Capt. James Lovell Salutes Literacy

This recurring series spotlights the Literacy ad series I ran while at Lerner Newspapers.

I always thought the NIE ad series was out of this world, but I was never more accurate than when Capt. James Lovell appeared in the ad series.  Lovell helped propel the ads into another stratosphere.   . 
Okay, I'll stop the bad jokes (for now).  Actually, Capt. Lovell was our most serious celebrity to appear in the series.  He was the first of only three people to fly to the moon twice and the first American to fly into space four times.
I contacted Lovell through Lovell's, the restaurant he owns in Lake Forest (IL).   He quickly got on board and our graphics department produced a beautiful ad, which also advertised Lovell's book, Lost Moon.
I was really proud of this ad. While I had previously gotten a pretty impressive selection of local celebrities, Capt. Lovell was truly a historic figure and there he was in my NIE ad in Lerner Newspapers.
Each of the celebrity spokespeople in these ads was special.  Each was chosen for specific reasons and believe it or not, I actually turned down a few celebrities who I didn't think were a good fit.  For the previously stated reasons, Lovell holds a very special place in my mind.

The world and its adventures are expanded when you are literate.  Through books you can explore all sorts of exotic places; even the moon without leaving the comfort of your armchair.
--Capt. James Lovell as quoted in the NIE ad series in 2004

Erin McDougald Salutes Literacy

This recurring series spotlights the Literacy ad series I ran while at Lerner Newspapers.

I am not sure when I first heard Erin McDougald sing, but I know I liked the sound right away. McDougald is a Chicago-based jazz vocalist, who can often be found performing in the downtown area.
As written before, when I ran the NIE (Newspaper In Education) program at Lerner Newspapers, I had no budget, no help and no direction. When I started the NIE ad series (and especially after it started to gain some momentum), I decided to have fun with it. One of the ways was by getting unique Chicago celebs to lend a quote to the ads.
McDougald had recently released a cd, 'The Auburn Collection'. I thought it would be great to get her and to promote the cd and her music in the ad. It would certainly introduce a different type of music to the students than their usual choices.
McDougald granted my request and gave a really insightful quote. Our Graphics Department kept the ad simple, yet striking, which I felt really went well with McDougald. The students loved it and I am sure McDougald gained a few new fans.
I liked McDougald's quote because she built a nice bridge to her point about reading. She showed students how the whole puzzle fit together. She explained how it all tied in to her career in music. It was a meaningful quote incorporating life.
A sampling of McDougald's performances can be heard on her YouTube Channel. Even better would be to check her performance schedule and attend one of her performances!

My responsibility as a jazz vocalist is to explore and interpret the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and lyric content of any song. The latter is especially significant as it pertains to communicating with an audience; the singer is the narrator of a composer's story and so my first priority in choosing my repertory is finding songs with interesting lyrics. It is my job to understand and present creative inflection of the words provided, as any storyteller does. Reading is the tool that helps you build knowledge while feeding your interests. The ability to read well is one of your master keys that will unlock a future of endless potential!
--Erin McDougald as quoted in the NIE ad series in 2004

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series about my friends meeting celebrities.

When we last saw Kolin Walters, he was with NHL legend Pat Quinn. Kolin has a great site called Hockey Freaks, which is absolutely loaded with great signed hockey jerseys and photos. He has a few auxiliary sites for sticks, pucks and more. Honestly, I could get lost in some of this great hockey stuff, especially the old-timers.
Recently, Kolin spent time at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Under 20 World Hockey Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He took some great pictures and videos and got some outstanding autographs.
The golden moment though was meeting Joe Nieuwendyk, who spent the first nine years of his career with Kolin's Calgary Flames. I love Kolin's recap, especially where he says how nervous he was. We all know that feeling.
Kolin says that Nieuwendyk is in his top 3 of all time autographs. This is a great coup. Anytime you can get an autograph from someone that high on your list, you must be excited and proud. Congrats to Kolin. I know that feeling well, too!
Kolin has a YouTube channel, which I highly recommend. It's full of great videos of all things hockey.
Kolin is definitely a great hockey blogger. Like I have said, I could get lost in the great hockey nostalgia along with current hockey stuff. It's terrific all around.

Kolin Walters and Joe Nieuwendyk in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada-January 2010.