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Paul Shane <pjshane@gmail.com>

Connecting ­ January 23, 2016 Paul Stevens <paulstevens46@gmail.com> Sat, Jan 23, 2016 at 10:10 AMReply­To: paulstevens46@gmail.comTo: pjshane@gmail.com

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ConnectingJanuary 23, 2016

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Heavy snow falls in New York's Upper West Side, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, as a large winter stormrolls up the East Coast. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) 

Colleagues,

 Good Saturday morning!

 Our thoughts are with all of you in the path of the winter storm that has struck theEast Coast and promises to wreak havoc over the weekend. We hope and pray thatyou stay safe and warm.

 If you have opportunity, send along your personal experiences in getting through theblizzard and any photos you'd like to share ­ for use in Monday's Connecting. Wewould especially be interested in photos that show YOU in them. 

 

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 Bob Dopkin submitted this headline froma Florida newspaper ­ noting, "The state'snewspapers love to highlight winter'smisery, especially in the Northeast."

 Connecting apologizes for technicalissues that kept Friday's issue fromreaching the Inbox of many of you.Included in the issue were great memoriesof The Beast shared by John Gaps III, a speech by Andale Gross on Martin LutherKing Day, and a great blog on writing with your voice by Mike Feinsilber.  Drop me anote if you would like the issue re­sent to you. 

Paul

  

Connecting mailbox On the death of Tom Wagner

 Denis Gray ­  I think he was one of the best, if not the best, Asia News editorsthat we've had over the years. What a pleasure to work with him ­­ I actually lookedforward and enjoyed the weekly Asia news conferences since there was so muchgive­and­take, good humor and enthusiasm. It seems, sadly, that some powers thatwere at the time, moved him out of that position to desking when he should haveremained a news leader and/or reporter in the field. Unfortunately, not the first suchhuman resources mismatches I have seen in my career.  But given his personality,and as Charles Hanley rightly said, being a great upbeat team player, he went onwithout apparent bitterness to continue giving it his all for the AP in England. Thoseof us in Asia who knew him will miss a wonderful professional and friend.

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 Identifying the journalist in Gap's photo ­ Tony

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Winton

 One of the photos (at right) in Friday's editionfrom John Gaps III showed an AP journalist (atright in photo) whose name escaped John'smemory. That person turns out to be TonyWinton. According to Tony's Twitter account, heis a TV reporter for the AP based in Miami and anegotiator for the News Media Guild. Whodiscovered him?

Robert Kimball, for one, who said "I believe your man with his foot over the SCUD missile inyour top photo this morning is Tony Winton. I worked with him at Broadcast in DC in the80s before he went to - if I remember correctly - the Miami bureau. Good story."

And Dave Lubeski, who said: "Enjoyed the John Gaps photos with his story on The Beast.The radio man in the first picture is Tony Winton who is still getting it done at the AP."

And Brad Kalbfeld, who said, "The radio reporter in the first of John Gaps III's photos Fridayis Tony Winton, whose intrepid coverage of stories from the first Gulf War to varioushurricanes have been a great service to all AP broadcast members. Tony has the distinctionof being the first AP reporter to file in every medium - video, audio, photos and text - from astory (the first media visit to Gitmo), demonstrating that if we could only have one personat the scene, he or she can protect all members."

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Ah, the days of dictation

George Krimsky ­ I know this hard to believe, but until I read Mike Feinsilber'sexcellent piece on the good old days of dictation (Jan. 22's Connecting), I nevermade the link in my head between "dictator" and "dictation."  Another reason whythe English language can be so confounding!  In any case, I am come from the wire­service dictation generation (meaning I'm old,born during WWII) and remember (fondly) taking stories over the phone from thelikes of Linda Deutsch and Bob Thomas after I joined AP in LA.  My gawd, they weregood, especially the way they could "top" a set piece and give you the pick­up line. 

