Manny Acta & Chris Antonetti of the Indians

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ah, the smell of blooming gardens & spring!

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

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

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

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

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

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

The people you meet. They are tremendous!

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

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

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

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!

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....

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!

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!

Congratulations to this year's Emmy nominees!

Last week the Emmy nominees for the 41st annual regional Emmy Awards were announced and WKYC received 18 Emmy nominations!

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for the Lower Great Lakes Chapter held their annual Emmy nomination party to make the announcement.

WKYC captured 18 nominations while STO received 6 nominations. I'm blessed and honored to be included in those nominations!

The 41st Annual Emmy Awards will be held Saturday, June 19, 2010 in downtown Cleveland at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Good luck to all the nominees!

To see the entire list of nominations, please CLICK HERE!

Zdrunas Ilgauskas trade

WOW!

What a flurry for what seemed an eternity but in reality, only a few minutes.

Everyone knows we have the best sports department in town so they had been on top of the pending Cleveland Cavaliers trade 'rumors' and then the trade 'near truths' that have been swirling around the last week or so.

Today was the day. It all came together so quickly that Jim Donovan still had the information for our early shows.

I've said it before and will say it forever --Jim Donovan's my hero. What a pro, how he masters his craft. But more importantly, he's one of THE nicest human beings I could ever know, EVER!

He does not need scripts, he does not need anyone to repeat information to him. He knows his stuff and he has a photogenic memory. He reads something once or hears something just once and it's there baby!

It all happened so fast. The sports department was gathering the info the way they do while a handful of us were checking the wires, and believe it or not TWITTER!

The tweets were coming a mile a minute. It was very exciting! Those of us who follow sports folks, the Cavs, the Wizards, etc., kept checking who we follow to see what THEY were saying and if it jived with what we were hearing!

Again, I can just describe it as a flurry!! A blur.

When the smoke cleared after about 10 minutes or so, all the information we were gathering via the telephone, the email, and via tweets all jived and were completely in sync.

The basics: Zdrunas Ilgauskas & a first round draft pick were traded away while the Cleveland Cavs got Antawn Jamison. This trade involved three teams and, so far, 6 players.

Donovan blew everyone away with his breaking news and .......well, hopefully in 30 days, we WILL get Zdrunas Ilgauskas back to our Cleveland Cavaliers!!!

Go to wkyc.com for the latest on this breaking news story as well as what happens over the next month with the team who is our next hope for a championship!!!

The Olympics are in full swing

Last Friday night kicked off two of the most exciting weeks of sports, if not THE most exciting competition to be witnessed by the world.

The 2010 Winter Olympics set in Vancouver unveiled their opening ceremonies and a preview of what's in store in the coming days.

Programming on wkyc and nbc will be affected by the 2010 Winter Olympics so check your local listings and stay tuned to wkyc and wkyc.com for the latest updates.

The Olympics are not only airing on nbc/wkyc but all of the nbc networks such as MSNBC, CNBC, USA.....wkyc will be airing The Olympic Zone at 730pm every night, Monday thru Friday, with Jim Donovan. Donovan will give our customers a preview of the night ahead, results from competition from the day before and earlier that day as well as having former Olympic Gold Medalists on the show as live guests talking about the various sporting events.

The Olympic Zone will highlight all of the local Olympians who are in Vancouver competing in their prospective sporting events as we attend watch parties and fan feedback!

If that's not enough to get your daily Olympic fix, please log onto wkyc.com where there is a special section dedicated to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. This section will be updated continuously as results stream in to the web center.

Stay with wkyc and wkyc.com as we take you on one of the most exciting, history-making journeys ever!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Dueling Garden Shows

Cleveland is big enough to have two Garden Shows!

Clevelanders usually head out to the area expos at each unique venue and support every show.

The 'Annual Cleveland Home and Garden Show' moved to Euclid this year after 18 years at the I-X Center.

The 67th annual show took place in the end of January at the Great Lakes Expo Center in Euclid. The show, which was a bit smaller than in years past, still had the beautiful gardens, with a German theme, the home improvement booths, vendors selling wonderful wares and unique gadgets, and of course, delicious food!

I always love stepping into the building and immediately being overcome with the beautiful aromas.

WKYC covered this event....

I have to admit, I don't know all the ins and outs about advertising but we did focus a bit more on the garden show at the I-X Center--The Great Big Home and Garden Show.

WKYC and momslikeme.com shared a booth. On-Air and behind the scenes people staffed the booth each day greeting our customers and offering information about the station, our product, our websites and anything else that interested viewers.

