The Man in the Family
By: Ann C. Piasecki
Owner: Cameo Memories and Photography
www.cameomemoriesandphotography
Email: director@cameomemoriesandphotography.com
My name is Jim Conley. I grew up an Irish Catholic in a large corner apartment building at West End Avenue and Le Claire Street in the heart of Chicago's Austin District. I'm the oldest of three boys, each born a year apart, to Lee and Mary (O'Brien) Conley. In 1915 my parents owned the six-flat apartment building where we made our home. The community of largely Irish, Italian, German and Scandinavian immigrants was solidly middle-class, clean and safe. Elm trees and neat lawns lined the streets and boulevards. Small businesses like Sal's Groceries, Ed's Barber Shop, Kresge's Five-and-Dime, O'Hallaran's Pub and Gelato's Pharmacy dotted the 25.7 square miles of this West Loop neighborhood.
The makings of World War I in Europe were yet beyond our purview— we had enough bluster coming from our own City Hall. St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and School on Washington Boulevard was an integral part of our family community. You could rent a canoe or paddle boat at Columbus Park, and in the summer we'd walk over to the pavilion for an outside orchestral performance. I was partial to Red Allen, and boy could Louis Armstrong make that horn cry.
We used to swim at the YMCA or play side-street baseball—that was our gang's favorite activity. Our bicycles, our own two feet, the Lake Street "L" and the Green Hornet street rail were our modes of transportation.
I guess you could say my dad, a Chicago policeman, my mom and us boys were snug in a comfortable existence; but for me, it lasted only 14 years. I had just completed my freshmen year at St. Mel's High School when my dad got shot and killed in the line of duty. School was already out for the summer, so on this Friday my brothers and I travelled with my Uncle Obe, he was policeman too, to see a friend of his on Maxwell Street. Afterwards we shopped around for deals on baseball cards—I wanted one of Lou Gehrig. I saw Babe Ruth play once while on a vacation in Philadelphia. You had to respect the Yankees.
But what happened later that day is forever burned in my memory. I recall every sensation. If I think about it, I can still detect the evil odor of dread, upset stomach, nervous shaking that occurred on that shadowy and unusually hot spring night, May 31, 1929.
Supper was late. Mom kept the pot roast warming on the stove for a long time before she got fed-up and told us to come in and eat. My dad was supposed to accompany my little brothers, 13-year-old Jack and 12-year-old Bill, to a mandatory meeting about vocations and the missions at the St. Tom school gym. We thought my dad was just running late—probably stuck booking some bum he'd pinched for public drunkenness, and that he'd be home soon. I'd finished my paper route and was listening to the baseball game, the Socks vs. Philadelphia, on the radio. I sat perched on the window seat in front of the long, tri-bow window frame in our third-floor apartment, waiting for the familiar wave Dad gave me every night when he stepped out of the squad car he frequently drove home.
It got to be about 7:30 p.m., two-and-a-half hours late from his normal arrival when I spotted a line of squad cars driving down the street. It wasn't just three or four; there must have been 20 or so it seemed, in a parade-like fashion looming in on us. Then it hit me. I didn't know the details, but I knew the god-awful truth.
I sat there, paralyzed, couldn't make a sound. The yet unspoken, dizzying reality of never again seeing the 39-year-old, 5-foot-8-inch redhead that everybody said I resembled to a tee literally took my breath away. Watching those blue and white squads snake around the corner and park, I thought I was transported somehow into a slow-motion film. The images were real, but my ability to absorb them were more like blurry impressions. I heard the car doors open and slam in unison. About six or seven uniformed policemen crowded around the lead squad—I knew the captain, John Maloney, and my dad's patrolmen friends; Ziggy, O'Connell, Pete Donovan and Joe Duffy—Dad's partner, Pat Murphy, wasn't there—he died that afternoon too along with an innocent bystander named Myron Bagnola. Of course I didn't yet know about Officer Murphy or Mr. Bagnola.
I saw the officers walking toward the front door. Then there came that blaring sound of the buzzer; it shook me out of my catatonic-like state. Mom came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and wiping her hands on a towel. I was breathing heavy and my heart was pounding so hard I thought it would leap out of my chest. I stared at her with a panicky look on my face. She pushed the intercom button and asked who it was. Captain Maloney identified himself. He said something had happened and that he had to talk to her.
A tidal wave of emotion came over her. Her hands moved suddenly over her mouth. In a muffled cry, she screamed, Oh My God! Oh My God, it's Lee!" Then we heard the trail of heavy-footed steps echoing in the stairwell, mounting their way to the third floor. Mom opened the door to find a bevy of police officers on the landing.
