The Daily ((SOT))

Interview with comedian Lenny Clarke

2011-06-27T21:47:00.001-04:00

Lenny Clarke talks TV

Lenny Clarke talks North Andover and stand-up

Lenny Clarke talks life, politics, and...softball?

Local comedian Lenny Clarke stopped by "Chuckles Comedy Club" at China Blossom Saturday night. Clarke gave Patch an exclusive interview before the show.

The 57 year-old Clarke is finishing a ten year run as "Uncle Teddy" on TV's Rescue Me, and he's set to premiere as Chelsea Handler's raunchy father in her new sitcom, Are You There Vodka, it's me Chelsea.

The cambridge native has had a 35-year career. He's been in several sitcoms including his own Lenny, then the John Laroquette Show, and most recently Rescue Me. Clarke has also had several movie roles including There's Something about Mary, Me, Myself, and Irene, and Fever Pitch.

Clarke has also been involved in Massachusetts politics, having run for mayor of Cambridge and, most recently, having stumped for Scott Brown during his improbable run for Senate.

In this installment, Clarke talks about the news that "Whitey" Bulger was captured, his interest in politics and the endurance that keeps him going.

This summer, Clarke will be on a nation-wide tour with Rescue Me stars Denis Leary and others including a stop at Mohegan Sun Casino July 8 at 8pm.

Behind the Kitchen: A look at Tewksbury's Tew-Mac Tavern

2011-06-21T16:05:00.000-04:00

At the Tewksbury Country Club's Tew-Mac Tavern, you'll find no bags, no preservatives, and certainly no microwaves.

"Everything is made with hands," says Tew-Mac's General Manager Bob Leo, "We make our own salad dressing, our own chowder. We mash potatoes every morning. We roast Turkeys every day. To us, it's important that we make our own food."

The Tavern's menu ranges from sandwiches to full-course dinners. Leo says the Tavern's mission is to give diners the chance to enjoy home-cooked comfort food, but with a Tew-Mac twist.

"We might serve you a basket of onion rings," Leo says, "but it has a nice spicy Chipotle sauce."

Leo credits the quality of the food to the chef's behind the kitchen. He says he looks for "restaurant rats," people who want to be in the kitchen and have been there for a long time. As for service, Leo says the staff is always willing to bend for the customer.

"If there's something you like but you don't see it, we'll make it for you. If you want to substitute this for that, not a problem," says Leo.

The Tew-Mac tavern is membership free, so all are welcome. The Tavern is open year-round, and in the summer, they open up an outdoor patio overlooking the golf course.

For the last two years, the Tewksbury Country Club's been awarded the best place to get married by The Knot magazine. The tavern has also recieved a number of local awards.

Fishing derby honors fallen athlete

2011-06-06T21:14:00.000-04:00

In 2004, Tim Roberts was the captain of the Scarlet Knights' track team. The 21 year-old high school senior spent his afternoons fishing or hanging out with his friends around town. Things changed for Roberts in the summer of 2004 when he was diagnosed with esophogeal cancer. Tim lost his battle with cancer a year later in August of 2005.

However, Roberts' legacy lives on.

The "Reeling in a Dream" fishing derby is one of several events held each year in Roberts' name. The money goes to the Dana Farber Cancer Center to aid young adults with cancer (aged 18-30) like Roberts recieve "wishes" since most charities only aid those under 18. The idea was dreamed up by Tim when he was sick, and he and his friends started the fund with a charity wiffleball tournament.

"The whole idea behind this fundraising effort was him," said Tim's former coach Steve Nugent, "It all started with Tim."

After Roberts passed in August, the effort was picked up by his family and friends. For the last six years, the Tim Roberts Fund has raised thousands to help grant wishes including trips, computers, and ipads.

"He saw other patients his age so this's what he wanted to do," said Roberts mother Pat, "and the community comes out each year to support us. It's great."

The next event for the Tim Roberts Fund will be the annual wiffleball "Tourney for Tim" on August 6, 2011.

Tewksbury, MA: 2011 graduates bid farewell, look towards future

2011-06-05T17:59:00.000-04:00

The Tewksbury Memorial High School Class of 2011 gathered together for one last time at UMass Lowell's Costello Athletic Center. Dressed in bright blue and red gowns, the graduates stood up one by one to recieve their diplomas from school principal Patricia Lally.

"Everyone of them as turned out to be a wonderful individual," said Lally, "so I don't think there's going to be a problem in the future."

It was the first time for Lally to hand out the diplomas directly, previously it had been the job of the school committee. Lally said in her address to the Class of 2011 that they were apart of her "family."

Students had mixed emotions, it was a great celebration, but for others it also meant good bye. For others still, the entirety of the event and the end of high school has yet to sink in.

"It almost hasn't sunk in yet that we're done with high school completely," said Valedictorian Victoria Aronson who encouraged her classmates to live lives "without regret."

Parents cried and cheered for their childrens' successes, happy that they've crossed another milestone in their lives.

"A very proud moment for him," said Stephanie Rogers who watched her youngest son Matthew pick up his diploma, "they're all grown up now."

Glitz, glamour, and smiles at Tewksbury Promenade

2011-06-01T16:27:00.000-04:00

For Americans everywhere, prom is the beginning of the end for high school seniors. The tests are done, the grades are in, and seniors get together for one final, emotional dance.

Tewksbury Memorial High School's traditional "Promenade before the Prom" gave families of graduating students the chance to celebrate part of the night with their sons and daughters.

"Time flies by," said Scott Middleton whose son, Scott, is graduating this Friday. "Now, here he is a senior going off to prom."

Students, two by two, showed up at the school in bright blues, reds, and yellows. Girls were dressed to the nines, and the boys matched their dates in sharp suits. The students were filled with emotions as cameras caught every moment before the buses and limos pulled up to take prom-goers away for the last dance.

"It's bittersweet, this is the last time we're all gonna be together in senior prom," said Johnny Digiorgio.

Tewksbury memorial day parade honors fallen heroes

2011-05-31T09:53:00.000-04:00

What a day for a parade!

On a sunny Monday afternoon, the town of Tewksbury took to the streets with its annual Memorial Day Parade. Soldiers, past and present, marched alongside Tewksbury's Town Clerk, Denise Graffeo, and US Senator for Massachusetts, Scott Brown, and the Tewksbury Police and Fire Departments.

"It's a great way to start the summer," says Tewksbury resident Liane Daigle.

Many veterans watched from the side walk as the parade made it's way along the two mile parade route from Pleasant and Main to the Tewksbury Country Club.

"A lot of the veterans today and soldiers overseas, they feel as though sometimes we don't support them," said VFW Post 8164 Commander Vincent Oliva after the parade, "these people come out, and it's good to hear them clapping and say thank you. It means a lot to us."

Other marchers included the Tewksbury chapters for the Boys and Girl Scouts, the Tewksbury Food Pantry, the Tyngsboro High Band, the Stuart Highland Pipe Band, the Aleppo Clowns from the Shriners, the Mass Brass Band, the Lowell High Band, The Andover High Band, the St. Joe's Clowns Unit, and many others.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-29T21:42:00.001-04:00

"For love of country, they accepted death."
-James A. Garfield, 20th US President

On May 30, 2011, the United States celebrates Memorial Day. Officials first proclaimed the holiday on May 5, 1868 in honor of those who died in the Civil War. The holiday honored both confederate and union soldiers. Today, the holiday is celebrated on the last Monday of May and honors all veterans who have passed.

Below are two videos from earlier this year, stories from two local WWII veterans about their time in the service.

WWII Vet Shares His Story of Survival

It was 1945 in a Nazi war camp when local resident, Jimmy Arsenault, and 38 other prisoners-of-war decided that if they made it out, they'd tell their story.

More than 60 years later, that dream has finally become a reality with the new book, "Brothers of War: The P.O.W. Experience." The book tells how the 39 P.O.W.s all made it out alive together.

Since the mid-1970s, Arsenault has had yearly gatherings with the survivors where they shared stories of their harrowing year behind enemy lines. Today, only three remain alive.

Arsenault says he was spurred on to finish the book as he got older. The dream became a reality when the 87-year-old veteran met ghostwriter Nancy Parsons who helped put the collective memoir of the 39 survivors together.

All of the book's profits will go to aid local veterans' services. The book is on sale at the North Reading Senior Center, Carr's Hallmark, and Ryers Store.

Portrait of a Patriot: Francis "Gunner" Hayes

Francis "Gunner" Hayes spent two years serving his country in an Army tank battalion. Then, a 19 year-old Hayes serving under General Patton marched across Europe from France to Czechoslovakia, including taking part in the historic Battle of the Bulge.

The 87 year-old has spent his entire life in North Andover. He grew up with four other siblings, two brothers and two sisters. Both his parents died by the time Hayes was 13, forcing Hayes to grow up fast. In high school, friends gave the young Hayes the nickname "Gunner", a name that has stuck ever since.

Hayes spent most of his post war years tending bar at the local VFW Post until he retired in 1987. Today, Hayes continues to be a presence at town and veteran events because he says otherwise, people "will forget about you completely."

New league, new hope

2011-05-26T21:23:00.000-04:00

One year ago, Tewksbury Youth Baseball president, Frank Flanagan, announced plans to create a "Challenger Division" in Tewksbury.

Challenger Divisions are a part of Little League Baseball, they are for kids of all ages whose disabilities prevent them from joining other baseball leagues.

"It's an opportunity to get the kids away from the parents," says Flanagan, "and let someone else show them a little fun with the game of baseball."

The league's first game was May 8, 2011, Mother's Day. They started with about 10 players, but after two weeks, the league has doubled in size. Parents like Shane Nevins whose six year-old son Christopher is autistic, says the league means a lot.

"It's amazing," says Nevins," to see him out there, I just can't say enough, it's awesome."

The league has recieved tremendous support including volunteer "buddies" from Tewksbury High School's Baseball and Softball teams.

"It feels great," says "buddy" John Saunders, "even though their disabled to see them come out and play with such heart and determination. It's great."

The challenger league plans to continue its season through June. Organizers say new players are welcome anytime. Contact Deb Rocco for more information.

It's raining...golf balls?

2011-05-23T11:46:00.000-04:00

It was just a normal Saturday afternoon in Tewksbury, until hundreds of golf balls fell from the sky!

In an effort to raise money, T.H.E. (Tewksbury Hospital Equestrian) Farm held their first ever golf ball drop. Each golf ball cost 20 dollars, and the three closest golf balls to the hole would win a prize, the top prize set at 1,500 dollars.

A crowd of just over 50 watched as a helicopter circled a field on East Street before dumping its payload. The winners were Lorna McElaney, of Tacoma, Washington, Joyce Morency, of Lawrence, and Emily Bersin, of Tewksbury.

Susan Lorenti, T.H.E. Farm's president, says the golf ball drop is now their second biggest fundraising event and hopes to hold it again next year.

Mock accident teaches sobering lesson to students

2011-05-21T21:32:00.001-04:00

It's a parents worst nightmare: their child is caught in an accident caused by drunk driving.

In an effort to prevent such a tragedy, the Tewksbury Police, in collaboration with Tewksbury's chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.) and Tewksbury High School re-enact the nightmare scenario in front of the entire junior and senior classes. The school presents the "mock accident" with stunning realism, from the sounds of the crash to the delivery of the worst news a parent wants to hear, that their child was killed in an accident involving drugs and alcohol.

"It's like wow, this could really be me," said S.A.D.D. president and senior Renee Canlin, "It's a scary thought."

The entire exercise took about 40 minutes. The school coordinates this event once every other year, after starting it in the early 90s. Police say they think the message gets across to most students.

"If one kid decides not to drive, or not to get in a car with a drunk driver," says school resource officer Kathy McLeod, "that's win."

Several community organizations besides school and law enforcement provided services including make-up by Salon Renee, cars by Penney's Auto Body, and Saint's Memorial Paramedic Services.

Walking for a Cure

2011-05-19T12:36:00.000-04:00

Five years ago, Andy Graham's wife Jessica lost her eight-month battle with Leukemia.

Doctors diagnosed the mother of one after undergoing a mandatory physical for her application to nursing school.

Today, Andy and Jessica's adopted daughter, Tracy (now 14), are raising money for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Over the last five years, the pair have raised money under a team called, "Jessica's Friends."

This year, the team has raised more than $10,000, the largest amount raised by any team in North Reading. As a special tribute this year, Tracy Graham will sing Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" with her friend Emma, who also came to the town from the same Chinese orphanage.