The big draw at the I-X Center, besides the beautiful gardens, Ty Pennington and Cheryl Tiegs.

Local landscapers crafted the beautiful gardens, which had a musical theme. Each garden was inspired by a specific song, such as "Cheeseburger in Paradise," "If I had a million dollars," "Fields of Gold".....

There were rows of home improvement stands as well as tasty treats and beautiful hand-crafted creations.

Entering the hall of gardens quite intoxicating. The minute I entered, I was overtaken by the beautiful floral scents from each and every garden. And the music connected to each garden made each one come to life!

Even in the midst of one of the coldest and snowiest winters in Cleveland history, it was fun stealing away for a few hours pretending I was in the tropics or Carolinas seeing masterpiece after masterpiece.

I suggest keeping tabs on all the wonderful conventions which come into Northeast Ohio. The next time one or both of the Garden Shows make a visit, please check one or both of them out and then you too will see why they are this week's Hidden Gem!!

February Sweeps 2010 kicks off

Amidst the busy week I detailed in my last entry, to top it off, February 2010 Sweeps kicked off today!

News Director Rita Andolsen rallied the troops not only with her inspirational news room speech but 'treating' the news room to delicious masterpieces from The Chocolate Bar!

It's just wrong the amount of rich, decadent chocolate in the newsroom today!


Be sure to tune into wkyc all month long for stories to keep our customers connected to what's truly important to them...and give them information to help with what matters most.

For example, Monica Robins kicked off the month with her masterful piece on Connor-- a little boy who has a rare disorder called Dopa-Responsive Dystonia. No one really knew what Connor had until his mother Cynthia took it upon herself to research his symptoms and track down doctors who would listen to her theories. Not giving up or taking no for an answer, his doctor put Connor on new medication which proved to be 'miraculous' in Connor's recovery.

You won't want to miss a single story in the coming weeks.....stay tuned!

Big week for helping those in need

This week proved to be a crucial week for helping those in need.

WKYC took part in the Ohio Benefit Bank.

There are so many people who may be eligible for help of some kind--regarding Medicare or other medical concerns...with utilities or hundreds of other options but they just do not know it.

WKYC and a number of local organizations offered a phone bank staffed with experts to answer questions from the public.

The response was tremendous. Many people were helped and given beneficial information to assist their needs.

There were a number of people who could not get through because the response was overwhelming.

The overflow calls reached the news assignment desk. I kept offering the numbers for the phone bank and then the number the Ohio Benefit Bank could be reached at after the phone bank closed.

I must share with you. Toward the final minutes of the phone bank, an elderly lady called the news desk dozens of times. She'd attempt to call the phone bank and then when she could not get through called me. Well, all I could do was pleasantly tell her to keep trying and give her the alternative number to reach the Ohio Benefit Bank at a later time.

I swear. I was laughing my butt off. I understand this lady needed help. But she must not know you get more bees with honey....I apologized to her for not being able to get through and gave her the numbers again. After I gave her the numbers and told her to keep trying she said to me, "You make me sick! You disgust me. I hate you all! You all are evil!" And hung up.

I'm sorry for her frustration but that won't get her through to the phone bank.


And then a wonderful joint effort by all networks, cable stations and many radio stations to simulcast the Hope for Haiti telethon which George Clooney pulled together. What a wonderful production. Entertainers, singers, actors, sports people manned this phone bank and spoke to their fans thanking them for any size donation for the Haiti victims. Musicians performed giving the audience a bit of entertainment. I believe the proceeds from the compilation CD will also go to Haiti.

No matter how people are hurting and struggling, there are many giving human beings who open their purse strings to help those so much more less fortunate.

Who's your favorite? Metromix knows!

Metromix is in the midst of their 'best of' contest and the rest of us are reaping the benefits!

Log on to Metromix Cleveland to vote for your favorites--whether it be restaurant, burger, bar, wings, pizza, hair salon, wine bar, happy hour, bowling alley....the list is endless!!

Every night, Metromix has featured some of the nominees during Channel 3 News at 7pm.....

Holy cow, from delicious pizza to french fries, wings, burgers, hot dogs....you name it, they've had it!

I'm not complaining, mind you! But, I thought in the new year, we were all supposed to get healthy and slim. This is not helping!

Vote for your favorites! Keep watching wkyc and check Metromix Cleveland and wkyc.com next week for the winners and see who is 'tops' in C-Town!

Happy New Year!

What else is there to say?

We are about to embark on a new year, a new decade and hopefully a fresh start --stronger than ever!! And I know stronger than ever because of what I and we all have had to endure in 2009.

