Swing by and spray

Can't seem to get away from work--even on vaco

2011-06-28T04:06:00.008-04:00

Life sure is funny! I've been on vacation for the last week and 1/2. One of the best, most magical vacations I've ever had --EVER! It consisted of seeing college buddies, experiencing Indians' batting practice from the field, entertaining my family in a loge at an Indians' game, being Season Ticket Holder Fan of the Game, meeting one of my Twitter buddies, quality time with old friends every day, Larchmere Porchfest, sun, fun, and relaxation!

But it seems 2 of the most exciting highlights revolved around work --while I was on vacation! Go figure!

One night I attended the Indians' -Rockies game with a co-worker and a former co-worker. We wound up having dinner up in the Terrace Club. We were laughing, talking, catching up when who walks in? NBC Sports guru Bob Costas. Really? Bob Costas. What are the chances?

We kept our eyes on his every move (well not really). But when he went to leave, my girlfriend subtly asked if he'd mind taking a picture with all of us. He was quite gracious and did so. This was probably my one shot at ever speaking with THE Bob Costas. I mustered up as much courage as I could and introduced myself. I told him I worked for the local NBC affiliate in town. He perked up and the 1st question out of his mouth was, "Do you know Jim Donovan?" Are you kidding me? My hero and friend. I answered, "Oh yes. He's one of my dear friends. Do you know he's in the hospital?" Mr. Costas was surprised to hear about everything Jimmy is going through and was quite adamant in asking me to please send him best well wishes.

Again, I ask, are you kidding me?

After he left, I got the skinny from a friend. He apparently has very good friends in Cleveland he reunites with a few times a year. He was in town just for fun, realized there was a game and called to see if they could eat in the Terrace Club and enjoy the game. Uh, I don't think the Indians or Bob DiBiasio or anyone could ever say NO to Mr. Bob Costas. Really!

My next task was texting my friend Jimmy Donovan with the well wishes from Bob Costas! He was surprised, maybe not so much at the sentiment because they have worked together but that we saw him and spoke to him.

I must admit, the biggest thrill from this whole extravaganza was not necessarily the game, or even meeting Bob Costas but relaying the message and getting a response back from my hero and friend, Jim Donovan. I can't express how I felt at that moment.

A second highlight work related as well. Metromix Cleveland threw a huge birthday bash over in Lakewood. Why not? I was on vacation so I popped over and had the absolute best time of my life sharing in the fun, festivities, cornhole competition, dunk tank, bowling, birthday cake, and so much more, which included spending part of my vacation with cool co-workers!

All in all, a magical week which probably will not be paralleled or surpasssed anytime soon --but I can dream!!

Jim Donovan's medical leave of absence

2011-06-15T23:38:00.006-04:00

An emotional three weeks. Honestly, more than three weeks. I am so blessed to work where I work but more importantly to have developed the friendships over the years with some amazing human beings.

I am proud to call wkyc Sports Anchor Jim Donovan friend. He and his family have become more than friends. They are truly family to me and my family. Before Mom died, she would call and wind up talking to Donovan, and then me as an afterthought! When Jim's wife calls, I wind up gabbing with her for a while and then passing her along to Jimmy!

Though I've known about Jimmy's medical situation longer than many, it did not really hit me until I watched him make the formal announcement on the air his last night of work. I sat there hanging on his every word. What you see with Jim on tv is what you get in real life: a consummate professional at the top of his craft better than most, who is one of the most caring and compassionate human beings alive. His wit towers above everyone's and I am speechless at his memory bank. You can tell him something once or he can glance over something just one time and it is etched on his brain forever.

None of us wanted to leave work that night knowing that for an undetermined number of weeks or months, a member of our family would be absent.

I gave Jimmy a big hug and kiss and told him he was guaranteed that I would be checking on him regularly. That's one thing I've not done very well over the years. If an employee leaves, I am the worst at keeping in touch with them, whether they be out of town or still in town. I don't know why. Not this time. For the 1st time in a long time, I realize how much I am going to miss my friend, and I refuse to let that happen.

Well, the good news folks is that Jimmy had his bone marrow transplant yesterday, and though he still has a long recovery, everything went very well. Yes, another emotional day. The news started going around the newsroom that surgery went well and Jim was feeling very good, strong, better than he has in a while. And then I never imagined what happened next. I received a text message -- from Donovan! Basically he thanked me for thinking of him and said it was an incredible day....I was flying sky high for the rest of my shift. Absolutely nothing was going to get me down today, let alone the rest of this week!

For those of you who may not have seen Jimmy's last show, He's been battling Leukemia for the last 10 years. He's been receiving treatment, and it's been working. Jim, always a very healthy man, has been amazing at how he's battled this disease without skipping a beat. He's up at the crack of dawn to do stuff for his family, be out at Browns camp, Indians batting practice, Cavs camp, public appearances, emcee events, or tape the bazillion of wkyc & STO shows he anchors. His caring family has assisted him immensely with support and the motivation he's needed through the years.

Jim shared, "I've gone through a lot of treatment for close to 11 years and right now a transplant gives me the best chance for a full recovery. My wife, Cheryl and daughter Meghan have been with me through it all and we figured now it was time to allow people to know what is going on in my life. My goal is to get healthy and to be back covering Cleveland sports as soon as possible."

wkyc President and GM Brooke Spectorsky added, "Jim Donovan is a huge part of the success of Channel 3 and we will be thrilled when he is in good health and back on the anchor desk. Our prayers are with him and his family, and we know the viewers of northeast Ohio will be equally supportive."

Dave Chudowsky will be filling in Monday thru Friday while Chuck Galeti will be handling the weekend sports anchor desk, along with his STO show, "Chuck's Last Call."

For anyone who'd like send well wishes, send them to getwelljim@wkyc.com

Manny Acta & Chris Antonetti of the Indians

2011-06-10T23:54:00.008-04:00

I lucked out and was able to attend the Summer Sports Series at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven featuring Cleveland Indians Executive Vice President and GM Chris Antonetti and Cleveland Indians Manager Manny Acta.

Honestly, my shift shuts me out of 97% of events most other media folks can enjoy, but hey, nature of the biz!

Any event involving Manny Acta well worth attending! He's an amazing human being, and as we've seen over the last few years, a student of the game of baseball who knows pretty much everything there is to know. He not only knows the game of baseball inside and out, but he did his homework and knows every minute detail involving the Cleveland Indians, past and present, major and minor leagues.

When I arrived at Landerhaven, I was greeted by present and former co-workers! What a nice afternoon! We had a wkyc table but since I was a last minute add, I actually sat with a former co-worker. It was amazing catching up with Tonya and meeting her current co-workers and son.

wkyc sports anchor/reporter Dave Chudowsky emceed the luncheon. Speaking of knowing his stuff, Dave did an absolutely amazing job as emcee, asking the hard and the right questions of two of the most powerful men in the Cleveland Indians Organization (including a few of my suggestions!).

Acta adheres to 'Wahoo Baseball.' These words are on his office bulletin board. 'Wahoo Baseball' = 'a clean game.' Every facet of the game played cleanly, but more importantly the defense and pitching. Oh yea, we'll take a homerun or timely hitting if we can get it. On the flip side, keeping the opponent out of the game by 1st pitch strikes, not giving up runs, mowing down the opposition, and staying ahead in the count all fits into the 'Wahoo Baseball' philosophy. A team of scrappy ballplayers who mirror the city in which they play (blue collar, working class), who have enthusiasm and passion for the game AND the city of Cleveland.

Acta's solid life philosophy seems to carry over into the clubhouse. He says he does not get frustrated by the game of baseball, it's a game. People who drive slowly in the left lane, that frustrates him! He says, "I do not watch or listen to the news. It's not healthy for me. Honestly, you are never as good as the accolades and never as bad as the criticism. I was a hero a few weeks ago and now they are calling me a different name!" Acta went on to say if there is something big going on in Cleveland, the US, or the World, one of his guys will fill him in to the news. He also believes that negativity doesn't rule the world. It's actually a very small percentage of what's going on around us but it's just louder.

If you hear Manny Acta speak, he says what is on his mind and tells it like it is. He DID do his homework and research before even being hired as the Cleveland Indians' manager back in 2009. He knew the depth of talent on the upper level down to the minor leagues. He truly believes with the this talent, the Indians can again regain the Dynasty they had in the 90's. He loves coming to the ballpark and seeing all the championship banners flying high.

Though Manny Acta monopolized the afternoon with his wit and wisdom, Chris Antonetti fielded some pretty hard questions. When asked about development and trades, he admitted, "You can't allow emotions to take precedence over the best decisions of the day." Fans see the outcome. Fans really don't see the leg work, the homework, and minute by minute wheeling and deal to try and make a move come to fruition. He did go on to share some of the emotions that flowed the day Victor Martinez was traded. He said there really was not a dry eye in the office, especially after working with this player for so long. Victor was not just a co-worker to all but a great friend who clearly did not want to leave Cleveland.

Bottom line, said Antonetti, "We want to win the World Series." We do the best job we can analytically, methodically, scouting-wise, our research and homework to make the best deals and win a World Series. Antonetti said that begins with the draft and continues year round. The Indians just drafted a local kid from Lincoln West, Brian Ruiz, who they are very excited about ...and are excited for the home grown ties! They are very excited about Lonnie Chisenhall and Drew Pomerantz.

Acta touched on the talent the Indians have and some of his key players. Acta said going into spring training he has an idea of most of the players that will be staying with the team but every single player has to perform and earn their stay and roles with the team.

The top performers include shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. Acta says, "He's the best for me. He's been outstanding. He's still evolving as a player only to get better which is scary." Outfielder Michael Brantley is the guy Acta wants to see at the plate with runners in scoring position. Catcher Carlos Santana is still adjusting. But Acta went on to say, "He's so valuable, it's unbelieveable." When asked about right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, Acta said "He's the best right fielder in the game. He made a mistake off the field and he's taking it very hard." Most of these players put a lot of pressure on themselves and just have to go one bat at a time.

Acta's not so sure about the "Bullpen Mafia" title but says his bullpen has done their job night after night.

Acta believes in his skilled coaching staff and says having Mike Hargrove and Sandy Alomar back on this team has exceptional value, especially with those two players, linking the past success to the present.

A few other topics that came up from the audience included instant replay and social media. Acta does not want to take the human element away from the game....while GM Chris Antonetti says he believes in IR to the point where it does not interrupt the game.

Both men are on Twitter and interact with their fans. Acta says having computers, technology, and social media at your fingertips has changed the game of baseball completely, especially with how fast you can get stats and breakdown the game while it's actually happening. Overall, that's good for the game. Acta likes his fans to see that he is like everyone else, goes shopping, eats out at local restaurants, and listens to music! He also gets tips on where to buy his fancy hats on Twitter but admitted that he's cheap at times and will go for the greatest deal!

Scooped the competition

2011-06-01T02:15:00.001-04:00

Hello friends.

I know this blog intends to give you all a glimpse into the day and the life of an assignment editor.

I have to be honest. A) My new computer is not yet configured to allow me to save these blog posts. Yes, I am working on it....just imagine if I actually knew my way around a computer! And 2) I have been off the radar while the task of working the assignment desk has been non-stop and quite grueling.

I definitely do not have time while at work to share my daily grind. That's what the middle of the overnight hours or crack of dawn are for, unless you have a bum computer!

I apologize for doing you all a disservice by not sharing the hectic, chaotic pace up here on this desk.

As you all know there has been storm after storm, wall to wall weather coverage intermixed with my amazing Cleveland Indians' baseball...daily developments with the Cuyahoga County Corruption saga as well as countdown to jury selection for the Sowell trial.

Other top of mind stories have included national stories out of Joplin, Missouri, the NBA basketball playoffs, Arnold & Maria, Congressman Weiner, and the biggest story of all, the end of Osama Bin Laden.

One story that really makes me beam from ear to ear happened back in April.

At the end of the day, I'm usually tired but pumped up by a job well done.

Breaking news back on a Friday in April completely revved everyone.

After receiving a tip about a body found in Seven Hills, it was an awesome feeling to dial up my contacts (which you make after all these years in the business) and verify within minutes what the heck may be going on out there.

I immediately sent a crew before really having verification....

My crew said, 'yep, we got a crime scene out here and it's quite extensive and there is no other media on scene.'

That said it all. It was go time.

From that moment on, everything we'd been working on flew out the window and we focused on the new breaking news, on-line and on air.

Crews stayed late....crews came in early......I stayed 3 hours past the end of my shift to monitor what was happening, update wkyc.com and brief the next producer in to the station....

Still no station had anything on their air and when I left the station 3 hours after we aired the story, still no other stations had anything on their websites --Rare in a time of Twitter, Facebook, monitoring the competition, and checking everyone's websites.

But I'll take it!

What absolutely made my week and was the so-called 'cherry on top' of the entire story is a text I received from one of my contacts who saw our story and realized no one else had it! The gist of the text told me what a great job we did.....and then congratulated me on being the only station on the story.....and went so far as to tell me that they thought I was a great news professional....

Knowing the leg work I personally put into this story.....the ethics and accuracy we exhibited ....and then receiving this message from someone I hold in high regard and have the utmost respect for put a smile on my face from cheek to cheek and made what I do so worthwhile.

It is rare to be congratulated or patted on the back on a regular basis for a job well done. When it happens, by someone you hold up on a pedestal, makes you feel that what you are doing is well worth it and just soooooo right!

"Jimmy" of all trades

2011-04-01T00:18:00.008-04:00

(Jim Donovan and my Mother)

The masses are seeing what I've seen and known as long as Jim Donovan and I have worked together!

All of our on air folks are quite talented....but I hold a special place in my heart for James F. Donovan, who does it all.

Donovan undeniably is the best sportscaster around. As the Radio Voice of the Cleveland Browns, you hear how a football game should be called and most folks turn down the TV and pipe up the radio when watching a Cleveland Browns Game.

He's done pretty much every sport including World Cup Soccer, Marathons, Olympic sports, Major League Baseball...

Going back to an election day from the archives, Jim Donovan was called upon to anchor all of our election night coverage due to illness and he nailed it.

You can not turn on SportsTime Ohio without seeing a Jim Donovan show! He's the hardest working man in the building as he oftentimes comes in early to tape multiple shows or is out at Browns' Camp at 8am and works through the 11pm Show.

Throw Jim live in the field and he is flawless....

Well, this week our viewing audience got a glimpse of the range of Donovan's talent as he co-anchored our new 7pm News Show with Robin Swoboda. Chris Tye normally anchors with Robin but was off on vacation.

I can not tell you how many complimentary calls we received at the news assignment desk each night, and well warranted!

Not only do I have the utmost respect for this man as a fellow colleague but must admit I am one of his biggest fans. Again, he nailed every single show never missing a beat. Jim never uses scripts or the teleprompter. He's one of the smartest men I know whose wealth of knowledge surpasses most. It's a given he knows everything there is about sports but has so many other wide-ranging interests from politics, religion, the economy, business, health and fitness, animals such as dogs and horses....you name it, he knows about the topic. I'd never play Trivial Pursuit with Donovan, I'd get crushed!

And the cherry on top is that Jim is just the nicest human being you could ever want to know or run into in your lifetime. His humor keeps you in stitches and his kindness proving that there are still kind people in this world.

As you can see, I think he's ok (!!)......I could go on and on but will end the gushing.

Kudos and job well done to the best sportscaster in Cleveland and beyond!

'Real' dress rehearsal

2011-03-20T03:31:00.000-04:00

March has not disappointed! In a recent entry I sensed an exciting month ahead....and it's been absolutely nothing but action-packed!

On a personal note, I recently had a day off...yet work always seems to weave into the course of the day, even an off day.

During my day off, a very rainy day, I needed to drive over the Valleyview bridge not once, but twice! Holy cow. In light of the fatal accident just a few weeks ago, it is quite frightening driving over that bridge, let alone in a torrential rain storm. Even during off time, newsie events loom in the back of an assignment editor's mind!

I usually work every St. Patrick's Day --St. Pat's Day 2011 off the charts. OK, let me preface what I am about to say with this --I understand St. Paddy's Day can be crazy, zany, with thousands of obnoxious drunk people everywhere. But for some reason, 2011 stepped it up a few notches. I can not believe the constant calls on the scanners for public intoxication, people just laying in the streets passed out, broken limb calls, and then shortly before 6pm, a massive fight broke out in front of Tower City. A Cleveland Police officer broke his foot as patrol cars from everywhere zoomed to Public Square.

We were in the thick of things but honestly, it actually sounded much worse than it was....at the time, it seemed it could go either way and balloon into something much worse. After the fact, it was a typical St. Patrick's Day melee.

Closing out the week with a bang! OSU vs UTSA at Quicken Loans Arena! OSU blew the covers off this game winning 75-46. And with all of the NCAA festivities in town, wkyc took the Friday 11pm show on the road. Romona has been ill much of the week with an awful virus. (Sidebar --the news desk has been receiving call after call all week long asking where Ro is --she's just been sick everyone!! She will be back very soon!!)....

So the new 7pm team of Robin Swoboda, Chris Tye, Jim Donovan, and Betsy Kling had a 'real' dress rehearsal leading up to Monday's 7pm debut. Robin anchored from the studio as Chris Tye, Jim Donovan, and Jennifer Lindgren were all live outside Q Arena for various OSU /Sports stories. Add in Betsy and Maureen back in studio and you have a blockbuster show! The 11pm news rocked big time. It was so fun to watch and be a part of the entire production.

Perfect end to what has been a pretty perfect week so far......

Be sure you get outside this weekend to witness the Superbig Moon! A big end to what has been an enormously successful week!

Time to make the paczkis

2011-03-09T02:58:00.006-05:00

Looking ahead into the wkyc crystal ball during the month of March and beyond should prove to be quite exciting!

Not only are we approaching March Madness, always an exhilarating time of the year, but I'm seeing more and more STO people roaming around the building as Spring Training winds down leading up to Cleveland Indians' Opening Day on April 1, 2011.

The time change always perks people up as the days begin getting longer and longer....

Spring is right around the corner.

And a transformation for our 7pm show as Robin Swoboda and Chris Tye take the helm with some wonderful new ideas and segments....

A few days ago many celebrated Fat Tuesday --a precursor for Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Season.

But Fat Tuesday also means something else: Paczkis!

Personally, I prefer the plain, empty paczkis (which I guess are more like fried dough!)....the authentic New Orleans beignets are magnificent!