The North Reading Relay for Life will be at the North Reading High School indoor track on Friday, May 20 beginning at 6 p.m. and continue overnight until 6 a.m.

WWII Vet shares his story of survival

2011-05-06T09:12:00.000-04:00

It was 1945 in a Nazi war camp when local resident, Jimmy Arsenault, and 38 other prisoners-of-war decided that if they made it out, they'd tell their story.

More than 60 years later, that dream has finally become a reality with the new book, "Brothers of War: The P.O.W. Experience." The book tells how the 39 P.O.W.s all made it out alive together.

Since the mid-1970s, Arsenault has had yearly gatherings with the survivors where they shared stories of their harrowing year behind enemy lines. Today, only three remain alive.

Arsenault says he was spurred on to finish the book as he got older. The dream became a reality when the 87-year-old veteran met ghostwriter Nancy Parsons who helped put the collective memoir of the 39 survivors together.

All of the book's profits will go to aid local veterans' services. The book is on sale at the North Reading Senior Center, Carr's Hallmark, and Ryers Store.

42,000 walkers, 20 miles, 1 goal

2011-05-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

On one of the clearest days I've seen in Boston, thousands of walkers including myself made their way out of Boston and back again. Walkers ran the gamut in age from tots to seniors, and every race and creed were represented.

The event raised 3.6 million dollars for Boston food banks, a number that should help ensure all of Boston's residents a meal in the coming year. Thank you to all who donated to the walk, you have made a difference.

Gold reaches a record mark

2011-04-26T12:16:00.001-04:00

Gold reached a record high this week, crossing the $1500 mark for an ounce of gold. Patch spoke to local jeweler Steven Leed, of Royal Jewelers, and asked him about the gold exchange and the do's and don'ts of selling gold.

20 Miles for Hunger

2011-04-21T13:21:00.000-04:00

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." -Matthew 25:35, 40

MAKE A GIFT TODAY

On Sunday, May 1st, I will be participating in Project Bread's 2011 Walk for Hunger. I hope that you will support me in my efforts to raise money to help end hunger in Massachusetts!

Why am I walking? I'm walking because many Massachusetts families are seeing their monthly income stretched beyond capacity. They are forced to go without food in order to pay their rent, utility, and medical bills. The demand for emergency food has never been greater with pantries and meal programs supported by Project Bread serving 57.3 million meals last year alone. Hunger is not just an urban problem — it exists in nearly every community throughout the state.

The money that I raise by walking as much as I can of the 20-mile route will directly help hungry people. Funds raised through the Walk support more than 400 emergency food programs in 135 communities statewide.

Who is hungry? Hunger affects more than 660,000 people in Massachusetts, including the state’s most vulnerable citizens — children, the elderly, the disabled, and the unemployed.

Hunger also affects the working poor, who use more and more of their income to pay rent, heating oil, medical care, and childcare. Both children and the elderly are disproportionately represented at emergency food programs funded by Project Bread. In low-income communities throughout the state, one child in three lives in a family that struggles to put food on the table.

Please donate to my Walk to help me make a difference and reach my personal fundraising goal. Thank you for your support of me and of hungry people.

Together we CAN make a difference!

MAKE A GIFT TODAY

About The Walk for Hunger

Since 1969, Project Bread's Walk for Hunger has provided critical resources for hungry children and families in Massachusetts. Today, The Walk for Hunger is the oldest continual pledge walk in the country, and the largest annual one-day fundraiser to alleviate local hunger.

Money raised through The Walk for Hunger funds more than 400 food pantries, soup kitchens, food banks, and food salvage programs in 135 communities across Massachusetts.

The Walk for Hunger is held on the first Sunday in May every year. The 20-mile Walk route weaves through Boston, Brookline, Newton, Watertown, and Cambridge.

About Project Bread

As the state’s leading antihunger organization, Project Bread is dedicated to alleviating, preventing, and ultimately ending hunger in Massachusetts. In addition to organizing the annual Walk for Hunger and supporting emergency food programs statewide, Project Bread also advocates systematic solutions that prevent hunger in children and that provide food to families in everyday settings.

MAKE A GIFT TODAY

Portrait of a Patriot: Francis "Gunner" Hayes

2011-04-19T20:44:00.000-04:00

Francis "Gunner" Hayes spent two years serving his country in an Army tank battalion. Then, a 19 year-old Hayes serving under General Patton marched across Europe from France to Czechoslovakia, including taking part in the historic Battle of the Bulge.

The 87 year-old has spent his entire life in North Andover. He grew up with four other siblings, two brothers and two sisters. Both his parents died by the time Hayes was 13, forcing Hayes to grow up fast. In high school, friends gave the young Hayes the nickname "Gunner", a name that has stuck ever since.

Hayes spent most of his post war years tending bar at the local VFW Post until he retired in 1987. Today, Hayes continues to be a presence at town and veteran events because he says otherwise, people "will forget about you completely."

Running for a cause

2011-04-18T17:07:00.001-04:00

When Andover mom Kim Grady discovered her son had Narcolepsy, she promised her son "would not be a victim." Grady's son suffers from a rare form of the disease called Narcolepsy with cataplexy, which along with sleep disturbances can cause her son to lose control of his muscles and seize up as if he was having a seizure.

John, now 14, has persevered thanks in part to Grady's effort to get him to the right doctors and on the right medicine. John has excelled in school and in outside activities including winning awards as a wrestler.

Kim Grady said she's inspired by her son's resilience and has chosen to pick up her running shoes once more to spread awareness and raise money for medical research of the disease through the non-profit organization, Wake Up Narcolepsy. Grady said she hopes that organizations like Wake Up will help doctors and researchers find less toxic treatments, or even a cure, for the debilitating disease.

Utility ratepayers and taxpayers pay as nuclear debate continues

2011-04-04T11:51:00.000-04:00

(This is an excerpt of an article from the New England Center for Investigative Reporting.)

By: Maggie Mulvihill, Shay Totten, and Matt Porter

The Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth, MA.

BOSTON -- Over three decades, New England’s electricity consumers and nuclear plant owners have poured close to $1 billion into a federal nuclear-waste storage fund, holding up their end of a 1982 deal with the federal government to finance the permanent storage of thousands of tons of spent fuel from the region’s reactors.

The payoff?

An empty $11 billion hole in a Nevada mountainside, a broken promise from the U.S. government to remove the radioactive waste, and mounting bills that could still saddle New England with mothballed plants and hundreds of spent-fuel casks, turning communities into mini-nuclear waste dumps for decades, if not forever.

“It’s the most expensive dry hole we’ve ever built,” said Dave Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer and director of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Nuclear Safety Project. “Who would trust the government with a dollar after they’ve wasted billions? We’ve messed this up as bad as we possibly could.”

(Continue reading)

First snow of the season

2010-12-24T19:52:00.002-05:00

Snow fell this week in North Andover, just in time for Christmas. Here are some pictures of North Andover's first snow covering.

Winter concert brings spirit of the season to N. Andover

2010-12-20T20:11:00.000-05:00

(This is an excerpt of an article published to patch.com)

'Tis the season to sing and play at North Andover High School.

Aaron Goldberg conducts NAHS's Brass Ensemble

NAHS's award-winning band and chorus played in their first concert of the year to an audience of about 250. The concert featured the school's 66-member symphonic band and 63-member chorus, along with a number of smaller specialized groups.

"Music is meant to be heard," said band director Aaron Goldberg, "so it's great for us to be out here performing." (Continue reading)

Wednesday ((SOT)): Horsing around

2010-10-24T13:17:00.003-04:00

"A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And no one can talk to a horse of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mister Ed."
-"Mr. Ed" television show theme song

There were no talking horses at Methuen's Nevin's farm, but plenty of proud stallions and mares ready for their close-up. That was the scene a few weeks ago when I pulled out my camera for a horse photo shoot. Vanessa Wright, an equine photographer, taught me and about 15 others how to take the perfect "horse pictures."

Wright explained that taking pictures of horses is more than just "point and shoot," and that equine photography has its own special class. I never thought of horse photography as a single field until I met my classmates. Most of them specialized in horses, they either took photos at horse competitions or owned their own horses.

Most of the horses strutted there stuff in front of the camera as if they knew exactly what was going on. Only one big black stallion shunned the cameras after a few minutes of shooting. He quickly turned around with his rear end pointed straight at my lens, giving a big "grunt" as if to say "move along now."

The photo shoot proved a success, and I got to experiment with my new camera. Some of the better shots are in the slide show below.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Wednesday ((SOT)): Hello fall. Goodbye summer.

2010-09-22T11:38:00.001-04:00

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."
-Nathaniel Hawthorne

Fall begins today. If you're in the Northeast like me, take advantage of the colorful season before winter comes. Here are some of my photos from this fall.

Saturday ((SOT)): Find your inner-Buddha

2010-09-11T14:00:00.000-04:00

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."
-The Buddha

Due to a personal crisis, this blog has not been active recently. I am working through some personal issues now. Some of which, I may write about later when the time feels right and my head is reorganized.

I am doing well and everything is okay. Quotes like the one above give me strength. As soon as I move to the next step of my "recovery," I'll resume posting. For now, I need to take all the time to live in the moment.


Take a moment and smell the roses. (Syracuse Rose Garden)

Thank you to friends and family who have been extremely supportive.

Also, take a moment today to remember the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedies. We all need to remember that we are one America.

Tuesday ((SOT)) - I scream, you scream, we all scream for...

2010-08-24T00:25:00.003-04:00

Life is like an ice-cream cone, you have to lick it one day at a time.
-Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts cartoonist

The Frosty Cow Ice Cream Shop in Dryden, NY.

Summer is winding down, and I feel like I’ve only had a few days to enjoy it with the transition back to stateside living, and working at Newhouse. However, one joy I’m glad to say I’ve been able to reconnect with…frequently…are America’s homemade ice cream spots.

There’s truly nothing like the wonderful feeling you get when you bite into in a batch of homemade concoctions like moose-tracks, peppermint stick, or my most recent gambit in the village of Dryden, NY, a flavor called bull dog crunch (a mix of vanilla ice cream, pecans, and liquid praline). Even research agrees with me, saying ice cream has natural components that can fight depression.

Collage of the Frosty Cow's smallest visitors.

But the other great thing about homemade ice cream is the people. For a small town, the local ice cream stand is like the watering hole for families. Local people come back again and again to indulge themselves and the rest of their family in the flavors of summer.

It’s just one of the little things of American culture that I missed while abroad over the last year, and I have savored every frozen opportunity since coming back.

And who says I’ll stop at the summer, nothing like taking a little ice cream home on a cold winter’s night!

Saturday ((SOT)): Man on Water

2010-08-21T19:19:00.000-04:00

"Water flows humbly to the lowest level.
Nothing is weaker than water,
Yet for overcoming what is hard and strong,
Nothing surpasses it."
-Lao Tzu, Chinese Philosopher

A Buddhist man takes in the water at Ithaca Falls in Ithaca,NY.

I'll begin this post with four words: "Don't try this yourself."

But one man, Soutchay Insinxiengmay (in-sing-may), is brave (and maybe just crazy enough) to climb the face of a rushing waterfall.

"I just felt like I was apart of the waterfall, like, I wasn’t scared or tepid or anything," said Insinxiengmay, "You just go up there and feel it."

Thailand-born, Insinxiengmay came to New York to study at Binghamton University. He now lives in Binghamton working as a market researcher. But during the summer, he becomes a sort-of water monk, sitting amidst gallons of rushing water pounding him without flinching or even taking off his glasses.

"It was like a spiritual experience for me," he said still drenched in water, "I just wanted to let anything that was negative just flow, and take in all the good positive energy that the waterfull generated."

Insinxiengmay said he started climbing waterfalls this summer when he came to Ithaca and saw all of the falls it had to offer. He said he’s already lost count on how many falls he’s climbed. He plans to keep climbing as long as he lives in the area.

“I think God put it [the falls] here, and it’s amazing,” Insinxiengmay said.

Insinxiengmay identifies himself as a Buddhist. While he carefully traversed the side of the falls, he said he chanted prayers for family and friends. At times, he sat so still amidst the splashing water as if locked in a trance.

Insinxiengmay said the activity is not easy, and he is extremely careful.

Ithaca’s waterfalls and gorges are the site of numerous accidents each year. Climbing gorges and waterfalls when signs restrict it can carry heavy fines.

