By Jeff Orvis
If you have been fortunate to find a career that has been fulfilling and at least a little rewarding, chances are you've had a mentor along the way. When I think of a mentor, I think of someone who has been there to show you the ropes, encourage you along the way and someone who is not afraid to kick you in the backside if you sometimes go astray.
I have been very fortunate to have several people in my life who mentored me one way or another as I traveled through the crazy world of community journalism for more than 35 years. But two men immediately come to mind when I think of those most responsible for my appreciation of paying attention to details and picking up on the little things of a story that people want to know.
These two longtime newspaper editor-publishers have book-ended my professional journey to this point. One, Harry Ryder, got me started in this business when I happened to mention that I didn't think his Bettendorf News was giving enough attention to my high school, Pleasant Valley.
I think his reply was something like, “If you think you can do a better job, give it a try.” So, along with my high school studies and activities in band, chorus and manager of the football, basketball and track teams, I began writing recaps of our games and submitting them to the paper as a correspondent.
We lost my most major influence to my professional life last week with the passing of Don Magdefrau, longtime editor and publisher of the Belle Plaine Union and South Benton Star Press. In 1996, after more than 17 years as a reporter at the newspaper in Independence and a one-year failed attempt to publish a competing weekly newspaper in the same city, I was once again looking for a job. Don had an opening at his newspapers and invited me to apply. Apparently he and his partners were satisfied with my interview and I had a new job. But though we liked our home in Independence, we knew the hour-long commute to Belle Plaine would soon have to end. Don and I also knew that in order to immerse yourself in your community, you had to live there.
We found a nice house to live in for the first year. But we knew that the owner was planning on retiring and moving into the house the next year. As time began to run out, Don came through again, this time offering to rent us his boyhood home. So for the next 10+ years, he was my landlord as well as my boss.
By the time I landed in Belle Plaine, Don had been in the business more than 40 years. Going to work each day was like going to school. In his quiet, even-tempered way he let you know when you were doing a good job. I remember one time when I slacked off on a story, the only time he really got mad at me. But even as he reprimanded me, I sensed more disappointment than anger in what he said.
One of the activities he enjoyed almost as much as publishing a quality newspaper each week was his work with the Iowa Newspaper Association. I'm sure he made hundreds of good friends from every corner of the state, as well as neighboring states, over the years. He made sure his staff was able to attend the annual state convention and one year, when he won a prestigious state award, he offered to allow us to stay overnight in downtown Des Moines so we could celebrate in the President's Suite into the wee hours without the long drive back to Benton County.
Don and Fran's son, Jim, was the managing editor of our papers, working side-by-side with his dad for many years. They were responsible for the décor of our office, as we had more state award plaques than wall space to display them. When I joined the staff, Jim had a political ally. His father was a strong figure in Benton County Republican politics. Jim and I were on the other side of the political spectrum and I really enjoyed Jim's subtle needling of his father in their quiet debates. But Don's connections proved quite valuable, as I got to meet governors, a congressman and a senator when they came to town.
Shortly after I went to work in Belle Plaine, Don and his partners got an offer they couldn't refuse and sold the company to the Des Moines Register. It was a good move for them financially and I'm sure they felt it was a good opportunity for their employees. We enjoyed a good association with our new owners for a few years, as they wisely kept Don on in charge of the Benton newspapers. But as I've written about in earlier posts, our newspapers eventually succumbed to the economic realities and corporate downsizing found its way to our operation.
On the day I decided to put Belle Plaine in my rear view mirror for the last time, I stopped by Don and Fran's house to let them know that the house was empty and I was finally on my way to Davenport. We both had tears in our eyes as Don almost apologized for bringing me into a situation where I would ultimately be forced to leave. But I reminded him that he had thrown me a career lifeline 14 years before and that I had learned a lifetime worth of lessons working for him.
From the time I left Bettendorf until I arrived in Belle Plaine I worked for more publishers than I can remember. Each one taught me a few things, either how to be a better newspaper reporter or sometimes what not to do. But none had the love of nor the respect for community journalism that Harry and Don had. I fear that as we move toward more electronic journalism and people like these two leave us, so too will a little bit of the soul of this state.
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