I never heard the conversation. My nerves had taken over; I couldn't hear anything. I saw Captain Maloney's mouth moving; I saw my mom—a normally take-charge woman, the kind that had no qualms about cracking one of us boys if we gave her lip or failed to take out the garbage—collapse into the arms of Ziggy and O'Connell. The uniforms surrounded her. I was stunned, but then Ziggy noticed me; he grabbed me with a big bear hug. I pushed him away and started yelling, "No. No." Tears streaming down her face, my mom gathered Jack and Bill into her arms.
We later learned the devastating details of Dad's death. A domestic dispute in the Ukrainian Village erupted around 4 o'clock. A former WW I sniper, an immigrant from Kiev, went nuts and started firing rounds from an old Mauser. My dad had just finished an eight-hour watch in the Shakespeare District and was on his way home when he got the call about a family argument gone awry. He was the first on the scene and moments later Murphy, who got flagged down before he left the station house, arrived in another squad; he pulled up behind Dad. They could hear the gun shots even before they got out. My dad told Murphy to radio for back-up, but they knew they had to act immediately. The nutcase had some old woman pinned down behind a milk wagon; I guess she was hysterical, and people were scattering like rabbits. The thing is the two had no idea that this guy, Kuzma Zelenko, was a sharp-shooter, nor that he was having a flash-back to some armed encounter in Eastern Europe. He'd already shot his wife in the shoulder and then bolted out of the apartment. He climbed onto the Polk Brothers' rooftop and was firing at anything that moved.
The fact that my dad was the first to charge the sniper was no consolation. He got his head blown off. Murphy was down seconds later with a shot in the chest. When back-up arrived, they found what was left of the two lying in a bloody pool on the on the sidewalk at Division and Ashland. Dad was on the force for 16 years; Murphy, who had four kids under 6 at home, had 10 years in. Zelenko managed to take out one more policeman, Stanley Pierson, before the tear-gas they launched on the rooftop overtook him.
There was little solace to the fact that this bastard Zelenko never made it alive it to the station house for questioning. This was Chicago, and he'd massacred three police officers. Believe me, they took it personally. They cuffed him and loaded him into the paddy wagon. Apparently he'd escaped and then committed suicide. A few days later his body was found bloated and floating in the Chicago River.
Economic Violence as Potent as Gangster Warfare
The antics of society elites in the Roaring '20s and the evolution of bootleggers and gangsters, especially Al Capone and Bugs Moran, who regularly gave the Chicago Police Department a run for its money, were pretty much just newspaper accounts to us kids. The St. Valentine's Day massacre a few months before Dad died cemented Chicago's infamous reputation as a home for mobsters. Little did we know that the coming era of economic violence would be far more potent. Like the bullets that riddled those warring gangsters in a vacant garage on Clark Street, the Great Depression would strike at the core of our existence; first it whittled away at our pocketbooks, but more intensely, it chipped away at the heart and soul.
Sometime over the summer of '29—I don't know exactly when—my family stopped calling me Jimmy. I was Jim now, because I was the man in the family. A part-time job at Sal's Groceries pretty much replaced neighborhood baseball games, and the thought of going out for the high school football team seemed pointless. My usual cavalier attitude was replaced with worry and responsibility. Dad's life insurance policy and pension amounted to a pittance. After the funeral, we never really heard much from the Conley side of the family. They were "shanty Irish" and lived up near Galena, IL.
I picked up the smoking habit in the fall, but nobody seemed to care. I saw it as a man's privilege. And just as I thought I'd managed to accept my new life, things got a lot worse. The stock market crashed on Oct. 29, 1929. Black Tuesday marked the beginning of the Great Depression.
Sure my mom's side, the O'Brien's—Uncle Obe, and the spinster sisters, Aunt Jo and Aunt Sue—helped as much as they could. They paid for our tuition; Jack and I were both at St. Mel's High School and Bill was still at St. Tom's. But it didn't cover the bills. Mom started taking in laundry and ironing, and I gave her my money from the grocery store and the paper route I kept. Jack and Bill both took on paper routes. I learned how to do simple repairs around the building like fixing leaky pipes, faulty iceboxes or broken window ballasts. I found I had quite an aptitude for that kind of thing.
I set a curfew for my brothers and made sure they stayed out of trouble. I had to meet once with Bill's school principal, Sister Mary Agnes, after he got in a fight on the playground—at least he won or so he said. Truth be told, I was actually proud of Bill because I never did like that kid, Dino Giovanni. He was a cocky little son-of-a-pup, and beside that, his air was greasy and he looked like he needed a shave—he was only in 8th grade.
