eChaser: May 2000


	Society of Professional Journalists, Fort Worth Professional Chapter Public Relations Society of America, Greater Fort Worth Chapter International Association of Business Communicators, Fort Worth Chapter eChaser archive [graphics format] May 2000 MEETINGS Next at IABC ... Speak Softly and Keep Your Lawyer's Number Handy Whether your words were intentional or not, it's all too easy these days to become involved in litigation over something you've said. For the May meeting, attorney Perry Cockerell will join IABC/Fort Worth -- back in its pre-tornado home -- for a discussion on "The Effect of 'Winning' in Litigation." A partner with Cantey & Hanger, LLP, Cockerell has nearly 20 years of commercial litigation experience and will help IABC members learn to watch what they (or their clients) say. * Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, May 9 * Place: Petroleum Club, UPR Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor; UPR garage is at 7th and Commerce streets * Cost: $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $11 students; walk-ins are an additional $2 * Reservations by noon May 5: (817) 460-3534 or mailto:jan@jgary.com ----- Next at PRSA ... A Primer: From Hyping Soccer to Herding Cats Two corporate PR experts from Electronic Data Systems will offer a professional development doubleheader in May. Nanci Williams, APR, who headed EDS public relations for World Cup France '98, will examine "Scoring Global Media Hits Through World Cup Soccer" for the lunch crowd in a presentation aimed at beginning to mid-level practitioners. In the afternoon seminar, geared for mid- to senior-level practitioners, Virginia Brooks, APR, takes a shot at "Kats, Kicks and Hits (Or How to Keep From Coughing Up a Media Fur Ball)." Her most recent claim to fame was handling public relations for the "herding cats" Super Bowl commercial for EDS. * Time & date: luncheon at noon, seminar 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 10 * Place: Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center, 2820 Stadium Drive across from the TCU student center * Cost: $35 members ($16 lunch only, $20 seminar only); $50 guests ($19 lunch only, $35 seminar only); $30 students ($15 lunch only, $15 seminar only) * RSVP by noon May 8: (817) 347-8649 or mailto:bpoer@hsc.unt.edu PRSA has instituted a luncheon reservations policy. Reservations must be made by the Monday prior to the next noon meeting (when meetings are on Wednesdays, which is usually the case). Reservations made after that time will be $19, regardless of membership status. Cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance; otherwise, the person who made the reservation will be billed. Questions? E-mail Becky Poer at mailto:bpoer@hsc.unt.edu. ======================================== STRAIGHT STUFF KTVT CBS 11 news anchor Tracy Rowlett will discuss the changing face of Metroplex news and technology's effect on how news is covered at the Central and East Joint Area Council noon luncheon Tuesday, May 2, at the Fort Worth Club, 306 W. 7th St. Cost is $20 for Fort Worth Chamber members, $40 nonmembers, $160 table of eight. For reservations, call Jeanie Edgar at (817) 336-2491, ext. 275; say you are responding to the story in this newsletter. ... Early deadline ($50 before, $60 after) is May 19 for "Reporting on Money and Politics in the Electronic Era: A Workshop for Texas Journalists," June 2 in Austin, sponsored by Austin SPJ, the FOI Foundation of Texas and Texas Association of Broadcasters. The fee covers a handbook, exposure to eight pros in and around campaign finance reporting and a luncheon address by Charles Lewis, executive director of the Center for Public Integrity (http://publicintegrity.org) and author of "The Buying of the President 2000." Call (512) 472-1007 or write mailto:info@campaignsforpeople.org. ... The publication and trade show company Miller Freeman Inc. seeks entry-level writers plus associate-level editors with at least three years experience. Contact Lola McNally at mailto:lmcnally@mfi.com. ... BroadbandNow! (http://bbnow.com) in Irving needs experienced editors, graphic designers and copy editors. Contact Carly L. Price, (972) 650-6944 or mailto:carly@amplify.com. ----- Interest High, Majors Expanding for PRSA Pro-Am Day Twenty-two public relations pros gave TCU students a guided tour of the real world April 14 on Pro-Am Day sponsored by the PRSA Greater Fort Worth Chapter. The students sampled an industry mix, from hospitals and government agencies, to nonprofits and corporations, as their mentors -- coordinator Pamela Smith, Kristie Aylett, MLA, APR, Hope Caldwell, Carroll Cole, Mary Dulle, Elizabeth Eslick, Michael Gonzales, Jennifer Hensley, Kelli Horst, Rick L'Amie, Nancy O'Malley, Roger Partridge, Becky Poer, Sandra Porter, Ellen Ray, Jerrod Resweber, Ann G. Schrader, Theresa Singleton, Kim Speairs, APR, Greg Staley, Paul Sturiale, APR, and Pat Svacina -- helped them learn if those classroom assignments really apply on the street. "Most found that their j-school skills will pay off," Smith said, "and that while public relations is exciting, it takes hard work, too." This year, speech communications students also participated, proving, Smith said, that "more and more majors are pursuing careers in public relations." ----- Soaked by Tornado, Dean Lights Fire Under Students by Brenda Davis News reporting isn't all glamour and bright lights. Sometimes it means risking your life. Jody Dean of KRLD-1080 radio and Channel 11's "Positively Texas!" did just that covering the March 28 storm that ravaged west Fort Worth and downtown and parts of Grand Prairie and Arlington. Speaking at the SPJ scholarship banquet last month, Dean detailed his drive downtown that early evening from North Richland Hills, where he had been coaching his son's Little League game. Armed with a cellular phone, he began broadcasting detailed weather descriptions. He wasn't prepared for what he encountered when he exited I-30. "One minute