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In This Issue:
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO OUR
ECONOMY:
The Consequences of Not Knowing
by Allan Loudell
 Were
you caught off guard by the sinking economy? So were most of us.
Delaware Press Association and the Delaware Coalition for Open
Government have joined forces to provide some answers to “WHAT
REALLY HAPPENED TO OUR ECONOMY” at a free and informative public
forum on Thursday, September 17, at 7:30 p.m., at the Delaware
Theatre Company.
WHAT: Keynote speaker Michael Greenberger will help make
sense of the succession of complicated, unregulated deals that
brought the global economy to near ruin. He will explore how lack of
transparency and regulation in financial institutions affects you
and will look at rules that can be put in place to stop the madness,
improve public access to information and reduce the risk of an
economic meltdown happening again.
 The
program also will feature a panel discussion – by local experts in
government and in reporting on government – that will illuminate the
information power struggle. Come with your own queries, because the
panel will take questions from the audience.
WHERE: Delaware Theatre Company, 200 Water Street, Wilmington,
Delaware.
WHEN: Thursday, September 17, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.
WHO: Michael Greenberger – noted lawyer, professor and
advisor – teaches a seminar on "Futures, Options and Derivatives"
and courses on Constitutional Law at the University of Maryland
School of Law. He has been technical advisor to a United Nations
General Assembly Commission on Reforms of the International Monetary
and Financial System and director of the Division of Trading and
Markets at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He testifies
frequently before Congress about problems in U.S. financial markets
caused by complex and unregulated financial derivatives. Mr.
Greenberger appears frequently in the media as an expert source on
financial regulation.
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Ralph Begleiter, Distinguished Professor of Communication at
the University of Delaware and former CNN World Affairs
Correspondent, will moderate the panel discussion.
Panelists
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Michael Greenberger, Professor,
University of Maryland School of Law
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Cris Barrish, Senior Reporter, The
News Journal
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Alan Garfield, Professor, Widener School
of Law, specializing in Constitutional Law
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The Hon. Karen Peterson, Delaware State
Senator
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There will be a reception in the lobby after the program.
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• FREE and open to the public.
• Park free in the theatre’s lot or in the lot
north of the theatre.
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This program is partly funded by a grant from the Delaware
Humanities Forum, a state program of the National Endowment for the
Humanities. The coordinating sponsors are Delaware Press
Association, an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women,
and the Delaware Coalition for Open Government, an affiliate of the
National Freedom of Information Coalition at the University of
Missouri School of Journalism.
Don’t miss this exciting free event! Put the date on your calendar
and invite your friends, neighbors and colleagues.
See you on September 17!
Allan Loudell is the DPA Programs Vice President. For more information,
contact Allan at 302-478-2700 or
aloudell@wdel.com.
^Top
President’s Corner: Something’s
Gaining on You
The Challenge for “Conventional” Media
by Mark Fowser
“Conventional” media – newspapers, radio, television – look
out: social media and web-based news outlets are gaining on you.
Initial confirmation of Michael Jackson’s death came not
from established networks or newspapers. We at WILM heard about it first
through TMZ.com, Yahoo.com, and later through E! Online. Network newscasts and
wire services widely quoted the information from these sources but were
quick to caution that “we have not confirmed it independently.”
Also, when parts of New Castle County, Delaware, started to
shake on July 1, Facebook was abuzz with conversation: “What was that?” It
turned out to be a small earthquake, centered in southern New Jersey. It
seems some folks on these sites were just as keyed in as we were in
investigating the source.
Then, we have YouTube. Our own Congressman Mike Castle was
caught off guard at a downstate town meeting by a group pressing him for
answers about the birthplace or “citizenship” of President Barack Obama. The
video of the crowd erupting into the Pledge of Allegiance went “viral,” and
we in the Delaware news media were in the position of having to catch up.
The conventional media were not exactly left in the dust on
these stories, but they are going to have to work harder than ever to gain
and retain their audiences. It’s a 24-hour news cycle, and newsrooms are
smaller than ever. Somehow, they’ll have to make it work.
Don’t let something else gain on you: 2010.
It will soon be DPA membership renewal time, and we have
some exciting fall programs planned for our members. On Thursday, September
17, DPA and the Delaware Coalition for Open Government are hosting a speaker
of national renown, Professor Michael Greenberger, who will tell us “What
Really Happened to Our Economy” (see related article).
We’ll have a freelance forum in October with a panel of top-notch
freelancers to give practical advice and answer your questions. At our
annual DPA Holiday Luncheon on Saturday, December 5, we’ll hear first-hand
from Linda Feldmann, chief political correspondent at The Christian
Science Monitor’s Washington Bureau, what it’s like to work as CSM’s
White House correspondent.
But wait . . . summer’s not over.
It will be an exciting and informative time along the
Riverwalk in San Antonio for the NFPW annual communications conference,
national contest awards presentation and recognition of the 2009
Communicators of Achievement. I am truly looking forward to learning about
what other affiliates are doing, taking part in some interesting workshops
and seminars, and sharing our successes from Delaware as well. It’s not too
late to go (see the
Conference Page on the NFPW Web site), and you can still find great
airfare bargains.
I’ll have an update in the next edition of DPA NewsBreak.