Over the next several years, I'd relish in the rare opportunities I had to see a film. Sitting in velvety seats in the darkness of the Tivoli Theatre or the State & Lake, I'd stare up at the gigantic screen and laugh at Jimmy Durante's shenanigans in "The New Yorkers" and lose myself in the confident aspirations of Ethel Merman singing "I've Got Rhythm" in the film "Girl Crazy." For a couple of hours I could escape the daunting liability I had inherited.
The jobs at the Stock Yard were slashed, but industries like small steel mills, glass companies and furniture makers pretty much dried up all together. My hours at the grocery store were maintained because I took over inventory procedures, but the O'Brien's lost all discretionary funds. They couldn't help us with much, so Jack and I left St. Mel's and enrolled at Austin High School; Bill did graduate from St. Tom's though. I don't think the school ever got the full tuition due.
No, we didn't go hungry, but milk and meat were scarce. No matter how bleak life had become, Mom was determined to maintain the essence of our life. In contrast to the makeshift tents set up in Columbus Park by people who'd lost their homes, our apartment was clean and comfortable. She'd clip the frayed strings off the now worn-out lace doilies that graced the coffee table, and she made sure that dust never settled on the statue of the Blessed Mother in the curio cabinet. I could hear her, once in awhile, talking to herself and sort of yelling at Dad for abandoning her to face all this on her own.
In October 1932, my senior year, I got kicked out of Austin High School for smoking in the bathroom; I wasn't that upset. As it turned out, Mom lost the building for $235 in back taxes. We became renters there. I was 17 years old and could work day jobs for anyone who could afford to pay 25 cents or less an hour. The song, "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?" sure resonated with me. I burned garbage out behind the Diplomat Restaurant, shoveled out coal bins, washed windows and dishes—anything to make a buck. Then I got a fairly regular job running errands for the Precinct Captain; the tips were good. Sometimes I'd get a buck for delivering an envelope! Uncle Obe said he could get me a job working for the City when I turned 18. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my dad and uncle and become a policeman too. You had to be 21. I later discovered that my 5-foot-6-inch frame was two inches too short to meet the physical requirements for the men in navy blue.
By 1934 things were beginning to look up. I was still working for the Precinct Captain, and he's the one who eventually lined up a job for me in the Water Meter Division. Now and then, I could afford to take a girl out to dinner.
Any money that came in was appreciated. Uncle Obe was "on the take" at work. He'd accidently lose bits of evidence in racketeering cases against the mob and ignore bribes paid to City inspectors. The family all knew about it, but it was never discussed openly. After all he was married and had a family of his own to support. He bought back the building for my mom in 1935. We were a tight-knit clan.
Jack and Bill worked hard to earn tuition for college, but I provided significant assistance. I did it out of love. I wanted them to be happy. I helped out quite a few friends along the way too. Eddy Dolton got at least $200 and Jim Sullivan got an extra $25 whenever he was short. Jack graduated with a degree in business from Loyola University and eventually went to work for Sears & Roebuck, and Bill got a liberal arts degree from Benedictine College in Atkinson, Kan.; he became a teacher and football coach. I went on to work for the City and did a lot of campaigning. It was my bread and butter so I worked to get the Democrats elected. I was part of the political machine and glad to do it. I was well-liked and respected for taking responsibility seriously.
I got married Jan. 25, 1939, to Louise Marr, an Italian/Irish girl from the neighborhood. She was beautiful, sort of the ilk of an Elizabeth Taylor. We had three girls and a boy: Mary Lee is the oldest—she was named after my parents; then came Jane Louise; next was James (Jimmy) Patrick, and finally Ann Clare.
Every year on May 31, usually over the Decoration Day holiday, I take a ride out to All Saints Catholic Cemetery in Des Plaines. When the kids were little, I'd take them with me. I'd stand quietly over my dad's grave; my mom is buried next to him now. Then I say a few prayers. I believe their souls are in Heaven. And I still miss them.
The End
Written and Produced by:
Cameo Memories and Photography
www.cameomemoriesandphotography.com
Email: director@cameomemoriesandphotography.com
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Kaplan Quality--Public Relations Associate
Hello! My name is Ann Piasecki. As a Public Relations Associate, college writing instructor and journalist, I have spent my life encouraging higher education as the first step on the path toward self-actualization. And it’s precisely because the Kaplan programs insist on excellence rather than passing off on mediocrity that I look forward to the opportunity to whole heartedly promote the institution.
Allow me to expound on the insights and perspectives I have employed in the role of Public Relations Associate and Media Relations Director, and how my 21st Century style of communications strategies work to shape effective outcomes. First and foremost is advancing the proven success of Kaplan’s practical and authentic curriculum designs through targeted appeals to career-minded adults. Of course that’s achieved under the broader umbrella of media and community relations.