In honor of Paczki Day, we sent Betsy Kling out to whip up some tasty treats.....and she came back with a whole slew of authentic eats she made with her own hands! Delicious!

February 2011--Great month for stories

2011-03-01T02:07:00.004-05:00

Yes, it is winter in Cleveland.

Everytime we go out to do a 'snow' story or I'm asked to have a crew shoot snow, I keep reminding myself, it's just winter in Cleveland.

But even I must admit, we've been dumped on moreso this year than in years past.

The great thing about modern technology, wkyc.com, facebook, and even twitter is the immediacy of sharing pictures and video. As a member of the wkyc facebook weather warriors page, I upload lots of pictures during snow storms to share what's happening in my neck of the woods. Hopefully, viewers from our entire viewing area are doing the same! We sure do love to see what's happening in your neighborhood, especially if we can not get there ourselves!

Every other week has had a different weather event playing out...one week it's 50's and rain with tremendous thunderstorms (February 26) and then the next we are in the midst of yet another white out, knuckle clenching snow blizzard.....strap your seat belt on folks, we have a little ways to go before winter is officially over!

Another story stemming from our Cleveland winters began when my package delivery was delayed.....simple idea yet quite funny. We got socked yet again toward the end of February.....I was set to receive a PKG on a Thursday and sure enough the darn snow delayed it for 5 days....well, it was not anything that pressing but does make you think about those people that do wait for supplies which help save their lives and help their quality of life. The weather delays can put them in quite a predicament.

As I checked the UPS website everyday, it had this huge message on their homepage that the bad weather may be delaying deliveries ....the 3 main areas that popped up were OHIO, CALIFORNIA, and LIBYA! Cleveland and Libya in the same sentence quite comical and then the comedians on fb had to get into the act and ask me what I had purchased from Libya!

Whether we want to admit this or not, yet another huge story this month was The Cleveland Cavaliers playing the Los Angeles Clippers and winning 126-119. The Cavs seem to beat the great teams....but more importantly was gathering added information to feed to Chris Tye after the game....when the game ended, social media takes over.

It's a hoot to be on facebook and Twitter and see people from literally all over the world commenting on the same story....maybe friends of yours who have scattered but are still Cleveland Sports fans monitoring the game.....and then if you follow big wigs on Twitter...it's awesome to see the likes of who is commenting at the game's conclusion. ESPN, NBA, Ted Williams the Golden Voice, Drew Carey, Josh Cribbs, Ozzie Guillen, just to name a few, all interjected their congratulatory comments to the Cavs' strong game against LA.....and to add a little flavor to Chris Tye's live shot, we fed him the comments we were reading all over the social media world.....

It's very fun to scream something to the producer who relays to the talent in the field and literally minutes later, it's coming out on the air.....it's that 'Broadcast News' moment!

One other big story for me particularly was the death of my Mother's best friend. Mercedes Karpinski Spotts was a real influence in the legal world in Cleveland...but so much more. She helped those who could not help themselves....I honestly can not do justice in a few words here to praise all this woman stood for and did for Cleveland and beyond as a wonderful trailblazer and humanitarian.

Since I was very close to Mercedes, she imparted on her family that I sing her funeral and I was in the loop almost immediately after her passing. In turn, I wrote a story on wkyc.com way ahead of the competition including Cleveland.com. It all came together in memorializing this wonderful woman who established so much of what Cleveland has become.

At Mercedes' funeral, there were judges and other politicians, religious, and pretty much people from all walks of life. Jimmy DiMora showed up at her funeral. No matter what you think of this man, I find this moment very telling and heart warming. This man who is certainly in the spotlight now more than ever chose to honor his friend above what people may say about him ....I'm sure he was uncomfortable but he exemplified (at this moment) what we all should...the right thing above caring what people may say.

Ah, the smell of blooming gardens & spring!

2011-02-14T01:30:00.008-05:00

What a treat to be able to spend part of my afternoon with wkyc meteorologist Bruce Kalinowski and his lovely wife!

In Cleveland, there seems to be a show at the I-X Center every weekend.....we are lucky because throughout the winter -early spring, we actually have 2 home and flower/garden shows to get us primed for spring! This week, a Home and Garden Show has been out at the I-X Center....

wkyc has manned a stand every day to allow our customers to meet our on-air personalities, to acquaint the viewers with our facebook and twitter information as well as allowing people to sign up for an ipad.

While I was on hand, it was a blast seeing how many people came up to Bruce telling him how much they love him and enjoy watching him on the weekends....Bruce was the very first weathercaster on the Weather Channel. Exciting factoid!

I also brought along some candy to pass out to any little kids or adults who were still young at heart!

I liked interacting with the viewers, taking in their comments --good and bad and getting a handful of story ideas as well.

The people you meet. They are tremendous!

The downside of being behind the scenes is that people don't know you...though they are still just as nice. And once Bruce left for the day, I still carried on, but it is more difficult when people don't readily know who you are.....nonetheless, I still like volunteering at these events to interact with our viewers!!

I was able to sneak away and take a look at the absolutely beautiful gardens in the gallery...which give such hope that soon, very soon, those same plants and flowers will be blooming outside everywhere around town!

All in all, a very successful day spreading the good news about wkyc, sto, and all of our websites!!

News Desk Nuggets

2011-02-04T03:38:00.003-05:00

The winter of 2010-2011 has brought us some kind of snow event, ice or rain storm, or temps in the 40's-50's every couple of weeks. Regardless of what is happening, most days we've had beautiful sunshine, which just makes everything seem better!

As we usher in February 2011, Mother Nature does not disappoint as we welcome yet another approaching winter storm.

With snow storms come hundreds of iAlerts into the Channel 3 Newsroom. The iAlert computers have been hot all winter long spewing out the school closings. There has been so much snow, state legislators are working on expanding the calamity days again to a reasonable number to deal with Cleveland, Ohio winters.

Please, if you have an iAlert account, read over your information packet and follow the easy steps to close your school from home via the phone or computer. It's quite an easy process. And the idea is so that administrators can close their schools wherever and whenever they'd like to throughout the day, night or overnight. However, at times folks have been making it much more difficult than it really is by not typing in the correct day for schools to reopen or the closing to expire.

We are in the midst of February sweeps as we continue cranking out stories our viewers can use to enhance their lives, inform them, help save money, and get healthier in the new year. Added in of course investigative pieces from The Investigator Tom Meyer and special stories from every one of our reporters throughout the month. Be sure to catch teases for upcoming stories on facebook, Twitter, YouTube, wkyc.com as well as on air at Channel 3.

And, unfortunately, for this news desk chick, it will have to be an 'award-less year.' I was quite fortunate last year to win my 8th Emmy award and my 14th Press Club Award. However, in a year with budget & pay cuts and a rocky economy overall, I'm letting the deadlines for the local Emmy Award entries and local Press Club Award entries come and go. I'm very proud of my work from 2010 and could have come up with at least 1/2 dozen stories to enter. However, entries = lots of money! Basically, you have to pay for your membership fee and then an entry fee for each application.

The award rat race will have to get along with one less rat!

Indians' night at the Lake Erie Monsters' game

2011-01-31T01:50:00.004-05:00

If you are a regular reader of 'Swing By and Spray' then you know my passion for baseball and 'my' Cleveland Indians.

Well friends, the time has come that we've been waiting for the last 4 months--Indians' baseball is about to return.

The Cleveland Indians are in the midst of their Caravan, which is a week or two where they travel to different places to visit with their fans before they head south to Arizona.

Saturday night they hit Q Arena to greet their fans before the Lake Erie Monsters vs Hamilton Bulldogs hockey game.

Cleveland fans are chomping at the bit for baseball. The game was sold out. True, the Monsters are the most exciting game in town these days and on a win streak...but I think 'my' Tribe had a little bit to do with the electricity in the crowd.

Manager Manny Acta, Outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Michael Brantley, first baseman Matt LaPorta, and pitcher Tony Sipp signed autographs and shoot hands with their fans about an hour before the game.

Also on hand to sign autographs, take pictures, and bring smiles to the kids' faces were the one and only Slider and Mustard, Ketchup, and Onion!

As if that wasn't enough, the Monsters played an awesome game and beat the division leading Bulldogs 4-1.

Before the game began, a few of the Indians spoke to any media on hand. Not only was it great seeing former co-workers, but it was so exciting to hear how the Indians are revved up for the 2011 season. They are raring to go and 'play ball!'

Manager Manny Acta commented on the number of guys reporting to camp including rehabbing Grady Sizemore and Carlos Santana...."We have a lot of reasons to be excited...the health of Grady Sizemore and Carlos Santana...we have a lot of guys and we're gonna give these guys a fair look. Grady Sizemore is coming along very well. The goal is to have Grady ready for Opening Day. With the addition of Carlos Santana, our offense is gonna be much better."

Acta went on to talk about the pitching staff....he said, "We are very happy about our starting rotation. Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, Mitch Talbot, Carlos Carrasco, David Huff and so much more depth in the rotation. We have 3 guys in AAA that are knocking on the door."

He said once he puts the Christmas lights up in the attic, it's time to start Spring Training.

Michael Brantley made a few comments before the lights came down on the game....he's been working on the overall aspect of his whole game and is the same guy with a different attitude.

I can hardly contain myself that baseball season is upon us. February and March is one of the most exciting times of the year with Spring Training, March Madness, Hockey gearing toward the playoffs and NBA heating up as well.

Go Tribe!

A week of breaking news

2011-01-29T02:57:00.003-05:00

Don't blink or you'll miss a new, unfolding spot news story.

Holy cow! What a whirlwind since the very beginning of the new year.

Some of this week's highlights include a home invasion/stabbing in, of all places, Pepper Pike. Dave Summers and Randy White started out on this story...which began with a wkyc viewer calling me the minute I stepped on the news assignment desk asking if we were going to do anything on the incident in Pepper Pike overnight? I had not even logged on the computer but took down the man's information...looked in our computer and when I did not see any information tossed a call to Pepper Pike. They were very forthcoming in what happened and immediately faxed over the information. In our effort to be first online, with Twitter, on Facebook and everywhere else, we tipped off the competition to this story. However, they did not get as much as Dave and his crew.

Now normally the aforementioned story would lead the news....unless you wind up stumbling onto a standoff /hostage situation in the Walgreens in Barberton.

Akron wizard extraordinaire Eric Mansfield received a call from a contact telling him about the situation....he made a few calls, pinned down exactly what was happening and we re-routed Dave Summers and his crew Randy out that way. I also dispatched a live truck to meet them in order to feed back video and go live.

In the meantime, we had another soldier killed overseas, and on the lighter side, the story we had been tracking about the Yorkie theft had a break in the case. The suspect was busted and the cute little Yorkie rescued.

While the reporters and producers are writing this all up for air, I'm going as fast as I can to get the ever flowing 'new' news on our website--hopefully before the competition.

If that was not enough, houses and gas lines started catching fire in Fairport Harbor....what an amazing story. I can not even believe how fast this story spread (no pun intended). Our crews were out at the scene for at least 2 days non-stop bringing the latest developments to our viewers on air and on-line. We had so much video coming back to the station and being fed back, it was hard to keep track of every element. We also really implemented our new Mobile 3 Live Gear which we recently put into play. Without getting technical, it's live gear basically in a backpack which allows you to pretty much go live from almost anywhere....Pretty snazzy stuff.

When Dominion East Ohio and the Mayor held their first presser, I listened in while they were feeding it back live.....and immediately put an update on wkyc.com. At the same time, our producer was doing the same to get the story ready for air....

But wait, there is more.....a few days later, Summit County officials uncovered a house having Ricin inside. Hmmm, interesting. For the next few days, officials, FBI, Homeland Security, Sheriff, men in funny HAZMAT suits roamed every inch. Another story Eric Mansfield and Carl Bachtel won hands down. They checked the house each day and were allowed closer than any other tv station. In fact, one day Carl was on the scene solo. No other stations were there. They were digging and searching with all kinds of activity. There was a press conference away from the scene where everyone else did their live shots....then I got the call from Carl saying "I'm here all alone." While he was giving me the lowdown on his scene, I was relaying to the producers and newsroom. For a few minutes, it was quite confusing because the press conference going on simultaneously with the search never mentioned that a concurrent search was happening. But, let's face it. When you have a stellar crew on site, seeing with his own eyes what's shakin' you have to go with it and totally trust your crews in the field.

And folks, all of the above is why I love what I do, where I do it and no day is EVER boring or uneventful!

Celebrating great wkyc people

2011-01-27T01:31:00.006-05:00

January was a month filled with festive gatherings celebrating, honoring, and sending off magnificent wkyc employees respectively.

The first reason for a 'beginning of the year week long party' sent former Metromix writer Marc Magill on his way to the Windy City as Underwriter for AXIS Capital. Gonna miss him like the dickens. Marc began working my shift on our website, wkyc.com, and then moved over to Metromix.com. He was my baseball buddy...we'd talk baseball, strategize, and hit Progressive Field together as much as we could as well as frequent West 9th or the other hot spots around town!

He could not vacate the city before having a terrific sendoff at his fave hotspot, The Map Room.

The next fitting event for a true king --the king of the wkyc Akron Bureau.

Larry Baker has been a journalist for over 45 years. Once everyone got back from their holiday travels and life's craziness died down for just a little while, we all gathered to honor Larry for his retirement from wkyc in the proper way at a terrific, scenic venue in Summit County...Furnace Run Metropark--part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park System.

There were people from every station, many of his former co-workers as well as contacts of his he made through the years who put up with his antics!

Oh, the tributes--sorry folks. This is a family blog and most would have been sensored or even bleeped had they been broadcast! Suffice to say, there was not a dry eye after laughing so hard we were all crying....

Larry made an impact on so many people through his teachings, his actions, his inspiration, and total honesty. He told it like it was. His brutal honesty could make you or break you. But you always knew where he was coming from and what he was saying was authentic and from the heart.

I can not even begin to dig into his great history, the stories he covered, and what he'd seen through his tenure in tv. He's truly a remarkable human being who made me a better person, a true journalist, and someone who wants to carry on Larry Baker's legacy.

Finally, we gathered to celebrate new life. One of our producers/planning editor, Amy and her husband, are expecting. We gathered in the conference room to wish them well, shower her with the most adorable tiny gifts, and gorge and delicious foods to break up a long day! It always brings great joy to welcome a new little member of the wkyc Channel 3 family--hopefully one day soon for Amy and her family!!

No better way to start the year: January OSU football

2011-01-06T01:40:00.006-05:00

Yes, we are working.

And we can have fun while we work!

Let me tell you. When you work in December, you definitely notice the holidays --Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and everything in between. The newsroom is empty, the parking garage deserted. We still have most of our shows to fill, but we are in holiday mode.

Come the new year, staffing begins to fill out again.....and we march forward toward sweeps, getting ready for various award entries, and a full year of news and sports ahead.

However, just back from holiday break, we had The Ohio State Buckeyes gearing up to play Arkansas.

We pulled it off. First day back, a few of us, including Mr. Ohio State, Matt Hein, had a meeting of the minds and pulled together one of the best Ohio State Buckeye parties ever! The food absolutely obnoxious. Everyone participated and either brought something homemade or left over from the holidays. It gave me a great excuse to get rid of very fattening food from my house so I would not eat it! Thank you Buckeyes :)

Magnific!

Not only the feast but the outcome of the game! Go Buckeyes, 31-26 over Arkansas!!

Stories come from everywhere

2011-01-06T00:54:00.004-05:00

What a busy night! We had local, we had national, we had local and national intertwined while others originated from the social media world.

2 Cavs fans met on a Cavs/Basketball social media website....and the boyfriend decided to pop the question in front of so many other Cavs Fanatics! It began at a pre-game shindig at the Hard Rock Cafe....afterward, they all marched over to the Cavs game where, in front of everyone, he pledged his allegience and undying love to his honey for all to 'witness.'

The next few stories happened elsewhere but have Cleveland ties.

A friend of mine from out of state emailed & facebooked me with a tip that a student at John Carroll wound up dying over the holidays in Philly....the student went home for the holidays, and while at a frat party, fell. Unfortunately, he passed away days later. I still find it amazing how the wheels turn when researching and piecing together a story...

After receiving the tip, I checked with Philly while Chris Tye handled the John Carroll end of it, being a grad himself. It all came together nicely, though such a very sad story.

Another big story with both local and national ties which broke was the daycare shooting down south....the father killed was from Beachwood. Well, there was an arrest in the tragedy, and again, we had to check all our angles to make sure we had the correct information.

As you can see, a story can come from anywhere--contacts near and far--now the social media world, but must always be checked out before anything goes on air or online.

Raise your glasses to a phenomenal 2011

2010-12-31T00:20:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year to you and yours and may all your dreams resemble heaven in 2011!

What a year! One year ago if you would have forecast 1/2 the things that were to happen in 2010, I'm pretty sure I would have scoffed.

Don't worry. I won't rehash the year that was....but it was simply amazing. Just to name a few: The Chilean Miners miraculous rescue...Tiger Woods/Brett Favre/Ben Roethlisberger....LeBron relocating to South Beach....Social Media mania....Snow Days.....December blizzard....the famous flight attendant who used the emergency slide...chilling Olympics....Jimmy DiMora in handcuffs....BP Oil Spill.....Haiti earthquake....TSA screening procedure....Iraq operations coming to an end.... the year of Betty White....saying goodbye to Cleveland Indians' legend Bob Feller.....and the passing of Dr. Robert White, brain surgeon genius......I really could go on!

It makes me wonder what kind of amazement will come to fruition in 2011? I can't even imagine yet I'm on the edge of my seat in anticipation.

Well, we have come to the close of 2010.

It would not be complete without a visit from our top Public Relations Guru, Mike Rogers, sharing one of his famous cheesecakes from Executive Caterers at Landerhaven. And yes, this New Year's Eve they are celebrating and treating Cleveland to yet another fantastic New Year's Eve bash!

I raise my glass to you all! May you and yours be blessed with good health, much happiness, dreams beyond your grasp coming true, and in the constant company of those you love most.

Cheers and Happy New Year!

News Desk Nuggets

2010-12-23T02:18:00.005-05:00

As we wrap up 2010, a few more things to put into the books before we kick 2011 into high gear.

The wkyc holiday party rocked! I personally had not been to one in a number of years due to my Mother's health as well as my work schedule.

A big thank you to all of our managers who made such a wonderful night come to fruition at Johnny's Downtown. The atmosphere, the friendships rekindled, the beautiful music with Mike Petrone tickling the ivory all night long topped off with a delicious dinner and decadent desserts!

