NewsBreak December 2009 - Vol. 21, No. 2

In This Issue:

• Linda Feldmann to Examine “The Great Transition” at DPA Holiday Luncheon

• President’s Corner: What I Did Last Summer — at the NFPW Conference

• Celebrate Freedom of Expression! in the 2010 DPA Communications Contest

• WordPlay . . . for Wordsmiths

• Spotlight:  Meet Your NFPW Officers for 2009 – 2011

• DPA Membership a “Strong Buy” at $20 — Benefits Increase, Dues Don’t

• Award-winning Author Explains “What DPA Means to Me”

• DPA Welcomes New Members

• DPA Media Mavens & Mavericks

• Calendar of Events

The Great Transition

by Allan Loudell

Linda Feldmann covers the White House from the Washington bureau of The Christian Science Monitor, where she has been based for 21 years. She also serves as the Monitor’s chief political correspondent and has covered all presidential campaigns since 1996.

The award-winning Monitor, acclaimed for comprehensive and unbiased coverage of events and issues on the national and international stage for nearly a century, has been in the forefront of adapting to the changing face of print journalism and is largely published in various electronic formats, including online at csmonitor.com, but is still available in some print editions.

In a talk entitled “The Great Transition,” Feldmann promises to have some answers to two of the most asked questions over the last few years in conversation, at conferences, in the pages of our newspapers and online: “What is the future of print journalism?” and “Without our newspapers, what is the future of democracy?” She says, “In the
Q and A, we also can discuss the first year of the Obama-Biden administration.” A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont, Feldmann earned a degree in Russian language and literature. She also holds a master's in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.

Since joining the Monitor in 1981, Feldmann has worked in a variety of positions. From 1989 to 1990, she served as Moscow Bureau Chief. She also has been Op-ed editor, foreign-affairs writer, assistant international news editor, UN correspondent and Middle East editor. In 1987, she worked at a Russian newspaper, The Moscow News, for three months as part of the first US-Soviet journalists' exchange. In 1999, she won an Exceptional Merit Media Award from the National Women’s Political Caucus for her series “Where Women Stand.”

Book Signings and Holiday Cheer

Plan to do some holiday shopping during the social hour. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., a number of DPA authors, editors and photographers will be on hand to chat with members and guests and to offer books and manuals on a range of topics.

While you shop, enjoy some holiday cheer—the cash bar will be open throughout the social hour and the luncheon.

2010 Communicator of Achievement

Following the program, Ralph Begleiter, DPA’s 2009 Communicator of Achievement, will introduce the 2010 COA. The annual COA Award, given for outstanding professional achievement as well as for service to DPA, NFPW and the local community, is the highest honor DPA bestows on its members.

Celebrate with Us at Delaware National Country Club

The Holiday Luncheon will be held in the Wooddale Room at Delaware National Country Club, 400 Hercules Road, Wilmington. Social hour with cash bar and book signings begins at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at 12:30 p.m.

Directions: From Route 141, turn onto Route 48 West. Travel approximately 1.8 miles to Hercules Road. Turn left at traffic light onto Hercules Road and go 3/10 mile to traffic light at top of hill. Turn left into complex, go 200 feet, turn left at STOP sign, follow around to the right. Ample parking on right. Clubhouse on left.

Reservations

Cost (same as last year): Members $26.50; Non-members $31.50.

Reservations: – MAKE YOUR LUNCHEON RESERVATIONS –

If you would like to attend but haven’t yet made a reservation, please do so immediately. If you wish to pay by credit card, click the above link to take care of the transaction. If you will NOT be paying by credit card, please call Sue Frost right away at 302-594-0844 to tell her you’ll be there, then pay at the door: cash or check only.

Sue Frost is the DPA Events Coordinator. For more information about the Holiday Luncheon, contact Sue at 302-594-0844 or s-frost@verizon.net.

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

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President’s Corner: What I Did Last Summer – at the NFPW Conference

by Mark Fowser

Near the end of a long, hot summer in the Lone Star State, with temps soaring above 100° day after day, Press Women of Texas hosted the National Federation of Press Women Communications Conference in San Antonio, September 10–12. Their timing was perfect, for a soft rain began to fall shortly after we arrived in Alamo City for the pre-conference tour.

Our excursion around San Antonio took us to Mission San José, founded in 1720; the Alamo – the Shrine of Texas Liberty – established as Mission San Antonio de Valero in 1718; the Institute of Texan Cultures, whose displays celebrate the state’s diverse cultural heritage; spectacular views from atop the 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas; and the city’s famed Riverwalk (a destination to which I would return several times).

Then, it was down to business. First, we elected officers for 2010–2012; Cynthia Price, of Virginia Press Women, was named president. Then, each of us tailored a series of workshops to our specific interests and goals. Here’s a brief recap of some I attended:

“B is for Blogging” examined the so-called social media and focused on ways to make an impact using Twitter, Facebook and the like. WordPress.com and Google’s Blogger are a couple of the hot platforms for getting messages out, whether in creative writing, commentary or journalism.

More specific to the field of journalism was the program “New Tools, New Rules” for today’s reporters. As more is expected every day from reporters, within a tighter time frame and in a wider variety of formats, it was helpful to learn how online tools facilitate video streaming and podcasting—learning how to connect more quickly and thoroughly with the listener or viewer.

“Journalism in the Age of Obama” explored how the media cover the presidency but also looked at the current state of affairs facing newsrooms across the country. Similar concerns were discussed at the Werlin Foundation Workshop, “Stop the Presses,” at which Mark Birnbaum and Manny Mendoza screened part of their documentary about the “falling fortunes” of print journalism.

