If you're not at Monument Park at 7:30 p.m. this Friday to watch local band "Untitled" play, you may be missing out on a rare opportunity, as I don't think these kids will be "local" very long after graduation.
As you will read in this week's edition, they're a group of middle schoolers whose musical talent shows maturity well beyond their 13 and 14 years.
I'd love to rave about them right now, but our coverage this week is, to say the least, extremely comprehensive.
We will also be uploading a recorded performance of one of the band's original songs, so stay tuned to our local video section for that.
Monument Park. 7:30 p.m. Be there.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Flub.
Blunder, faux pas, gaffe, misjudgment, oversight, slight, slip.
These are some of my favorite fancy ways of saying "mistake." The one in the title is number one on the list though. It has that "onomatopoeia" quality. Just like "boom" or "cuckoo" it sounds exactly like what it is.
So the Memorial Day parade last week was a big big (take your pick). I won't mention the business owner's name here, because it has already gotten play on our website and will be in tomorrow's paper. I'm sure he wants to forget about it just as much as I want to forget about that time in sixth grade that I choked during the school spelling bee and asked, "Could you use that word in a sentence?"
I was asked to spell "toothpaste." Doh!
I was nervous, young and would rather be pelted by a million bazillion dodge balls than speak in public. These were my reasons, just as there are reasons for the offending float. It was a poorly produced spoof of a cultural phenomenon that the creator thought would be universally recognizable. Maybe the demographics just weren't there. The American Legion people did say that most of the parade bystanders were parent or grandparent age and the rest were small children, and iPod is aimed at late teens to 20-somethings.
I've taken a marketing class or two in college, and if I recall correctly that's called "not reaching your demographic" due to "misreading the market." Misreading ... that's another synonym for mistake that didn't make my list. Too specific.
Anyone who saw the pictures in the paper or witnessed the parade had the right to be offended, but should forgive after hearing the explanation. After talking to several witnesses, the business owner who made the float, several people at the American Legion and even Village officials, it's clear that there's no bad guy here.
Actually, I would say that the float did a great service to the community. It grabbed everyone's attention, something that is very, very difficult to do these days. Trust me. I work in the newspaper business. We're all about getting your attention.
Based on my conversation with Post Commander Jim Dempsey, there was a lot more wrong with that parade than a misunderstood float. Participant vehicles recklessly cut in line, one of which had a license plate with a Confederate flag on it - not a standard I would carry anywhere near my home in Wayne County.
There was also candy throwing, which I never even would have dreamed of being a problem at a parade. But apparently children have been hit and killed by vehicles chasing candy that wasn't picked up right away, Dempsey told me. I asked Jim an obvious question. Who would you turn to to enforce that? And he said that the very groups and organizations he would need to cooperate with the Legion were throwing candy in the parade themselves. I'm not going to name names, but they know who they are.
Never mind the fact that many of the floats, the iPod float included, weren't even patriotic or respectful to the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice ... who died for this country. Disrupting people's remembrance of them to get that all important attention isn’t just a (take your pick), it's a dishonor.
I have a feeling that Dempsey will squeeze these lemons into lemonade.
If he can get his American Legion post, and possibly others, to tighten up how they handle these parades in the future, and even institute some kind of screening and/or application process, then that's only a good thing.
The antonym of (take your pick).
That's your free mad lib vocabulary lesson for the day.
Sean Dalton
The Dexter Leader
These are some of my favorite fancy ways of saying "mistake." The one in the title is number one on the list though. It has that "onomatopoeia" quality. Just like "boom" or "cuckoo" it sounds exactly like what it is.
So the Memorial Day parade last week was a big big (take your pick). I won't mention the business owner's name here, because it has already gotten play on our website and will be in tomorrow's paper. I'm sure he wants to forget about it just as much as I want to forget about that time in sixth grade that I choked during the school spelling bee and asked, "Could you use that word in a sentence?"
I was asked to spell "toothpaste." Doh!
I was nervous, young and would rather be pelted by a million bazillion dodge balls than speak in public. These were my reasons, just as there are reasons for the offending float. It was a poorly produced spoof of a cultural phenomenon that the creator thought would be universally recognizable. Maybe the demographics just weren't there. The American Legion people did say that most of the parade bystanders were parent or grandparent age and the rest were small children, and iPod is aimed at late teens to 20-somethings.
I've taken a marketing class or two in college, and if I recall correctly that's called "not reaching your demographic" due to "misreading the market." Misreading ... that's another synonym for mistake that didn't make my list. Too specific.
Anyone who saw the pictures in the paper or witnessed the parade had the right to be offended, but should forgive after hearing the explanation. After talking to several witnesses, the business owner who made the float, several people at the American Legion and even Village officials, it's clear that there's no bad guy here.
Actually, I would say that the float did a great service to the community. It grabbed everyone's attention, something that is very, very difficult to do these days. Trust me. I work in the newspaper business. We're all about getting your attention.
Based on my conversation with Post Commander Jim Dempsey, there was a lot more wrong with that parade than a misunderstood float. Participant vehicles recklessly cut in line, one of which had a license plate with a Confederate flag on it - not a standard I would carry anywhere near my home in Wayne County.