Usually come the 3rd and 4th week of December, vacations kick into full swing and there are more people off than actually inside the building. Though the news must go on, and I'm sure the producers are pulling their hair out craving more news, sometimes it's a nice reprieve to be able to dress down all week, and when there is a lull, actually get to that 'extra pile of work' that feels ignored for much of the year.

Unfortunately, there are more homemade treats on the newsroom table than usual as the diet definitely flies out the window!

And last, but certainly not least, starting January 3, 2011, Channel 3 News Today will begin at 4:30 a.m. That extra half hour will hopefully prepare our viewers even better for their day ahead with the local weather, traffic, and news of the day (locally as well as nationally). Our goal is to definitely keep the customer 'connected' and informed.

You can spend an extra half hour with all your favorite people including: Mark Nolan, Hollie Strano, Maureen Kyle, Darrielle Snipes, WTAM's Pat Butler, and well as Matt Granite.

"working" vacation

2010-12-14T00:29:00.005-05:00

I had an absolutely delightful vacation and never left my fair city of Cleveland.

In fact, I rarely left my home and still had a wondrous time.

I had time off which I initially requested in October for when 'my' Cleveland Indians hit the playoffs or World Series. Well, we all know that scenario never materialized this season so I still had vacation to use up.

I told my supervisor to feel free to schedule me whenever it was convenient for his schedule, when no one else had time off, to make his life easier.

And I could not have gotten a better week to rejuvenate.

But, it was not all fun and games. It was more of a 'working vacation' where I bothered the station almost every day with story ideas and various news items.

Once an assignment editor (whether on vacation or not), always an assignment editor!

We had what turned out to be the snow storm of the century where downtown Cleveland was in gridlock for hours.

I never would have been able to get into work had I been on the schedule. I could not vacate my driveway, spent the bulk of the night shoveling my neighborhood just to make a path to Church for the holy day Mass and a funeral service. But that did not stop me from emailing in a number of sidebar 'snow coverage' ideas as well as uploading pictures to the wkyc facebook page.

I kept my social media skills sharp by constantly updating facebook with breaking news stories coming out of wkyc as well as Twitter.

I'm on a committee at work which was having a meeting during my time off. I made sure I emailed in all of my ideas, and there were many!

Besides the weather, we had a few other stories shaking including a groundbreaking Igbo Mass at my church --1st of it's kind ever in the Cleveland Catholic Diocese....and then my bank closed down after many, many years in operation.

At one point, my news director messaged me in all of our correspondence that I was working too hard for being on vacation!

It was my pleasure, my honor, and I would not have changed a thing looking back on my week!

The news surely never stops and no matter where an assignment editor may be, their nose for news continues sniffing out the news!

Holiday Lights

2010-12-04T01:44:00.001-05:00

(South Eucid, Ohio)

It's that time of year friends!

A long-standing tradition here at Channel 3 has been sharing the sights, sounds, and holiday lights of Northeast Ohio with our viewers each night at 11pm.

The tradition continues.

With escalating technology and the social media frenzy, it's even easier to share your holiday lights with wkyc.

If you and your family have donned the holiday lights on your home or put up some type of seasonal scene, we'd love to see it!

You can send them to us in a number of different ways so that we can then share them with everyone!

(picture taken at Shaker Square)

Feel free to:

Upload your own photos to wkyc.com or the wkyc facebook page

Upload your own video to wkyc.com or the wkyc facebook page

email pictures or video to wkyc.com or newsdesk@wkyc.com

send information, such as an address of a cool house to newsdesk@wkyc.com

And of course, please hop onto wkyc.com, the wkyc facebook page, and watch Channel 3 News at 11pm each night to see the beautiful holiday lighting scenes sent in by viewers.

I will be taking in the sights and sounds of Northeast Ohio for the next week so Swing By and Spray will be taking a short break.

Please have a safe week. I hope the holiday spirit engulfs you more this season than ever before! Stay warm. Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Le-boring

2010-12-03T03:26:00.008-05:00

What a let down. I feel like someone quickly let the air out of my sails and I am drifting in the middle of Lake Erie, paddle-less.

The hype so much more exciting than the main event, on so many levels.

Yes, this WAS the biggest NBA game this season. And the heavy hitting announcers, media, celebrities, et all, were out in force.

Our news & our sports departments have been anticipating this day for months. When they announced the NBA schedule, the first thing I as an assignment editor did was enter the information into our futures file.

As the time got closer, we all submitted story ideas as to how we should and could cover this history-making game, on the news end. The best sports department in town had their plan and implemented it flawlessly. Really, how can you go wrong with Jim Donovan and the gang!

There were countless angles which began taking shape at the beginning of the week leading to tip-off time.

We were live inside Q Arena with our portable gear, and our LIVE U as well as live outside the Q.

It was a circus, as they say. But we all knew this was coming.

Interesting information came out in the days preceding such as how LeBron felt, how he claims he had the utmost respect for the fans (yet he could never quite get the word 'Cleveland' out of his mouth. He kept saying that city, that city, those fans).

Announcers coddling the King asking how he would handle coming back to C-Town? Would the fans bother him if they still felt slighted? Would he be able to control his emotions?

Come on. LeBron has no emotions. He up and left in the worst possible way. These are not my words folks. All the big guys including "the" Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley have said he totally mishandled the situation.

Even if he did have a heart, as a sports professional, LeBron should be able to put feelings and emotions aside once he steps on the court for 48 minutes.

He showed the world that he came to play, taunt, psych those players who gave their allegiance to him for 7 years (and apparently still can not tear themselves away from him). He even dissed his former fellow players at the very end of the game, which had the TNT announcers saying he may have dug the whole even deeper. Just as he did not care about the fans when he made his 'Decision,' they certainly did not bother him Thursday evening.

Yes, I raise my caps to the Cleveland fans, and so did everyone else in the media world. Cleveland fans showed the enthusiam they have for their sports' teams. They kept themselves in line. It's the players on the court who made fools of themselves by playing hard for the first 5 to 10 minutes and then imploding, ultimately giving Cleveland yet another small black eye. We did not have mass rioting in the streets, or really hardly any problems. Kudos Cleveland! Bravo Cleveland Cavalier fans!

I applaud the local celebs who showed up in force to cheer on their fellow team: Bernie Kosar, Shaun Rogers, Travis Hafner, Josh Cribbs, Drew Carey....I hope the Cavs see the support they do still have sans LeBron and rev it up a few notches.

wkyc rocked with coverage from beginning to end. The best sports director in the world live at Q Arena with pregame sound, a wonderful package leading up to game time, and then postgame sound from both the Cavs and the Heat. Well, LeBron was the Heat sound. He did not let Bosh speak and allowed Wade one comment and then he got his posse and left the podium.

The fanfare leading up to the 'big event' was euphoric, exciting, as Jim Donovan put it, like the 7th game of the NBA Finals and the series was tied 3-3. If you were watching TNT just before the game, the TNT announcers stole Jimmy's line!

Then the air quickly exited the Macy's Day balloon and the game was bor-ing, frustrating, exasperating. The most exciting parts were the different chants each quarter, spotting the celebs in the stands, hearing Charles Barkley go off at halftime, and toward the end of the game the beer wet t-shirt contests causing a few scuffles in the stands.

I can see why James would be rattled at times. The scrutiny ridiculous from other media doing a whole story on whether or not he'd toss the talc up into the air to what the fans would chant.

At the end of the day, it's a game. No one dies, like other news stories we cover on a regular basis. You have a winner and a loser. Unfortunately, we all hoped the outcome would have been a bit different. But it's one game with a whole season ahead of us. And yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Miami Heat 3 more times, including coming back to Cleveland in March. Realistically, at the end of our season series, Cleveland could be up 3-1.

All in all, the Cleveland fans came through yet again showing their team, the city, and the world what they are made of... Yes, Cleveland, Ohio has the best fans anywhere, bar none, hands down!

The players were the let down.

This experience, as many others in the past, will only make the best location in the nation stronger, better, and primed for one day in the near future when either the Browns, the Cavs, or 'my' Indians bring it all home!

Thank you Cleveland fans for showing your class yet again.

The news served up on a white platter --literally

2010-11-29T02:20:00.007-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, an assignment editor is on call 24/7.

You never know when you will run into a news story or have one handed to you on a 'silver' or 'white' platter!

Literally.

I was fortunate to have a long weekend to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.

Rounding off my 4-day weekend, I hit the nail-biter of a Browns' game. We won! Even while at the game, I was reminded of work and what we do. Mark Nolan, right in front of me at every game, gives the game time forecast and revs up the crowd. I see my cameramen running back and forth along the sidelines. This game Barry Wolf and Carl Bachtel were capturing the sights and sounds of the Browns-Panthers Game.

After the game, especially because we won, I met 2 very dear friends for dinner. We wound up going to Crop on West 6th Street.

Low and behold, #77 of the Cleveland Browns, Floyd Womack, was their guest chef. Steve, their actual chef has done this promotion a few times and would love to do it with the Cavs and Indians as well in the future. He invites beforehand a player to be the 'guest chef.' They even meet with him the day before and plan out their menu and start some of the cooking.

Well, this week's guest chef was "Pork Chop" Womack. And what do you think he served up? His famous breaded pork chops! He also made a delicious peach cobbler made with all kinds of spices including nutmeg, cumin, honey, cinnamon, etc....and then topped it off with vanilla ice cream.

My friends and I were sitting at the bar when all of a sudden the players started to arrive to support their fellow player on this fun venture. Josh Cribbs walked in with a big group of people....Joe Thomas.....Eric Steinbach....Brian Robiskie.....Chansi Stuckey.....the players and their families were everywhere. They were enjoying the ambiance, having a few celebratory cocktails, spending quality time with their families & friends, and of course, getting a taste of "Pork Chop" Womack's masterpiece.

It was good. We ordered different meals so we could taste it all. The Pork Chop was awesome! The Peach Cobbler very good. Everything they brought out delicious. We felt like we were 3 judges in an episode of the Iron Chef as each course rolled out on their pretty, white dishes. High marks for presentation, originality, and taste.

As soon as the players started arriving, I grabbed my handy dandy cell phone and called the weekend producer, Carrie, to give her the 411 on what was unfolding around me. Within minutes, she'd sent over one of our cameramen. I filled him in on what I knew, who I knew, and pointed him in the direction of Chef Steve and guest chef "Pork Chop" Womack.

Our videographer Mike Greene went to town. He was having a fabulous time shooting the chefs at work, the various Cleveland Browns dining, and close up shots of course of the primo food.

The guys were not adverse to us shooting them, and heck, very good publicity for Crop Bistro and Bar.

We got a chance to talk to "Pork Chop" who amazingly enough said that his wife does not let him cook at home! She'd rather do all the cooking. He was very interested at how we liked his masterpieces. We did not lie. We told him they were mmmmm good! Gave him two thumbs up!

All in all, it turned out to be a very good story for the late news after Sunday Night Football. A story literally served up to me on a white platter....and the rest is history after just one phone call to get the wheels in motion.

Well done, Larry Baker!

2010-11-23T00:32:00.007-05:00

I already miss him!

It's only been a few days but Larry Baker's retirement last Friday is already making an impact, at least on me.

Larry Baker, jack of all trades, retired after nearly 5 decades in broadcasting. I'm not going to call him a videographer because he was so much more. That description just the tip of the iceberg to what this true journalist accomplished in his career.

First of all, working with the same company (or sister stations) for an entire career is unprecedented. When I began at Channel 3, Larry Baker was part of our power house Akron Bureau. Through the years, it dwindled but not its potency. To this day, the reputation the wkyc Akron-Canton Newsroom has among viewers, business people, contacts, and sources still shines bright.

They were a small unit, but definitely got the job done and everyone had the utmost respect for the Akron Bureau's staff.

It was great having people down there around the clock. In its hay day when it was staffed at night as well, we whooped the competition. They all knew the lay of the land and would always come through when you asked.

I remember so many instances when, though few, they packed a punch and kicked some booty. Way back when in our old studios on East 6th, we had a pretty sizeable fire which thwarted how much and what we could do from Cleveland. The entire building except the control room had to be evacuated. We rigged a truck from outside but also had a truck in Akron so they could broadcast and fill a good portion of our shows.

So many times they filled much of our show --with stormy weather, flooding, a huge Summit County power outage, the Canton Football Hall of Fame Inductions....Ah, the good old days!

Though I shudder to bring this man's name up, the wkyc Akron Bureau was hot on LeBron James' trail before any other sports agency, agent, local station knew who he was. They covered him from the very beginning knowing he would be big.

I'd talk to Larry on the phone --maybe seeing him only a few times a year. Though not in the trenches or even in the same county with him on a daily basis, still learned so much from his example, his work ethic, his attention to detail, his integrity, and the pride he took in his craft.

Oh, the stories he told. He had/has a memory it seems from every single story he's ever covered.

Working on a news assignment desk, you learn fast that your best sources are your cameramen. Sure, you have your reporters who go out on a daily basis. But your cameramen are constantly out on the streets, often times, shooting multiple stories in the course of a day--by themselves. They meet with the real people. They stir up conversations to get other stories. They gather the facts. You have to trust them 100 percent.

Larry, working in the business so long, was as well known in the Akron area as any on-air personality. He'd get calls from the Mayor's Office, from his contacts, from the Prosecutor's Office. He'd walk into a press conference, whether in Akron OR Cleveland and every television personality knew who he was.

Larry was real. He cut through the proverbial 'you know what,' spoke his mind, told it like it was and never let anyone push him around. Let's face it, pretty much everyone working at the station today can't hold a candle to his long, illustrious history. He is our elder (not necessarily in years but in experience). He'd tell me what he thought about people and why (which I'd keep to myself of course because at the time, I did not have the respect he garnered!). He'd tell me how to be a good desk person, how not to compromise my beliefs or the integrity of the story and what 'real news' was. Larry never minced words, which was part of his charm and was never at a loss for words. He was always on the mark.

Larry DID it all. He's covered every story imaginable from wars to politics, from major sporting events, traveling, soldiers dying, the ups and downs of the Akron landscape and economy, and local breaking news (plane crashes, huge North American power outage, CWRU standoff).

Besides being one of the best cameramen around, he would shoot packages and edit them but also write the script, coordinate with the producers--the whole darn thing.

He'd crank out stories non-stop which could air on any newscast including our weekend morning shows. Never was Larry Baker a 1 story a day guy.

There are those people in this business when they ask you to do something, you bend over backwards. Larry was one of those guys. When he called on the phone to ask me to look something up, or send me pictures he needed re-sized and put into our system, or relay info to the anchors or producers, he became the priority.

I am so fortunate that I got the opportunity to work with Larry just weeks before his retirement during our Heroes Help Northeast Ohio Drive. I was stationed out at the Bainbridge WalMart with so many wonderful people including Larry Baker. I saw him in action one last time and realized, yet again, the amazingly high level of his professionalism. He gets it. He really knows his stuff. His leaving will not only leave a void at Channel 3 but in the entire broadcasting circle of Northeast Ohio.

He will be missed.

He said he'd like to do free lance work. I sure hope his work continues to find its way to our air on occasion to enrich all of our lives.

In case you missed it, The Akron Beacon Journal's Bob Dyer wrote a fabulous article on Mr. Larry Baker. Be sure to check it out!

Mentally exhausting week filled with sad news

2010-11-22T00:53:00.000-05:00

As an assignment editor, I am usually exhausted at the end of my shift. It is 8-10 or more hours of non-stop multi-tasking.

If it was a successful day, and fortunately most of them are, you are exhausted yet exhilarated.

This was not one of those weeks.

One story began last week, and at first, seemed like it may have a positive outcome.

The other story began at the beginning of this week crushing anyone who has even a little heart inside.

Last week we began tracking a story about a missing family out of Knox County, Ohio. Quite odd. Though it's a bit away from us, we wound up sending our satellite truck and reporters every day to track the daily developments.

When Sarah was found alive, it started looking up but took a turn for the worse as Sarah started speaking with investigators and a possible suspect was taken in for questioning.

The outcome devastating--Sarah's mother, brother, and a family friend were found dead and stuffed into a hollow tree miles from their home.

WHY? We may never know why. At least right now, there are more unanswered questions than anything. I'm interested in finding out the story behind the story yet know when it starts coming out, it's going to be as grisly as the devastating find.

While working the story, you have to stay focused. We kept in contact with our sister station in Columbus. When I had my crews and sat truck on site, I had to get periodic updates from them to update our website as well as book satellite windows to get video back in house for our teases and to go live. You cover the story and don't really have time to think about what is happening.

That comes later and just deflates any bit of life you have left inside of you.

Earlier this week, another horrific story as a car and Lowe's van collided killing a family of 4 --one of the deceased was an unborn child still in its mother's womb.

The accident crippled the town of Wellington and really all of Northeast Ohio.

I have family out of state who stay on top of the news in our area and they, via facebook, kept commenting on both of these awful stories. The reverberations were obviously even felt outside of Ohio.

Both of these stories WERE national stories. All of the major networks picked up on both of them. You did not have to tune into wkyc but could be flipping to msnbc, nbc, or cnn and see the awful footage.

And the week ended with yet another national story that had local ties. A man from our area was gunned down outside of his child's Georgia daycare, just moments after the children were dropped off. This story was unwinding as I ended my week. I touched base with the Dunwoody Police Department where I got a press release and suspect composite, I put out feelers to solidly confirm the victim was from Beachwood. We confirmed through friends but not an official source as of the end of my shift.

All of these stories are ongoing....they will be happening for days if not weeks as funerals take place, memorial service vigils continue, court proceedings begin, and suspects at large are pursued.

At the end of the day when you realize what has happened, your heart sinks, you do get a deflated feeling, sometimes you even feel like bursting into tears, especially when there are lives lost.

Honestly, I could not wait to get home to unwind, not think about the week's events and just turn on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to hopefully get a laugh or two to take my mind off of this mayhem, at least for 48 hours, until we rev up again on Monday.

Do you wanna see Mark Nolan get a mani-pedi?

2010-11-19T12:29:00.003-05:00

Would I kid you?

Are you a wkyc facebook fan /friend yet?

Well, if you are not, you are missing out and definitely not connected.

As a wkyc facebook fan, you are privy to the latest news, weather, sports, breaking stories as well as 'behind the scenes' inter-workings of the newsroom, studio, control room, special tapings and all kinds of neat0 and crazy stuff that happens in the course of the day in local television news.

