The Legacy of Peter Jennings

It's hard to believe that six years have passed since the world lost Peter Jennings.  The Canadian-born, American broadcaster - who later obtained earned U.S. Citizenship - is the reason I have always wanted to be in television journalism.  As early as I can remember, before even the start of elementary school, Peter was part of my daily routine.  Each night, after dinner, we would watch the end of the local news - and then sit tight for ABC's "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings".

His career was impressive: after several years of reporting for Canadian television - Jennings would come stateside to spend the next 40 years at ABC News.  First as a reporter, then as chief foreign correspondent, and finally - for 22 years - as anchor and senior editor of "World News Tonight".  During his tenure in that final role, he shaped the news coverage of the entire network - and became the face of the news division.  He was adamant about covering events around the world - issues that mattered, whether they were popular or not.

He drew on his extensive reporting background to make editorial decisions when anchoring from New York ("from ABC News world headquarters in New York, this is World News Tonight with Peter Jennings").  When the story couldn't be told from behind a desk, he was on a plane to report and anchor from the field.  It was that genuine drive to not only cover the story, but get to the bottom of it, that earned the respect of viewers, colleagues, and competitors alike.  Peter's delivery conveyed a measured sense of importance and experience, yet wasn't sensational...and he could do it with or without a teleprompter.  It was that skill that made him indispensable during breaking news special reports - in particular the week of 9/11.

That special relationship he formed with his viewers made the news of his death on August 7th, 2005, that much harder to take.  He had announced in early April he had been diagnosed with lung cancer - admitting he had been a smoker for many years, had quit, and started back up during 9/11.  The response was immediate.  Messages of sadness and offers of condolences came pouring in to the comment section on the ABC News website - and not just from the United States, but all over the world.  Viewers in Canada who have access to American television...and people in the UK who watched "World News Tonight" rebroadcast by the BBC.

The wide range of people Peter connected with during his long career speaks to the quality of his work.  Everyone in television news can still learn from his story telling.  By doing so, we can continue his legacy of telling stories that matter and that resonate - perhaps even changing people's lives.  He set the bar high - and we should be inspired to follow his lead and not take the easy way out.  To find ways to make important stories visual, and find characters who will make complex issues hit home.  Yes, at the end of the day, the news is still a business that needs to remain viable - but it's also a public service, a duty to the viewers we serve.  A true journalist won't lose sight of that.

The day after Peter died, ABC News began honoring his life and career.  Below, in three parts, is the special edition of "World News Tonight with Peter Jennings" that aired Monday, August 8th, 2005.  Anchored by longtime friend and colleague Charles Gibson, the broadcast was just one of many well-done tributes to the legendary reporter and anchor.








LINKS TO ADDITIONAL PETER JENNINGS TRIBUTES:

ABC News obituary for Peter Jennings

Peter Jennings page at the Museum of Broadcast Communications

The Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution

The Documentary Group (succeeded "PJ Productions" - Jennings' production company)

Resources to quit smoking

HOW TO: Properly inflate your car's tires

It seems like common sense!  The tire looks a little flat, so you go to the gas station and put some air in it.  That's all there is to it, right?  Well - sort of.  A tire can lose nearly half of its recommended pressure and still look properly inflated.  That's why it's important to check tire pressure at least once a month.  And while many of us grew up with dad whipping out the chrome cylindrical gauge - the one with the little tape measure thing that pops out when fitted to the tire - experts recommend more accurate digital gauges.  So you go to the auto parts store and get one of the those - so now what?  How do I know what the tire pressure is supposed to be?  Many people look at the tire itself - which is wrong!  The value on the tire is the maximum pressure it can safely handle - which typically is significantly higher than what is recommended for your particular car.