There was also candy throwing, which I never even would have dreamed of being a problem at a parade. But apparently children have been hit and killed by vehicles chasing candy that wasn't picked up right away, Dempsey told me. I asked Jim an obvious question. Who would you turn to to enforce that? And he said that the very groups and organizations he would need to cooperate with the Legion were throwing candy in the parade themselves. I'm not going to name names, but they know who they are.
Never mind the fact that many of the floats, the iPod float included, weren't even patriotic or respectful to the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice ... who died for this country. Disrupting people's remembrance of them to get that all important attention isn’t just a (take your pick), it's a dishonor.
I have a feeling that Dempsey will squeeze these lemons into lemonade.
If he can get his American Legion post, and possibly others, to tighten up how they handle these parades in the future, and even institute some kind of screening and/or application process, then that's only a good thing.
The antonym of (take your pick).
That's your free mad lib vocabulary lesson for the day.
Sean Dalton
The Dexter Leader
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Is this lunch working?
I'm much more pleased with Working Lunch (published in the May 24 edition) than I thought I would be and the response has been consistently positive.
If you're not sure what Working Lunch is, let me take a moment to explain it as it is intended. The direction that we're trying to take this thing in is simple. It's a light-hearted Q&A with people who have unique jobs and backgrounds.
When I sit down with someone for a Working Lunch interview, I want to produce an article that will allow the reader to walk away with an understanding of the person I am talking to - what they do for a living, where they come from and some of the things that have happened to them along the way. I also want the reader to smile, chuckle and perhaps laugh. So expect to get a little bit of who I am or who Don or Ed are when we do these, because a big piece of the puzzle - what drives a Working Lunch – is the personalities on both ends of the discussion.
In all honesty, I have to give credit to a staff writer at sister publication The News-Herald, located in Southgate. Bobby Ampezzan started this whole Working Lunch thing before my time, and over in the Downriver area it has become quite an attraction for our readers, because he has done a fantastic job with it and really set a high bar for us. It is my understanding that there are quite a few people who write in or call him directly to ask, "Who's next?"
I haven't quite gotten to that point with only one of these under my belt, and Mr. Ampezzan has already passed his bicentennial Working Lunch at The News-Herald, but I can see us getting there soon.
One important thing that I would like to point out is that you, the reader, have to help us out by either saying, "Hey! I'm a candidate!" or networking us with people that you think would, even if they might be too modest to admit that they have something special to share. We'll be the judge of that!
Speaking of judgment, I’m not sure if parts of this blog post will be frowned upon. I was advised not to mention where Working Lunch came from, either to avoid looking like I stole the idea (I ate Bobby Ampezzan’s lunch?) or to preserve the “new car smell” of this feature for the Dexter/Chelsea area reader.
I decided to go against that advice and be honest by sharing the tale of Working Lunch, and from whence it came.
Sean Dalton
The Dexter Leader
If you're not sure what Working Lunch is, let me take a moment to explain it as it is intended. The direction that we're trying to take this thing in is simple. It's a light-hearted Q&A with people who have unique jobs and backgrounds.
When I sit down with someone for a Working Lunch interview, I want to produce an article that will allow the reader to walk away with an understanding of the person I am talking to - what they do for a living, where they come from and some of the things that have happened to them along the way. I also want the reader to smile, chuckle and perhaps laugh. So expect to get a little bit of who I am or who Don or Ed are when we do these, because a big piece of the puzzle - what drives a Working Lunch – is the personalities on both ends of the discussion.
In all honesty, I have to give credit to a staff writer at sister publication The News-Herald, located in Southgate. Bobby Ampezzan started this whole Working Lunch thing before my time, and over in the Downriver area it has become quite an attraction for our readers, because he has done a fantastic job with it and really set a high bar for us. It is my understanding that there are quite a few people who write in or call him directly to ask, "Who's next?"
I haven't quite gotten to that point with only one of these under my belt, and Mr. Ampezzan has already passed his bicentennial Working Lunch at The News-Herald, but I can see us getting there soon.
One important thing that I would like to point out is that you, the reader, have to help us out by either saying, "Hey! I'm a candidate!" or networking us with people that you think would, even if they might be too modest to admit that they have something special to share. We'll be the judge of that!
Speaking of judgment, I’m not sure if parts of this blog post will be frowned upon. I was advised not to mention where Working Lunch came from, either to avoid looking like I stole the idea (I ate Bobby Ampezzan’s lunch?) or to preserve the “new car smell” of this feature for the Dexter/Chelsea area reader.
I decided to go against that advice and be honest by sharing the tale of Working Lunch, and from whence it came.
Sean Dalton
The Dexter Leader
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Of burgers and bond issues.
Burger King’s famous motto is, “Have it your way.”
That’s a philosophy that I can get behind 100 percent. Who wants to have it someone else’s way? Does your neighbor or uncle know you well enough to order your Double Whopper? (That was a trick question, because you shouldn’t eat that junk.)
When it comes to food, I want to have the final say in what I'm eating.
Maybe I'm picky or maybe I just attach this need for authority and control over what I'm paying for. I wouldn’t be exercising my freedom to spend my money how I want if I didn't. There's no way I'm eating pickles.
