Sometimes, local journalism includes talking to a bird.

Sara Rubin here, fascinated as always by animal-human interactions. In this case, I’m thinking about a parrot named Jazzy that has made herself part of the Seaside Police Department community, and in this week’s issue of the Weekly, makes an appearance in our 831 section after an interview with staff writer David Schmalz. 

Actually, that’s not quite how it went down—birds are known for their mimicry capabilities but not conservational skills. And in this case, Jazzy is famous for her foul language, but she was shy around Schmalz. Still, he says, “It was a very pleasant exchange.” The bird was relaxed and perched a few times on his finger, allowing him to pet her. 

I encourage you to read the story if you haven’t already. It’s a lovely story about a talking parrot with a good dose of humor, but it is about something more, and for me is a prime example of what’s fun and interesting about local journalism. Schmalz was reporting on a different story—a spay/neuter ordinance that Seaside City Council approved—when the police chief, Nick Borges, mentioned that the animal control officer, Alex Kjellgren, had recently adopted Jazzy. In turn, Jazzy had more or less adopted the Police Department, or at least stole a few hearts.

It’s a story about an animal control officer’s daily job, which can include rescuing six birds (and adopting one), the comedy that results from hearing that bird’s language, and also the story about a local government office’s culture—something that can be harder to report on, but is quite meaningful. 

“I hope the story conveys the good vibes,” Schmalz tells me. “Journalists don’t always realize how much things like that can matter.” 

Inviting a pet parrot to hang out in SSPD is just one example of how a particular culture is being established. Seaside City Hall has been through a lot of turnover in the past year, with the police department as a notable exception. Besides inviting a parrot to hang around, I reported earlier this year on a transformation of the lobby to be more inviting, considering that many people who walk in are victims of crimes and a soothing space, rather than a cold institutional space, can help improve their experience. 

Sometimes it’s small things like this that reveal a bigger story about an organization, and I think that’s the case here. But that’s not even the reason this story stands out—it’s a fun read, and the reporting was quite obviously a fun romp with an animal, which is not something journalists get to do every day.