Tom Frazier: Change is in the air

Unlike some people, the Sun Dog likes change. Fall is my favorite time of the year. It's fascinating to watch the transition from summer to winter -- and each year is different.

Here in the Central Valley, we have a special seat to nature's show. We can follow the transition by merely driving a couple hours to change our altitude.

Things are also changing at the Sun-Star.

For those who have iPhones or Blackberries, there's an application called "AP Mobile" by The Associated Press. McClatchy has teamed up with AP and now has each of its 30 papers on a "local" tab.

That means you can tailor the program by entering your ZIP code and get feeds from the Merced Sun-Star on the local tab. Unfortunately, the San Francisco Chronicle also appears, but it's easy to recognize the Sun-Star logo.

Anyone with an e-mail address can also get breaking news or updates to stories. I know, this has been a feature for quite some time. The difference is that the system is now being used on a regular basis.

An explanation is in order, so I asked Brandon Bowers, the online content editor, to clarify for us.

He writes, "Breaking news is reserved for big, timely stories. Examples of breaking news events include homicides, police shootings, fatal highway wrecks that impact traffic, dangerous weather events, large fires, high-profile arrests, etc. If there's a question about whether a story should go under breaking news or updates, we err on the side of updates. We want our readers to know that when we say a story is big, it really is."

If you don't want to use e-mail, the same updated information is available online at www.mercedsunstar.com.

If you are into social networking, all updates, breaking news and headlines can also be found using Twitter at @mercedsunstar.

Sun Dog is a bit hesitant about tweeting, it seems so much like bird behavior.

Schools are back in session -- and thus the sports teams are all playing. The latest scores are available online and using Twitter -- @MSSSports. There's no need to call the sports desk.

Remember Steve Cameron? He's back as a freelancer, as you've probably noticed. In case you are a new subscriber, Steve was the sports editor before he departed for Europe a while back.

Reading his latest columns comparing health care and justice systems between the American and European countries, I'm not exactly sure why he's come back.

I guess he's either planning to get sick or have a run-in with the law.

Talking about change, last Saturday's paper included a story written by a photographer, Lisa James. It was a tour of Moaning Caverns in both words and photography.

If I remember right, in the old days, many of the Sun-Star stories highlighted photographers' work. Back then, the paper often received awards for its photojournalism.

Sun Dog thinks it's a great idea to send the photogs out with both a camera and a pen.

Bring 'em on.

And don't forget, you can create photography assignments yourself by submitting topic suggestions for "Street Talk" -- a Friday tradition.

Ever write a letter to the editor that went unpublished? A new process includes notification, either by e-mail or a phone call, when your letters aren't used. They'll briefly tell you why.

Finally, the Sun-Star online site has changes.

Did you ever want to see all the stories written by a particular reporter? If you have, you'll know that it involved using the search engine, clumsy at times.

Now you can link directly by going to http://www.mercedsunstar.com/reporters/ and see each reporter's latest story, links to the most recent past stories, his or her beat and a short bio.

You can also see the photographers' favorite shots, some that were not in print, by going to the newly revamped photography snapshot blog at http://www.mercedsnapshots.com/

I know you've seen the iPhone commercial that states, "There's an app for that." Well, you can also say, in Sun-Star terms, "There's a link for that."

For fall colors, try the new link at: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/220/story/1078153.html. It's updated every Friday

I wish I could update reader-suggested changes for weather and comics, but negotiations are in progress, so that will have to wait for a future column.

It's time to go outside, camera in hand, to catch the greens, yellows, reds and other changing colors.

Change is good.

Tom Frazier writes Sun Dog and can be reached at sundog@promessage.com.