JANUARY 2014 ... among the world’s oldest press associations

News and information for the Wisconsin newspaper industryBullet inTHE

Visit www.WNAconvention.com for registration & more >>

February 27-28, 2014

Board of Directors President Kent Eymann, publisher of the Beloit Daily News invites WNA members to invest two days of their schedule to learn from quality programming and network-ing.

To: WNA Publishers, management teams and staffFrom: Kent Eymann, Beloit Daily NewsRe: A Look Ahead, WNA/AP Convention &Trade Show

Join your newspaper colleagues February 27-28, 2014 to expe-rience A Look Ahead at the WNA Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Milwaukee Marriott West. This year’s Convention celebrates the unique tradition represented by our industry while also recognizing and embracing the ever moving technology and its role in today’s business.

As publisher of the Beloit Daily News, I know, as you do, what it means to preserve our tradition. We must embrace our role as the community’s watchdog…holding leaders accountable, while at the same time succumbing to the rush to get the information out to the public as quickly as possible…via website, Facebook and Twitter. Our newspaper must land on the doorsteps of our parents and grandparents, while providing the latest sports scores

via text alerts to our students. We must brave the cold on the sidelines at each Friday night football game to capture a photo of the winning play for tomorrow’s paper, while downloading hundreds of photos to our web-sites for the die-hard fans to peruse. Yes, we all know what it means to preserve tradition while always moving forward.

The WNA Convention Program Committee, made up of newspaper executives like you and me, has a strong program on tap for you. If you typically attend the sessions on Thursday, this year is not the year to miss and if you don’t usually arrive until Friday, this is the year to consider heading out early. The line-ups for Thursday, February 27th and Friday, February 28th are terrific!

On tap for Thursday is nationally recognized speaker, David Williamson. Williamson will address the new realities for the newspaper business and how to think differently and more cre-atively about our futures. If you like what you’ve heard so far, you’ll love what’s in store on Friday, February 28th. We’ll kick off the morning with Buried alive with the will to survive…from

devastation to inspiration. Retired New York City firefighter, Lt. Joe Torillo was buried alive twice in the debris of the World Trade Center. You will be inspired by his harrowing story of survival.

Concurrent sessions will cover sales prospecting, mobile video editing and shooting, social media and more. And don’t forget to explore the contest entries in the Trade Show and connect with trade show vendors providing valuable information, products and services to help you do your job even better.

For the last several years, the Wisconsin Newspaper Association convention has been growing due to the quality of the programming and opportunity for networking. I hope you will join me in Milwaukee for A Look Ahead.

WNA/AP Convention

Join WNA in Milwaukee for ‘A Look Ahead’

Kent Eymann

WNA newsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 20142

Johnson: Investment in quality software pays off for small newspapers

Good news for publishers yet to find a way to meet the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) mandate for intelli-gent barcodes: You’ve got more time.

The USPS has delayed the Jan. 26, 2014, deadline it set for newspapers to implement Full-Service Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) in order to be eligible for USPS automation rates. It is unclear at this point how long the requirement will be delayed.

Like many community newspaper owners, Andrew Johnson, publisher of two Wisconsin weeklies, sought out a simple solution to meet the requirement.

Johnson, a past WNA president and current WNA Foundation director, publishes the Dodge County Pionier (Mayville, 4,258 circulation) and the Campbellsport News (1,664). He is also Region Six (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin) Director of the National Newspaper Association (NNA).

Through his role with NNA, Johnson says he has been fortunate to “ … be around a lot of very smart people and I’ve learned first-hand that good circulation software makes a difference. You get what you pay for.”

This is especially true for a smaller weekly newspapers that are heav-

ily dependent on the mail but don’t have any-one with postal expertise on staff, Johnson said.

Through NNA, Johnson met Brad Hill, who serves as one of the NNA’s rep-resentatives on the USPS Mailer’s Technical Advisory Committee. Hill works with postal executives and implementers on issues such as elec-tronic documentation, address quality and the Intelligent Mail Barcode, to name a few. He is also president of Interlink, a Michigan-based company that provides circulation software certified under the Postal Service’s PAVE program to more than 1,500 publications in the U.S. He has been with Interlink for 10 years.