I look forward to seeing you along the Riverwalk in San
Antonio for the NFPW Conference, September 10 – 11, or at the Wilmington
Riverfront for the DPA / DELCOG event on
September 17!
Contact Mark Fowser at 302-395-9857 or
markfowser@wilm.com.
^Top
Face to Face with Postmodern Novelist
Don DeLillo
2009 Common Wealth Award Recipient
by Helen (Cookie) Ohlson
Editor's Note: The Common Wealth Awards –
presented annually by PNC Bank during a special ceremony at the Hotel du
Pont in Wilmington – honor distinguished service to humanity in the fields
of literature, public service, science and invention, sociology, government,
dramatic arts, and mass communications. This year's recipients, sharing a
prize of $200,000, were astronaut Buzz Aldrin (science), actor Kevin Spacey
(dramatic arts), novelist Don DeLillo (literature) and presidential
historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (mass communications).
 It
shouldn’t have been a surprise to see the much-acclaimed writer Don DeLillo
presenting a stern face at the 2009 Common Wealth Awards. His writing is not
the stuff of happiness and cheer. He is referred to as a writer of
postmodern novels. One definition for that is “a parody of the quest for
meaning in a chaotic world.” That alone would suggest a serious attitude.
Should your evaluation of Mr. DeLillo end there, you would
be mistaken. This man, who has been described as a social critic of American
culture, is not a cynic with pen in hand. He studies history with an eye for
change, not for perpetual damage. He is interested in details and how each
individual’s perceptions are altered as the result of experiencing a common
event. At the press conference, he even revealed himself to be optimistic
when it comes to the future of writing in this day of rapidly changing
technology. As for his own opinion, Mr. DeLillo was once asked by
interviewer Thomas DePietro if he approves of his designation as a
postmodern novelist. "I don't react," he said. "But I'd prefer not to be
labeled. I'm a novelist, period. An American novelist."
While many others bemoan the change in the process of
writing as blogs replace diaries and as tweets become the new personal
narratives, Mr. DeLillo expresses hope. At the press conference he stated,
“I think that as fiction writing becomes marginal in future years – it’s
already becoming a little less important than it used to be – it will, in a
way, increase the significance of the art itself. It will fortify the
dedication of those writers who continue to work at that extreme, far reach
of contemporary culture.
“In another sense, I feel a little in the same way that Buzz
Aldrin feels about Mars. Whatever is ahead ought to be explored. Again, just
in the narrower terms of fiction, there are many writers now exploring cyber
fiction who put the text online and then see it changed and adapted and
altered, reversed, and so on. Can this possibly become the literature of the
future? If people choose to make it that way, I might choose not to struggle
against it, even if I don’t become such a writer myself.”
Perhaps Mr. DeLillo’s seemingly stern countenance is merely
a reflection of his intensity. He is a serious student of history and the
people – major and minor players – who lived through it. “What fiction can
do is simply examine characters in ways that a historian can’t do,” he said.
He strives to show an extremely intimate perspective through dialogue,
thoughts, dreams and questions.
He said he is sometimes surprised at what he finds in his
research. While writing Libra, he immersed himself in the Warren
Report and said that in all its miscellaneous detail, it was a fascinating
document – almost a work of brilliant fiction. “With its twenty-six
accompanying volumes of testimony and exhibits, its millions of words,” he
wrote in Libra, “. . . this is the megaton novel James Joyce would
have written if he'd moved to Iowa City and lived to be a hundred.”
Mr. DeLillo has written 14 novels and 3 stage plays and has
won many awards for his writing, including the Jerusalem Prize, the National
Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the William Dean Howells
Medal. He has stated that he is not happy being a public figure, nor, it has
been said, does he like to grant interviews. When he accepted his 2009
Common Wealth Award, Don DeLillo did not give a speech. Instead, he read a
touching account of how his sister helped him rewrite Americana after
finding the original hand-written copy in storage. As with all of his work,
there was a rhythm in his sentences and not a spare word in his
descriptions. While he was not smiling, those of us in the audience
could not help but curl our lips upward in appreciation of the fine story.
Maybe that is enough.
Contact Cookie Ohlson at
ardn@aol.com.
^Top
2009 NFPW Communications Contest
Yields National Awards for 21 DPA Members
by Annie Nefosky, 2009 - 2010 Communications Contest
Director
Over the summer, we got word that 21 DPA members received
national awards in NFPW’s 2009 National Communications Contest. The award
certificates will be presented at the 2009 “Roundup on the River”
Communications Conference hosted by Press Women of Texas in San Antonio.
DPA members took first place in 7 categories. We also had 2 second-place
wins, 7 thirds and 5 honorable mentions. Each entry in the national
competition already had received a first-place award in the DPA statewide
contest. Congratulations to one and all!
DPA's 2009 National Contest Winners
Heads Up on the 2010 DPA Communications Contest
Although you will receive a DPA contest “call for entries”
in October, please note that deadlines for the state and national
communications contests will be set a little earlier this year than last
because next year’s NFPW Communications Conference, “Face to 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 now
and start looking through your work published in 2009 that you would like to
enter in the 2010 DPA contest. Entry fees will remain the same as in the
last few years.
Contact Annie Nefosky at
annienefosky@yahoo.com.
