could have film processed in 90 minutes. Now it takes seconds to download a photo.” Hertz said the Press & Dakotan entered the digital age in 1997. “At that time we had one computer that was connected to the Internet,” he said. “We had 90 minutes per day and that was the only computer that had email. Within a year or two everyone had their own internet connection and we were amazed.” According to Hertz, technology has impacted the newsroom in many, many ways. “Digital photos changed everything,” he said. “You used to be at a basketball game shooting photos and you would have to make sure you got a good shot and made it back to the office in enough time to run film for 90 minutes, let it dry for 30-40 minutes, pick a photo out and scan it in the computer system.” Although there are numerous technologies – read Compugraphic – that Hertz spent numerous hours learning and perfecting in order to just push them aside and move on to the next thing, Hertz said the progression in technology was necessary to appreciate what we have now. “It really is amazing how quickly we can do things now,” he said. “Sometimes that’s a good thing but it also has its issues.” As technology has pushed everything faster and the Internet has led to news being almost instantaneous, Hertz said there are pitfalls for newspapers. “The media is more competitive but we also have to strive to make sure we are more accurate (than those who can get the story out right away),” he said. “We have to find a different angle.” When social media first started people were excited about getting their news out or saving money on advertising in traditional media, but Hertz said he’s seeing a second wave now of people who realize that isn’t really the best way to promote anything. “If you just put something online, it’s like putting a flyer on a tree in the middle of the forest and hoping someone happens to look at that particular tree,” he said. “And advertising on social media is just like shoveling money out of town.” Although Hertz was initially terrified of photography he has since grown comfortable and his technique has evolved over the years. He now shoots all digital and he said he has three rules for his work. “1 – Take something that will work (for the newspaper). 2 – Something different. 3 – Something that will win a Pulitzer Prize,” he said. “Of course I haven’t really hit that last one yet.” Hertz says the photo of two firemen kneeling in front of a motel fire a few years ago was the best photo he’s ever taken. “It was so cold and that was one of the first shots I took,” he said. “I stayed to take some video for online but I realized that shot was good when I had Sioux Falls media calling me all night to get it sent to them. It went global. I remember seeing it as the top photo of the week on the USA Today site. That really was accidentally the best photo I ever took.” Hertz said there are people who ask why he takes so many photos. “I always say, ‘Why not?’,” he said. “There is always a better shot.” That’s the thing about news – it never ends and every day you get another shot to do your best. “I always thought there was this great mystery of how everything works in news,” he said. “When I started (in the news department), I realized there was no mystery - or at least one I didn’t already know - You just have to show up and do your job.” vBy Tera Schmidt vULTIMATE FAN/OLSON continued from page 7 got two buddies who are Jimmie Johnson fans and I’m an anti-Jimmie Johnson guy. The best ones are when Jimmie Johnson doesn’t win.” However, the experience goes well beyond just watching the race. “For us, it’s all about the journey,” he said. “We get down there and it’s about having a little bit of fun. We get us five guys down there, we get up about 8 a.m., go down to the track, park, cook breakfast, have adult beverages and we play beanbag toss and corn hole and just have fun. We go to the race, tailgate some more, then we go and meet up with some other friends and we do it for three days — we do it for the time trials, the Xfinity race and then we do it for the cup race and come back on Monday.” One year, Olson said they took tailgating to the extreme. “We all got together in Crofton and we went through Osmond and stopped at the meat locker,” he said. “These guys are pulling an enclosed trailer and I look inside the enclosed trailer and they’ve got a deep-freeze in there. We went into the locker and all of us made one trip out. We were carrying just a ton of meat.” Upon arrival at the track, Olson said they shared their craft with many other race-goers. “When we got into the infield, we started our grill,” he said. “It cooked 24/7. We’d smoke roasts overnight and we had an open-house sign out in front. People were just walking around and we’d say, ‘Hey, you want a sandwich?’ We’d just be giving away sandwiches and beef and pork. We were just smoking everything. It was unbelievable and a lot of fun.” vBy Rob Nielsen vGILL continued from page 11 said. “I guess every EMT’s dream is to deliver a baby and I have done that. It puts a more positive spin on the work than always the negative.” The advancement in equipment is quite noteworthy Gill said. They now have a machine called Lucas, that does CPR compressions on patients now, blanket and IV warmers and cots that are powered electrically so they raise and lower easier, but there are still band-aids and stethoscopes, so some things stay the same. But always, the care of the patient is foremost in the EMT’s mind. Getting the patient to the hospital is always the primary concern and usually the crew gets to the hospital in 10 or 15 minutes in town - unless there is a discussion where the wife wants the husband to go and the husband does not want to go Gill said with a laugh. Finally, the most timeconsuming part of the job is the paperwork. Sacrifices have to be made by not only the EMTs by giving up free time, but Gill thinks his wife Laura and two daughters give up a lot more. “I can’t count the number of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter meals I have had to walk out on,” Gill said. “Or after church we go out to eat as a family but take two cars because I may have to leave on a call.” In the break room, the younger guys think Gill as the oldest member of the crew and the longest-standing member of the crew may have forgotten more about being an EMT over the years than they will ever know. “It’s been rewarding, and I have good feelings about my years as a EMT,” Gill said. “I see people in the best and worst situations and I’m grateful I can be there for my family and friends.” And more important Gill wants to be there. vBy Linda Wuebben HISVOICEvJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018v13