Behind the Headlines

By Stephanie Ariganello
stephaniea@monroenews.com

So this really doesn’t have much to offer in the way of insights into to journalisming or newspaperness. But since I’m at work and it’s semi-work related I’m feeling like I need to share.

Earlier this evening I posted a comment on fellow blogger LunaPierCook’s page (www.blogsmonroe.com/food) in regards to eating rabbit.

Here was my comment: “Yeah, J (my guy who is a chef) has a line on bunnies and loves cooking them up. Me, well, not so much. I can’t get past the fact that they’re little hopping bunnies, not all that far off from our cats and I don’t want to eat our cats. Maybe someday I will. He uses rabbits in the specials at the restaurant sometimes. I’ll let you guys know if he’s planning a rabbity meal anytime soon. Last time he made some sort of braised dish with lavender tea and a ton of other things and swore it tasted like KFC.”

One of my coworkers just came back from a game and checked the drop-off box for whatever reason, found some fliers and jokingly said “these must be for you” while delivering them to my desk. There’s no way he could have read the comment since he was at a game all night.

The fliers are all about animal cruelty. One asks “Why call some animals ‘pets’ and others ‘pants’?” and then goes on to ask “What if leather shoes were made from cocker spaniels?”

The other flier is about KFC and cruelty to chickens with a rendition of the Colonel on the front, smiling, bloodied and holding a knife to a frightened, scalded chicken. Both are from PETA.

Did someone read the comment and feel compelled to pass along the literature? Is it just a coincidence? Am I thinking about it way too hard? Is it simply time to go home and instead of doing yet another political brief (as I felt my head may explode) this blog fodder was a twisted gift from the gods?

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

In Feb. 1, 2004, I wrote a story for The Monroe Evening News called “Married but not always Mrs.” that reviewed the local court records to see what last names local women were choosing at the time of marriage and divorce … and asked local women what they did with their names and why.

Snippet:

“For women who are getting married, the question of “Will you change your name?” is a big one. It’s one answered through a lifetime of introductions and a slew of legal documents. Whether a name changes, married women often find it difficult to explain who they are and to whom they are related. …

While there are other options, Monroe County women overwhelmingly switch their last names upon marriage. …”

As the story went on to explain … there are a lot of reasons why someone prefers to be known by one name or the other. Some were already well-known under a name and didn’t want to change it, others wanted everyone in the family to share the same last name.

One woman I spoke to was a former local resident who had moved to California. She took her maiden name as her middle name, took her married name as her last name, and answers to both. Double naming is not common in Monroe County, although some local women do that or hyphenate to a new last name. But her choice also was considered unusual where she was living. Almost all the married women she knew in California never changed their legal name at all from their maiden names.

Now for the local numbers: Statistics from the 712 divorces and annulments reported by Monroe County Circuit Court in 2003 showed 96 percent of the women had used their husband’s last name during the marriage. About 2 percent kept their maiden name throughout the marriage, and about 2 percent hyphenated both names.

During that same year, 30 percent of local women who took their husband’s name returned to their maiden name at divorce. A handful made other name changes, such as hyphenating both names.

I have not run the numbers for an update, but it appears from the recent court records that the number has increased to about two-thirds of local women taking a previous name back upon a divorce.

By Stephanie Ariganello
stephaniea@monroenews.com

So I finally found where my colleague gets those cool pics to post here. NASA has a web page that shows natural disasters and occurrences as shot from satellites above. For example, the fires that are ravaging California right now. As terrible as it sounds, the pictures are fascinating. However, it also provides another literal viewpoint - it wasn’t until I looked at these that I understood just how massive the affected area is.

There are volcanoes, dust storms, hurricanes - all types of things. I particularly recommend the unique imagery tab. Check it out.

You can find it here: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards

By Stephanie Ariganello; stephaniea@monroenews.com

“It’s like giving light sabers to a group of chimps,” said someone in passing.

(Subsequently they went on to say: “Is it chimps or chumps? It’s only the difference of U and I…”)

Addendum: A quick search for chimps with lightsabers on google images turned up this pic.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

One of the bloggers at an unofficial Funky Winkerbean fan site that I like to hang out at has posted a link to a New York Times health blog, A Death in the Funny Pages Causes Controversy, that was written Oct. 12.

The article gives an introduction of what happened to the character Lisa Moore as she died of cancer, and includes a few of the clips. There’s a huge list of comments from readers across the country about their reaction to the story line.

by Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

A Fair Trade Fall Festival, hosted by the Monroe Vicariate Peace and Social Justice Committee, was held Saturday at St. Mary Catholic Church in Monroe. (See Monroe Evening News story.)