Sunday ((SOT)): Snakes on the beach

2010-08-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

Every now and then go away and have a little relaxation. To remain constantly at work will diminish your judgment.
-Leonardo DaVinci

Today, I got to view my side of the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in over a year. Although the shockingly blue Mediterranean was a wonderful sight, I enjoyed the smell and the sounds of the waters on my favorite New Hampshire beach, Hampton. My family and I have been visiting the beach since I was young, and my mother visited with her family when she was young.


Two men and their snakes hit the beach.

But yet, the beach still surprises me. Today, it was when I saw two men carrying enormous pythons around their necks. One of them had the snake tucked under his shirt and he actually had to pull it out for the photo. The snakes are still growing, they are less than a year old according to the owners. For now, they eat rats, but they say they'll be eating rabbits as the snakes grow.

This blog will be quiet for the next few days as I take the time off from Syracuse to be with family back home in Boston. But, if things happen or I come across interesting things, you might just see a post. You can expect my regular reports to return in a week.

Wednesday ((SOT)): Rumi on Ramadan

2010-08-11T12:39:00.000-04:00

There's hidden sweetness in the stomach's emptiness.
-Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, Islamic philosopher

Muslims in the U.S., and everywhere else in the world, begin a 30 day fast for their holy season of Ramadan. During the season, devout Muslims do not consume anything into the body including food and water during daylight hours. Many also abstain from sexual relations and make other life style changes during this time.


During Ramadan, you may see Muslim residents eating big meals like this around sundown.

At sundown, Muslims break their fast. These are known as Iftar dinners. Fasting is usually broken with a date if possible, as that is how Muslims understand the Prophet Muhammed broke his fasts.

Muslims I spoke to in Turkey said they fasted in order to purify their soul.

The Rumi poem where today's SOT comes from says sacrifice and emptying the body refreshes the human spirit.

Lastly, July saw a lot of debate over the building of new mosques across the country, particularly over the mosque being planned two blocks from ground zero.   Opponents say building the mosque is an affront to victims of the September 11 tragedies, and some say the mosque will be a source of fundamentalism, not tolerance.

"Those Islamists and their apologists who argue for "religious toleration" are arrogantly dishonest. They ignore the fact that more than 100 mosques already exist in New York City," Newt Gingrich wrote on his blog, "There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia.

On the other side, Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the Islamic center saying our first amendment freedom of religion makes the United States special.

"We would be untrue to the best part of ourselves and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans if we said no to a mosque in lower Manhattan," Bloomberg said in a speech made in front of the Statue of Liberty.

In fact, when I lived in Turkey, a country of 99 percent Muslims, Turks who spent time in the US said they admired America "for its love of religion" and that Muslims could practice their religion more freely than Islamic countries.

For example, in Turkey, the government closely regulates Islam and has had a history of banning certain practices and sects including the followers of Rumi for a time.

Ramadan will end on September 10th in the United States with a holiday known as Eid-Al-Fitr.

Blitz-ing the neighborhood

2010-08-10T23:06:00.003-04:00

Block Blitz story AND VIDEO published on Syracuse University's Newshouse.com.

Follow this link to the story:
Blitz-ing the neighborhood | NewsHouse

28-million dollar lease deadline extended; Superintendent and Councilor speak

2010-08-10T21:57:00.004-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

The H.W. Smith Elementary School is one of two schools set to be renovated as soon as the Syracuse School district can secure temporary space for the 1,500 students affected.

Matt Porter, NCC News

A 5 PM closure deadline set by the Syracuse Common Council came and passed today for the 28-million dollar lease of the Syracuse Developmental Center (SDC). The Syracuse City School District hopes to put 1500 students from two elementary schools in the SDC after this year's winter break so they can renovate the other two schools.

The original deadline has been extended by the Mayor's office to September 1.

During the day, I spoke to Councilor Kathleen Joy (D) and Superintendent Daniel Lowengard about the deadline issues and if they felt their sides were not communicating. The full interviews are available at the bottom of this story. View a previous, more complete story on the deal.

Lowengard says the school board didn't need to bring lease issue to the Syracuse Common Council

Lowengard called the lease approval issue "a weird one," and said, "that probably in hindsight we shouldn't have had to bother the common council about it." He said that the board must bring up issues that involve budgetary issues, but that the lease approval didn't need to be brought to the council.

Councilor Joy, who was interviewed first, could not be reached for comment on this point. But, she said that the Common Council, the school board, and the school district "need to work more collaboratively."

Susan Fahey Glisson of Parents for Public Schools, an outside advocacy group, said miscommunication between the common council and the school district isn't new at all. Her group attempted to mediate the two parties over this exact issue earlier in the year.

Joy: There needs to be a Plan B.

Lowengard: There is, but you don't want to hear it

Another big issue regarding the lease that has been brought up by the common council and parents is the argument that only one option was provided by the school district.

Councilor Joy said she wants more than one option, "I asked the district that they have a legitimate plan B."

She said she hopes to hear one from the school district tomorrow when the council discusses the lease at an education committee meeting.

Superintendent Lowengard said there has always been a plan B, but said, "people do not want to hear that plan because it's not a good plan."

The superintendent says Plan B is that things will move on no matter what, but "it will take longer and the kids will get less." Lowengard said the SDC option is the best because it's a matter of saving money and getting the job done quickly. The project has been going on already since 2004.

The superintendent made it clear that using closed parish schools are not an option because the costs of repair and bringing them up to code are too high.

Click hear to listen to Councilor Kathleen Joy

The interview took place at 3:30pm by phone. At that time, news had not spread that the deadline was pushed back by the city to September 1. (Run Time: 4:30)

Click hear to listen to Superintendent Dan Lowengard

The interview took place at 4:40pm and was a response to Councilor Kathleen Joy. At this time, the news of the September 1st deadline was known. (Run Time: 6:50)

Saturday ((SOT)): Gordon Bombay

2010-08-07T12:51:00.000-04:00

"Thank you very much, Mr. Ducksworth! Quack Quack Quack Quack Quack, Mr. Ducksworth!"

Gordon Bombay on being fired from his job, The Mighty Ducks (1992)

Living in Syracuse during the past month, I've seen some pretty interesting things, but one of the coolest things for me was the discovery of year round ice-skating at Syracuse University. In Boston, most of our rinks closed for the summer, so I only had the winter to enjoy the ice's frictionless heaven.


Newhouse student Emily Czerniakowski enjoys the summer skating.

But now, thanks to a generous donation from one Syracuse Alumni, my friends and I enjoy free skating year round. Marilyn Tennity graduated from the university in 1942. She and her husband, Bill, donated the money needed to provide a year-round skating pavilion (with two rinks) for "the enjoyment of the Syracuse University community." Students, faculty, and staff skate free.

Parents take advantage of the rink bringing their sons and daughters for ice-skating classes including hockey and figure skating. For me, getting out on the ice where I can feel like I'm running without hardly lifting my feet is all I need.

As for the SOT, I've always loved the original movie, the Mighty Ducks. The film is about Gordon Bombay, who starts out as a former professional hockey player who got hurt in his prime, became a lawyer and bitter. But, after being arrested and sentenced to community service as a hockey coach for the worst team in the city, he learns life skills while inspiring a young team to play hard and believe in themselves. A wonderful story, especially when you're eight.

Quack, quack, quack!

Cue the SOTs

2010-08-07T11:56:00.002-04:00

In an attempt to make this blog more than just a repository for my work, today I'm going to begin "cuing the SOTs." What does this mean?

First, let me explain what is a SOT (pronounced like "sought"). A SOT, an abbreviation for "Sound on Tape," is used widely in the broadcast world to describe sound bites. The original idea for this blog, beyond being a repository for my work, was to post SOTs of the Day and write a little something about it.

So, today I'll post the first of what will hopefully be a new segment on the blog, "The Daily SOT" I won't necessarily post daily, but that's the aim. I'm usually busy on newscast days, so posting an extra SOT is sometimes difficult.

Initially, I'd always think the SOT would come from a news story or a headline, but after some thought, I realize it can come from anywhere, as long as it helps me evoke the story I'm trying to tell.

In fact, more often than not, I'm betting the SOT will be from someone I've met or a conversation I've had while out and about. This first SOT will come from one of my favorite childhood movies.

By adding the SOT, I'll hopefullybe posting something each day, whether it's a SOT or finished piece from the radio or TV.

Happy reading.

Matt

Block-krieg!

2010-08-06T01:11:00.007-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

For one day, over 300 volunteers descended on two small neighborhoods on Syracuse's South and West sides to renovate, rebuild, and construct everything from homes to porches. Syracuse non-profit, Home Headquarters, organized the one-day event that included large donations of paint, lumber, and labor from private and public companies alike.

A house and a life

Danielle Smith is a full-time employee at Landmark Aviation, and is also the full-time mother of a 10-year-old son, Johnathan. Smith's lived on the West Side for most of her life, spending most of it in the same house which used to belong to her grandparents.

Today, the same house her grandparents owned, the one she was born in, and now the one she raises her son in has a lot of wear and tear. During the last three years she's lived at the Ostico Street home, she's replaced a roof, a ceiling, and repaired two bursted pipes during the winter months.

Home Headquarters has supported her for some of the repairs, including covering 80 percent of a 20,000 dollar roof replacement.

"I work 40 hours a week" said Smith, "for them to be able to help out is great."

Today, she's paying it back. Smith called in "sick" to her boss to help the volunteers, all complete strangers, paint her house. (Her boss knows the real story) She thinks programs like Home HQ can make a big difference to neighborhoods.

"Even the house right next door to us, it had a bunch of bushes and trees," said Smith about a house where she said, "not the best kind of people would hang out"

"Now you can see what's actually going on," added Smith, and she believes by just clearing away the brush, troublemakers will be less likely to hang out there.

Ali Jackson Popp, one of the events coordinators from Home Headquarters says statistics back up Smith's assertion. She also says putting people in homes they can afford, in good neighborhoods has unmeasurable benefits.

"Kids that live in an owned home rather than rent, are more likely to do better in school and less likely to get into trouble," say Popp.

Speaking of kids, even Smith's son John pitched in. He only had one request, that they not change the color of his house, especially pink.

"I do not like any color, I just like the way it is."

As for how hard the work was, John said it was "infinity times one."

Who showed up to help?

Volunteers and donations varied widely for the event, here's just a partial list:

Children from the Spanish Action League's Youth Program painted plywood boards for windows of vacant houses
The Onondaga Earth Corps provided landscaping for several houses
The Salvation Army sent a repair team from their stores
Sherwin-Williams donated paint and professional labor

Anything not finished during the Block Blitz will be finished next week by Home Headquarters and their hired professionals.

Watch the video story

Click here to listen to the story

The secret to their success

2010-08-04T23:23:00.001-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

Young entrepreneurs receive small loans to finance dreams

Isaac Rothwell hopes to start his own audio production company, but for now works full time for a city non-profit. He builds his dream at night.

A passion for creating and producing music fuels 29-year-old Isaac Rothwell as he tries to start his dream company, an audio production service to help musicians, filmmakers, and advertisers produce high-quality work. However, finances have always been a problem for Rothwell, who is slowly building a full studio in the basement of his West Side neighborhood home.

"It's a constant battle for me," Rothwell said, "between what can I afford to get and what would I like to get."

Rothwell has had to move very slowly over the years, building up piece by piece while working a full time job at the Center for Community Alternatives, where he helps persons with criminal records find jobs. Rothwell says giving back to the community is important for him.

And now, the community might just be able to give back. The Near West Side Initiative, also known as the SALT district, hopes to begin a micro-loan program to give entrepreneurs like Rothwell the money they need to expand their local businesses. In addition, the group will support lendees on a continual basis providing training and guidance before and after the loan.

Rothwell says he only needs a few thousand dollars to expand his capabilities. He said he's had to turn down many jobs because he hasn't had the money for all the equipment he needs.

Micro-loan, aren't all loans the same?

The short answer is no.

Bob Herz, director of the South Side Innovation Center (SSIC), says banks tend not to give loans to small businesses that aren't under 30,000 dollars. Well, not without high interest rates. Credit cards? Same problem he says.

Micro-loans, also known as micro-finance, is a way of giving entrepreneurs and established companies an extra shot of life when they're resources are spent.

"What we find is that so many entrepreneurs have put so much of their time and so much of their resources into their business idea that they don't have a lot left," said Herz.

