Hello, Douglas County! My name is Jordan Allison and I am the
author of this column. I am 11 years old and go to school here in
Douglas County; Parker to be exact. How did I get a job on this
particular newspaper, you ask?
No, the editor wasn’t just flipping through the phone book and
happened to come by my phone number. No, the editor didn’t randomly
call people up and say “Hey, do you want a job on the Douglas
County News-Press?” It’s really an interesting story. You see, I
write a newsletter for my family periodically. During my summer
break, my grandmother faxed a copy of it to this paper to see what
they thought. Three weeks later, my grandma received an e-mail from
the assistant editor of this newspaper. The editor is wondering if
I would like to write a monthly column for her to put on this page!
To make a long story short, I took the job and now I’m
here.
I hope you enjoy my column…it will come out the first week of
every month. You might see topics about school, sports, events,
etc. … or about just being a kid since I am a total expert on being
one.
School!
That is the one word every kid hears every August. You had a
break, now set your alarm clock because school is back in
session!
The other two words every kid hears every August just so happen
to be: SUPPLY SHOPPING. Some kids dread them as others love them.
The basic back-to-school list usually consists of No. 2 pencils,
two-pocket folders, crayons and markers, highlighters, a ruler,
loose leaf paper, scissors, a pencil box, and a few spiral
notebooks – plus some Ziploc Baggies and Kleenex, right?
Wrong.
Seventy-five dollars later you’ve got your 2-inch binder,
subject dividers, accordion folder, erasable pens, compass (not the
kind Christopher Columbus used), protractor and a disposable
camera? Plus everything I mentioned in the first place, thank you
very much. How do you get the most out of these costly
things?
Please, RECYCLE. When writing in a notebook, always use both
sides of the paper. Be organized, too. The messier your desk is the
more stuff you are going to lose. Now, take advantage of that
permanent marker! Label everything. Say it with me: Everything. One
more time: Everything. Good. You’ve got it. Did somebody pick up
your scissors off of a table? Well, thanks to that black
always-stay-on-never-come-off marker, you know that those are your
scissors. Recycle, be neat, and label. How easy is that?
Drive like James Bond!
I would like to tell you about an awesome car. The new Gibbs
Aquada has a very special feature. No, it’s not a 6-disc CD changer
or a DVD player. With just a push of a button those 4 black wheels
go up so you can drive in water! It’s like a boat with a radio! Too
bad it’s only sold in Australia.
A fact from the Olympics!
Did you know that in fencing, the judges have a special way of
knowing when an opponent is hit? Well, there are lights about the
helmet that fencers cannot see. When their opponent is hit above
the waist the light goes on.
Looking for a great read?
Try the Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. All 10
books in the series are intriguing as orphans Violet, Klaus and
Sunny try to survive on their own, with their evil uncle Count Olaf
on their tail.
Well, that’s all for now! Goodbye from Jordan Allison. See you
next month, Douglas County!