On May 7, I expected a full house when the Dexter Community School District held its first public bond discussion forum. This was a chance for the community (you) to tell the school district how to prepare the bond proposal. (Hold the land purchases?)
I expected a legion of residents to bear down on Creekside Middle School’s cafeteria, but the thunderous din of marching feet never came.
As was mentioned in the paper this month, I think forty to fifty people showed up, half of which were liaisons representing an organization, such as little league or some other athletic interest. There were, of course, some teachers and members of previous school district committees that were a given. Kudos to those folks for showing up, and their input will be invaluable, but I'm not sure that the whole picture could be gleamed from the feedback collected at the first forum.
Average unaffiliated residents or "taxpayers," as some of the few that showed up identified themselves, were pretty thin on the vine. Admittedly, this isn’t the most contentious of bond issues. The district isn’t asking for new money, but rather asking to renew money that residents were already paying for previous bonds.
It’s just a case of a school district trying to maintain available money that they are legally allowed to collect, as a way to pay for things that the state provided per pupil allowance (which isn't enough to sustain the majority of school districts) can't cover on its own. The alternative is to cut quality programs and services - an alternative that is a losing proposition for the community's children.
It will be interesting to see if people are concerned enough with the district’s needs to come out Monday at 7 p.m. at the same location for the second forum. It's not only important to get out and have a say so the money is spent in the right places, but also so school district officials can get a feel for what the taxpayers will get behind come the election.
Back to the overcooked fast food analogy - If you don’t like mayo, Monday will be the time to speak your peace. Either way, everyone in the district is going to have to take a bite, whether they like what’s between the meat and the bun or not.
Sean Dalton
The Dexter Leader
That’s a philosophy that I can get behind 100 percent. Who wants to have it someone else’s way? Does your neighbor or uncle know you well enough to order your Double Whopper? (That was a trick question, because you shouldn’t eat that junk.)
When it comes to food, I want to have the final say in what I'm eating.
Maybe I'm picky or maybe I just attach this need for authority and control over what I'm paying for. I wouldn’t be exercising my freedom to spend my money how I want if I didn't. There's no way I'm eating pickles.
On May 7, I expected a full house when the Dexter Community School District held its first public bond discussion forum. This was a chance for the community (you) to tell the school district how to prepare the bond proposal. (Hold the land purchases?)
I expected a legion of residents to bear down on Creekside Middle School’s cafeteria, but the thunderous din of marching feet never came.
As was mentioned in the paper this month, I think forty to fifty people showed up, half of which were liaisons representing an organization, such as little league or some other athletic interest. There were, of course, some teachers and members of previous school district committees that were a given. Kudos to those folks for showing up, and their input will be invaluable, but I'm not sure that the whole picture could be gleamed from the feedback collected at the first forum.
Average unaffiliated residents or "taxpayers," as some of the few that showed up identified themselves, were pretty thin on the vine. Admittedly, this isn’t the most contentious of bond issues. The district isn’t asking for new money, but rather asking to renew money that residents were already paying for previous bonds.
It’s just a case of a school district trying to maintain available money that they are legally allowed to collect, as a way to pay for things that the state provided per pupil allowance (which isn't enough to sustain the majority of school districts) can't cover on its own. The alternative is to cut quality programs and services - an alternative that is a losing proposition for the community's children.
It will be interesting to see if people are concerned enough with the district’s needs to come out Monday at 7 p.m. at the same location for the second forum. It's not only important to get out and have a say so the money is spent in the right places, but also so school district officials can get a feel for what the taxpayers will get behind come the election.
Back to the overcooked fast food analogy - If you don’t like mayo, Monday will be the time to speak your peace. Either way, everyone in the district is going to have to take a bite, whether they like what’s between the meat and the bun or not.
Sean Dalton
The Dexter Leader
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
New push for more online content
I don’t know what my coworkers think of this new push for more online content (see Ed Freundl’s blog), but I think it’s very neat
Most people spend so much time online in chat rooms and on message boards in their off-hours that this shouldn’t be a big deal in terms of time investment. But, as with all new things, we shall see.
Speaking of new things, I’m excited to be the new reporter for The Dexter Leader. I have spent over a year at another Heritage newspaper — The News-Herald — covering some fine communities in the Downriver area, including
Last week, and my first week in this office, I was finally able to get out into the community and lay my eyes on the areas that I will be covering,
The first thing that struck me on my drive down
Being a big fan of
Once I rolled into
My second visit to the area was to stop into some schools, namely Cornerstone Elementary,
I don’t think I’ve seen a more energized and active student body before. Kids were laughing, smiling and just generally having a good time, one and all.
I don’t want to knock any of the schools that I’ve attended, but I don’t remember everyone being quite so happy to be in a learning institution.
I haven’t had the chance to really delve into the details, so I’m hoping that the students in this district have the grades to match their enthusiasm.
That’s basically what it all comes down to for me. Over the next couple of weeks I will be getting to know everyone and everything to the best of my ability, and I certainly hope that our readers will feel free to call me and let me know what is going on.
Sean Dalton
The Dexter Leader
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