It may sound silly, but for me, the onset of the New Year, the Lenten Season, and the Advent Season ushers in a new opportunity to try again, improve oneself and become a better person. I know I should not have to wait for these three pivotal seasons, but they motivate me more than anything else and give me a renewed hope for the future.

This year's economic uncertainty has affected all of us. At the beginning of 2009, I never imagined that everyone I know, including myself, would become so familiar with the term 'furlough,' as well as downsizing as I still cringe seeing how my 401-K has vanished before my very eyes!

Many of my friends have lost their jobs and it's a given that the 'raise' as we once knew it is long gone. Staying with the same company your entire career seems to be a thing of the past, tragic as that may be.


I'm still speechless and shaken up at the catastrophic event which occurred back on March 25, 2009. Mind boggling. My life was changed forever...my property destroyed....my peace of mind and sense of security violated--all as I innocently sat up on the news assignment desk just doing my job.


Amazingly enough, at the time I thought 'that' single incident was one of the worst things in my life. That was until October 26, 2009. My car being totalled in the parking garage while I diligently worked pales in comparison to my Mother and best friend dying.



Just as I personally try to forge ahead through hardship, overcome adversity, tie up loose ends, wrap up last minute obligations, and clear the slate, the same holds true here in the newsroom.

We've been airing stories that our reporters have been researching and compiling for weeks --various year-enders ranging from the amazing medical success stories coming out of Cleveland's world renowned hospitals to the rocky year for not only our County Government but the Cleveland Catholic Church as local churches continue shutting their doors....a close look at the accomplishments of the Cleveland Municipal Schools as well as improvements still necessary to get our kids up to par with the nation, and the same old song and dance which sounds like a broken record year-in and year-out --the 'wait til next year' mantra surrounding all of our Sports teams!


I say goodbye this week to an excellent intern as he heads back to OU--wishing Brad Appleton the best of luck with his studies and a very bright broadcasting career ahead!


I continue passing out cards, gifts, and holiday greetings to my fellow co-workers.


I move into the New Year knowing I have gone above and beyond and have given my all at work to wkyc and wkyc.com...I have excelled on the news desk and in all of my duties....I've tried to be the best co-worker, friend, family member and most importantly, I hope I've used all of my God-given talents to the best of my ability and have made my maker proud.


I am excited for what's yet to come in the new year --the opportunities ahead, knowledge to be learned, meeting new people and making new memories!


Finally, I wish you a safe New Year's Eve and a perfect start to what will be a 'hope-filled' year overflowing with happiness, success, joy and laughter to you and those you love.

Thanks for the beautiful flowers!

Words can not describe what I have gone through and will continue to live out for the rest of my life.

I understand this is all part of the chapters and cycles that one must go through in a lifetime.

However, I also know that no two people ever have the same experience.

People can say "I know what you're going through honey..." but they really don't know.

And honestly, someone upstairs is really testing me. To go through what happened to me and my car back on March 25, 2009 and then what transpired on October 26, 2009. Mom was really the only person who gave me the strength and support back in March and ironically, she and her 'posse' up in Heaven are guiding me through this second life altering occurrence.

I've learned ever since Mom started dealing with various ailments 4-5 years ago that everyone reacts differently to adversity, sickness, and death. We had friends & family who continued supporting Mom and I. We had those who said they'd come visit and never showed. We had those who totally ignored us. And then others who kept at a distance but did not want to shun us. Mom and I even had someone do something shocking back in May of, I believe, 2006 --when we really needed her most.

You just have to keep plugging along. I had the best role model for survival, compassion through adversity, faith, and never giving up --My Mom.

I thank my fellow co-workers and former co-workers from around the Country who have sent their well-wishes and prayers over the last number of weeks. I've really worked with some terrific people. I can't mention everyone and don't want to slight anyone but I must thank some former co-workers who went above and beyond --thank you Tommy, Wilma, Lou, Katie, Jane, Bill, Kate, and Allison! Hearing your voice Wilma and seeing the rest of you was a God send. But again, there are soooo many others --a big THANK YOU to all!

The night we thought my Mom was going to pass away, my 11pm producer and dear friend Dan actually came up to the hospital to support my family. I will never forget that moment. And a dear friend of mine and former wkyc weekend anchor, Lydia Esparra, has been helping me the entire time.

I sang my Mom's entire funeral Mass and Lydia and videotape editor Pat Woodside graciously said they'd sit in and back up my singing....take over if I lost it...or just be there for moral support.

Well, through the grace of God (and Mom), I was able to sing every single song. It was so nice having them their for moral support, though.

I just want to thank everyone who has left calls on my home phone, my cell phone, greeted me in person, sent a beautiful card, email, or even a Facebook or Twitter message.

