Swing By and Spray recognized by Press Club

I'd like to thank my readers for your continued support.

Swing by and Spray is a labor of love, as you all well know.

I pride myself in everything I do in life--trying to be the best person I can be, the best daughter, friend, Assignment Editor, WKYC /Gannett employee, and writer.

I graduated with degrees in English and Communications.

I have always taken great pride in everything I set out to do and that includes my writing, even though at times, there is so little time to perfect this craft.

However, a number of years ago when I was in charge of birddogging the wkyc website during my shift, I decided to get back in the swing and fine tune my writing skills.

Ever since, I've been striving to become a better writer on a daily basis on the Channel 3 website, assisting on writing stories for the 11pm show, and of course with Swing By and Spray and Grand Slam Kind of Day.

Well, Friday night, I'm beaming and proud to say that Swing By and Spray was actually recognized by the Press Club of Cleveland's 'Excellence in Journalism Awards.' It came in 2nd place under the category of New Media/Blogs behind Carl Weiser and his Politics Extra on Cincinnati.Com.


I'm humbled to say I also won 2 other Press Club awards with several comrades from WKYC.


Television/Spot News:

• First Place--Reporter Paul Thomas, Videographer Mike Greene, Assignment Editor Danielle Fink for 'Officer Owens Shot'


• Second Place --Assignment Editor Danielle Fink, Videographers Brian Johnson & Randy White for 'Fuel Tank Rescue'

And yet more awards for Channel 3:

• General News-2nd place for Reporter Dave Summers --'At the end of the day'


• Human Interest-2nd place for Health Anchor Monica Robins, Videographer Shane Snider, Editor Sarah Montgomery and their 'Sleep Deprivation' piece

I thank my readers again for helping Swing By and Spray take home this great honor.

I am proud of coming up with the concept, with sharing a little slice of my television world with those that want to hear what it's like on a news assignment desk, and with every story I've written. But I am more impressed with the amazingly, positive feedback I've received from numerous readers and so many fellow colleagues on a consistent basis.

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can not thank you enough for your kindness.

I would be remiss not to raise a glass to every other winner in this year's 2009 Excellence in Journalism Awards! Ohio, particularly Northeast Ohio, has some of the best journalists, writers, broadcasters, television and print folks around. And they are nice people to boot! A job well-done to you all!

For a complete list of the 2009 Press Club of Cleveland Winners, CLICK HERE!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Larchmere Porchfest

If you are hankering for some good music, you'll want to head over to the Larchmere-Shaker Square neighborhood between 2:00p.m. and 9:00p.m. Saturday, June 20, 2009.

For one day only, dozens of area porches will be transformed into "center stage."

Some of the best local musicians will perform their music.

Whether you are into pop, rock, Indie rock, or some other genre, you're bound to find something you can groove to and enjoy.

The idea comes from a similar event which takes place in the Fallcreek neighborhood of Ithaca, New York.

This is a great opportunity to get out, meet new people, hear great LIVE music for FREE, and certainly learn about the Larchmere-Shaker Square neighborhood, if you are not familiar.

Larchmere consists of dozens and dozens of art galleries, restaurants, specialty shops, antique and book stores.

At least 20 bands will be performing at various locations between 2:00p.m. and 6:00p.m.--including residents' front porches!

The party shifts to Shaker Square at 6:00p.m. where bands will continue their jam session.

And then, if you are still raring to go, the 'after party' continues at Boulevard Blue on Larchmere beginning at 9:00p.m.

A one-day only event in the eclectic Larchmere neighborhood you sure won't want to miss.

If you venture out to this excitingly popular section of Cleveland, you too, will see why the Larchmere Porchfest is this week's Hidden Gem!

Fur-cation over...

OK, Folks.

It's been a crazy month and my erratic and sporadic postings tell the story.

There have been furlough days, vacation days, people changing departments so added duties, and the normal insanity surrounding the inner-workings of not only a news assignment desk but a news room!

