ken confronts the hard issues of politics and religion from a logical point of view that combines interesting insight with history into the truth, or lack thereof, that underlies the strengths and weaknesses of the Religious Right’s determination to use American politics for its own misguided, or selfish, interest.
It’s rare for a writer to balance his writing between religious values and the secular guarantees of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights with the knowledge that Ken possesses, and to do it so effectively.
Ken was born in Minnesota but was raised in California since 1932. He is the youngest of four boys raised by his mother alone during the dark years of the Great Depression. He Graduated from SFSU in the 1970s when in his mid-forties, majoring in Spanish North American History, and added three years of post-graduate study, much of it in Philosophy and Religion. He worked hard all his life in and out of doors, except for college and the fifteen years he was in banking, seven of them as Training Director in Administration.
Ken has known tragedy in his lifetime and has overcome them. He is well suited to discuss everything from the low to the highs. that give of us hope.
We live at a critical time in history and believe Ken's views represent the view of many who are tired of the commercialism and false interpretations about religion today.
Watch for Ken's articles on religion, philosophy, politics and history.
View articles written by Kenneth G. Ramey
Bob O’Dowd
Salem-News.com Environmental and Military Reporter
Email: consults03@comcast.net
Bob O’Dowd is a former U.S. Marine with thirty years of experience on the east coast as an auditor, accountant, and financial manager with the Federal government, half of that time with the Defense Logistics Agency in Philadelphia.
Bob is somewhat like the accountant played by Jack Lemmon in “The Apartment.” Bob worked in “insane workplaces” similar to the insurance company office setting pictured in the film. No work cubicles. Lots of noise. Mechanical calculators. Phones ringing. Unlike Jack Lemmon, Bob didn’t have a key to an apartment he could share with bosses needing a place to rendezvous with lovers. Instead, he shared one with two Navy veterans, recent graduates of Villanova, who hosted weekend parties with kegs of beer and lots of girls. It wasn’t Animal House, but a close tie. Not exactly the image of an accountant, but then Bob was not your typical accountant.
Originally from Pennsylvania, he enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 19, served in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Marine Aircraft Wings in 52 months of active duty in the 1960s. Bob’s sense of humor has occasionally gotten him in trouble. Leaving San Diego with 1,000 other Marines in November 1964, Bob was the Marine who lead the “Mickey Mouse” theme song to get the attention of a Marine Major in charge of the draft. It was a warm day for San Diego, Marines were in starch utilities (work cloths), carrying a seabag full of clothing on one shoulder and another dry cleaned set of dress greens in their free hand. Most Marines were in poor humor and soaking wet in sweat after standing in line in the hot sun for a few hours. To relieve the tension, Bob started to sing the “Mickey Mouse Theme Song.”
“Who's the leader of the club
That's made for you and me
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
Hey! there, Hi! there, Ho! there
You're as welcome as can be
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
Mickey Mouse!
Mickey Mouse!
Forever let us hold our banner
High! High! High! High!
Come along and sing a song
And join the jamboree!
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E”
It worked. One thousand Marines took up the song in full voice, tourists in the San Diego harbor stared in amazement, the ship’s company watched and laughed at the rails. The only one who didn’t appreciate the humor was the Marine Major who stood in apparent disbelief on the forward weather deck of the transport. It worked. Within minutes, the entire Marine draft was hustled aboard ship. Who ever said Marines lacked a sense of humor?
A graduate of Temple University, Bob like Jack Lemmon married late. Bob and Grace have been married over 31 years; have two adult children and two grandsons. Bob and Grace are opposites in more ways than one. Grace, a professor of English at La Salle University, has little patience for anyone who enjoys “reading math books.” Bob would rather do math problems than go to a movie. Go figure. Opposites must attract.