As a journalist (executive editor, editor, reporter and photographer for metropolitan dailies, magazines, niche and community publications, interactive online blogs and Web content) I know the ins and outs of media relations and how to secure solid, dependable relationships. Since journalists thrive in a deadline driven environment, it’s important to anticipate the critical questions and to have at the ready statistical summaries, a concisely written philosophical approach to curriculum, compelling trend or human interest stories and graphics that work to attract their attention. The objective here is to balance the institution’s interests in a way that respects the reporter’s intention per coverage whether they are initiating the story or responding to a pitch.
As a social media enthusiast, I have my own Community Conscience blog, regularly post on YouTube, prepare targeted Podcasts and utilize Facebook and Twitter. A public relations associate, however, understands the nature of a computer-assisted, multimedia production. As a professional, I collaborate to create a news package for online and print materials. For research purposes, I attend relevant communicator gatherings and utilize LinkedIn subgroups to determine successful or problematic techniques.
Next, proactive publicity and event planning take a savvy public relations associate with a background in educational learning styles. Prospective students appreciate an event that feeds their interests with speakers with whom they can relate and admire. A live feed on a big screen with non-obtrusive background music will capture the audience and stir a visceral response. However, a sustained audience requires a combination of enthusiasm and serious discussion about identified trends within pertinent industries and business.
While people naturally gravitate toward exhibits and seminars that appeal to their auditory, visual and tactile styles, they all want to be treated special. A gracious presentation of food and drink, including a vegetarian appetite, becomes even more appealing when accompanied with a genuine greeting by institutional representatives who can answer individual concerns such as financing, the required time investment, educational support and course options—online or the traditional classroom.
Finally, the rebranding effort should be fun, highlighting the newest trends in education and career development while emphasizing the history of institutional success.
As a public relations associate, I lead with a genuine and intuitive spirit. I look forward to sharing my communications expertise and passion for education with Kaplan Inc.
Allow me to expound on the insights and perspectives I have employed in the role of Public Relations Associate and Media Relations Director, and how my 21st Century style of communications strategies work to shape effective outcomes. First and foremost is advancing the proven success of Kaplan’s practical and authentic curriculum designs through targeted appeals to career-minded adults. Of course that’s achieved under the broader umbrella of media and community relations.
As a journalist (executive editor, editor, reporter and photographer for metropolitan dailies, magazines, niche and community publications, interactive online blogs and Web content) I know the ins and outs of media relations and how to secure solid, dependable relationships. Since journalists thrive in a deadline driven environment, it’s important to anticipate the critical questions and to have at the ready statistical summaries, a concisely written philosophical approach to curriculum, compelling trend or human interest stories and graphics that work to attract their attention. The objective here is to balance the institution’s interests in a way that respects the reporter’s intention per coverage whether they are initiating the story or responding to a pitch.
As a social media enthusiast, I have my own Community Conscience blog, regularly post on YouTube, prepare targeted Podcasts and utilize Facebook and Twitter. A public relations associate, however, understands the nature of a computer-assisted, multimedia production. As a professional, I collaborate to create a news package for online and print materials. For research purposes, I attend relevant communicator gatherings and utilize LinkedIn subgroups to determine successful or problematic techniques.
Next, proactive publicity and event planning take a savvy public relations associate with a background in educational learning styles. Prospective students appreciate an event that feeds their interests with speakers with whom they can relate and admire. A live feed on a big screen with non-obtrusive background music will capture the audience and stir a visceral response. However, a sustained audience requires a combination of enthusiasm and serious discussion about identified trends within pertinent industries and business.
While people naturally gravitate toward exhibits and seminars that appeal to their auditory, visual and tactile styles, they all want to be treated special. A gracious presentation of food and drink, including a vegetarian appetite, becomes even more appealing when accompanied with a genuine greeting by institutional representatives who can answer individual concerns such as financing, the required time investment, educational support and course options—online or the traditional classroom.
Finally, the rebranding effort should be fun, highlighting the newest trends in education and career development while emphasizing the history of institutional success.
As a public relations associate, I lead with a genuine and intuitive spirit. I look forward to sharing my communications expertise and passion for education with Kaplan Inc.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
PR insights for Glenbrook Dist. 225
PR insights for Glenbrook Dist. 225
YouTube Script:
Hello, my name is Ann Piasecki. I am a seasoned public relations and communications professional serving nonprofits and school-affiliated programs. My success is informed with an expertise honed during my years as a journalist (reporter and editor) at metropolitan dailies like the Chicago Tribune along with community, niche publications, magazines and online platforms. I am also a teacher with a Type 09 certificate; I currently instruct an online course in basic writing at Governors State University.