You have the chance to be chosen as our 'Facebook Friend of the Day' and be recognized on air.

There is soooo much more as a wkyc facebook friend.

But the BIG news this week is that Anchor woman Romona Robinson and Morning Show anchor man Mark Nolan have a little battle brewing.

Romona and Nolan are going head to head in the 'Facebook Face-off.'

If we get 25 thousand friends, Mark Nolan will hit the beauty shop with Romona. He'll enter the 'pink' Diva room and indulge in a 'mani-pedi.'

When we hit 30 thousand friends, Romona will be sporting the overalls, strap on her tool belt and fix what's ailing Nolan's 'Franken-truck.' I'm sure you've seen the 'Franken-truck.' It's Mark Nolan's prized red pickup truck which must have over 200 thousand miles on it by now. It's a staple in the channel 3 parking garage! That's for sure!

Come on folks! I want to see BOTH! Just priceless and I'm sure very entertaining!

Log on and become a friend of wkyc on facebook to stay connected and let the fun begin!

Congratulations to the Broadcasters HOF Inductees

2010-11-08T23:49:00.006-05:00

I'm honored to have been invited to see a pal of mine being inducted into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

At the time, little did I know that one of my own was also being inducted and so many other wonderful former co-workers & pioneers in their crafts were being recognized. And honestly, I didn't know anything about this group.

Mike O'Mara, one of my former reporters who has since moved on to yet another challenging endeavor, was given the distinct honor of being part of the 26th Induction Class. Much to my surprise, he even thanked me in his acceptance speech leaving ME speechless.

WKYC weatherman Bruce Kalinowsky was also inducted...along with former co-workers Andy Baskin and Bill Sheil.

It was an enjoyable evening seeing old friends & new folks you may hear about, know their name, but really never had the official introduction.

Everyone inducted deserved the great accolades! They all, over the years, have contributed so much to their specified craft, made their niche and have countless accomplishments tied to their names....

Each inductee had a page dedicated to them in the program. Reading through their histories and how they've influenced their fields simply amazing. Honestly, in my nearly 25 years in broadcasting, I don't hold a candle to those reporters that have gotten laws changed by their stories or those radio personalities who have been manning the airwaves for 40 or 60 years. Unimaginable!

I believe the Broadcasters Hall of Fame is currently looking for a new home.....they had been located in the Akron Quaker Square Complex. Anyone wanting to help or become involved with this group is encouraged to contact the organization.

Other inductees include: Peggy Webber, Jeff Tanchak, Karen Vaughn, Ted Alexander, Jerry Revish, Danita Harris, Ron Regan, Jack Ellsworth, Melford J. Elliott, Sam Shepherd, Dauphne Walker, and Eugene Norris.

Two college students outstanding in their studies and their specific fields were also honored and encouraged to continue on their paths destined for greatness. Amani Abraham attends the University of Akron and Casey Braun attends Kent State University. Kudos to you both!

Again, congratulations to ALL of this year's inductees.

Tweeting my election night away

2010-11-03T02:24:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not, oftentimes election nights are not as busy or as hectic as one would imagine.

Basically, there is a plan. Being an election night, the plan more than likely will change --many times --and you just have to roll with the results and the politicians' leads.

But having an initial plan in place helps immensely.

Next, for an assignment editor, all of my personnel are working election stories, therefore unable to cover anything else whether it be breaking news to heart-warming events on the docket.

That's not to say if something really breaks, I won't regroup and try to get a crew on it.

So you ask, what does an assignment editor do on election night?

Well my friends, don't fool yourselves. There's still a myriad on my 'to do list.'

The email continues streaming in....the phones never stop....and once the polls close, it's dishing out results to our callers.

I still must monitor the scanners, just in case.

And if there is a lull, it allows me to do extra planning ahead, setting up future stories.

You can never have too many people on election night. I'm still in 'assignment editor' mode which is being nosy, eavesdropping on conversations to make sure the flow of information continues, to whomever it needs to go to, and I can jump in if I hear that someone needs some sort of assistance, whether it be looking up video, running something out to the studio for a cut-in, or whatever is necessary.

Being a 'glorified telephone operator' is essential on election night. With so many crews in the field, it's imperative to make sure the crews calling in get to their destinations --a live person at the end of the phone, not a voice mail. They may be calling in to say someone is making a concession speech during a live cut-in and we need to make sure they get to their point person ASAP so we can take the live shot, hopefully before anyone else.

This election night we were everywhere--we had multiple crews in Columbus, Akron, local headquarters for the big races in Cleveland, the Board of Elections, and our main players such as Kim Wheeler and Tom Beres kept their pulse on their main beats for the latest results.

We had folks working on wkyc.com as well as other social media platforms. The flip cams were smokin' we were using them so often. We would post facebook vignettes on what was happening in the control room during the cut-ins, various camps were posting behind-the-scenes from their locations, and we even shared our pizza break before everything revved up.

As the results started really coming in, literally minute by minute, I found that I was most needed to continuously update Twitter. My fingers got a good workout as I did constantly update Twitter with the Ohio race results, Cleveland race results as well as upcoming alerts from our crews in the field.

What a blast! Quite exciting because results were popping literally every 30 seconds. This went on for hours.

Actually a natural high trying to beat the local and statewide competition with the results. If I must say so, did a pretty darn good job keeping in step and on top for Twitter followers.

It would not be a successful election night without being exhausted at the finish....and it would not be an authentic election night without a delicious strawberry cheesecake from PR Guru, Mike Rogers! Thank you Michael! It was gone within minutes!

News Desk Nuggets

2010-10-29T00:34:00.010-04:00

I have a number of 'nuggets' to share from the News Assignment Desk!

Final tallies (for now) are in for our weekend 'Heroes Help Northeast Ohio' drive. And Northeast Ohio, you came through yet again!

At last count, nearly sixty-seven pounds of food, twenty-five hundred dollars, eight bins of toys and sixteen bins of coats were collected Saturday at various Wal Marts around town. wkyc, the Cleveland Foodbank, Akron Foodbank, The Salvation Army and Coats for Kids all thank you for your unprecedented generosity.

Today is the first day of November sweeps! Keep tabs on wkyc.com, wkyc's facebook page, wkyc's Twitter page, YouTube and our daily broadcasts for promos & teases for upcoming stories the entire wkyc staff is working on for the next month. You can be sure these stories will help, inform, intrigue, and entertain the viewer watching. The ratings period ends on November 24, 2010.

Part of the Channel 3 newsroom is getting a face lift. After we switched over to a new computer and editing system, which allows everyone to work from their work stations rather than having to work in an editing bay, a more efficient work space flow was devised.

The Metromix area, Momslikeme area, editing bays, and photographers work room are being reconfigured and some of the walls are gonna come tumbling down!

And the newsroom is busy gearing up for what looks to be a very active and exciting election day on November 2, 2010. Make sure you get out and vote!

Everyone, please have a very safe yet spooky Halloween weekend!

Remembering Donna Kropf

2010-10-27T00:11:00.003-04:00

I'm sad to have to share that one of our former wkyc staffers passed away.

Donna Kropf, long-time employee who worked in the Programming Department for many years died after battling an illness for the last few years.

Donna was one of the nicest people I'd ever met. I really did not have to go to the programming/business office very often, but would just to say hello!

She'd visit the newsroom more as she brought programming logs for the producers. And she would really make the rounds throughout the entire building when she had her grandchildren in the office. She was so very proud of her family, especially her grand kids.

Her family handed out bracelets at the wake which said "I am grateful. Thank you God." When we wear them, it will be a nice remembrance of Donna Jean Kropf and how grateful we are to have had her in our lives.

Even in death, Donna really helped me. The day of her calling hours was the one year anniversary of my Mom's death. I was off to spend the day with my family.

My Mom taught me to pay our respects to those who have passed so I was not about to skip this precious time to honor Donna though I was carrying a very heavy heart of my own.

Believe it or not, the 1st person I saw when I walked in was one of my dearest friends.

Donna and Mom both were watching out for me and allowing me to be surrounded by close friends and co-workers on such an emotional day.

Thank you both. I'm amazed at how you both continue making a difference in the world and helping others.

Heroes Help Northeast Ohio 10/23/10

2010-10-22T01:42:00.010-04:00

Join wkyc and a whole slew of other agencies Saturday, October 23, 2010 for the annual "Heroes Help Northeast Ohio" all day food drive.

We're taking it on the road this year. Please stop by one of the four locations to say hello, but hopefully, to make some type of a donation for those in Northeast Ohio who really need help.

All locations will be accepting non-perishable foods, coats, toys, as well as monetary donations.

This year wkyc has teamed up with the Cleveland and Akron Foodbanks, Coats for Kids, and the Salvation Army.

The drive runs from 9:00 a.m until 3:00 p.m.

wkyc on-air personalities will be accepting your kind offerings all day long as well as other well known personalities from around town, behind the scenes staffers, and so many volunteers.

Stop and say hello while helping someone who may be less fortunate than yourself.

The all day event will be live during the Channel 3 News weekend morning show as well as the Noon News.

There will be lots of surprises, fun, possibly live music and so much more, so pop over to one of the four Walmart locations: Canton Walmart on Atlantic Blvd, Aurora Walmart on Market Place Drive, Strongsville Walmart on Pearl Road, or the Steelyard Commons Walmart on Steelyard Drive.

Hope to see Saturday for a wonderful cause!

Am I coming or am I going?

2010-10-14T03:45:00.004-04:00

Whirlwind week.

The nature of the TV biz.

One thing's for sure--a whirlwind week goes by in the blink of an eye.

The last week has consisted of more computer training, some schedule changes and, on my own time, staying up all night long watching coverage of the Chilean mine rescue.

Rewind to last Friday and Saturday.

I was scheduled to work Friday night until 11pm which wound up being closer to 12:30am and then turning around and running the desk at 7am Saturday morning.

Not a shock to my system because I stay up late most nights and get up early.

Honestly, a change of pace is kind of nice every once in a while.

So I wound up getting about four hours of sleep, tossed on some comfy clothes which included my jeans skirt (being a Saturday morning) and my Evan Longoria t-shirt. Yes, Ms. Cleveland Indian does have a secondary team for the playoffs!

I stopped at my local coffee shop and got a Chai Tea Latte LARGE and as many pastries as I could carry for a crew that I rarely work with regularly.

The drive into work simply amazing as the sunrise dotted a city skyline I just adore.

I actually had Brandon the intern working beside me so I got more work done Saturday morning than I can usually accomplish during my regular shift! It was wonderful!

But the week is just about to get absolutely ridiculous.

I had 2 days scheduled for what they call SEO training. I work a lot on wkyc.com so I was included in this 2-day seminar to try and get more traffic for our website. The first day of the seminar was invaluable. The second day used more technical terms than I am used to but I'm sure it will all come in handy as I daily post stories to our website.

Because of this seminar, again, I was working double shifts and short turnarounds.

And then one of the greatest news stories in a long time just happened to unfold on my Mom's birthday. I'm sure this is a gift to the world from up above from my Mom. The Chilean miners got rescued. I could not stop watching. I mean it. When there is a huge national story such as this, I camp out and just watch MSNBC, CNN, and FOX all night long, never going to bed. I'm riveted and drawn to the action.

That's what I did. I watched all night long, attended morning mass in honor of Mom and headed back into work for day 2 of my seminar.

Once the seminar broke, back again to tv watching the rest of the miners being rescued and freed.

I too, got a lot of work done being off the news assignment desk this day. I even got some much needed training time on our new editing system, Edius. I actually cut a SOT-VO-SOT with a dissolve. I was very excited. Oh, I need much more training but at least I know I can do it and it's not out of the realm of possibility!

I can honestly say I am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. This rarely happens to me. I'm sure I'll rejuvenate soon.

Even though there is much more on the job training with our new system and trial by error learning, hopefully the topsy turvy schedule will stabilize a bit and I will know if I am coming or I am going!!

First station with the passing of Dr. White

2010-10-04T02:58:00.003-04:00

When you are an assignment editor, the news never stops, is never put on hold.

Dr. Robert White passed away on September 16, 2010.

I have pretty strong ties to this story for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Dr. White and his family belonged to my church for the longest time. As Dr. White got older, he stayed out in Geneva more and more. But, he held a very special place in his heart for our church and our Pastor (who he periodically checked on, even a week before his death). He also adored my Mom, who was our parish secretary for nearly 30 years before her passing last October.

When Dr. White passed away, I got a text from one of my contacts--while I was in the shower.

Shower time ends (for now) and I immediately messaged the station including my bosses, the news desk, Dick Russ (who does most of our religious stories), Health Anchor Monica Robins, and our webmaster.

I relayed the information I had at the time, which was not much, but it was a start. Also, from home, I called the Catholic Diocese, MetroHealth Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic and anyone else I could think of who I had in my cell phone, to get more details.

I then proceeded to finish getting ready and whizzed into work.

We beat the competition hands down on air and on the web with details of this sad breaking news story.

Dr. Robert White was larger than life. Not only a world-renowned neurosurgeon who saved countless lives and invented unimaginable medical procedures but served under numerous Popes.

One of my favorite all-time life moments is when I had the opportunity to give communion to Dr. White. I will never forget that occasion. I distributed the body of Christ to a man so much larger than life to me. I was humbled and honored.

And we've come full circle. I was able to help my newsroom break this developing news story about an amazing Cleveland and world-wide icon.

You just never know when news will happen, and when somehow you will be connected or have the opportunity to disseminate the information first.

What's even more humbling for me is that I was able to sing Dr. White's memorial service October 3, 2010 with my church choir, which included me soloing the 'Ave Maria.' It's very surreal and amazing to me, paying homage to a man I knew personally, who appeared on our news programs countless times, and who made the local and national news time and time again.

After the service, I ran into a fellow news person from the competition who could not believe it was really me singing. And she's right. We just assume that someone's job defines them and that is exclusively who they are.

The same holds true with Dr. Robert White. Everyone saw him as 'the' Dr. White, the man who saved so many lives and initiated so many medical breakthroughs, yet there was so much more to him which included his rich religious life attending daily mass, his kindness, his extraordinary family, and how he compassionately treated everyone as if THEY were the pope.

Rest in Peace Dr. White.

Training and more training

2010-09-23T02:28:00.002-04:00

The next many months ahead look to be enlightening, full of growth as well as maybe a few steps back every once in a while, expanding our skill sets, intermixed I'm sure with a little craziness and "topsy turvy-ness!" (I know topsy turvy-ness is not an official word, but it gets the point across!!).

For me, it will be a double latte shot of 'crazy.' Just as we are getting trained on our new computer and editing systems, I am slated to be off --really for the rest of the month.

Fortunately, I think I have our computer system down. I know how to do everything I need to do on the new system--for now! I'm looking forward to learning a new task every day once it's full speed ahead, but I'm navigating pretty well! Very proud of that because I admit, I'm a computer mutant!

I used to edit a million years ago....so I understand the concept of editing and hopefully will gradually get our new super editing system soon as well. I really enjoy that portion of our business--putting a story together with pictures and sound. One day, I really hope to be able to assist on editing stories for all of the shows during my hours.

I really love running the desk, researching, writing, doing lots of stuff for our various websites, and now soon, hopefully taking it one step further with videotape editing.

Training means very long days...and so far, it's been well worth it! Fingers crossed, wish me luck!

And remember, I'll be OUT hanging with my best friend and saying good bye to 'my' Cleveland Indians over the next few weeks so Swing By and Spray will be on hiatus.

Hopefully I will NOT forget everything I just learned and not be paralyzed once I return!

Everyone take care and have a good few weeks!

Public Official #1 has been arrested

2010-09-16T02:05:00.003-04:00

County Commissioner Jimmy DiMora being brought out of his home in handcuffs is a picture that I, and probably most everyone else, will not soon forget.

I am not going to rehash the facts and figures of the Cuyahoga County Corruption Story which has been going on for the last two years. I will leave that to our wkyc team of experts which includes Senior Political Reporter Tom Beres, The Investigator Tom Meyer, Dick Russ, Chris Tye, Dave Summers, Jeff Maynor, and the rest of our reporters who have covered the biggest story in Cleveland over the course of the last two years.

From a news assignment desk standpoint, I know this has to be our biggest story of the year (besides LeBron James).

Keeping track of each public official, when they are going to be in court, the status of their case, and so forth is a full time job in itself.

Keeping tabs with the Department of Justice, the F.B.I., the U.S. Marshals, the County Prosecutor's Office, and each judge and bailiff has been a daily challenge.

The stories that have evolved out of the hundreds of pages of the various indictments boggle the mind.

A good read to say the least.

There aren't too many stories that never get old. For me, this is one of them. Our reporters continue uncovering and digging up new details to keep this story rolling along.

And in today's times, we have to be on the top of our game on all platforms --distributing details via the television but also wkyc.com, facebook, twitter, and your cell phone.

Once the arrest happened, it was only a matter of minutes until the story wound up on all platforms for most news agencies.

Being in this business as long as I, I actually have fond memories of Jimmy DiMora as the Channel 3 All-Stars softball team would play DiMora's team each summer. I don't think either team really got blown out year after year. After each game, we all wound up sharing food and drink and stories with the various city officials including Jimmy DiMora himself.

Lesson to be learned, you just never know....

Flying on 9/11

2010-09-14T01:33:00.003-04:00

WOW!

I was lucky to enjoy a long weekend away from the news assignment desk as I headed south to catch the Cleveland Browns opening game in Tampa against the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium.

When I booked my flight, oh let's say 5 or 6 months ago, I never realized I'd be flying on September 11th.

Once it set in, it did not bother me. Let's face it, 9/11 is probably THE safest day to fly, and I witnessed it first hand.

There was only one economical flight going and coming. Thankfully, it was the 1st flight of the day so I could enjoy as many hours as possible in the 90's and the sun.

I was dumb founded when I arrived at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport at what I saw at the crack of dawn.

Not only did I have to stand in the longest security line I've ever stood in before but I, for once, was part of the 'in' crowd!

It seemed that everyone flying Saturday morning was heading to either FLA for the Browns' game or to Columbus for the big OSU vs Miami game.

You looked down ever corridor and saw only scarlet and gray or brown and orange.

It was W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!

There was a bond, a unity, a camaraderie that lasted the entire trip to and from our destinations.

I really felt as if I was part of a big news story all weekend long.

When I arrived in Tampa, right across from where I was staying, there was a huge sign that greeted me saying: "The Official Cleveland Browns and Ohio State Tailgating Headquarters!" What more could I ask for??!!!

