Thanks for Myron–An All-Star Turn-out

It was a triumphant evening for Myron, one of many after the legendary broadcaster retired from the Steelers radio booth. Today, the day before Thanksgiving, Steelers President Art Rooney II headlined a group of speakers who paid tribute to Myron’s contributions to the city and region that so loved him. Art talked about how we tend to move on too quickly in our society, and forget those we have lost. And he talked of how Myron had brought the players to the fans, in a way that no one else could.  The speakers also included Myron’s daughter, Elizabeth, still grieving, only nine months after Myron’s death. She reminded us all of that  Thanksgiving Day a year ago, when he entered the hospital, and really never recovered.

She is shown here, being interviewed by Stan Savran and Guy Junker, who did their ESPN show from the Heinz Field Club Lounge,  the site of the luncheon. 

The event was hosted by the Pittsburgh chapters of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and benefitted Myron’s beloved charities–The Autism Society and Allegheny Valley School, where Danny, Myron’s son, still lives. Dan Torisky , who has been a big part of Myron’s charity golf tournament, pulled it all together, and Foge Fazio, former Pitt and NFL coach, and co-chair for the golf outing, served as co-emcee with me. Franco Harris, Randy Grossman and Craig Bingham were the former Steelers who came and regaled us with stories, along with media types like the PG’s Gene Collier (screamingly funny), Ellis Cannon, Guy Junker, Andrew Stockey, and Adam Lynch. Andrew, Adam and I joined some of the guests for the photos being taken with the fifth Super Bowl trophy won by the Steelers. It was amazing how many lined up for the chance to be close to football excellence.

300 people were kind enough to take time out of the busiest travel day of the year, and spend several hours remembering  the little man, with the big voice, who spent his life making Pittsburgh sports such a special part of our lives. It was such a success, that they plan to do it again next year. I, for one, will be there.

A Washington Win And A Batch Of Steelers

Boy, is this a long time ago. Seems like a lifetime. This was in the satellite parking lot, in front of FedX Field, in Landover, MD for the Redskins game on Election Eve. That is our intrepid Operations Director, Dan Henniger, who has been with Steelers Primetime, now Black and Gold Primetime, since the very beginning. 15 years. He is indispensable. JB and I were freezing at this point. But amazed at all the Steelers fans filing by, and I was just waiting for one of them to scream an obscenity on TV. But they were cool. I look like a huge banana in that coat. 

It was so interesting.  Deshea Townsend intercepted Jason Campbell, who hadn’t had an INT all season, and we interviewed him after the game. Before we went live, Deshea looked at me and asked, “This means Obama wins, right?”  History has shown that when the visiting team wins  in Washington, right before the presidential election, the party out of power wins. I think I am remembering that correctly. 

Obama’s victory was still a big topic of conversation a week later at Charlie Batch’s fundraiser for his foundation, Best of the Batch. It is the second year for the event at Bossa Nova, and practically the whole team comes out to play poker, ping pong and pool with paying guests. I was supposed to play ping pong, but it was pretty bad. Ike Taylor and James Harrison took time out for a photo op, just a week after my interview with James, who just may get Defensive MVP in the AFC if he keeps it up. Ike is having a great year, as well. Back to James, I was a bit nervous about interviewing  him. Just because he has that glowering look that makes him seem so ominous. But he couldn’t have been more cooperative. And these guys were pretty cooperative. That is Janelle Hall and her sister, who is just as pretty as Janelle. Then the irrepressible Jimmy Krenn, his partner, Randy Baumann , another guy (I can’t remember, I should be shot) , and Ben.  Ben also donated his personal box at the Heinz Field and it went for a ton of money.  The work that Charlie has done with the youth of Homestead, and the whole region, is exemplary. Talk to anyone who is involved in mentoring, and they have nothing but praise for him.

Bullying, Caring with Hines, Elvis, and Heroes

I had promised this some time ago, but didn’t want to just type some words about such an important issue. Bullying. So important, that WTAE has joined Highmark Healthy High 5 for three town hall meetings, and  a subsequent special on the subject. These  bright, young people were all presenters at the New Beginning pep rally in the Mars Area School district, back on September 18. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade filled the stands at the Mars Area Athletic Complex. Students told of being pushed, stared at because of a disability, or called names while riding the bus. All 2000 students at the pep rally wore white, and it was encouraging to see their enthusiasm. The pep rally was the way this district chose to launch its participation in the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.

