Behind the Headlines

By Charles Slat
I attended the state public hearing on new pollution rules for the Holcim cement plant Thursday night.
I’ve been covering public hearings of various kinds for years. I estimate I’ve covered maybe 100 in the area over the years and dozens before I came to The Evening News.
The Dundee hearing was unique in my experience because absolutely no one at the hearing spoke in favor of the anti-pollution rule the state was proposing for the cement plant. Even state officials at the hearing acknowledged the rarity of that.The state listened to nearly 40 commenters during the session, most of them Holcim employees.
Why is this?
There might be four reasons.
First, someone has convinced the employees that the state action will force the plant to shut down. Unless Holcim has already decided to do that for some other reasons, that’s probably not going to happen. But the threat is scary enough for the employees.
Second, the current state of the economy has enough people worried that the mere whisper of the possibility of job losses will move them to action.
Third, Dundee area residents aren’t as nearly as concerned about pollution from the plant as they have been in years past, and that might be because they’ve either learned to live with the pollution or it’s not nearly as bad as it once was.
Fourth, employees and managers genuinely believe that the plant is unfairly being singled out for enforcement. There doesn’t seem to be any compelling evidence of that. More than likely, much of what has been going on between the state and the company has been the result of a negotiating stalmate and each side has been trying to force the other’s hand — the company by trying to marshal employee and public pressure and the state by playing hardball with the rules.
Hopefully, they’ll soon come to terms that everyone can live with.

It’s a Lake Superior fall color tour.

This morning I was out covering a prayer thing - the annual See You at the Pole event. When there I ran into a kid who I had met before. I’ll admit I didn’t remember him, but he remembered me. When he said that, I was a little nervous. This could go either way, I thought, depending on the situation. I always try to be respectful and sensitive to those I work with, but sometimes, just being a member of the media and being present is enough to leave a bad taste.

It turns out I had come across him and his family in April of 2006. It was one of my first weekends working at the News, covering the police beat. When I came in that Saturday some of the copy editors had just overheard on the scanner that a man had an accident with a tractor. Only his legs were visible and the tractor was on his head and chest. I had to go out to the scene. I was terrified. I didn’t know what I would find, how badly he had been injured (the helicopter was called in), how his family would react, how I would get information from the rescue workers without getting in the way, etc.

I had done spot news before, but it had been awhile. And it was usually something where I knew more about what to expect. So I went out there.

The story read:
“Blue Bush Rd. in Frenchtown Township was closed for about an hour Saturday afternoon when a man was pinned under a tractor on a plot of land just off the road.
The road was closed from about 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. to allow an emergency response helicopter to land and take Mark Harper to the hospital. Rescue Crews from Frenctown Fire Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call.
Mr. Harper, 45, was listed in serious but stable condition Saturday night at Toledo Hospital.
According to his uncle Tony Czuchra, Mr. Harper suffered broken bones in his face and a large gash across his scalp when the machine flipped. He is expected to make a full recovery.
“He’s going to have to have some surgery, but he was very lucky,” said Czuchra said during a phone interview, family members laughing in the background. “We’re actually very relieved. It looked a lot worse when it happened.”
Mr. Harper was helping his neighbor cultivate a patch of land at the Taylor Orchids farm around 3 p.m. Saturday. Neighbor Ron Ciesinski, the owner of the farm, was the first person to notice something was amiss…”

A few calls to the hospital after the ordeal didn’t really provide any insight into his condition. I talked with the family again later that weekend, but not since. The kid remembered me from the scene. I’ve always wondered about Mr. Harper and what happened - they predicted he would be fine, but you never know. So I asked. He apparently received some stitches and surgery to help repair the broken bones in his face, but is now fine.

It can be such an odd thing at times, coming into a family’s life at its darkest or lightest moments. And then slipping out, as abruptly sometimes as we entered. As readers, I wonder, do you ever feel this way reading stories? Does it feel cut off sometimes? Do you wish we would follow up more on things like the tractor accident? Has anyone, with the exception of Mr. Harper’s family and friends, thought about this accident since that April?

“… And I hate clowns,” said one person. “You know what the worst is though? When they come up to you in a crowd.”

“Yeah, that should be considered a hate crime,” said another. “I hate mimes.”

Farewell Marcel Marceau.

jacob espinoza Says:

1. September 19th, 2007 at 9:34 pm edit“Then, with the aplomb of a prima balleriina, she pulled a silver dollar from her purse and set it spinning atop the beer-and-saliva-stained bar.
   “Gimme another, Sam!” she bellowed at the barkeep.
   The words still were hanging in the air when a sweaty long-neck was slammed down before her, catching the eye of a dry-mouthed, sweaty longshoreman who leered from across the room.
   Undaunted, she picked up the bottle and, in what seemed a single motion, removed the cap with her teeth and quaffed the contents without stopping.
   She wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her kimono, smiled wryly and tottered off the stool.
   ‘Cuse me,” she said. “I have to go castrate some animals.”
   Everyone gave her a wide berth as she strode out the door.
   One she had disappeared into the night, someone had the guts to ask the question that was on everyone’s mind: “Is that the gal that writes all that crap on The Evening News blog?”
   The silence spoke volumes.”