An eye-opening panel discussion on the closing day of the conference further explored the challenges facing the news industry. On the verge of being overwhelmed by negative comments, the tide of the discussion started to turn. One panelist summed it up by saying that although the business side may be broken, journalism is alive and well. And enrollments in journalism schools and programs are stable or on the rise.

At the Youth Awards Luncheon, 15-year-old Sophie D’Arcy, co-founder of Kids Speaking Up, an organization that publishes a magazine in which teen members write about the social, national and global issues they frequently discuss, gave remarkable testimony to the involvement of young people and their knowledge and concern about the issues. The entire NFPW delegation was also entertained by author and columnist Sarah Bird and by Heloise of “Hints from Heloise,” who was named NFPW’s national Communicator of Achievement.

Congratulations to all from Delaware Press Association who earned national recognition through the communications contest. I received frequent praise from those in other affiliates about DPA’s remarkable history and accomplishments as well as from those who attended the national conference we hosted in Wilmington in 2003. Thanks to fellow DPA members Karen Galanaugh (National Contest Director 2007–2009) and Katherine Ward (NFPW board member 2005–2009) for showing me the ropes. Here’s a tip: You can make a lot of friends quickly if you’re the one passing out champagne at the bar.

The 2010 NFPW communications conference will be held in Chicago, August 26–28, with a variety of pre-tours in Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods and a post-conference tour of nostalgic Route 66. It should be another fun and informative time, in another great city. Start planning now to attend.

Hope to see you at the DPA Holiday Luncheon, Saturday, December 5 (see related article for details and to sign up).

Contact Mark Fowser at 302-395-9857 or markfowser@wilm.com.


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Celebrate Freedom of Expression!

Enter your best media work in the 2010 DPA Communications Contest

by Annie Nefosky, 2010 Communications Contest Director

The call for entries for the 2010 DPA Communications Contest, including an entry form that may be photocopied or downloaded from our Web site, has gone out to professional communicators throughout the state. We’re now lining up judges who we believe will provide useful critical commentary on each entry regardless of whether it receives an award. And we hope you’re looking through your work and soon will be sending us the best of what was published or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2009. Categories and fees remain the same as last year.

Note: You do not have to be a member of Delaware Press Association to enter the contest.

The postmark deadline for all entries in this year’s contest is Monday, January 11, 2010.

The deadlines for the state and national communications contests have been set a little earlier this year than last because next year’s NFPW Communications Conference, “Face-2-Face in Illinois,” will be held in Chicago, August 26 – 28, two weeks earlier than the usual mid-September time period. Please take this into consideration as you look through and prepare your work for the contest.

Entries will be judged by out-of-state communications professionals to ensure impartiality. Work that receives a first-place award is eligible to compete in the national competition sponsored by NFPW.

Entrants will be notified of contest results by March 2010. We will hold the annual Contest Awards Banquet at the elegant University & Whist Club, 805 N. Broom Street, Wilmington, on Thursday, April 29, 2010.

Please visit the DPA Web site for:

• Contest rules

  • Eligibility

  • Preparing your entry

  • Contest fees

  • Sweepstakes

• Contest Divisions & Categories (with descriptors)

• Entry form to download

• Payment option links

• And more

If you didn’t receive the call for entries but would like to enter this year’s contest, please contact me with your name, telephone number and e-mail address. And remember: you always can get complete contest information and the entry form on the DPA Web site.

Please contact Contest Director Annie Nefosky if you have questions: 302-750-0982 or annienefosky@yahoo.com (e-mail preferred).

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WordPlay . . . for Wordsmiths

by Bob Yearick

A Loss for the Language

Literacy was dealt a severe blow in September when New York Times columnist William Safire died at the age of 79. Safire wrote the pun-filled “On Language,” which examined the foibles and abuses of the English language. He traced phrases such as “straw man,” “under the bus” and “the proof is in the pudding.” As a speechwriter in the Nixon White House, Safire penned Vice President Spiro Agnew’s famous phrase, “nattering nabobs of negativism,” a tongue-in-cheek alliteration that Safire claimed was directed not at the press but at Vietnam defeatists. Author Eric Alterman, in his 1999 book Sound and Fury: The Making of the Punditocracy, called Safire “the most influential and respected pundit alive.”

In honor of Mr. Safire, we offer the following: A “straw man argument” is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent’s position. To “attack a straw man” is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by substituting a superficially similar proposition (the straw man), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the original position.

For Want of a Comma

That tiny punctuation mark, the comma, can make all the difference. I was reminded recently of the power of the comma when I came across this headline in a local weekly: “Put ‘Em in Coach.”

The column was about fantasy football, so I knew intuitively that the article probably would name players who should be included on that week’s fantasy team rosters. But, being the literal grammarian that I am, for a split second I thought, “Are they talking about flying coach class?” All because of the comma that should have been inserted after “in.”

Cyberspace Exit?

Freelance writer, editor and friend of DPA Larry Nagengast spotted this sentence from delawareonline: Gebelein informed the staff that he would be leaving by e-mail late last week. Larry’s comment: “The lyrical among us might leave on a jet plane. But the ethereal Judge Gebelein—well, the NJ says he's going via email! And, according to this sentence construction, he may have already departed.”

And Finally . . .

Do you feel badly? If so, you’re incompetent at touching and sensing. On the other hand, if you feel bad, you’re either emotionally upset or you may be coming down with an ailment.

Till next time, don’t forget to send your pet peeves, suggestions and questions for WordPlay to: allwriter@comcast.net.

And remember: Always write right – and tight.

Contact WordPlay columnist Bob Yearick at allwriter@comcast.net.