^Top
WordPlay . . . for Wordsmiths
by Bob Yearick
A Sad Farewell
Lovers of malapropisms will miss Emmitt Smith, an ex-Dallas
Cowboy who enjoyed a short stint as a pre-game commentator on ESPN. During
his time on camera, Smith talked about players who had endured “rites of
patches,” teams that “got debacled” and observed that “you can’t change the
stripes of a leopard.” He also noted tacklers’ attempts at “carousing” ball
carriers. We think he meant “corralling,” but with Emmitt you can’t be sure.
Sufficient
Unto Itself
There seems to be some confusion about the phrase “suffice
it to say.” People often omit the “it,” in favor of “suffice to say.” A few
even put the phrase into past tense – “sufficed to say . . .”
Both are wrong. Use “suffice it to say.” No others need
apply.
A Guide to Guy
Those supporting cables or wires anchored at one end and
tied to an object or structure to stabilize it often are called – mistakenly
– “guide wires.” An understandable error. The term – defying almost all
logic – is guy wires. Guy comes from the Old French “guie,”
and the verb “guier” – to guide. So now you know.
Miscommunication
An insurance claims office threw a party for a long-time
employee who was moving on to a new firm. The cake, which was a rush order,
arrived just in time for the party. It was decorated with these words:
Best Wishes Suzanne
And Under Neat that
We will Miss you
Our guess is that the phone call to order the cake went
something like this:
Bakery employee: “Hello, how can I help you?”
Customer: “I would like to order a cake for a going-away
party tomorrow.”
Bakery: “Hmmm, that’s pretty short notice. We’ll do our
best. What do you want on the cake?”
Customer: “’Best Wishes, Suzanne,’ and underneath that, ‘We
will miss you.’”
Until 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.
^Top
Spotlight: Janis D. Shields –
Turning Layoff into Opportunity
Turning a mid-career layoff into an adventure isn’t easy.
When Janis D. Shields faced that prospect, adventure was the furthest thing
from her mind. “My immediate concern,” she says, “was how, at age 51 in the
current job market, would I ever find a new job?”
That was September 2008. “For me, the big step was facing
the fear head-on,” she explains. “There was little I could do about the
economy, but a lot I could do in terms of networking and moving on every
opportunity that came my way.”
Shields had proved her fortitude and determination years
earlier. As a teen mom, she fought to stay in high school while
simultaneously attending the University of Delaware after being admitted to
its Talent Search program for honors students. But for this new wrinkle, she
turned challenge – for the first time – into something entirely different.
Her first decision was to spend some time volunteering for
the Obama for America presidential campaign, which promptly sent her to
Anderson, Indiana.
 Then
December took her to Costa Rica to help a friend who was working to design
and promote a new line of greeting cards. February found her “cruising to
the oldies” to meet with Chuck Negron, the distinctive voice behind Three
Dog Night, now in a solo career. Summer saw her participating in two forums
surrounding CNN’s new "Black in America 2" in Philadelphia and Washington,
D.C. Most recently, she attended the premiere screenings of Chris Rock’s
upcoming documentary, Good Hair, and Disney’s ground-breaking
animated film, The Princess and the Frog, both scheduled for release
this fall.
Now, with more than 20 years’ experience in strategic
marketing and public and media relations, Jenny, as she’s known by friends,
is the founder of The Media Works, Inc., which offers a full range of
communications services for nonprofit, entertainment and corporate entities.
The Media Works specializes in branding, special events planning and social
media.
Shields also helps direct the Delaware Chapter of the
National Coalition Building Institute and leads periodic sessions on
prejudice reduction and conflict resolution for both the public and private
sectors. She sits on the media advocacy committee of the Philadelphia
Association of Black Journalists and serves as the advocacy chairman for the
Public Relations Society of America, Philadelphia chapter. She served on the
host committee of PRSA’s 2007 international conference, which brought
thousands of public relations practitioners and students from 25 countries
to the region for professional development, expertise sharing and
networking.
One of the first African-American local-origination-show
hosts in Wilmington, Shields took turns in the interview chair with then
City Council President James M. Baker and former State Recorder of Deeds,
Paulette Sullivan Moore. "Probe" was a weekly minority affairs program
produced by WNS-TV-2 and featured movers and shakers in the First State.
Shields used the forum to highlight Delaware’s wealth of creative talent by
featuring visual artists, vocalists and local musicians.
 “For
years I lived in the shadow of one of the great musicians in history,
Clifford Brown,” she reflects. “But I knew nothing about him when I was
growing up on Wilmington’s east side. I had no idea of his impact on the
music scene, much less that someone of that renown once lived in my
neighborhood, within steps of where I used to play.”
Shields was also a special assignment reporter for WNS’s
“First State News” and "Images and Concerns.” Next came two stints with WILM
NewsRadio as general assignment reporter, weekend anchor and talk show
producer.
Shields has served as a director on a number of boards,
including the Christina Cultural Arts Center and the Quaker Hill Historic
Preservation Foundation in Wilmington and served as publicity co-chairman
for the Wilmington Branch of the NAACP. She also served on the public
relations committee of First Night Wilmington in its debut. Shields became a
member of the Charleston, South Carolina, Civic Forum during a 10-year
sojourn there and helped spearhead a community-wide dialogue designed to
quell racial and ethnic tensions across several communities.