My best friend lives right across from Raymond James so we just walked to the Stadium. Reminded me of how I walk to our home Browns Games. And there were tailgaters, 1/2 of them Cleveland Browns' fans! Again, it was fantastic!

Once inside, at least half of the stadium, if not more, painted the seats orange and brown. So at home yet 2000 miles away. The 95-100 degree temps gave it away that we were not in Cleveland, Ohio!

What an absolutely amazing 56 hours! And, as soon as I landed, buzzed straight into the news assignment desk for another exciting weekend of running the mother ship!

Truth is stranger than fiction, even on Labor Day

2010-09-08T12:10:00.005-04:00

Working Labor Day was a labor of love, with absolutely no 'laboring' involved.

Working holidays are usually much fun, very productive, and oftentimes filled with breaking news.

An absolutely wonderful day, where I only had to work until 3:00 p.m.

Working this particular weekend always a blast because the air show is in town. You constantly hear the planes buzzing around up until 5:00 p.m. or so. Oftentimes, family members of co-workers come to the station to watch segments of or all of the air show from the roof.

My family, too, came down. They went upstairs a few hours before I could join them.

But before they went upstairs, my niece told us all a hilarious story. You never know where you will find news. Case in point.

My niece and her boyfriend were at Beachwood Place, of all places--one of the main department stores there. They noticed some strange activity but did not think anything of it at first. As they came back to the main department store, the flurry was still happening. They finally realized a woman shoplifter had been observed and finally pursued by police. She dodged officers quite a few times. They had her cornered. But, finally, they all stopped. My niece was not sure why all of a sudden they stopped the chase. As they got closer, they realized the female shoplifter apparently had to use the facilities but could not make it to them or was being blocked from using the proper facilities so she just let loose.

Not a pretty sight.

After she did her thing, she was taken into custody.....and believe it or not, officers were taking pictures of the 'extra evidence' she left at the scene. They put up yellow police tape, even around the 'extra evidence.'

My niece and her boyfriend could not believe their eyes.....

Which proves that news is always happening, anywhere and everywhere....and oftentimes, truth is stranger than fiction!

Off to the roof.......

Do you know what the end of August brings?

2010-08-28T01:12:00.000-04:00

HighSchoolSports.Net Friday Night Fever!

It's true!

I don't want to admit it. I'm digging the 90 degree temperatures and baseball season.

However, our coverage of HighSchoolSports.Net Friday Night Fever kicked off Friday night with the best sports team in town consisting of Jim Donovan, Dave Chudowsky, and Lynn Olszowy, as well as Friday Night Fever sports producer Brian Crane....among so many others who lend their skills to wkyc's coverage of high school football.

A group of animated, knowledgeable gurus (including our very own Romona Robinson) give their spin on who will win each Friday. 'The Predictors' airs during the 6pm news.

Then wkyc cameramen en masse head out to shoot their games criss crossing Northeast, Northwest, and Southern regions of our viewing area to give the viewers the most comprehensive high school football coverage around!

Back at the ranch, we take down scores....I welcome any of my facebook and twitter contacts to send me their scores from Northeast Ohio every Friday evening.

We have bloggers who constantly update wkyc.com with the latest highlights, scores, and stories on how each game is progressing throughout the evening.

And last, but certainly not least, we must have the traditional Friday night fever feast which consists of Pat Woodside's con queso and home made cookies....more people are getting into the act as producer Amanda says she will be making her homemade meatballs one week, producer Jon's talking up his homemade chili, and skies the limits! We welcome any and all homemade vittles to augment our other snacks and pizza from various restaurants around town.

You won't want to miss this year's coverage of HighSchoolSports.Net Friday Night Fever right here on Channel 3 News every Friday night at 11pm! Tune in!

Contacts, contacts, contacts

2010-08-24T01:00:00.002-04:00

I am not referring to those little circular semi-permeable objects many people wear in their eyes.

It sure is amazing how some people just click. And it's interesting how you become close to your work contacts because of the hours you pound the pavement with them. How you develop stories with them. How you trust them to give you correct information, hopefully first, and they trust that you will air (on-line, on air or mobile) the facts just as they were presented.

I had a blast last week being able to meet with some of my contacts due to my manipulated work schedule.

And what's even better, many of the contacts have become dear, dear friends.

Thank you Monina, Susan, and Kathy.

It has been my pleasure knowing all of you wonderful ladies for years and years --some of you over 25 years. And it is STILL my pleasure doing business with you and calling you 'friend.'

Enough already! Plane crash, house explosion, bear attack

2010-08-21T00:41:00.003-04:00

The last few weeks have been packed with news.

The irony is the reason I worked different shifts revolved around vacations.

Not only is it the middle of summer, which could be slow by nature, but there have been a whole slew of folks off.

Yet, I think, we've still had two really great weeks of news.

And this day did not disappoint.

Nothing starts off the day like a house that explodes to augment your fresh mango fruit salad.

I'm not making lightly of this event, I am stating the facts.

Before much of the rest of the city even arose, a big house went boom in Ashtabula County.

I/We all pretty much knew what would dictate the rest of our day.

I knew immediately what I wanted to do but I did need to contact my boss to get them in the loop and make sure calling a few guys in early was ok.

And away we went.....I sent Jeff Maynor from home since he lives out that way....sent a few crews to meet him as well as calling in the satellite truck operator early to make the trek towards the Ohio /PA border.

You strive to be first at events but you also aim to get the information as quickly as possible on the website and shoot for live coverage for your next live show.

Check, check, and check again!

If that was not enough, we ended the week on a bear attack in Lorain County.

This story has been bubbling over for years and years. Sam Mazzola has acres of land with lots of wild, 'tame' animals. Animal activist groups have been protesting events he has sponsored and public appearances he's had with his animals through the years.

Not sure how this one will end up but one of his workers was killed by one of his bears. That can't be good.

In the news business, you are only as good as your last show. The last two weeks have been pretty darn good and I am extremely proud of the effort put forth on the news assignment desk.

Interns wrapping up their stints

2010-08-19T00:50:00.004-04:00

We had a good group of interns this quarter.

We had Lauren, Courtney, Emily, and Sierra.

I worked the most with and more closely with Sierra.

Interns, when you get to know them, can be just like family --a younger sister or brother, even a child (for those of us who are 'older').

Being an intern myself way back when, I welcomed the help and advice my mentors gave me. Ironically, many of my mentors turned out to be fellow employees at different points during my career.

The first person I met at WEWS as an intern was a producer at the time, Corrie Harding. And low and behold, the first person who greeted me when I began working at WKYC was my pal, Corrie Harding, a Channel 3 producer.

As an intern you are given opportunities you may never get again.

As an intern at WEWS, I worked on their Live on Five show and then in their editing department. One of my most memorable experiences as a Live on Five intern was the day we had Richard Simmons AND Jim J. Bullock in studio as guests. Just picture the energy and craziness bouncing off those walls. It was tremendous! And as an editing intern, just an intern, I was allowed to feed the Live on Five show. If you know what you are doing, they let you do as much as you can/want!

Gradually over the last few weeks, our interns have wrapped up their terms, finished their final projects, gotten their tapes in order, and have said their good byes.

This week, Sierra waves her last hurrah. In a few weeks, young Emily does the same.

We say it all the time, but really mean it. We encourage our interns, our friends, to keep in touch and tell us how and what they are doing. Anyone in this newsroom would be more than willing to offer advice, help, or even give recommendations for those interns who excelled.

I know I've said it before but will continue saying it for as long as I live. One of my all time favorite interns, if not my fave, is Mark Zinni. We've kept in touch over the years and now he has come back home. He's a reporter at Fox 8. What a joy to see him develop over the years and come into his own. I am so proud of how well he has done and blush when he tells me that I played a role in his success.

I wish the best for all of our interns! Congratulations and only good luck my friends!

The news desk rocks

2010-08-14T02:40:00.004-04:00

I'm in the midst of vacation relief so my schedule is a bit out of sorts.

Actually, I'm looking at this change up as a breath of fresh air! A different shift, working with some folks I normally don't see all too often and allowing me to do things on my off-time that I NEVER can do.

A mini vacation, yet I am still working!

Let's face it, running the assignment desk is the same every single shift, though no day ever mimics the last or the next.

I still and will always love working on the assignment desk. The most exciting part of the building.

I attack each shift whether it be day, night, overnight or weekend the same way.

Working this shift, I actually am able to attend the editorial meeting which is nice because I can impart my story ideas on the room.....

I don't have as many live shows, but still strive to get updates for the live shows we do have...

For those folks who think the desk is boring, they must not be doing something properly! Never a dull moment. Never a free moment! There are always stories to research, checks to make, updates for the web, stories to send camera men and reporters out to cover, logging, calls galore to make, ringing phones, blaring scanners....

This week I feel I contributed so much to our product around the clock from morning til night and beyond.

I suggested a friend of mine be our Focus guest regarding the flight attendant who went nuts....and how to quit a job the proper way without burning bridges! Katherine Miracle of Miracle Resources is the best at her craft and was perfect for our segment. Katherine and I were interns at WEWS over 25 years ago. Now that is how to keep contacts through time and utilize them when necessary!

I ventured out of the building with videographer Dan Bowman for a meeting at WJW regarding the Sowell Trial. A nice break but also a chance to see old friends/co-workers and meet new contacts who I'd only heard their name from time to time.

I'm called the 'breaking news queen' by many and that did not stop this week. Holy cow! We had the I-90 truck flip which killed a man and blocked traffic for hours...that was just for starters. Every single day it seemed there was a 'breaking news' scenario.

End of the week really revved up. We had a little plane crash at Put-in-Bay which threw the rest of the day in a tizzy!
We were on top of this story. The minute I got the call, I alerted everyone including our news director who actually had ties to the story. She worked her magic, I worked mine, web master Leigh and everyone else did their part...needless to say, this was the focal point for the rest of the night.

In the meantime, I had been in contact with a media guy who was on retreat with his group on the islands. They emailed us pictures of the plane sticking out of the water...they emailed us terrific cell phone video.....Our news director did a phoner with the Ferry Captain shortly after the crash so we had it in house and then we wound up sending Paul Thomas, Chris Kunz, and Dan Medsker out to cover the story as well.

A extensive team effort for a huge breaking news story.

Never a dull moment!

In the meantime, received a tip call that a house had been raided in Solon with tons of dirty animals. When we arrived, nothing. But, I left info on the call I received and passed along a note saying we should probably make follow up checks on this to see what came of it.

Finally, a lighter end to the week.

Dave Summers got the primo assignment Friday night --hitting the Feast of the Assumption. Must be nice! I put him onto a family I've known my entire life! I went to school with Michael, Michelle, and Tina Rapposelli. Their family has had a stand at the feast for at least 50 years!

I told Dave and his cameraman Brian, to search for the fried dough stand run by the Rapposelli's! He found them, put Flo on the air and she is still getting cell phone calls as we speak!

As an assignment editor, every contact, every person you meet can one day assist you on a story. Never take anyone or anything for granted.

This week proof positive, at least for me, that I have a lot of contacts and every single day, they helped us develop and push ahead successfully on stories we pursued.

A win-win week! Very proud of not only my performance but how we all pulled together, even with a bunch of folks on vacation, and kicked a little booty!

STO Roundtable taping

2010-08-08T22:03:00.005-04:00

A memorable weekend on many levels.

For me personally, I spent the entire weekend at Progressive Field enjoying the Cleveland Indians' Hall of Fame Induction festivities featuring Kenny Lofton.

For those of you who may not be into baseball as much as me but were on board in the 90's when Jacob's Field was sold out night after night and every game ended with winning drama, an exciting weekend for everyone!

Saturday evening Kenny Lofton and former GM Cy Slapnicka were inducted into the Cleveland Indians' Hall of Fame.

As expected Kenny Lofton received ovation after ovation as he unveiled his plaque, entered the playing field, waved to the crowd, greeted his former fellow teammates, received his HOF jacket, spoke very highly of the Indians and the City of Cleveland, and then took his lap around the field to bond with his fans yet one more time.

Sunday night there was a tremendous reception for Season Ticket holders with at least a dozen, if not two dozen former Indians.

During this event, STO taped a special Cleveland Indians' Alumni Round table with a live audience. I was fortunate to be in the audience and see how it all unfolds.

Working in television, have been privy to thousands of tapings, live shows, and even STO tapings, but it still was quite exciting to be a part of this adventure.

I knew the technical people and loved watching them in action.

If being part of a live audience was not exciting enough, the panelists sealed the deal: Sandy Alomar Jr., Kenny Lofton, Mike Hargrove, and Sudden Sam McDowell along with moderator Bobby DiBiasio.

What is unfortunate is that 1/2 of the juicy banter back and forth between the players and even the players and the audience may never make it to the light of day due to time constraints of airing a show.

But it was so refreshing to see how Kenny and Sandy, 2 best friends, carried on with each other. Mike Hargrove still prides himself as being the 'father figure,' and Sam was Sam --a hoot ever second of the show!

The night was a hit for everyone in attendance....what a great event thrown by the Cleveland Indians as well as the part STO played! Makes me very proud to be associated with such a class act!

A week of 'celebrating'

2010-08-07T00:32:00.002-04:00

I guess you could call it celebrating!

There was food, drink, cake, decorations, fun, frivolity, and lots of love being sloshed around.

During the course of this week, Sports Producer 'Yak' celebrated a birthday. News Director Rita Andolsen gathered the newsroom around Yak to commemorate this momentous occasion topping it off with singing and ice cream cake!

Normally Yak's the life of the party. But we've found his achilles heel --being the center of attention by an enormous amount of people. Too bad Yak!

Next, she thought she was going to sneak under the radar but no way jose!

Assignment Editor Lisa Lowry thought she could slink away on her vacation without anyone remembering HER birthday.

Think again! Since Lisa WILL be off during her birthday, Rita and Ann started decorating and I finished up after my shift. We decked out the news assignment desk with some crazy decorations, confetti, balloons, crepe paper, and anything else we could think of...when Lisa arrived at work bright and early, she definitely got the sense that we all love her very much! Whether she wants us to or not! She really has no choice!

Never a dull moment in the news room, on the assignment desk...and usually --fun, amazing times!

Eyes always open looking for 'spot news'

2010-08-01T23:26:00.003-04:00

What a weekend!

Working in the news business on an assignment desk trains one to be 'on call' 24/7, always on the lookout for a very good story.

Last night while coming home from a function, I saw numerous screeching Cleveland Police vehicles traveling at a hefty pace south on East 55th passing Woodland Avenue.

Sure enough, called it in to Emily on the desk giving her the pertinent information that hopefully assisted her in getting details from the police. The more YOU supply, the more apt they are to play ball.

Better still though was today as I headed to the Terminal Tower to take a look off of the amazing observation deck. Supposedly today is/was the final day.

I was one of the last ticket-buyers to actually get a ticket. I felt as if I needed to keep my hot little hands on that ticket or someone may snatch it out and push me out of line.

The Terminal Tower must have turned away at least 500 people.

I was shocked, yet after thinking of the amazing view, not so surprised.

As soon as I realized that the event was sold out and that I would more than likely be standing in line for over two hours, I dialed up the news desk and gave them the 4-1-1.

5 minutes after hanging up the phone with Producer Caitlin, I see one of my videographers, Shane Snider, arrive at the Terminal Tower lobby to commemorate the masses waiting to go up, up, and away!

A truly mind blowing afternoon.

Thankfully, I always have something to read with me....but it was tremendous fun 'people watching' and seeing how each little pocket of people had their own special way to pass the time.

A grandmother had her grandchildren and they all took turns standing in line while the others rested their legs or even shopped.

The love birds in front of me could not keep their hands off of each other. Check that. He could not keep his hands off of her while she, more interested in her photography session with history.

While chained in line, hundreds passed by asking 'why are you in line?' And everyone in line seemed to see a few friends passing through Tower City during their wait.

Finally, the countdown.

The end seemed near.

The elevators up to a heavenly view were within reach --the next group!

When we got to the first elevator stop, I was greeted by a former co-worker Jeremy Borger, who was working for the group handling this entire endeavor. Jeremy--perfect person to sell Cleveland and greet each and every person with humor and enthusiasm.

Finally, 2 hours and 15 minutes later--up at the Terminal Tower Observation Deck looking down on one of the most beautiful cities that I have ever seen. You can see for miles and miles.

A small deck, yet so telling about the great history of Cleveland, Ohio.

Besides the beautiful view of the water and the Flats bridges, my favorite site: "Jacob's Field!"

Not ready for football season, but it's here!

2010-07-28T23:32:00.002-04:00

Though 'my' Cleveland Indians are not doing well, they are quite exciting, but I am not ready for football season yet.

Baseball season lasts through October.

For me, the summer ends on the last day of the World Series.

Today I picked up my Cleveland Browns' season ticket and realized it's fastly approaching.

Let's face it, with temps in the mid 90's, it really makes it difficult to fathom what time of year is just in front of us.

Channel 3, WKYC will air, as usual, the Cleveland Browns' Pre-Season games:

Saturday, August 14 at Green Bay

Saturday, August 21 at Cleveland Browns Stadium against the Rams

Saturday, August 28 at Detroit

September 2 at Cleveland Browns Stadium against the Bears

And as always, you can be sure that wkyc and Sportstime Ohio will give the consummate football fan and casual watcher everything and anything necessary to attack the 2010 Football Season--before, during, and after.

Jim Donovan, radio voice of the Cleveland Browns, hosts Browns Training Camp Daily every day to give the sports fan insight into the daily workings, the progress, and the highs and lows of what the team may or may not be doing as well as covering Browns Camp every day with the rest of the Channel 3 Sports Department.

If you want a front row seat to this year's Cleveland Browns' Season, look no further than wkyc Channel 3 News and Sportstime Ohio for the comprehensive coverage in town!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

2010-07-23T03:12:00.002-04:00

This week's Hidden Gem: Larchmere Festival

As you can see folks, Hidden Gems has been on a short hiatus, sort of...

Summer vacations, traveling, breaking sports news, and such have made me stray from this feature for the time being.

Don't worry, it's not gone for good. It's summertime!

Cleveland's known for its abundance of summer festivals, carnivals, outdoor events, concerts, patios, and non-stop festivities which run all summer long! I love this city!

Definitely NOT lacking the perfect accompanying weather. It's been FLA North!

One of the most amazing festivals this month has been the Larchmere Festival.

If you have not ventured over to Larchmere/Shaker Square in a while, it's a must.

You are sure to find a restaurant and type of food tantalizing to your taste in this neighborhood.