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Spotlight: Meet your New National Officers

NFPW Holds Elections for 2009–2011 Term

The National Federation of Press Women elected officers for 2009–2011 at the general membership meeting of the 2009 Communications Conference in San Antonio, Texas, in September. They are excited about plans for the coming year and hope you will renew your membership to take advantage of the excellent professional development and networking opportunities available through our national communications organization.

Visit the NFPW Web site for the latest listings in the national job bank and to read about the scholarships, grants, fellowships and other opportunities of interest to professional communicators. Be part of the First Amendment Network. Win a first-place award in the DPA communications contest and then enter the national competition to see how you stack up against top communicators from around the U.S. Attend the 2010 communications conference in Chicago for a variety of speakers and workshops, for the pre- and post-conference tours of Chicago and out along historic Route 66, for the friendships and for the fun.

Cynthia Price, director of communications for ChildFund International and a dynamic member of Virginia Press Women, was enthusiastically proclaimed NFPW’s new president. Her campaign slogan was "SNAP." Cynthia says, “SNAP stands for sustainability, networking and professionalism, which will be the pillars of my presidency. A fourth pillar will focus on fiscal responsibility."

"Sustainability: While I would like to encourage new members, my focus is on retaining our current members, who indicate that NFPW is beneficial to them, and I want to continue to provide them with what they need to succeed within their careers.

“Networking: I'd like to create more opportunities for constructive networking. One of the easiest ways to network and to remain current in today's marketplace is through social media, and I will make a big push for that. We've started down that path with our Facebook page, but we need to be much more engaged.

“Professionalism: NFPW offers an outstanding conference each year. Our affiliates also host conferences, meetings and workshops. The talent and resources exist, but we need to capitalize on them and share through easy-to-use technologies and social media. My goal is to offer teleseminars, on-line presentations and other resources for our members at little to no cost.

“Fiscal Responsibility: Now more than ever, prudent stewardship of our resources is needed. We must focus on areas that benefit our members and take a hard look at the budget, cutting costs in areas where we can and applying funds to areas that are critical to our members' needs. We must be transparent with the budget and money so that members understand how fiscally responsible NFPW is with the resources entrusted to it.”

Cynthia says she ran for president because “both NFPW and VPW have played major roles in my life, and it's time for me to give back.”

Contact Cynthia at cprice@childfund.org.
 

Lori Potter, who specializes in writing about agriculture/natural resources and has been a reporter-photographer-weekly columnist at small daily newspapers in Nebraska for 31 years, was elected first vice president.

Lori says she is ready to serve NFPW in a leadership role and to help host the 2011 Nebraska-Iowa NFPW conference. “Our future's foundations,” she says, “must continue to be the communications contest and conference, even as we acknowledge within our contest categories, conference workshops and Web site features the changes brought by new media. ‘Change’ isn't my favorite word, but I know it's required for NFPW to be financially strong, organizationally efficient and relevant to professional communicators of all ages and stages in their careers.

“Elected officers and appointed board members can't address these issues alone,” she adds. “We need vibrant state affiliates and participation by every member.”
 

Teri Ehresman, public information officer for the Idaho National Laboratory for 20 years, is a 33-year active member of both NFPW and Media Network Idaho and is your new second vice president.

Teri says in 31 years as a member of NFPW she has made “wonderful friends who share similar passion for the First Amendment and a journalist's code of ethics.”

Co-director of the 2008 NFPW conference in Idaho Falls, Teri believes she can continue to help NFPW grow and adapt to the changing world through strong national conferences, contests and networking opportunities. “I believe we need to maintain that personal contact with our members and potential members,” she says, “if we want NFPW to continue to grow.”
 

Carol Clark, your newly elected NFPW secretary, has worked in television, radio and print journalism and is now the managing editor of the Los Alamos Monitor newspaper in Northern New Mexico. She has received numerous awards for research and reporting and will use the skills she has honed – attention to detail, accuracy and clarity – for keeping the functions of NFPW in order through the taking of minutes at board meetings and at general membership meetings.

Carol recently wrapped up a two-year term as president of New Mexico Press Women. She says, “I've gained so much and forged many wonderful friendships at the local, state and national levels. I believe strongly in the organization and its mission and agree wholeheartedly with Immediate Past President Marsha Shuler when she says it's the people of NFPW who make it so special.”
 

When Val Ensalaco completed a term as president of the Illinois Woman's Press Association, she took on the responsibility of a two-year term (2005-07) as the NFPW secretary. Next came a two-year term (2007-09) as NFPW treasurer, during which Val did some long-range planning and kept NFPW in the black in a struggling economy. Elected to a second term as NFPW treasurer, Val says, “The next two years (2009-11) will be critical for NFPW with proposed changes that will need to be managed well. We're moving in the right direction for this time and place.”

“Like many people,” she adds, “my work situation recently changed. It's always wise to stay connected, and right now it's of the greatest possible importance. NFPW has made a difference in my life and probably in yours too. I want to help make your voice heard. I want to continue making a difference for present and future generations . . . and as payback for those communicators who paved the way for us. “

Check Out These NFPW Resources / Benefits

President’s Blog
Cynthia is writing a twice-weekly blog in an effort to keep members current on communications issues. She also is interviewing and profiling members and providing tips on a variety of communications topics. She says, “I hope members will join the conversation by posting comments to the blog.” For some interesting tips, hints, ruminations and just for fun, read (and reply to) Cynthia’s blog.

Assistance – Financial and Otherwise
This section lists grants, scholarships, fellowships and other opportunities of interest to professional communicators: nfpw.org/resources.htm.