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 Let me now jump ahead 15 years or so when I was running a journalism trainingcenter near Washington, D.C.  (I left the AP in 1985).  One day, I had been attendingan otherwise routine meeting about training "impacts" at some foundation, when thespeaker dropped a bombshell that could mean a lot off funding for what we weredoing.  I wanted my partners to know about it right away.  (In that world, anything todo with free money was important.)   So, I phoned my center in Reston, VA, and got a new intern on the other end whowas highly educated but had never been in journalism.  I hired him because he wasvery conversant in non­profit work.  "I have some dictation for you," I said.  "I beg your pardon?" he replied.  "I want to send an urgent message to Tom in Boston (in other words tomy chairman, Tom Winship, the retired editor of The Boston Globe).  "I'm sorry but I don't take dictation," he said somewhat haughtily.   I suddenly realized two things: (1) This fellow had degrees from Harvard AND Yalebut no practical skills, such as typing.  (2) "dictation" was something secretaries didbut not "professionals," even though most of us had ketchup stains on our ties andsaid stupid things like: "Hello, Sweetheart, get me rewrite."  But few others evenknew what the term dictation meant.  This guy was especially clueless.  I didn'tblame him. The problem was that I had very little time to enlighten him.  "Look, pal, I'm not talking about the Hollywood version of some black­and­white bigshot with a cigar ordering his leggy blond secretary to take down his precious wordsin a notebook.   I'm talking about the best pros in the news business who help eachother out over the phone when they're on deadline."  That got his attention.  Dutifully ­ and slowly ­ he took down the words I wanted toconvey.    So, I made a new convert to an old art form.  Unfortunately, it disappearedforever soon after.

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Covering LBJ

Joe McKnight ­ Paul ­­ You asked (in Friday's Connecting) about covering LyndonJohnson:

My only brush with him came in the summer of 1964 when I was AP correspondentat Wichita KS and LBJ was running for a full term against Barry Goldwater. KansasState Editor Joe deGeorge called me to say that Johnson's campaign plane wouldmake a brief stop two days out at the Wichita airport and asked me to be on hand tohelp two AP staffers traveling in his press plane. 

This would be a brief outdoor campaign stop where the president would step out ofhis plane onto a platform, make his speech, return to his plane and fly away.  It alsowas decades ahead of today's digital instant communications and news was dictatedvia dial­up telephones. I  lived on the west side of Wichita about a mile north of theairport so I stopped en route home that evening to check on preparations.  I  talked with an AT&T man supervising the  installation of  telephones for  the event.His  staff  had  set  up  a makeshift wooden bench along a  fence where  LBJ's  planewould stop and were installing maybe a dozen phones on the bench.  "What happens if it rains?" I asked the supervisor, "Will the phones work?"  "It won't rain," he said. "I checked."  On the appointed day I was at  the airport well ahead of  the president's arrival andcalled deGeorge in KX, mainly to confirm that:  1­I was in place, and  2­The telephones worked.  I assured deGeorge  that  I would call back and have an open phone before all  the

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telephones were taken.  The  crowd  of  spectators  grew  rapidly  as  the  time  approached  for  the  president'splane  and  I  found  I  had  to  push  through  the  crowd  to  maintain  my  place  by  atelephone.  I called back  to Kansas City  just before noon and as soon as  I confirmed  that  thepress  plane  landed.  As  reporters  streamed  down  the mobile  steps,  I  held  up myhand­made AP sign and waited to do whatever was needed. Two guys came overwhom I had never met and gave me names I recognized. One had written an earlyAM story and the other had a shorter lead to an earlier story for PM members. TheAM  reporter  got  to me  first  and  I  started  reading  his  copy  to  someone  in KansasCity. The guy with the PM lead interrupted and said I should read his copy first.  "No," said the AM reporter. "Let him get my copy in."  Thus began an argument I wanted no part of. While they yelled at each other, I keptreading the AM story.  They settled their dispute after I dictated 100 or so words.  The AM writer asked me to dictate the brief lead to the PMs story. This I did.  At some point I realized I could hear the president speaking, but I couldn't see him.Through  a  space  that  opened  as  the  crowd moved,  I  saw  a man  in  suit  and  hatsitting on a  step of  the  campaign platform holding a  red  telephone.  I  realized  thiswas  the  device  that  went  wherever  the  president  did  and  was  used  only  in  direemergencies.

 I looked around and realized the AP traveling reporters had disappeared. They hada plane to catch.  Before  I  finished  reading  the  AM  story  to  someone  in  KX,  the  president  finishedspeaking.   I realized his plane was rolling away from the speaking platform.  He flew away and I never saw him.

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 Remembering Kenneth Allen

 

Sue Price Johnson shared the obituary forKenneth Allen. An excerpt says:  "He worked for theAssociated Press and newspapers including TheCharlotte Observer and The St. Petersburg Times, andalso worked in public relations and marketing at FirstUnion Corp. He opened his own public relations andmarketing firm, Allen Agency Communications."