Bob has a blog site on former MCAS El Toro at mwsg37.com. This subject is where Bob intersected with Salem-News.com. Bob served in the exact same Marine Aviation Squadron that Salem-News founder Tim King served in, twenty years earlier. With their combined on-site knowledge and research ability, Bob and Tim and a handful of other ex-Marines, have put the contamination of MCAS El Toro on the map. The base is highly contaminated with TCE, trichloroethylene.
Geritt Roelof
Salem-News.com Outdoor Reporter
Email: Attn: Geritt Roelof
After growing up in the state of New York, Gerrit moved to Oregon in 1996. An experienced volunteer firefighter from New York, Gerrit joined Marion County Fire District #1, and was soon promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. 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.
On the one year anniversary of 9/11, Gerrit returned to NYC with other Oregon firefighters to participate in the ceremonies and remember his fallen brothers.
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.
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 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.
Gerrit's experience in life is both awe-inspiring and honorable. Along with Mitch Webb, our other newly added Outdoor Reporter, 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.
Mitch Webb
Salem-News.com Outdoor Reporter
Email: newsroom@salem-news.com
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.
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.
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.
Erin Hildebrandt
Salem-News.com Special Issues Reporter
Email: erinhildebrandt@yahoo.com
Erin Hildebrandt wears many hats. She's wife to Bill Hildebrandt, mom to five beautiful kids, activist, artist, legally registered Oregon medical marijuana patient, public speaker, and an internationally published writer.
She co-founded Parents Ending Prohibition, and her writing has been printed in Mothering Magazine, New York's Newsday, and Canada's National Post, among many others.
Erin has appeared in TV and radio broadcasts, including Baltimore's WBAL and WBAI in New York. Erin has been interviewed for a front page story in USA Today, and she has been published in the American Bar Association Journal.
Speaking as a survivor of child sexual abuse, Erin also appeared on the Geraldo Rivera show. She spoke at the Fourth National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, and has also testified before Maryland and Oregon Senate and House committees.
We are very pleased to feature the work of Erin Hildebrandt on Salem-News.com.
Erin's photo courtesy: lloydwolf.com
Doug Dickerson
Contributing Writer, Business
Email: managementmoment@gmail.com
Doug Dickerson is the former editor of the Berkeley Independent newspaper in South Carolina and is currently the Director of University Relations at Charleston Southern University. Doug’s writing has been recognized by the South Carolina Press Association, having won awards for enterprise reporting, series of articles, and for humor column writing.
Doug’s passion for communicating leadership principles and personal development is crystallized through his Management Moment column and leadership columns he writes.
Leadership development is a passion to which Doug is strongly devoted. Sharing positive leadership lessons taken from his Management Moment columns, Doug is available to speak for your organization. To schedule Doug to speak contact him at managementmoment@gmail.com
Read more of Doug’s columns on his blog at dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com
Alan Ned Sabrosky
Salem-News.com World Affairs
Email: docbrosk@comcast.net
Alan Sabrosky (Ph.D., University of Michigan) is a writer and consultant specializing in national and international security affairs. In December 1988, he received the Superior Civilian Service Award after more than five years of service at the U.S. Army War College as Director of Studies, Strategic Studies Institute, and holder of the General of the Army Douglas MacArthur Chair of Research. He is listed in WHO'S WHO IN THE EAST (23rd ed.). A Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and a 1986 graduate of the U.S. Army War College, Dr. Sabrosky's teaching and research appointments have included the United States Military Academy, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Middlebury College and Catholic University; while in government service, he held concurrent adjunct professorships at Georgetown University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Dr. Sabrosky has lectured widely on defense and foreign affairs in the United States and abroad.
His published work includes thirteen books or monographs and over one hundred forty articles, chapters and book reviews. Among his most recent books are Alliances in U.S. Foreign Policy, The Recourse to War: An Appraisal of the "Weinberger Doctrine", and Prisoners of War? Nation-States in the Modern Era; he is completing a book-length study on the U.S. use of military force as an instrument of foreign policy, called Presidential War: The Politics of Military Intervention. He currently owns a computer business and resides in Jackson, Mississippi.