I am here today to address the public relations/communications needs of the Glenbrook High School District. Allow me to expound on the insights and perspectives I have employed in the role of Public Relations Director, and how these strategies work to shape effective outcomes. First and foremost is achieving an understanding of the culture that drives the school district—its commitment to education, the community it serves and its economic realities. These aspects are realized through collaboration with the administration, board of trustees, faculty and staff, students and parents, governmental bodies and businesses.
Our successes, whether they are top test scores, innovative curriculum or extra-curricular achievements, are the features most likely to gain respect within the broader community. Tragedy, calamity and the negative impact of social ills will stir the emotional pot, and that demands a human-centered--compassionate, consistent response; one that responsibly responds to critical questions.
The question then becomes how to convey the school district’s position. Certainly the website, the superintendent’s blog, newsletters, speeches and presentations are under our control. However, it takes a thorough knowledge of the media to gain the advantage of conveyances that are not produced in-house. And that’s where rhetoric and targeted appeals come into play.
That begins with recognition that various forms of media cater to different functions. A beat reporter at a community newspaper will zero in on known personalities and attitudes. A network television affiliate will seek out a common thread to the situation at hand, offering brief exposure to significant positions. Coverage by NPR, metropolitan dailies or national publications (online, broadcast and print) is focused on societal implications.
It takes a savvy PR professional to satisfy and nurture positive and proactive coverage. It takes targeted, careful cultivation of sources to reflect the district’s best interest.
For instance, I make sure to research the reporter’s stories, which can be driven by a heavy-handed editor with a desire to exploit a conflict. It’s a tough road for a reporter in that situation, and it’s more likely to occur at the level of a community newspaper struggling to stand out.
On the other hand, major media doesn’t have time to linger over attitudinal details. Therefore, I make sure to respect his or her time by highlighting a single event—enough to give them the color and news their looking for in one fell swoop.
Finally, the personal touch—a supportive comment or gesture—is worth a million stories.
As a public relations director, I lead with a genuine and intuitive spirit. I look forward to sharing my communications expertise and passion for education with Glenbrook High School Dist. 225.
YouTube Script:
Hello, my name is Ann Piasecki. I am a seasoned public relations and communications professional serving nonprofits and school-affiliated programs. My success is informed with an expertise honed during my years as a journalist (reporter and editor) at metropolitan dailies like the Chicago Tribune along with community, niche publications, magazines and online platforms. I am also a teacher with a Type 09 certificate; I currently instruct an online course in basic writing at Governors State University.
I am here today to address the public relations/communications needs of the Glenbrook High School District. Allow me to expound on the insights and perspectives I have employed in the role of Public Relations Director, and how these strategies work to shape effective outcomes. First and foremost is achieving an understanding of the culture that drives the school district—its commitment to education, the community it serves and its economic realities. These aspects are realized through collaboration with the administration, board of trustees, faculty and staff, students and parents, governmental bodies and businesses.
Our successes, whether they are top test scores, innovative curriculum or extra-curricular achievements, are the features most likely to gain respect within the broader community. Tragedy, calamity and the negative impact of social ills will stir the emotional pot, and that demands a human-centered--compassionate, consistent response; one that responsibly responds to critical questions.
The question then becomes how to convey the school district’s position. Certainly the website, the superintendent’s blog, newsletters, speeches and presentations are under our control. However, it takes a thorough knowledge of the media to gain the advantage of conveyances that are not produced in-house. And that’s where rhetoric and targeted appeals come into play.
That begins with recognition that various forms of media cater to different functions. A beat reporter at a community newspaper will zero in on known personalities and attitudes. A network television affiliate will seek out a common thread to the situation at hand, offering brief exposure to significant positions. Coverage by NPR, metropolitan dailies or national publications (online, broadcast and print) is focused on societal implications.
It takes a savvy PR professional to satisfy and nurture positive and proactive coverage. It takes targeted, careful cultivation of sources to reflect the district’s best interest.
For instance, I make sure to research the reporter’s stories, which can be driven by a heavy-handed editor with a desire to exploit a conflict. It’s a tough road for a reporter in that situation, and it’s more likely to occur at the level of a community newspaper struggling to stand out.
On the other hand, major media doesn’t have time to linger over attitudinal details. Therefore, I make sure to respect his or her time by highlighting a single event—enough to give them the color and news their looking for in one fell swoop.
Finally, the personal touch—a supportive comment or gesture—is worth a million stories.