Micro-loans were first used outside of the US in places like India where women were given 1 dollar a day to start businesses in their skill.

Micro-finance and micro-loans are different in the U.S. The dollar figure is higher, usually between 1,000 and 20,000 dollars (still under the normal banking level). But the concept of guiding the lendeed through, and remaining supportive of them through the life of the loan is the same.

Initial program's success leads to expansion

Herz's organization is the model for the SALT district program. His program, SSIC, has given out over 20 microloans since the program began, and only two have defaulted. Herz said his program works closely with lendees all the time, and keeps them on track.

"Our bank likes to say we have a lot of deliquencies," said Herz, "but no defaults."

The program works because Herz makes an agreement with participating banks to guarantee a percentage of a loan if it defaults. The guarantees are funded by grants given to the SSIC.

Herz said his program, like SALT, provides one on one support anytime. At a minimum, his clients recieve sixty hours of training in topics such as HR, administrative organization, training in office programs like Word or Excel, and finance training.

Before any loan is given, Herz works people through their whole idea until a firm business plan is created and approved.

"You can not get to a micro-credit loan unless you got a business plan, and unless we approve you," Herz said.

The cost of the program, 75 dollars once clients are ready to draft a business plan. However the program returns all but 25 dollars if the client finishes the process.

Back to the music...

Returning to Isaac Rothwell, who works nightly in his basement turning it into a studio, he hopes the success Herz created in the south will be duplicated on the West Side. He grew up on the west side in Syracuse, and feels he can help the city by establishing a business there.

"It's time for people that have seen this or are aware of this," said Rothwell, "we need to provide the same quality of life in this neighborhood as in any other part of Central New York."

Rothwell said he is committed to helping the neighborhood and, if his business grows, to even start programs where high school kids from the area can learn the job and a little money at the same time.

Of course, the first step is to finish the new studio and buy the equipment necessary to grow. Rothwell hopes his micro-loan will end his waiting, and get him moving to the next step.

Click here to listen to the story

Plane crashes outside Rome, N.Y.; no deaths, two injured

2010-08-04T00:51:00.002-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

Workers clear out the wreckage of the 1985 Piper that crashed in Rome, NY.
Photo by Matt Porter

August 3, 2010 - A plane crashed just after take-off early this morning just outside the city of Rome, N.Y. The two men inside the plane survived the crash with minor injuries, police said.

The pilot, 55-year-old Daniel Kerry, suffered a broken leg, while his
passenger, 64-year-old Timothy McCormick, walked away with only minor
cuts and scratches. Both were sent to Oneida Hospital in Rome after the incident.

Couple Richard and Katrina Hamblin jumped to their feet when they heard the sound of the 1985 Piper hitting the trees across from their home.

"It sounded like an explosion," said 39-year-old Katrina Hamblin, "it was really loud, it shook the house."

Her husband added.

"There was a person coming up the road with a truck full of scrap, he almost ran into the plane as it crashed into the woods," said Hamblin.

The driver of the truck, Josh Frost, said he was headed home when the plane crashed.

"Another second or two, I would have hit the plane," said Frost who was the first to help the pilots at the scene.

State Police Trooper Jack Keller said the plane left the Becks Grove airport at 8:45 am, reported a power loss, tried to turn back, and ultimately crashed in the attempt.

The plane hit a power line on the way down. It knocked out power for around 100 residents for several hours. National Grid said they restored power to all customers by 1pm.

The FAA left the scene late in the afternoon. They are continuing to investigate the exact cause of the accident.

Get some sun, for vitamin's sake!

2010-07-29T22:44:00.003-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

Darker skin tones require more sun exposure to absorb sufficient amounts of Vitamin D.
Photo by Matt Porter

Matt Porter, NCC News

More doctors and researchers agree: Most people deficient in Vitamin D

Over the last ten years, doctors and nutritionists have been debating and studying the role of Vitamin D in the body. The vitamin has always been known for its primary role of absorbing calcium and phosphorus into the body, without which, we would die says Dr. Susan Brown.

Dr. Brown is a certified nutritionist and social anthropologist. She has been researching Vitamin D, among other bone building nutrients, in Syracuse for the Better Bones Foundation.

"90 to 95 percent of our Vitamin D comes from the Sun," says Dr. Brown.

Unfortunately, people are spending much less time outside, and doctors say this is at least part of the cause for why so many people are deficient in Vitamin D. Doctors say skin color also plays a role.

"Dark skinned people need roughly six times the sun exposure as light skinned people to absorb adequate amounts of Vitamin D," Dr. Brown added.

If a mother lacks vitamin D, that can be passed down to the child says pediatrician Kathleen Shefner. Dr. Shefner says breast milk will not offer the same amount of vitamin D, and advises everyone, but especially nursing parents, to take vitamin D supplements.

"We noticed that children of color were becoming vitamin D deficient" Shefner said, "and in rare cases, when they were being breast fed, they were developing rickets."

Few foods offer good sources of Vitamin D except oily fish, dairy products (fortified with Vitamin D), and orange juice. The best way to get the vitamin is simply to go outside and soak up the sun.

Unfortunately, in the Northeast, the winter sun is not strong enough to provide much Vitamin D at all.

What does Vitamin D do?

Researchers are still working on figuring out everything Vitamin D does, but it is an extremely versatile nutrient. According to Brown, almost every part of the body can recieve Vitamin D. For a long time, Vitamin D was only thought to absorb calcium into the bone, and rickets, was seen as a Vitamin D disorder.

Rickets was thought to have been wiped out when foods started to be fortified with Vitamin D. But in Syracuse and across the country, some cases of rickets have appeared. Dr. Brown says its due to society spending ever more hours inside.

"A person who doesn't get outside," says Dr. Brown, "will have a lot of Vitamin D deficiency."

But, when the body has enough Vitamin D, doctors have seen the nutrient help prevent a number of other conditions including:

Osteoporosis
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Cancer

So the prescription is get more sun? What about UV rays?

A debate is going on right now in the medical community regarding people's need for vitamin D, but also the need to protect themselves from excess exposure to the sun's cancer causing UV rays. The Sun remains the best way for people to get Vitamin D, and it doesn't take much to do it.

Some doctors recommend, at least twice a week, going out in short sleeved clothing for 15-20 minutes during the mid-day unprotected. This way, the body can absorb some of the Sun's Vitamin D.

"The best thing is to exercise [outside] a little bit each day," says Dr. Brown.

Instead of the sun, Dr Shefner, the pediatrician, says young children who haven't hit puberty should be getting at least two 8 ounce glasses of milk a day, while adolescents in puberty should drink at least three.

"A glass of milk," says Dr. Shefner, "has a huge amount of vitamin D compared to anything else."

If you're unable to tolerate milk, Shefner says the next best thing is taking a vitamin D supplement. She also suggests those in high risk/need categories also consider taking supplements including:

Young children and adolescents in puberty
People of darker skin tones
People living with little sun exposure
The elderly

Dr. Shefner recommends the Vitamin D3 supplement beacuse it is the most active. She recommends that children take 400 international units and adults about 1000 international units per day. The measurements can be found on the supplement label.

If you take a multivitamin, Dr. Shefner reminds you to check the label to see if you're getting the right vitamin, in the right amount.

If you want to know how much vitamin D you're taking in, and if you're deficient, you can get tested for Vitamin D. You should consult with your local doctor about getting the test.

Click here to listen to the story

Driving impaired by medicines as dangerous as driving drunk

2010-07-27T18:54:00.001-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

(Photo by Matt Porter)

Matt Porter, NCC News

People driving drugged now easier to catch, Police say

Five years ago if you were driving akwardly and looked sluggish (but not drunk), Officer Robert Boris would pull you over and not be able to find any violation in the law. But now, he can identify signs that a driver may be taking drugs, illegal or legal, that are impairing his or her ability to drive.

"Just because you are prescribed a medication," says Officer Boris, "doesn't mean you can drive with that medication."

In fact, Officer Boris says that if you are found impaired under the influence of any drug, from cocaine to Tylenol, you can be charged to the full extent of the law. It's just until now, Police have had a much more difficult time identifying when someone is "driving drugged."

In 2005, Officer Boris became one of four Syracuse Police Officers to receive training to specifically identify people under the influence of drugs. According to a recent New York Times report, there are only 7,000 "drug recognition officers" across the country like Officer Boris.

Since he's had the training, Officer Boris says he hasn't lost a single case in court.

On why it's so easy:

"The attorney's know that we know what we're talking about," says Officer Boris, "my [success] rate is 98 or 99 percent."

What is the charge?

In Syracuse, the charge is known as a "D.W.A.I. by drugs" which stands for: Driving With Ability Impaired by Drugs. It doesn't matter what the drug. The punishments are equivalent to a D.U.I. Penalties can include, but are not limited to:

Fines (250 to 1000 dollars)
Suspension of License
Prison sentences (Five years or more)

Officer Boris says the law is serious because "you're putting yourself in danger, you're putting everyone else in danger, it's just not worth it."

How to know when you shouldn't drive?

Pharmacist Christine Camille says people should not drive or do anything after taking a new medication, whether it's over the counter or prescription. Camille says over the counter medications, particularly antihistamines like Benadryl and Zyrtec can make people drowsy or sluggish.

She says patients should take it easy the rest of the day at home, and if they can't do that, wait until the evening to test new medicines because side-effects like drowsiness may not take effect right away.

"If the prescription is time released," says Camille, "you could have [side-effects] six hours later, twelve hours later."

Camille also warns patients not to mix prescriptions unless prescribed to do so, and to avoid mixing alcohol with any medicine. Alcohol, she says, suppresses the central nervous system and can have an adverse effect on many drugs.

As for Officer Boris, he says people need to take it easy when trying new drugs, and also to read labels closely.

"The red tag says do not operate heavy machinery," says Officer Boris, "a car is that."

Click here to listen to the story

Fire on Carrier Campus forces workers to evacuate

2010-07-27T17:41:00.002-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

(Photo by Matt Porter)

NCC NEWS

Lunchtime fire sends some workers home early; no injuries

A fire broke out on top of one of the buildings in the Carrier Campus on Rt. 298 shortly after Noon. The fire started in the TR-4 building after contractors, who were replacing the roof, exposed some smolder that caught fire after coming in contact with the air, says Carrier spokesperson Jon Shaw.

No one was hurt during the fire, and it was "well contained from the moment it started," says Shaw.

The TR-4 building housed officers, engineering labs, and the cafeteria. Carrier told workers in that building to go home for the day.

"Everyone got out safely, nobody was hurt," Shaw says, "and we're happy about that."

Carrier is inspecting the building's structural soundness and repowering the plant. They hope to have the building functional tomorrow morning when employees return to work.

Sheriff says cell phone crackdown succeeding

2010-07-26T22:20:00.002-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

(Photo by Matt Porter)

Matt Porter, NCC News

Public learning the new law, Sheriff says

Syracuse Police, partnered with the Sheriff's department and State Police, placed extra patrols on the road last week to be on the look out for drivers using their cell phones (or any electronic device) while driving. This is the second of four rounds of "cell phone crackdowns" funded by a grant from the Federal government.

Sheriff Kevin Walsh says he's seen a a drop in ticketing this time over the last period so far.

"There is finally some more compliance," says Sheriff Walsh.

Walsh says he waited on a street corner near the S.U. campus where he used to see students driving with the phone all the time. This time, he came up empty.

What's illegal?

The law says, "Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall operate a motor vehicle while using any portable electronic device while such a vehicle is in motion." If you're wondering what can land you a ticket, and what can't, here's a list:

Talking or texting, or using your mobile device in any way while driving are ticketable offences.
Using a laptop or iPod while driving, a ticketable offence.
Using a cell phone with speaker phone, against the law unless you have a hands-free set up.
If your car is stopped, or pulled over in a place where it's legal to do so, using your device is fine.
Emergency responders, as defined by law, including police, fire, and emergency personnel are exempt. (Alas, no journalists!)
As always, if you're pulled over, the officer has full discretion to decide if you get a ticket or not.

Is all this worth the money and time?

The Syracuse Police and Sheriff's Department say absolutely. Sheriff Walsh says, "we get calls about distracted drivers all the time."

2008 New York State traffic statistics show "distracted driving" as the leading cause of accidents involving injury or death. One in four drivers involved in an accident causing injury or death were labeled as "distracted." The leading cause of distraction is none other than people using cell phones.
Some residents say the police should focus their attention to what they see as more important traffic violations.

