From the Update Desk

I have updates to 2 recent posts.

About a month ago, I wrote about Bill Jackson, a Chicago children's television legend. I emailed him to inform him of the post. Usually I would say it was because I am a shameless self-promoter. In this case, I really just wanted Jackson to know that I appreciated what he did for the NIE program and for all he did for children his whole life.
He responded and we exchanged a few emails. He also graciously sent me a couple signed sketches of Blob.
Reconnecting with BJ was a nice experience, especially around the holidays. I have ordered his book The Only Kid on the Carnival and can't wait to learn more about the man behind all of the great creations at the Fun Company.

Last week, I went back to my high school years to wish everyone a Happy New Year in German. After alerting Greg (who was one of the stars of the post), he responded in German. I am pretty rusty, but I managed to translate his response. Greg is a funny guy and should have his own blog, but he probably has better things to do. Either way, he is always welcome to guest blog here.
But wait, the reunion doesn't end there. I also located Andy Livingston, another of the stars of the post (and my high school German teacher). I emailed him and we have exchanged a couple notes since. Livingston is teaching and coaching at Lake Park in Roselle (IL). He and his wife Leland (also a teacher of mine back at Mt. Carmel) have 2 daughters.
I told him how I was much more advanced in German than other students when I took it as a course at DePaul. Students might have been stronger in vocabulary, but I was well ahead of them in stringing it all together. This is a testament to Livingston's teaching. I didn't even realize it at the time.
It was nice reconnecting with him. He's a good guy and a good teacher.

Bill Jackson Salutes Literacy

One of the greatest things about working at Lerner Newspapers was a certain amount of freedom that we had. I was able to do a lot of fun things within the confines of my job as Director of Circulation.
As mentioned in earlier posts, the Newspaper In Education (NIE) program provided me with a lot of fun. Through the NIE ad series, I interacted with many people from varying fields. Laurie always encouraged me to have fun with it and one particular ad really captured the whole fun concept.
Bill Jackson was a Chicago children's television staple when I was young. Jackson's shows changed titles and settings over the years, but they always involved him interacting with various puppets, such as Dirty Dragon and Weird. Jackson's creative skills were displayed when he would sketch a picture based on a number or when he would turn 'Blob' into a new form every show. Jackson was a bit of a one man show, doing everything from writing the shows to performing all of the puppet voices to actual set building.
I contacted Jackson about appearing in our NIE ad series. I figured he would make a great connection with the parents of the students in the NIE program. Jackson responded enthusiastically and quickly. Much to my surprise and delight, he also included a couple sketches!
Our graphics department designed an ad which perfectly conveyed the spirit of Jackson's shows. It was colorful and whimsical. Many parents loved the nostalgia of the ad and responded very positively, but so did the students, who began researching Jackson on their own.
It could not have worked out any better. Plus, it was a real thrill for me to be involved with one of my early childhood favorites. Bill Jackson is a real class act and a Chicago television icon. Seeing Jackson in one of our ads is one of my proudest moments of the NIE years.
Jackson currently lives in California. He still runs a website, through which you can learn a bit about BJ and all of his friends and you can order some great dvd's. Jackson also recently published a book 'The Only Kid on the Carnival' about his life.