Membership
Visit the membership page for information about NFPW and to get a membership application/renewal form. The NFPW membership directory and other member-related information can be found on the Members Only page. If you’re a member of NFPW, click here to request the login information.

Corporate Membership
A company can pay for four memberships using one corporate check and get the fifth membership free!

AGENDA
NFPW's quarterly newsletter, AGENDA, is always jam-packed with member news, how-to articles, info on workshops, grants, job opportunities, etc. Be sure to read the current issue, which contains excellent summaries of most of the 2009 Conference workshops and some of the tours.

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DPA Membership Remains a “Strong Buy” at $20

Get More for Your Money as Benefits Increase, Dues Don’t

by Allison Taylor Levine, APR

The holidays are approaching, and many of us are thinking about gifts we will be giving to others. In the rush of activity, don’t forget to do something for yourself as well.

Be sure to renew your investment in your own professional development when the DPA membership renewal form arrives in the next few weeks. Even in these unpredictable financial times, DPA's value is still on the rise. We continue to grow in numbers and in reputation, and you are part of the reason. Our growth indicates a likelihood for even greater activity in the Communications Contest this year. Will your work withstand the competition and come out on top? You’ll never know unless you’re in on the action.

DPA membership can strengthen your professional portfolio in other ways as well and remains a strong buy at $20. Membership affords you:

• Great networking opportunities with communications professionals from print media to broadcasting, from photography to the Web, from PR to poetry

• Professional development at six meetings throughout the year

• Timely e-blasts about job opportunities and events of interest

• NewsBreak, DPA’s national-award-winning member e-newsletter

• Feedback from outstanding communications professionals when you enter your work in DPA’s annual communications contest

• Comprehensive Web site (including meeting details, membership and contest info, awards, current and past issues of DPA NewsBreak, and membership directory)

• And more!

For those who also are members of NFPW, it’s time to reinvest in your national membership. If you haven’t yet replied to the notice sent to you in mid-November, you may click here to renew online. Dual DPA/NFPW membership entitles you to state and national benefits, including opportunities to compete in the national Communications Contest, vote, hold a national office and serve as a delegate to the annual NFPW Communications Conference.

When you receive the DPA renewal form, we'll also be asking you to update your information for the 2010 Membership Directory. Be sure to renew promptly so you don't get left out of the directory! To access an online form to submit any changes, click here to go to the Members’ Area and scroll down to Contact Information for DPA Membership Directory. If you don’t have the password for the Members’ Area, contact us at DelawarePress@aol.com.

Read the following article, “What DPA Means to Me,” an essay by DPA member Lillian Shah.

Allison Taylor Levine, APR, is DPA’s Membership Director. Contact Allison at aljay89@yahoo.com.

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What DPA Means to Me

by Lillian Shah

My membership in DPA continues to delight me. Three years ago, DPA member Lisa Wolfe suggested to Laura Messinger and me that since our book, Keeping Healthy by Keeping Track, had just been published, we might want to join Delaware Press Association. Until then it never had occurred to me that I could be part of the organization I had always held in such high esteem. Lo and behold, I could . . . and I did. And I continue to be awed by all of the "association benefits."

Networking, often leading to friendships, is just one of those benefits.

After the Contest Awards Banquet at the University & Whist Club last April, I realized that my "three-doors-down" neighbor was the person manning the name-tags table and greeting everyone with her great smile. For three years, whenever Cookie Ohlson and her dog "Nick" (a dashing, one-eyed Weimaraner) took their daily walk past my house, I had always said “hello.” Only at the Awards Banquet did I realize my neighbor was also a fellow member of DPA. So I called her, and we had tea – first at my house, then at hers – and now I have a neighbor/friend in sharp DPA member Cookie Ohlson (author, journalist, artist, charmer).

I met Kathy Buckalew because she just happened to be seated next to me at last year's Holiday Luncheon. I already knew and greatly admired Kathy's stunning photography. It was fun chatting and joking, and we became well acquainted before the event was over. I was delighted when Kathy later came to the book signing at Borders for Laura and me, making us grateful for her encouraging presence.

In August, there was another superb DPA event: the wine tasting and covered-dish supper at Christ Church Christiana Hundred. I was lucky to sit next to – and, as it turned out, chat and laugh with – another DPA member whose witty and informative gardening column in The News Journal I had read for years: Moira Sheridan. Her columns are full of timely and down-to-earth tips offered in an easy-does-it style that gives me hope that one day my hopeless gardening will turn a green corner. Moira is even more fun in person than in the newspaper!

And then there's our executive director, Katherine Ward. Her super-friendly, super-competent, high-level/low-key leadership keeps me in awe. Katherine quietly sets a standard and then makes all of us DPA members feel we just might be able to reach it as well.

Professional development is another valuable benefit. Since I became a member, there have been meetings on a wide variety of topics such as:

• Tech tools to manage media in the digital age.

• Fun with language from master wordsmith Ben Yagoda.

• How to get a book published.

• The future of print journalism.

• how “social marketing” targets and changes behavior through its use of media influences.

• A behind-the-scenes look at Joe Biden’s years as a U.S. Senator – from the perspective of his former press secretary.

• And much more.

September brought us a major event: the timely and informative public forum that DPA co-sponsored with the Delaware Coalition for Open Government on what really happened to our economy. It featured Michael Greenberger, an economic adviser of national stature, and a panel of local experts on open government and Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act.

Other DPA benefits include:

• Timely information about a variety of events – those offered by DPA and also by other organizations that host programs of interest and importance to communicators.

• Opportunities for networking with other organizations – ongoing.