"They should be getting people who were drinking or driving, with DUIs," says 26-year-old Andy Cheng, "that's more of a threat."

But, according to the 2008 statistics, alcohol-related incidents made up for just over 3 percent of accidents while distracted driving made up for over 20 percent. It's important to note that there are often multiple factors assigned by officers and therfore, the numbers may not be as far apart as they seem. Cell phones are also not the only cause for "distracted driving."

But still, police say educating the public about any one distraction is a success. Sheriff Walsh likened the current cell phone program to the "click it or ticket" program from the 90s.

"Using the cell phone can risk your life, we're trying to get the word out," says the Sheriff.

"Click it or ticket" also started as a federal pilot program like the new cell phone initiative. The current program is being funded in two cities: Syracuse and Hartford, Connecticut.

Click here to listen to the radio story

Bank Robbery in town of Geddes

2010-07-26T17:39:00.002-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

(Photo by Matt Porter)

NCC NEWS

As of 4pm, the Sheriff's department, Geddes Police, and the FBI were still looking for the suspect that robbed a Bank of America at approximately 11:30 in the morning in Geddes.

Police describe the suspect as a black male, between 5'8" and 5'10". The suspect has short cropped hair and was wearing a plaid red and white shirt. The suspect fled on foot, police responded with a canine unit and helicopters.

No one was hurt or injured in the robbery at 4732 Onondaga Boulevard. The bank employees and the store's only customer at that time were questioned by police, and then released for the rest of the day. The bank did not reopen for the day.

Employees at neighboring stores say crime is not a usually a major problem for them. Steve Frederick, who works at the Pizza Hut next door, was surprised by the incident.

"I was flabbergasted," Frederick said, "I know everybody in that bank. I have a good rapport with them. When they got robbed, I called them up and asked if they needed some lunch today. They got it on me."

Click here to listen to the newscast story

Police "move-in" to troubled Syracuse neighborhoods for the summer

2010-07-21T22:33:00.002-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

Matt Porter, NCC News

Making their presence known

The Syracuse Police stationed officers in temporary office units in neighborhoods where they receive the most calls. The Police Department calls it the "Stop-In" program, which stands for "Strategic Team Oriented Policing in Neighborhoods."

The "Stop-In mobile policing units" are located in three neighborhoods: Rockland Avenue, Fernwood Avenue, and on the corner of Knaul and Highland Street. Each area had high call volumes in 2009.

The purpose of the program is for officers to embed themselves in these neighborhoods, find out the problems of the neighbors, and work to resolve some of them. According to Deputy Police Chief Joe Cecile, some of the issues the police hope to help solve include:

Identify and investigate suspicious houses in the community that may be holding guns or drugs
Identify and investigate suspicious activity that could be drug or
gang related
Problems with drivers speeding or committing other serious traffic violations

Police Chief Frank Fowler said in a press conference today that he hopes that by having officers embedded in the community, even for a short time, will encourage residents to be proactive and watchful in their neighborhoods.

"We're on the same side," said Chief Fowler, "They want the criminal out of the community, I want them out of my city."

Deputy Chief Cecile noted that the officers have been off to a slower start than expected in the communities like Knaul because of language barriers with some community members.

Is it working?

Residents we spoke to today say "the pods" have made an impact on the community.

"It's been quieter," says Michelle Smith who was walking her ten-month year-old son when we stopped her about a block from the pod, "I think it should stay, it would help the neighborhood a lot."

Although the cost of the pod is cheap, $230 dollars a month, the city can't afford to staff the officers at the pods permanently. For now, they've re-assigned their school officers to the pods. But in a few weeks, they'll be re-assigned when school starts back up.

The police are offering cell phone numbers to residents according to Chief Fowler, and residents say they would take advantage of that.

"Usually, when you call 9-1-1, it takes em a bit because they have other calls," says Krista Bombard who works at the bakery down the street from the pod, "If there's something going on right there, you can call the officer and he'll come down right away before it got out of hand."

A smashed window from some hurled object serves as a reminder for Bombard of the neighborhood's potential for volatility.

Looking towards the future

Police Chief Fowler says the Knaul-Highland neighborhood was not only chosen for its high call volume, but also because it doesn''t have an active neighborhood watch program. He says he hopes that by having officers teach residents about these programs, they'll be able to help law enforcement "by doing some self-policing."

He doesn't mean whipping out a pistol or handcuffs, but by people keeping their eyes and ears open, and getting involved in city programs like Neighborhood Watch. One resident who preferred only to be referred to as James, says the community already does something similar.

"People know each other in this neighborhood. They bond," says James, "We talk to each other in this neighborhood."

A lot of the neighbors say they wished the pods could stay, and were skeptical of things staying as quiet when the police leave next month.

"It will probably pick right back up the way it was," says Bombard.

As for James, he says the police's goal of closer relations is possible, but only if "people come together and want it, you know. If there's no unity than people perish."

Click here to listen to the radio story

From buildings to spaceships, kids learn it all at Onondaga Community College

2010-07-19T22:53:00.002-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

Matt Porter, NCC News

OCC's "College For Kids" marks 26th year

The "College for Kids" summer program began it's 26th summer last week. The program recruits teachers and professionals to teach summer courses for children ages 8-14 years-old.

Course teachers design their own classes, usually in their field. Marcia Rees Conrad, a professional architect and OCC graduate, teaches several courses on architecture including "Pads for Paws", a class about building more comfortable dog shelters. Conrad says the link between professionals and young people is one of the most important aspects of "College for Kids."

"Kids think it's really something special when an adult shares their profession with them," said Conrad.

Scott Stagnitta, a middle school teacher in Skaneateles, started an aerospace engineering class six years ago. He said some kids come back year after year to build on their previous designs. Today, two of his former students are studying engineering in university.

"That's the great thing about teaching," said Stagnitta, "you never really know how far your impact is gonna go."

Video: Students in Stagnitta's class test launch their rockets at Onondaga Community College.

Other courses offered at "College For Kids"

32 teachers and junior counselors are on hand this year, taking care of
nearly 500 students over a three week span. Students take one or
two courses per four-hour session. Each week includes a morning and
afternoon session. Students can sign up for mornings, afternoons, or both.

The three-week program is known for its wide-ranging course selection. Here are some of its offerings:

Mysteries, Spies, and CSI's - Students search for clues, dust for fingerprints, and do whatever is needed "to crack the big case!"
Discovering France - Students travel to "virtual France" and have a chance to sample everything from culture, food, to language.
American Idol: OCC Style - Students prepare for the ultimate talent show in Onondaga County. Who will be the next Idol?
Advanced Magic - Students learn the tricks of the magician's trade. Students magically inclined can also sign up for another course, "Harry Potter's World."
Ultimate Frisbee - Students learn the ins and outs of throwing and catching the Frisbee with accuracy. For those who like to run and play as a team, Ultimate Frisbee is a great choice.

Is it all worth it?

Parents of students at the camp were pleased with "College For Kids" offerings. John and Julie Smith moved to Syracuse last year from Long Island with their two sons, now both in the program.

"We had nothing like this down there [in long island]," said John.

His wife Julie added, "the rocketry course is perfect for my son and he absolutely loves it."

A paper for the Wallace Foundation, an education research center, provides a study of nearly 4,000 families whose children attended either over night or day camps similar to "College For Kids."

The study reported that for children who spent at least one week in these programs, there were improvements in social skills, physical and thinking skills, in positive values and thinking, and spirituality.

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Red Sox Nation..in Syracuse?

2010-07-18T13:41:00.001-04:00

Saturday, 5:30pm: I grabbed the new Jacoby Ellsbury T-shirt my aunt gave me before leaving to Syracuse, and thought, should I really wear this out into New York?

6:40pm: My friend Shawn and I arrive at Alliance Bank Stadium, home of the Syracuse Chiefs. What do I see? A sea of red.

On a breezy summer's night, hundreds of Sox Fans showed up to see Josh Beckett make a rehab start with the PawSox against the Syracuse Chiefs, the triple-A affiliate for the Washington Nationals. The game was relatively calm, Beckett pitched four innings, giving up three. The PawSox ultimately lost 9-5.

But the real treasure was the atmosphere of the intimate Syracuse ballpark. It was a stadium with no bad seats, and filled with families. Some older and younger folks were there as well, but from my guess, the majority of visitors last night were families spending an evening at the park. It's a lot easier to go to the ball game in Syracuse as a family of four, than to Fenway which remains the most expensive ball park in the country. The price of a ticket anywhere in the stadium at Syracuse -- 11 bucks.

On entry to the park, Scooch, one of the mascots for the team, gave out big hugs to all the visitors. The ballpark smelled of nachos, hamburgers, and melted cheese, like any self respecting ball park should. At our seats along the first base side, cheering Red Sox fans, young and old, watched Josh Beckett warm up, some calling out for a ball to be tossed their way.

Sitting in comfortable plastic seats (I forget most ball parks haven't lovingly held on to their tiny, iron seats like Fenway), I chatted with the Sox fans to my left, right, and front. A few friendly Chief's fans sat just behind me.

During the entire game, there were no incidents of bad behavior among fans. People took in the game, enjoyed it, whether or not their team one. Besides the Sox jerseys, you could see a fair amount of Yankee shirts, but the Mets, Blue Jays, and the Chief's MLB team, the Nationals were represented.

It was a great night for baseball, but an even better one for families. It was a refreshingly cool night, with just a brief shower during the 4th inning.

It was baseball the way it should be, the way America's been watching it for the last hundred years.

School re-fit one step closer to reality, but not without concern

2010-07-15T17:42:00.004-04:00

(This story was originally published for NCC News at Syracuse University. View the original story.)

Photos by Matt Porter

Lease passes crucial Common Council vote

By a 5-4 margin, councilors approved the 28 million dollar lease of the Syracuse Developmental Center. The school district plans to relocate 1,500 students there to make way for renovations at H.W. Smith School (K-8) and Dr. Weeks Elementary.

The lease represents the first major step for city-wide renovations of schools since the city established the Joint Schools Construction Board in April, 2004.

Critics say school district didn't do enough

The lease deal remains a concern, mostly because it is currently the city's one and only option for space.

"You go to city hall with no Plan B, no Plan C," said retired teacher Bob Gardino, now a member of Parents for Public Schools in Syracuse, "I mean in the vernacular of the street, that just sucks."

Councilwoman Kathleen Joy, who voted yes for the bill, said she and the rest of the council had to work hard researching the parties involved after a Post-Standard investigation revealed questionable backgrounds involving participants in the lease.

"The school district didn't do that, newspapers had to," said Joy.

School district public relations officer Mike Henesey said the district looked at 13 possible sites during a two year period. According to Henesey, the SDC site was the only feasible site to hold all students and meet state education standards.

Current concerns and challenges ahead

The concerns aired by the council, mayor's office, and parents include:

The current owner, Syracuse Resort Development, Inc., to pay 1.325 million dollars in back taxes. The owner provided documentation to the council promising to do this.
The property needs to be sold within two weeks to it's new owner, Health Consortium USA. The council inserted an out clause if this does not happen.
One of the partners for Health Consortium, USA is Maurice Hoo. Maurice Hoo has a questionable record according to the Post-Standard, including being the subject of an F.B.I. investigation for fraud. Other partners at Health Consortium say Hoo's role will be limited and he will not control the funds or renovations.
Parents remain concerned about the bus transportation to the SDC which is on the west side of Syrause. Both schools slated for renovation are on Syracuse's east side.

Click Here to Hear the Story

A reporter's declaration

2010-07-14T22:35:00.002-04:00

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
-The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, 1787

It’s fitting to restart this blog with the First Amendment to the Constitution. Not only because my graduate school, Newhouse at Syracuse University, has chosen to engrave it on the side of their newest building, but because it speaks to the importance the founders placed on our right to speak freely, practice our traditions, and criticize the government.

Not every country enjoys these rights equally. For example, in Turkey, the government regulates speech by making it a crime to speak ill of Ataturk (the country’s founder), the Turkish nation, or “Turkishness.”

Many journalists have been imprisoned due to this rule, although the situation has improved as Turkey inches closer to the E.U. You Tube is also banned because of this law. (For my reporting from Turkey, visit The Turk Film Project.)

Now, I’m back in the U.S. and ready to begin my next chapter.