 Click here for the full obituary.

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 Nominations sought for International Women's MediaFoundation awards

WASHINGTON D.C.- The International Women's Media Foundation is seeking nominationsfor its three annual awards: the 2016 Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award,the Courage in Journalism Awards, and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award celebrates womenphotographers whose work demonstrates bravery, dedication, and skill while reporting thenews through images. The Award honors the courage of Anja Niedringhaus, Pulitzer prize-winning AP photographer and IWMF Courage Award winner who was killed while onassignment in Afghanistan in 2014. The first annual Niedringhaus Award was given in 2015 to freelance photographer HeidiLevine in Berlin. The 2016 ceremony will be held in June in Washington, D.C.

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Nominations for the 2016 Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award must besubmitted by Friday, February 12, 2016.

The Courage Awards recognize women journalists who have demonstrated extraordinarystrength of character in pursuing their profession under difficult or dangerouscircumstances such as government oppression, threats to personal safety, and otherintimidating obstacles.

And the Lifetime Achievement Award honors women journalists who have a pioneeringspirit and whose accomplishments have paved the way for future generations of women inthe media. Previous Courage in Journalism Award winners include Khadija Ismayilova of Azerbaijan,Arwa Damon of the U.S.; Adela Navarro Bello of Mexico; and Anna Politkovskaya of Russia(d. 2006).

Previous Lifetime Achievement Award winners include Zubeida Mustafa of Pakistan; KateAdie of the Untied Kingdom; and Barbara Walters of the United States.

Now in their 27th year, the Courage and Lifetime Awards are celebrated annually inOctober in New York and Los Angeles.

Courage and Lifetime Award nominations must be submitted by Friday, February 26, 2016.

Candidates for the Niedringhaus Photojournalism and Courage in Journalism Awards mustbe staff or freelance women reporters, writers, editors, photographers, or producersworking in any country. Lifetime Achievement Award candidates can be either working orretired woman journalists.

Online nomination form for the 2016 Anja Niedringhaus Courage in PhotojournalismAwardOnline nomination form for the 2016 Courage in Journalism Awards or the LifetimeAchievement Award

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For more information about the IWMF and these Awards, please visit iwmf.org.

Click here for a link to this story.

   

Here's a group of people who careabout and work for the good of the AP 

  

Association board members, foundation board members, alumni and friends of theAssociated Press Media Editors at APME's January board meeting in New York City.

Back row (left to right): Karen Magnuson, Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York;Ronnie Agnew, Mississippi Public Broadcasting; Brian Carovillano, AP; Thomas Koetting,Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Alan Miller, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch; Eric Ludgood, Fox 5

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Atlanta; Dennis Anderson, Peoria (Illinois) Journal Star; Gary Graham, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Washington; Tom Arviso, Navajo Times, Window Rock, Arizona; Jack Lail,Knoxville News Sentinel; Carlos Sanchez, The Monitor, McAllen, Texas; George Rodrigue,The Plain Dealer, Cleveland; Andrew Oppmann, Middle Tennessee State University; MichaelAnastasi, The (Nashville) Tennessean; Cate Barron, Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania;Kurt Franck, The (Toledo, Ohio) Blade; Bill Church, Sarasota (Florida) Herald-Tribune;Michael Days, Philadelphia Daily News. Front row (left to right): Sarah Nordgren, AP; TraciBauer, The Journal News, Westchester, New York; Jane Davenport, Toronto Star; AngieMuhs, State Journal-Register, Springfield, Illinois; Deanna Sands, former APME president;APME President Laura Sellers-Earl, The Daily Astorian, Astoria, Oregon.

 By JOHN DANISZEWSKI

The Russian track and field doping scandal has been among the biggest corruption stories insports, with media organizations around the globe competing fiercely to cover it.

Two AP sportswriters, Paris' John Leicester and Denver-based National Writer Eddie Pells,have cultivated source relationships over years of reporting to get AP ahead. And last week,those relationships led to three unmatchable exclusives - and the Beat of the Week.