I was driving down Henderson Street, and the next I was seeing the complete collapse of the Calvary church. Little did I know that I was approximately two blocks away from the tornado as it made its way through downtown." Such moments separate this profession from others. "While everyone else is thinking tragedy, we're thinking 'showtime!' " he said. "That is what being in radio news is all about. You get to report, write and, yes, sometimes endanger your life." Dean urged the scholarship winners to "stand on the shoulders" of their predecessors, to return to double-checking facts and reporting what is truly newsworthy. "Today's journalists are a bunch of pompous, overrated presenters of the news," he said. "They have sunk somewhere to the level of lawyers and muckrakers." He noted that most stories are less about big issues and more like Goff's Hamburgers celebrating its 25th anniversary or like the woman who finally found her life partner only to die from complications following back surgery. He said that sometimes putting down the camera and notebook and helping someone makes the journalist a better reporter. Ultimately, he said, compassion and caring are foremost to being a great journalist. "You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror," he said, "and know you did the best you could with what you had." And the scholarship winners are (with comments from scholarships VP Linda Swift): Anabelle Garay, UTA, Donna Darovich Scholarship: "Ms. Garay's essay describes her metamorphosis from a shy second-grader who spoke no English to a journalist who confidently interviews government officials and immerses herself in unfamiliar subjects so that she can write about them accurately." A former managing editor of The Collegian at Tarrant County College Northeast Campus and current entertainment editor at the UTA Shorthorn, she also free-lances for La Estrella. ... Angela Martin, University of Missouri-Columbia honors, Joe Holstead Scholarship: "An impressive video containing two clips of stories reported by this Texas native for an NBC affiliate in Missouri wowed the committee. She packed a wealth of information into a short time and even made statistics palatable." ... Nancy Leigh Black, Brookhaven Community College, Staley and Beverly McBrayer Scholarship: "Judges liked the spunk she showed in her essay, which listed goals that included being the best mother possible to her 2-year-old son. She got extra points for finding a typo in the SPJ cover letter." Also, Stefani Danielle Carter, UT Austin honors (with fellowships at the Center for the Study of the Presidency, Yale Graduate School and the Heritage Foundation), Jack Tinsley Scholarship: "Her thoughtful and persuasive editorials on ebonics and Social Security show a willingness to tackle complex subjects." A professor's recommendation letter said, "She asks questions and, equally important, is not afraid to question the answers that she is given." ... Cathy O'Neal, UTA, Jerry Flemmons Scholarship: A free-lancer for Tarrant County Physician magazine and the Star-Telegram, she is completing the degree she started awhile back (her son graduates from college this year, too). Prof David McHam calls her "a delight, an ideal student." ... Jill Wohldmann, TCC honors, Al Panzera Scholarship: "Extra points here for versatility. Included with her entry were samples of writing and photography she has done for her student newspaper. She also does layout for The Collegian and is the top producer in advertising sales." ... Lars Levie, Arlington High School honors, Lina Davis Scholarship: "Excellent design, leadership and verbal skills," high school scholarship coordinator Dorothy Estes says of the AHS yearbook editor, design adviser for the newspaper and literary magazine, and technical director for the KLTS newscast; he has been accepted at New York University, and after earning a degree in graphic arts, he plans a career in magazines. Also, six Gridiron Scholarships -- Sarah Baker, UTA: "Her Shorthorn clips show that she's not afraid to take chances and that she never wastes a verb." She has worked as editor of UTA's Tempo magazine, a stringer for the Grapevine edition of Hometown Star and editor of The Collegian at TCC Northeast. ... Tisha Slagle, TWU honors: She writes that "my dream is the daily challenge of grabbing a reader's attention, holding it captive until I have fed curiosity or awakened imagination." Charley Orbison calls her his "top student, far above the rest of the class." ... Susan Mooring, UTA: Currently the SPJ chapter president and Shorthorn news editor and a former editor at the Lee College Lantern, she aspires to be a journalism professor. ... Michael Currie, UTA: "An eye-catching double truck caught the judges' attention, and a grade-school portrait that accompanied Mr. Currie's resume piqued our interest." The Shorthorn page designer was editor of the Richland College paper and art director of the campus magazine. ... Jeff Shaw, UTA: "What an arresting illustration for an opinion piece -- a serpentine trail of credit cards falling like dominoes in the direction of a sleeping college student." Student Publications director Lloyd Goodman writes that "Jeff's graphics and illustrations provide visual information, rather than simply decorating a page." ... Andrew Tripaldi, Northeastern University: An editor for the New York Times Sunday sports section, for which this Boston Globe intern has written more than 20 articles, calls him a "veritable fountain of story ideas." ======================================== PEOPLE & PLACES Joy Rich, PR senior manager at Pier 1, gave birth to a boy Jan. 8. William Thomas Rich weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces and has a big sister, Larkin, who is 2 1/2. ... Beth Solomon of Cook Children's Medical Center coordinated the media placement of the hospital on the "Today" show. ... KLIF's Kevin McCarthy sees light at the end of the leave-of-absence tunnel. One of the area's most popular radio