Every Saturday morning, the Farmer's Market.

Unique stores, antiques, collectibles, galleries, movie theatres, and anything else you crave can be found in this historical neighborhood.

The Larchmere Festival rocked! Set up nearly the stretch of North Moreland to East 121st Street, vendors lined both sides of the street wall to wall selling their creations.

Vendors came from far and near. Even if they did not have a shop on Larchmere, they made their way to the Boulevard clamoring for attention from Ohio and beyond.

The charm began for me from the get go.

I walked to the festival and stopped by an old-fashioned lemonade stand put on by 2 adorable little neighborhood girls. Oh, the days when we used to set up our stands --we sold lemonade and one year we sold ice cream floats! Because we made the most complex ice cream concoction, we actually lost money, but it was delish!

Not even on the BLVD, you could hear the live musical acts lining the street.....food vendors also sporadically placed for the hungry shoppers.

You greeted everyone you saw, even if you did not know them and saw so many friends and neighbors along the way.

The sellers peddled anything and everything from porch swings to handmade jewelry, Beatles plates, porcelain figurines, shoes, drawings, wood crafted articles, furniture, religious items, record albums and cd's, and anything else you could imagine.

This already vibrant area had its heart beating right out of its chest.

There was also a special wine tasting session which ran for most of the day, if you were into that delicacy.

Most restaurants up and down Larchmere have some type of patio in front or out back. The Flying Cranes has one of the most beautiful flower gardens you could ever see. Won't want to miss it!

Simply put, a fulfilling and quite amazing day with no one going home disappointed.

If you've not been to this area before or in a while, a must!

Keep your eyes on the calendar for any events which take place in this area including next year's Larchmere Festival and Porchfest! Always a treat, always a hit never to be missed!

Please, don't take my word for it. Expand your horizons this summer and head over to Larchmere Boulevard while the days are long, the heat is on, the patios are open, and the drinks flowing to experience for yourself while the Larchmere Festival is this week's Hidden Gem!

Monina Wagner back in the hoooouuse!

2010-07-20T02:19:00.004-04:00

Monina Wagner = Fabulous person.

Not only one of the nicest, kindest, funniest people I've ever known, but one of THE best Planning Editors and Assignment Editors I've ever worked with in my long career!

I consider her to be a dear, dear friend for life.

She has since moved on to work in the Media Dept at the Cleveland Clinic. I'm sure she has a fancy title, and honestly, not sure what her fancy title is right now.

Monina is actually working at the Clinic in this particular department with at least 3 people I've worked with --Jodie, Dave, and Bill. They are ALL just super human beings.

She brought a doctor to the station Monday to be a guest on our 7pm newscast during our Focus segment and brightened our day!

Yea, so good to see Monina again! :)

ps--will NEVER forget U2 and Bono with you lovey!

Still wading through email --mostly Le-Gone

2010-07-16T01:39:00.003-04:00

Holy Heck, Batman!

After being gone for only 5 days, the email really piled up!

1000+ and still counting.

It's hard to get ahead because each day there are 200-300 new email coasting in...

The most interesting and memorable are all the email coming in -- official (like Dan Gilbert's letters) and non-official from fans and viewers regarding LeBron.

Remember, I was out of computer, phone, email, and Cleveland reaction range for 5 days. I had no idea what was going on back here except for short excerpts I saw on tv down in FLA.

Looks like the frenzy began hours before 'The Decision' and has never stopped!

Heck, as I was wading and wading, I saw emails from Dan Gilbert, Mayor Don Plusquellic, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Mayor Frank Jackson, and so many others....

Then you have all the events scheduled to help folks ease their mind and feel better. Let's see, I ran across the LeBonfire event in Solon where disappointed fans could get rid of their memories/shirts/posters or whatever necessary to get through this event.

Then I read the letter from a "Cleveland Sports Fan who is no longer a LeBron fan." Looks like this person works for the Elyria Schools District and drafted a letter to send out on 'The Decision.'

How about the enactment of the LeBron Shames Cleveland HQ? Clever.

A website where fans can donate their #23 gear for charity --BreakupwithLebron.com.

These are just a few of the highlights.

I really don't know what to think. I do know this one man has taken a city by storm and then left destruction in its wake.

I also know it's kind of sad that one man has made such an impact on an entire city and beyond.

Just makes for yet another chapter in Cleveland, Ohio's rich and tumultuous history.

Stay tuned....

What a time to be "computer-less"

2010-07-13T01:33:00.007-04:00

Yes, my friends.

I was in FLA for 5 days and the big story revolved around Cleveland and Florida!

It appears that news follows me wherever I go.

As I was leaving and at Hopkins International Airport, all the stations had LeBron on and what 'may happen?'

However, here was my predicament.

I was off for 5 days. I made a vow that I was going to lay low out of town, to the extent no phone and no computer.

The no computer situation solved itself because I don't yet have a fancy phone that gets the Internet AND the place I was staying did not really have a great Internet connection ....so I WAS pretty much locked out of my provider, Facebook and Twitter.

What a time to be locked out? I so wanted to hop on and fire back at LeBron James at what he did to the city of Cleveland, Dan Gilbert, all the little kids who so look up to him, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

I did make my friend tivo LeBron so we could watch it after the Indians-Rays game. Loved seeing the Cleveland reaction, though it was distressing and I did burst into tears yet again. The 1st time being at the Indians-Rays game getting text messages as to what happened and just erupting into tears in the middle of Tropicana Field.

I did not even know the 1/2 of the story being 2000 miles away and computer-less.

Holy smokes. When I got back and I saw 'the letter' as a response to 'the decision,' I said --you go Dan Gilbert!

The whole time in FLA, wherever we were--whether eating or poolside --there was something on tv regarding the 3 new Miami Heat. I could not get away from it.

The phone angle --I must admit, I told a few folks to text me 'the decision' since I was not near a tv at that time. I also texted a few folks back. But for the most part, I did stay away from the phone.

And yet, the news still followed me around!

I'm told I was on tv --during the 2nd game of the Indians & Tampa Bay Rays game! Still have to take a look at that footage to make sure I looked 'presentable.'

I ran into a very old friend of mine who used to be the OPS Manager and one of my former photogs at WKYC --Kim Fatica. What a joy to see him, if only for a fleeting moment.

AND, to top it off, he had to cover this huge sinkhole ....so of course, emails his former assignment editor a picture of his assignment while he was on scene. We still have that bond! It WAS a great picture! I felt like I was in the know on top of the news happening in TPA.

I also hooked up with one of my former co-workers and pretty much my best friend who used to be an editor extraordinaire at WKYC --Craig Schuck.

It does someone a world of good not to be tethered to their computer....but again, what a time to be computer-less when the biggest story to hit the sports world and Cleveland is unfolding before our eyes and I feel helpless and paralyzed!

Lesson to be learned --upgrade my phone OR wean myself off of the computer and Facebook so I can actually live a normal life every once in a blue moon!

Big TALL Ships, basketball players, & decisions

2010-07-08T02:51:00.005-04:00

We have a lot of 'big-ness' revolving around Cleveland over the next 24 hours.

Last night the Tall Ships entered the Port of Cleveland with wkyc's own Betsy Kling, Barry Wolf, and Steve Pullen on board.

Take a gander over to wkyc.com to view the stories and excitement revolving around the Tall Ships. Betsy and her crews sailed in after being on board from Pennsylvania. What an experience! She shared her experience during a 7pm Tall Ships special where she went in depth on each ship, their voyage, what it's like living on them, and so much more!

Then, we have big, tall basketball players who can begin talking about their free-agency choices ......rumors all over the internet at this hour say our very own LeBron James is making his way to Miami.

Not sure what to believe.

However, I am on my way to Tampa, FLA and have put out the calls to my pals to call me and text me when he makes his announcement during an hour long broadcast on ESPN -- 'The Decision.'

I've tivo'd the show. My best friend Craig has tivo'd the show and we will watch it after we get home from the Indians-Tampa Ray baseball game.

Out of my hands. Out of all of our hands.

But, you can be sure--this will be a HUGE day in Cleveland with LeBron's BIG Decision, Tall Ships, and dealing with follow-up with LeBron, whatever his decision may be!

I'm out! Heading to Tampa and may cross paths with LBJ during my travels, who knows!

Cleveland Independence Day weekend 2010

2010-07-05T11:15:00.003-04:00

Though there were a handful of communities who had to cancel their fireworks displays due to the lagging economy, you did not have to look far to see skyrockets in flight.

Independence Day weekend is always a huge weekend in Cleveland.

Friday night and Saturday night at Progressive Field entertained baseball fans and anyone visiting downtown and the immediate area as the city skyline boomed at dusk...

The Cleveland Indians put on one of 'the' best fireworks shows ever, bar none! They always have and they continue their streak.

Sunday, thousands converged all over Northeast Ohio for dozens of fireworks shows commemorating Independence Day --which makes this country great and sets it apart from so many other nations.

My sister, as she made her way to the Cleveland Fireworks show, ran into gridlock in the Shaker Heights area as residents converged on that community.

We made our way down to the wkyc digital broadcast center for one of the best vantage points in town to view not only the 4th fireworks but the air show and the grand prix.

What a night! Just jog your head to the left and see the Lakewood Fireworks show......look straight ahead and see the Cleveland Fireworks which lasted about 30 minutes and you look to the right and off in the distance could have been Euclid or some other 'lakeside' municipality...

The whole way home, the Cleveland sky painted in red, green, purples, and whites....

It must be Independence Day in Cleveland!

So much hoopla for one mortal

2010-07-03T02:16:00.006-04:00

Whether you are a member of the media, a Cavaliers fan, a non-fan, or just a person trying to negotiate around downtown Cleveland, the chaos has been real and present.

Again, whether you love or hate LBJ, it's been thrilling to be on the assignment desk.

We have fellow media in town from all the other cities courting 'King James.'

Thursday was a huge kick-off day as we had crews working for STO, IMG staked out, Burke Airport and the County Airport covered, crews working for other stations in our microwave and satellite trucks.

Oh yea, and we had thousands of people camped out in Public Square for the annual 4th of July Cleveland Orchestra Concert.

Anywhere you turned, folks were holding signs that said 'HOME' or 'Witness' or some other catch phrase to get LeBron to stay.

Friday we had more of the same including a press conference with the new Cavaliers Coach.

Let's talk non-LeBron for a moment. One of the scanner calls I heard turned out to be Dave Summers story Friday night.

The initial call was two pedestrians struck at 526 Superior in downtown, Cleveland. When my camera crew arrived on scene, he shot the heck out of what had happened and called back to tell us this would make a great story for Summers.

In reality what happened is a homeless man in a wheelchair claiming to only have one leg beat the 'you know what' out of two people at that location. Truth IS stranger than fiction my friends.

The two victims were taken to the hospital and should be ok. But just picture someone in a wheelchair with one leg rising up and attacking an innocent bystander.

Amazing!

This weekend, Saturday in particular, should prove to be interesting as the Cleveland Cavaliers have their day with LeBron.....

I have no idea how this story will end. It's out of my hands and really none of my concern. But it sure has made for some jam-packed news days for our newsroom and especially our magnificent sports department.

Stay tuned my friends.......

Whirlwind week for Cleveland Cavaliers

2010-06-29T02:17:00.005-04:00

Last week's news swirled around dozens of riveting breaking news stories. This week's focal point appears to have one main theme: Will LeBron stay or go? Ok, there are a few other things going on this week:

St Emeric's Church closes --final church to close
'Twilight' opens
Wimbledon
Russell Branyan traded

But the rest of the news pales in comparison to what's on everyone's mind in Cleveland and world-wide: What will LeBron James do once the July 1, 2010 12:01 a.m. deadline hits?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are also in the midst of interviewing candidates for their head coaching job.

The Cleveland Indians are home with hopes of starting a long winning streak.

Let's go back to Russell Branyan. We are like a family in the Channel 3 Newsroom, which does not exclude all of my 'big' and 'younger' brothers teasing me! So while Russell 'the muscle' Branyan was a Cleveland Indian, every time he'd strike out, Matt would take a sticky note with a K and post it in front of me! Spanks not only kidded me about Russell BUT Kerry Wood as well. When Branyan was finally traded, the Facebook harassment began!

I'm very lucky to have many 'big' and 'baby' brothers watching over me--especially over the last 17 months!! You know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Luv you all!

At the end of the week, most Clevelanders will be taking a long weekend as the 4th of July holiday hits....including the Cleveland Orchestra concert on Public Square Thursday, July 1 at 9:00 p.m.

The weather is supposed to be superb....Cleveland Rocks!

As an assignment editor, even with the heavy hitting news in store, it should be a fairly easy week because wkyc has 'the best' sports department in town. I can not even begin to gush over Jim Donovan, Yak, Dave Chudowsky, Brian Crane, Lynn, Matt Hein, and the entire STO team, who I am sure will kick major booty following the LeBron James story from start to finish....as well as their continuing coverage of 'my' Cleveland Indians!

Affiliates will be sending crews from Chicago, New York and anyone else courting LeBron...we will be sure to stake out every place imaginable to get the story first, before anyone else, and get MORE for our viewers.

Sit back, enjoy the whirlwind ride, and be sure YOU tune into wkyc and wkyc.com for the breaking news on the Cavs new coach and where LeBron winds up!

Extraordinary week of news

2010-06-26T01:13:00.000-04:00

The amount of extraordinary news we covered this week is just one of the many reasons I adore what I do and where I do it.

And thankfully so, it quickly eased me back into some sort of rhythm after a blissful week of vacation!

Let's see. The 1st day back brought follow up coverage of yet another house explosion, which occurred in Concord, Ohio. Quite frightening how all of these houses are going up in flames. Fortunately, the family was not home at the time. And what's worse--on the scanners, we hear time and time again "gas leak" or "smell of gas" never knowing if the call out will turn into a house that goes boom.

Tuesday started out swiftly as I sent a crew to a car chase which ended with the suspect car taking out some parked cars, an RTA bus shelter injuring 2 people, a phone pole and tree. And of course, the suspect ran from the scene. Go figure!

Ashford Thompson's trial wrapped up which lead to Holly Miktarian granting Romona Robinson a one-on-one exclusive sit down interview to share her feelings and memories of her husband, Josh, who was gunned down by Thompson during a normal traffic stop. The incident happened nearly two years ago and Miktarian's killer was just sentenced to death.

For some crazy reason, I promised one of my cameramen (Randy) and one of our top editors (Matt) that I'd bake them cupcakes. Whatever possessed me and how we even got on the subject still escapes me! But I was not about to go back on my promise....so while I watched the USA win in World Cup Soccer I whipped up nearly 60 cupcakes for the gang --yellow with chocolate frosting and chocolate with chocolate frosting. I must admit, well worth baking on a 94 degree day!

Thankfully we had the extra boost of sugar because Wednesday seemed to be the busiest day with a 5.0 earthquake that rattled northeast Ohio, as well as many portions of the US and Canada.

Then we got yet another round of severe weather, General Petraeus took the reins, and of course continuing coverage of LeBron Watch and World Cup Soccer!

We've had a local soldier die and an injured marine brought back to the US.

And just as one fallen officer's suspect gets sentenced, we remember the 10 year anniversary of the death of Officer Wayne Leon. Dick Russ had a nice sit down interview with his wife, Grace, on this anniversary remembrance.

If you did not think there could be any more news, sit tight people.

It's already been a year --that fateful day when we lost the King of Pop and an endearing 'angel.' The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum hosts a huge Michael Jackson remembrance weekend while Michael's father Joe not only made the trek to Cleveland BUT to the Channel 3 Studios.

I can not recall a week so chock full of news.

That's what we do! Have a great weekend everyone!

Fabulous 1st day back

2010-06-22T01:56:00.004-04:00

I could not have asked for a better 1st day back after an excellent vacation!

I walked in and one of my favorite interns, Kelsey Fisher, was sitting up at the news assignment desk! What a treat! Kelsey just graduated and is heading back to L.A. to take the west coast by storm! After Kelsey interned for wkyc, she made the leap and had a terrific internship with 'Scrubs' and 'Cougar Town.'

I wish her well and hope she calls often with updates! She's my bud!

Then Howard, my assistant news director, reenacted an awards presentation giving me my Emmy award and my Press Club award. How thrilling! It's always an honor to be nominated and possibly win but an even bigger honor when you believe in your heart of hearts that you did your absolute best work.

I really did a lot of leg work and background research for Eric Mansfield on his Project AED series. When I was done, I felt I had contributed so much. I was humbled and honored to be part of the group who took home honors.

Then Mike O'Mara and I won a 2nd place Press Club award for our W. 89th murders story. I know, very sad, but we really blew the competition out of the water with this story from the get go. Again, so nice to be recognized when you gave it your all.

It's always a team effort with any award.

Many wkyc'ers won awards over the weekend. I tip my hat to all of my colleagues who took home honors from both awards ceremonies and raise my glass to everyone nominated and winning! Kudos to you all!!

Here's a rundown:

Carrie Young won for Channel 3 News at 6, 11/3/09 --Evening Newscast Market 1-20

Project AED, Continuing Coverage:

Romona Robinson

Eric Mansfield

Monica Robins

Rita Andolsen

Kim Wendel

Hardball Cash, Business/Consumer:

Tom Meyer

Sarah Montgomery

To the Moon: Ohio's Journey, Documentary --Jeff Reidel

On Camera Talent Anchor for Weather --Betsy Kling

STO took home a number of honors as well!

Indians on Deck, Sports Program:

Mike Bachmann

Steve Warren

Al Pawlowski

Senior PGA Championship Preview, Sports Special:

John Zaccardelli

Jim Donovan

Jimmy Hanlin

Greg Golya

Joseph Von Enck

Ian Zeigler

Patrick Kilkenney

And during Friday Night's Press Club Awards--

John Demjanjuk's deportation, General News, Dick Russ and Mike Greene

West 89th murders, Spot News, Mike O'Mara and me

Click the link if you'd like to take a look at all of the 2010 Emmy Award winners.

And for the 2010 Press Club Award winners, CLICK HERE!

Catapulting into vacation

2010-06-11T23:35:00.004-04:00

What a wonderful way to jump into vacation--the Cleveland Indians have been on fire!

Winning the last couple of games with exciting come back wins. Could not have written this script any better!

A few absolutely amazing weeks of breaking news, breaking sports and some down right fantastic stories across the board ...yet again, could not have planned it even with my organizational skills!