Johnson purchased Interlink soft-ware through Hill and estimates it will save him more than $1,400 a year in postage alone. The software also saves staff time and effort. His company mails about 4,200 newspa-pers per week.

“It is very easy to use,” he said. “You don’t need a postal person. You enter in the information and it takes minutes to publish the postal report. Reports are electronically submitted

into the USPS PostalOne system.”

In addition, Johnson notes that the software automatically updates infor-mation used to create the annual peri-odical mailer postal statement: “You push a button and its done. It used to take at least 16 hours a year for some-one to work on it.,” he said. “It also counts your e-edition circulation in the system.”

Additional benefits include speed and quality:

• Papers mailed to subscribers out of his area are delivered one day faster using the IMb system.

• Postal reports are high quality. “The postal employees never question them and they have support from Interlink. It’s impossible for local postal employees to be an expert at periodi-cal mailings. Interlink specializes in periodicals and has helped guide local postal employees as well as news-papers staffs on how to fully utilize PostalOne software.”

“Small newspaper publishers today need to partner with their vendors to be successful,” Johnson said. “They can no longer do it on their own. They need to partner with many different vendors to get their paper published and this is just one of those vendors.”

Need a better understanding of what Full-Service is, how to decide if it’s right for you and how to make the transition from Basic IMb? You can find out more in an archived webinar presented through WNA’s educational part-ner, Online Media Campus, in July 2013.

Called “Savings, Costs and the How-to You Need on Full-Service IMb,” the webinar is archived and available at http://www.onlinemediacampus.com/2013/05/fullserviceimb.

The webinar covers:• Orientation to Full-Service• Why the Postal Service wants Full-Service• How Full-Service affects newspapers• Differences between Basic and Full-Service IMb• USPS requirements for Full-Service transition• USPS tech credit program• Full-Service Costs and Savings• How to calculate your annual postage with and

without Full-Service• Mailing software upgrades• Label Printer / Addressing Equipment• How to meet Full-Service requirements• Business Customer Gateway account• Mailer ID (MID)• Compatible software and hardware• File postage statements electronically• Intelligent Mail piece barcodes• Intelligent Mail tray/sack barcodes• Intelligent Mail container barcodes• Exceptions for low-volume mailers

To register, visit http://www.onlinemediacampus.com/2013/05/fullservi-ceimb.

If you participated in the live viewing, be sure to add in your discount code for free viewing. Once you complete the registration you will receive a link to view the archive.

The Full-Service Intelligent Mail requirement for continued qualifica-tion for Periodical Mail Automation Rate discounts has been delayed. An explanation issued by the Postal Service (http://1.usa.gov/IsSBo5) says that it will defer implementa-tion of the requirement for automa-tion prices. The implementation deadline had been set for Jan. 26, 2014.

Full-Service Intelligent Mail bar-codes (IMb) provides postal custom-ers with:

• An additional per piece discount on every Full-Service mailpiece.

• Address correction information

at no additional cost for Full-Service mailpieces, providing Change of Address (or COA) information and Nixie (or undeliverable-as-addressed) information.

• The ability to track service per-formance through reports and scan information.

• Container, Tray and Mailpiece visibility.

• Annual permit fees will be waived when 90 percent or more of cumulative annual mailings consist of Full-Service mail.

• The opportunity to use the same permit at any location via our Mail Anywhere program.

Read more >>

USPS delays IMb

Get a better understanding of postal changes

Todd Novak, associate editor and circulation manager for the Dodgeville Chronicle also serves WNA as a postal consultant, available to assist members on postal matters.

He can be reached at (608) 935-2331 or at tnovak@thedodgevillechronicle.com.

WNA Postal Hotline

Andrew Johnson

Brad Hill

Reprinted from Publishers’ Auxiliary

The National Newspaper Association recently announced an expanded “Postal Protection Team” to serve the community newspaper industry and broaden services for its members.

The team will consist of longtime NNA Postal Chair Max Heath, the nation’s foremost expert on Periodicals mailing issues, NNA Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel Tonda Rush, NNA representative on the Postal Service’s Mailers Technical Advisory Committee, Brad Hill, and a second NNA representative on the U.S. Postal Service MTAC yet to be named.

