Daniel Community Center to be American Profile feature

by Rhonda Swain

Members of the Daniel Community Club have spent a great deal of time recently in promoting the small town and its unique fund-raising efforts. Toward the end of 2000, the center published a set of books about Daniel and the surrounding area, "Daniel: The First 100 Years," which sells for $50 per set. The books, which are full of great stories and photos, are a celebration of Daniel's centennial.

Following the books' release, a story about the small town came across the desk of Randy Janoski, director of photography of American Profile.

Janoski said: "The story is on how the town came together to create the book 'Daniel: The First 100 Years,' to enable them, through sales, to hang onto their town and their community center."

He said American Profile has researchers across the country look for story ideas, and when they find something interesting, and "the story is already done, I assign a photographer when I have something to go by."

Randy Hayes of Idaho Falls is the photographer that Janoski assigned to the Daniel story, and he will be attending the Old Timers Picnic on Sunday, July 21, to do the shoot. Janoski said Laurie Quade wrote the story, with Pat Walker of Daniel as a main contact person.

Janoski said they tried to do the feature earlier in the year, but it all fell through.

Carol Davis, national editor of American Profile, found information regarding the community and its book on the Internet and was fascinated about the concept of the book and that so many people contributed to it, not only with writing but family stories and photographs and that the printing was largely paid for by contributions. Davis contacted Laurie Quade, a freelance writer from Cody, and Quade came up with the story line and a Rock Springs photographer did the photography. Davis and her staff were unimpressed with the photography, so the story was put on hold.

This spring they called again and wanted people who were involved in the book to come to town (Daniel) so their Idaho Falls photographer could get a picture of a bunch of the people in front of the building. Unfortunately, area ranchers were calving when this all came about, and although the American Profile people didn't understand the calving concept, they decided to try to get people together later. The community club members wanted to know if they could come for the Old Timers Picnic when most of the people who were involved in the book would already be there, and the magazine agreed.

The schoolhouse is now being repainted in preparation for the feature spot, so head to the historic Daniel Schoolhouse on July 21 for the annual Old Timers Picnic, and to see the photo shoot of a feature story.

Before heading out of town, though, stop by the Examiner office to pick up a set of the books, they're going fast.