A source of Leicester's passed along a trove of internal documents showing that thegoverning body for track and field, the IAAF, had long known doping was rife in Russia andexplored ways of covering it up. Leicester's story began:

"Six years before the IAAF banned Russia, track and field's governing body knew of dopingso out of control it feared Russian athletes could die from abuse of blood-boosting drugsand transfusions, and officials considered collaborating with Russians to hide the full extent

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of the cheating before the 2012 London Olympics, according to internal documentsobtained by The Associated Press." http://apne.ws/1Jm0L0z

Leicester's APNewsBreak prompted a World Anti-Doping Agency call for investigation of hiscover-up findings. The story also set the news agenda for a make-or-break week for thesport, ahead of a hugely anticipated report by the anti-doping agency that would confirmrampant corruption was well-known.

Two days later, Pells delivered another bombshell. Seven hours before the official release ofthe WADA report, as hundreds of journalists were gathering in Munich to receive it, Pellshad another APNewsBreak _ revealing the key findings. http://apne.ws/1ZPCPtD

While other journalists read Pells' story on their phones and the report's lead authorgrumbled to his fellow investigators about the leak that stole their thunder, Leicester gotanother scoop: Interpol had issued a wanted notice for a key suspect in the scandal.

Acting on a tip, Leicester found the arrest warrant on Interpol's website. After AP's storymoved, the warrant vanished. The police organization was supposed to time the publicationwith the release of the WADA report, but jumped the gun. But Leicester by then hadtweeted a frame grab, making sure his story couldn't be questioned.

The response on social media was instant, with athletes tweeting their anger and more than90,000 clicks in the first 24 hours.

"The @AP has had amazing stuff on the Russia/IAAF corruption/doping scandal," ESPNinvestigative reporter T.J. Quinn tweeted to his 34,000 followers. The New York Times citedthe AP report, noting it was based on internal documents that the newspaper didn't have.So, too, did the BBC, Time, Vice Sports and many others. Reuters' story cited AP in thesecond paragraph.

Leicester's exclusive was the payoff for hours of face-to-face meetings building the trust ofhis source. He coordinated the story with video, doing a video interview for broadcast to AP

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clients in which he explained the importance of the AP's findings and showed some of thedocuments. http://tinyurl.com/gobh557 He also worked with AP Graphics to put two ofthe documents online, annotating them with clickable boxes that explained what they weresaying.

For Pells, years of working on doping issues led to the scoop. It also came because hissources knew he'd been very much on top of the Russian scandal.

One source, who had a copy of the WADA report, was willing to read details of it to him thenight before the release, and he hit all the best details: IAAF president Lamine Diack'srelationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the inference that Putin was interveningin active doping cases; the sudden and unexplained four-fold increase of the Russian TVcontract for the 2013 world championships; details of the small fiefdom Diack had created,including a hand-picked attorney to handle Russian doping cases.

Maybe the best reaction came from the key characters themselves. WADA called the sourcein search of the leak; the agency was livid because it wanted to frame the discussion at itsplanned news conference the next day. Clearly, having Putin in the headlines was not theplan. The Russians reacted swiftly to the AP story. A Russian wire R-Sport story, using AP asits source, included this comment from Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko: "Our Americancolleagues and others are now almost accusing the president of doping. They're making theissue absurd."

For their source-building and exclusive breaks on a major global story with intensecompetition, Leicester and Pells win this week's $500 prize.

 

   

By BRIAN CAROVILLANO

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During the death penalty trial of Colorado movie theater shooting gunman James Holmes,the judge ordered the names of all jurors sealed to protect them from the publicity thatwould inevitably come from such a high-profile case. When the jury decided against thedeath penalty, one juror spoke about the heated deliberations.

Denver's Sadie Gurman wanted to know more, but few jurors would talk. And none wouldgo on record with their real names. Then, one day, she got a call from the prosecutors'office.

Four jurors wanted to talk, but not about the case. Instead,they wanted to speak about their efforts to build amemorial for the victims. She learned, too, that some werestruggling, still traumatized by their participation in thetrial.

Gurman saw a chance to tell a deeper story: the plight ofjurors grappling months after the trial with seeing gruesome evidence and listening toheart-rending victims' stories _ all while duty-bound to never turn away.

They had seen a poster-sized photo of a 6-year-old girl's bullet-ravaged body, and held themurder weapons. One juror later told Gurman: "I wasn't actually in that theater, but Ilistened to and felt the experiences of everyone who was, from every angle. I felt theirsorrow and their sadness. And when I left the courtroom, I took it all with me."

