NewsBreak September 2011 - Vol. 23, No. 1

In This Issue:

• Taming the Chaos – Ken Grant Show & Tell: "How to Successfully Engage in Social Media Scene" 

• DPA President’s Corner – Bye-bye Borders

• Spotlight:  Karen Jessee – "Let Someone Else Love It”

• DPA Members Take 36 Awards in National Communications Contest

• The Common Wealth Awards: Hope is the Common Thread for Honorees

• WordPlay . . . for Wordsmiths

• Membership Numbers Are Outstanding for 2011

• DPA Welcomes New Members

• DPA Media Mavens & Mavericks

• Calendar of Events
   

Taming the Chaos

Ken Grant Show & Tell: “How to Successfully Engage in the Social Media Scene”

Did you find, after you enrolled in a Facebook account, that you suddenly had more “friends” than the entire population of the First State? When you say: “I waste a lot of time updating my Facebook page,” do your friends knowingly nod their heads? Do you spend hours trying to keep up with the daily flood of email? Are your thumbs worn out from constant texting? Are you LinkedIn? Do you follow a lot of tweets through Twitter? Or do you simply feel like a twit because
a) the technology may be way cool but you feel left out in the cold as you don’t really understand how or why to use it, or b) you desperately want to “get away from it all” because you have trouble managing the array of social media that has engulfed your life?

Ken Grant, who has been called Delaware’s “Godfather of Social Media,” says that although we now have more ways to communicate, gather information and do research than ever before, “people are willfully ignorant, and studies show that they are just as ignorant and as uninformed as ever.” He adds, “We’re at the beginning of a fresh round of chaos unlike anything we’ve seen before. But citizens using social media effectively now can be more active participants in the world around them: they can report on public meetings, start blogs, have a website, tweet. They can live stream with smart phones. The public now can be more engaged in what is happening. And those who engage now,” he says, “will shape how we come out the other side.”

Join us in the Community Room at the New Castle Public Library, in Old New Castle, on Thursday evening, October 6, as Ken talks about how to tame the chaos. Using a large screen, he will show examples – some live from the Internet – of how social media influences the way communication gets done and will demonstrate how to successfully engage in the social media scene. “For instance,” he says, “you can use Twitter and Facebook to tell people what’s relevant to them to drive them to a blog, to articles, to meetings. You also can share pictures and videos.”

Ken has been employed in Delaware media, politics, and business for more than twenty years – working at 1450 WILM Newsradio through most of the 90s, the Delaware State News at the turn of the century, and the Republican Party of Delaware through the 2006 election cycle. Over the past few years, he says, “I have been working for a manufacturing company in Newark as their sales and marketing guy, playing, and stirring up all kinds of things in the realm of social media. I can be found regularly on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, foursquare, and a few other virtual locations.” He adds, “I live in Newark with a very understanding wife and two teenaged children who have promised to wait at least twenty years before writing about their bizarre childhoods.”

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about taming the chaos from a social media enthusiast when Ken tells us “How to Successfully Engage in the Social Media Scene” on Thursday, October 6. We’ll meet in the Community Room at the New Castle Public Library, 424 Delaware Street, Old New Castle. The program, which is FREE and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m., but please join us for networking and light refreshments at 6:30 p.m.

Before the meeting, Ken suggests you dabble a bit in the ether by reading the Delaware Social Media Initiative blog and other online publications designed to encourage people to engage in social media. He also recommends you check out these links on “the social media revolution.” You’ll be glad you did.

Social Media Revolution 3

Things I’ve learned over 10,000 Tweets - by Ken Grant

How to join the Delaware Twitter Community – super easy edition

Directions to the New Castle Public Library, 424 Delaware Street, Old New Castle

Take Route 141 South (Basin Road) through Newport, past the New Castle County Airport and across Route 13 (DuPont Highway). Turn left at the light at Delaware Street/DE 273. In half a mile, make a slight right on Delaware Street. The library, at 424 Delaware Street, will be on your right in .2 mi., just past Fifth Street. There is a parking lot at the library. If the lot is full, you may park on adjacent streets.

Please Register

The program is free and open to the public. Join us at 6:30 p.m. for networking and light refreshments. The program will begin at 7 p.m. To ensure enough seating, please let us know by October 1 if you’ll be coming. Guests are welcome.

Please send: 1) your name, 2) guests’ names and 3) a phone number to DelawarePress@aol.com.

Other DPA Dates for your Calendar

November 14 “Freedom of Information in a Digital Age: The Current FOI Landscape”

Kenneth Bunting, the executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC), will talk about the unrestricted free flow of information as a cornerstone of democracy and how we’re doing regarding freedom of information and open government at the national level. He then will zero in on open government issues here in Delaware, such as the increasing cost of access to that which the public should have: access to records, access to courts, access to data. He will address ease of access to public documents via the Internet, use of digitized public information, weaknesses in Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act, reform of state lobbying laws, the cost to the public when easy access and open government are lacking, and more.

Goodstay Conference Center, University of Delaware’s Wilmington Campus, 2600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilmington, Delaware. Reception 6:30 p.m. Program 7 p.m. This program, held in partnership with the Delaware Coalition for Open Government, is FREE and open to the public.

We look forward to seeing you on October 6! Register now.

For more information, contact Katherine Ward at delawarepress@aol.com.

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DPA President’s Corner: Bye-bye Borders

by Mark Fowser

From the time I relocated back to Delaware 18 years ago, a month was not complete without a visit to the purveyor of books, words, ideas, knowledge and enlightenment on Churchmans Road: Borders.

What a neat concept, I thought at the time: a huge bookstore and music section with a café, comfortable chairs and couches, and oftentimes musical entertainment or visits from local or even national authors. Much of my gift shopping was done there. And it was within walking distance for me at the time.