Well, for now at least, for this quarter, I believe all of my furlough time is over.

Today I arrived back at work.

Let me tell you, for not being in the office for 7 days, it was really strange driving into work. I can not pinpoint it because obviously I've been off before. But, I had to re-program my car where to go.

I'd already heard a few 'nuggets' of happenings going on before I even entered the door. It's nice to have good and true friends at work!

Our annual Cedar Point ticket memo came out. Believe it or not, this will become one of my first priorities so I don't get shut out!

And, I'm hearing rumblings that we lost one of our desk people. I'm sure this will have an impact on all of us. But in the words of REO Speedwagon, 'just roll with the changes.'

I'd like to say I'm back refreshed and better than ever. But as I stated in a recent Facebook profile comment, "no matter how much free time you have, it's never enough and it's never free!"

Here here. There's always a catch and responsibilities. At least for me.

Free time from the work place constitutes work load pileup from everyone else in your life.

But, I'm back in the saddle, and in a heart beat, it's like a never left.

Let's see.

I found my normal parking spot.

Before I even took off my TJ Maxx sunglasses (which still broke after a month), and have put my 4 bags down, I have people coming up to me alerting me of schedule changes, stories already set up for our reporter, and 'what do you think about this?'

It's nice to be needed.

Let me say it again. I only had a few vacation days, a weekend, and then 2 furlough days but I have people coming up to me left and right welcoming me back, telling me they are glad to see me, spouting how much I was missed.

I don't mean to drone on...but like I've stated before, I don't feel like I was off for an extended period of time yet maybe because the days were abutted with a weekend, it appears that I was off the entire month of June?!?!

One fellow co-worker, who happens to be a very good friend and a jokester, came up to me, shook my hand and welcomed me asking if I was the new person on the desk! Ha ha, very funny! I do work with some amazing people and that's what keeps me sane! Thank you friends!

Anyway, here comes the 'feel like I never left.'

You know me and computers. I can not log onto our Microsoft system. Now, I don't feel so bad. There were a handful of folks off last week as well and all of them said they had to have an administrator re-start their computers. Whew! A simple fix.

You all know my next favorite item in the newsroom: the printers!

Whew hoo. I attempt to print out our assignment sheets and sure enough, the orange light is on and nothing. I don't hear the sweet sounds of paper piling up, information being disseminated, smoke coming out, nothing.

I guess I would not have known what to do had the printer actually worked on the first try.

After being off, I did have some pretty kick butt story ideas.

Yet they all went by the wayside with our first big thunderstorm of the season!

And that is Mother Nature's way of saying, 'Welcome back, Danielle!'

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Pro Football Hall of Fame

I was lucky enough to take a jaunt to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton this week. I've been there before. No matter how many times you go, it never loses its charm.

To think, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is in our backyard! What a treat.

Anyone who knows anything about or follows football is familiar with the white dome which sets atop the unique brown brick building off of I-77 in Canton, Ohio.

You walk inside and know immediately that you are in the midst of greatness when greeted by the life size statue of the great Jim Thorpe. There are a handful of displays on the ground rotunda level, including this year's inductees, and then your eyes are drawn to the spiral ramp which leads you on one of the most fascinating tours, especially if you are a connoisseur of sports and history.

Honestly, I will not do the hall justice by repeating everything and anything inside. You must go see it for yourself.

However, each display makes you realize (makes me realize in my opinion) how our Cleveland Browns in the 40's, 50's and 60's made a huge impact on the game of football. Most folks remember the bad: the Fumble, the Drive, losing our team, Art Modell. However, if you really follow football, you'd remember all the National Championships the Cleveland Browns won (National Championship would be renamed 'The Superbowl').

All you have to read are the stats, watch the videos on display, take this stroll down memory lane item by item, room by room, display by display, and see not only how many Cleveland Browns Players made history but players from the entire league acted as 'Supermen' achieving feats which seemed insurmountable and unattainable.