• An award-winning quarterly newsletter, NewsBreak – always packed with information about our members and all of the interesting and exciting things they’re accomplishing, about First Amendment matters, about writers workshops and communications conferences, and about our meetings, events and panel discussions on a range of topics.

• Terrific speakers (see Allan Loudell’s article about Linda Feldmann, who will address us at this year’s Holiday Luncheon on December 5).

• A chance to work with high school journalists through the annual First State High School Communications Contest that we sponsor annually with The News Journal.

• Fun and intimate members' talks. October’s freelance forum at Kid Shelleen's, with some of the best freelancers in Delaware as panelists, was rich in detail about how to go about the business of getting freelance assignments, about deadlines and about getting paid for freelance work.

• The opportunity to compete in annual statewide and national communications contests and to receive not only awards but also feedback from outstanding communications professionals. Clear information and support from the contest committee gave Laura and me the courage to put our book in the running for a DPA award. We were stunned by our first-place win in non-fiction/instructional book. Then we were encouraged to enter the National Federation of Press Women's competition and were even more thrilled to win a national third-place award in non-fiction/instructional book! If you published work during 2009, now is the time for you to be thinking about what you will enter in this year’s contest. You, too, could be an award winner!

So, what does Delaware Press Association mean to me? A LOT!

Lillian Shah co-founded the Elementary Workshop Montessori School in downtown Wilmington where she taught and served as director for 30 years. After she retired, she and Laura Messinger began researching and writing Keeping Healthy by Keeping Track: A Complete Guide to Maintaining Your Own Medical Records (Infinity Publishers, 2006). Her motivation for writing the book was an interest in healthy aging and having an informed doctor/patient partnership. Lillian was particularly interested in providing a book that would be a solid resource for caregivers. She says, "We become caregivers for a simple reason—we love the ones we love."

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DPA Welcomes New Members

DPA extends a warm welcome to each of our new members. Any new members whose contact information has not been included in the online DPA Membership Directory, please click here and ask for directions: DelawarePress@aol.com.

Suki R. Deen – Public Relations Associate, Wilmington University, New Castle

Lisa Flowers-Latorre – Manager, Community Legal Aid Society Inc., Georgetown

Nancy Lopez – President/CEO, www.Delawarehispanic.com; reporter, 1450 WILM Newsradio, New Castle

Susan Lyons – Publisher, The Coastal Point, Ocean View

Wendy Scott – Communications Manager, Delaware Center for Horticulture, Wilmington

Gregory Smith – Author of thriller & young adult novels, Wilmington

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DPA Media Mavens & Mavericks

. . . is a column about our members’ personal and professional achievements. Names of new DPA members featured in this column are starred.

Please send any information about your honors, achievements and awards to news@delawarepressassociation.org by the 1st of any month for publication in the next issue.

DPA members featured in this issue:

• Howard Berlin

• Kathy Buckalew

• Bridget Gillespie-Paverd

• Debbie Haskell

• Jean Hull Herman

• Fay Jacobs

• John Lake / Lori Lake

• Lynn Maniscalco

• Clella Murray

• John Sadak

• Rita Truschel
   

• Local book author and columnist Howard Berlin was awarded the Numismatic Literary Guild’s 2009 “Best Article” prize for non-numismatic publications at the annual convention of the American Numismatic Association in Los Angeles. Howard’s article, “The Tetragrammaton on the Early Coins of Denmark & Sweden,” appeared in the August 10, 2008, issue of the Jewish Voice (a publication of the Jewish Federation of Delaware), for which he also regularly writes the “Jewish Traveler” column. Dr. Berlin also received the Guild’s 2009 “Best Column” award in the World Commercial Numismatic Magazines category for his “World Destinations” column. The column is a regular feature in WorldWide Coins magazine about museums worldwide that have permanent exhibits about money.
Contact Howard Berlin at w3hb@yahoo.com.

• An exhibit of new work by Kathy Buckalew, “The Other End of the Spectrum: Black and White Infrared Photography,” opened Friday, November 6, and will be on display at Colourworks Photo/Art Space, 1902 Superfine Lane, Wilmington, until December 1. The show consists of digital b&w infrared photographs like “Hobbit’s Lair” (c. 2009) at right, including some panoramics, that showcase part of the spectrum that we don't usually see. “I like the ethereal, other-worldly, dream-like effect it gives to the images,” Kathy says, “turning all the trees and grass to snow white. But it's not a negative image, because all of the tree trunks and stone walls and streets are still dark.”
Contact Kathy Buckalew at buckalew@comcast.net.

• In November, when MarCom Awards announced the winners of the 2009 international awards competition that recognizes outstanding creative achievement by marketing and communication professionals, Bridget Gillespie-Paverd’s PR firm, GillespieHall, won the Mar-Com 2009 Platinum Award for the Clean Indoor Air Campaign they created for Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco (PACT). The campaign included a full arsenal of publicity and collaterals, including a recognizable “No Smoking” sign unique to Pennsylvania, a colorful Clean Indoor Air Law implementation toolkit for business owners, banners, brochures, decals, stickers and comprehensive e-commerce capability. Supplementary materials included a detailed media kit for regional health-care contractors, Clean Indoor Air napkins, coasters, table-tents, decals, signs and a PowerPoint presentation.

Joy Meyer, Executive Director of PACT, said, “It was no small accomplishment preparing the entire state for an ostensibly smoke-free indoor environment. The media and materials had to appeal to a very diverse audience. GillespieHall worked closely with PACT and did a great job on this campaign.”