Now, Borders is going away. The stores in the local area and across the country are shutting down, after taking several desperate measures to stay open. The liquidation sale is already in progress, the café is closed and the chairs and tables stacked. Shelves are already starting to empty.

Perhaps it is the popularity of e-books and online music sales, or competition from other national chains. It is hard to believe, though, that a place where the parking lot always seemed to be full and the aisles always crowded is going out of business.

Borders now joins other stops on the trip down memory lane, those places of our youth and young adulthood where we shopped, chatted, met people and felt a shared experience: Woolco. Kiddie City. Wilmington Dry Goods. WT Grant. Almart. Pomeroy’s. Mullins. Kennard’s. Wanamaker’s. Strawbridge and Clothier. Braunstein’s. Silo. And many, many more.

Maybe it is silly to have fond recollections of a place that was only around less than two decades and, after all, was highly corporate and centralized. However, having one less place to gather, to roam through the many aisles of books and read a few excerpts, to sit and chat about books and ideas with friends or fellow book lovers, to shop and browse is disappointing.

In the meantime, please support your local booksellers. They offer that personal service, will special-order something for you if they don’t have it, and I have found that they are just as welcoming – only usually without the couches and the coffee. Used-book stores are also easy to find. As for music, dealers in new and used music abound. Even vinyl is making a comeback.

There is also the nearby library. Several local libraries have been renovated and expanded. Library visitation seems to be on the rise, the computer sections are heavily used, there are comfortable lounge areas (some with a fireplace), and the staff also brings in special guest speakers and authors for discussions.

Finally, be sure to keep an eye out for our special DPA events, programs and panel discussions. We are working on several exciting ideas, and it won’t be too long before you get an invitation to the annual Holiday Luncheon.

In the aftermath of the recent earthquake, Hurricane Irene, power outages, heatwaves and floods, enjoy the rest of your summer.

Mark Fowser, President of Delaware Press Association, is affiliated with WHYY 90.9 FM, its website newsworks.org, Delaware First Media (www.delawarefirst.org), and 1150 AM WDEL and wdel.com. He is also heard doing radio traffic and news on stations in Philadelphia. Contact Mark at 302-322-7873 or mafowser@hotmail.com.

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Spotlight: Karen Jessee

“Let Someone Else Love It”

For many years, Karen Jessee of Simply Organized – writer, speaker, and professional organizer – was an energetic teacher in several New Castle County schools. She taught English, but her main focus and true love was teaching writing. Her students, whether in middle school or in high school, were the happy beneficiaries of a nurturing learning-environment and many creative assignments.

By 2003, though, Karen was ready for some new challenges. She retired from teaching and was contemplating her next move when a friend unknowingly opened the door to a new career when she invited Karen to a party.

“It all began,” Karen says, “by listening to one man’s story!

“The women were talking about babies and children; the men were talking about business and careers. I found myself listening to the men’s side of the room. I had been conversing with one gentleman for some time, when suddenly he blurted out that his life had become challenging, and he had no time to shop for and ready a new home.

“Seeing an opportunity, I suggested that he hire me, and he did. When his house had been pulled together, he said, ‘This needs to be your new career. You’re very good at this.’ I was flattered, but I just didn’t know what ‘this’ was.”

A search revealed that not only was there a need for professional organizers, but that the National Association of Professional Organizers was having its next convention in Chicago in three weeks. Karen paid the fees, bought an airline ticket and attended the sessions for beginning organizers. She went home with information, strategies, and the words, “I can do this” on her lips.

She was in business within a year and began writing about her insights and experiences three years later. Karen has won several awards from DPA for her writing on the topics of hoarding, organizing, letting go, and auctions.

She stresses that in the real world of her profession, there is a difference between good organizing and good television. “My job is all about the client,” she says. “Television is all about being dramatic: solving difficult problems with a veneer of red paint and a new chandelier. Organizing on television has slipped into the realm of interior design and home makeovers where it appears that outsiders can come into a person’s home and rearrange a life without much permission.

“Issues that wouldn’t appear dramatic enough for the camera are ignored or hidden. Papers piled high are shoved into bins and stored in the basement. No one wants to hear the dozens of questions I ask before touching anything. No one is going to find fascinating the hours I spend coaching weeping clients, helping them downsize and organize papers and clothing, or decide what they love or don’t love any more.”

But it has been just this kind of intimate work with clients that has led to the many gentle ways and the humor that she brings to both her job and to her numerous speaking engagements.

“All of my clients have lives that are challenging,” Karen says. “We lose our way, and our rooms lose their purpose for any number of reasons – and they’re all good ones. That’s why I tell people when we work together: ‘It’s a no shame / no blame project. Let’s just see what we can do to make sense of it all again.’ I guarantee them three things: We’ll make a difference, we’ll have a good time, and we’ll find money.”

“It all began,” Karen says of yet another dimension to her life that unfolded a year after she went into business, “when I lifted the hem of my skirt.” She had met Thomas Tear during their work together in theatre in the 1980s. They became dance partners, and, on a chance invitation to a Civil War ball years later in Annapolis, they became hooked on the clothing of the period. Thomas, a designer and master sewer, began experimenting with historical reproductions, making everything from the underpinnings to the bonnets.

“Thomas, who resides in New Castle, needed more volunteers for the house tours at A Day in Old New Castle in 2005, so my friend Roxanna and I dressed in our 19th-century clothing and gave talks about one of the houses. I was planted in the living room; Roxanna was in the adjoining kitchen. Thomas left to give tours of Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green.

