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4A WISE COUNTY MESSENGER, Decatur, Texas, Saturday, November 24, 2012OPINIONOUR VIEWSSmiling for the cameraBy BOB BUCKELIt’s not every day you seeseventh grader dunk aasketball.I’m sure that was part ofhe thought process for theeople who took the kid’sicture and emailed it to theewspaper where I used toork.(Sorry, coaches. This didot happen around here.)They were excited to havehis athletic prodigy in theiridst, so they sent the phooto our sports editor. But itas not a great photo. It wasoo far away, low-resolution,nd the kid’s face was notvisible. On top of that, theinformation they gave usjust said a seventh graderat that particular school recentlydunked a basketball.It didn’t tell us his name.Being a good sports editor,and sports having sloweddown since football season,he calledand suggestedhe comeout, take abetter photoand do a littlestory.BUCKEL“Out of thequestion,” the school replied.“Why?” we asked.“We can’t give you hisname,” they said.Again, “Why?”They couldn’t, wouldn’ttell us. We assumed the kid’sfamily was having some sortof custody battle, or was inthe witness protection program,or dad was in jail, ormom was a secret agent, orhe was really an experimentalgovernment robot kid.All we could do was assume,since no one could/would tellus anything.So we tossed the photo.If you’re going to tell yourreaders a seventh gradercan dunk a basketball,the least you can do is tellthem the kid’s name.It was all moot by spring,when he won virtually everyevent at the junior hightrack meet. Each time thepublic address announcergave the results, he loudlyproclaimed the kid’s namefor all to hear.Sadly, he moved awaybefore he could star for thehigh school team.But it raises a pointabout how much the worldhas changed.I know that sounds likesomething an old geezerwould say (and I qualify)but even the 30-somethingsin the office shaketheir heads at how differentit is, nowadays, goingto schools to shoot pictures.Some districts are stillfairly relaxed, wavingour photographers ontothe campus for field days,Christmas programs or themultitude of award-presentationswe’re invited tocover. At the big districts,those days are gone. We entera campus only if accompaniedby an administratoror a PR staff member.But even the most laidbackschool districts nowwant to know whose photoyou’re going to print — becausethey all have a “notto-be-photographed”list.Sometimes, the way theform is worded at the startof school, parents have theoption to have absolutelyno information releasedabout their child.Most likely think aboutunwanted mail, phone callsor emails, or even worse,identity theft, without realizingthat if they checkthat box, their kid can’tget his picture in the paperwhen he drops a Mentointo a two-liter jug of dietcola for science class.Our photographers arekeenly aware that no matterhow great a photo theymight get, we might not beable to use it if one of the“do-not-photograph” kidshappens to be in it, grinningat the camera. (Forsome reason, those areusually the little ForrestGumps whose faces are inevery frame.)It’s also ironic that someof the parents who checkthat box and keep theirkids’ faces out of the Messengeralso post all kindsof photos and personal informationon social websites.Those sites, by theway, are a much richersource of information forpredators than the newspaper.It’s a sign of the times,but a sad one.One of the best complimentsI ever got was from amom whose son was graduatingfrom high school.She told me they had athick scrapbook on him,starting with his birth announcement,pictures fromLittle League, the schoolplay, honor roll clippings,community service projects,all the way throughhigh school basketball andthe graduation section.“I know that if we livedin the big city, none of thatwould have been in the paper,”she said. “I’m just sothankful we live in a smalltown. We have the story ofour son’s life, all clippedfrom the newspaper.”He was a fiesty littlepoint guard who playedgood defense. As far as Iknow, he never dunked.But we knew his name.Bob Buckel is the Messenger’sexecutive editor. Emailhim at bbuckel@wcmessenger.com.OTHER VIEWSBoard proposesbudget for nextbienniumBy ED STERLINGTo pass a budget bill ishe Texas Legislature’sain job, but it is the0-member Legislativeudget Board’s job toropose how much moneyhe state may spend.At a Nov. 15 publicearing, the Board oferedup a 2014-2015 twoearstate budget cappedt $78 billion per year, obervingthe constitutionalpending limit. ComprollerSusan Combs hasnother couple of monthso share her revenueorecast