Vol. 17, No. 40, April 4, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE:

This Reveille Home Page | The Friday Program: Presenting Positive News | Celebrate April Fools | BBRC Adopts Highway | Painting Party Set | Friday Potpourri | Final Call on Retreat | Kelly Nolan Inducted | Foundation Report | 2005-2006 Board & Committee Chairpersons

The Friday Program:
Presenting Positive News

An inside look into the trials and tribulations of a budding TV anchor gave the BBRC audience pleasure on this April Fool’s Day. Seattle native Susan West who works for Q-13 News is in charge of Comcast cable’s Local Edition, which is programmed on CNN Headline News each hour. “We record 15-20 shows in one day for playback during the next month. Word has it we’re going to expand with the Local Edition showing every half-hour.” Susan said the interesting thing about the production day is she must change her wardrobe 15-20 times to make each interview unique.

This lively young anchor began her career as a TV anchor at the ABC affiliate in Kennewick. She has also worked at stations in Spokane, Bellingham and Northwest Cable News. Her contact with the BBRC was to interview Rourke O’Brien on his new venture with America’s Foundation for Chess, a program in several schools in the Puget Sound area.

Susan took this speaking opportunity to share some of her “horrible experiences” in the early stages of her career. “I was 23 years old, just out of the UW and this was my first job. I was sent to do a story about the State Patrol emphasizing the use of seat belts. I’d never been pulled over by a Trooper, so I was taken by those cute little bow ties they wear. So, I said to the Sergeant, ‘Are you going to the prom?’ He didn’t take kindly to my remarks. Just a week later, I was promoted to anchor. That meant I was producer, writer, editor, photographer and teleprompter operator. My first headline story was a nice little article about Yosemite Park. I knew better, but I started the newscast with a bad mispronunciation of the lead word ­ Yos-emite! My friend the Trooper was watching that night, and for the time I was in Kennewick, he never let me forget it!”

Susan also told a couple of real-life experiences under questionable conditions in the heat of a summer day in the Tri-Cities. One included an interview with the handlers of a baby elephant. That didn’t go well. She also was scheduled for a first-person interview with Jerry Lewis in Las Vegas as a promo for the coming Jerry Lewis Telethon. Unfortunately, the beverages Mr. Lewis was consuming began taking its toll and by the time he got to Susan’s interview, he was quite playful. Her maiden name was Cowden, but Mr. Lewis somehow turned that into “Susan Condom.” Not once, but several times.

Not all the stories turned out bad. Susan was sent on a story about a drug bust in the Puget Sound region. When she entered the house, she and the Sergeant had one of those “love at first sight” encounters. Two years later, Susan traded in her maiden name of Cowden and became Susan (Terry) West.

She and her husband had the opportunity to be sent to Morocco on a cruise. This was in connection with her job and Terry went along for the ride. The State Department cautioned them not to go, since the Moroccan’s weren’t being very hospitable. But, they went anyway and got to Casablanca, found this beautiful castle to film, ran into some guards brandishing guns who insistent the group follow their instructions. Susan said they couldn’t understand the men, but felt the Americans were under some real stress. After they had emptied their purses and wallets and gave them almost everything of value, the guards finally got the group to move around the corner where there was a much better shot of the castle! Susan didn’t say whether they got their money back!

It looks like Susan’s Positive News venture on Comcast cable is a going concern and will be expanding in the near future.

Thanks to Rourke O’Brien for his introduction.

For her presentation, Susan received a certificate noting the BBRC had donated 1,220 pounds of food to area food banks in her name through Rotary First Harvest.

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