“When the fifth group came through, I realized people looked bored; they had heard about similar architectural wonders in other houses. Gripped with a sudden need to make the experience more memorable, I said, ‘You might be interested in what I’m wearing under this dress.’

“Surprised, they all snapped to attention when I lifted the edge of my huge dress and began an entire presentation of the many layers and petticoats I was wearing, along with some insights into the customs and manners of the times. Roxanna overheard, and when people toured the kitchen, she continued the fashion lesson.

“When Thomas returned and asked about our day, I replied, ‘Well, I don’t know what you did, but we gave the under-the-skirt tour of the Civil War.’”

It’s not exactly a cliché to say: “The rest is history.” That same year, Karen’s offhand comment and the day spent lifting the hem of her dress became “The Under the Skirt Tour of the Civil War,” an hour-long presentation with Thomas, Roxanna and Karen that features the many layers and accessories required to get the mid-Victorian woman (think 1860s, Scarlett O’Hara, the Civil War) out the door. Since then, the trio also has collected numerous historical letters, photographs, pieces of clothing, and jewelry as part of their presentation, which has been well received by numerous historical societies and groups throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Information can be found on www.grandoakplantation.com.

Last September, Karen was in London and Bath, England, where the focus is on Regency dressing: 1780s to 1815 or so (think Josephine, Napoleon's wife). She visited museums, learned a lot from knowledgeable curators and was part of a Jane Austin Festival and Promenade, once again, dressed in period clothing.

As if all that weren’t enough, Karen also works for an international resettling company. She helps those coming in from other countries (working here for banks and chemical companies for 3 to 5 years) find housing and get the basics (Social Security numbers, driver licenses) and also gives area tours.

“I wrote an article a few months ago called ‘Let Someone Else Love It,’” Karen concludes, “and my dream is to offer a series of single-day events with that same title for which a charity is chosen and people are asked to bring specific items for just that group on that day. Humane Society - linens; Urban Bike Project - bikes; Habitat for Humanity - hardware and tools; Sunday Breakfast Mission - men's clothing and food. We'll see. Every time I think I'm organizing a one-act play, it quickly becomes an opera with a cast of thousands.”

Karen Jessee will be the speaker at the DPA Communications Contest Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Contact Karen at kljessee@rcn.org, and she invites you to visit her website: www.nowsimplyorganized.com.

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DPA Members Take 36 Awards in National Communications Contest

2011 Contest Wrap-Up . . . and Heads Up for 2012

by Annie Nefosky, 2011 Communications Contest Director  

At the DPA Communications Contest Awards Banquet in April, we were impressed by “the power of one” as we listened to Lee Anderson tell how she guided a band of volunteers to bring historic Riverview Cemetery on Market Street back to life after years of woeful neglect; we enjoyed the display of some of the outstanding work that took top awards in the 2011 Communications Contest; and we gave out awards galore. In addition to the award certificates for excellence in communication, we also gave cash prizes. The sweepstakes winners (those whose collective wins earned the most points) were Kathy Canavan, freelancer, 1st ($250), Allan Loudell, WDEL, 2nd ($250) and Lisa Tossey, UD Marine Public Education Office, 3rd ($100).

Of the 76 first-place entries in the DPA contest, 43 went on to the NFPW national competition. Forty-nine DPA members received national awards, some of which were joint awards. Collectively, they scored 21 first-place awards, 7 second-place awards, 7 thirds and 1 honorable mention. Each entry in the national competition already had received a first-place award at the state level. Congratulations to one and all!

Three DPA members will be at the 2011 NFPW “Plains Speaking” Communications Conference, jointly hosted by Iowa Press Women and Nebraska Press Women, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on September 10, to receive their first place awards: Beth Miller (special series: “Heartbreak in Haiti” in The News Journal); Roxane Ferguson (one- to three-color brochure for the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce), and Suki Deen Eleuterio (feature story, publication for general or specialized circulation: “Lost Boy: Finds Home” in WilmU Magazine). See complete list of DPA’s 2011 national award winners.

Although you will receive a DPA contest “call for entries” in October, I encourage you to start thinking about what you’d like to enter in this year’s contest. The end of the year can be such a busy time to try to sort through a year’s worth of work to determine what should be entered. Please take this into consideration now and start looking through work you published in 2011 that you might like to enter in the 2012 DPA contest in January. Entry fees will remain the same as in the last few years.

For more info on the DPA Contest, contact Annie Nefosky at annienefosky@yahoo.com.

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2011 Common Wealth Award Recipients See Hope for America’s Future

Congress, Fiscal Responsibility, Communications Delivery Systems, Prison Reform

by Anitra Johnson

Four citizens of the world who have enriched the global community through their life’s work arrived at the Hotel du Pont on April 16, 2011, for an invitation-only ceremony to present them with the Common Wealth Award for Distinguished Service and to honor their contributions to humanity. The Common Wealth Awards were first presented in 1979 by the Ralph Hayes Common Wealth Trust. PNC Bank serves as trustee and administrator of the trust, created under the will of the late Ralph Hayes, an influential business executive and philanthropist. When welcoming the award recipients, PNC Regional President Connie Bond Stuart said, “While each has traveled a different road to success, these high achievers act on a shared belief in the power of an individual to effect change and make a difference for many.”

The press conference opened with a question for George Will, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and America’s foremost political commentator. The question was on the Major League Baseball scandals but quickly turned to politics and the ability of Congress to solve the country’s financial woes. “Congress isn’t the problem,” Will quipped. “Congress is a representative institution, and it represents all too well the American public with its divided mind and its uncontrolled appetites; therefore, the Congress will do pretty much what the American people will let them do.” Will, who received the Common Wealth Award for excellence in mass communications, concluded: “I do think Congress is more engaged on the serious fiscal crisis coming up in the country than it has been in my lifetime.”