The Museum takes you through every facet of the game: its inception, uniforms, footballs, shoes, rules, league changes, players missing years while away at war, and pretty much ANYTHING you could ever imagine.

There are priceless items, ticket stubs, record-breaking memorabilia on display everywhere.

Listen to the interactive videos and narratives. And toward the end of the tour is a, sort of, interactive game room for kids to enjoy.

I'd have to say 2 of my favorites are the room which gives you a quick history of all the teams including which players' #'s have been retired...the really really old memorabilia....and then, of course, the room with the head busts of all the inductees. Each time I enter this room I remember the big news story at the time: when OJ's bust was stolen and abandoned off the side of a highway in Cleveland.

You could spend a few hours, or a whole day!

I love seeing Northeast Ohio in the spot light each July-August at Induction time for the Hall of Fame game and then the actual induction ceremonies. All the big stars come back and Canton is in the limelight for an entire weekend! It's great to see.

And it is right in our backyard. So, if you have not been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, shame on you!!! But seriously, don't take it from me, it's close enough for you to check it out yourself and see why the Pro Football Hall of Fame is this week's Hidden Gem!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Our Lady of Peace Elementary School

I've spoken of Our Lady of Peace Church before and some of the wonderful events and fundraising activities spearheaded by this community.

In fact, going back into the archive vault, I believe my first Hidden Gem focused on OLP.

Well, Thursday night was the end of an era.

My entire family went to Our Lady of Peace School. They've always had the best teachers, staff, and offered a terrific education coupled with those incidentals that you can't teach.

On a personal note, receiving a Catholic Education was probably one of the best things that I could have experienced in my lifetime. It laid a priceless foundation for the rest of my life. I will forever be indebted to Our Lady of Peace, the Ursuline Nuns and all of the teachers who pointed me in the right direction to become who I am today (someone I really like).


Our Lady of Peace Church survived the 'cluster' chopping block and was the only church in its cluster to survive. Epiphany has already closed and St. Cecilia will be closing.


Unfortunately, OLP Elementary School did not fair quite as well. Now, it's not as dismal as I make it sound. But, quite a surprise.


With all the flurry surrounding the Cleveland Catholic Diocese Church closings, what was happening between Bishop Lennon and the Cleveland Catholic Elementary School Pastors was sort of swept under the carpet.

Just a few weeks after the dust had settled with the Church closings, it was announced that Our Lady of Peace would become a satellite campus for Archbishop Lyke School. OLP will have a preschool, 3 kindergartens, 3 first grades, and 3 second grades.

4 thru 8 will be on two other campuses.

There was no discussion with parents or parishioners, as there had been with the Church Clustering.

This is what is happening.

Extensive information on how this decision came about was supplied along with answers to questions that may pop up. There had been many meetings with the Bishop, school administrators, and the Cleveland Catholic Diocese Education folks.

It appears that this was a viable solution to keep all of the schools involved vibrant, alive and strong for many years to come as they give the children of Cleveland the best education.

But, this decision can not take away the fact that Thursday night was the final graduation which will ever occur at Our Lady of Peace Elementary School. Now, there will be Pre thru 2 kids roaming around campus. They are cute little bundles but the bigger kids, who have done so much for the neighborhood, the community, and the parish will no longer be on site to assist in invaluable ways.

In fact, just recently, OLP Junior High students raised over $1,000 to put a roof on the new St. Mary's Church in Kenya. These kids, though many of them coming from lower income families themselves, always thought of those less fortunate.

The upper grades had a wonderful choir which will be silenced.

OLP will still have First Communion and possibly some very young servers.

It will be a great challenge to start these youngsters in the education world, and hopefully, lay a great foundation that they can take with them wherever they wind up after the 2nd grade.

I'm sure this will be a wonderful transition for this Parish and will work out for all involved to keep the Cleveland Catholic Schools alive contributing to the future of our children.


The process is just in the beginning stages.