Swing By and Spray will be taking a little hiatus.....have had a few days here and there but honestly, the last time I had a long stretch of time off was for my Uncle's death and then back in October 2009 for Mom's death.

I am thankful and quite blessed to get this opportunity to try and enjoy the 1st real vacation I have had in at least 1/2 a dozen years.

The news will continue so please continue tuning into wkyc and wkyc.com.......Facebook and Twitter......keep your ear on breaking news alerts.....and when I get back, we will know who from wkyc received a 2010 Emmy Award (ceremony is Saturday, June 19th) and a Press Club Award (ceremony is Friday, June 18th).

Stay well, be safe, and enjoy each day as if it's your last! Surround yourself with loving family and friends and never take anyone for granted! Cheers!

Izzo watch

2010-06-10T01:42:00.002-04:00

As usual the wkyc sports department kicked some major booty.....from the very inception where they received Intel where and when Dan Gilbert and Tom Izzo would be for a special meeting until they both left the state of Ohio --far ahead of the rest!

It all began unfolding about the time I arrived into work....and that's where our crews were dispatched for the rest of their shifts.

Kudos and a big round of applause to: Jim Donovan, Yak, Dave Chudowsky, Lynn Olszowy, Brian Crane, Dan Medsker, and Mark Smilor for the hard work they put in to get the story covered better than any station in town!

Basically we were on location of the big, secret meeting, both airports where each prospective player arrived and then departed .....and Donovan and Yak were in touch non-stop with their contacts.

The excitement in the newsroom fueled the entire shift....and seeing the final product on the air proved yet again how wonderful the wkyc sports department remains!

Good job everyone!

Both players left Ohio and word is this weekend or beginning of next week is when we should definitively know Izzo's answer.

Ohio Tornadoes 2010

2010-06-09T01:10:00.000-04:00

WOW! That's all I can say! I've been off for the last 3.5 days where tornado after tornado pummelled the state of Ohio.

Tuesday, as I come back, there are only 2 real stories left with this continuing coverage story--tonight, seniors graduate amidst the fact that their school was obliterated and the cleanup continues along with so many who want to help all of the tornado victims.

One of the class leaders and Valedictorian, Katie Krantz, lost her father in the storms...a true inspiration to all of us. Everyone is clamoring to cover this strong young lady's story.

As soon as I arrived into work, I was informed we would be sending the satellite truck yet again toward Toledo for the big graduation.

I assigned crews and off they went as quickly as they could to cover this story which has now become a national story followed by NBC NewsChannel, CNN, and FOX among others.

Because we sent the sat truck, I needed to book windows for our 6pm, 7pm and 11pm news shows......I sent scripts to the networks from our packages and kept in contact with the network folks about video, etc...

Always and exciting time when dealing with NBC or CNN......

Our crews all weekend long into this week have excelled at their crafts covering this mammoth news story.....hats off to everyone and and big kudos!!!

The news machine continues cranking

2010-06-05T01:02:00.000-04:00

Awesome stretch for news--hard news, breaking news, and some fabulous local features, kicker type stories!

Thursday night we had a big fire that broke out in the old lumber company in Medina.....everything came together perfectly!

I sent my camera man /truck operator Dan Medsker in his truck.....he arrived on scene of a fire still burning out of control. Old joke that many 'old timers' including the infamous Ed Verba used to say --'if it's really a good fire worth covering, it will still be burning when I get there!'

Dan shot the fire, some sound, established a signal and had already fed back the story in time for the 11pm news show! Funny how news comes together.

I had written the web story when it first broke out and attached a new picture as well as the video he sent back.

Love it!

Then Friday--another great news day.....tragedy inter-mixed with jubilation.

On one hand a little boy drowned in an Akron pond--awful story heading into the summer.....we covered it and reported it on our news shows.

Later Friday night, the highly anticipated Spelling Bee winner was crowned --and low and behold, she was the little girl from North Royalton, Ohio! Whew!

Anamika Veeramani outlasted everyone else and took home top honors! Again, it seemed it was the 2nd night in a row the entire newsroom was watching a television monitor cheering on the local girl.....and through each word, the cheers went up at various cubicles and watching stations!

What a hoot!

Though it is very difficult to watch television during the course of a shift, when a potential lead story or story in your show is unfolding before your eyes on tv, all eyes are watching!

And when she won, the entire newsroom burst into cheers for the little girl from Ohio who finally brought home a championship!!!

Perfect place to watch the 'perfect game'

2010-06-03T01:07:00.002-04:00

It was indescribable.

The Cleveland Indians-Detroit Tigers game was whizzing by...and by the 7th inning, it was still a no-no.

Situations like these, I am rooting for my Tribe to somehow muster up enough power, energy to at least get on the board....

But when you are watching something like this with 'the' Jim Donovan, wkyc sports anchor and radio voice of the Cleveland Browns, it's enjoyable whatever the outcome.

AND, the fact that Armando Galarraga's perfect game/no hitter went until batter #27 --holy!

So, in the midst of the work day, it's true the entire newsroom took time out to watch the 8th and 9th innings. Even those who have no interest whatsoever in baseball, Cleveland Indians' baseball or sports in general were on the edge of their seats.

I told Producer Carrie, 'You may have a new lead sweetie, stay tuned!'

Listening to Jim Donovan --PRICELESS!

For the final batter, the newsroom went wild --screaming and flailing arms....not many other businesses you can actually do that, that's for sure!!

I can't believe I am actually saying this but the Indians were no hit for all intense purposes.....Umpire Jim Joyce blew the call at 1st on little Jason Donald's infield hit.....and we were ALL upset for Armando Galarraga. That kid pitched a perfect game, should have got the call and exhibited amazing grace and soft spokenness after the game.

The day at work perfect in so many respects --work was awesome.....got all my work done and soooo much more, including tons of web stuff since we have a few of the web folks on vacation...but more importantly watching a Perfect Game with the best darn sportscaster in the world!

P-E-R-F-E-C-T!

LeBron & Larry King go head to head

2010-06-01T23:37:00.000-04:00

The busy holiday is over, and by the looks of things, it appears this will be a super busy month!

Again, the minute I arrived into work, the news mill began cranking out "breaking news."

One of my contacts from CNN called and then emailed me saying they are working very hard to get us the entire transcript from Larry King's one-on-one with our very own LeBron James! He said he is also working on getting us some video clips.

If indeed they can assist us on this, a ready made great story for all of our shows.

And poof--my CNN buddy came through just a few short minutes later by emailing me the entire transcript and some video.....

Our Sports Director had also been working on getting video......so this will play in news and sports.....

Interesting reading to say the least! It's great to have the upper hand on a story ....and though the other stations who were CNN affiliates eventually got this, it's also HOW you play it and WHO you have reporting it.

Our Web Master touched base with CNN to see what and how much we could put on our website. That is the 'right' thing to do. The 'wrong' thing is what all the other local stations apparently did--they put the entire transcript on line and that was a no-no. CNN did have restrictions they set down. We followed their rules to a tee.

Since wkyc has the best sports anchor in town with Jim Donovan, it's a no brainer how this will be reported.

If this story regarding LeBron and will he stay or go is unfolding before us, fire breaks out at Streetsboro High School. Another big story to conquer, and we sure did it right.

Not only did we cover this story from top to bottom, but one of our staffers has a child who goes to the school and kept giving us updates and they became available to her.....

The nature of the news business, it can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone and you just have to be ready!

News does not stop for holidays!

2010-06-01T01:49:00.002-04:00

Don't believe for a single minute that the news stops on holidays.

I've found in my long career (because I am quite old!) that the news revs up on the holidays...we've had some of the most tragic events such as officers being shot and killed, drownings, and firework deaths during the summer holidays.

Well, Memorial Day appears to be no different.

Though no one died, the news never stopped from the minute I walked in until I left.

Rain, flash flooding, then more flooding out in Geauga County, a bomb scare at the Cleveland -Euclid border as old weaponry and ammunition were found at a house which called into action the Cleveland bomb squad, and then to top off the day, a huge raging fire in Chardon where a few buildings were destroyed but all of the miniature horses were saved.

Nope, every day brings different excitement for an assignment editor. You never know what the day will bring, how the day will shape up and what adventure the news desk ride will take but you just have to be ready and willing to embrace it and kick a little booty!

Baby carjacked: NOT!

2010-05-28T01:36:00.003-04:00

On the day after sweeps ended and our news director, Rita Andolsen, treated the newsroom to ice cream cake because of our tremendous ratings results, breaking news continued with a flurry.....ratings or no ratings.

Late Thursday evening a call came over the scanner that a car had been taken from the area of Lamontier and there was a baby inside....

Believe it or not folks, this HAS happened before, many times.

Every time, we've been totally on top of it....Paul Thomas and company covered one of these in the area of E 55 and Woodland years ago.....where it was caught on tape.

You hate to hear the call, but got to run on it.

Dave Summers and truck operator/videographer Dan Medsker and Brian Johnson headed out to the scene.

Producer Amanda re-arranged her show to fit the 'breaking news' in should it be legit.

Though you should never go on the air with scanner information, it is quite valuable to the crews and reporters working in the field --a spring board so to speak for them to ask questions and check out locations.

As soon as new details came over the scanner I relayed them to the crews in the field.

Something was not right.

After about 20 or 25 minutes, the car had been found near Woodland and Woodhill BUT there was no baby inside.

That's usually never the case. What happens is the suspect or suspects realize there is a child inside and abandons the vehicle so they don't get pegged for kidnapping as well.

This case was just humming along too smoothly with information coming from family members, the grandfather saying there is a picture of the child in the visor above the driver's seat.....

Where is the child?

Literally one minute before air time, Dave called into the producer and said--yes the car had been stolen but there was never a child inside. The grandfather, who was taking care of the baby, made that up to get the Cleveland Police to the scene quicker.

Had this been real, we were way ahead of the competition......

Grandpa is in big trouble!

Love having lunch with our Lake County firefighters!

2010-05-27T23:35:00.005-04:00

Being an assignment editor allows you to have phone contact and phone relationships with hundreds if not thousands of people.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "Ah, it's finally nice to actually put a face to your name!"

Today's event is one I attend (usually Lisa, Amy, and I) almost every year! What a treat to put faces to the names of the brave firefighters who encompass all of Lake County, Ohio.

They invite the media to their annual Media Day and Awards Presentation Luncheon.

One year there were folks in attendance from all the tv stations, newspapers, and many more.

Then it seemed as if the only station to attend was wkyc --which is ok by us!

The Lake County Fire Chief's of Ohio strive to continue the great relations they have between themselves and their staff and the local media, be it tv or print. They (as do we) love putting names to faces. This event is always a good place to hand out business cards with yours on top so when the next big Mentor Marsh fire ignites, you are the first person they call!

This year I sat at a very 'fun' table --I had the Fairport Harbor Chief, a Captain from Perry and the big wig Hazmat specialist from Lubrizol....surrounded by amazing firemen who risk their lives day in and day out.

But more importantly, at least in my eyes, is the Good Samaritan Hero Awards portion of this event.

Every year, the Lake County Fire Chiefs honor a few folks for rising to the occasion and making a difference in the community.

This year's recipients were Andrew Kalar and Kevin McCollum, Brian Dorsey, and Raymond Phelps.

Andrew and Kevin helped rescue 2 kids who were playing around in Lake Erie off of Willoughby back in July, 2009....they drifted too far from shore and had one heck of a time getting back on their own. They asked a News Herald Photographer to call 911 while they began swimming to the kids. They made it to them within about 20 minutes and started bringing them back when Willoughby Firefighters arrived and took over the rescue. Willoughby Fire Chief Alan C. Zwegat said, "Being there and witnessing the fatigue and cramping both boys were exhibiting after being in the water for 1.5 to 2.0 hours, I know that if it were not for the efforts of Kevin McCollum and Andrew Kalar, I know that the outcome would have been more tragic."

Next up for the hero award: Mr. Brian Dorsey. Mr. Dorsey heard a smoke detector in his apartment complex on Lakeshore Blvd in Willoughby March, 2010 and immediately started getting residents out of the building. He went to the apartment where the fire apparently began and saw the couch on fire. Dorsey broke open the door and started discharging his fire extinguisher which bought the fire department valuable time. Unfortunately, there was still someone trapped inside. The 69-year-old resident was injured quite badly, but because of Mr. Dorsey, he survived and is still recovering today.

The final hero award went to Raymond Phelps, who spotted a house fire in his neighborhood in Perry April, 2009, took his fire extinguisher and put out the fire and got everyone, including 3 dogs, out of the home. The teens had been cooking and the oil ignited. Mr. Phelps did not hesitate to help his neighbors, even to the point of sustaining smoke inhalation but said he was ok. He stopped the fire from spreading thereby saving his neighbor's home, and more importantly, helped the teens as well as providing support and a safe place for them after the fire.

This years shindig took place at The Firehouse Grill and Pub Restaurant on Rte 6....a great little place with delish food. But the irony of it all is that this restaurant used to be an old firehouse converted. The firemen who have worked in this area forever remember every nook and cranny of this firehouse and began telling us the history....

Yet another successful event to connect with contacts, garner a few more story ideas, enjoy delicious fare, and honor those in the community who went above and beyond!

Three of many great stories which happen day after day, year after year. The Lake County Fire Chiefs acknowledge that without the help of their citizens, there could be more tragedies each year. I take my hat off to you all as well!

Monkey on the highway

2010-05-27T01:25:00.005-04:00

No, this is NOT the monkey from the highway!

But that WAS the blatant call screaming from the scanners loud and clear!

The 2 interns I had on the desk with me at the time, Lauren and Sierra, could not believe what they had just heard!

But, it was a true call.

So someone called the Cleveland Police telling them they spotted a monkey on I-90 near the vicinity of West Blvd in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland Police sent a few cars out there....and the police officers responded back to their dispatcher asking if they had contacted the zoo? They both told the dispatcher they really had no experience with tracking down monkeys....

Just listening to the back and forth banter was worth the price of admission.

Unfortunately, after not hearing an immediate response back from the cars, or some frantic radio call for backup, assumed it was a false call.

And when MY crew arrived on scene and nosed around, he had the same luck as the officers, 'nothing showing, a false call.'

Melt packs 'em in

2010-05-22T01:13:00.004-04:00

The social media taking the world by storm, Facebook, gives each user a little different spin on anything and everything, depending on what they are looking for.

Obviously, in the news media, you can not take what you read on Facebook and just run with it before verifying and getting all sides....

But, for a light, fun story--why not!

The newest craze on the east side was the grand opening of Melt --which opened Friday night --at Cedar and Taylor Roads in Cleveland Heights! Whew hoo! Finally!

My nephew's roommate works there as well as many of his friends.

In fact, the band my nephew is in was included for posterity in one of the many murals painted on the walls of Melt!

Friday night was quite a hopping night in the newsroom --had at least 4 stories alone for just one of my cameramen to cover.....he started close, worked his way east and then south for 2 stories......

His second story was popping in to shoot the grand opening of the new Melt.

Periodically throughout the night, I was able to track the success and popularity of this new venue.

I had friends and family who were attempting to dine there....and by the Facebook updates, was informed that at one point, there were hours and hours of wait time not only for an in restaurant table BUT for take-out! Holy cow!

Kinda fun to track this 'unscientific' data for a very fun story!!

Can't wait to hit the new Melt, hopefully wait free!

WKYC Interns Facebook page

2010-05-19T23:35:00.008-04:00

(former wkyc intern, Mark Zinni, who has made me proud with all of his accomplishments!!)

WKYC has been the leader in social media from the very beginning of the social media craze!

I'm proud to share that our recent group of interns have been feverishly working to establish a WKYC Intern page on Facebook.

It's quite exciting!

Every quarter we get a group of interns here at WKYC in pretty much every department including STO.

This quarter Vince Fratiani and Kristen Jantonio were invaluable in their help to the Channel 3 News Department and wkyc.com.

Kudos to you both!

It's always a pleasure hobnobbing with these kids to get their spin on tv and news as well as learning the latest lingo and staying on top of college life.

Hopefully, a little of our expertise is rubbing off on them as well!!

So this quarter, Vince took the bull by the horns and started WKYC Interns on Facebook.

For all of you former WKYC interns, please join the page, tell us where and what you are up to right now....share your experiences and feel free to give feedback to our current group of young interns!

We feel this is just a wonderful networking tool to link former and current interns, advice can be given or shared, and former interns may be able to lend an ear or even a job opportunity to the newer interns looking for their 1st chance!

I personally will never ever forget my two internships at WEWS with the 'Live on Five' Show and then in their videotape editing department. They gave me a chance and 25 years later, I'm still ticking in the news business loving what I do and where I do it!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

2010-05-15T23:26:00.000-04:00

This week's Hidden Gem: Archie's Lakeshore Bakery/Archie's Hough Bakeries

MMMMM, good!

For those of you who are old enough to remember Hough Bakery, Archie's will conjure up such sweet memories of childhood days and happy celebrations.

For those of you who are not, a new experience to tantalize your taste buds.

The other day it was as if I got a tall glass of cold water thrown in my face as we started talking about old Hough Bakery memories and one of our interns had never heard of Hough. Made me realize how truly old I am but then quickly got over that as I handed him an Archie's cupcake and proceeded to watch his reaction.

Favorable. Quite favorable.

Archie's has been around for a while but I guess I never quite believed that anything could be as good as 'THE' Hough Bakery.

I was wrong!

After Hough Bakery closed back in 1992 --seems so long ago--baker Archie Garner embarked on a new venture opening Archie's Lakeshore Bakery.

He sells amazing cakes, cupcakes, coconut bars, and the 'oh so famous' and 'hard to find' petit fours.

Have not been able to find the petit fours ever since Hough closed. We'd always get them at Christmas and Easter. Have searched high and low and though some establishments have tried to replicate, no one has.

I ordered a Hough Bakery cake for my sister's birthday --it was perfect! White cake with white frosting and a whole slew of light pink flowers.

The very cake we'd get for EVERY occasion: birthdays, 1st communion, confirmation, anniversaries, retirement, welcome home, new baby--you name it, we'd think of an excuse to have a Hough Bakery cake.

Picking up the cake an adventure in itself. You don't even walk inside and smell the delectable aroma...and once inside, totally surrounded by the distinctive scent.

The phone never stopped ringing with orders as the steady stream of 'picker uppers' entered the small bakery.

I had time so I let the baker working the front vestibule take his phone orders first so as not to lose any customers. Finally, got the goods and was extremely happy!