personalities, holder of five Dallas Press Club Katys for best talk show, he reports: "I have been working very hard at home getting therapy four days a week to overcome a nasty series of panic attacks that showed up out of nowhere in early February. My doctors say they may release me to return to the air in early June. Thanks for all the kind thoughts, prayers and support." Kudos & Contracts: The Texas Associated Press Managing Editors honored journalism champion and former SPJ prez Dorothy Estes with its Jack Douglas Award for Journalism Excellence. Estes retired as UTA Student Publications director in 1996 and has since been spotted having lunch at the Eiffel Tower. ... Wedgwood Shopping News editor Kay Pirtle, a two-term former SPJ chief, took first and third places against 80 entries in the original ad/multicolor contest of the Texas Community Newspapers Association, meeting last month on South Padre Island. ... The North Texas chapter of the Religion Communicators Council named Southwestern Seminary's David Porter its Religious Communicator of the Year at the April Norvell Slater awards luncheon. Star-Telegram religion editor Jim Jones received the Lifetime Communicator Award, and The Dallas Morning News' Steve Blow was named Commercial Communicator of the Year. The RCC is a nationwide interfaith association for those working in religious communication. Slater was the long-time host of the local Sunday-morning radio show "Hymns We Love." ... PR/Texas took first place in United Way of America's annual 2000 Communications Contest for its United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County's "Time for Kids" campaign. ======================================== NEW MEMBERS, WELCOME PRSA ... R. Glen Stone, vice president, Witherspoon ... Heather Senter, public relations director, Witherspoon ... Carroll Cole, staff writer, UNT Health Science Center ... Shelda Dean, senior communications associate/staff writer, AmeriCredit Corp. ... Nancy O'Malley, public relations account executive, Stuart Bacon ... Carol Pipes, public relations manager, Fort Worth/Tarrant County Salvation Army ... Theresa Singleton, public relations associate, JPS Health Network ... Sandra Porter, public relations director, Crescent Real Estate Equities ... Rhenda Weathersby, marketing administrative director, Campbell Health Systems in Weatherford ... Keith Rinehart, communication manager, Bedford. SPJ ... native Texan David House, Star-Telegram Sunday editor, arriving in February from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; formerly at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and Sunday bulldog editor at The Dallas Morning News. ======================================== COMINGS & GOINGS Additions ... at Stuart Bacon: Baylor grad Julie Everitt, previously with the Fort Worth Business Press; account executive. Exits ... at the S-T: county reporter Karen Rouse, to The Denver Post. ======================================== FROM THE PRESIDENT Kim Speairs / PRSA Things just keep getting better for the Greater Fort Worth Chapter. Take the Texas Public Relations Association's Best of Texas/Silver Spur Award. Awards chair Henry Stewart, APR, facilitated our involvement as a co-sponsor of the awards program, while Andra Bennett, APR, judged the entries. Our chapter received a 7 percent share of the funds raised by the competition -- $700! Then there was Pro-Am Day, which student liaison co-chair Pamela Smith organized so well. Kudos also to VP Roger Partridge and his programs committee for assembling such a dynamic lineup of speakers. Given our good fortune, it was only fitting that we assist those affected by the tornado. Board members Henry Stewart, APR, Beth Park, APR, Eliz Hopkins, Pamela Smith and I represented the chapter at the business disaster relief symposium April 5. As Mayor Kenneth Barr noted, the small number attending showed how quickly businesses were getting back on their feet. The 2000-2001 Strategic Plan is being reviewed for approval at this month's board meeting. Many of its initiatives have already been implemented, including the greeter program, the variety of community service efforts and expansion of the accreditation program. Now comes the membership recruitment voucher, a big step toward our goal of increasing membership 12 percent. Each PRSA member will get a free-lunch certificate to invite a potential member to the monthly lunch. President-elect/ membership chair Mary Dulle has sent out the vouchers. ----- OVER & OUT John Dycus / SPJ The regional meeting in Austin has the spotlight, so there's no FW SPJ meeting this month. ... Big-time gratitude goes to two sets of judges who produced this spring's scholarship recipients and culled 90 investigative reporting entries to two winners (over and under 100,000 circulation) in the national SPJ competition. Linda Swift, Pennie Boyett and her daughter Betsy (herself a former Jack Tinsley Scholarship honoree), John Wallace, Carolyn Poirot and Kay Pirtle judged student work, while Max Faulkner, Tim Sager, Doug Brown, David House, Joe Guerrini, Felicia Smith, Dorothy Estes, Frank Perkins, Gary Hardee, Ashley Cheshire, Keith Shelton and Carmen Mitchell evaluated the pros. Penny Cockerell and Shelby Bradley took a turn on both squads. These are dedicated people, giving back to their profession. Choosing up sides on the playground of life, I want them on my team. ... It's officers and directors election time. Send nominations to Carolyn Poirot, (817) 390-7400 or mailto:cpoirot@star-telegram.com. ... Unlike its stone's-throw neighbors, the Cash America International building, Calvary Cathedral, Mallick Tower and Firestone Apartments, FW Weekly escaped the March 28 tornado unscathed. Folks at the upstart press think it's a sign. For that matter, the twister had the Star-Telegram dead in its sights before veering. Mused S-T editorial director (and Broadway Baptist Church member) Paul Harral: "You have to wonder about a God who'd take out a church and spare a newspaper."