As a public relations director, I lead with a genuine and intuitive spirit. I look forward to sharing my communications expertise and passion for education with Glenbrook High School Dist. 225.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Hickory Creek Watershed Preservation
Public Awareness Campaign Proposal
Re: Hickory Creek Watershed Planning Group/Communications Subcommittee
By Ann C. Piasecki
I’ve given a tremendous amount of thought per the Communications/Public Awareness Campaign on behalf of the Hickory Creek Watershed Planning Group. Below are some proposals for consideration that I would be honored to oversee or support.
1. I think we can gather public awareness and community investment in several ways.
2. Remember that Earth Day is coming up, so we can take advantage of it, if we move quickly to establish partnerships with area school districts.
3. Instead of the traditional poster contest within the schools, I think a YouTube contest aimed at junior high school students would gain more interest and inspiration (the kids could create a commercial promoting preservation of the creek—this kind of thing is fun for them). I’d be willing to approach the Web Page design teachers to discuss the project—maybe these teachers will have some other suggestions (I know that each spring the NL Elementary Dist. Offers free Web Page designs for interested businesses…I’m sure other districts have similar projects)
4. Maybe we could create a cardboard tabletop coaster for distribution—I don’t know the costs associated with that, but perhaps we could find some money (grant to support it). Let the Middle School kids design the front of the coaster (add the HCW website at the bottom); the back side would feature a few essential points per protection (How To preserve the stream)
5. The high school horticulture classes can create rain garden designs
6. The high school art class can decorate rain barrels for auction
7. The college students can be lured with the opportunity to conduct research for classes (botany, water management, environmental education and more)
8. I know how to tap into the media relations folks at the schools to get them to boast about the efforts of their students (thus free and easy access to community newspapers). I’ll write the press release about specific efforts at various schools, and then send it on to the District’s Public Relations spokesperson. That individual will take it from there and write his or her own release—it doesn’t matter who puts the info. out, as long as it gets picked up by the press
9. Also, school newspapers could pick up on the idea—it’s an easy story for them
10. As per the HCW web page itself, are we utilizing the potential for meta tag and tagging opportunities per Search Engine Optimization?
11. I’ll be happy to post the copy of the brochure on my own blog, but I think it would a good idea to invite supporters/advocates (students, parents, etc.) to comment on a HCW blog. (We can delay publication of blog comments until they’ve been reviewed for appropriateness—basically, that’s babysitting, but I think it’s a good idea.)
12. If we have a blog, we need a Facebook, Twitter and Flicker (photos) accounts—all are free and easy to manage
13. Since many faith groups have policies pertaining to stewardship of the earth, we can initiate support and advocacy from individual church organizations within parishes, churches, mosques and temples. This is aspect is a bit time consuming, but I’ve done some of it from the Catholic Church perspective within the Diocese of Joliet (specifically speaking, I’ve helped coordinate efforts to discuss basic recycling and to halt mountaintop removal)
14. I’d be happy to send PR to the professional media (online and traditional, while making sure to link the info. to Digg and other RSS feed opportunities.)
I believe the above components would stir public responses at village board meetings, the ones that are scheduled to coincide with HCWPG-related presentations. Please consider these suggestions, and don’t hesitate to call to discuss them further.
Re: Hickory Creek Watershed Planning Group/Communications Subcommittee
By Ann C. Piasecki
I’ve given a tremendous amount of thought per the Communications/Public Awareness Campaign on behalf of the Hickory Creek Watershed Planning Group. Below are some proposals for consideration that I would be honored to oversee or support.
1. I think we can gather public awareness and community investment in several ways.
2. Remember that Earth Day is coming up, so we can take advantage of it, if we move quickly to establish partnerships with area school districts.
3. Instead of the traditional poster contest within the schools, I think a YouTube contest aimed at junior high school students would gain more interest and inspiration (the kids could create a commercial promoting preservation of the creek—this kind of thing is fun for them). I’d be willing to approach the Web Page design teachers to discuss the project—maybe these teachers will have some other suggestions (I know that each spring the NL Elementary Dist. Offers free Web Page designs for interested businesses…I’m sure other districts have similar projects)
4. Maybe we could create a cardboard tabletop coaster for distribution—I don’t know the costs associated with that, but perhaps we could find some money (grant to support it). Let the Middle School kids design the front of the coaster (add the HCW website at the bottom); the back side would feature a few essential points per protection (How To preserve the stream)
5. The high school horticulture classes can create rain garden designs
6. The high school art class can decorate rain barrels for auction
7. The college students can be lured with the opportunity to conduct research for classes (botany, water management, environmental education and more)
8. I know how to tap into the media relations folks at the schools to get them to boast about the efforts of their students (thus free and easy access to community newspapers). I’ll write the press release about specific efforts at various schools, and then send it on to the District’s Public Relations spokesperson. That individual will take it from there and write his or her own release—it doesn’t matter who puts the info. out, as long as it gets picked up by the press
9. Also, school newspapers could pick up on the idea—it’s an easy story for them
10. As per the HCW web page itself, are we utilizing the potential for meta tag and tagging opportunities per Search Engine Optimization?