When I walked in with the cake in the famous Hough box, everyone swarmed around me. My nephew, who hardly eats and tries to stay way from sweets, not only had a piece of cake on the spot but took a big chunk home!

Fantastic how a sweet tradition can conjure up so many wonderful memories, bring a group of people together, and cause the entire room to smile!

If you are on Facebook, become a fan of Archie's Lakeshore Bakery.

If you have heavenly memories of Hough Bakery, or have never heard of it, I suggest you visit Archie's on Lakeshore, and you too, will become a fan for life and see why Archie's Lakeshore Bakery is this week's Hidden Gem!!!

Tornado & flood season: enter stage right

2010-05-11T01:08:00.005-04:00

Mother Nature has been flexing her muscles and showing just who is boss!

Last Friday night turned out to be the real first day of Spring Storms including numerous weather watches and warnings. At least one tornado even touched down.

Paul Thomas and Chris Kunz covered the worst hit area--Lakewood, Ohio --as they found flooding, trees down, wires and poles down, power out, lightning strikes and much more in the short stretch they covered. Great job by the guys!

It's advantageous having weather alerts and breaking news on your cell phone to give the latest on any storms rolling in to this area. My cell phone never stopped 'dinging.'

Strap yourselves in for a wild ride this Spring and Summer.

Fortunately, wkyc recently introduced a new Interactive HD Radar.

If you have not seen how this works, head on over to your computer at wkyc.com and test it out.

It's wonderful. YOU are in charge of what you want to see, what conditions interest you most and what situations to track.

In HD, on air and on line, you have the latest at your fingertips whether it be temperatures, lightning strikes, wind speeds, earthquakes here and elsewhere, and Lake Erie's water temperature...plus so much more.

As always, Betsy Kling and the Channel 3 Weather Team will have all the latest information to keep you and your family safe during stormy weather.

Betsy and the gang will break in to programming, if warranted. It's a responsibility they have to the Channel 3 viewers during weather situations.

Stay with wkyc on line and on air for your most complete spring and summer storm coverage!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

2010-05-06T02:10:00.005-04:00

This week's Hidden Gem: Daffodil Hill

I would never have believed it had I not seen it with my own two eyes.

I thought I had died and gone to Heaven it was so beautiful.

Believe it or not, my Aunt, Sister, and I had just come from my Uncle's funeral when my Sister said we should cruise by 'Daffodil Hill' at Lakeview Cemetery. It was that perfect time of the year.

I did not know how well that would go over with my Aunt, but once we saw the whole hillside, it was the right choice and well worth it.

I am in awe of Lakeview Cemetery and have always been. I get weird looks when I speak of taking so-called 'field trips' to the cemetery periodically but that's ok. I even went on a date there--and it was delightful.

It's been around since 1869. Going to Hiram College, I have a warm place in my heart for James A. Garfield, who is buried at Lakeview Cemetery, among others such as Eliot Ness, Rockefeller, and Ray Chapman--the Cleveland Indian shortstop killed after being hit in the head with a baseball during a Yankee-Indian game back in 1920.

Lakeview Cemetery as a whole can be, and one day will be another one of my Hidden Gems, but today I am focusing on 'Daffodil Hill.'

When you enter the cemetery, they have signs pointing out the flower tour. You follow the arrows and after seeing the beautiful horticulture throughout, come upon the most amazing hillside covered with thousands of yellow daffodils.

I've heard this hill has been blossoming since the 1940's.

I could not believe my eyes. It was intoxicating and unbelievable.

I am so glad I got the chance to experience this phenomenon with my own eyes this year.

Seeing it once, this will be a yearly pilgrimage for me each and every spring.

Please, if you have not made your way through Lakeview Cemetery, it's quite the exquisite adventure. But, I hope you definitely take time to drive through next spring and take a gander at 'Daffodil Hill.' Then, you too, will see why it is this week's Hidden Gem!

Congratulations to this year's Emmy nominees!

2010-05-03T01:44:00.005-04:00

Last week the Emmy nominees for the 41st annual regional Emmy Awards were announced and WKYC received 18 Emmy nominations!

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for the Lower Great Lakes Chapter held their annual Emmy nomination party to make the announcement.

WKYC captured 18 nominations while STO received 6 nominations. I'm blessed and honored to be included in those nominations!

The 41st Annual Emmy Awards will be held Saturday, June 19, 2010 in downtown Cleveland at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Good luck to all the nominees!

To see the entire list of nominations, please CLICK HERE!

Good Luck Mike O'Mara

2010-04-30T23:35:00.006-04:00

What can I say?

A long time co-worker, friend, confidant, and all-around good guy moves on to the next phase of his career, his life. I could not be happier for him!

I am speechless.

Mike O'Mara worked in the trenches with us day in, day out, bringing out the best in us and a smile to our faces.

He always gave his all and came back with a heart-wrenching, captivating story.

His honesty and personality endeared him to his interview subjects, who opened up to Mike time and time again.

He'd pound the pavement on hard news stories such as the Dr. Moonda turnpike shooting or the tragic multiple murder over on West 89th Street in Cleveland.

He set out on many 'missing people' cases who wound up being found with Mike on the case.

Not only did he bring out the emotion in his interview subjects, but had a soft spot for the animals in Northeast Ohio.

He will be missed most of all by his little furry friend at the Geauga County Sheriff Department, Midge!

Mike and Midge have a special bond between them never to be broken!

Michael O--you will always hold a special spot in my heart! Only a phone call away, a click on Facebook, as you 'sail' off into the sunset!!!!

Congratulations on your 2010 Emmy nominee and 2010 Press Club Award! I'm sure you will continue racking up the accolades wherever your ship may steer you!

Click HERE for the Mike O'Mara farewell story.

Back in the saddle after riding off into the sunset

2010-04-26T12:09:00.006-04:00

Back in the saddle armed and ready to share many more 'Swing By and Spray' entries.

My hiatus lasted a bit longer than expected with the premature death of my Uncle.

Death, tragedy, and the unexpected spur us on making us much stronger than before, more focused and determined. These daily occurrences mold us into the person we evolve into day in, day out.

Glad to be 'back in the saddle' welcoming Noah back into town for game #5 of the Cleveland -Bulls Series!

While we welcome Noah and the Bulls back, for what we hope is their final appearance in C-Town this season, we sadly say goodbye to Mike O'Mara, reporter extraordinaire. More to come on this bittersweet news.

May Sweeps kick off Thursday.....

And the nominees for the 41st annual local Emmy Awards will be announced Thursday evening.....stay tuned for this exciting news as well!

Heading for the hills for R & R

2010-04-13T11:43:00.004-04:00

The last 14 months have been quite challenging.

Who am I kidding, it goes way beyond 14 months and 'quite challenging,' and unfortunately continues...

I've tried to contribute entertaining, informative, and unique blog entries and hope I haven't let anyone down.

I can't deny the tragedies which have hit in recent months....but being my Mother's daughter with her strength and so much more, continue moving forward filled with faith, hope, and love and the resolve to continue making Mom proud of the people she raised.

'Swing By and Spray' will be on hiatus for a few days as I head for the hills to get a few days of R & R.

I thank you for reading SBAS. I'll be back very soon!

Have a tremendous weekend! Go Cavs! Go Tribe! Keep the Faith!

"The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur."

--Vince Lombardi

Opening Day 2010

2010-04-12T23:36:00.004-04:00

Cleveland Indians' Baseball Season 2010 has arrived!

This is the one day all season it really does not matter if the Indians win or lose, though winning is the cherry on top!

Baseball season kicks off and all teams are equal, at least for a few days.

The fan fare leading up to and just before the game oftentimes is more entertaining then the Major League Baseball Game itself.

Seeing baseball legend Bob Feller standing on the pitcher's mound and fire a strike into Sandy behind the plate brought chills.

This year proves to be interesting to say the least.

No matter how my Indians do, we have a whole new system, manager, coaching staff including Sandy Alomar Jr., and a bunch of young, new players who will be playing their hearts out.

The weather was perfect!

A time to see the new things at the ballpark, re-connect with 'baseball buddies' in your section, and just enjoy an afternoon in the Springtime air.

On a personal note, a bittersweet day since it will be the first Opening Day without Mom by my side....but there were plenty of my co-workers at the field to pull me through!

Texas wound up beating Cleveland 4-2, but honestly, the excitement of the day overshadowed the final score--at least for today!

Because Cleveland Indians' baseball is back in session!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

2010-04-09T11:55:00.005-04:00

This week's Hidden Gem: The battle of the mustards

Growing up in Cleveland, being a life-long baseball fan, there were always only two mustards for me: Bertman Ball Park and Stadium Mustard.

Oh sure, there are dozens in the grocery store and being so close to Pittsburgh, the home of Heinz, expands the options.

We had two choices (but always had the 'yellow' one available for guests though I don't know why they'd want that one!!).

My Mother, God rest her soul, was the smartest woman in the world. She knew how to do anything and knew about everything. She imparted her tidbits on the battle of the mustards on all of us.

I'm not sure if I have a favorite because we always had both in the house. I did just notice that I currently have Bertman in my fridge (though I have both in the food pantry!!).

I have to be honest, I am not going to rehash the rich history of both or try to sell anyone on IF there is a better mustard.

I just wanted to write a fun entry being the start up of baseball season. My Cleveland Indians opened their season away in Chicago on April 5, 2010. They come home to Cleveland on Monday, April 12, 2010 for one of the most exciting days of my year--Opening Day!

I will tell you that 'The Original Bertman Ball Park Mustard' has been around longer and, to me at least, seems to be more family oriented. I love browsing their web site and feeling like I'm one of Joe's customers that he waited on time and time again.

Though 'The Authentic Stadium Mustard' has not been around as along, they do tout that they are 'out of this world' --LITERALLY! Apparently various astronauts have requested this mustard up in space.

Honestly, it's a win-win situation once again for the city of Cleveland. We have the two BEST mustards in the world (and apparently out of this world) right here in our own backyard! Just one more reason for me to love my hometown so.....

Let's face it folks, you can't go to the ballpark or any stadium or even have the family backyard BBQ picnic without indulging in a hotdog smothered in mustard. It's a rule!

Regardless of which mustard you choose, I certainly hope it's either Bertman Ball Park or Stadium Mustard. Pick up one of each, and you too, will see why they both are this week's Hidden Gems!

Being an assignment editor brings 'constant recall'

2010-04-08T10:46:00.000-04:00

Do I eat, breathe, dream, and live work all the time?

Yes and no.

If I see a good story idea or news happening, heck yes.

I try to gather the info for a possible story idea or call in the 'breaking news' as it is happening.

And I am always looking!

But, that said, there has to be 'my time.' I have to take time off in order to revive, re-energize, and replenish.

Sometimes it is hard though. For example, I recently drove by Van Aken and Lee Road in Shaker Heights. Each time I drive this route I recall the Penny Chang case. 15-year-old Penny Chang was gunned down back on March 16, 1999 by her alleged stalker/former boyfriend, Scott Strothers. It became a MAJOR profile case for a number of reasons.

First, it happened feet away from the Shaker Heights Police Department --most of the officers heard the gunshots. Then, it brought light to the whole 'stalking' issue. Many Ohio Legislators joined forces to strengthen the Ohio Stalking Laws. And, in the sadness of losing this bright young girl, another trial occurred when the family sued the Clinic. One of their therapists had been treating Strothers in the days leading up to this tragedy. The Clinic won that round.

I remember hearing and seeing Penny's ambulance drive right by my house.

A normal stroll out on the east side brings back all of these memories.

Or heading back just a few years I recollect a double tragedy day every time I travel in Euclid, Ohio near the high school, the police station, and even along I-90.

You can't help to remember the death of Officer George Brentar seeing they have a street and plaza named after him.

October 10, 2007 will remain with me forever. That was the day of the SuccessTech Academy shooting right across from our station. We became a small part of the story as we could not readily get into work until speaking to police and allowing them to direct us in....and then we opened our station to officials so they could hold their briefings....and every news agency was parked in our front yard doing live shots for days.

But that's not the only awful occurrence of the day. That evening, a horrendous call came over the scanners that an officer had been in a serious accident in Euclid. Ultimately Officer Brentar's car erupted into flames and he died in the accident/fire.

I can't help but think back to that day every time I see the street named after this hero.

Even when I am sitting at home with my fuzzy slippers and hot tea trying to decompress and decide to channel surf, I can't hide from the news.

I'm fascinated by the show "Crime 360."

A episode which recently aired was shot in Cleveland and focused on the murder of Carlos Rodriguez, father of two. Once they started explaining where it was, what happened, I was sucked in to the program.

I remembered the crime as if it was yesterday. When they showed the suspect's mug shot, WOW! I remember the Cleveland Police emailing over the picture of Matthew Salazar once he was pegged a suspect and taken into custody.

I just find it so interesting every single step the officers take to tackle a case. And, as they continue to put together each piece of their puzzle, they 'throw us a bone' little by little.

On big cases, the officials will feed the new desk, the media, little nuggets as they become available and as it is proper to release them so as not to jeopardize their case.

Every day we'd get a new update --whether it be a weapon was found, more witnesses were being interviewed, the coroner determined the cause of death, or whatever.

In this instance, Detective Mike Smith and Detective Walley Everett were featured. Seeing them time and time again working stories and now seeing them on tv tickled me.

I'm also always intrigued by the full team of investigators, every step taken, how they pound the pavement, and the folks featured on tv that we actually speak with--Dr. Joseph Felo at the Coroner's Office was one of the contacts we used to speak with who was featured in this particular story.

Being connected to the television news business since the mid 80's brings lots of memories, a long rich history and can't help but trigger various memorable stories as I travel through each day.

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

2010-03-26T12:58:00.002-04:00

Today's Hidden Gem: Kalie's Family Restaurant

One of the keywords in this restaurant name: Family.

Their slogan--"Strives for Great Food & Service" is spot on.

Not only have we had a tremendous meal every time we've eaten there, but value their impeccable service and hospitality.

We've been in there when the place was completely empty before the rush and were treated as if we were being served a meal in our own dining room. Yet, after church or other occasions when the room is at capacity, everyone gets the same personalized treatment.

I don't know what they do but I hope they keep doing it!

Kalie's Family Restaurant on Mayfield Road just below Green Road in South Euclid grabs you the first time you dine and keeps bringing you back time and time again. They pride themselves on repeat customers and referrals.

Kalie's staff welcomes all patrons as if they ARE family. The manager/owner takes a vested interest in each and every customer. The regular customers may even get a welcoming hug!

They do supply 'service with a smile.'

And the food --mouth watering delicious. The menu has an over-abundance of choices to please just about anyone, including the finicky eater. They have sandwiches including their specialty hot corned beef, gyros, a wide variety of breakfasts, daily home made soups, and old fashioned milk shakes.

No one leaves hungry. The last time we were there, we ordered the french toast (you can get 2 or 3 pieces), eggs made to your liking, your favorite meat choice of bacon, sausage or ham, and pretty much anything else you can imagine.

Kalie's is open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Take a trip to Kalie's Family Restaurant (on an empty stomach) at 4446 Mayfield Road in South Euclid and you too will see why they are this week's Hidden Gem!

Many good lives lost this week

2010-03-20T00:28:00.005-04:00

I honestly can not recall a week where so many members of the safety forces were killed or passed away.

Well, I take that back. During the war in Iraq (we are right around the anniversary of the start of the war), various local units from Northeast Ohio have lost many lives at a time.

This week was different.

If I had to use one word to describe the last week = exhausting.

Mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting.

Last weekend Officer Thomas Patton died while doing what he loved most --protecting and serving his community. Patton began chasing an alleged suspect, Malcolm Bryant, when he collapsed and died. Officer Patton comes from a family filled with police officers, members of the safety forces, and the son of State Senator Tom Patton.

Officer Patton leaves behind his fiancee, small daughter, and so many other family members, friends, and admirers who thought of him as a true hero.

Then late Monday night, while responding to a neighborhood disturbance, veteran Elyria Patrolman James Kerstetter was gunned down by 58-year-old Ronald Palmer.

Kerstetter was able to get onto the police radio and broadcast that he had been shot. When officers arrived, they confronted the suspect outside threatening, and in turn, fired back at the man.

Another Officer's life lost tragically.

Officer Kerstetter leaves behind an entire city who adored him, his wife and three daughters.

The police brotherhood and sisterhood lose 2 of their own in only a few days.

But the violence does not end there.

24-year-old Jacob Courie came home to Akron on leave from the war when he was gunned down during an argument. Courie survived daily combat but died in his hometown.

And Marine Gunnery Sgt. Robert Gilbert II of Richfield, Ohio was injured in Afghanistan during an ambush on March 8, 2010. Unfortunately, Sgt Gilbert died from his injuries on March 16, 2010.

Sgt Gilbert was on his fifth tour of duty. His father is a Richfield Police Officer.

All of these men are true heroes who died too young and senselessly. My heart and prayers go out to their families and friends. There are no words to adequately comfort, describe, or explain why?

I just know we have to keep their dreams, their hopes, their spirits alive and never forget them.

'I was featured in a Tom Meyer story'

2010-03-18T01:07:00.001-04:00

This is quite funny! And when I shared it with Mr. Meyer, he laughed!!!

While most started St. Patrick's Day Festivities at their local Irish pub, I began attending Mass and then off to the tax man to have my deceased Mother's taxes complete.

The only appointment my Aunt could get with her tax guy was of all days, Wednesday, St. Patrick's Day!

I had to work so I had no special plans before or after work.

The day cruised along just fine.

At the end of our tax appointment, my Aunt's tax guy, who she has known from birth, asked her if she saw him on tv?

My curiosity peaked.

She of course has to say, 'my niece works in tv.' He says, 'I was on Channel 3. I was featured in a Tom Meyer story.'

You can go either way with that statement, and honestly, I did not know which way to go?

I just nodded and waited for more details whether this was a 'good' story or a 'bad' story!

Usually during the news, one of my tasks is to get an overview of not only what we are doing, but keep my eyes on the competition. In order to do this, I listen to us. Not actually seeing but just hearing the stories, I had not gotten a visual of this guy in Tom Meyer's story.

The tax guy went on to say he was in Meyer's story on comparing Tax Preparers, which ones are better, which ones may be a rip-off.

And it WAS a good story.

Fortunately, my Aunt's guy was the best one who was on the up and up!

I came into work and told Tom Meyer the story--including, at first, how I was not sure if this was a subject he was chasing down (foe) or friend! He knew exactly who I was speaking of, said 'friend' and got a real chuckle out of it.