In 2010, Heath was the first to be honored with WNA Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award.

The expanded team dealing with postal issues was formed in answer to a request by Heath to continue the postal work but eliminate the need for him to travel the country. Heath, who has led the community newspaper industry’s solutions-oriented approach to postal matters for nearly 30 years, announced this month that, in part to some health issues, he has decided to slow down on travel. Heath’s plans call for him to phase out his postal affairs work during coming years while others increase their involvement.

NNA President Robert M. Williams Jr. said NNA’s board of directors received Heath’s announcement with profound gratitude for his many years of service already given as well as his willingness to work toward a seamless transition for the future.

“This tower of expertise has given generously to our industry for many years. We rely on him to patch our post-al tires and to help us guide the vehicle at the same time,” Williams said. “Many are the newspapers that would not have the readers they have today but for Max’s help in

getting the product delivered. NNA is forever indebted to him.”

“My body no longer likes the stress of travel. I have enjoyed the opportunity to provide NNA outreach, which also informs me of problems around the country. I thank my many friends across America and hope they under-stand my decision.” Heath agreed to serve through 2014 on the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee, which meets quarterly at USPS headquarters.

That will mark another 25 years of service and allow him to help transition with a successor. He may continue on the Periodicals Advisory Group at USPS, which deals with rules changes. He was one of the original invited members of PAG when it began in the mid-1990s.

“Should other special needs arise, I’ll try to help NNA as requested,” Heath said. “I will still be available for phone and e-mail help for NNA members and to assist Landmark Community Newspapers LLC, my former employer.”

NNA postal guru, Heath, begins career phase out

Max Heath, left, with Carol O’Leary, member of the WNA board of directors and publisher of The Tribune-Phonograph,Abbotsford, at the 2010 WNA/AP Convention & Trade Show.

Future Headliner Joelle Doye, right, is shown conversing with a kindergarten teacher in Mineral Point after snapping a few photos of her students delivering handmade construction paper poinsettias to businesses, an annual tradition. “The girl throwing snow in front just makes this photo extra special!” Doye said.

Five rising stars working in the Wisconsin newspaper industry have been named “Future Headliners” by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation (WNAF).

The new recognition program

honors emerging new leaders (age 30 and under) in the news media industry.

The Future Headliners program

seeks to recognize and reward young leaders working in Wisconsin’s newspaper industry. Nominees to the program included students majoring in a business, journalism, media or communications fields, as well as practicing young professionals.

“This group represents the best

of our up-and-coming industry professionals,” WNA President Kent Eymann (publisher of the Beloit News) said. “These Future Headliners are accomplished, display good character, leadership and pro-fessionalism not only at work, but in the communities they serve. They show a commitment to impacting their profession and the industry in a positive manner.”

Those selected will be honored at

the annual WNA/Associated Press Convention and Trade Show (Feb. 27-28, 2014, in Waukesha), and they will also participate in ongoing educational and networking opportu-nities with WNA over the next two years.

“We plan to tap their energy and

share their stories,” Eymann said. “WNA recognizes that we have much to offer, and more importantly, much to learn from these talented young people. This selected group will help us serve as ambassadors for our industry.”

The Future Headliners program is

made possible through the non-profit Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation (WNAF).

Among the Headliners:

James Debilzen, managing editor, Milton Courier

Debilzen, 28, has been pursuing a career in the newspaper busi-ness since he could first drive a car, starting with stuffing inserts for his hometown paper, The Oregon Observer.

During the past 12 years, Debilzen has risen through the ranks to lead the student newspaper at UW-Whitewater, work as a city beat reporter at the Daily Jefferson County Union (Fort Atkinson) and served as the managing of The DeForest Times-Tribune and the Poynette Press. Debilzen is currently managing editor of The Milton Courier, where he previously worked as an intern and an associate editor.

Among his biggest accomplish-ments: Launching a new website for the daily newspaper where he worked in 2008, being hired for his first managing editor position at age

24 and launching a complete rede-sign of the Courier.