 

Every car manufacturer posts proper pressure values somewhere on the vehicle.  Typically, a plaque like the one pictured above is located near the driver's door - either on the door itself, or in the door jamb.  You are looking for the "cold tire inflation pressure", and there should be numeric values for the front and rear tires - measured in PSI (Pounds [of air pressure] per Square Inch).  Now, it says "cold" because the pressure inside the tire changes as the temperature goes up and down.  An accurate reading, or "cold" reading, is taken before the car has been driven, or within a few miles of driving.  In other words, driving to the local gas station to use its air machine is fine, but checking pressure right after a trip down the thruway is not the time to do it.

Once you've determined what the pressure should be, and have found the need to add air after taking the cold pressure readings of all four tires - you're ready to pump some air.  Simply inflate your tire until the gauge shows it's where it should be.  And don't forget to check your spare once in a while.  As your set of tires age, there may be one or two that will lose air faster than the others.  I've now had this problem with two cars - which is why I've become quite experienced on this whole topic.  It's important to recognize when this is happening, so you can be extra careful to check those particular tires - perhaps each time you fill up the gas tank.  Eventually, you may want to consider having your mechanic try replacing the valve stem.  I did this, and also purchased a small portable air pump that plugs into a car cigarette lighter.  It cost less than $30 and prevents the hassle waiting in line for air at the gas station.

Regardless of what specific steps are taken to keep your tires properly inflated, it's important that you do it.  Not doing so not only means reduced gas mileage, but greatly increases the risk of an accident.  Over-inflating your tires reduces the amount of tread hitting the road - meaning worse handling, and making it harder to stop (especially on wet roads).  Under-inflating tires means too much of the tire tread is in contact with the road, which creates increased friction and heat.  This can lead to tire blowout and tread separation - either of which can cause a vehicle rollover.

ADORABLE: Deer Rest in the Backyard

Several nights this summer we've gotten some four legged visitors to our backyard.  This picture was taken earlier this week - one of two deer laying on the grass for at least 20 minutes.  They're usually drawn the shade and the food provided by our apple tree.  We're wondering if this deer was in a fight with another animal, or was in some sort of accident - there's a few spots near its rump (look for the light colored patches on the right) that look torn up.  Overall, it seems pretty healthy.

Here's the second deer poking at the grass looking for anything tasty!  I started keeping my camera on hand so I can take a few pictures on the nights they show up.  These shots would probably have come out better if I didn't have to shoot through the screen of a sliding glass door.

This has been a common sight in our backyard for the past 20 years or so - ever since we moved in.  Before several new sub-divisions popped up around us, there used to be a lot of orchards and fields in the area.  The deer had a regular route from one to the other, that involved our backyard along the way.  Despite the new home developments, there are still a lot of fruit trees left  - so the deer continue to make their rounds.  And we continue to enjoy their visits!

BOOKS: Not a happy ending for Borders

Seeing as I'm on vacation this week, and have plenty of time on my hands, last night I decided to make a final trip to the Borders bookstore in Victor.  I remember the first time stepping into a Borders back in elementary school. My father and grandfather had discovered the store in Henrietta, across from Marketplace Mall.  This was several years before rival Barnes & Noble had opened up shop in Rochester.  I've always loved books, and as a little kid - a store like Borders was almost magical.  Seemingly endless titles spread across a massive sales floor.

Fast-forward to last night, and it was a much different scene.  Still in the parking lot, I was greeted by a huge "store closing" banner stretched across the facade - in addition to many smaller signs shouting "25% off" that were plastered across the windows.  After stepping inside, it was a similar story - yellow and red liquidation posters everywhere.  The music was playing overhead, but gone was the aroma of fresh coffee and book-lovers milling around looking for the next great read.  Nope - the cafe was closed, its furniture stacked and price-tagged.  And the people - they were looking for deals, not necessarily for those hidden gems.

Ashamed to admit it - I was among those looking for a bargain.  I can't really remember the last time I was in a Borders - and I'm sure I wasn't the only one there with that particular memory lapse.  I guess that's the problem in a nut shell - why the business failed.  We're people who love books - but we couldn't show up to the bookstore until it was too late.  While many have expressed sadness over the liquidation of the nation's second largest book seller - myself included - there are many good reasons why Borders failed.  There's a reason why I can't remember the last time I was in a Borders, yet stopped in Barnes & Noble just a few weeks ago.