Allan Erickson
Salem-News.com Publisher
Email: allan_e@efn.org
With over 35 years of experience, Allan Erickson has worked across the spectrum of photography. Originally a youthful hobbyist, he took his first self-portrait at 10, using an old box camera and a stick. Upon joining the US Air Force in 1970, Allan was trained as a photographic systems repairman, maintaining and repairing photo printers and processors. In 1971 he was retrained to become a photographer and photo-lab technician. He says that all the while, he was also shooting on his, but credits the Air Force with ingraining in him the skills necessary to pursue a lifelong love of photography.
Allan has worked behind the camera as a photojournalist (California Advocate, Fresno, CA), a commercial products table-top photographer (Gottschalks advertising, second camera behind Richard Eissler), and he has photographed weddings, anniversary celebrations, political meet-and-greets, concerts, baseball games (currently working for the Eugene Emeralds, the San Diego Padres' short season single A affiliate, as their team photographer), school events, kids' soccer, portraits and my favorite venue, nature.
More than anything, Allan Erickson cares about the health of Oregon and he works closely on drug policy issues as a member of LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
Visit Allan's blog as this link: morningdonut.blogspot.com
William Barth
Salem-News.com Political Strategist
Email: wkbarth@yahoo.com
Dr. William K. Barth recently completed his doctoral thesis at the University of Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations.
He also recently concluded his term as an Associate Fellow at the University’s Rothermere American Institute, and a alumnus member of St Antony’s College, Oxford.
Dr. Barth’s recently published his D.Phil. thesis entitled On Cultural Rights: The Equality of Nations and the Minority Legal Tradition (Boston, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2008). Prior to initiating his thesis, Dr. Barth served as a senior lawyer for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
He received his Master of Public Administration Degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (’86) and Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law (’79). He has been a member of the California State Bar in good standing since 1979.
Dr. William K. Barth's book link is: brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=210&pid=30599
You can visit his blog page at this address: thebarthreport.com/
Gerry Villani
Salem-News.com Advertising Representative/Photographer
Email: villaniphoto@yahoo.com
Gerry Villani has been a resident of Salem, Oregon since 1964, and he has watched the capitol city grow and change significantly over the years. After graduating from Mount Hood Community College in Oregon with an AA in journalism, Gerry traveled the world as a photojournalist for the U.S. government from 1974-1986, then worked for state government and then put his communication skills to work for companies in Salem, Tualatin, and Beaverton before joining Salem-News.com.
Among other accomplishments, Gerry has taken thousands of photographs and is developing a photo stock company that will be marketed through Salem-News.com. Gerry's skills in technology are ever increasing, and he holds a Certificate in Computer Operations from Chemeketa Community College which he earned in 1986.
To learn more about Gerry's photography, visit his site villaniphoto.com
Jerry Freeman
Salem-News.com News Photographer/Reporter
Email: Salem-News@gravityshadow.com
Jerry Freeman is part of a new generation of dedicated news photographers who are entering the Internet news industry as a second career. He shares in common with many people the dream of becoming a visual journalist.
Joining the Navy at an early age, and the Oregon Army Guard a few years later, Jerry has a wide range of life experiences. He describes himself as “an old truck driver with a new found passion to bare witness on the world’s events.”
Teaming up with Salem-News.com he embarks on a new career as a video news photographer and reporter. Stay tuned, and see how it turns out. Jerry seems to exhibit natural talent and is already becoming a published member of the Salem-News.com team.
Austin King
Salem-News.com Reporter
Email: its-on@hotmail.com
Visit Austin's MySpace page.
Austin King writes Salem-News.com reports that delve into the pop music and technology scenes. An avid music fan and musician, Austin stays up to date on trends and developments in the various music genres, as well as the latest technological developments.
