Rob Zaleski columnist

The Capital Times  —  4/25/2008 7:49 am

Rob Zaleski began his 26-year career at The Capital Times as a sports reporter and editor, but most readers know him for his long-running "Up Close" column and for his investigative stories, both of which have earned him many statewide awards.

Rob has interviewed everyone from rabid pastors to a woman who's probably driven into more deer than anyone else in the world. But the people who come up again and again in his work are ordinary citizens who have the pluck to fight against the Wal-Marts, the power companies, the politicians, the developers and anyone else who wants us to stay quiet while they buy up what's precious.

Rob has never done well at keeping quiet (he once got kicked off of Bobby Knight's bus for insisting on getting a quote) and Madison is a better place for it. Our new public pool bears the name of the men who generously gave the most money for it, but no one pushed longer and louder for it than Rob.

His coverage of the potential hazards for Madison's lakes from coal tar sealants led the county to ban them last year. Most recently, his stories about pollution in our lakes and how Minneapolis successfully tackled a similar problem have reignited discussion about an issue that everyone recognizes but too few try to solve.

When he founded The Capital Times in 1917, William T. Evjue envisioned a newspaper that would stand up for the interests of ordinary people, and in the 90 years since, few have fulfilled that vision as well as Rob Zaleski.

From Chris Murphy, city editor

The Capital Times  —  4/25/2008 7:49 am