Aside from the bellowing and such, Mr. Espinoza brings up something - albeit a little differently than I was wanting to approach it - I’ve been thinking a bit about lately. (No, not a sweaty longneck or a leering longshoreman.)

The public and private life of a reporter. Tuesday morning when I was on my way to work I got a flat tire on the freeway. A bit of a fluke since I never take the freeway to work, but there I was, stranded since I couldn’t get the lug nuts off. A truck from Jim’s Towing came to assist and I wondered if when I turned over my card, he would recognize my name. (Anyone familiar with the forums a month or two ago will recall an extended discussion on Jim’s Towing and an alleged misdeed that was vehemently denied and subsequently never proven.) I don’t mean that in the celebrity kind of way, but in the oh, so that’s who she is, kind of way.

I also wonder about it when I’m out shopping in the community and hand over my debit card, particularly when I’m looking rather haggard. Or in instances like last week when a guy was riding around on a jet ski on the lake and it died. His dad was going up and down the street looking for anyone who may be able to help. He waited on the shared breakwall, while my neighbors and I looked through a scope, keeping his drifting son in sight. Once the Coast Guard was called, I had to tell the dad I worked for the newspaper and would have to ask him some questions.

Yesterday, a knock on the door was another neighbor, asking if he could put a political sign in my yard. No way, I told him. I hadn’t even considered if it was a candidate I would support, it just isn’t an option either way.

On the flip side, being a reporter lets me in places and allows me to ask people intimate questions I would never dream of asking without the press pass. Even at parties or social gatherings, if I come across someone interesting it probably ends up sounding more like an informal interview than small talk.

Good or bad, it just doesn’t turn off. That’s my perspective on it. But it makes me wonder - do other people think of this? If you were to meet me or another newspaper person whose name you see but not their face, in a non- professional setting, would it be like anything else? What if the person in the crowd you were talking to just happened to be a reporter?

“Yeah, later one of the old timers said ‘I’ll give you the rest of my beer if you sit on my lap,’” said one reporter.
Someone walking by, with head swivel: “Now that should go on overheard in the newsroom.”
“I told him no thanks, if I want a can, I’ll just spend the dollar myself,” finished the reporter.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

It’s common in the Monroe County area for charity and non-profit organizations to request a local, regional or state celebrity or a politician to attend a function or event as a special guest or a speaker. The intention is that more people will attend the event in order to meet or hear the VIP. While a celebrity appearance is no guarantee of higher attendance, there’s certainly enough established precedent for the committee chairs to give it a try.

But I admit, I find it hard to keep a straight face when a someone tells me, in all seriousness, something along the lines of, “… and I’m inviting Gov. Jennifer Granholm to come to our fundraiser.”

Go ahead and send out all the invitations you want. But I won’t include a celebrity appearance as part of your announcement in The Monroe Evening News or on MonroeTalks.com until you’ve got those details confirmed.

Even my teen-age daughter knew better, when one of her committees tasked her this summer to prepare an invitation for Gov. Granholm to attend a dinner.

Yes, the governor was expected to be in the area on the specific date. But, as my daughter said while she was scripting out the letter, the committee members knew the chances were slim that the governor would show up. (She didn’t attend.)

Now with very little thought, it’s easy to come up with list of people who are the local celebrities.

But you know what? It’s hard to book those A-list VIPS. They’ve got jobs, kids, college classes, council meetings, travel commitments, personal appointments … and everybody else’s invites to consider.

So here are some tips if you are planning an event and want to invite someone special:

• Don’t just consider name recognition. Look for a guest star who is a good fit for the demographics and interests of your audience.
• Before you contact your VIP, plan out what you’d like from him so he understands what he is being asked to do. A five-minute speech? The invocation? A photo session? Presenting an award?
• Contact your prospective VIPs very early in the planning stages for your event. Publicity for most events needs to start five or six weeks ahead of time to build up an audience, and you’ll want any celebrity appearances confirmed before the invites and fliers get distributed.
• Look for up and coming talent in addition to, or in lieu of, the usual local and state celebrities. You’ll find lots of prospects in the pages of The Monroe Evening News. In particular, pay close attention to the Community Page, Classroom Page, Business Page and Arts & Entertainment sections to read about who just released a new book or CD, won a scholarship essay contest, won a singing contest, received a heroism award, led a successful volunteer project or earned a promotion in their industry.
• The success of your event depends on a lot more things than a celebrity appearance. You need to have an entertaining or interesting program regardless of who is attending or in the audience. There’s always a chance that your celebrity will need to back out at the last minute – can your program stand on its own merits?
• Be a gracious host or hostess. Your celebrity might only be able to visit for a half-hour rather than attend the entire two-hour program. That’s fine. They still get the appearance credit, and you still get the publicity and word-of-mouth. In case the guest does need to leave early, have a thank-you card, flowers or gift ready to be presented at a minute’s notice. And show hospitality as appropriate with arrangements such as mileage reimbursement, dinner ticket for an escort or a charitable donation to their favorite cause.

Nope. Not yet. Today is not your best bet when castrating animals. You’ll have to wait until this weekend.

Today is actually the best day to go camping (along with tomorrow - which would make sense since you have to stay overnight to camp) and also the best day to prune to encourage growth.

How do I know this? The Old Farmers Almanac.

Tomorrow is a good day to begin logging, as well as harvest above ground vegetables, and set posts or pour concrete. Trying to lose weight? Kick off the effort on the 28th. Or wait for October 6th and 10th. Weaning animals and children, cutting hair to discourage growth, quitting smoking and going to the dentist are some of the other actions on the list.

The almanac provides an astrological timetable, based on the Moon’s signs, and shows the best days for certain activities during the current and next month. The whole year is available.

You can check out when to do stuff here: www.almanac.com/astrology/
As to the why you would want to do stuff, that’s up to you to figure out.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

If you’re a crafter or home business owner, looking for a place to sell your inventory, the Monroe Evening News newsroom is starting to receive show dates and contact information for the fall and Christmas craft shows.

The announcements are listed with a “Crafters Wanted” headline in the Upcoming events section in the Community Page print edition of The Monroe Evening News.

We also post the information at the MonroeTalks calendar. This is a searchable database, look up keyword “craft show / bazaar.”

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

When I was working on a feature story this summer about the Miss Monroe County Scholarship Pageant (See The Road to the Crown and Private Interview Tough on Contestants at monroenews.com), I found it interesting that, despite the age difference, today’s contestants still look up to Monroe’s Miss America 1988, Kaye Lani Rafko, as a role model and example of what to do when you get the crown.

In the meantime, one of my co-workers, Jeff Meade, was working on a 20th anniversary piece about the legacy of Kaye Lani. You can see Jeff’s story, printed today Sept. 16, and the special section from 20 years ago about Monroe’s Miss America at monroenews.com.

On the back of an old newspaper clip I was reading for a story (research, my dears) I found the “Feature Film Time Table”.

The movies were Stella Dallas (Tagline: Sure - I like a good time!) at the Family Theater. She asked for it and Billy the Kid were playing at the Dixie. The Majestic was showing Slave Ship and Elephant Boy. There were shows starting as late as 9:50 p.m. - which is more than I can say for now.

On Friday, theater-goers could look forward to Forty-five Fathers.

Hello out there. In the world of “citizen journalism” I thought it might be helpful to post some information for people who want to become more involved in reporting on their community.

The first is an interactive list on citizen journalism brought to you by the International Journalists’ Network. The link is http://ijnet.org/interactive/blog_guide/1/module.html
or click here for a direct link.

This one is brought to you by the Knight Citizen News Network at www.kcnn.org/ or click here.

Or, if you’re interested, you can sign up to be part of News University at www.newsu.org or by clicking here. Once your signed up you can try out the “Be a reporter game” and other courses that use interactive teaching methods.
Disclaimer: While the game might have the overtones of what it’s like to be a reporter in the field and it’s kind of fun to play, it is highly unrealistic. There is no way on earth an ER doctor would hand over a list of kids who were brought from the school with suspected food poisoning. He or she may give some hints, but it would never be in the open, and, by the way, a reporter would not even be allowed on the floor unless it were special circumstances.
Also, good luck trying to get past any kind of school administrator/PR person to speak with a lunch lady. Not going to happen, unless you know how to finesse someone you have a long-standing relationship with (even then, probably not), sneak into the school through an open door or happen to be related to the person.
The reason this irks me so much is because it implies it’s easy to capture information when in real life we have to fight for every nugget we get. But it does provide an accurate idea of how many places we have to go and how many people we have to talk to, just to confirm the information we already have.

Is this something you are interested in? Let me know what you think.