Whether your words were intentional or not, it's all too easy these days to become involved in litigation over something you've said. For the May meeting, attorney Perry Cockerell will join IABC/Fort Worth -- back in its pre-tornado home -- for a discussion on "The Effect of 'Winning' in Litigation." A partner with Cantey & Hanger, LLP, Cockerell has nearly 20 years of commercial litigation experience and will help IABC members learn to watch what they (or their clients) say.

Two corporate PR experts from Electronic Data Systems will offer a professional development doubleheader in May. Nanci Williams, APR, who headed EDS public relations for World Cup France '98, will examine "Scoring Global Media Hits Through World Cup Soccer" for the lunch crowd in a presentation aimed at beginning to mid-level practitioners.

In the afternoon seminar, geared for mid- to senior-level practitioners, Virginia Brooks, APR, takes a shot at "Kats, Kicks and Hits (Or How to Keep From Coughing Up a Media Fur Ball)." Her most recent claim to fame was handling public relations for the "herding cats" Super Bowl commercial for EDS.

PRSA has instituted a luncheon reservations policy. Reservations must be made by the Monday prior to the next noon meeting (when meetings are on Wednesdays, which is usually the case). Reservations made after that time will be $19, regardless of membership status. Cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance; otherwise, the person who made the reservation will be billed. Questions? E-mail Becky Poer at mailto:bpoer@hsc.unt.edu.