When Shields returned to Delaware in 2000, she was named
communications director for Delaware Health and Social Services. She soon
became director of public and media relations for the American Friends
Service Committee (AFSC), where her work over the past nine years helped
catapult the organization into the forefront of the peace movement,
including internationally promoting Cindy Sheehan, the “peace mom” known for
camping out in protest in front of President Bush’s Texas home.
“My work with the State of Delaware is still one of my
biggest accomplishments,” she says. “Not everyone goes from welfare mom to
state spokesperson.”
Contact Janis Shields at Jenny
Dee@aol.com.
^Top
Delaware High School Journalists Score
in State, National Competitions
by Barbara Roewe
Delaware Press Association and The News Journal are
annual co-sponsors of the First State High School Communications Contest for
both public and private schools throughout Delaware. Students enter their
work in the following categories: cartooning, column, editorial, feature,
feature photo, graphics, news, opinion, single-page layout, sports, sports
photo, reviews, double-truck layout and radio/news-public affairs. This
year’s high school competition had 248 entries.
The annual contest awards luncheon, to which all contest
winners and their journalism advisers are invited, is held in the Bill Frank
Conference Room of The News Journal. This year, following a talk –
"What's Happening?" – by News Journal columnist Rhonda Graham, there
were energetic small-group discussions among the student journalists about
achievements and problems in publishing a high school newspaper. Award
certificates were presented to the winners, the students got a tour of
The News Journal facility and each participating school received a
portfolio of winning entries and judges' comments.
2009 First State High School Communications Contest Winners
Students who win a first-place award in the DPA contest are
eligible to enter the national high school contest sponsored by the National
Federation of Press Women. We were delighted that four Delaware student
journalists – from Salesianum, the Wilmington Charter School and Wilmington
Christian School – won national awards.
Delaware Students Who Won 2009 National Communications Awards
Congratulations to all who entered the statewide and
national competitions!
Contact Barbara Roewe, VP of Student Activities, at
bcroewe@aol.com.
^Top
DPA Membership Still a Bargain
NFPW Membership Offers Additional Benefits
by Allison Taylor Levine, APR
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Membership in Delaware Press Association remains a bargain at just $20.
DPA membership gives you access to:
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Great networking with journalists and other
communications professionals from around the state and region.
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Timely e-blasts about job opportunities and
events of interest.
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Professional development workshops and seminars.
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Our annual, professional communications contest.
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The national-award-winning DPA e-newsletter,
NewsBreak.
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The DPA online membership directory.
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Leadership opportunities.
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And more!
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If you’re joining for the first time, your $20 dues payment will
carry you for the next 16 months – through the end of 2010.
So RENEW or JOIN TODAY!
Get DPA Membership Form / Pay Dues
– Get DPA Membership Form to Join or to Renew and Pay
by CHECK –
– Make DPA Membership Payment Online with CREDIT CARD
–
NFPW Membership Offers Additional Benefits
For an additional $73, DPA members can join our parent organization, the
National Federation of Press Women (open to men as well as to women).
National membership entitles the member to:
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A national membership directory, listing all
NFPW members by state and by profession.
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A subscription to the quarterly national
publication, NFPW AGENDA.
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Annual conferences and professional seminars.
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Scholarships and mini-grants for education and
training.
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Entrée into NFPW’s National Communications
Contest if a first-place winner in state-level contest.
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The right to vote, hold office and serve as a
delegate to the annual NFPW Communications Conference.
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Individual
professional liability insurance against libel and privacy
lawsuits, customized particularly for freelancers.
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Corporate membership savings: A company can pay
for four memberships using one corporate check and get the fifth
one free!
Other NFPW benefits include:
NFPW Education Fund Professional Grants
Established to fund education opportunities for NFPW members and students to
broaden their knowledge and skills, the Education Fund awards professional
grants designed to help underwrite the cost of non-NFPW conferences and
seminars for a limited number of applicants seeking to sharpen their
professional skills.
Click here to access the grant application form. Fill out the
application and send it to the address listed on the form or submit via
e-mail.
The Education Fund Board will then review your application and contact you
within a reasonable amount of time of its decision. If you have any
questions, e-mail NFPW Education Fund Director Meg Hunt at
mhunt21@msn.com or call 864-292-5497.
Up Close and Personal
Would you like to get your profile on a national communications Web site?
“Up Close and Personal” on the NFPW Web site features NFPW members talking
about their careers and interests. Profiles are added monthly. If you'd like
to be featured or want to nominate someone to be featured, please e-mail
Cynthia Price at clprice@ccfusa.org.
Get NFPW Membership Form / Pay Dues
– Join NFPW and DPA Using One Convenient Form –
For more information about membership, contact Allison Levine at
aljay89@yahoo.com or 302-345-0589.
Allison Taylor Levine, APR, a public relations consultant for
Synchrogenix Information Strategies, Inc., is DPA’s Membership Director.
Contact Allison at aljay89@yahoo.com.
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^Top
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.
