The Poland Place News -- #550

THE NEWS INTERVIEWS LOCAL TV PERSONALITY Last Monday morning, we conducted a fairly extended interview with Don Ross, veteran newsman from WTVD's Channel 11. Don actually came to our house for this event, and brought along his favorite cameraman, Ted Silver, to illustrate the discussion. Ted's pictured in our offices, video-taping the back of Don's

THE NEWS INTERVIEWS LOCAL TV PERSONALITY

Last Monday morning, we conducted a fairly extended interview with Don Ross, veteran newsman from WTVD's Channel 11.  Don actually came to our house for this event, and brought along his favorite cameraman, Ted Silver, to illustrate the discussion.  Ted's  pictured in our offices, video-taping the back of Don's head.  

And here's the brief article we were able to produce from our 45-minute discussion:
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ENJOYING HIS JOURNAL
by Bob Dean

Breaking news: Don Ross--a long way from retirement--is a newsman in Raleigh.  Okay, so it's not with WRAL-TV.  No.

It's "WTVD" -- Channel 11 -- the place where he's produced his Journal for several years.  So what (you may have asked) goes on at Channel 11?

Quite a bit some days.  And, thanks to Don Ross,  people from Durham to Raleigh to Fayetteville can easily find that out.  "Several years ago I figured out how to talk to a microphone.  I always light up when there's a microphone clipped to my belt."

Ross began his Journal as a way to give family and friends around the area daily updates on their fellow travelers through life.  His viewer population steadily grew as WTVD aired his interviews and insights throughout their viewing area.  Each week he spreads the word through four or five counties  of say,  a janitor in Durham, a toy train collector in Wendell, a Christmas tree decorator in Henderson, or a Pearl Harbor veteran from Hillsborough (right).  After each Journal Entry is aired, he posts it on the WTVD web site  {http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/features/101800_FS_DRStories.html}

On slow news weeks, Ross sometimes covers events on Poland Place--what he might call the even greater WTVD listening area.  

When bigger news about Supreme Courts and weather patterns stopped breaking, our interview with him was a Journal highlight on WTVD last week.

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For our illustrated view of Don Ross's  take on our interview (as produced by Jim DeLuca and presented on WTVD last Thursday evening) Click Here.   We think Dan did a very good job of parodying  the Poland Place News' style in his 85-second segment.

MIXING IT UP WITH THE OFFICE PARTY CROWD

Last week we promised readers some further coverage of the Design Dimensions Incorporated Christmas Party.  In pursuit of this commitment, we've assembled an album of candid photos from the event, available to all who really care by clicking here.

   A POLAND PLACE NEWS BOOK REVIEW

Fiction

WISH YOU WELL by David Baldacci (Warner Books, New York, 2000, 401 pp.)

Several years ago, when we were a lot busier than we are now, we took a speed reading course to improve our use of time.  We learned to "swirl," a process whereby one can read up to ten pages a minute by moving the eyes around a text, absorbing the real facts and skimming through all the descriptive stuff.   We're aware that many of our readers peruse The Poland Place News in exactly this manner.

This book provides another fine chance to exercise this skill: we went through page after page after page of descriptions about mountains and conversations between mountaineers and searching within individual souls, while David Baldaci took us back to Virginia with two little kids and introduced us to their great-grandmother who fights prejudice along with  the coal mining interests of the 30's.  While he usually writes suspense novels (which we usually enjoy) he moves to a new genre with this one. 

In the Introduction, Baldaci describes writing this novel as "one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."  Reading it was not one of ours. 

  THE POLAND PLACE CHALLENGE

In Challenge #123, we tried to bring back some of the high school mathematicians with this one:

When asked how old she was, Suzie replied, "In two years I will be twice as old as I was five years ago." How old is she?

Steve Armstrong, Anne Cuddy, Joanna Roberts, Grace Gagliardi, Chloe Dean, and Cynthia Dean all agreed that Suzie (right) is 12 years oldShe, and we, were delighted.

CHALLENGE #124

April Armstrong sent us these ten Christmas Carols, for decoding by our panel of experts.  Actually, she sent us 20 of them; successful entrants will be rewarded with a crack at the other 10.

1. Bleached Yule
2.
Castaneous-colored Seed Desiccated in a Conflagration
3. Singular Yearning for the Twin Anterior Incisors
4. Righteous Darkness
5. Arrival Time 2400 hrs - Weather Cloudless
6. Loyal Followers Advance
7. Far Off in a Feeder
8. Array the Corridor
9. Bantam Male Percussionist
10. Monarchial Triad

When you think you've figured some of them out, tell us about it by Clicking Here

LICENSE PLATE OF THE WEEK

Outside the "Your House" Restaurant, Early Tuesday Morning

PICTURES TO THE EDITOR

Barb Mitchell sent us this one: a gathering of four of our relatives and subscribers enjoying dinner in Rochester, NY, recently.  From left to right, they are: Bill Brothers, Cousin Mil Burden Brothers, Cousin Barb Mitchell, and her husband of one year,  Ron Mitchell.  Barb reported that they all had a very nice time.

Readers are encouraged to contribute Pictures to the Editor by mailing, e-mailing, dropping off, or otherwise delivering same to our offices--almost any time.

SOCIAL NOTES

Our entire staff joined employees and friends of the Triangle Land Conservancy on Friday night, for what's become an annual Holiday Bowling Competition.  Once again, Liz Dean (right) was high scorer; her husband trailed the pack by about 20 pins; everyone had a very nice time.  The evening competition was frequently punctuated by exclamations of the Land Conservancy's favorite cheer: "Lotta' Wood!"

The Poland Place News.

On Wednesday evening, the two principal presidential candidates (left, and right) performed on our 103-lb. Sony TV set.  Tweedledee did what he had to do "for the sake of the nation" and Tweedledum stepped into the Presidency  "for the sake of the nation."  One of them seemed to be having a very nice time.  The other did not.  

 This completes the Poland Place News coverage of this year's exciting Presidential Election process.

The Poland Place News.

On Friday  Shaquille O'Neal, 28, received his bachelor's degree in general studies from Louisiana State University.  Paul Dean, LSU Professor, withheld comment.

E-MAIL TO THE EDITOR

"Yesterday we received a telephone call from Keith Weston (one of the hosts of Back Porch Music on WUNC Radio) saying how good the Groovemonger CD is and they will be playing a couple numbers from it on their program this Sunday night." --pavlos@mindspring.com  {We'll be tuned in to Back Porch Music and Rebecca McCallum to hear what we missed in the October neighborhood concert.

The Poland Place News

"America's largest professional networks have joined together to offer you and your family substantial savings on dental, optical, legal, and prescription drugs-all in ONE plan!" --Health.Provider@zoo.net.uk  {Since our publication of the Pla-Doh Dental Kit ad last week, we've received three of these important messages.  Somebody's reading The News!}

The Poland Place News

"I haven't been sick in a long time. I forgot how much I dislike it. I'm ready to go outside and run. I have a new appreciation for health."  --midyette@mindspring.com  {Tommy Midyette seems quite recovered from his tonsillectomy of two weeks ago.  We wish him well in his new and healthy life.}

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