By Bobby Tingle

 

The Orange Leader office is settling into our new office, now at 1008 Green Avenue.  If you travel down Green Avenue going west, look for our new signs just before 10th Street on the right.  The signs display our new logos for the newspaper and Orange Living, our quarterly magazine.  

If you are heading east as you cross 10th Street look for our signs on your left just past the Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce office.

Editor Dawn Burleigh was somewhat gratified while taking in the signs adorning our southern exterior wall.  Burleigh is quite the talented editor. She is also a talented designer. She designed the logos for each of our print publications, which proudly point out our new home.

Come inside and you can feast your eyes on our photo slideshow.  It is a compilation of sports shots by Sports Editor Van Wade and local photographer Mark Pachuca.  Burleigh has added a few shots from her meanderings about town and I have several from the recent pro rodeo and Special Angels rodeo at T2 Arena.  We have shots from Mardi Gras events, a food drive at a local automobile dealer, Back to School Orange County and pictures of Reader’s Choice winners last year.

If you gaze long enough you can see the big smile of Eli Wyatt Triplett who came to see his grandpa at the office one day.

Come by and see us when you can.  As many moves go, we are still working on getting all the pictures, awards and memorabilia mounted and in place.  But we would love to see you.

Come on by.

 

An argument for a hospital

 

Sometimes the news business is not fun.  Sometimes the news makes you cringe. This week was one of those weeks.

The news came our way about a mother bringing her baby to what she thought was an emergency room at the hospital on Strickland Drive.  Of course, the emergency room has been closed for some time.

Her eighteen-month-old son was reported to be having a heart attack.  Health care professionals at the infusion clinic did all they could for the young boy.

But their efforts were futile.

An autopsy report revealed the cause of death to be suffocation.  The autopsy report also alleged child abuse.

Two issues of grave concern, it seems, are evident.

First and foremost is child abuse.

Responsibility, if the allegation of child abuse proves true, for the death of this child lies squarely on the shoulders of the caregiver(s) of this young man.

What about the rest of us?  Are we as concerned about the safety of children as we ought to be?

We should also be concerned about our lack of a full-service hospital.

Private emergency rooms, urgent care facilities, and doctors are available, but those in need of advanced medical care must go elsewhere.

Is this week’s event an argument for pursuing a local hospital?

It is worth considering.

 

March Madness is more than basketball

 

March brings a maddening array of sporting events to the field of battle.  March Madness specifically denotes a basketball tournament where 64 teams try to make the final four.  Actually, 60 teams are chosen to be in the 64. Eight other clubs compete to complete the field of 64. That group is known as the first four.

The ultimate goal is to win out and be crowned the national champion.

Basketball is not the only sport percolating though.  Baseball, softball, golf, soccer, track, and field are also going full speed.

It is enough to make a sports enthusiast’s head spin.

Sports Editor Van Wade sometimes has to flip a coin to decide where to go next.

Many coaches send Wade results from their events.  Those results are either published in print or online.

Wade is grateful for your contributions in the swirl of activity each spring.

Help keep him sane by continuing to send those results his way.  We appreciate you!

 

Bobby Tingle is the publisher of The Orange Leader. You can reach him at bobby.tingle@orangeleader.com.