U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and David Leach, farm manager at the Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research and Education Center, point Monday to where the new four-lane W.Va. 9 will come through part of the center's property. (Dave McMillion/Bureau Reporter)
Quick aside... why isn't the third person in the photo named? Oh... because they're another local reporter. They're supposed to report the news, not make it... remember?
Point #1: The power of incumbency to manage the press
Whatever newspaper editor approved this powder puff story deserves to be mocked for professional incompetence.
Is there any news being made? No. Not even a pretense of news. No money being doled out. No federal official visiting to tout a failed administrative policy. Not even a flimsy excuse for news.
Is there some compelling human interest angle? No. No interesting background story. Capito visits a fruit research station. That's the beginning and end of the story.
Is there some vital public interest served? None. There's no tie-in to a "remind readers to wash their fruit" initiative or anything else that might serve the public interest. Just: Capito visits fruit research station.
Does the institution in question--Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research and Education Center--deserve press coverage? Absolutely. So write a story about the research station and don't dilute the impact with a Congresswoman in the way.
Point #2: Republican Rep. Capito is out of touch with her district
Capito, R-W.Va., said she wanted to tour the facility after passing it regularly along W.Va. 9 and being curious about its operations.
Conservative Republican Capito (WV-02), 8 years after starting to travel in the Eastern Panhandle regularly, decides to find out more about this facility. If they were a corporation or catered to the wealthy, do you think it would have taken this long?
Instead...
The facility helps growers understand practices such as how to use pesticides to control pests in the most "highly technological way," officials at the center said.
But an increasing number of growers also are interested in how to grow fruit organically, said Alan Biggs, professor of plant pathology at the facility.
Members of the West Virginia State Horticultural Society approached center officials about organic growing concepts, Biggs said. The Horticultural Society represents about 60 growers, most of whom are in the Eastern Panhandle region, Biggs said.
Research center officials are working on the effort and hope the center can eliminate pitfalls growers might face with organic operations. This will allow center officials to "take the technology right to the grower," Biggs said.
Although the number of orchards has dropped significantly in the Eastern Panhandle over the years, it seems to have stabilized, Biggs said.
Biggs said the decline of orchards has stabilized as growers turn to niche operations like organic products and other fruit crops.
And there are new growers buying land in areas like Hampshire County and specializing in fresh food sales, Biggs said.
The fruit research station, which is affiliated with West Virginia University, has been in operation since 1930 and has an annual budget of roughly $350,000 to $450,000, Biggs said.
Wow. Right here in our district, a research station that helps keep jobs in our district. Sounds like something our Representative in Congress should be very interested in. Too bad she's eight years too late.
Of course, the press who covered the event didn't find the time to ask her why she didn't visit the research station long ago... maybe then we have a real story. |
