This week, we changed a policy at the Sentinel regarding the publishing of the names of juveniles in police reports. Iowa law allows for juvenile offenders' names to be published at the time of charges. We are now publishing names and ages of juvenile offenders in arrest records. This is a return to the way things were done here at the Sentinel prior to April, 2000.

We publish this information to inform the public. Sometimes publishing the names of juvenile offenders is not appreciated by everyone. We all were young once and made bad decisions, right? When I was nine I got caught shoplifting comic books from the drug store. The owner of the store, Orval Fink, caught me as I was a few feet from the door and freedom. He took me to the the back of the store, made me fess up for my crime and gave me the look. Parents, you know the look -- the I'm so disappointed in you I could die look. The look that, in most humans, causes one to feel shame.

I never shoplifted again. I caught a break in the fact that it was 1970 and adults in small town Iowa still took it upon themselves to call juveniles on bad behavior. I was scared to death that Mr. Fink would tell my parents what I had tried to do, which would bring about more of the look.

Some members of law enforcement tell us that publishing the names of juvenile offenders has the same effect as the look. The fear of the stigma associated with youthful indiscretions being made public is a deterrent to bad behavior.

Publishing the names of folks who make the police blotter is never popular, and our editor, Earl Horlyk, gets many calls from people who are unhappy about their names being published in the traffic fines and judgements from the Third District Court, Plymouth County. Every person is told the same thing: we publish the names of all who get fines, no exceptions. Those not satisfied with Earl's explanation get to talk to me. I tell them the same thing.

On July 28, 2005, page 5 of the Sentinel carried some of the traffic fines and judgements from the Third District Court, Plymouth County. Among the fines listed was State of Iowa vs. Thomas Stangl, Le Mars, speeding $43.

Yep, that's yours truly. Got the ticket on C-38 east of Le Mars, just inside Plymouth County. The trooper was a nice guy.

I never took the time to thank Orval Fink for catching me stealing that comic book. He changed my life and I'd like to say, for the record, I'm grateful I got caught and that he was the one that caught me. I'm sure this admission will keep me from ever being elected president, but actions have consequences.

I know that we will continue to make people mad for publishing these items. I hope that maybe someone will get the same benefit from their name being in the paper as I did from Mr. Fink.

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@lemarscomm.net, telephone 712-546-7031, x40 or toll free 1-800-728-0066 x40.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.