“This was a crusade that the GillespieHall team lived and breathed for 18 months,” Bridget adds. “Having our peers acknowledge it as Platinum-worthy is indeed fabulous.” Her partner, Neal Hall, M.D., says, “Secondhand smoke is lethal. Working with PACT on this campaign to save lives and create awareness about the dangers of tobacco use was a perfect fit for GillespieHall. We are grateful for the recognition.”

This year the MarCom Awards, administrated and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals, received almost 5,000 entries from throughout the US, with several foreign countries participating. The entries come from Fortune 500 companies, media conglomerates and PR and advertising firms. Judges are industry professionals who look for companies whose talent exceeds a high standard of excellence.
For more on MarCom Awards and GillespieHall, go to www.GillespieHall.com.

• No grass grows under Debbie Haskell’s feet. In her second year as president of the English-Speaking Union Delaware Branch (ESU DE), she still promotes the work of the Delaware Heritage Commission from which she retired as executive director five years ago, and she is on the board at the Academy of Lifelong Learning, where she teaches courses on Delaware History and oral history. She writes that the ESU, which dates back to the 1920s in England, “figured somewhat prominently during WWII when members of the U.S. ESU branches housed English children while England was deeply embroiled in the war. The Delaware Branch dates to 1979. The raison d'etre of the Union is promotion of global understanding through English.”

Debbie adds: “The principal program of ESU DE is a statewide Shakespeare contest for Delaware secondary students in which contestants recite a Shakespeare monologue and read a sonnet. The winner gets a cash prize and competes in New York City with winners from other states. The teacher who has taught the winning student gets a three-week scholarship to England or Scotland, at one of several programs. To promote our 2010 contest, the New Castle Shakespeare Festival will take place at the University of Delaware Roselle Center for the Arts, on February 28, for Shakespeare on Sunday. The event will feature teacher and student workshops and two contests: the ESU DE Shakespeare contest and the New Castle Shakespeare Festival competition, in which individual schools from across the state compete in a series of costumed scenes from Shakespeare’s plays.”
Contact Debbie Haskell at debhaskell@comcast.net.

• A couple of years ago, award-winning poet and novelist Jean Hull Herman published Jerry Springer as Bulfinch, or Mythology Modernized, in which she used poetry to offer up a witty, tongue-in-cheek parallel view of the universe of the gods of Bulfinch’s Greek mythology and the “spookily similar lives” of those who parade across the stage of “The Jerry Springer Show.” You will delight in knowing that when at the Philadelphia Academy of Music in September to see Jerry himself in the musical Chicago, Jean managed to slip him a copy of the book. “Got a picture to prove it,” she says. “He asked for the book. He ASKED. I, of course, handed it right over. Told him I'd been trying to get it to him for two years. I do believe he will read it. The whole idea of someone writing a book about his show and calling him the storyteller of our times, just as Bulfinch was of his, puzzled him. But he KNEW the reference!”

Jean adds: “I had three of my speeches accepted by the Delaware Humanities Forum for my role as Visiting Scholar. The two new ones are Jerry Springer as Bulfinch, or Mythology Modernized and What Happened to the Lyrics, which studies modern lyrics in rock, blues, hip hop and teen music as opposed to The Beatles, et al.”
Contact Jean Herman at jherman007@aol.com.

• Fay Jacobs, who steered Rehoboth Beach to one of only five 2009 Great American Main Street Awards from the National Trust Main Street Center, says she has retired as executive director with Rehoboth Beach Main Street, Inc., and will be freelance writing full-time. Fay says, “I am currently writing “Letters for CAMP Rehoboth,” for Delaware Beach Life and will debut a new feature column with the online magazine Sussex County Weekly. I also will be working on promoting my publishing company, A&M Books. In addition to my books As I Lay Frying – A Rehoboth Beach Memoir and Fried & True – Tales from Rehoboth Beach, we are promoting the 35th Anniversary Edition of The Latecomer by Sarah Aldridge. For Spring 2010, we will publish The Carousel by long-time film and TV producer and Rehoboth/New York resident Stefani Deoul. Visit Fay’s Web site for more about Fay or to buy her books.
Contact Fay Jacobs at fayjacobsrb@aol.com.

• John and Lori Lake, founders and principals of Green Delaware (greendelaware.com), recently interviewed Terrance Babbie, President of Colter Construction, at a ribbon cutting unveiling Delaware's most energy-efficient (read “green”) home. The first certified green home in Delaware boasts heating and cooling costs expected to average less than $50 per month, and Delaware State Housing Authority Director Anas Ben Addi praised Colter's commitment to building homes like this one that are not simply efficient, but affordable as well.

John and Lori want the public to know that “many people have the false perception that going green and building for energy efficiency is costly. This house and building standard prove just the opposite. Priced at approximately $110/sq. ft., when standard new construction costs are closer to the $200/sq. ft. range, it is a prime example of energy-efficient homes costing less to build and having lower operating costs than those built to meet current building-code requirements. In fact, it will send a strong signal that local and state building codes are in desperate need of change to reflect more efficient building practices for builders as well as better quality and lower costs for homeowners.”

Click here to see Lori and John’s complete story, photos and video of the interview and ribbon cutting.

John says, “This message of cost-effective, energy-efficient, health-affirming green construction really is a big deal for Delaware because it also sets a standard for the rest of the U.S., and for each state's building codes that meet only minimum (very low) requirements for energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

“If, for instance, you have been in a new home and/or new construction,” he adds, “everything smells clean and new, yet most of that odor is toxic off-gassing from new (chemical-filled) carpets, paints and more. Those toxic gasses take a toll on everyone living inside, including children and pets.