In a press release, Borders cited the changing book industry and e-readers as being among the challenges that led to the decision to close.  These were longtime weak spots for Borders.  Up until a few years ago - Borders' website was tied to Amazon.com (a website that is probably now the largest single threat to every book chain left).  Amazon represents a dual-threat.  By having central warehouses, or by placing orders directly with publishers, there's less of a supply-chain distribution system than what's required for brick and mortar stores.  By sending items directly to the customer, Amazon can offer greater selection at a lower price.  And for those who don't want to wait for a book to be delivered - they can download it in seconds on their Amazon Kindle (the most successful e-reader on the market).

The folks at Borders realized this threat too late.  By the time they launched their independent online book store, many were already loyal to Amazon - or had been shopping at the Barnes & Noble's "bn.com" since its launch in 1997.  Barnes & Noble was also quicker to embrace the e-reader market, with the company's "Nook" line now in second place behind the Kindle.  How many people do you know with a "Kobo" - or have heard of it, for that matter?  While Borders doesn't straight out own Kobo (it has 11% ownership - which is good news for Kobo owners, because the brand will continue), it was the e-reader the company invested in and promoted.  Probably unfortunate, given Kobo's low popularity, and that only a fraction of the revenue went to Borders.

People like me didn't even consider the Kobo when selecting an e-reader.  And while it was a tough decision between the Kindle and Nook, I bought the Nook - will all of the profits from the hardware going to Barnes & Noble, and the profits from the e-books being split between B&N and the publisher - no third party company to cut its own slice of the pie.  That's a big deal, because more people every day are embracing e-readers.  So much so, that e-books on Amazon are already outselling traditional books.

A few years ago, I never thought I would like reading on an electric tablet - not being able to turn the pages and take note of my progress as the pages in my left hand grew thicker.  But I said the same thing about film cameras, and it wasn't long before I was clamoring for the ease of digital.  While I think I can safely say "I'm done with film", the same can't be said for traditional books.  There will always be a place in my life for those glossy pages filled with photographs, or over-sized diagrams of historic buildings.  And it was in search of those types of books that drew me back to Borders for one last purchase, and as usual, the bookstore didn't disappoint.  Hopefully all of the other traditional stores will learn how to adapt, and continue to serve generations of readers to come.

SCHOOLS: RCSD capital project may have hit snag

An article in the Democrat and Chronicle today highlights a potential snag in the Rochester City School District's $1 Billion capital project to modernize facilities.  The story really focuses on the red tape that's holding up payment to the company contracted to manage the construction and planning - which is interesting all by itself.  You can read that article at the D&C's website by clicking HERE.  But that's not the part of the story that got my attention.

The name of the building company the District contracted with is Gilbane, Inc.  I knew I recognized that name before, so I did some searching on Google, and found what I was looking for.  Gilbane is the same company handling a major school renovation project in Syracuse.  The company stuck out because the project got a lot of attention, and scrutiny, from the Syracuse media.  If how things are going there is any indication of what's in store here in Rochester - we'd all better fasten our seat belts.

Now, to be fair - the scope of the work that needs to be in both cities is significant.  We're talking about some buildings that are nearly a century - or more - old.  And amid massive deficits and cuts, neither district is in the best position to finance all the work that needs to be done.  And at least in Syracuse, there was plenty of blame to go around - including the district and city hall.

I've dug up several articles from the Syracuse Post-Standard that shed some light on just some of the problems in Syracuse (links below).  Hopefully Rochester can learn a few things.

Syracuse Post-Standard articles:

Joint board cuts fee for manager of troubled Syracuse school construction project 

Schools on hold: construction project must get back on track - quickly

80 percent jump in Central Tech cost has officials bewildered

Other Links:

Rochester Schools Modernization Program 

Syracuse Joint Schools Construction Board