If you would like to follow up on the discussion and ideas that were introduced at the event, here are some of the web sites recommended by the Monroe Vicariate Peace and Social Justice Committee and the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

Higher Grounds Trading Company

www.javaforjustice.com

The Catholic Relief Services Trade Program

www.crsfairtrade.org

Fair Trade Federation

www.fairtradefederation.org

Global Exchange

store.gxonlinestore.org

Ten Thousand Villages

www.tenthousandvillages.org

TransFair USA

www.transfairusa.org

Equal Exchange

www.equalexchange.com

Friends of the Third World

www.friendsofthethirdworld.org

By Stephanie Ariganello;
stephaniea@monroenews.com

Not a direct quote, since that wouldn’t really make any sense… but, the conversation went something like this:

Someone suggested that we write a progressive novel blog. (Mention of different titiles, many not fit to print.)

“We could call it Custer’s One-Night Stand.”

by Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

If you’ve been following the Funky Winkerbean comic strip, written by Tom Batiuk, published Sundays in The Monroe Evening News and daily in many newspapers across the country, you know the past few months have been, well, not very funny. In today’s (Sunday Oct. 7) episode, you see a scene depicting calling hours at the funeral home for Lisa Moore with guest book signatures, memorial cards and a photo collage through the years.

Lisa emerged as one of the main characters of the strip in the late 1980s when she became pregnant after a date rape situation. Classmate Les Moore wasn’t the father, but he stayed friends after Lisa dropped out of school and attended Lamaze classes as her birthing partner.

Lisa gave up that son for adoption. Years later, Lisa and Les married and had a daughter of their own.

Fast-forward to the past few months: Lisa Moore, who successfully fought off breast cancer in 1999, learned her cancer returned and was terminal. Her death was drawn in the strip Thursday Oct. 4. Her last words, meant for her long-time friend and husband, were “I love you.”

I wrote a fictional obituary for Lisa Crawford Moore and posted it on this blog Thursday morning. The only detail I got wrong, because I had not seen the upcoming episodes, was where her memorial service took place. I also didn’t know there would be calling hours at the funeral home. But I’m sure there was a luncheon at Montoni’s Pizza!

Tom Batiuk worked out the details for this story several months ago. As you might have noticed with Friday and Saturday’s story line, Lisa’s death is leading up to another jump in the chronology of the comic strip.

In the meantime, Mr. Batiuk compiled the strips about Lisa’s struggle with cancer in his latest book, “Lisa’s Story: The Other Shoe.”

The book launch and signing was held Saturday at Luigi’s Restaurant in Akron. I went, and talked my daughter, who was home this weekend from college, into coming along. (My daughter is not a Funky fan, but she was a good sport.) I also brought book orders on behalf of a co-worker and my mother.

The book “Lisa’s Story: The Other Shoe” includes the story line for another few days past today’s episode. So you’ll want to keep reading the newspapers to learn about Les’s journey to Central Park in New York City.

Now, if you’re a fan, the book signing was a really neat event. It is well known in Akron that Luigi’s is the inspiration for Montoni’s Pizza restaurant in the Funky Winkerbean story line. That’s the restaurant co-owned by Tony Montoni and Funky Winkerbean, where many of the characters have worked at or hung out over the years, and where Lisa and Les got married in 1996.

Luigi’s closed for business Saturday afternoon so that Mr. Batiuk could have his book signing party. The clerks who rang up the books wore aprons decorated with Montoni’s Pizza logo, just like the ones worn by the staff in the comic strip. There also were temporary signs set up at the doors of the restaurant with Montoni’s Pizza logo. And there was a pizza buffet for book signing visitors, with donations requested to Lisa’s Legacy Fund.

When I walked inside the restaurant, I immediately recognized the layout, architecuture and decor that have been shown in the comic strip. The locals also showed me where the band box is on display. “Do you recognize that?” one woman asked me.

And do you remember the Sunday episode from awhile back where Montoni’s was listed in its local newspaper as winning the best pizza award? Funky yelled in celebration, “Dinner’s on the house!” as his business co-owner shuddered at the lost profits. That strip is autographed and hung in honor on the wall. If you look at the other memorabilia displayed on the walls, Luigi’s really has won a local best pizza award.

The book signing party started at 1. We arrived about 3:15 p.m. At that point, the staff had run out of hardback copies of “Lisa’s Story” with only paperback copies still in stock. But everyone I saw stayed in line anyway to get a book and meet the author.

I’ve volunteered at, and attended, enough autograph sessions to know Tom Batiuk must have been exhausted by the time we got to the front of the line (about 4:15 p.m.). But he was still smiling and gracious, signed books with either personalization or not as visitors needed, and posed for photos on request.

The pizza buffet was taken down while I got my pile of books signed. The staff was setting up for dinner customers, some of whom had been surprised to find the restaurant closed for a party. But the waitress offered to go to the kitchen and get some pizza slices for me and my daughter. So I did get to eat some “Montoni’s” Pizza.

And yes, it’s pretty good!

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

Reporter’s note: Lisa Moore, one of the characters, in the comic strip Funky Winkerbean by Tom Batiuk, has died of breast cancer. (See my earlier post, Funky Winkerbean fans: yes Lisa Moore is in her last days.)

I have written many obituaries during my career as a newspaper reporter. So as a tribute to one of my favorite comic strips, here is her fictional obituary with as much biographical information as I could pin down or reasonably guess at from the story line. Although I had to take literary license on some details, there really is a Lisa’s Legacy Fund in Cleveland named for the character Lisa Moore.

