Ogden column: Thanks for all stories and photos

Thank you.

The response of our call for your stories about your passions - written by you - has been overwhelming. We've touched on many subjects since introducing this “Your Page” in December and it's all thanks to you.

This is our 20th “Your Page,” a milestone in our venture into community journalism. We have had stories from cyclist, bird watchers, runners, basketball players, high school journalists and many, many more.

But we live in a “what have you done for me lately” world, especially in the media business where every day brings a new story.

With that in mind, I'd like to give you a few story ideas to keep the ball rolling.

If you are unfamiliar with what we are doing, in a nutshell we want your stories, about the games you play, the sports and activities you love. It could be on your neighbor, your parents, siblings or children. The door is open to any idea.

And you're the writer.

If you need a little help, here are some ideas as we venture into the summer months:

l May is National Bike Month, with May 14-18 designated as Ride Your Bike to Work Week. Let me know your cycling stories - from tips to keep your bike running properly, to adventures you've had on two wheels to features on folks who race or ride their bikes for fitness.

l We've had a series of stories by runners, from Erin Moeller's tale about qualifying then attempting to run the Olympic Marathon Trials after suffering an injury to Lisa Paulos' ultra adventures. What about some training tips for hot weather, or write about favorite races or workouts, or your plans for a fall marathon?

l The auto racing season has started at several area tracks, from West Liberty to Raceway to Benton County Speedway in Vinton. Weekly races at Hawkeye Downs start on Friday. Are you a driver who wants to keep a weekly blog? A fan who spends the weekend jumping from one track to another? A promoter looking to show off some new features at your track? Write about it.

l Finally, summer means golf. Steve Charters from Twin Pines already is giving us some fantastic tips, but what about a story on a local golfer, a look at weekly league play or a look at your favorite courses in Eastern Iowa and the Midwest?

Hope this helps gets your creative juices flowing.

Thanks for reading - and writing.

What's your story?

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Speaking of community, correspondent Jeff Hare will continue his tour through the area with his “Faces of Eastern Iowa” feature. If you know an interesting sports character for Hare, email him at hare486@aol.com