“It is sad that even now, when a newborn baby's room is being prepped, toxic off-gassing from new carpets, paint, bedding (blankets/pillows) and even toys fills up the room. The true message of green really does need to get out to improve the health of everyone from babies to senior citizens while reducing utility costs and decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels that pollute our air, water and land.”
Contact John Lake at ME@GreenTV.com.
Contact Lori Lake at green@greendelaware.com.

• Award-winning photographer Lynn Maniscalco’s most recent adventure, a trip to China in August, yielded more than 2,000 images. She is still downloading and editing them. She writes, “I spent five years deciding and definitely chose the right tour—great leaders and a very compatible group of 4 Australians (including a South African immigrant), 1 Romanian, 1 French-speaking Canadian, 1 from Oregon and me (the oldest)—so it was an interesting mix of accents and professions, no couples or previous friendships, all serious photographers, and we really had fun together.

“It was physically challenging, included Beijing, Xian (bought my "almost Rolex" in the big Muslim market there for 50 yuan—that's $8), Yangschuo, Guilin, XingPing, Tian Tou (the Yao tribe), Xitang (a water town) and Shanghai. Went ballooning, enjoyed a home visit with dinner, a tea ceremony in a tea house, acrobats, calligraphy and a personal cooking class. Traveled by van, air, overnight train and locally by pedi-cab, boat, subway and overcrowded local buses and did a lot of walking.

“The part of the Great Wall that we climbed was several hours out of Beijing because it has very few tourists and is more photogenic (that means a lot steeper, and my knees were like jelly by the time we got done!) and, as it turned out, unusually spectacular weather, even blue skies in Beijing. The only disappointment was heavy rain in the rice terraces, and getting up to that village was a two-hour climb. After my experience on the wall, I opted to ride in a chair carried by porters.

“Fortunately I didn't need the Cipro prescription I'd been advised to take along, but my Mandarin phrase book came in handy, although gesture works, too. Learned not to venture out without bottled water, toilet paper and the hotel address in Chinese, but had some great adventures on my own. Reserved an extra night in Shanghai where the tour ended, and a flight back to Beijing, as I had gotten a super-cheap round-trip fare, JFK to Beijing. I was worried when we were grounded in Shanghai for an hour due to fog, but I made my connection—flew over the North Pole to D.C. where we went through customs before going on to N.Y. and on home.”

At the 2009 conference of the Photographic Society of America, not only was Lynn was honored with the annual Photojournalism Division Chairman's Appreciation Award, but also one of her photographs was named the PSA Published Picture of the Year for 2008. Lynn says, “This is an annual contest for photos published by members during the previous year. I photographed Mary Allison, a Hockessin resident and dog lover, each year on her birthday until she died at age 114.”
Contact Lynn Maniscalco at LTMphoto@juno.com.

• Clella Murray took the first-place award in the Writing for Juveniles division of the writing competition at the 2009 Philadelphia Writer's Conference for part of a chapter of Dangerous Journey, a novel she wrote based on diaries of her great-great-great grandmother and set on a Vermont farm in the year 1800. Told by 11-year-old Lucy Howe, whose high spirits often lead her into trouble, the story recounts Lucy’s pell-mell rush from one escapade to another as well as the trip by covered wagon through the wilderness of New York and Pennsylvania and then by dugout canoe down Allegheny River rapids as her family moves from the relative safety of Vermont to life in the wilds of the Ohio Territory. Clella says, “I was pleased because the judges awarded prizes based solely on merit—not just because an entry was the best of what was submitted in a category—and not all divisions got awards.”
Contact Clella Murray at cbmurray@udel.edu.

• John Sadak, director for broadcasting for the Wilmington Blue Rocks and a multiple DPA award winner, has expanded his work into the world of television. He called the TV play-by-play for the first regular-season game—dubbed “The Route 1 Rivalry”—between the University of Delaware and Delaware State University football teams. The game drew a 1.0 rating and a 3.0 share in Philadelphia, making it the market’s top-rated program in that time slot. John also has been calling college football, soccer and even water polo for Verizon’s regional programming in the New York market on FiOS1 TV. This winter he will enter his sixth season as the voice of Blue Hens women’s basketball and Princeton University men’s basketball on radio.
Contact John Sadak at jsadak@bluerocks.com.

• Rita Truschel organized and presented a successful books-and-authors series last summer for the Delaware Humanities Forum. The "Interpreting Dreams" series had an immigration theme and included readers theater with City Theater Company actors. The books and authors were Song Yet Sung by James McBride, The Saint of Lost Things by Christopher Castellani and The Language of Good-bye by Maribeth Fischer.
Contact Rita Truschel at rtruschel@comcast.net.

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Calendar of Events

Pick your own date: Free Writes. On any given Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday, you can jump-start your creative process and experiment with your writing styles in the company of other writers at all skill levels. Just show up with pen and paper or laptop. No RSVP required. Free and facilitated by the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild. For more info: 302-226-8210 or contactus@rehobothbeachwritersguild.com.

DECEMBER

05 Delaware Press Association Holiday Luncheon. Delaware National Country Club, 400 Hercules Road, Wilmington. 11:30 a.m. social gathering/book signing with DPA authors, editors and photographers/networking/cash bar. 12:30 p.m. luncheon/program: “The Great Transition” in journalism with Linda Feldmann, chief political correspondent and White House reporter for The Christian Science Monitor/presentation of the DPA 2010 Communicator of Achievement. Cost: members $26.50; non-members $31.50. For more info: 302-594-0844. Make Holiday Luncheon Reservations.

