 VOL 19, NO 36, MARCH 20, 2007 |
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Friday Program: Sherry’s thoughts on what it takes to be a good reporter include the requisite journalistic skills, an enjoyment of puzzles, good detective skills, an enjoyment of people and an ability to turn out stories in a timely fashion. Sherry’s own education in the craft was at an early age in sports reporting where information had to be disseminated accurately and fast.
Tom Smith introduced visiting Rotarians and guests, including a visiting professor from the University of Oregon at Eugene and our semi-own Frank Young, back from some months of skiing. President Zidar reported on a successful Service Above Self Day with Ron Healey doing a stand-up job on the work project — portrayed in last week's Reveille with great photos by Jim Kindsvater, Ernie Hayden, and Sayoko Kuwahara — and Howard Johnson providing 29 bodies for Rotary First Harvest, including Jeff Cashman’s baseball team. In this Rotary year, we now have had 124 participants at Rotary First Harvest, which exceeds our goal of 120. Finally, President Zidar reported on a successful RYLA weekend, with four students being sent under the auspices of BBRC, thanks to the efforts of Alan Forney and Ruben Ladlad.
Student of the Month: T.J. Lord T.J., who was the captain of Eastside’s football team and a baseball and basketball player, has worked extensively with at-risk and disadvantaged children, including babysitting autistic children and participating in a walk-a-thon for the National Association for Autism Research. This fact did not go unnoticed by Jenny Andrews! TJ also works often at local food banks. T.J., you are well on the way to becoming a future Rotarian. Congratulations!
Rotary Foundation Congratulations to all!
Administrator's Corner Margie Burnett, following Sayoko’s lead, announced that the Rotary Walks! website is up and running. She has offered a prize for the first five persons to register on the web site.
Walkin' Songs!
The Walk / The Crabb Family
Proposed Member: Chris Rasmussen Chris is being cosponsored by Rourke O'Brien and Steve Lingenbrink. As with all candidates for membership, the Board publishes this information for two weeks in the Reveille to allow members to respond with comments. If you have comments on this candidate, please contact Club Service II Director
Friday Program: Sherry’s thoughts on what it takes to be a good reporter include the requisite journalistic skills, an enjoyment of puzzles, good detective skills, an enjoyment of people and an ability to turn out stories in a timely fashion. Sherry’s own education in the craft was at an early age in sports reporting where information had to be disseminated accurately and fast. She finds that writing can be painful, sometimes requiring hours of hard work and many start-overs, only to know that her stories will be in the trash bin in a day or two. When asked if she could work from home, Sherry said that was not her style — too many diversions. And she likes the camaraderie of the newsroom. Her thoughts on the fact that newspapers contain so much bad news are simply that the awful stuff is really the anomaly, which is what makes it newsworthy. She said that life isn’t measured by the breaths we take but, rather, by the moments that take our breath away. Sherry recounted a story about a certain James Coleman who was ambushed and killed on the west side of Mercer Island while on his way to Seattle in 1886, a mystery which remained unsolved. The Coleman family made its living by feeding miners in the Newcastle coal mines. But, the most important find from the story was that James Coleman’s wife, Clarissa, kept a diary. Her diary from the 1880’s is only one of two diaries that are known to exist which were written by women on the east side in the late 1800’s. Sherry does not find the Internet to be a threat but, rather, a remarkable adjunct to newspapers. She gets emails from all over the world, sometimes on columns she wrote so long ago that she doesn’t even remember the columns. It is not unusual for her to receive hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of e-mails on stories she has done. One that she recalled involved a Viet Nam vet with a number of problems that haunted him since the war. Sherry and her husband got to know him well, as he worked as a handyman around their home for several years. After he died in Crescent City, California, she wrote a column about him that elicited close to 1,500 e-mail responses, some positive and some negative. This, she believed, was one of the most controversial stories she has written. Finally, a good reporter must be skeptical and verify the truth independently. Sherry allows as though she has been fooled a time or two, but thinks that she has maintained a healthy skepticism. And, in a shameless pitch for new story material, Sherry put out her email address. Anyone with a possible good story lead is welcome to contact her at
The cardiologist, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So, Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I make $39,675 a year and you get the really big bucks ($1,695,759) when you and I are doing basically the same work?" The cardiologist paused, smiled and leaned over, then whispered to the mechanic: ''Try doing it with the engine running."
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John Martinka introduced featured speaker Sherry Grindeland. Sherry has been writing professionally since 1989, although she has aspired to be a reporter since she was a child. In addition to writing, she enjoys cooking, swimming, piloting, and acting as an extra (a tree as she put it) in a variety of local stage events such as the all-Kirkland performance of "Gypsy," where she plays a washed-up stripper. Sherry is the Eastside News Bureau writer for the Seattle Times. She is constantly on the lookout for material for her column. She religiously reads all press releases, the local newspapers, and as many newsletters whose mailing lists she can get on, particularly historical society newsletters. When things really get low, she reaches for the telephone and starts calling everyone and anyone she knows for story leads.
Larry May introduced March Student-of-the-Month T.J. Lord, from Eastside Catholic High School. T.J. was accompanied by his father, Jim, and Principal Greg Marsh. 
Sayoko also “encouraged” everyone to update their directory listings; otherwise, she will be on recalcitrant BBRCers like a “Spider Monkey!” This is definitely not a good thing. She singled out three new members — Craig Groshart, John Hillock and Ercan “Jon” Turkarsian — and rewarded them with goodie bags for setting up their directory pages before the paint dried on their red badges!
For those of you who were not in attendance, Sayoko announced that she has acquired new badge boxes. Using a diabolical ancient tormenting technique, Sayoko numbered the badge slots from bottom to top, rather than from top to bottom. Many an old dog will no doubt have trouble figuring this new system out. Hopefully, however, you will not be like Jenny Andrews who simply decided to take her badge with her, a mistake which cost her a fine of $52. Fortunately, Frank Young rose to her rescue and paid $50 of the fine, leaving Jenny responsible for only $2.
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John Martinka introduced featured speaker Sherry Grindeland. Sherry has been writing professionally since 1989, although she has aspired to be a reporter since she was a child. In addition to writing, she enjoys cooking, swimming, piloting, and acting as an extra (a tree as she put it) in a variety of local stage events such as the all-Kirkland performance of "Gypsy," where she plays a washed-up stripper. Sherry is the Eastside News Bureau writer for the Seattle Times. She is constantly on the lookout for material for her column. She religiously reads all press releases, the local newspapers, and as many newsletters whose mailing lists she can get on, particularly historical society newsletters. When things really get low, she reaches for the telephone and starts calling everyone and anyone she knows for story leads.
What makes a good story? To Sherry it is one that is funny, quirky, interesting — something you would tell your neighbor if you ran into her at the grocery store.
A mechanic was removing a cylinder-head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known cardiologist in his shop. The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his bike when the mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey, Doc, want to take a look at this?"