If you missed some of the recent installments and want to catch up on what happened to Lisa, Tom Batiuk’s latest book, “Lisa’s Story: The Other Shoe,” has been published by Kent State University Press and is available at amazon.com. The book release party will be Saturday Oct. 6 in Akron, Ohio. Details are posted at www.funkywinkerbean.com.

Lisa Crawford Moore

1970-2007

WESTVIEW, Ohio - Lisa Crawford Moore, 37, of Westview, died Thursday Oct. 4 at home while under the care of hospice.

Mrs. Moore had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. She went into remission, but the cancer returned in 2006.

Recently, she made national headlines by testifying in Washington, D.C., to Congress’s Health and Human Services Committee, on behalf of the One Voice Against Cancer campaign regarding the need for funding for cancer research.

Cremation has been held, per her request, under the arrangements of Tom Batiuk Funeral Home and Cremation Society. A memorial service and luncheon will be held Sunday at Montoni’s Pizza in Westview, where she had formerly been employed.

She was born in Akron, raised in Westview and attended Westview High School.

She lived in Seattle, Wash., for a time; and then worked as a tutor for American children in Martel, France.

She attended Westview County Community College. After earning her law degree from University of Akron, Mrs. Moore worked in the regional public defender’s office. Later, she ran a private law practice.

She was a fan of the Cleveland Browns football team. She also enjoyed reading superhero comic books and newspaper comics.

She was married in October 1996 in Westview to Leslie P. “Les” Moore.

Surviving are her husband; their daughter, Summer, at home; her son, Darin, who was adopted and raised by Fred and Ann (Randall) Fairgood; her parents; and many friends including Funky and Holly (Budd) Winkerbean.

Memorial contributions may be made to Lisa’s Legacy Fund at www.lisaslegacyfund.org or by mail to: Lisa’s Legacy Fund, University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center, PO Box 74947, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106.

On-line condolences may be made at www.funkywinkerbean.com

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

When a NASCAR driver wins a race, there is a ceremony in Victory Lane called “the hat dance.”

This tradition developed as a way for the winning driver to thank all of his sponsors. The driver and his pit crew put on ball caps that represent a particular sponsor, pose for a formal photograph that will be delivered to that sponsor, swap hats to pose for next photo for the next sponsor and so forth.

It’s quite possible that by the time the photo session is done, the team will have faced the camera a couple of dozen times.

Most of those sponsors are businesses and corporations you’ve never heard of. The driver, his team, and the media announcers, at least on a regular basis, don’t rattle off the entire list of 40 or so names whose logos appear on the car and uniform. Instead, the cars are generally known by the name of their major sponsor: “The Budweiser Car,” “The AT&T Car,” and so forth.

The hat dance is where all of the financial backers get a chance to be in the spotlight – at least to a certain extent.

After all, you don’t see the hat dance played out as part the media coverage of the race. The broadcast crews know this ceremony is more advertising than news, is going to take up a lot of time, and will not be watched for long by their viewers. So they treat it appropriately with a quick peek to for fans to notice the festivities and then cut to the sports news roundup or the next program on their schedule.

This story is a good analogy for local volunteers, civic clubs and community leaders to consider. How do you thank your sponsors?

One thing that doesn’t work – just as it doesn’t work in a NASCAR race – is to rely on news reports of the event to carry your thank-you message.

Page 1 in The Monroe Evening News is meant to let local residents know about the most important or most interesting story of the day. The Community Page section is meant for announcements of events, programs and awards. The Letters to the Editor section is meant for discussion of current events.

There isn’t enough space anywhere in the newspaper to provide a thank-you column for all of the sponsors of all the local fundraisers. (If you want to pay for an advertisement to list your thank-yous to the sponsors, a lot of people do that. But as someone who’s been involved in fundraisers and community events, I’d rather send or receive a thank-you card in the mail or in person.)

So if you want your sponsors to get recognition in the community, in addition to any individual thank-you gifts or thank-you notes that proper etiquette dictates you should provide to them and your special guests at the event or immediately afterward, here’s what I suggest instead:

• Allow sponsors to display advertising banners at your event. For example, it’s customary for charity golf outings in this community to have “hole sponsors.” At each hole, a banner explains which sponsor paid for that advertising spot.
• Sell advertisements in the program that will be distributed at the event, when you have the undivided attention of the people who attend the program. (If you don’t wish to sell advertising spots, you could still list those people as patrons.)
• Allow your sponsor the privilege of introducing the winner of the award they have sponsored. This is done very effectively at many local award and honoree events.
• If you have a long list of sponsors, select the one or two that provided the biggest amount of donations to promote as “major sponsors” in your publicity. (That’s what NASCAR teams do, after all.)
• Use your club’s or non-profit’s web site, or the club’s newsletter, as a way to publicize the list of everyone who contributed to the cause.
• Create a “sponsored by” plaque to display in your meeting hall or non-profit office.