KTVT CBS 11 news anchor Tracy Rowlett will discuss the changing face of Metroplex news and technology's effect on how news is covered at the Central and East Joint Area Council noon luncheon Tuesday, May 2, at the Fort Worth Club, 306 W. 7th St. Cost is $20 for Fort Worth Chamber members, $40 nonmembers, $160 table of eight. For reservations, call Jeanie Edgar at (817) 336-2491, ext. 275; say you are responding to the story in this newsletter. ... Early deadline ($50 before, $60 after) is May 19 for "Reporting on Money and Politics in the Electronic Era: A Workshop for Texas Journalists," June 2 in Austin, sponsored by Austin SPJ, the FOI Foundation of Texas and Texas Association of Broadcasters. The fee covers a handbook, exposure to eight pros in and around campaign finance reporting and a luncheon address by Charles Lewis, executive director of the Center for Public Integrity (http://publicintegrity.org) and author of "The Buying of the President 2000." Call (512) 472-1007 or write mailto:info@campaignsforpeople.org. ... The publication and trade show company Miller Freeman Inc. seeks entry-level writers plus associate-level editors with at least three years experience. Contact Lola McNally at mailto:lmcnally@mfi.com. ... BroadbandNow! (http://bbnow.com) in Irving needs experienced editors, graphic designers and copy editors. Contact Carly L. Price, (972) 650-6944 or mailto:carly@amplify.com.

Twenty-two public relations pros gave TCU students a guided tour of the real world April 14 on Pro-Am Day sponsored by the PRSA Greater Fort Worth Chapter. The students sampled an industry mix, from hospitals and government agencies, to nonprofits and corporations, as their mentors -- coordinator Pamela Smith, Kristie Aylett, MLA, APR, Hope Caldwell, Carroll Cole, Mary Dulle, Elizabeth Eslick, Michael Gonzales, Jennifer Hensley, Kelli Horst, Rick L'Amie, Nancy O'Malley, Roger Partridge, Becky Poer, Sandra Porter, Ellen Ray, Jerrod Resweber, Ann G. Schrader, Theresa Singleton, Kim Speairs, APR, Greg Staley, Paul Sturiale, APR, and Pat Svacina -- helped them learn if those classroom assignments really apply on the street.

"Most found that their j-school skills will pay off," Smith said, "and that while public relations is exciting, it takes hard work, too." This year, speech communications students also participated, proving, Smith said, that "more and more majors are pursuing careers in public relations."

News reporting isn't all glamour and bright lights. Sometimes it means risking your life. Jody Dean of KRLD-1080 radio and Channel 11's "Positively Texas!" did just that covering the March 28 storm that ravaged west Fort Worth and downtown and parts of Grand Prairie and Arlington. Speaking at the SPJ scholarship banquet last month, Dean detailed his drive downtown that early evening from North Richland Hills, where he had been coaching his son's Little League game.

Armed with a cellular phone, he began broadcasting detailed weather descriptions. He wasn't prepared for what he encountered when he exited I-30. "One minute I was driving down Henderson Street, and the next I was seeing the complete collapse of the Calvary church. Little did I know that I was approximately two blocks away from the tornado as it made its way through downtown."

Such moments separate this profession from others. "While everyone else is thinking tragedy, we're thinking 'showtime!' " he said. "That is what being in radio news is all about. You get to report, write and, yes, sometimes endanger your life."

Dean urged the scholarship winners to "stand on the shoulders" of their predecessors, to return to double-checking facts and reporting what is truly newsworthy. "Today's journalists are a bunch of pompous, overrated presenters of the news," he said. "They have sunk somewhere to the level of lawyers and muckrakers." He noted that most stories are less about big issues and more like Goff's Hamburgers celebrating its 25th anniversary or like the woman who finally found her life partner only to die from complications following back surgery.

He said that sometimes putting down the camera and notebook and helping someone makes the journalist a better reporter. Ultimately, he said, compassion and caring are foremost to being a great journalist. "You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror," he said, "and know you did the best you could with what you had."