11. I’ll be happy to post the copy of the brochure on my own blog, but I think it would a good idea to invite supporters/advocates (students, parents, etc.) to comment on a HCW blog. (We can delay publication of blog comments until they’ve been reviewed for appropriateness—basically, that’s babysitting, but I think it’s a good idea.)
12. If we have a blog, we need a Facebook, Twitter and Flicker (photos) accounts—all are free and easy to manage
13. Since many faith groups have policies pertaining to stewardship of the earth, we can initiate support and advocacy from individual church organizations within parishes, churches, mosques and temples. This is aspect is a bit time consuming, but I’ve done some of it from the Catholic Church perspective within the Diocese of Joliet (specifically speaking, I’ve helped coordinate efforts to discuss basic recycling and to halt mountaintop removal)
14. I’d be happy to send PR to the professional media (online and traditional, while making sure to link the info. to Digg and other RSS feed opportunities.)
I believe the above components would stir public responses at village board meetings, the ones that are scheduled to coincide with HCWPG-related presentations. Please consider these suggestions, and don’t hesitate to call to discuss them further.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
First Amendment charge lost in economic crunch
Jan. 23, 2010
Voice of the People
Dear Editor;
While I appreciate the Chicago Tribune’s efforts to report credible and objective journalism, I’m wondering if staff reductions are to blame for failure to pursue the back story on the recent arrest of 63-year-old Myeong Hi Lim, who was charged with prostitution at a Buffalo Grove spa. The story was published on Jan. 20, 2010.
I don’t know this woman or the details of the arrest. However, it appears to me that the circumstance that allegedly caused a woman of that age to engage in prostitution is worthy of consideration. Perhaps addictions are the root cause of her motives to gain money; perhaps economic vulnerability due to job loss, health care costs or family difficulties has forced her into this situation.
Whatever the situation may be, it’s a sorry day when journalists fail to realize the travesty of the case; when they choose instead to print the simple police report. Lim’s story screams for societal perspective, for the whole truth. If it were up to me, I’d start by contacting the Public Defender’s Office—what are the odds against her having money to pay for a private attorney.
I’ve spent the bulk of my journalism career in pursuit of social justice, seeking out the individual story by identifying the hard facts and the mitigating factors that force people to disregard “decent” behavior for the sake of survival. The economic downturn is responsible for the shuttering of the Catholic Explorer and the later elimination of my job as executive editor of Mother Earth Sister Peace magazine and the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation blog.
In the face of economic cutbacks, I wonder if it’s possible to rejuvenate the First Amendment charge to tell the whole story. Check out my “Journalism in the 21 Century” YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWD8pb41xu8 .
Respectfully yours,
Ann C. Piasecki
Voice of the People
Dear Editor;
While I appreciate the Chicago Tribune’s efforts to report credible and objective journalism, I’m wondering if staff reductions are to blame for failure to pursue the back story on the recent arrest of 63-year-old Myeong Hi Lim, who was charged with prostitution at a Buffalo Grove spa. The story was published on Jan. 20, 2010.
I don’t know this woman or the details of the arrest. However, it appears to me that the circumstance that allegedly caused a woman of that age to engage in prostitution is worthy of consideration. Perhaps addictions are the root cause of her motives to gain money; perhaps economic vulnerability due to job loss, health care costs or family difficulties has forced her into this situation.
Whatever the situation may be, it’s a sorry day when journalists fail to realize the travesty of the case; when they choose instead to print the simple police report. Lim’s story screams for societal perspective, for the whole truth. If it were up to me, I’d start by contacting the Public Defender’s Office—what are the odds against her having money to pay for a private attorney.
I’ve spent the bulk of my journalism career in pursuit of social justice, seeking out the individual story by identifying the hard facts and the mitigating factors that force people to disregard “decent” behavior for the sake of survival. The economic downturn is responsible for the shuttering of the Catholic Explorer and the later elimination of my job as executive editor of Mother Earth Sister Peace magazine and the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation blog.
In the face of economic cutbacks, I wonder if it’s possible to rejuvenate the First Amendment charge to tell the whole story. Check out my “Journalism in the 21 Century” YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWD8pb41xu8 .