However, that does not take away from the fact that those of us who graduated from the 8th grade at OLP with so many tremendous memories will have a little bittersweet feeling in our hearts knowing how much OLP contributed to our rich history, how the dedicated teachers encouraged us all to dream and reach for the skies, and helped immensely in who we have become today.


If you are not familiar with Our Lady of Peace Elementary School, trust me! The kind, caring, selfless, thoughtful, and successful students they have produced and sent out into this world is my reason for making OLP this week's Hidden Gem. It surely is the end of an era. I am proud to be an OLP Alum and can not say enough great things about this wonderful institution, which hopefully, will continue guiding the little tikes from the very beginning--giving them a tremendous foundation with which to start their education and their lives!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Indians sweep Tampa Bay Rays

Ok, I am using today's Hidden Gem as a personal tribute to my Tribe! I know we also have another team in town who is holding their own. We'll get to them at a later date!

I'd like us all to bask in the warmth of the Cleveland Indians sweeping the ALCS Champion Tampa Bay Rays in a 4-game series. I knew they could do it.

You are only as good as your last game (or your last newscast) and we have the New York Yankees blowing into town for yet another 4-game series.

Honestly, I thought they would do it 2 weekends ago.

I was on furlough a few weeks ago and decided to hop on a flight to see my best friend for a few days. True, the magnetic force really pulling me toward Tampa was the fact that the Indians were playing the Rays. Sorry buddy! The Indians blew the Rays away in game #1 back on May 14 and then they imploded.

They were in every game, got a number of awful calls by the umpires (2 of which MLB and the Umpiring crew came out and said they made the WRONG calls) but could not close the deal.

I saw the fire in their eyes. There was bad blood brewing between this new rivalry. I knew they'd both come out fighting when back in Cleveland. And they proved me right.

What is so great about this most recent 4-game sweep is two-fold. The Indians came back from a 10-0 deficit on May 25. They also came back from a 5-0 deficit on May 27. Plus, the Cleveland Indians did the VERY SAME act one year ago. Back on July 10-13, 2008 our Cleveland Indians swept the Tampa Bay Rays in another 4-game series.

I, being very superstitious, take some credit for that sweep. I went to the Cleveland Metropark Zoo and touched the Sting Rays at their cool exhibit. I tried touching every ray and wished the Tribe would beat the Rays. Well they did.

I guess it just works for the home team.

When I was in Tampa a few weeks ago, I did the same. I touched the rays in their petting pool and whamo, the Rays beat us.

Now I know.

I don't mean to seem like I am taking this entry lightly or fawning too much over my Indians. But, I am. Life is too short, and in today's times, life happenings can be so horrendous/serious/and oftentimes grisly.

We all have to learn to enjoy the little things in life. Savor every sweet moment. Try to make a new memory every single day.

2 weeks ago when I was in Tampa, I saw the Indians lose. Tropicana Field is definitely NO Progressive Field. If you travel as much as we do to other ballparks, you will learn that we are blessed and lucky here in Cleveland with Progressive Field, The Q, and Cleveland Browns Stadium. So many others (not all, I LOVE Fenway) are dumpy and plain.

But even though the Tribe lost a few weeks ago, those 48 hours were tremendous. I was with my dearest friend in 92 degree temps, watching MY Tribe (win or lose), savoring every special moment, making new memories, seeing the positive in every instance.

We can learn a lot from our sports gurus and their cliches:

• play every game as if it's your last
• play hard
• win or go home
• play in the moment
• stay focused
• focus on today
• every at bat counts
• run hard, run it out
• press on
• never give up
• total team effort
• battle out there, battle back
• you got to be ready to hit the curve

We have to learn to grab life by the horns and ride it 'til you fall off! And then, heck, get right back up there and press forward and onward!

Bring on the Yankees!

Go Tribe! (Go Cavs!)

THANK YOU Northeast Ohio!

I mimic and agree 100 percent with Romona's message!