And the scholarship winners are (with comments from scholarships VP Linda Swift): Anabelle Garay, UTA, Donna Darovich Scholarship: "Ms. Garay's essay describes her metamorphosis from a shy second-grader who spoke no English to a journalist who confidently interviews government officials and immerses herself in unfamiliar subjects so that she can write about them accurately." A former managing editor of The Collegian at Tarrant County College Northeast Campus and current entertainment editor at the UTA Shorthorn, she also free-lances for La Estrella. ... Angela Martin, University of Missouri-Columbia honors, Joe Holstead Scholarship: "An impressive video containing two clips of stories reported by this Texas native for an NBC affiliate in Missouri wowed the committee. She packed a wealth of information into a short time and even made statistics palatable." ... Nancy Leigh Black, Brookhaven Community College, Staley and Beverly McBrayer Scholarship: "Judges liked the spunk she showed in her essay, which listed goals that included being the best mother possible to her 2-year-old son. She got extra points for finding a typo in the SPJ cover letter."

Also, Stefani Danielle Carter, UT Austin honors (with fellowships at the Center for the Study of the Presidency, Yale Graduate School and the Heritage Foundation), Jack Tinsley Scholarship: "Her thoughtful and persuasive editorials on ebonics and Social Security show a willingness to tackle complex subjects." A professor's recommendation letter said, "She asks questions and, equally important, is not afraid to question the answers that she is given." ... Cathy O'Neal, UTA, Jerry Flemmons Scholarship: A free-lancer for Tarrant County Physician magazine and the Star-Telegram, she is completing the degree she started awhile back (her son graduates from college this year, too). Prof David McHam calls her "a delight, an ideal student." ... Jill Wohldmann, TCC honors, Al Panzera Scholarship: "Extra points here for versatility. Included with her entry were samples of writing and photography she has done for her student newspaper. She also does layout for The Collegian and is the top producer in advertising sales." ... Lars Levie, Arlington High School honors, Lina Davis Scholarship: "Excellent design, leadership and verbal skills," high school scholarship coordinator Dorothy Estes says of the AHS yearbook editor, design adviser for the newspaper and literary magazine, and technical director for the KLTS newscast; he has been accepted at New York University, and after earning a degree in graphic arts, he plans a career in magazines.

Also, six Gridiron Scholarships -- Sarah Baker, UTA: "Her Shorthorn clips show that she's not afraid to take chances and that she never wastes a verb." She has worked as editor of UTA's Tempo magazine, a stringer for the Grapevine edition of Hometown Star and editor of The Collegian at TCC Northeast. ... Tisha Slagle, TWU honors: She writes that "my dream is the daily challenge of grabbing a reader's attention, holding it captive until I have fed curiosity or awakened imagination." Charley Orbison calls her his "top student, far above the rest of the class." ... Susan Mooring, UTA: Currently the SPJ chapter president and Shorthorn news editor and a former editor at the Lee College Lantern, she aspires to be a journalism professor. ... Michael Currie, UTA: "An eye-catching double truck caught the judges' attention, and a grade-school portrait that accompanied Mr. Currie's resume piqued our interest." The Shorthorn page designer was editor of the Richland College paper and art director of the campus magazine. ... Jeff Shaw, UTA: "What an arresting illustration for an opinion piece -- a serpentine trail of credit cards falling like dominoes in the direction of a sleeping college student." Student Publications director Lloyd Goodman writes that "Jeff's graphics and illustrations provide visual information, rather than simply decorating a page." ... Andrew Tripaldi, Northeastern University: An editor for the New York Times Sunday sports section, for which this Boston Globe intern has written more than 20 articles, calls him a "veritable fountain of story ideas."

Joy Rich, PR senior manager at Pier 1, gave birth to a boy Jan. 8. William Thomas Rich weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces and has a big sister, Larkin, who is 2 1/2. ... Beth Solomon of Cook Children's Medical Center coordinated the media placement of the hospital on the "Today" show. ... KLIF's Kevin McCarthy sees light at the end of the leave-of-absence tunnel. One of the area's most popular radio personalities, holder of five Dallas Press Club Katys for best talk show, he reports: "I have been working very hard at home getting therapy four days a week to overcome a nasty series of panic attacks that showed up out of nowhere in early February. My doctors say they may release me to return to the air in early June. Thanks for all the kind thoughts, prayers and support."