Respectfully yours,
Ann C. Piasecki
Monday, January 4, 2010
Script for YouTube:
Script for YouTube: Lewis University. Can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/apiasecki2000#p/a/u/2/uWD8pb41xu8
Hello! I’m Ann Piasecki. I’ve been a journalist (editor, Web editor, reporter, and photographer) for more than 20 years. And I love it! I could not have imagined a job more suited for someone like me: I love the adrenaline rush of the spot news story, the on-site interview, the constant buzz of the newsroom and the actual act of writing the story. I’ve won more than 20 awards in numerous categories at the state, national and international level.
In no other career can you call the governor’s office, dial into the White House Press Room, interview world leaders, glean the perspectives of a sculptor or community organizer, feel the pain of a community in the aftermath of a tornado, uncover the unethical business practices or step into the life of a schizophrenic homeless woman supporting three children.
Journalists have the privilege of sharing other people’s lives and the responsibility to convey it truthfully.
Having been a journalist at major metropolitan dailies, community newspapers, niche publications, online editions and magazines, I believe my colleagues could testify to my enthusiasm for critical reporting and well-crafted writing.
I’ll tell you something about myself, when I smell a solid story, I can literally feel a tingling sensation in my fingertips. I can’t wait to sit down at the computer. Unless I’m on deadline, the story rarely just rolls out. I immerse myself in someone else’s world because I want it to reflect that person or topic. As for the editing process, if any of my professional cohorts were asked about my habits, they’d tell you that my stories receive the toughest personal edit. I admit that it’s hard for me to let go of a story.
We’ll talk about the blood, sweat and tears it takes to be an honest journalist. Together we’ll analyze case studies where journalists, as a whole, fell miserably short of checking the facts or ruined someone’s reputation by taking information out of context by failing to put the information into perspective.
Nothing is black and white. As Aristotle noted, it’s the mitigating circumstances that reveal the truth. The who, what, when, where, why and how of a story is merely the skeleton.
Beyond that, today’s Internet capabilities—its speed and immediacy raises the bar for professional journalists. But don’t be afraid, as a member of a team, while one is working the on-site interview, another is conducting the research, and other is pursuing the citizen tip and checking for accuracy. The editor is guiding the whole project and the photographers and graphics folks are enhancing the image. Meanwhile, the Web site, Podcasts, Twitter announcements and blogs are being covered by other team members whose focus is on computer-assisted, multimedia production. Together, we collaborate to create a news package for online and print materials.
There’s no doubt about it, journalism is hard work. But it’s also fun. I welcome you to the collaborative newsroom. -30-
Hello! I’m Ann Piasecki. I’ve been a journalist (editor, Web editor, reporter, and photographer) for more than 20 years. And I love it! I could not have imagined a job more suited for someone like me: I love the adrenaline rush of the spot news story, the on-site interview, the constant buzz of the newsroom and the actual act of writing the story. I’ve won more than 20 awards in numerous categories at the state, national and international level.
In no other career can you call the governor’s office, dial into the White House Press Room, interview world leaders, glean the perspectives of a sculptor or community organizer, feel the pain of a community in the aftermath of a tornado, uncover the unethical business practices or step into the life of a schizophrenic homeless woman supporting three children.
Journalists have the privilege of sharing other people’s lives and the responsibility to convey it truthfully.
Having been a journalist at major metropolitan dailies, community newspapers, niche publications, online editions and magazines, I believe my colleagues could testify to my enthusiasm for critical reporting and well-crafted writing.
I’ll tell you something about myself, when I smell a solid story, I can literally feel a tingling sensation in my fingertips. I can’t wait to sit down at the computer. Unless I’m on deadline, the story rarely just rolls out. I immerse myself in someone else’s world because I want it to reflect that person or topic. As for the editing process, if any of my professional cohorts were asked about my habits, they’d tell you that my stories receive the toughest personal edit. I admit that it’s hard for me to let go of a story.
We’ll talk about the blood, sweat and tears it takes to be an honest journalist. Together we’ll analyze case studies where journalists, as a whole, fell miserably short of checking the facts or ruined someone’s reputation by taking information out of context by failing to put the information into perspective.
Nothing is black and white. As Aristotle noted, it’s the mitigating circumstances that reveal the truth. The who, what, when, where, why and how of a story is merely the skeleton.
Beyond that, today’s Internet capabilities—its speed and immediacy raises the bar for professional journalists. But don’t be afraid, as a member of a team, while one is working the on-site interview, another is conducting the research, and other is pursuing the citizen tip and checking for accuracy. The editor is guiding the whole project and the photographers and graphics folks are enhancing the image. Meanwhile, the Web site, Podcasts, Twitter announcements and blogs are being covered by other team members whose focus is on computer-assisted, multimedia production. Together, we collaborate to create a news package for online and print materials.
There’s no doubt about it, journalism is hard work. But it’s also fun. I welcome you to the collaborative newsroom. -30-
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