And finally, I'd love to thank WKYC for sending a lovely floral arrangement as well as a delicious food and pastry tray to the Funeral Home during calling hours. Both gestures are greatly appreciated from not only me but my entire family.

Thank You.

As I've said before, we all have another guardian angel watching out for all of us from a better place! And she is also watching over my Cleveland Indians! Mark my words!

Perfect week to come back

The gods are smiling on me. I'm quite fortunate to have the perfect week to come back to work.

Not only an extremely busy week to help me keep my mind off of recent events, at least while I am at work...but a week of extraordinary news stories.

The Imperial serial murders. Let's face it, these stories do not come along very often. All of the National and International media have latched on to this story.

Tuesday's a pretty significant election day for Northeast Ohio. Not only can Cuyahoga County change their government system but Cleveland chooses the fate of the current mayor AND decides whether they want to roll the dice on a new casino.


It reminds me of the week I began at WKYC so many years ago.

I believe my very first day was a huge election day. I'm not sure why I chose that day or how it happened, but I remember having Eileen, a college buddy of mine, sitting at my side allowing me to run the desk as she answered questions specific to how wkyc did their thing!

I felt at home that first night and still feel at home today.


Ever since I've been back, there has not been a want for food in the news room--which is typical for a news department.

My Mom treated the news department to a last banquet (as she did so many times before) as I brought in a huge cold cut platter from Gallucci's for her favorite KYC folks....

Then election night, more pizza and salad than anyone could ever dream of!


It's great being back to work and in the grind. I'm one lucky girl.

County Reform Special

Whether you pay any attention to the news or not, I'm sure you are aware of the Cuyahoga County Reform issue which has been in the spotlight.

Whether you are into politics or not, ditto.

Well, WKYC knows this has been one of the most hot-button issues, and one of the most volatile years in Cuyahoga County Government, so WKYC along with WVIZ/PBS Ideastream and The Plain Dealer are joining forces to bring Northeast Ohio voters a special half-hour program to answer questions about Cuyahoga County reform Issues 5 & 6.

The half-hour special will air on WKYC on Sunday, Oct. 25th at 10 a.m. and on WVIZ on Friday, Oct. 23 at 8:30 p.m.

Journalists who have been covering the county reform issue will weigh in with their expertise and highlight the most pressing questions voters have before they head to the polls.

If you have any questions you would like addressed, log onto wkyc.com and CLICK ON THIS LINK!!!!

Jay Leno's Primetime debut

Well, what did you think?

I, as an employee of NBC and wkyc, hope the ratings are off the charts!

If Leno does well, it can only help our late news.

However, I hate relying solely on our lead-in shows.

It's great to put out a tremendous show and grab the viewers on our own and keep them coming back for more night after night. What satisfaction!

If you depend on the lead-in and it's not up to par, well enough said!


Regardless of if you watched or not and what you thought or not, Leno's debut proved to be quite a success with about 18 million viewers tuning in at 10:00 p.m.

Nielsen Media Research says "that's the biggest audience for a prime time television show since the 'American Idol' finale in May.

Leno said it himself, it's great having a fresh, live show each day because you can discuss the hot topics and news of the day.

Well, the news that day was how Kanye West snubbed and embarrassed Taylor Swift during the MTV Video Music Awards. And poof --Leno had Kanye West on the premier show. Great move.

My stats folks and fellow employees who track the ratings more than I tell me wkyc at 11pm had wonderful numbers. Hopefully those tuned in for the first Leno show liked what they saw at 11pm and will keep coming back for more!

'The Point After' starts up again

With Sunday's kickoff of the regular season of Cleveland Browns Football comes yet another debut: 'The Point After.'

On Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. during football season, the wkyc 7pm news goes on hiatus as 'The Point After' takes center stage.

If you have not tuned into this show, you don't know what you are missing!

It has to be one of the most riveting 1/2 hours of sports television programming all week long.

Not only do you have the radio voice of the Cleveland Browns, Jim Donovan, but he is joined by former Cleveland Brown great Doug Dieken, former Browns' coach Sam Rutigliano and Sports Writer Tony Grossi.

The wealth of knowledge assembled for 'The Point After' each week makes for a fast-paced and enlightening broadcast combining a break-down of the game, insight as to what worked and what didn't, a look ahead at the next game, stimulating conversation and a dash of humor.

The fans get an inside perspective they can not get anywhere else as they find themselves in the center of the action.

Remember, tune in to wkyc at 7:00 p.m. each Monday night during Cleveland Browns' Football for 'The Point After.'