Linda S. Blaskey –
lindablaskey@aol.com
Writer / Poet
Everett Shaun Cooper –
djshaunklassic@gmail.com
Director, Multimedia Department, CMS (Choice Media Studios)
Kim Doucette –
doucette@cms.udel.edu
Administrative Assistant, UD Marine Public Education Office
Suzanne Eder –
see@mysolidground.com
Freelance Writer, Living.Well Magazine & Solid Ground,
Transformational Life Coach
Katie Grasso –
kgrasso@dscc.com
Communications Manager & Managing Editor, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce
Jeff Jackson –
info@prsadelaware.org
Director of Communications, St. Mark's High School
Karen L. Jesse –
kljessee@rcn.com
Freelance writer, Living.Well Magazine
Marjorie M. Miller –
mmmbeach@comcast.net
Columnist / special reporter, Delaware Coast Press
Terry Plowman –
stopjunk@mac.com
Editor & Publisher, Delaware Beach Life, The Magazine of Coastal Delaware
Brenda J. Porter-Rockwell –
brenda@writeonporter.com
Director of Public Relations & Volunteer Services, Habitat for Humanity,
NCCo
Peg Tigue –
saildelaware@comcast.net
Director of Development, Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation
Kathleen Wheatley –
kathyw@udel.edu
Production Coordinator, UD Office of Communications & Marketing
David B. Woodside, Jr. –
dbwoodside@gmail.com
Blogger, “DelawareLiberal” (Delaware politics, culture, economy; national &
international events)
^Top
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:
• Chris Carl, Director of News & Programming, WDEL
1150 AM & WDEL.com, writes that the Radio & Television News Directors
Association (RTNDA) announced on June 29 that WDEL won the national Edward
R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast in radio markets ranked 51 and up. [Radio
markets, by the hundreds, are ranked by size of population in the listening
area, with 1, New York City, being the largest.] There were 10 other entries
in the competition, representing stations from California to Massachusetts.
WDEL’s winning newscast, the June 5, 2008, edition of “Delaware’s Morning
News,” included contributions from nearly every member of WDEL’s news,
sports and TrafficWatch team in addition to the work of co-anchors Peter
MacArthur and Mellany Armstrong. WDEL will receive the award during a
black-tie gala dinner in New York City in October.
Listen to WDEL’s winning entry.
Contact Chris Carl at ccarl@wdel.com.
Contact Mellany Armstrong at
marmstrong@wdel.com.
• Former DPA NewsBreak editor Mary Leah Christmas
graduated summa cum laude from Wilmington University in May with a B.S.
in legal studies. A member of two honor societies, she maintained a 4.0 GPA
throughout the American Bar Association-approved program. At the
commencement ceremony at the Chase Center in Wilmington, she was surprised
and honored at being presented with two significant awards: The Trustees’
Award for Scholarship in General Studies and The Award for Academic
Excellence in the Division of General Studies. The latter was for selection
as the top student in the General Studies division, of which the Legal
Studies program is a part. Wilmington University recently announced that the
Division of General Studies has been renamed the College of Arts & Sciences.
Contact Mary Leah Christmas at
lexetlibris@yahoo.com.
• Tara Lynn Johnson, who was a reporter and editor
for Community Publications for some years, writes that as the newspaper
industry is trying to reinvent itself, she is thankful she began to
rediscover her own identity a few years ago. “I planted seeds of discovery
and possibility outside that world,” she says. “I've lost several contracts
as papers stopped printing certain sections or magazines stopped publishing
at all. But it's like a blip on the radar as I've meanwhile focused on
photography, other job options that use my writing skills but allow me to
freelance, too, and just living.” In the process of rediscovery, she has
taken French lessons, learned to ice skate, and, she says, “Tennis lessons
revealed I hit a wicked serve. I'm writing poetry again and have ventured
into fiction! Having less freelance work allowed me the time to discover
other interests and talents I didn't know I had. There's always a gift, a
lesson, a positive, for those with an open mind.”
Contact Tara Lynn Johnson at
info@taralynnjohnson.com.
• On June 30, People to People International, Delaware
Chapter honored Allan Loudell, news anchor / interviewer / host on
1150 AM WDEL, with the People Helping People Award “for his outstanding work
in bringing international issues to our community, through his nationally
acclaimed news coverage and interviews and by acting as a moderator at
untold numbers of community panels and discussions.” He was cited by PTPDE
for a long and distinguished career in broadcasting: “Mr. Loudell has been
on-the-air – more or less continuously – since the age of thirteen. He has
been on-the-air in the Wilmington market since 1987, and joined WDEL /
Delmarva Broadcasting Company in September 2005. He has covered and
interviewed many historic figures, and he has contacts around the world. He
started the ‘High School Student Journalists’ and Communications Hour’ on
Delaware radio; he guest lectures at many area high schools and colleges;
and he helps judge the annual First State High School Communications
Contest, sponsored by Delaware Press Association and The News Journal.
He also has pioneered broadcasting from many of the area’s church and ethnic
festivals.”
Contact Allan Loudell, DPA VP of Programs, at
aloudell@wdel.com.
• When DPA member and Nigerian native Akinwale Ojomo
was named to the Forum of Young Global Leaders for 2009 by the World
Economic Forum of Geneva, Switzerland (see
article on Akinwale and YGL in the April 2009 NewsBreak),
he saw the honor as an opportunity to realize his highest vision: “to give
continental Africa a positive image.” Senior partner of Roy Synergy Group
and managing editor of Ebo Magazine/Diaspora Special Project,
Akinwale will collaborate on a medical mission to Africa in November with
the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA). This tangible
effort to promote healthcare delivery in African countries and to create
awareness about the recent U.S. government-increased funding for Global
Health and Diaspora is, he says, “part of the Diaspora Development
Initiative to engage the African diaspora and friends of the continent in
Africa” via the Global Volunteering and Community Service program. The
hosting states/local NGOs provided assistance with accommodation, security,
limited land transportation, shipping of the donated materials and feeding
the volunteers.