An expert in the program is James Bozigar , shown here at the rally with Lesley Kennedy, a guidance counselor at Mars Area Centennial School, and, next to her, Ian Magness, the principal there. Mr Magness is coordinator of the program that pulls the school community together to combat bullying and create an atmosphere in which it is not tolerated.

 

James Bozigar, shown here on the far left, was also part of our town hall panel. The first meeting was at Mt. Lebanon High School, where Dr. Matthew Masiello from the Windber Research Institute and Amy Whealdon, a counselor in the Mt. Lebanon also joined the panel as experts in the best ways to deal with bullying and your child. Sheldon Ingram hosted the second town hall meeting at Mars Middle School, and I will host a third one, on November 13, somewhere in the Pittsburgh School District. 

Coincidentally, The Caring Team Kick-Off Luncheon at Heinz Field was held the same morning as our first town hall meeting on bullying prevention.  Grieving children, and the  Highmark Caring Place, which counsels them, are also part of Healthy High 5. Hines Ward, who is one of our co-captains on the Caring Team, got the day off from practice from Coach Tomlin. The Steelers have been immensely supportive of the Caring Team for years. Hundreds of students were on hand, and they went nuts when Hines walked into the room, decked out in these cool suspenders (I love them!) and shoes to die for. Max Starks is another co-captain for the Team, but seniority has its privileges, and he couldn’t get out of his team meetings. Each of the schools involved works hard to raise awareness about the Caring Place.And less than a week before, at Heinz Field,  this guy did the most amazing imitation of Elvis. Recognize him? This is DVE’s Jimmy Krenn after his knock-em-dead performance at the Voices Carry fundraiser for the Children of Auberle. It was the best Voices Carry ever, and DVE’s Randy Baumann gets a lot of the credit hosting and organizing it. Andrew, Stockey,  Stephen Cropper, and I were there, but, thank goodness, we didn’t sing. The last time Mike Clark and I did that, NO ONE voted for us, and Mike screamed at me. Told me he didn’t know I was tone deaf. I was abominable. I still love him. Auberle has been dedicated to taking care of abused, neglected and troubled children and their families for 55 years in Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

And one last note. I don’t have any photos, but I want to thank the organizers of the Autism Speaks dinner at Southpointe several weeks ago. The chairs were Don and Donna Lund and their dedication to the cause, and their children, is so humbling. When I think of the banalities of my life that consume me, I think of this family who have become such great crusaders in trying to solve the disturbing riddle of this condition.

Hillary, Celebrity Cooks And A Nordstrom Night

Once again, I begin a blog with an apology. Sorry about this photo. It is video we froze, because the five minutes they give us to do the one-on-one’s don’t really allow you to stand back and snap a photo. It also isn’t really very journalistically appropriate when you are working. Although, blogs are now becoming a new, different kind of journalism, so I probably need to adjust my thinking. Which seems to be the norm for all of us, these days. 

This is the third time I have interviewed Senator Clinton–the other two times were during the April primary. The first was in a gas station in Bloomfield, and the second, which was an exclusive, was in a classroom in a Beaver County high school. 

In this moment, she was answering the only question in which she paused, and thought about what she was going to say. I had asked if, knowing she was so important to the campaign in Pennsylvania (whose primary she had won), eased the pain of losing the nomination. Her answer was that it was gratifying to be asked to campaign, and she had been to 65 events all over the country. She added that people have come up to her, and said they had supported her, and weren’t ready to decide yet, until she appeared to make the case for Obama.  It was not a direct answer, but she was quite gracious, and convincing. She clearly has an unbelievable memory, or ability to act like she remembers you(I prefer to believe it is the former, of course), but our discussion before and after the interview was about shoes. She liked mine (animal print with low heel), and we commiserated that, at our age, we could no longer wear these obscenely high heels her staff members often wore. Then as I left, she told me to check out Tory Burch, for a fashionable, but sensible shoe.

And just so we can play “Six Degrees of Separation,” here is a picture of some of the celebrity chefs for the Celebrity Cook-Off at Nakama on the Southside. The night benefits Cystic Fibrosis, and was the same evening that Senator Obama was here in Pittsburgh. Right after this photo was taken, Obama’s motorcade drove down East Carson Street, creating quite the stir. More six degrees–the Mayor, shown in the picture, supported Senator Clinton, and was at the Obama rally, before he came to cook at one of the tables. The other chefs in the picture–are Mike and Bob, Tall Cathy and Jorge– from Kiss 96.1 (I will be joining all of them on their Halloween Cruise Friday night-can’t wait!) , and Jim Lokay, from KDKA. I cooked with DVE’s Val Porter, on the first shift, and by myself for the second, and couldn’t believe how exhausted I was after cutting steak. I would be a lousy chef. HARD WORK!!!!! There were a couple of Steelers who dropped by to lend their support–Casey Hampton, and Jeff Reed–he was dressed like a Frankenstein with bolts and blood all over him. Sorry, no photo.