Bill Richardson, the 30th Governor of New Mexico (2003–2011), added that he wasn’t sure of the cause of the current political vitriol and remarked, “I think we’ve lost control of the process.” Richardson affirmed his belief that the country will rise above the divisiveness that permeates Washington, D.C. “I do believe that after this fiscal mess, hopefully, is sorted out that we will develop a process, at least with the budget, that will have some long-range implications on how we spend our money.” Richardson, the former U.S. Energy Secretary under Bill Clinton, served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations between 1997 and 1998 and was a U.S. Representative from New Mexico from 1980 to 1994. His award was for service in the field of government.

Responding to a question about social media’s influence on literature, internationally acclaimed novelist, poet and short story writer Russell Banks, said that, unlike his contemporaries, he welcomes the advent of technology. “I regard it primarily as a radical shift in the delivery system of story . . . that’s equivalent to the invention of the printing press.” Banks received the CWA for literature.

Cherie Blair, noted human-rights lawyer and campaigner for women’s equality, answered a question about one of her greatest challenges. The wife of former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, she replied that in the previous two years she had been adjusting to life after living at No. 10 Downing Street, “one of the most famous addresses in the world,” but the real challenge, as a mother of four, “is always to make sure that my children remain grounded.” When asked about applying human rights policies to civilian prisons, she stated that in general, current prison policy is “stuck in a Victorian mindset.” Blair contrasted treatment of prisoners in America and said such practices “are unacceptable in the UK.” She believes prisoners should be treated “with dignity, . . . as people you have to believe will be reformed.” An award recipient in the area of public service, Blair acknowledged there always will be a small percentage of offenders who are so dangerous they will have to be contained, but containment should be tempered with humanity.

John Fairchild, a senior at Wilmington Friends School; Lisa Jacques, a junior at St. Andrew's School; Faith Lyons, a junior at Tower Hill School; and Brianne Sands, a junior at Cab Calloway School of the Arts, were the Delaware students recognized at the press conference as winners of an essay contest on why they wanted to meet one of the four 2011 Common Wealth honorees.

The evening concluded with a banquet in the Gold Ballroom and the award ceremony, with former U.S. Congressman Mike Castle and State Treasurer Chip Flowers in attendance. Acceptance speeches touched on baseball (Will), fairness (Richardson), being overshadowed by your husband (Blair) and the literary arts (Banks).

Anitra Johnson is Secretary to the DPA Board of Directors. Contact Anitra at anitra.com@gmail.com.
All Common Wealth Awards photos © NewsBreak editor Jenny Shields, The Media Works, Inc. Contact Jenny at themediaworksinc@gmail.com.

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WordPlay . . . for Wordsmiths

by Bob Yearick

Orientation session needed
A recent story in the “Iceland Review Online” recounted the misadventure of a tourist who became disoriented in the rain and fog after a 10-hour hike around a large glacier in south Iceland. The headline was: “Lost Tourist Found by Glacier After Hours of Searching,” indicating that the headline writer was as disoriented as the poor tourist.

Theory of Relativity
Repeat after me: When the antecedent of a relative pronoun is a human being rather than an inanimate object or something non-human, the relative pronoun is “who.” What? Let’s take a closer look.

Combine the following sentences. The word “who” (the relative pronoun) is used because it “relates” to a person, the “teacher”:

Leah Jones is a teacher. She heads the math department at the high school.

The result: Leah Jones is a teacher WHO heads the math department at the high school.

If the antecedent is an inanimate object (the high school in the example below), the relative pronoun will be “that.” Example:

West Lake is a high school. This high school has received many awards for academic excellence.

The result: West Lake is a high school THAT has received many awards for academic excellence.

The bad news: Many people, whether speaking or writing, tend to use “that” in both instances.

So, here’s the lesson: Choose the relative pronoun “who” when the antecedent is human. As Wilford Brimley would say, “It’s the right thing to do” – relatively speaking.

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

And remember: Always write right – and tight.

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

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Membership Numbers Are Outstanding for 2011

by Allison Taylor Levine, APR

Since the beginning of 2011, nearly 150 of you have responded to the request to renew your DPA membership and are listed in the online DPA Membership Directory, which is updated frequently. Throughout the year, we will continue to add names of new and renewing members to the directory.

To make sure YOU remain listed among the top communicators in the First State, though, please click one of the links below to renew your membership if you haven’t yet done so! Contact me if you’re not sure. Only members paid for 2011 are included in the directory. The names of those who didn’t renew by the end of April have been removed.

For just $20 a year, you have access to all that DPA offers. DPA is a state affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women. Dual membership in DPA and NFPW is $94 ($74 for NFPW; $20 for DPA). If you want dual membership in DPA and NFPW, use the last link below.

You only have to read this issue of DPA NewsBreak to see that there are many DPA and NFPW benefits besides the membership directory, including great professional-development opportunities through speakers, workshops and conferences, networking with top communications professionals in Delaware and across the USA, annual professional communications contests, quarterly newsletters, e-blasts with news of communications events, job opportunities and much more. Get more information on these and other DPA and NFPW benefits.

Please renew your DPA or DPA/NFPW membership today. If you’re not a member, why not join? All professional communicators are eligible for membership. Here are links you can use right now, whether paying by check or by credit card.

– Get DPA Membership Form to Join or Renew and Pay by CHECK –

– Make DPA Membership Payment Online with CREDIT CARD –

– NFPW / DPA Dual Membership Form –

NFPW Directory and Member Milestone Logos available through the NFPW Website

One of the new features of the NFPW website is a member database that allows members to update their own information and to have their own user ID and password. If you are a 2011 member of NFPW, you can click here to register on the website and update your details. You must use a unique password. The form will not allow you to set up a password that someone else is using.