Contact Akinwale Ojomo at
akinwale.ojomo@ebomag.com.
• Cathy Rossi, Manager of Public and Government
Affairs, accepted the Silver Anvil Award for Excellence in Public Relations
for AAA Mid-Atlantic at the 2009 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
annual awards ceremony in New York City on June 4. PRSA is the world’s
largest organization of public relations professionals with nearly 32,000
professional and student members. Their Silver Anvil Awards, first given in
1946, recognize programs meeting the highest standards of performance in the
profession, incorporating sound research, planning, execution and
evaluation.
AAA Mid-Atlantic, the only organization in the Delaware-Philadelphia region
to garner a prestigious top award, received the honor in the Special Events
category for public relations efforts related to Delaware Teen Driving Day,
a unique interactive event held at Dover International Speedway in April
2008. Because motor-vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death and
injury for teens, AAA Mid-Atlantic developed this comprehensive, integrated
program for teens and parents with the aim of changing teen driving
behavior.
Contact Cathy Rossi at
crossi@aaamidatlantic.com.
• Billie Travalini has been named to the board of Delmarva
Discussions and was chosen as a Program Scholar. Founded in 1984 by the
Delaware Library Association, Delmarva Discussions expanded throughout the
Delmarva Peninsula in 1988 under a National Endowment for the Humanities
grant. Billie also was selected as the final judge for the 2009 Rehoboth
Beach Writers Guild "Young Writers Contest."
In spring 2009, her short story, "Rush Limbaugh and the French Apple Pie,"
was published in Another Chicago Magazine. The story was a finalist
for the Chicago Literary Awards. Billie has been asked to read one of her
short stories at the 11th International Conference on the Short Story in
English, to be held in Toronto in 2010.
Billie served as coordinator of the second annual Lewes Creative Artist
Conference, which was held August 15. More than 100 people attended. The
conference, a free public service, is sponsored by the Lewes Public Library,
the Delaware Division of Libraries, the Delaware Division of the Arts, the
National League of American Pen Women and the Rehoboth Writers Guild.
Contact Billie Travalini at
btravalini@aol.com.
^Top
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.
|
Mondays |
10 a.m. - Noon |
Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach |
| |
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. |
Milton Public Library |
| |
|
|
|
Wednesdays |
6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. |
Lewes Public Library |
| |
|
|
|
Fridays |
9 a.m. – 11 a.m. |
Super G upstairs conference
room, Ocean View |
| |
|
|
|
Saturdays |
10 a.m. – noon |
Rehoboth Beach Library |
|
Third Saturday each month |
Browseabout Books, Rehoboth Beach |
The Rehoboth Art League Writers Group, "every Wednesday,
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m," ongoing throughout the year on the back porch at
the Homestead, except for holidays and special events. The group focuses
on creative writing, including poetry, novel, short story, memoir, the
occasional play and provides a critique venue for active writers by active
writers from the area. Open to the public. Steady attendance is encouraged
but not required. Skill and experience level varies widely. All are welcome!
Visit
the Rehoboth Art League Web site for more information.
SEPTEMBER
09 IABC Philadelphia: How to Stand Out in a Competitive
Job Market. Noon - 1 p.m. Ford Myers will be the presenter for this
career teleseminar. To join this free Webinar: Contact Lee Flogaus,
610-296-4211 or
lflogaus@devonofficecenter.com.
10–12 NFPW/Press Women of Texas Communications
Conference: “Roundup on the River.” El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel, San
Antonio, Texas. Exciting speakers, great food, pre- and post-conference
tours to Austin and the Texas Hill Country. Y’all plan to go!
11 DCCA's Art on the Town. 5 - 9 p.m.; Gallery talks:
6:30 p.m. Sponsored by the City of Wilmington. Artist Receptions for
Dylan Beck, Allen Bentley, Zoe Charlton, Dolores Cowan and Seonglan Boyce.
View the exhibitions in various galleries and visit the artist studios
during extended gallery hours. Traditionally held on the first Friday of the
month, Art on the Town is FREE and open to the public.
For
more information, visit the Art on the Town Web site.
12 2nd Saturday Poets, featuring Chris Childers. 5 p.m.
Over Coffee Café, Lantana Square Shopping Center, Hockessin. Readings:
2nd Saturday of every month. The featured readers are followed by an Open
Reading. Poets from greater Delaware and beyond enjoy the relaxed, friendly
atmosphere. All forms of poetry and spoken-word performances are welcome. No
charge.
Schedule of readings, poetry, photos is available at the 2nd Saturday Poets
Web site.
14 Off the Page—An Afternoon with M. T. Anderson, 4:30
p.m. UD’s Trabant University Center, 17 W. Main Street, Newark.
Presented by the
Delaware
Division of Libraries. Best-selling children's author M. T. Anderson is
on book tour for his latest book, Jasper Dash and the Flame Pits of
Delaware. Anderson's presentation will include remarks, a Q&A session
and book signing. Seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served
basis. For more info: 302-831-0816. FREE.