and this is another photo from my cell phone. Sorry about the crummy angle. This is a friend of mine, Tricia Kassling. You may have seen her picture with her husband in the Trib for the Nordstrom Gala event, benefitting Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Carnegie. They were both on the host committee, and are some of the most prominent philanthropists in the area. There were plenty of Steelers at this event, too. Kendall Simmons on crutches, Greg Warren ( We were all so upset about his injury-did you seem the replay when his leg buckled coming off the field-ghastly!), and Jeff Reed again, accompanied by punter Mitch Berger. 1600 people in all. It was an incredible evening.

Monday Night Memories And A PSO TD

 

It was a costly Monday night win against the hated Baltimore Ravens. O-lineman, Kendall Simmons out for the year. Rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall out for the year, Willie Parker still injured, and Big Ben hardly practicing with that bum shoulder. But, after the game, linebacker, Larry Foote, shown her with his adorable daughter, Jalyn, is still smiling.

Were expectations low, going into Jacksonville? Probably, at least on the part of pundits and fans. First, they beat us here at home in the playoffs last year.  Two years ago, on a Monday night, Ben was coming off a motorcycle accident and an emergency appendectomy. Jon Burton and I were there to watch a bizarre 3-0 victory by the Jags.

What a joy it was to watch Ben, Hines  and the O-line step up, and Mewelde Moore was impressive in his start. And that last blitz by the defense just snuffed out any last minute comeback. Now I can’t wait to see them take on the Giants (who are smokin’ right now), here at Heinz field. First the Steelers have to go to Cincy, and the Bungles didn’t look too bad against Dallas Sunday.

Speaking of Heinz, I was at Heinz Hall on September 28, for the concert with violinist, Joshua Bell and new music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck (this image is from the website, outside in). I was in tears. The Mahler symphony was amazing! And Bell was superb with the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. I was engaged to the one of the musicians over a decade ago (he wisely married someone else, but we are still great friends.) and he is just delighted with Honeck. Honeck is a man of great faith in God, great passion, and great empathy. He was an orchestra musician himself, before he became a conductor. A violist, with the Vienna Philharmonic. 

I interviewed him September 22, after the opening Gala, and his excitement about being here with one of the greatest Orchestras in the world is infectious. Check them out this season. It is an unforgettable experience. 

And another apology. I have been setting up a lot of new stories recently, so have not been able to blog. But I am catching up, and am going to be going back months to send a shout out to people who have made this year very special for me.

Elephant Baby Dynamics & Docent Celebration

Remember this? If you watched our “Behind The Scenes With the New Babies” about a month ago, this is when Zuri, little hellion that she is, charged our intrepid photographer, Eric Hinnebusch. Eric said,”whoa,” but stood his ground, and she failed to knock him down. I remember Victoria did the same to me, years ago, when she was almost the same weight and age. She knocked me back on one leg, but I was still standing.

 

And Zuri is certainly holding her ground against her larger, and only weeks older, half-sister. Since we taped our segment about a month ago,  Angelina has gained about 100 pounds, and weights 450, and Zuri has also gained about 100, and weighs in at 350 pounds. Elephant Manager Willie Theison says Zuri continues to be all energy, asserting herself constantly, while Angelina is much more passive.

Zuri,being the smallest of all the elephants in the herd, is making her presence felt ( with us, here–a photo taken by Kerri McMullen, a professional photographer). She pushes Angelina right to the limit, then Angelina pushes back.  And Willie says Victoria is becoming the mentor, big sister he hoped she would be. Sometimes Zuri will be screaming, and Victoria will just go over and touch her with her trunk to calm her. The two babies often play underneath Victoria, and if Angelina fights back too hard, Vic just gives her a little shove away. Actually, Victoria was born 9 years ago this month, and Callee was born in September a year later. So there was  a big birthday bash at the Zoo this Sunday.  And, for a small donation, folks could have a picture taken with either Callee or Victoria. It was so funny to see who was intimidated by their size, and who wasn’t. This little girl from Sewickley, Makayla Sallese, was cool as a cucumber.  Even when Victoria took her hand with her trunk. 