Austin exemplifies the new generation of Americans who have almost literally, been raised around computer technology. He may be described as an avid gamer, and as early as twelve years old, Austin was an active component in beta testing of brand new video games and concepts for Westwood Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Today, those years of interest in gaming and computer are tools he uses when he takes on interesting and even controversial subjects. A bonus for Salem-News.com is Austin's acquired ability to resolve and remedy computer problems ranging from virus eradication to total meltdown.
Watch for Austin's articles, they're a reflection of the vision of a writer who is steeped in technology and a natural extension to this family owned business.
Lee Coyne
Salem-News.com Community Writer
Email: luckycoyne@yahoo.com
A combined career of journalism and gerontology shaped the values of this writer-therapist, who often views the world as the masks of comedy and tragedy placed upon the scales of justice. For him, optimism inevitably wins.
"Lyrical Lee" has traveled to 30 nations aboard and was once a press intern at the UN. His first published article was in The NY Daily News in '59, dealing with the need for integrity in public office.
He also launched the nation's first tele-conference on health education for shut-ins, created the Eldermentors project in VA to pair retirees with immigrant students needing role models, and was the main catalyst behind CCTV's "Public Public" panel show here in Salem.
Lee received his BA in International Relations and an MSW in community organization. He currently serves as a member of Salem's Library Advisory Board.
Anthony Wright
Salem-News.com Contributor in Mexico
Email: awrightgrant@yahoo.com
Anthony Wright was born in Melbourne, Australia. He graduated in film production at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, was employed in various occupations and traveled through 20 countries before settling in Mexico City in 1993. He lived and worked as a journalist before returning to Melbourne in 2001. He completed an education diploma at the University of Melbourne and worked as a teacher. He returned to Mexico in 2008.
His fiction, journalism, poetry and photography have been published in Australia, Mexico and the United States, and his art has been exhibited in the same three countries. He is married and has two children.
Anthony found Salem-News.com through a common interest in the Vietnam War photojournalist Sean Flynn. His incredible talent is a welcome asset for our readers who enjoy a mix of art, culture, travel and history in their daily reading.
Anthony Wright's facebook link allows you to view images of his art. If you are interested in contracting his services in Mexico, please send an email to the address listed above.
(Photo by Eric Wolf, Mexico City)
Sean King
Salem-News.com Teen Reporter
Salem-News.com has the oldest and youngest working journalists in the nation. At the age of 14, Sean became the youngest broadcast TV News reporter in the NW when he was selected as a Salem Correspondent by ATTN's NW Teen News, which airs on Salem's KWVT Channel-52.
Sean also has substantial time under his belt in the cable access world, where he volunteers for Salem Oregon's CCTV group. His show ran for several months in 2005 and was a hit with younger and older audiences.
Sean also helps other CCTV producers and is involved with Music Around Salem, a show that highlights local bands from the capitol city music scene.
Sean's devotion to video production, acting and news delivery at Leslie Middle School in South Salem represent an early defining period for this young reporter.
He served as one of the school's morning news anchors for one year and alternated and filled in the rest of the time while working with younger students.
Literally raised in a TV news household, Sean is able to understand and report about many things and each experience leaves him wiser. He recently finished his first paid contract job, producing a series of video shorts for his former school.
Sean has several videos hosted on Youtube. One of which, entitled "Cradle of Filth- My Humps" with hundreds of thousands of views, is very popular among the Youtube community.
Now a high school student at MACA (The Media Arts and Communications Academy), Sean continues his involvement in journalism and video production and will be an active representative in the community for Salem-News.com.
Lela M. Taylor
Salem-News.com Reporter / Community Editor
As the daughter of an Oregon logger, Lela grew up living in different areas in Oregon.
In 1973, entering into her second marriage and with four children, Lela had to make the decision to go back to school and finish her education so she could become self-sufficient from the government programs that was helping her family survive.
She first volunteered at the non-profit organization known as Cry of Love to get experience in working in a social service environment. She then went on to graduate from Chemeketa Community College where she obtained two Associates degrees.
Lela has experience with humanity, having served with the non-profit Women’s Crisis Service, the Marion County Legal Aid Society, and as the Producer of the local TV show Public Pulse, which examines issues relevant to Oregon's capitol city.