09/14 – 11/02 Philadelphia Stories Poetry Workshop: an
8-week workshop, Mondays, 8 – 9:30 p.m., from the area’s popular
literary magazine that offers writing tips, assignments, and peer critique.
Robin's Moonstone, second floor of 110A S. 13th Street, Philadephia
(convenient to parking and just 3 blocks from Suburban Station). Moderator:
Eileen Moeller has an M.A. in Creative Writing from Syracuse University.
Goals: To provide writing discussion and professional development, to
increase awareness of audience, and to help writers improve and develop
their work through the peer-critique process. Writers of all experience
levels are welcome. Fee: $125. For more information or to sign up,
click here.
15 Deadline for 13th Annual Robert Frost Foundation
Poetry Award competition. The Foundation and its related events are
based in Lawrence, Mass., Frost's hometown. The winning poem will be
featured at the October 23 Frost festival.
Visit the Frost
Foundation Web site (click on Poetry Award in left column).
17 DPA/DELCOG FREE public forum:
“What Really Happened to Our Economy: The Consequences of Not Knowing.” 7:30
p.m. Delaware Theatre Company, 200 Water Street, Wilmington.
Speaker: Michael Greenberger, nationally renowned lawyer, professor,
adviser and expert on financial regulation, will explain the series of
complex, unregulated financial deals that brought the global economy to near
ruin and will look at rules that could reduce the risk of another economic
meltdown.
Panelists: will look at a range of information power struggles on the
local and state levels. Moderator Ralph Begleiter, Distinguished
Professor of Communication at the University of Delaware and former CNN
World Affairs Correspondent; Professor Greenberger; The Hon. Karen
Peterson, Delaware State Senator; Cris Barrish, Senior Reporter,
The News Journal; and Alan Garfield, Professor at Widener
University School of Law and specialist in Constitutional Law. The panel
discussion will be followed by Q & A.
Reception: in the theatre lobby after the program.
This event is partly funded by a grant from the Delaware Humanities Forum.
The program is FREE and open to the public. For more info:
Contact DelawarePress@aol.com or 302-655-2175.
09/21 – 11/09 Philadelphia Stories Fiction Workshop: an
8-week workshop, Mondays, 6:30 - 8 p.m., from the area’s popular
literary magazine that offers writing tips, assignments, and peer critique.
Robin's Moonstone, second floor of 110A S. 13th Street, Philadephia
(convenient to parking and just 3 blocks from Suburban Station). Moderator:
Aimee LaBrie received an M.A. in writing from DePaul University in 2000 and
an M.F.A. in fiction from Penn State in 2003. Goal: To provide writing
discussion and professional development to help improve one’s writing and
learn through the peer-critique process. Writers of all experience levels
are welcome. Fee: $125. For more information or to sign up,
click here.
21 Philadelphia Speakers Series: Pervez Musharraf, former
president of Pakistan, occupied what Time described as “the most
dangerous job in the world,” playing a critical role in the War on Terror
and directing countless raids on Al Qaeda and the Taliban. His memoir, In
the Line of Fire, speaks to his struggle for the security and political
future of Pakistan, which he believes can become progressive, moderate and
prosperous. 8 p.m., The Kimmel Center, Philadelphia. Sponsored by Widener
University. Other speakers in this year’s series: Jean-Michel Cousteau,
October 12; Laura Bush, November 16; Robert Reich, January 11, 2010; Mia
Farrow, February 15; David Brooks, March 15; Greg Mortenson, April 19. Note:
Tickets are only sold as a series.
Click here
for further information or to order tickets.
24 IABC Philadelphia: Personal Branding: Even More
Important in a Tough Economy. 6 - 8 p.m. Location: TBA. What does it
mean for a professional seeking career opportunities to have a blog and an
online portfolio? How can companies recruit candidates in a more meaningful
way? How do smart recruiters use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other
social media to find top talent. Social media is perfect for career
development because it allows professionals to show what they know and
think, interact with peers, build connections, learn from others, find
mentors, and build a personal brand. Learn how you can build your
reputation, build equity in your own brand and connect with recruiters and
potential employees. Cost: TBA. Register: Contact Lee Flogaus, 610-296-4211
or
lflogaus@devonofficecenter.com.
24 Poetry at the Beach at South Coastal Library, 43 Kent
Avenue, Bethany Beach. 7 p.m. Presented by the
Rehoboth Art League with assistance from the Lewes, Rehoboth and South
Coastal libraries. Poetry at the Beach brings the state’s most outstanding
poets to read their work in coastal libraries. This month's reading features
JoAnn Balingit, Gail Comorat, and Abby Millager. FREE! For more information:
302-539-5231.
26 National Book Festival, on the National Mall from 10
a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Authors James Patterson, George Pelecanos, Nikki
Grimes, Marilynne Robinson, Sharon Creech, Daniel Silva and W. Ralph Eubanks
will be among the writers and illustrators joining the stellar lineup for
the ninth annual
National Book Festival. The event is free and open to the public.
27 M.O.T. Open Mic Poetry at the Gibby, featuring James
O’Neill Miller. 1 p.m. Gilbert W. Perry Jr. Center, Middletown.