Kudos & Contracts: The Texas Associated Press Managing Editors honored journalism champion and former SPJ prez Dorothy Estes with its Jack Douglas Award for Journalism Excellence. Estes retired as UTA Student Publications director in 1996 and has since been spotted having lunch at the Eiffel Tower. ... Wedgwood Shopping News editor Kay Pirtle, a two-term former SPJ chief, took first and third places against 80 entries in the original ad/multicolor contest of the Texas Community Newspapers Association, meeting last month on South Padre Island. ... The North Texas chapter of the Religion Communicators Council named Southwestern Seminary's David Porter its Religious Communicator of the Year at the April Norvell Slater awards luncheon. Star-Telegram religion editor Jim Jones received the Lifetime Communicator Award, and The Dallas Morning News' Steve Blow was named Commercial Communicator of the Year. The RCC is a nationwide interfaith association for those working in religious communication. Slater was the long-time host of the local Sunday-morning radio show "Hymns We Love." ... PR/Texas took first place in United Way of America's annual 2000 Communications Contest for its United Way of Metropolitan Tarrant County's "Time for Kids" campaign.

PRSA ... R. Glen Stone, vice president, Witherspoon ... Heather Senter, public relations director, Witherspoon ... Carroll Cole, staff writer, UNT Health Science Center ... Shelda Dean, senior communications associate/staff writer, AmeriCredit Corp. ... Nancy O'Malley, public relations account executive, Stuart Bacon ... Carol Pipes, public relations manager, Fort Worth/Tarrant County Salvation Army ... Theresa Singleton, public relations associate, JPS Health Network ... Sandra Porter, public relations director, Crescent Real Estate Equities ... Rhenda Weathersby, marketing administrative director, Campbell Health Systems in Weatherford ... Keith Rinehart, communication manager, Bedford.

Things just keep getting better for the Greater Fort Worth Chapter. Take the Texas Public Relations Association's Best of Texas/Silver Spur Award. Awards chair Henry Stewart, APR, facilitated our involvement as a co-sponsor of the awards program, while Andra Bennett, APR, judged the entries. Our chapter received a 7 percent share of the funds raised by the competition -- $700! Then there was Pro-Am Day, which student liaison co-chair Pamela Smith organized so well. Kudos also to VP Roger Partridge and his programs committee for assembling such a dynamic lineup of speakers.

Given our good fortune, it was only fitting that we assist those affected by the tornado. Board members Henry Stewart, APR, Beth Park, APR, Eliz Hopkins, Pamela Smith and I represented the chapter at the business disaster relief symposium April 5. As Mayor Kenneth Barr noted, the small number attending showed how quickly businesses were getting back on their feet.

The 2000-2001 Strategic Plan is being reviewed for approval at this month's board meeting. Many of its initiatives have already been implemented, including the greeter program, the variety of community service efforts and expansion of the accreditation program. Now comes the membership recruitment voucher, a big step toward our goal of increasing membership 12 percent. Each PRSA member will get a free-lunch certificate to invite a potential member to the monthly lunch. President-elect/ membership chair Mary Dulle has sent out the vouchers.

The regional meeting in Austin has the spotlight, so there's no FW SPJ meeting this month. ... Big-time gratitude goes to two sets of judges who produced this spring's scholarship recipients and culled 90 investigative reporting entries to two winners (over and under 100,000 circulation) in the national SPJ competition. Linda Swift, Pennie Boyett and her daughter Betsy (herself a former Jack Tinsley Scholarship honoree), John Wallace, Carolyn Poirot and Kay Pirtle judged student work, while Max Faulkner, Tim Sager, Doug Brown, David House, Joe Guerrini, Felicia Smith, Dorothy Estes, Frank Perkins, Gary Hardee, Ashley Cheshire, Keith Shelton and Carmen Mitchell evaluated the pros. Penny Cockerell and Shelby Bradley took a turn on both squads. These are dedicated people, giving back to their profession. Choosing up sides on the playground of life, I want them on my team. ... It's officers and directors election time. Send nominations to Carolyn Poirot, (817) 390-7400 or mailto:cpoirot@star-telegram.com. ...

Unlike its stone's-throw neighbors, the Cash America International building, Calvary Cathedral, Mallick Tower and Firestone Apartments, FW Weekly escaped the March 28 tornado unscathed. Folks at the upstart press think it's a sign. For that matter, the twister had the Star-Telegram dead in its sights before veering. Mused S-T editorial director (and Broadway Baptist Church member) Paul Harral: "You have to wonder about a God who'd take out a church and spare a newspaper."