Calendar of Events

Allan Loudell, DPA Program VP
Ph: 302-478-2700
E-mail: aloudell@wdel.com

2009

April          May   

 

APRIL 2009

The 2009 High School Communications Contest Awards Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, April 22, in the Bill Frank Conference Room of The News Journal, 950 W. Basin Road, New Castle, Delaware. Following a talk -- "What's Happening?" -- by News Journal editorial page editor John Sweeney, there will be small-group discussions among the student journalists about achievements and problems in publishing a high school newspaper. Each school is asked to bring seven copies of the school paper. Award certificates will be presented to winners, and each participating school will receive a portfolio of winning entries and judges' comments.

For more information on the contest, co-sponsored by DPA and The News Journal, contact DPA Student Activities Director Barbara Roewe.

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“Not Dead Yet!”

Award-winning journalist Patti Mengers is not dead yet!

That’s good news because she is to be the speaker at this year’s DPA Annual Meeting and Communications Contest Awards Banquet at the University & Whist Club on Thursday, April 30.

A professional journalist since 1973, when she was an intern reporter at the Philadelphia Evening and Sunday Bulletin, Mengers has gained a wealth of journalistic experience serving as features editor, consumer/health columnist and general assignment reporter at the suburban-Philadelphia Delaware County Daily Times for the last thirty-three years. She also regularly writes editorials and has been a member of the paper’s editorial board since 1990.

Menger’s talk – “Not Dead Yet! Musings of a reporter on her almost four decades in the newspaper business and why she isn't ready to cry ‘Uncle’” – will highlight the evolution of the newspaper business from the time she was a 20-year-old employed at a thriving Philadelphia Bulletin until now, at age 56, working for a bankrupt Daily Times. While debunking the myth that newspapers are dying because people aren’t reading them, she will impart her observations on the corporate mentality and why she believes it has undermined the success of newspapers.  Mengers also will talk about what keeps veterans such as herself in the newsroom despite the death knells.

Specializing in feature writing, Mengers covers health and religion among other beats. In April 1986, she broke the story about Andrew Wyeth's Helga paintings. Her articles about the lack of AIDS services in Delaware County, that has the third highest number of AIDS cases among Pennsylvania's 67 counties, helped lead to the formation of the AIDS Consortium of Delaware County. And thanks in large part to her stories about a malfunctioning decompression chamber at the Delaware County SPCA, this method of animal euthanasia was outlawed in the state.

When and Where

Join us in The Ballroom at the elegant University & Whist Club, 805 N. Broom Street, Wilmington, on Thursday, April 30, to help honor those who entered the 2009 DPA Communications Contest and to enjoy a display of the award-winning contest entries.

Social hour with cash bar begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Following dinner and our speaker, the communications contest awards will be announced, certificates will be presented to the contest award winners and cash prizes given to the contest sweepstakes winners.

There is a parking lot at the club (to the left and to the rear), as well as free on-street parking on adjacent streets should the lot be full. Valet parking is available at the front door, and there is a handicap access ramp into the club from the parking area at the rear of the building.

Directions to the University & Whist Club: From Pennsylvania Avenue (Route 52) heading south into Wilmington, turn right onto Broom Street (if heading north out of the city, turn left onto Broom). Landmark: The Church of the Holy City is on the SW corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Broom Street. After the turn onto Broom, go past Padua Academy (on right) to the next stop sign. Cross through the intersection and turn right into the University & Whist driveway (on the corner of 9th & Broom).

Cost: Members $37.50; Non-members $41.50.

For more information, contact DPA Programs VP Allan Loudell at 302-478-2700 or aloudell@wdel.com.

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MAY 2009

The DPA Board Meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Sterling Conference Room of the Methodist Country House, 4830 Kennett Pike, Wilmington. All DPA members are welcome to attend.

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