Get
directions to The Gibby. Miller holds an M.F.A. degree in poetry and
recently was published in Simbaa out of Lincoln University. His
poetry has been called “dangerous, existing on the sharp edge that separates
beauty from sentimentality.” He teaches English at the Community College of
Philadelphia. For the open mic portion, all ages and levels of skill are
welcome. Please choose “family friendly” poems. Five-minute limit. No
charge, but donations to support programs at The Gibby Center are welcome.
Get info on The Gibby.
For more information on the open mic event, contact host Billie Travalini at
btravalini@aol.com.
OCTOBER
01 Discussion & Book Signing with DPA Member Rachel
Simon. 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble of Reading, Pa., Broadcast Square Shopping
Center, 2751 Paper Mill Road, Wyomissing, Pa. Rachel’s new book,
Building a Home with My Husband: A Journey Through the Renovation of Love,
is a memoir about the construction, demolition and renovation of
relationships – and the unexpected ways in which rebuilding a home can
repair a heart. Barnes & Noble, Reading, Pa.: 610-236-0100. For more
information,
visit
Rachel Simon's Web site.
10 2nd Saturday Poets, featuring DPA member Billie
Travalini & Devon Miller-Duggan. 5 p.m. Over Coffee Café, Lantana Square
Shopping Center, Hockessin. Readings: 2nd Saturday of every month. The
featured readers are followed by an Open Reading. Poets from greater
Delaware and beyond enjoy the relaxed, friendly atmosphere. All forms of
poetry and spoken-word performances are welcome. No charge.
Schedule of readings, poetry, photos available at the 2nd Saturday Poets Web
site.
17 Delaware Literary Connection: “Cooling It with
Kerouac: A Beat Generation Reading.” 4 - 6 p.m. Deer Park Tavern, 108 W.
Main Street, Newark. The event celebrates the 54th anniversary of a
seminal event in Beat Generation history: the first public reading by Allen
Ginsberg of his poem “Howl.” The reading, at San Francisco’s Six Gallery on
Oct. 7, 1955, helped bring into prominence Beat culture, which sought bliss
in Cold War America while rejecting mainstream American values. The Beat
Movement inspired the hippie generation a decade later. The DLC event will
feature open mic readings and a poetry slam contest for cash prizes.
Party trays will be provided, along with a cash bar. Admission is $5. For
further information, contact Barbara Gray at
graybeg@comcast.net.
22 A reading of new work by former Delaware poet
laureate, Fleda Brown. 2 p.m. Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts, 200 S.
Madison Street, Wilmington.
Get directions
to DCCA. For more information: 302-656-6466.
29 DPA Meeting: “Focus on Freelancing.” We are
assembling a panel of experts to give you tips, hints and solid information
about how to get freelance jobs, what to charge, how to ensure getting paid,
and much, much more. Come with questions. Save the date. Time and location
TBA.
NOVEMBER
14 2nd Saturday Poets, featuring DPA member Linda
Blaskey. 5 p.m. Over Coffee Café, Lantana Square Shopping Center, Hockessin.
Readings: 2nd Saturday of every month. The featured readers are followed by
an Open Reading. Poets from greater Delaware and beyond enjoy the relaxed,
friendly atmosphere. All forms of poetry and spoken-word performances are
welcome. No charge.
Schedule of readings, poetry, photos available at the 2nd Saturday Poets Web
site.
DECEMBER
01 Deadline for 2010 Hall of Fame of Delaware Women
nominations. The Hall of Fame, now in its 29th year, recognizes the
achievements and lasting contributions of Delaware women. Submit nomination
form to the
Delaware
Commission for Women, Carvel State Building, 820 N. French Street,
Wilmington, DE 19801, on or before December 1.
Click here for the HFDW
nomination form, or contact the DCW office at 302-577-7113 or
Carmen.Gomez@state.de.us.
05 DPA Holiday Luncheon. 11:30 a.m. social gathering;
12:30 p.m. luncheon, speaker, presentation of 2010 Communicator of
Achievement. Speaker: Linda Feldmann, White House Correspondent and
chief political correspondent at The Christian Science Monitor’s
Washington Bureau. Location and cost TBA.
12 2nd Saturday Poets, featuring Julie Latham. 5 p.m.
Over Coffee Café, Lantana Square Shopping Center, Hockessin. Readings:
2nd Saturday of every month. The featured readers are followed by an Open
Reading. Poets from greater Delaware and beyond enjoy the relaxed, friendly
atmosphere. All forms of poetry and spoken-word performances are welcome. No
charge.
Schedule of readings, poetry, photos available at the 2nd Saturday Poets Web
site.
2010
AUGUST
23–25 NFPW/Illinois Woman’s Press Association
Communications Conference: “Face to Face in Illinois” at the historic Union
League Club, Chicago. Put the last two weeks of August on your calendar
because you won’t want to miss the three Chicago pre-tour days, Aug. 20–22,
and the downstate post-tour following Rt. 66, leaving Sunday, Aug. 29. IWPA
hosts the conference during its 125th anniversary year.
Send information for the Calendar of Events to
news@delawarepressassociation.org.
^Top
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: October 1, 2009
Contact Us:
Katherine Ward, Executive Director
Delaware Press Association
email: delawarepress@aol.com
phone: 302-655-2175
web:
www.delawarepressassociation.org
^Top
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