• We're losing some of the good ones
Tim Burke: The thrill of chasing the big story and the adrenaline rush on deadline were always enough to offset — or minimize — the low pay, high stress and lousy hours associated with our business.

• Somebody is sending those notes
Jack Sheppard: If your reporters aren’t working for Web services not connected with your paper, brace yourself. They probably will be.

• Editors missing chances to recruit
Lynn Hoppes: Despite pledges to increase diversity, sports editors apparently are not attending venues that might help them do that.

• How not to look silly? Try talking
Kevin Ball: Your newspaper’s beat reporter and columnist recount the end of a game — under deadline pressure. But there’s a problem: They’re writing the same story.

• Bringing the readers into the mix
Gene Warnick: The Friday night lights still shine brightly in Odessa, Texas.

• Small stuff: a big difference
Randy Beard: As the bumper sticker says: Don’t sweat the small stuff. But the truth is that it’s all small stuff.

• Web page is getting a job bank -and looking for breaking news
Bob Yates: We are putting the finishing touches on a job bank for the APSE Web site, and we expect it to be functioning sometime this month.

• Red Smith process needs our input
Tracy Dodds: If it weren’t for Sam Lacy, I’d be a lot more concerned about whether the process for selecting the Red Smith Award winner is as cliquish and elitist as some of our members say it is. But Mr. Lacy gives me hope.

• How Red Smith Award nominating, voting work
The Red Smith Award selection process begins in the February APSE Newsletter with a call for nominations. The deadline is usually March 15.
• List of Red Smith Award winners

• Writing, editing, design on agenda
Paul D. Bowker: Point your cars toward Alabama. The ninth APSE drive-in workshop is headed for Huntsville, Monday, Nov. 8.

• Vacek resigns; Jaffe is second VP
Kirby Arnold: Family comes first for Rick Vacek, but that doesn’t mean his service to APSE was easy to give up.

• Making the call on Cup photo play
Joe Pedley: When Brandi Chastain celebrated the U.S. victory over China in the World Cup final by ripping off her shirt and screaming in happiness, photographers captured the moment and gave sports editors a few questions to ponder hurriedly that July 10 evening.

• It's not too early to think St. Pete
Tim Burke: I’ll be the judge, so to speak, but not before I count the APSE members who come to St. Petersburg in February to judge four contest circulation categories for the first time.

• Chicago 2000 looking for sponsors
For the third time in four years, APSE’s convention finished in the red financially — $3,174.31 to be exact.

• Second dues notices going to members in October
The second dues notices for the 1999-2000 APSE year will be in the mail later this month.

• Regions
Mark Tupper, sports editor of the Herald & Review in Decatur, Ill., is making the on-line world work for him.

• On the move
Kirby Arnold: Dale Bye is now a managing editor of the Sporting News in St. Louis.