Once you’ve registered, you can sign in to the Member Home page at any time. If you’ve been a member of NFPW/DPA for five or more years, sign in to get the link to a page of member milestone logos in increments of five years. Put the NFPW logo in your email signature, on your blog or Web site or anywhere else you'd like to use it. Right click the image that corresponds to the length of your membership and save it to your files.

Be sure to contact me if you’re not sure of your membership status, if you need username and password info to access the directory or if you need help with any other membership-related issue.

Allison Taylor Levine is DPA’s Membership Director.  For membership information, contact Allison at aljay89@yahoo.com or 302-345-0589.

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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.

Lee Anderson, Ph.D., Chadds Ford, Pa. – drleeanderson@aol.com
Psychologist / President, Friends of Historic Riverview Cemetery

James F. (Jim) Charles, Jr., Wilmington – jcharles@stanthonynet.org
Sr. Correspondent, St. Anthony Parish Bulletin

JulieAnne S. Cross, Wilmington – ja.cross@crossprollc.com
Owner, CrossPro, LLC

Diane Hernandez, New Castle – hernandez_diane@verizon.net
Blogger, Blue Hen Conservative

Paul Kennard, Bear – pauldk@yahoo.com
Producer / Director / Editor, WITN-TV22

Jason O'Neill, Bear – jason.c.oneill@gmail.com
Freelance Journalist/Blogger

James D. (Jaime) Schneider, Rehoboth Beach – Jaime@JamesSchneider.net
Author / Publisher, Wayward Stories

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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:

September Media Mavens

• Grace Brame / Katherine Ward
• Jamie Brown
• Kim Burdick
• Kathryn Canavan
• Jan Churchill
• JulieAnne Cross *
• Gordon DelGiorno
• Barbara Gray / JoAnn Balingit / Mary Pauer
• Fay Jacobs
• John Lake / Patricia Lake
• Marjorie Miller
• Josh Shannon
• Rachel Simon

• Grace Brame, Ph.D., theologian, pastor, author, international speaker, singer, retreat leader and professor of religion (ret.) at both Villanova and LaSalle universities, received a national first-place award in the 2011 NFPW Communications Contest for her book The Cross: Payment or Gift? Rethinking the Death of Jesus (edited by Katherine Ward). On August 14, Grace preached what she says “may be my last sermon at my home church, St. Mark's Lutheran,” at the 8:30 a.m. traditional service and the 11 a.m. contemporary service. The subject: Treasure. St. Mark’s, where she was married, has been Grace’s spiritual home and family for 54 years. Grace says she will be moving to North Carolina before long and adds: “Whom do you know who wants a wonderful, slightly unusual home and garden at a fabulous location? I haven't sold it yet.” For a copy of The Cross, click here to purchase it through Amazon.com. Copies of several of her other books also are available through Amazon.com.

Contact Grace Brame at grace@gracebrame.com. Contact Katherine Ward at KatWard1@aol.com.

• Jamie Brown’s Broadkill River Press proudly announces the publication of its first full-length collection of short fiction, Domain of the Lower Air, by award-winning Australian writer Maryanne Khan, whose prose and poetry have been published in anthologies and literary journals in Australia and the U.S. A student of art theory, Kahn’s deftly sketched stories portray small-town life and contemporary urban anxieties in Italy, Australia and America. Gargoyle Magazine Editor Richard Peabody writes that the author “steps lightly between good and evil in her eight secular tales of faith, loss, death, disappointment, and lies, and Khan’s magical creations dance on the proverbial head of a pin . . . beautifully.” Contact Jamie Brown for more information at the_broadkill_press@earthlink.net

• Kim Burdick, curator at the historic Hale-Byrnes House (built circa 1750 and on the National Register of Historic Places) at 606 Old Stanton-Christiana Road, Newark, invites you to “come and bring your kids for part or all of the free program, ‘A Revolutionary Evening: The Annual Lafayette's Birthday Celebration’ on Sunday, September 4, from 4 to 9 p.m. The program is co-sponsored by Alliance Française de Wilmington and the American Revolution Round Table of Northern Delaware, and is partially underwritten by the Delaware Humanities Forum's Speakers' Bureau.” Map.

Special programs will be held throughout the afternoon and evening:
4:00 p.m. Willis Phelps will portray an African-American
soldier of the American Revolution. Photo.
5:00 p.m. Covered dish dinner. Please take a dish to pass. (Enough for 4-6 people suggested.)
7:00 p.m. Gene Pisasale will give a talk on the Marquis de Lafayette.

Kim adds: “You may want to bring a folding lawn chair or blanket to sit on – and maybe even a fishing pole, because the White Clay Creek flows along directly behind the house!”

Note: During the Revolutionary War, The Hale-Byrnes House was General George Washington’s “General Staff Headquarters” on September 6, 1777, three days after the Battle of Cooch's Bridge. There he, the Marquis de Lafayette and other Continental Army officers held a war council, possibly sitting under the large tree to the right of the house (see photo above). Shortly thereafter, the soldiers under their command marched north to Chadds Ford where they fought the British at the Battle of the Brandywine. For more information about the house and its history, and to see photos of the house and grounds along White Clay Creek, please visit http://www.halebyrnes.org.
Contact Kim Burdick at KimRBurdick@aol.com.

• Kathryn Canavan has been named a 2011 National Health Journalism Fellow by USC's Annenberg School of Communication. Nominated for the fellowship by Delaware First Media, Kathy was one of 19 fellows from 14 states and Puerto Rico who were selected on the basis of published clips and a health-project proposal. Fellows include freelancers as well as staffers from the Washington Post, Dallas Morning News, Minnesota Public Radio and other outlets.