07 “Effective Marketing on the Leading Edge of an Economic Recovery,” hosted by Philadelphia AMA. 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Digitas, the Wanamaker Building, 9th Floor Atrium, Philadelphia, Pa. The assessments and predictions of the economic experts are sometimes at odds, so what will you do? Everyone's ready for economic recovery, but some people are too timid to take action before all the lights are green. Since timing can be critical—and early birds can catch buckets of worms—we want to know what signs help smart marketers know when to act. Cost: members $30; non-members $45; students $30. Click here to register for event.

09 “The Networking Power of LinkedIn,” sponsored by Center City Proprietors Association. Noon - 1:30 p.m. 1635 Market Street, 7 Penn Center, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, Pa. LinkedIn adds value to your professional life: Take control of your online identity; find a dream job/client/business partner; maintain & foster relationships; recommend peers, answer their questions, and provide introductions. Learn more: how to successfully create a robust profile, come up in searches, get linked the right way to the right people, receive and give recommendations and much more using LinkedIn! Oliver Picher is founder and president of Visible Influence, LLC, a network of professionals dedicated to helping businesses, executives, and professionals make themselves more visible and attract more business. A Senior Public Relations and Communications Consultant with more than 20 years’ experience in high tech, professional services, human resource consulting and medical fields, Picher is an expert in public relations, communications strategy, message and content development, writing and research. He is also active in professional networking, conducting training and executive coaching sessions on LinkedIn and writing a regular column on Philadelphia networking at funwithnetworking.com. Cost: members free; non-members $10. Reservations required. Call CCPA at 215-545-7766.

09 "Holiday Happy Hour" hosted by PRSA, Delaware Chapter. Social Networking.
5–7 p.m. Washington Street Ale House, Maraschino Room (second floor), 1206 Washington Street, Wilmington. Cash bar, hors d’oeuvres served. Members $10; non-members $20. RSVP by Dec. 7: prsadelaware.org.

10 “To Tweet or Not To Tweet Your Press Release,” sponsored by Business Wire.
1 p.m. Webinar for those INEXPERIENCED in the rapidly evolving world of new media. Trying to get a grip on Twitter, get your best Facebook on, and trick out your press releases with some of the latest techniques? This Webinar can help. Business Wire addresses some of the most frequently asked questions posed during our award-winning Webinar series. We'll talk about Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, show you how to create tiny URLs for your press releases and explore ways to leverage social media to get the maximum online traction. Cost: free. Click here to register for event.

14 Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) 2009 Gold Medal Award. Presented to Jim Gardner, Anchorman, 6ABC’s “Action News.” 11:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m. Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, Pa. Jim Gardner has helped guide viewers of 6ABC's “Action News” through every news event, large and small, since 1976. He has lived most of his adult life in the Philadelphia area, and his roots here run deep. Gardner joined WPVI-TV in Philadelphia on June 1, 1976, as a reporter and anchor of the noon news and, on May 11, 1977, assumed his current position of anchorman of “Action News” at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Cost: members $65; non-members $75. Click here to register for event.

15 “Strategies for Superior Performance, Sales & Retention,” hosted by Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. 8–10:30 a.m. Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia, Pa. This high-content program will focus on keeping your sales team motivated, increasing sales revenue and decreasing attrition. Internationally renowned performance expert, motivational speaker, author and television personality Gail Kasper will share effective techniques for helping employees tap their creative resources, stay focused and increase their productivity. Cost: members free; non-members $35. Click here to register for event.

2010

JANUARY

11 Postmark deadline for all entries in the Delaware Press Association 2010 Communications Contest. If you have questions or need assistance, contact DPA Contest Director Annie Nefosky at annienefosky@yahoo.com.

27 “Redefining the Art of Networking, with Peter Shankman,” sponsored by NEWS4Women. 5:30–6 p.m. networking and cocktail reception. 6–7 p.m. Peter Shankman presentation followed by Q&A. Harry's Savoy Grill and Ballroom, 2020 Naamans Road, Wilmington. Entrepreneur, author, speaker and worldwide connector. Peter Shankman is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about Social Media, PR, marketing, advertising, creativity and customer service. He is also well known for founding Help A Reporter Out—HARO. Read more about Peter Shankman. Cost: $25. Includes networking, program, hors d'oeuvres and cash bar. Click here to register for event.

FEBRUARY

28 “Shakespeare on Sunday,” sponsored by the English Speaking Union, Delaware. Time TBA. University of Delaware Roselle Center for the Arts. The event will feature teacher and student workshops and two contests: the statewide ESU DE Shakespeare contest for Delaware secondary students in which contestants recite a Shakespeare monologue and read a sonnet (the winner gets a cash prize and competes in New York City with winners from other states) and the New Castle Shakespeare Festival competition, in which individual schools from across the state compete in a series of costumed scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. For more information about the festival: gdjmshort@erols.com or 302-234-2031.

MARCH

Women's History Month

14–20 Sunshine Week. Although spearheaded by journalists, Sunshine Week is about the public's right to know what its government is doing and why. Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels and to give them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger.
For more info: www.sunshineweek.org

26–28 Writers at the Beach: Pure Sea Glass 2010 Writers Conference. Rehoboth Beach. For more info: writersatthebeach.com

Send information for the Calendar of Events to news@delawarepressassociation.org.

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NewsBreak is the official newsletter of Delaware Press Association.

Katherine Ward, Editor/Layout
Mary Leah Christmas, Copy Editor
Mary E. Loewenstein-Anderson, Photo Editor

Submit editorial content to:
news@delawarepressassociation.org

Copy deadline for next newsletter: January 10, 2010

Contact Us:
Katherine Ward, Executive Director
Delaware Press Association

email: delawarepress@aol.com
phone: 302-655-2175
web: www.delawarepressassociation.org
 

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