with the budgetritingHouse AppropriaionsCommittee and theenate Finance Commitee.The 83rd Texas Legislatureis scheduled to conveneon Jan. 8. Among amultitude of budget considerationsare: (1) a statepopulation projected tobe greater than 27 millionpeople; (2) the businessclimate; (3) publichealth; (4) public education;(5) public safety, lawenforcement and prisons;(6) roads, highways andbridges; (7) local governmentalinstitutions andmore.Members of the LegislativeBudget Board,to whom much is entrusted,are joint chairsLt. Gov. Dewhurst andHouse Speaker JoeStraus, House AppropriationsCommittee ChairContinued on page 9AOUR VIEWSIt’s personal, no matter how large the causeBy ERIKA PEDROZAAs a community newsaper,we aim to bring oureaders stories that impacthem most directly. That inludescoverage of accidentsnd fires in the county (orhat involve people from ourounty) and the accomplishentsand not-so-wise deciionsof our neighbors.We find the “local connecion”in every news item weun — even in the obituaresand press releases sentrom out of state.At times we work to put aace to a larger issue, as weid in the recent, two-weekeature series on the War onrugs. The series includedcouple of harder news stoies,filled with staggeringtatistics and the perspeciveof law enforcement ofcersand prosecutors.PEDROZAThe seriesalso ran thestories of formerusers —one payingthe price, otherswho gothelp in timeto withdraw and recover.As informative as the otherarticles were, the personalstories — the ones that puta face to the statistics — aremore stirring and relatable.Those are the stories of ourneighbors, people we workwith, attend school with andare served by at local restaurants— neighbors whostomp the same ground wedo.That concept seems applicablewhen choosingour charities, too — likethe “Look Local” campaignimplemented a couple ofyears ago. We are floodedwith requests for donationsfor a multitude of greatcauses, all local — cannedfood drives for our local foodbanks, diaper drives for thepregnancy resource center,catalogue fundraisers flungin our face by family membersto benefit their schoolor sports team. The listof causes that benefit ourneighbors and friends goeson and on.While I’d love to go grab apound cake from every bakesale at the local banks, orbuy a raffle ticket from everynon-profit for my shot ata new toy, I just can’t.I am, however, more proneto contribute to a cause ifI know the specific beneficiary.As a matter of fact, asyou’re reading this I’m probablyface-planting and gaspingfor air as a participant ina benefit soccer tournament(presuming it’s Saturday).And although I may regretit Sunday when I can’t prymyself out of bed, I didn’tthink twice about participating,despite my lack ofathleticism.I do this not only because Iknow the family and specificcause (offsetting the medicalexpenses of the fatherin-lawof two of my secondcousins,who is battlingkidney cancer), but becauseI couldn’t imagine not beingat my dad’s side if he werefighting a life-threateningdisease, like one cousin’shusband and another’s wife,who aren’t able to be withtheir dad in Mexico.However small, my contributionmight pay a sliverof a round of treatment or acouple of items in the grocerybasket.I also recognize the importanceof contributing toa larger cause where I don’tknow the directly impacted— causes like the AmericanCancer Society’s Relay forLife. Money raised at thisevent — somewhere, howeverlong ago — funded theresearch that developed thepill that is treating my familyfriend’s ailment.I became involved in thefundraiser in memory ofmy grandmother. Althoughshe lost her battle with lungcancer, she had her gooddays. Yes, I believe that waslargely due to a higher power,but I also think the treatmentshe received played arole.If it weren’t for the moneycollected at fundraiserslike Relay for Life, therewouldn’t be such options.In addition, an increasingnumber of my family membersand friends who live inthe area are fighting or supportinga loved one fightingthe disease. Each familiarface is another reason tosupport the research for acure.Amidst your younger relatives’petitions to buy cookiedough or donate to benefitaccident victims, considerbecoming involved in a Relay.The local event is heldannually in May, but aninformational meeting forthose interested is 6 to 8p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, at theHampton Inn in Decatur.Although perhaps not directly,your efforts will aidfamiliar faces — an alarminglyincreasing number ofthem.Erika Pedroza is a Messengerreporter. Email her atepedroza@wcmessenger.com.