To get their stories, Gurman needed to convince the jurors _ still terrified they could betargeted for letting Holmes live _ to trust her with their identities. Gurman has spent yearscultivating sources in Colorado law enforcement, and some jurors privately began askingofficials if she was reliable and trustworthy; the sterling reviews eased their fears.

Then, Gurman spent hours with the jurors on the phone and in face-to-face meetings toconvince them to tell her about their struggles.

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One juror feared she'd be recognized by a victim she saw at a grocery store, and cut herown hair. Another suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and no longer hunts with herhusband because she's worried whether the sound of a gunshot will trigger her condition.Another can't sleep without nightmares.

Gurman juggled these sensitive interviews while also covering yet another deadly massshooting, this one at a Colorado Planned Parenthood.

Before publication, she convinced three of the jurors to use their first names, but a fourthwanted to only be referred to by her juror number. After consultation with standards editorTom Kent, it was determined that their reasons for partial anonymity were valid and theirstories were too powerful to keep the story off the wire.

The end result was a movingly-told and detailed piece that stood out, even on a busy newsday. After stories on David Bowie's death, Gurman's story was the most viewed on APMobile. A Denver TV station ran a segment on her story, repeatedly crediting her and AP onair. And, a week later, The New York Times listed the piece among its "essential reading" onits mobile app.

For her deeply reported, richly told tale about an aspect of our criminal justice system thatrarely gets attention, Gurman wins this week's $300 prize.

(Both of above shared by Valerie Komor)

  

Stories of interest 

Jeff Bezos flies Jason Rezaian home on private jet (CNN)

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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, quietly traveled to Germany

this week to personally escort Post reporter Jason Rezaian home to the United States.

Rezaian, who was thrown in jail by Iran in July 2014, was released over the weekend as partof a prisoner swap. He since has been at the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

Click here to read more. Shared by Jim Hood, Bob Daugherty.

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Michael Oreskes Shares His NPR Preview For 2016

 

Michael Oreskes joined NPR as its head of news at the endof April 2015. Since then, he has overseen extensivechangeson air, as well as behind the scenes in the newsroom. He hasalso given a jump-start to NPR's previouslystuttering collaboration efforts with local member stations,and led the newsroom during a number of major newsevents, including the Charleston church shooting, theSupreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage, the Europeanrefugee and migrant crisis, the Paris attacks and the SanBernardino shooting. It's been a big year for NPR, as well as inthe news. Election campaigning is also well underway, and before the frenzy kicks off for good I askedOreskes to talk about some of the changes at NPR, as well as NPR's priorities for the yearahead.

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On Monday, Jan. 25, Oreskes said Morning Edition listeners will hear the pilot forwhat may become a regular election­year feature on NPR. Collaborating with localmember stations, NPR wants to create what he is calling a "national conversation"examining what is behind the anxiety and anger that so many voters are expressingduring this election cycle. The experiment will launch with a story by politicalcorrespondent Mara Liasson. Afterward, more than two dozen stations so far havesigned on to carry the conversation forward on their local news and talk programsover the week.

 Click here to read more.

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1996  ‐ 'In Gamble, Newspapers Push Into On‐Line Publishing'

 

"The Web," Peter H. Lewis explained to readers of The New York Times on Jan. 18, 1995,"allows even computer novices to easily search the global Internet network for text,pictures - and, in some cases, sounds - and analysts say it is rapidly emerging as the point-and-click prototype for the information superhighway."

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No kidding. A year and a day later, at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, 1996, The Timesactivated its website from the Hippodrome office building, near Bryant Park, in Manhattan.It was a soft launch, intended to give developers and editors a weekend to kick the tiresbefore making a formal announcement on Monday the 22nd.

 Click here to read more. Shared by Sibby Christensen.

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The final days of Al Jazeera America (CNN)

Al Jazeera America's employees didn't see it

coming. They thought they had more time.

The cable news channel was always a gamble.Everyone knew that -- the anchors, the producers,the engineers. And in retrospect, the channel wasprobably doomed from the get-go. But thebusiness plan called for seven to ten years of huge subsidies before reaching the "crossoverpoint" of profitability, according to senior executives.

So no one expected Qatar to give up after only three years. They were blindsided by last

week's announcement that the channel is shutting down. What happened? Why now?

Click here to read more. Shared by Latrice Davis.

 

Today in History ­ January 23, 2016 

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By The Associated Press Today is Saturday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2016. There are 343 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 23, 1516, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who with his late queen consort, Isabella ofCastile, sponsored the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492, died in Madrigalejo,Spain.