Over the next year and a half, I hope to find and report on informative stories at the highest level I’m capable of. Some will argue that journalists are obsolete, that bloggers and the “open forum” are better and more capable news gatherers.
I agree that the internet and all its glory has added a great deal to society’s knowledge base. But,

I still believe that our country (and the world) require persons who have not devoted there lives to an issue, but to the practice of information gathering. A practice that involves its own code of ethics, and seeks to take complex information and present that information in a receivable way to the widest audience.

The framers of the Constitution understood the power of news and its importance to an informed democracy. They made sure the pathways for its dissemination were kept clear.

Journalism is for the people. As a reporter, I work for the people.

Newhouse 3 at Syracuse University
proudly displays the First Amendment

Big Changes - Coming Soon

2009-06-11T22:25:00.002-04:00

It's been pretty quiet on the blog since my graduation in May. However, that does not mean I haven't been busy. In fact, this June has been packed with things to do as my departure date for Turkey creeps ever so closer. I promise once in Turkey, I will start publishing more content and photos of the interesting people I meet and places I see.

Speaking of Turkey, that brings me to the next big venture: The Turk Film Project. In collaboration with BC, I will be uploading raw video and small video segments about Turkey, its culture, and my exploits throughout the year. As the year moves on, I hope it will also include segments either designed or at least inspired by the Turkish students I will be working with in Kayseri. We haven't officially "launched," but if you're reading this, you may as well check out our website at TurkFilmProject.com. Once everything is running, we hope that people from both the US and Turkey can comment, and we also hope that a forum about Turkey can develop on the site. Ideally, this will be a highly collaborative project where online responses will help steer the content I produce and also contribute to the final look of a documentary finished post-trip.

It's been a long road to get to this point. In fact, I can say that literally as I finish the second 4 hour bus trip from New York to Boston. I stopped by both the Institute of International Education and the Turkish Consulate to finalize details for my trip beginning next month. I'm thankful to all the support of my colleagues, friends, and family who have helped me get this far. I look forward to showing you all some fantastic images and hopefully treating you to some great stories once the journey begins.

Ken Burns to BC '09 Grads: You have been drafted

2009-05-23T16:48:00.004-04:00

"The virtual world of Blackberrys, video games, texting and Facebook, is causing real experience to disappear for many...testing our very membership, our founder Thomas Jefferson might suggest, in our democratic possibilities. And that could, without a single shot being fired, divide our country more surely than a seemingly ancient Civil War that killed 620 thousand of us...It is into that world that you now plummet, unprotected from the shelter of family and school, but drafted nonetheless into a new union army that must be committed to preserving the values, the sense of humor, the sense of cohesion that have long been our hallmark and beacon." - Ken Burns, May 18, 2009

On a morning far too cold and misty for the middle of May, Ken Burns reminded us frankly about the challenges we now face, along with the rest of the country. The U.S. and the world continue to reel from the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression. The U.S. faces some of its toughest foreign policy challenges since the two weeks America held its breath during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But, Burns reminded us that we do not go into this world alone. "Seek community," said Burns about what we should do.

I've taken the notion of community for granted during the last four years. Since Day 1, I was embraced by one of the many amazing communities on campus. When I walked out of my car on the first day of freshmen year, I met my roommate Huy Trinh. Since then, I've lived with Huy for three out of four years, and we have a friendship that I hope will last until the end of days. Along with Huy, I lived with 18 others in BC's Shaw House, an intimate community that always encouraged me to go beyond my expectations. Later, I would join the CCE Improv Comedy group, and also Now You Know (Television Variety Show). I'm thankful for all the friendships I've made in both groups during these last four years.

I've never believed in good byes, and senior week had one too many of them. I saw the look in many of my classmates faces, the same look I carried with me all week. It was a look that said, "Are we really leaving? Is this it? Am I really not going to see you again?" There is a lot to be said about the problems of our "virtual bubble." I agree with Burns that unless we can escape it, and form lasting friendships with communities outside our four walled homes, our democracy cannot be saved.

In the spirit of last years election, I have hope. For my class and I, I believe we have the "weapons" necessary for this "new fight." For the last four years, we've been told to serve others, not waste our surpluses, and find the vocation that will not only bring us joy but make us an asset to our community. We were given an education from Boston College, and now we must use what we've learned for the betterment of the communities we enter.

It's true that I may have said "good-bye" to some people for the final time last week, but our common membership in the BC community is a lifetime one. I am proud to be a BC alumnus, and I look forward to coming across other BC alumni in the communities I visit. I hope that all my classmates worried about what the future holds (like myself) take solace in the fact that we are taking this trip together, even though our destinations may not be the same.

Congratulations BC Class of 2009, set the world aflame.

From left: Myself, Yousef Mustafa '09, and Huy Trinh '09

Concerns Over Swine Flu Mixed at BU

2009-05-11T22:20:00.000-04:00

The W.H.O. elevated the Swine Flu pandemic to its second highest
level. With more cases of Swine Flu being diagnosed in the nation and
across the globe, Matt Porter looks at what preparations BU students
are taking.

Mixed Feelings at BU about Possible MBTA Cuts

2009-04-27T15:01:00.001-04:00

The sound of a train rolling in just before class may become less frequent on BU's campus. According to a report released by the Boston Globe (April 10, 2009), the MBTA is considering cutting service at several BU stations and reducing service by half on nights and weekends. Feelings were mixed on campus, and BU officials say they will adapt to any changes as they develop.

Green Jobs Growing in Massachusetts

2009-04-07T15:03:00.004-04:00

When almost every industry seems to be pulling back, energy and
environmental companies are showing new life. Massachusetts is setting
the stage to be one of the premier hubs of "Green Jobs" with over 20
new companies setting up headquarters in the state, and also with the emergence of new legislation passed into law including the state's first "Green Jobs Act." Matt Porter reports on companies and training programs now operating in the state.

A sports debut

2009-04-02T22:58:00.005-04:00

This week I had the chance to produce a complete sportscast for BUTV-10's Midday News. It was a great experience, although I think I should probably stick to the news.

Today's Sports:

The Boston Celtics pull out a 111-109 double overtime squeaker against the Charlotte Bobcats. Former Patriot Dante Stallworth turns himself in to Florida police on DUI manslaughter charges. The Red Sox prepare to leave Florida for Fenway, and say their pitching staff is armed and ready. 150 Boston College students prepare to run the Boston Marathon for a school dedicated to teaching students with multiple disabilities. And the Boston Bruins seek to extend their winning streak to 4 games tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

Baldwin Award Time!

2009-03-28T14:02:00.004-04:00

Just recently, Boston College announced it's Fifth Annual Baldwin Award nominations. I'm proud to say that four of my submissions received some sort of nomination.

If you have a Boston College user name, you can check out all the nominated films this year and vote for your favorite. Below are my four submissions.

For Others: Nominated for Best Documentary and Viewer's Choice. "For Others" profiles Boston College students who volunteer every week to help teach GED prep and ESL classes in Brighton. Thanks to Dimitri Papetsas, Brendan Quinn, Joe Zaleski, and Naz Keskin who all worked on the film. Thanks also to Jeremy Marks and the rest of the 4 Boston volunteers for helping us arrange the film. Thanks also to John Michalczyk, the Salamanowitz Program, and the BC Film Department for their help.

The Fabulous Life of Bienvenu Mayemba: Nominated for Best Comedy and Viewer's Choice. This short video is brief profile about one of Boston College's most renowned Jesuits, Fr. Bienvenu Mayemba, S.J. Thanks to Patrick Corcoran and Maggie Rulli for giving their commentary, and of course, thank to Bienvenu for being absolutely amazing.

In Good Faith(Trailer): Nominated in the Viewer's Choice category. The full length film was too long for this year's submissions, but the committee did nominate the trailer for the Viewer's Choice competition. Thanks to everyone who made this film possible!

The Backstage: Nominated for a Viewer's Choice. This ten minute spoof on the office was made with the most amazing tech crew I ever had the pleasure of working with. Thanks to the entire cast and crew of "A Dancer's Christmas 2008."

IGF Screens at ISBCC

2009-03-28T13:54:00.005-04:00

I'm pleased to say that "In Good Faith" had a very good reception at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center(ISBCC) last Sunday. About 100 people from all different communities filled the room to see the film. There was a little technical trouble early on, but eventually the film went off without any more glitches.

Below are a few pictures from the event.

In Good Faith - Screening March 22, 2009

2009-03-12T22:12:00.002-04:00

For those who haven't been following this blog, I recently completed a documentary about the Muslim Community in Boston and the controversy over the construction of their new mosque (the largest in New England) last fall. There was a preview screening in April 2008, but at that point the film was still lacking original music that would make the film complete.

Now that the final touches have been made, the film is ready to screen once again. For those interested, the film will be screening Sunday March 22, 2009 at 5:45PM. The screening will take place at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) at 100 Malcolm X Boulevard in Boston. Following the screening will be a panel with four experts on the situation:

Bilal Kaleem, Director of the Muslim American Society (Boston Chapter)

Dr. Diana L. Eck, Director of the Pluralism Project and Professor of Comparative Religion at Harvard University

Dr. Larry Lowenthal, Former Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee

Fr. Raymond Helmick, S.J., Mediator and Professor at Boston College

There will also be a small reception and volunteers from the ISB will be on hand to answer questions about the mosque and give tours.

Motorists react to Gov. Patrick's "Hummer Tax"

2009-02-21T01:06:00.003-05:00

This package is from my TV Newsroom class at BU. I've had the privilege to work with an outstanding team every Thursday to produce a newscast. Below is the package I assembled with the outstanding Ashlie Anctil, it was the quickest I've ever put together something for broadcast and my first live shot. It was definitely a learning experience, and I am excited to try it again next time.

Deval Patrick suggested on Wednesday during a meeting with the
Chamber of Commerce that the time may call for "a Hummer tax."
According to Gov. Patrick, the plan would add a fee to the
registrations of gas guzzling vehicles that get less than 20mpg while
possibly discounting the registrations of highly efficient vehicles.
Some motorists were less than pleased at the thought of having to pay
more for their car during this economic crisis, while others thought
the plan could be a step forward for the environment.

The Governor's office refused to comment on the situation further, saying that "there
is no official plan as of yet and that the Governor's comments are his
own."

One of the things that kept me busy this February!

2009-02-21T00:58:00.004-05:00

Okay, so most of you noticed I've posted only one day this month. Along with 24 hour theater, RA duty, and more work than expected, it has been a busy month. I was working on several side projects. Below is one of them. It's a promotional video for a really outstanding organization called Citizen Schools. They are located above the Boston Children's Museum, and bring in professionals to teach classes in their field along with mentoring eighth grade students.

If you're interested in education or working with youth, you should definitely check them out.

On January 19, 2009, 75 students and 75 mentors got together to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of service and how they can play a role in helping to solve America's problems through service. Our students and mentors wrote joint letters to President Obama, not to ask what he would do, but to tell him what they will do.

This video was made as a promotional video for the non-profit Citizen Schools organization.

Boston bans sale of tobacco in pharmacies and on college campuses

2009-02-16T14:05:00.003-05:00

If you're looking to buy your next pair of cigarettes, you better check where you're going. The Boston Public Health Commission has banned the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies and convenience stores located in college campuses. The ban began on Monday February 9, effecting about 100 stores within the city of Boston.

Pharmacist Gregory Laham has mixed feelings about the ban. "Its difficult to lose one customer, let alone lose 20 or 30 a day," said Laham, "but my feelings are as a pharmacist, how can you reconcile selling cigarettes? If you've got somebody that's on numerous heart medications, its tough filling prescriptions for them and then having them go buy two packs of cigarettes in your store."

Thawing out the blog

2009-02-16T13:35:00.007-05:00

Okay...it has been almost a month since my last post. The last few weeks have been some of the busiest so far this year. With that said, I have a lot of great news.

First, I have an update in my Fulbright status. I have made it past the second round of deliberations and my application is now under final review. Also, many of my friends on campus also got good news on their applications as well. Congratulations BC!

Last week, I also had the chance to join my friend Orhan, a Cambridge College grad student I met at the TCC, for some delicious soup, tea, and Turkish desserts. Orhan introduced me to a really, great Turkish musician, Bariş Manço (pronounced Barish Mancho). I can only describe him as an eclectic musician because some of his songs are really folky, others are more new age, some sound like disco, etc etc. Here is a photo from one of his very early music videos.

Also, it looks like there will be a screening of "In Good Faith" at the Roxbury Mosque on March 22. The screening is tentatively scheduled for 6PM, and will include a panel of those involved including someone from the Muslim American Society and Father Raymond Helmick, S.J.