And  a lot of the docents were on hand for the birthday party, of course, helping out with cookies, face-painting, and information.

 This photo was taken at the Zoo’s “thank you ” party for the docents who participated in the Elephant Baby Watch. And with Moja, that went on for weeks and weeks. I participated in one of them, but no baby on my shift. Many of docents were on watches for the births of Callee and Victoria, and all of them feel a special connection to the process and the herd. They are a dedicated group of individuals, who train for weeks to be certified, and their knowledge about the animals never ceases to amaze me. By the way, they have a new cookbook coming out that you will be able to buy at the gift shop. I think it helps fund their program.

And this elephant-like pyramid is composed of staff members who helped in the baby process, and entertained the docents that evening. Of course Willie, and on the foundation with him, Mammal Curator Amos Morris, and on the left end, keeper, Brian McCampbell, and on the right side, keeper, Joe Galvanek.

Above them, from left to right, keeper, Stacy Mcdonough; vet techs, Pam Peabody and Libby Galvanek; and keeper,Kyle Wojcik. Zoo Photographer, Paul Selvaggio, who took those wonderful birth pictures, snapped these. Zoo Director Barbara Baker was not there for the photo shoot, but she, and her communications staff, Connie George and Tracy Gray, put in hundreds of hours for the babies. 

One last photo, taken by Kerri. This is The Matriarch, Tash. She is my favorite, and sometimes, she even listens to me. Only when she is not focused on Willie, of course. How lucky we all are to have these wondrous creatures in our world. 

Cropper Helps Make FAAN Walk Huge Success

The numbers are sobering. 1 in 25 americans has a food allergy. That’s more than 12 million people. A number double what it was a decade ago. 200 people die annually from food allergies. The impact that food allergies have on families is far-reaching and life-altering.  Those families came together Sunday in a huge way at Hartwood Acres. 

 

 

460 people turned out for the first-ever Pittsburgh FAAN Walk, and they raised over 40 thousand dollars. That ties Philadelphia, but we had 200 more walkers. FAAN stands for Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, and a representative from the national organization was impressed with the turnout and the organization. 

 

WTAE meteorologist, Stephen Cropper was the Honorary Chairperson,(I am such an idiot, I forgot to take his picture–but he gave me his cookies) and I was his co-chair. Stephen has a peanut allergy, and, on several occasions, has had attacks at work, when he has eaten something at the station that has hidden peanut ingredients. Peanut reactions are responsible for the largest number of food allergy deaths. 

That young man covering his eyes is Andy Winzen. He is only three years old, and has an allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. The little girl is his sister, Jeanne. Andy’s parents, Uwe on the left, and Addie, on the right, chaired the event, and worked tirelessly to pull it together, along with a supporting cast of devoted parents. These families are so brave, and the kids are remarkable, learning to be responsible at such an early age. If they don’t, it can cost them their lives. It was hot and muggy, but almost everyone took part in the mile and a half walk . 

Next year can only be better, after such an auspicious beginning. For more information about the walk, go to www.foodallergy.org.

But FAAN wasn’t the only walk Sunday. In the morning, I was over at North Park, where 1700 folks walked in the battle against ovarian cancer. Yvonne Zanos, who was diagnosed with stage 3 just last December, led them all,  looking fabulous, and connecting with so many survivors, and families walking in memory, or in honor, of loved ones. It never ceases to amaze me how people in this area turn their lives upside down to help a cause, and better our community.

The Children Of 9/11

I had planned on posting something different today. Then I remembered it was 9/11. How can we forget? Time, and the rush of everyday life,  push even the most compelling,disturbing memories into the background. But not for the families of 9/11. This image is from today’s ceremony at Shanksville, where the loved ones of the heroes of United Flight 93 come annually.  I can not even comprehend the daily struggles, the ongoing grief, they experience.

I didn’t anticipate I would cry today. It started this morning, as I watched children read the names of their mothers or fathers–victims of the Al-Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center. I thought of a friend of mine, whose brother died on one of those jets, flown so savagely into the Towers, and of her sister-in-law’s children. They now live here in Pittsburgh, and, this week-end, I coincidentally saw this friend. She spoke of how remarkable her sister-in-law is–how brave, and purposeful. It underscores the need for all of us to remember. Remember for our country, yes. For the fallen, yes. But more for the families left behind. So they never feel alone with the pain. Knowing that those losses meant something, and always will, is some solace. 

Like the flag in the photo says: “Our Nation Will Eternally Honor.”