On this date:

In 1789, Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.

In 1845, Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after thefirst Monday in November.

In 1933, the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the so-called "Lame DuckAmendment," was ratified as Missouri approved it.

In 1944, Norwegian painter Edvard Munch ("The Scream") died near Oslo at age 80.

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In 1950, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution affirming Jerusalem as the capital ofIsrael.

In 1960, the U.S. Navy-operated bathyscaphe (BATH'-ih-skahf) Trieste carried two men tothe deepest known point in the Pacific Ocean, reaching a depth of more than 35,000 feet.

In 1964, the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, eliminating the poll tax infederal elections, was ratified as South Dakota became the 38th state to endorse it.

In 1968, North Korea seized the Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo, charging its crew withbeing on a spying mission. (The crew was released 11 months later.)

In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end theVietnam War, and would be formally signed four days later in Paris.

In 1989, surrealist artist Salvador Dali died in his native Figueres, Spain, at age 84.

In 1995, the Supreme Court, in McKennon vs. Nashville Banner Publishing Co., ruled thatcompanies accused of firing employees illegally could not escape liability by later finding alawful reason to justify the dismissal.

In 2005, former "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson died in Los Angeles at age 79.

Ten years ago: Ford Motor Co. said it would cut up to 30,000 jobs and idle 14 facilities inNorth America by 2012. A U.S. military jury at Fort Carson, Colorado, ordered a reprimand,but no jail time, for Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr., an Army interrogatorconvicted of killing an Iraqi general. Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party wonCanada's national elections, ending 13 years of Liberal rule.

Five years ago: Allies and adversaries of President Hugo Chavez took to the streets ofCaracas by the thousands, staging rival demonstrations to commemorate the 53rdanniversary of Venezuela's democracy. Fitness guru Jack LaLanne died in Morro Bay,California, at age 96. The Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to their third Super Bowl in six yearswith a 24-19 victory over the New York Jets to win the AFC championship. The Green BayPackers defeated the Chicago Bears, 21-14, in the NFC championship game.

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One year ago: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, 90, the powerful U.S. ally who'd fought againstal-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom, died in Riyadh.Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, 83, died. Roger Federer was ousted from theAustralian Open in the third round, beaten by Andreas Seppi 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5).

Today's Birthdays: Actress Jeanne Moreau is 88. Actress Chita Rivera is 83. Actor-directorLou Antonio is 82. Jazz musician Gary Burton is 73. Actor Gil Gerard is 73. Actor RutgerHauer is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jerry Lawson is 72. Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., is69. Singer Anita Pointer is 68. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 66. Rock musician BillCunningham is 66. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 63. Former Los Angeles MayorAntonio Villaraigosa (vee-yah-ry-GOH'-sah) is 63. Princess Caroline of Monaco is 59. SingerAnita Baker is 58. Reggae musician Earl Falconer (UB40) is 57. Actress Gail O'Grady is 53.Actress Mariska Hargitay is 52. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Nelson is 45. Actress TiffaniThiessen is 42. Rock musician Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie) is 41. Christian rockmusician Nick DePartee (Kutless) is 31. Singer-actress Rachel Crow is 18.

Thought for Today: "It's not what you are, it's what you don't become that hurts." ‐ OscarLevant, pianist‐composer‐actor (1906‐1972).

Got a story to share? 

Got a story to share? A favorite memory of your APdays? Don't keep them to yourself. Share with yourcolleagues by sending to Ye Olde Connecting Editor.And don't forget to include photos!

Here are some suggestions: ­ Spousal support ­ How your spouse helpedin supporting your work during your AP career. 

­ My most unusual story ­ tell us about an unusual, off the wall story that youcovered.

­ "A silly mistake that you make"­ a chance to 'fess up with a memorable mistakein your journalistic career.

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­ Multigenerational AP families ­ profiles of families whose service spanned two ormore generations.

­ Volunteering ­ benefit your colleagues by sharing volunteer stories ­ with ideas onsuch work they can do themselves.

­ First job ­ How did you get your first job in journalism?

­ Connecting "selfies" ­ a word and photo self­profile of you and your career, andwhat you are doing today. Both for new members and those who have been with usa while.

­ Life after AP for those of you who have moved on to another job or profession.

­ Most unusual place a story assignment took you.

Paul StevensEditor, Connecting newsletterpaulstevens46@gmail.com

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