Readers of this space know by now that the overwhelming majority of my social references come from one of two areas – movies or sports.
One of my favorite movies is one you’ve likely never heard of, “My Favorite Year,’’ featuring the brilliant Peter O’Toole, who played an often drunk, out-of-control, swashbuckling actor appearing on a weekly variety show in the early days of television.
At one point, O’Toole’s character (Allan Swann) was approached by a man who was celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary, to which Swann offered.
“Congratulations, you certainly have more staying power than I.’’
This week here at The Reflector, we celebrated somebody with much more staying power than I. We had the pleasure of honoring Mike Schultz, whose 25th anniversary at the paper was Sept. 25.
The 49-year-old Schultz, a 1983 graduate of Battle Ground High School, currently fills the role as The Reflector’s printing department manager. Schultz oversees the day-to-day operations of the printing department, which includes printing sales and marketing.
Schultz began working for The Reflector in 1985 as a freelance photographer and he continued in that role for four years. During that time, he was also advancing his education of photography at Clark College.
Schultz officially joined the staff of The Reflector on Sept. 25, 1989 as a press operator and photographer. He took over printing customer service and sales in 2000-2005 and was promoted to his current position in 2011.
Schultz continues to make a significant contribution to the presentation and content of The Reflector Newspaper with his photography skills. The Woodland resident photographs community festivals, news and sporting events and other features for the newspaper and his work is often prominently displayed on Page A1 of the paper, or other section covers.
As you might have guessed, Schultz has many highlights and stories to tell from his 25 years at The Reflector.
One of his most vivid memories was an incident in July of 1987 when a lady drove her car right through the wall and into The Reflector newsroom, pinning designer Daria Lacy behind her light table. Schultz was away from The Reflector when it happened but heard the call of the incident on his portable scanner.
Schultz knew where then-owner Marvin Case was eating lunch, so he drove to a nearby Battle Ground restaurant to deliver the news to his boss.
“He was up from the table and in his car before I could turn around,’’ said Schultz, who then hurried back to The Reflector to photograph the incident.
Among the many highlights Schultz recalls from his 25 years include having the opportunity to photograph President Bill Clinton, not once but twice, in 1996.
“That was exciting,’’ Schultz said. “He came to Woodland twice that year, in February because of the flood and in September prior to the election. I’ve always enjoyed newspaper photography.’’
Schultz also remembered the presidential election of 1992 when he and other staff members worked overnight to make sure election results were in The Reflector the next day.
“We delayed circulation by 8-12 hours to put the election results in the newspaper,’’ Schultz said.
Schultz has recalled the many high school state championship games that he photographed involving area teams.
The technological changes that have taken place in the last 25 years have been significant according to Schultz. But, one thing that never changes is the people he interacts with.
“Getting to work with a lot of great customers has been one of the funnest parts of the job,’’ Schultz said.
Laura Venneri, general manager of The Reflector, presented Schultz with some gifts of appreciation, including a Seattle Seahawks sweatshirt, at a gathering of employees on Sept. 25. Schultz is an avid NFL fan of both the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks. He attended Super Bowl XL, when the Seahawks lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.
Please join us in honoring Mike Schultz and 25 special years at The Reflector.
Ken Vance
Editor