I never saw the film, “United Flight 93,” in the theatre.  Like many, I just couldn’t do it. It was directed by Paul Greeengrass, who was nominated for an Oscar for it. I finally watched the movie a year ago, at home. I was stunned. And awed by the courage those passengers showed. It is hard to watch, but I would urge anyone who hasn’t seen it, to try. Dennis Atkinson, one of our assignment managers, put it best. “Al-Qaeda never counted on the cell phones.”  If they had, that plane would have reached its intended target. They also never counted on the indomitable nature of the human spirit, the need for loved ones to connect, and the willingness of those passengers to sacrifice themselves for a greater good. 

There were so many stories of sacrifice that day–the firefighters, the police officers, office workers, rescue crews, the list goes on. 

It seems so trite to say, but bears repeating. May we all learn from that sacrifice, and never forget it. And try to emulate it in our daily lives.

Jero:A Pitt Alum Rocks Japan

I don’t know how many of you saw my story about a young University of Pittsburgh graduate who has taken the Japanese music scene by storm. This is Jerome White, Jr., and he was back in town the end of August, to see his family and perform for a sold-out crowd at Pitt’s student union. Word is, people from Japan heard about the performance, and were willing to fly over here for it!  Jerome, who has just turned 27, is known as “Jero” in Japan, and his concert was presented by the Asian Studies Center at Pitt, where I have spent a lot of wonderful hours over the last 27 years here in the ‘Burgh. 

Try googling Jero and you’ll see that they are even writing stories about him in the UK. Jerome sings enka, a genre that became very popular in post-war Japan, and one that  Jerome told me is like the blues. They are usually songs of lost love, and often have melancholy lyrics. The older Japanese women sitting behind me at the concert were all singing along with Jero. I loved it.

This type of music has waned in popularity in recent years, but this unlikely performer is bringing it back in a big way. Not only is he the first African-American enka singer there, but he does it in hip-hop style. He said on stage that he thought dressing in a kimono would be almost offensive, and a parody, and he dresses hip-hop anyway, so he talked the record producers into it. Good thing. His first record zoomed to number 4 on the Japanese charts, and the producers told Jerome that that just doesn’t happen. 

Jerome’s mother, Harumi Morrow, was there, and his brother, and other family members. One of his brothers now lives in Japan, I think. Jerome’s maternal grandmother was Japanese, and that is where he learned to sing enka, staying over at her house. He really doesn’t seem to want to switch into pop genres, and is committed to enka. Made me want to go back to Japan and see him perform. 

Jerome got his degree in information sciences in 2003, and went right to Japan, where he taught English, then got a job in systems engineering. He also studied Japanese at Pitt, and at his concert, he called the University’s program the best in the country. After entering a lot of karaoke contests, and winning some, he finally caught the attention of a record producer, and the rest is history. This visit, he had a national Japanese documentary crew following him around everywhere. 

And these guys talked about heading over to not only visit, but dance, with Jero. Meet Mike Davis, Kya Comer, and Philip King. They went to Pitt with Jerome, danced in a group with him, and performed at the concert to raves. They would be an enormous hit in Japan, where hip-hop is hugely popular. It was truly an international night.

A Hero From Freedom

 

First, my apologies for not posting for so long. The 50th Anniversary Special took up more time than I expected, and I will have to be playing catch up over the next week. 

And the first thing I have to write about is a teenager from Beaver County who captured the attention of a nation, and made us all better for it. I never met John Challis, but I was moved deeply by the stories told by our reporters who interviewed him and his family. Jake Ploeger, Tara Edwards, Jon Burton. I also happened to see the ESPN feature on John and wept the entire time. Not just because of John’s courage and wisdom, but that of his family and his baseball coach, Steve Wetzel, and all the people who drew strength from his example. Courage + Believe = Life. Pretty powerful. Especially when you realize it came from an 18-year-old, dying of liver and lung cancer. I know scholars who have lived decades who could not come up with something so eloquently simple, and infinitely inspirational. 

I was not able to make the viewings or the funeral. Summer vacations by other anchors, and taping sessions for the special prevented it. But the story by Mike White in the Post-Gazette lovingly took me there. He initially brought John Challis to us in his first story in May, and his relationship with John is a perfect example of how “personal” journalism can help better our world, by bringing the best of people into our homes and our hearts. How else would we know of a special hero from Freedom, named John Challis. My thoughts and prayers go out to  his sister, Lexie, and his parents, Scott and Gina. It is difficult to have to grieve publicly, but, then again, it must be some comfort to know they have raised such an exemplary young man.