In doing some research on seasons, time of year, etc. I came across the news that today marks the new millennium for Ethiopia, a country that operates on the Coptic calendar, rather than the Gregorian one most of the world uses.
According to The Independent out of England:
“In the Millennium Bazaar, a series of market stalls just behind Meskel Square in the centre of Addis Ababa, everything is stamped “2000″. From plastic bowls and key rings to packets of crisps and vases of plastic flowers, all are marketed as millennium specials.
“Elsewhere in the world today it is 11 September 2007.”
The government was trying to hype up the event, and was anticipating 300,000 visitors. They encouraged those returning to Ethiopia to stay with families so additional hotel rooms were available for tourists. Estimates place the influx at 25,000 and some of the events had to be canceled because of terrorist threats.
I know they’re not the only country to use a different calendar, and it’s not unusual for religions to be operating on different time frames, but I had no idea that it was still 1999 anywhere in the world. Ah such an innocent time - remember Y2K chaos?

By Paula Wethington, paula@monroenews.com

Yesterday I got a call from a non-profit volunteer who wanted to promote her event. I told her the announcement was on file in the newsroom, and I’d double-check that it was running as scheduled for The Community Page.

She complained that nobody seems to have heard of her organization and wanted to know if there was any media coverage possible beyond the advance announcement.

I am familiar with her non-profit, and told her there had been stories and photos in the past. Specifically, I knew about two feature stories that ran within the past two or three years and there was additional publicity last fall … and while I didn’t remember the exact dates, I did tell her circumstances and what those pieces focused on.

I also told her an article ran in another area newspaper during the past year that mentioned her non-profit.

She didn’t remember any of the media coverage – either from our newspaper or the other one.

But what particularly upset the caller is that hardly anybody she has spoken to while promoting her event was familiar with their group. During the past month, she’d only met one person who had heard of her non-profit.

“Well, you can tell those people that they’re not reading the newspaper,” I replied. And I talked about some of the other marketing efforts I know her group is doing.

Now … while this is a story about one local non-profit, the fact is I’ve had similar conversations in the past with local volunteers and promoters.

Don’t take it personally if nobody’s heard of your non-profit. In order to become a widely recognized group, you need to work the marketing from a variety of angles like a business does. While a front-page story results in a lot of attention, it’s quickly forgotten as people go about their daily lives. The most effective marketing campaigns get the message out in a repeated manner under a variety of formats. (The more you see something, the more likely you’ll remember it.).

So this fall, while your clubs and non-profits are starting their activity seasons, hold a brainstorming session among your board of directors or members as to all the different ways you can market your event or organization to the public.

A front-page feature story is just one possibility with The Monroe Evening News. There are a lot of free options available on both The Community Page in our print edition and on our community web site at www.monroetalks.com. Feel free to contact me at paula@monroenews.com to discuss what can be done at the Community Desk. (The possibilities available at the newspaper increase if you have an advertising budget.)

Depending on what audience you’re trying to reach, you may also want to place notices in church bulletins, at school offices, on public access cablevision, the area’s weekly newspapers and the metro newspapers.

Internet sites also can be very effective ways of reaching your audience. One organization director recently told met that her group’s web site takes care of the “frequently asked questions,” and the phone queries they get involve more specific questions. (And if your group has a web site, we can link to it from an event notice on MonroeTalks.)

It was right about this time six years ago that hijackers flew planes into the World Trade Center, killing nearly 3,000 people and setting off a whole chain of events that is still being played out.

Like most people, I remember where I was very vividly. I was on the phone with my mom, who called to wish me a happy birthday, and I was checking to make sure my bag was packed since I was driving to Minnesota later that day for a job interview. She had to check the other line because someone kept calling. When she came back she said something like “America is under attack.” File that under chilling words and things you don’t really ever expect your mom to say during birthday call.

So much has been said and felt about Sept. 11. About the people who were killed, about the terrorists, about the war that still follows. I don’t have much to add.

But I was thinking the other day about this. What was I doing on Sept. 10? Or Sept. 9? Or any of the days directly proceeding the event? What shoes was I wearing? What was I thinking about? Just the little things that seem like nothing, but when you can’t remember, feels like something is lost.
Maybe really happy events also leave such marks, but the human brain seems to operate more in the way of remembering negative experiences stronger. I very much remember what I was thinking that day, what happened next and what I did next. I remember what shoes I wore. It’s much more than I would have remembered about any other day that took place six years ago - birthday or otherwise. In some way, the marking of horrible or even less heinous acts (my friend Sue once stepped in dog poop on her way into my house, another regular Sue visit, but I remember it only because she tracked poop throughout before realizing - something I probably would have forgotten without the unfortunate tracking.)

So when I see those signs - Never Forget - I think, how could we? I know people need to move one and maybe we stop having public events, or the blood drives start to dwindle on years between the milestones. But, we’ve shared an intensely personal experience collectively and it’s not going away anytime soon.