That's it for now. I've also been very busy finishing a video for Citizen Schools, a non-profit interested in providing better after school options for inner city students, and also a report for my TV Newsroom class on Boston's new cigarette ban. I will be posting those soon.

New year, new changes for the MBTA

2009-01-15T22:32:00.002-05:00

Commuters are turning to the MBTA in record numbers since the
beginning of the nation's oil crisis in 2008. Meanwhile, the MBTA is
trying to avoid severe cuts and fare increases while enacting new
programs to manage the increased ridership. At the same time, an 8
billion dollar debt weighs down the MBTA budget, the largest of all the
nation's transit authorities.

There's something about Morrie...

2009-01-15T20:42:00.004-05:00

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." -Morrie Schwartz

Last night, I had the chance to see the made for TV movie, "Tuesdays with Morrie". I will admit, I have not read the book. (It's now on my reading list.) I saw the title on my Netflix and thought it would be a good movie to see. Little did I know what it would have in store.

Maybe it was the fact that it was the first day of my last semester at BC, maybe it was because I had just finished a philosophy course where my professor went on and on about the future we can't see as we graduate, or maybe it was just because I had just gotten home after my first Capstone seminar where we were discussing the very merits addressed in the movie.

In any case, what I'm trying to say is that for only the second time in my movie watching history, I cried. I thought back to the experiences of seeing some of my own family members age, the people I've lost touch with since moving on to BC, or leaving several of my old hometowns. Morrie's understanding of life and living life was something straight from the lessons the Jesuits have taught me for nearly the last eight years. The idea that we need to be open to love, to share it, and more importantly to know how to receive it ourselves.

Of course, it wasn't the first time hearing any of these sentiments, but Morrie's life story and his death story struck a chord. At only 22, I know that I have so much to learn, but learning about Morrie's story made the lessons my educators and family have been trying to impress upon me more palpable. If you haven't read this book, you should. Morrie's poignant wisdom illustrates the importance of recognizing the loving connections we have in life.

It's amazing how sometimes something totally unexpected can happen, and the changes those experiences can bring. And last night, I experienced an emotional release for things I hadn't had a chance to fully feel before. Sometimes wisdom comes in great and profound packages and sometimes it comes in a little red envelope.

Two new promos

2009-01-04T20:50:00.005-05:00

Over the break, I've been working on submitting two documentaries to the College TV awards. I have no idea how they'll do, I'm not expecting much since it's a national competition. However, it did require me to cut 45 second promos of each film. So, for those of you who haven't had the chance to see either "In Good Faith"", my hour long documentary on the Boston mosque controversy, or "For Others", a short 17 minute profile of 4Boston volunteers, here are 45 second clips of each.

"In Good Faith: Building a mosque and a community"

Concerns over radical extremism fill newspapers and blogs daily.
"In Good Faith" takes a look at the Boston Muslim community and their
personal struggle to establish themselves in an atmosphere of fear and
speculation.

Through one on one interviews with community
members and leaders, Matt Porter examines the local Islamic population
and the stereotypes they face while building New England's largest
mosque. Also interviewed are leaders of the American Jewish Committee,
Hebrew College, the Boston Archdiocese, and Muslim American Society.

"For Others"

About 20 Boston College students volunteer four hours a week at
the Jackson Mann School Adult Education program. At the program, BC
students are helping prepare adults for their GED or assist in English
as a Second Language (ESL) classes. "For Others" is a documentary
profiling four of those students and their experiences at Jackson Mann.

2009 has never looked better

2009-01-01T00:32:00.002-05:00

2009: A year I first considered seven years ago at Boston College High School when I realized it would be the year I would finish college. Of course, at that time, I was naive enough to think that 2009 would be the end of my academic career, now I am much wiser to know that my academic pursuits won't be over until I'm six feet underground.

Since then, 2009 has continued to be a marker for me. 2009, the year I would finish my undergraduate degrees. The year I would have to make some choices on where to find my first job. The year I may or may not have to leave home. Personally, 2009 represents dozens of choices I'm going to make in the next year. As the year drew closer, I had feelings ranging from nervousness to excitement. At this point, after wishing my family and friends another happy new year, I finally feel ready to move into this uncertain territory.

Meanwhile, our country and the world stands on the verge of a great change. Optimists are hopeful and pessimists are concerned, but still, none will deny the importance of the decisions to be made by world leaders and the people they serve. On the cusp of the first day of the New Year, I'm more inclined to be optimistic. I think that when the time comes for serious change, people will rise up to the challenge.

But don't take my word for it, below are two quotes from an optimist and a cynic. The optimist is William Arthur Ward, an American author known for his inspirational quotes and our playing the pessimist is American satirist Mark Twain. A note, I do agree Twain had a lot of optimistic thoughts about the American dream, but he also addressed them with biting commentary.

“Another fresh new year is here...
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest...
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”

-William Arthur Ward

“New Year's Day - Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.”

-Mark Twain

Home for the holidays

2008-12-30T14:16:00.005-05:00

It's been a wild few weeks since I last posted here. From Boston's first blizzard of the season to celebrating Christmas at three different homes in two days, time has been short. With that said, I wanted to provide a little update on how everything is going on several projects:

1) In Good Faith

The original score is completed and I'm currently in the process of submitting it to the College Emmy Awards. I don't expect anything out of it, but the process of applying alone has been a great learning experience. The documentary was turned down by the Big Sky Documentary Film Fest in Colorado recently, but it would have been a great surprise for the film to get such an honor. The film is being submitted to several other festivals including a local Boston festival where it may have more of an opportunity to be seen.

We are also working on scheduling a new premiere screening at the Roxbury Mosque. However, the high holy days and now the recent conflicts in Israel-Gaza are delaying those efforts. Hopefully, things will settle down and I will have more information on the event. Until then, my thoughts are with both the innocent Israelis and Palestinians caught up in this nearly century's old conflict.

2) For Others

Also currently being submitted to the College Emmys by Naz Keskin, the producer of the film.

3) Fulbright ETA to Turkey

I haven't heard anything back from the IIE yet, but many have said that my application seems very strong. Over this break, I said good bye to my Turkish tutor, Mehmet, who is returning with his family to Istanbul. I will miss him and his help, but I look forward to possibly visiting him next year. Mehmet also introduced me to Soner, another Turk studying at BU looking for help with his English. Hopefully, Soner and I can find time this semester to meet for tea and help each other out.

I've also been following my friend Emily and her blog from Turkey. She has been telling me a lot about her friends who are ETAs and how their experience has been going. I emailed one of her friends and hope to get to know him, and how he has organized himself as a teaching assistant in Turkey.

4) Graduate School

I thought I would add that I am beginning the Graduate school search for the 2010-2011 academic year. I'm hopeful to find a solid broadcast journalism or journalism program in New York, Chicago, or Washington D.C. So far, schools that have popped up on my radar are Columbia U., NYU, Northwestern, BU, Emerson, American University, University of Maryland, and Syracuse. If anyone has any thoughts on these schools, I'd be happy to hear from you.

New Documentary: For Others

2008-12-12T20:38:00.011-05:00

It seems like only yesterday I was submitting posts every three or four weeks. Hooray for six posts in December (so far!). Anyways, now that the semester is winding down, I wanted to share a very cool documentary four friends of mine and I made for Prof. John Michalczyk's Documentary Film class. For the film, we followed four members of 4Boston for several weeks. A short synopsis is below. Thanks to 4Boston, and everyone at Jackson Mann for letting us into their classroom to film.

"In an era where individualism and the survival of the fittest mentality exists everywhere, four students from one of Boston's elite universities give up four hours each week to provide assistance for adult education. Each week, they give the men and women they teach hope by assisting in English as a Second Language and GED prep classes."

This film was made possible by the Salmanowitz Grant for Moral Courage in Film and Boston College.

Acclaimed BC show takes stage for final time

2008-12-11T19:51:00.004-05:00

Boston College has taken the phrase, "The show must go on," to another level with its current show, "A Dancer's Christmas." The show in its 28th and final run includes professionals, students, local talent, and children, some cast members have been involved for the entire run and have seen their family grow up with the performance.

Directed by Fr. Robert VerEcke, S.J. of Boston College, "A Dancer's Christmas has been sweeping audiences off their feet since Boston College first built its theater in 1981.

Türkçe Kahve Akşam or Turkish Coffee Night

2008-12-07T01:09:00.004-05:00

Last night, I had the privilege to visit the Turkish Cultural Center's (TCC's) Coffee Night for the second time. It has been a great time going to coffee night, and this one was also very well attended by Turks and non-Turks. Each month, the TCC holds a "Coffee Night" where everyone gathers to together to learn a little about Turkey and enjoy some excellent Turkish cuisine, tea, and of course, coffee. According to my friend from BC, Sibel, the food included Turkish Pizza, some interesting Turkish cookies, macaroni salad, another kind of Turkish salad that was very good, and also yogurt. It was all delicious.

Sibel and I had some very interesting conversations. We had the chance to sit at a table with a rabbi, a Turkish woman working as a Nanny in Boston, and Katie, a graduate student studying social work/theology at BU. Later, I got pulled away from that to talk with my friend Kasim. We went on a fruitless search for more coffee and tea. Kasim said that there was a saying in Turkey, "When you find that the food you were looking for is empty, it's a sign that the woman in the house is mad at you." So clearly, we were not doing well by the end of the night. Luckily, we did find some water.

Unlike the last coffee night (which was just before the election), most of the conversations ended up about where had everyone been, and what places had Kasim seen since he had been here. All in all, another great coffee night, and looking forward to the next one. Below is a picture from the evening.

From the left: Kasim, Myself, Yusef, and Sibel
In the back with the camera: Sener, head of the TCC

Christmas in heaven

2008-12-06T00:17:00.004-05:00

Borrowing a line from Monty Python's Meaning of Life, I use it in the title of this post describing what I felt like listening to the spirited and joyful sounds of the BC Chorale at the Trinity Chapel last night. From the first note in Joy to the World all the way until the very last Hallelujah, I was blown away by the concert. I just want to say congratulations to all of my friends in the Chorale on a truly amazing show. Also, cheers to the wonderful BC Symphony Orchestra who may be one of the best kept secrets at Boston College. You all did an amazing job.

Below are some pictures from my standing room only non-seat.

Turks turning up everywhere

2008-12-05T23:57:00.003-05:00

In all of the things I had expected to happen during the whole process of applying for the grant to Turkey, one unexpectedly favorable outcome was how many Turks I would find at BC and in the area. Since beginning my Turkish studies in the summer, I have come across over well over 20 Turks at BC, BU, or Northeastern. Sure, you can say, "Matt, you've been hanging around a lot of Turkish places this semester."

I'd tend to agree on that except for two things.

1)I worked for a year and a half on a documentary about the Muslim community in Boston and never met as many Turks as I have now. Of course, I wasn't really looking as I am now. But, number two is even more peculiar.

2) I have found Turks in my classes(non-Turkish related), the Improvisational Murder Mystery Comedy group I'm in, and many other random, totally unrelated groups I have been in at BC for the past few years.

Of course, all of this has been great. I've been able to practice my Turkish, and been introduced to the country by and wide group of amazingly nice people. I just wanted to reflect on how amazingly lucky I've been to find so many people from Turkey through so many random and unexpected connections.

Also, it has been reported that Barack Obama was briefed on Turkey in the past few days. According to the Turkish news source, the report spoke about the "importance of Turkey in the region. Brookings and CFR experts recommend Obama to develop Turkey's mediating role to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute."

A little on the light side

2008-12-01T13:06:00.003-05:00

First, a little update. I've been currently distracted with a full fall semester course load, a short documentary project on the Boston College 4 Boston program, and an improv performance that I've severely neglected the blog. But, the good news I guess is that my posting can only get better from here.

Also, some very exciting news, I recently found out where all the Turkish English Fellows were placed this year. According to my list, the fellows are in Denizli, Gaziantep, Konya, Erzurum (2), Izmır, Adana, Balikesir, and Trabzon. Stay tuned for some more specific postings on what each city is known for and looks like, etc.

With that said, I also came into a bit of luck last week. The BC Intersections Program offered an iPhone to anyone who could make the funniest two minute video that incorporated the word "Intersections" and a BC faculty member. Below is my WINNING entry, enjoy!