Lela produced her own talk show called Think About It and was the host of the show, which aired for four years. After gaining skills as a director and editor, she directed a show called Reflections with Javier, which was an umbrella for three other shows called, Winds of Change, a political format; Art with a Soul, art and entertainment program; and Other Side of the Coin a religious format.
Two Best of the Northwest awards were won by two of the episodes from this series.
Lela’s latest endeavors have been to expand into the world of journalism with Salem-News.com, where she now works with Tim and Bonnie King as their Community Editor. Lela covers community events and write commentaries on social issues. Her quote for life is from Henry David Thoreau "We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap in the dark to our success."
Lela is a regular contributor to the Out door pictures from Oregon photo album.
Ken Cartwright, Contributing Writer
When Salem-News.com stories show an east Marion County dateline, they often carry the name Ken Cartwright. Ken contributes stories so the informational needs of Salem-News.com visitors in Stayton and Sublimity are met.
Born and raised in upstate Pennsylvania, 90 miles south of Buffalo New York, Ken has always had music and radio in his life. Ken is a former US Navy radioman who was discharged in 1965.
Over the years Ken worked in a lot of small and medium radio markets as an air personality and station manager in Oregon, Pennsylvania and New York. He has been the owner/luthier of Cartwright's Music and Repair Shop since 1991.
He was the owner and primary luthier of Natural Sound, the predecessor to Cartwright's Music that existed since 1975. Ken moved to the Salem area in 1979 from Coos Bay Oregon. On September 4th 2007, he put Low Power AM 1620 KENC, community radio on the air in Stayton because this community had no voice. They operate under the 501-C3 of the Stayton Community Food Bank and donate 20% of all our proceeds to them. KENC operates 24-7 and is powered by a I-MAC and a automation system.
Currently Ken has 3 Hamilton transmitter/antennas up and operating in both Stayton and Sublimity, serving the news and music needs of 10,000 residents. He says he will be working with The Stayton Telephone Company to have audio live streaming via internet by the middle of April 2008.
He is also developing a local CATV system for this community. Between city council, planning meetings and being where we need to be, this east end of Marion county is finally getting the news out to the community in a concise and timely manner. He says people in east county rely on Salem-News. com for a lot of our local, regional and state news. You can email Ken at kenc@wvi.com, and phone messages can be left at 503-769-KENC.
Kevin Montgomery
Salem-News.com Reporter/Photographer
Kevin Montgomery has a fascinating history when it comes to the evolution of computer technology. In the early years, the 1970's, Kevin studied and worked with people who would all go on in their own ways to bring high technology in the world to where it is now.
For many years, Kevin was an active member in the HAM TV world. What is that? Live TV transmitted from point to point, like HAM Radio. Here Kevin learned the in's and out's of doing a TV live shot and he often built the equipment that it took to do it.
Today, Kevin works in any number of areas at Salem-News.com. Reporting, photography, editing, and he is the one person you can always look to when a piece of equipment fails, like a video cable, or a computer hard drive, or any construction or electrical need.
Kevin also has plans to produce a weekly entertainment program for the Salem TV station KWVT.
With all of those things to keep him occupied, Kevin says he can't stay busy enough, and these days he doubles as a deck hand on the Willamette Queen, the Willamette River sternwheeler.
David Duncan
Original Salem-News.com Web Designer
David Duncan has been part of the Salem-News.com team since the beginning in the early summer of 2004. The original Web design was David's work, that is what got the whole thing going in the first place until the arrival of Matt Lintz.
David continues to be involved though his other committments keep him jumping too. David has spent years working as a volunteer at Salem's CCTV, the local community cable access channel.
He has also recently completed working on a full length movie that was approved by the Screen Actors Guild.
Cody Sheets
Salem-News.com Reporter
Email Cody Sheets at: LordTekrin@live.com
Visit Cody's MySpace page.
