NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TIMES
Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/244263/
FAYETTEVILLE — Northwest Arkansas Times reporter Marsha Melnichak was hardworking, diligent, accurate and fair, those that knew her said Friday.
Melnichak, 57, died Thursday night at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville from complications from pancreatic cancer. She was diagnosed Oct. 13.
Please click on image to ENLARGE photo of Marsha Melnichak (right) and friends visiting the Fayetteville Farmer's Market on October 25, 2008.
In April 2005, Melnichak moved to Fayetteville to become a city government reporter for the Times. During her time in Fayetteville, she earned the respect of those she covered.
“Marsha set a new standard for journalism in Fayetteville,” said Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody. “She was thorough, accurate and fair.”
Coody made his respect for Melnichak’s work public with a proclamation he made before the Nov. 6 City Council meeting, declaring the day as “Marsha Melnichak Day.”
At that same meeting, the City Council passed a resolution honoring Melnichak’s work.
“She worked long, long hours and made every effort to be fair. I have received calls from her to make sure she got it right,” Alderman Nancy Allen said. “It seems to me that ‘being fair’ is about the highest compliment you can give a reporter.”
Melnichak’s son, Michael Melnichak, described his mother as “uncorruptable.” She had a lot of respect for the position she held, he said.
“It wasn’t just a job to her. She saw it as a responsibility,” he said. “She also knew the importance of being a good observer.”
All these qualities helped her flourish, partner Sue Morris said.
“The Times was the pinnacle of her career,” Morris said. “She really thrived in Fayetteville.”
Morris said that even in Melnichak’s last days at the hospital, she was talking about having to get the election tally.
“She thought something was wrong with the ballots,” Morris said.
Melnichak was dedicated in all her reporting, up to the end, her editor said.
“I will remember Marsha for her strong work ethic, for her devotion to doing everything she could to deepen her understanding of what she was writing about, and for her deeply held love for reporting,” said Greg Harton, executive editor of the Times. “We’re proud of her work here, proud she was a part of our newsroom, and so sad to lose her as a friend and colleague.”
Fayetteville was just the last stop in Melnichak’s 34-year journalism career.
Friend and colleague Joanne Fox went to high school with Melnichak in Sioux City, Iowa.
“It was Marsha who encouraged me to pursue journalism as a career,” said Fox, a Sioux City Journal reporter. “When I had to declare a major in college, I decided to take her advice. It proved to be the most gratifying choice I could have made, because it not only enhanced our friendship, it enabled us to share our professional lives.”
Melnichak’s first job as a reporter was for the Atlantic (Iowa ) News Telegraph in 1974. She held that position until 1979, when she was named editor at the Belle Plaine (Iowa ) Union.
From 1986-92, she worked for Teikyo-Westmar University in Le Mars, Iowa, as the director of communications. In 1994, she was named editor at the North Sioux City (S. D. ) Times and held that position until 1996.
From 1999 to 2005, she worked at the Le Mars Daily Sentinel as editor, news editor, reporter and photographer.
Publisher Tom Stangl said he remembers the day he hired Marsha.
“She came in and said, ‘Your headlines are wrong, your leads are bad, and your layout is terrible.’ I asked her if she could help us fix this, and she said yes,” he said. “She was very passionate about her work, very idealistic.”
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