Thank you for sharing your decision process to publish feature writer Tom Hallman Jr.’s story about a parrot named Joy on the front page, (“Letter from the Editor: Good news deserves front-page perch at times,” July 17). Not only is it a wonderful story told with humor and compassion, it’s a story Portlanders need to read about right now. For 10 years, I wrote feature stories for a community newspaper covering Northeast Portland in search of neighborhood stories like this one. The Hollywood Star News did not publish political or controversial news, but appealed to readers eager to learn more about their neighborhoods and the people who lived and worked there. A few years ago, Hallman spoke at the Genealogical Forum of Oregon, advising participants that family history is more than just birth and death dates that chronicle the story of ancestors. Interesting life stories bring them to life in a far more meaningful way. I hope Hallman never stops writing stories and that The Oregonian continues to publish his pieces on whatever page they land.
Kathy Eaton, Portland
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