Cody Sheets is the latest addition to the Salem-News.com writing staff. President of Verbatim et Litteram at Chemeketa Community College's Writing Organization, Cody brings a fresh perspective to Salem-News as a freshman college writer.
Cody's experience in the field of journalism is extensive for a person his age. He has served as the Editor-in-Chief of two papers, including both his middle school, and high school newspapers.
We at Salem-News.com are proud to welcome Cody as part of our team and we are very excited about featuring stories that appeal to a younger audience through the eyes of a dynamic young student writer. If you would like to reach Cody Sheets, you can email him at this address: LordTekrin@live.com
Professor OOI Keat Gin
Salem-News.com Correspondent on Asian Political Affairs
Email: kgooi@hotmail.com
OOI Keat Gin is an associate professor and coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Research Unit (APRU) in the School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. We are honored to have his assistance as a part time writer for Salem-News.com where we try to broaden the knowledge of our visitors through a world view.
He has written a number of important books that are available on the Internet, including Southeast Asia: "A Historical Encyclopedia, From Angkor Wat to East Timor", "From Colonial Outpost to Cosmopolitan Centre: The Growth and Development of George Town, Penang, from late 18th century to late 20th century", "Rising Sun Over Borneo: The Japanese Occupation of Sarawak, 1941-1945", "Japanese Empire in the Tropics: Selected Reports and Documents of the Japanese Period in Sarawak, Northwest Borneo, 1941-1945" and Of Free Trade and Native Interests: The Brookes and the Economic Development of Sarawak, 1841-1941.
The staff of Salem-News.com is very thrilled that Professor OOI Keat Gin is taking time out of his busy schedule in Malaysia to write articles for our Internet publication.
He understands that Americans are watching events in Myanmar develop from afar, that they are very curious. It is his hope and ours that our visitors will gain a more direct understanding of these world events from a person whose life is dedicated to the development of peace on the Asian continent.
CeliaSue Hecht
Salem-News.com Travel Writer
Email: celiasue.hecht@gmail.com
CeliaSue Hecht, is a Freelance Journalist (listed in Cision media directory), originally from NYC, Corporate and Travel Writer, and PR Expert with more than 27 years of writing experience. She has traveled around the world and throughout the USA, visiting India, Germany, England, France, Holland, Israel, Bangladesh, Thailand, Singapore, Greece and everywhere but the northwest USA. She is also a dog travel blogger (Her blog celiasue.wordpress.com has more than 58,000 views). She has worked with authors, CPA's, doctors, designers, inventors, financial services, consumer product companies, nonprofits (Head Start), pet business owners, environmental organizations as well as independent consultants and innkeepers. She has a Bachelor's degree from Florida Atlantic University in Communications and a minor in Education. She has always loved to write, from teenage angst filled poems to articles published in top newspapers and magazines, Writing is the Love of Her Life... (besides her dog, Cici)...
Her work has appeared in more than 40 publications including Entrepreneur, USA Today, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Boston.com, the Reno Gazette Journal, Nevada Appeal, Parents magazine, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Record Courier, Auto Channel News, Marin Independent Journal, Napa News, Las Vegas Review Journal, Las Vegas SUN, Las Vegas Business Press, Real Woman magazine, Courier magazine, Nevada Woman magazine, Salem-News, Monterey County Weekly, Auburn Journal, Nevada Business Journal, NorthBay Biz magazine, Parents magazine, Senior Spectrum, Desert Trail, Hi-Desert Star, Boca Raton Daily News, First Class magazine, In Light Times, Soulfulliving.com, Working Spirit newsletter, HealthyWealthynWise, Small Business Briefs and more.
She regularly offers Publicity on a Shoestring workshops and talks as well as Getting Published for authors, small business owners and entrepreneurs. For the past 20 years, she has talked, promoted and coordinated events, seminars, and workshops for authors, entrepreneurs and seminar leaders in Las Vegas, LA, Germany and Thailand.
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