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!