The 2011 fellows spent the week of July 24 in Los Angeles seminars with nationally renowned health experts, policy analysts and community health leaders. They also met with former national fellows who shared their how-to tips for reporting complicated health data so that it engages readers. Because the goal of the fellowships, sponsored by the California Endowment, is to create high-quality, high-impact health journalism that will keep community health issues squarely in the public spotlight, each fellow will complete a journalism project by the end of 2011. Kathy's will be published by Delaware First Media.
Contact Kathryn Canavan at kecanavan@gmail.com.

• Jan Churchill – corporate pilot, member of the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame and author of a number of books on aviation, both civilian and military – writes, “Sorry I couldn't make the DPA summer fun event at Twin Lakes as I was running a Summer Concert Series in New Castle, which takes place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday evenings in July and at 6:45 p.m. the first two Wednesdays in August. The New Castle Lions Club is host for the series, and I have been the person in charge for 11 years. The Concerts are held at Battery Park along the Delaware River in New Castle (we are across from the Good Will Fire Co. and some tennis courts), and there usually is a cool breeze. The concerts are free, and all are welcome.”
Contact Jan Churchill at janflyo2@aol.com.

• Through her business, CrossPro LLC, new member JulieAnne Cross says, "I represent non-profits, festivals, entrepreneurs and fine dining establishments to the media and the technorati through public relations, social media and project management. Writing is critical, but relationship-building is the core of my business." JulieAnne adds that she and two other women in the industry have collaborated to begin offering social media education to those seeking it. "We are also founders and charter members of the first official Delaware chapter of the Social Media Club." Check out these links to the Social Media Club, Delaware and to Camp Social Media.
Contact JulieAnne Cross at ja.cross@crossprollc.com.

• Gordon DelGiorno, Producer/Director, Film Brothers Productions of Wilmington, invites you to attend the 4th Annual Film Brothers Festival of Shorts, presented by Carl Doubet Jewelers, on Friday, September 23, at 5 p.m. and Saturday, September 24, at 9 p.m. The festival of short films will take place at Theatre N at Nemours, 11th & Tatnall Streets, Wilmington. Gordon says, “Remember the shout out to Delaware by Luke Matheny at the Academy Awards? Come see his Oscar Award-winning God of Love defend its 2010 Festival of Shorts crown against top short films from around the world! This is Film Brothers’ most popular event, so reserve your tickets now There are two nights this year as part of the Fringe Wilmington Festival 2011, Delaware's five-day celebration of unconventional and experimental art in the city of Wilmington. Hope to see you there!” (See the Calendar of Events for Festival of Shorts details in the September listings.)
Contact Gordon DelGiorno at gordon@filmbrothers.com.

• “Both poetry and prose are represented by strong artists – including two DPA members – from each art form at the September 24, 2011, Delaware Regional Writers Conference in Dover,” according to conference organizer Barbara Gray, director of the Delaware Literary Connection (DLC), the sponsoring organization.

JoAnn Balingit, who was named Delaware's Poet Laureate in 2008, teaches poetry in schools and organizations across the state, and coordinates state-wide projects for poets and writers, such as Delaware’s Scholastic Writing Awards, a national recognition program for young authors in grades 7 through 12. She lives with her family in Newark. She will give a poetry workshop titled: "Visions of My Neighborhood: Exploring the Power of Language” that will foster dialogue about the nature of community: what it is, what makes it thrive, what puts it at risk and how neighbors sustain each other and their humanity. Participants will use basic poetic devices to write and explore ideas about their neighborhoods . . . past, present and future.

Author Mary Pauer runs writing workshops, teaches literary criticism for the Academic Challenge Program, is on the faculty of New Rivers Press and is the 2011 Delaware Division of the Arts emerging artist in fiction. Her prize-winning short fiction is widely published, and her short story, “Sand Trap,” won a first prize in both the DPA and the NFPW 2011 communications contests. Mary’s prose workshop, “Suburban Noir,” will focus on how skilled writers build characters who fall victim to their own fatal flaws, who come face to face with the dark side of life and run screaming from their beds in the middle of the night.

The conference is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information about the conference or to sign up, click here to go to the Calendar of Events and find the September 24 entry or just go directly to the DLC website (the conference agenda, workshop descriptions, bios and registration form can be found under the conference tab).
Contact Barbara Gray at GrayBEG@comcast.net.
Contact JoAnn Balingit at jbaling@udel.edu.
Contact Mary Pauer at pauer@hughes.net.

• In a spectacular bit of timing, Fay Jacobs, publisher of A&M Books is releasing the book Out of Step by Milton resident J. Lee Watton on the same day that the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is lifted. Out of Step is a memoir about five Navy WAVEs accused of being lesbians and dismissed from the military in 1965. Fay says, “It's a terrific book – fascinating, infuriating, emotional and even humorous.”
Contact Fay Jacobs at Fayjacobsrb@aol.com.

• John Lake, CFO of GreenTV, writes: “We are in the final steps of publishing Green Delaware magazine, which will debut Sunday, September 18, at DE Green Fest 2011, where we will be handing out 10,000 copies of the premiere issue. The DE Green Fest, hosted by the Delaware Home Builders Association, with our GreenDelaware.com and GreenTV.com as the major sponsors, will be held on the Legislative Mall, Dover, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.”

John adds: “My sister, Patricia Lake, former senior editor of Delaware Today, now lives and works in Maryland and recently received a master’s degree in journalism, after 20+ years, by taking classes at night and on weekends. Pat will be the editor and creative director for Green Delaware magazine.”
Contact John Lake at cfo@greentv.com.