State's financial future may rest in ballot questions

2008-11-01T16:03:00.001-04:00

Barack Obama and John McCain dominate national headlines, but for Massachusetts voters, the most important decision they make may be yes or no. Three questions are asked of Massachusetts voters, including whether or not the state income tax should be repealed. Some believe that this will force government to be less wasteful while others see the 12 billion dollar cut as a severe risk to public services in health, education, and police and fire departments.

Newton Music School showcases world class musicians

2008-11-01T16:01:00.001-04:00

Visitors were transported into another realm one Sunday when Hankus Netsky and his band, "Another Realm", performed in support of the All Newton Music School. The school serves over 4,400 students of all ages each year. "This place is where people who do pretty much anything on any instrument can come and find the right teacher for them," said Netsky about the school.

Plumbers Union disagrees with Joe the Plumber

2008-10-16T14:39:00.004-04:00

Everyone who watched the debate saw Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama reference Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio plumber who McCain says is in danger of being taxed by Barack Obama's economic plans while Obama defends people like Joe who make under $250,000.

ABC News has a great article on their blog about Joe's eligibility and his response.

Another interesting note is that the Plumber's Union, the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe-Fitters, were the first international union to endorse Sen. Obama in January 2008.

Students rally for change at Boston University

2008-10-07T12:17:00.001-04:00

The low turn out in elections for 18-25 year-olds may be something to laugh at for comedian Rob Corddry, but the rest of the speakers at Boston University's rally for change saw the issue with more urgency.

On September 20, the BU Democrats hosted filled the Morse Auditorium for a voter registration rally. "If everyone 18-25 voted in the same way people 63-75 did, it would change the shape of an election," said State Senator Ben Downing (D-MA).

Students at the rally hope their efforts will pay off. Vice President of the Boston College Democrats said, "We want to make sure that people translate that enthusiasm to new hampshire directly, and to phone banks, and making sure the people get out the vote."

Allies of BC rally for GLBT

2008-10-07T12:12:00.001-04:00

On September 19, 2008, about a hundred students joined the Allies
organization of Boston College in a rally to support of BC's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning (GLBTQ)community.

The Allies' new "I Support Love" campaign encourages students to support love at BC in all forms. Several students and faculty spoke out against intolerance and homophobia at BC while many joined in supporting the GLBTQ community at he event. "My best friend's gay and I don't see him as any different than my room mates," said Allies President Diana Nearhos, "It's about being accepting and welcoming of others."

Rules of Debate

2008-10-01T13:43:00.002-04:00

Since last week's debates, I've gotten a lot of questions from people I know (parents, friends, mailmen) asking, "Who do you think won the debate?" Personaly, I think McCain won last week's debate in the substance category, but not by much. Obama clearly held his own on US foreign policy, which many suggest is real bad news for McCain. Well, that, and the recent crash in the US Financial markets. Also, I think Obama performed much better on camera than McCain.

In any case, for everyone I know who is excited about tomorrow's debate, here are CNN's "Top Ten Rules for Winning a Debate." Read this to help you judge who wins the next couple of debates.

Oh, and on another note. The Fulbright application was officially submitted as of 10:21AM (PST). Freedom.

Know your candidates, not their rhetoric

2008-09-04T14:31:00.004-04:00

During her speech at the Republican National Convention, Governor Sarah Palin became a member of at least one Washington insider group, the rhetoricians. Gov. Palin's speech was nothing new or exciting as she repeated the party line rhetoric most people expected. Her speech touched on topics ranging from her executive experience which Sen. Obama lacks to the introduction of her family as she positioned herself to conventioneers as a trusted member of the "much desired to seem, but not really be" working class.

Ofcourse, political rhetoric is here to stay on both sides of the aisle. However, I only hope that as we try to listen to both sides over the next two months that we remember not to take either candidate at face value. For example, see this article released by the AP about Gov. Palin's questionable rhetoric last night.

With social security, the US's capacity for good foreign relations, health care, energy, and so many huge issues this election, we can't afford to vote on rhetoric alone. Below are some great places to learn more about the candidates without all the pomp and circumstance.

OnTheIssues.org
The Pew Forum
VoteSmart.org

Packing up summer

2008-08-10T19:06:00.002-04:00

As I am finishing putting away my computer and tapes, I wanted to say something about this summer.

One, there's never enough time even though everyone spends at least a week's worth of time feeling bored and clutching the remote. And the time you do spend with people is never enough, and you never get to see everyone you wanted.

And, as an incoming senior in college, I've been mulling over exactly what I'm going to do after BC. Sure, I still have a year, and I'm not in the position of many of my friends who are already out. But with a poor economy stretching into the horizon, and no graduate school foreseen for me right now, summer has been a little restless.

But, at the same time, summer has been exciting. I've been able to work with great professionals in broadcasting and also do some projects on my own. I've had the opportunity to begin learning Turkish which has been really stimulating coming from a history in dead languages. So, although the end of summer means the beginning of many unknowns, I'm ready for them.

And to my fellow seniors who will be joining me this year in packing up our last summer for a trip into the big unknown. Let's have a blast and enjoy the ride. Next year is still a year away.

Learning Languages...

2008-07-20T19:54:00.007-04:00

I've been lucky this summer to have fallen into a Turkish language class in Boston. Prior to the class, my entire background in language has been with the Classics. Although, it was an enriching experience to learn about the ancient Roman and Greek societies. My Turkish class has been a very different class.

The difference is expression. In Latin and Greek, we constantly translated the opinions and verses of Caesar, Ovid, Vergil, and Homer. However, our classes never focused on expressing ourselves with the language. For me, it's been somewhat discomforting when I would sometimes try to find the words to respond to my teacher or name the object on our homework pages in Turkish. However, when the words were found, I felt a sense that I can only describe as a greater feeling of connectedness. An ability to reach out to someone or a group that I otherwise would not be able to fully connect to because of the "language barrier".

For example, I have had many personal experiences with the "language barrier" in my family. Although, my stepfather speaks both English and Arabic, there were plenty of times where I've felt blocked by the wall including when I watched television from Lebanon with my Dad, sat at cook outs with my Dad's friends, and my own ability to communicate with his father(my grandfather) during his time with us. For me, not knowing Arabic always kept me at arms length from being up close with my Dad, his friends, and family. However, I got used to that feeling and worked on other ways of getting as close as possible, without taking the involved step of learning the language.

My work this summer has shown me how much I have missed through not knowing Arabic more completely. With that said, I hope that I will be apply my work in Turkish, but without a doubt this summer has at least given me the chance to see how beneficial the process of learning spoken languages are. It's obviously clear that schools should keep emphasizing foreign language learning although I feel being graded for what is a difficult subject for anyone often makes students disgruntled at the class versus looking at what it's meant to do. But that is another discussion for another day.

That's all for tonight. iyi Geceler! (Good Night for those not up on their Turkish)

Where the Hell is Matt?

2008-07-12T09:17:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I'm not talking about me, but I just got an e-mail from a friend about a man named Matthew Harding who has spent another 14 months going around the world and dancing in front of his camera. I remember reading about him maybe a year and a half ago when his first video created another youtube sensation. Anyways, it is a really smoltzy video, but a great look into the world we sometimes don't get to see.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

A New Kind of Tea

2008-07-10T22:28:00.002-04:00

I haven't shared anything in about a week, but yesterday I had the chance to visit the new Turkish Cultural Center in Boston. It was a great experience, I was welcomed by my friend Ismail who I had met through my adviser at BC. There we sat and drank some Turkish tea which although strong was very good.

In any case, I had a great chance to talk about Turkey and my thoughts about going with a Turk. We touched on food, the cities, universities, and must dos in Turkey. After talking for about two hours, I was really glad I had come and Ismail has given me a lot to think about as I keep working on these proposals due in October. I think Turks are great people with many stories to tell, and my meeting at the TCC definitely supported that.

After finishing our meeting with a glass of lemonade and some Turkish delight, I look forward to going back for a coffee or movie night. Hopefully, bring a few friends as well.

Besides that, I had a great fourth of July working as a Production Assistant at the Esplanade show. Two straight nights of seeing the Boston Pops and Rascal Flatts from the front row. Plus, I had the privilege to work with one of the best PA teams ever. So, if any of them are reading, awesome job!

That's it for now...

In Good Faith: Still a work in progress

2008-06-29T23:39:00.000-04:00

Some people reading this may know about my last documentary, In Good Faith. The documentary screened last April at Boston College for the first time, and has screened again in a few other viewings on and off the BC Campus. It looks like I will need to revisit the edit for music since I do not have a commercial license to use the music in the original version. Luckily, I found a Tufts student interested in helping me out this summer on the project and will be meeting with him tomorrow. Once I have a version that has no copyright violations, I intend to submit it to a local film festival or two, and maybe try to put it on air at a local cable access station. Anyways, I know a few people are asking about the documentary's status, and that's where I am with it. If you'd like a copy, I am currently making up versions by request of the original cut which you can get here.

Also, I made a few more connections in regards to Turkey today. I had a long conversation at a coffee shop in Boston with a former Fulbrighter to Turkey this morning. She had lots to say about her time in Turkey, not all of it went flawlessly and she in fact had a tough transition due to some wild unforeseen hysteria when traveling abroad to a foreign country. Although, I'm not going to go into the whole conversation we had here, I will say that it has helped me take a wider look at why I am doing all this.

For the most part, I've always attributed my interest to the work involved with In Good Faith and my sophomore living experience, but I do think that my desire has come also from growing up with my Stepfather whose Lebanese background often helps gives him a wider perspective on things. He took a great leap coming to the US, and ended up getting involved with a crazy Irish family from Somerville, MA. Although he made his "leap" for largely different reasons than mine, I do think much of my motivation for getting out of the United States is from the benefits I've had from just growing up around his culture from a safe American base. Now, I can imagine leaving that safe foothold here in the US to take a greater leap into another culture to continue to grow as my Dad has done for me over the last 20 years.

Here's to the journey ahead of us all...

NOTE: For those wondering why I'm noting this is because I'm right now knee deep in a proposal for my Fulbright grant. I've decided by writing my thoughts as they come, and maybe if there are people reading, you may have your own thoughts to share. In any case, this is a pretty easy way of record keeping so I can go back. I did this once before for my first documentary and it was very helpful.

Turkish Delight

2008-06-28T16:01:00.000-04:00

Turkish vocals and instruments played in the background as a group of young students sat across the sunlit Saray Turkish restaurant on a late Friday afternoon. I sat looking over a menu I found foreign yet similar. It was the array of Kebabs I found most interesting offering choices from chicken, beef, lamb, and quail. I was alone, feeling out of place, but also had a sense familiarity with it all.

Why is this scene important? For those who don't know, I have a Lebanese step father who continues to help teach me the lessons of life as he has done for the past 20 years of my life. My Dad is a great cook, and I've had my fill of Kebabs, along with other more uniquely Lebanese en trees. However, until yesterday, the food has always come to me rather than the other way around. Sure, there wasn't a big imposing crowd in the restaurant, and I was still in Brighton, MA where just outside the familiar sights and sounds of Boston resided. However, for a brief time, I felt more than I had ever before of being on the other side of the coin. The side my Dad has known since he came to the US in the mid 80s.

Sitting there, looking at the menu as I practiced pronouncing all the names of the foods in my head. With only two Turkish classes under my belt, that was all I could pretty much do. After the young Turkish waitress took my order, I decided to toss in the Turkish word for thank you (teşek kular). She looked and responded in Turkish asking if I spoke, and I sheepishly tried to explain in English that I was just beginning to learn. I realized that she was also a student, learning English and studying at a local college. So, I tried to use what little Turkish I knew to explain that I knew very little Turkish. I had been in situations before with my father's relatives when I was speaking to someone who didn't have a handle on English, but this was the first time I had some basis to respond in something other than English, although it was a very small addition. Still, it was a very humbling moment but also an profound of trying to reach out in another language for normal everyday conversation.

In the end, my day at Saray's concluded with some delicious lamb Kebabs, Beyti Kebabs for those who know. I was able to meet and share some more kind words with the woman from Istanbul. I hope to be back again, perhaps with a friend and certainly a little more Turkish under my belt.

Note: For those reading who don't know, I am planning on applying for an English Teaching Assistantship through the Fulbright program this October to go to Turkey in 2009. I hope to not only help Turkish university students learn English and about the US, but also I intend to work on a documentary project with Turkish students about Turkey and the issues it faces from their point of view.