Raise your glasses to a phenomenal 2011

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

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

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

(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

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

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!

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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'

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'

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!

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!