• Marjorie Miller, a columnist for the Delaware Coast Press, had a fascinating article published in the August issue of Delaware Beach Life Magazine. Titled “Two Old Salts Who Rode the Wind to Racing Glory,” it’s about two men from Lewes in their late eighties who, Marjorie says, “were fast friends on land and fierce competitors on the water. They raced their Mobjacks against one another for 74 years!” To read the entire story, click here, then, at the top of the page, click “Back Issues.” Choose the July 2011 issue, which shows a diving bird against gray water on the cover. Click on “Riding the Wind” when the cover displays, and you’ll get the article. It’s worth the effort.
Contact Marjorie Miller at mmmbeach@comcast.net.

• Josh Shannon, who was editor-in-chief of the University of Delaware’s independent student newspaper, The Review, for the last two years, has the coolest first job. After graduating from UD in the spring, he began working at the Cecil Whig in Elkton, Md., and recently was chosen by the Whig's parent company, ACM Newsroom (American Consolidated Media News), to help pilot the company's Digital Reporter Project, a mobile journalism training and beta testing program. Josh says, “I’ve got an iPad and some other mobile equipment. The idea is that I'll be able to do most of my writing/tweeting/posting from the field, so I'll be able to update the Web faster and get out in the community more.”

With the experience he already has in video editing, blogging, Facebook, Twitter and other social media and the experience he’s getting working several beats, including business, features, Newark and general assignments, Josh has become a talented multimedia journalist.
Contact Josh Shannon at jshannon@udel.edu, or Twitter: @jdshan or 302-563-0501. Josh also invites you to visit his website at www.joshshannon.com.

• Rachel Simon was featured in the July 10, 2011, “10 Things To Do This Week” column of the Sunday News Journal: Under “Check this off,” the entry read “Wilmington resident Rachel Simon’s novel The Story of Beautiful Girl hit the top 100 on Amazon and bn.com last week, thanks largely to a rave review by Philly author Jennifer Weiner (In Her Shoes) on ‘The Today Show’!”

Rachel invites you to read her blog to keep up with her latest news. A post to the blog at the end of July says: “The Story of Beautiful Girl [is] proving popular among book clubs, [and] I’ve also been visiting groups across the country – from the comfort of my own home in Delaware. This used to be impossible, but speaker phones and Skype video calls now make it very easy. I’ve loved meeting these book clubs . . . [and] my hope is that this post will inspire book clubs to contact more authors to see if they’re able to visit by Skype and phone, and that the authors they reach will have the time, and desire, to say yes. I can easily promise . . . that a splendid time will be had by all.”
Contact Rachel Simon at rachelsimon2002@yahoo.com.

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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.

SEPTEMBER

08–10 NFPW National Communications Conference, “Plains Speaking,” co-hosted by Iowa Press Women and Nebraska Press Women will be held September 8–10 at Harrah’s Casino and Hotel, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Several events will be held directly across the Missouri River in Omaha, Nebraska. Details on registration, workshops and conference events are available on the NFPW website. For more information, contact Lori Potter at Lori.Potter@kearneyhub.com.

10 “Re-Discovering your Career Passion.” My Career Transitions. Penn State Great Valley, Malvern, Pa. Do you ever feel like you've lost touch with the enthusiasm and excitement you once felt about your career? Are you cynical or resigned in your work attitude? In this interactive workshop, career expert and author Ford R. Myers will help you re-discover your career passion. 9:45–11:45 a.m. Free. Click here for more Information or to register.

12 Women's Economic Security Forum: “Promoting Equal Pay, Workplace Flexibility and Resources for Women-Owned Business.” Attend a lively program and panel discussion on why the wage gap between men and women persists, how it impacts individuals, families and communities, and actions we can take towards fair pay. Workshop topics include workplace flexibility, paid sick leave, and government resources for small, women-owned businesses. Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, 33rd and Chestnut Streets. 8 a.m. to noon. Free. For more information, contact holandez.rose@dol.gov or 215-861-4860.

15 Annual TV Showcase. Philly Ad Club at Loews, Philadelphia, Pa. A mega-event featuring personalities and showcasing the new, fun, and exciting programming of the regional TV stations! Enjoy an entertaining luncheon and learn what each regional TV station has to offer for the coming Fall Season. Also, meet this year's Philly's Future Scholarship Awards winners. 11 a.m.–2 p.m. $55 members; $80 non-members. Click here for more information or to register.

18 DE Green Fest 2011. Hosted by the Delaware Home Builders Association and sponsored by greendelaware.com and GreenTV.com, Legislative Mall, Dover. Celebrate the best in green! Sustainable communities begin with finding solutions to help make our lives healthier – socially, economically and environmentally. Entertainment is scheduled throughout the day, including crafts, music, food, games, activities for children and, of course, lots of good information and demonstrations on Green Living and Green Technology!” 11 a.m.–4 p.m. rain or shine! Get more information.

22 “PR: The State of the Industry,” hosted by PRSA Philly, PPRA and PBPRS. The Downtown Club, 6th and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. The first of its kind, this collaborative conference will bring together leaders in the field of communications from some of the top industries across the region to discuss the state of the PR industry. This conference will feature a panel discussion moderated by Lee Marshall, vice president at BusinessWire, as well as various break-out sessions covering such topics as:  Corporate Communications, Crisis Communications, Health Care and Social Media. 8–11 a.m. $45 members; $25 students. Visit www.prsa.philly.org for updated information. Register for this event now!

23–24 4th Annual Film Brothers Festival of Shorts, presented by Carl Doubet Jewelers. Theatre N at Nemours, 11th & Tatnall Streets, Wilmington. Remember the shout out to Delaware by Luke Matheny at the Academy Awards? See his Oscar Award-winning God of Love defend its 2010 Festival of Shorts crown against top short films from around the world! This is Film Brothers’ most popular event. So reserve your tickets now. Part of the Fringe Wilmington Festival 2011. Two nights this year:

• Friday, 9/23: opening reception at Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (across from Theatre N), 5 p.m., movies at 7 p.m. $20 per ticket, opening reception (light fare and drinks) and movies.

• Saturday, 9/24: movies only at 7 p.m. $10 per ticket.

Must be 18 years and older to attend. Viewer discretion advised. Beer, wine, soft drinks and concessions available for purchase inside Theatre N both nights. Get more info or purchase tickets.

24 2011 Delaware Regional Writers Conference, sponsored by the Delaware Literary Connection. Slaybaugh Hall, Wesley College, 120 North State Street, Dover. Workshops in both poetry and prose. Made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Full-day conference begins at 9 a.m. $30 general admission; $20 for students. Parking is free in any of the college parking lots. For more info or to sign up, go directly to the DLC website (the conference agenda, workshop descriptions, bios and registration form can be found under the conference tab).

25–27 Excellence in Journalism: 2011 Convention. You’ll want to be in New Orleans for what’s destined to be a historic gathering of more than 1,000 news professionals discussing responsible best practices important to the success of our business. Dozens of workshops, from extended leadership training to hands-on advanced media taught by the best in our business. C’mon, it’s the Big Easy! The rest is up to you. Sponsored by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA, formerly RTNDA) in partnership with the Society of Professional Journalists. Registration: $195. Full convention package rate: $425. If you have any questions regarding membership, please contact Kevin Benz, chair-elect of RTDNA and chair of convention planning, at 512-550-5550.

OCTOBER

06 DPA Meeting: Taming the Chaos – Ken Grant Show & Tell: “How to Successfully Engage in the Social Media Scene.” Speaker: Ken Grant. Community Room at the New Castle Public Library, Old New Castle. Ken will talk about how to tame the chaos. Using a large screen, he will show examples – some live from the Internet – of how social media influences the way communication gets done and will demonstrate how to successfully engage in the social media scene. Networking & light refreshments 6:30 p.m.; Program 7 p.m. FREE and open to the public. For more info, contact: delawarepress@aol.com or 302-655-2175. Click to register.

06 “Skill Up & Spring Ahead: A Career Workshop for Women,” presented by Springboard Careers. Blue Ball Barn, 1914 West Park Drive, Wilmington. Two Parts: 1) “Find Your Focus.” For any woman who is thinking about career redirection but isn’t sure what she’d like to do, whether currently employed or looking to restart a career but doesn’t know where her skills fit in today’s environment; 2) “Ramp up Your Résumé.” Participants will learn best practices for current résumé styles and standards and will visit case studies of typical career re-entrants or women in career transitions. 7–9 p.m. $40. For more info, contact JulieAnne S. Cross at ja.cross@crossprollc.com or 302-588-3266. Click to register.

14 37th Annual JASPER Awards Dinner Reception. Jersey Shore Public Relations & Advertising Association. PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, N.J., 5:30 p.m. $115. Click here for more information or to register.

NOVEMBER

14 DPA Meeting: “Freedom of Information in a Digital Age: The Current FOI Landscape.” Speaker: Kenneth Bunting, executive director, National Freedom of Information Coalition. Presented by Delaware Press Association and the Delaware Coalition for Open Government. Goodstay Conference Center, University of Delaware’s Wilmington Campus, 2600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilmington. Bunting will talk about the status of freedom of information and open government at the national level and then will focus on open government issues in Delaware: the increasing cost of access, use of digitized public information and getting public documents via the Internet, reform of state lobbying laws and more. Reception 6:30 p.m. Program 7 p.m. This program is FREE and open to the public. For more info: contact delawarepress@aol.com or 302-655-2175.

16 21st Annual Business Women's Expo! Hosted by New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and the 2011 Business Women’s Expo! planning committee. Educational workshops, networking and exhibitor showcase; keynote luncheon featuring Kay Frances, MBA, “America’s funniest stressbuster.” Sponsorships and prime booth spaces are still available. Email Heather Fisher at fisherh@ncccc.com for booth information. Contact Pamela Mayse at maysep@ncccc.com or 302-294-2062 for sponsorship information. 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Clayton Hall, Route 896 North, University of Delaware, Newark. Click here for more info.

DECEMBER

10 DPA Holiday Luncheon. Speaker: Charles Elson, Director, University of Delaware’s Center for Corporate Governance. 11:30 a.m. social gathering; 12:30 p.m. luncheon, speaker, presentation of 2012 Communicator of Achievement. Deerfield Golf & Tennis Club, Newark. For more info, contact delawarepress@aol.com.

MAY 2012

03 DPA Communications Contest Awards Banquet & Annual Meeting. Speaker: Karen Jessee, Owner, Simply Organized. University & Whist Club, 805 N. Broom Street, Wilmington, Delaware. 5:30 p.m. social gathering and book signing; 6:30 p.m. dinner, speaker and awards presentation. University & Whist Club, 805 N. Broom Street, Wilmington.

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

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NewsBreak is the official newsletter of Delaware Press Association.

Janis Shields, Editor
Katherine Ward, Reporter/Copy Editor/Layout
Mary Leah Christmas, Copy Editor
Mary E. Loewenstein-Anderson, Photo Editor
Jim Smigie, Photo Editor
Submit editorial content to:
news@delawarepressassociation.org

Copy deadline for next newsletter: October 1, 2011

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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