Joelle Doye, editor, The Democrat Tribune (Mineral Point)

Doye, 29, is a Dodgeville native. She earned a degree in social stud-ies education from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2006. While in college, she began part-time work at The Dodgeville Chronicle as a sports reporter and proofreader.

At age 23, she accepted the position of editor at the Chronicle’s sister newspaper, The Democrat Tribune in the fall of 2007. Editor is Doye’s official title, but that role also encompasses being the feature story writer, school board and city council reporter, sports reporter, photogra-pher, layout and graphic designer, social media guru, office secretary and even an advertising salesperson.

As the only full-time employee at the paper, Doye knows that keeping a small-town newspaper vibrant and relevant is hard work, and she man-ages to do it.

Lauren Fuhrmann, director of public engagement, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

Fuhrmann, 24, joined the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism in January 2011 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

As public engagement director, Fuhrmann is responsible for build-ing the Center’s relationships with individuals and organizations. She assists with revenue generation efforts, co-directs the Center’s web-site, tracks the reach and impact of its journalism, and handles a variety of duties, including social media development, event planning, news-letter publication and bookkeeping. Fuhrmann is vice president of the Madison Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

A Wisconsin native, she has pro-duced investigative reports for the Center, focusing on environmental, workplace safety and health issues. She previously researched audi-ence engagement as a social media intern for Harvest Public Media and spent two years as a multimedia reporter for KBIA 91.3 FM and the Columbia Missourian.

Nick Penzenstadler, The Post-Crescent (Appleton)

Penzenstadler, 26, grew up in Oshkosh and wrote for his high school paper, the Oshkosh West Index. He graduated from UW-Madison in 2010 with degrees in journalism and political science.

Some of his first reporting work was for the (then-fledgling) Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Penzenstadler also interned at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Isthmus (Madison)

before landing his first job at the Rapid City Journal in South Dakota.

In 2011, he returned to Wisconsin to work for The Post-Crescent (Appleton), where he is employed today. Penzenstadler is part of the Gannett Wisconsin Media investigative team and also serves as the Wisconsin correspon-dent for USA TODAY.

Nathaniel Shuda, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune

Shuda, 28, is the First Amendment reporter for Daily Tribune Media, Wisconsin Rapids, where he cov-ers city government, business and

economic development and edu-cation issues. He graduated from UW-Eau Claire in December 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journal-ism, prior to which he served as news editor of The Spectator student newspaper for three consecutive semesters. As then-president of the campus Society of Professional Journalists chapter, he also attended the Ted Scripps Leadership Institute.

A Wisconsin Rapids native, Shuda joined the Daily Tribune in March 2008. Like many young journalists, Shuda shoots, voices and edits video; utilizes social media and com-poses great pho-tos to enhance his written work.

His work has earned awards in the WNA Foundation’s Better Newspaper Contest, and he has participated in panel discussions amongst industry leaders. Shuda is a member of both SPJ and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

WNA Foundation selects five ‘Future Headliners’

WNA newsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 20143

James Debilzen Joelle Doye Lauren Fuhrmann

Nick Penzenstadler Nathaniel Shuda

WNA newsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 20144

Ozaukee Press editor Bill Schanen IV credits “a bit of good reporter instinct” and “a couple of red flags” for his newspaper’s success in detect-ing an obituary hoax in November.

Reporter Mark Jaeger noticed “suspi-cious inconsistencies” with informa-tion provided regarding the reported death of Jim Radloff.

Red Flag No. 1: Most death notices received at the newspaper originate from a local funeral home. This particular notice was provided via telephone call.

Red Flag No. 2: The phone call came from a man stating he was the boy-friend of the (supposed) decedent’s

daughter. That relationship seemed a bit indirect.

Red Flag No. 3: When questioned about a funeral service, the caller (who was indeed the daughter’s boyfriend) said there was no service planned.

Three flags were certainly enough to prompt Jaeger to confirm the report of Radloff’s death, but Schanen said the hoax would have been uncovered sooner or later because the Press runs staff-written obits for everyone in their coverage area.

“We have the philosophy that people who live in our coverage area have made an impact on the community and deserve an obituary written by someone on staff,” Schanen said, noting that the practice is very popu-lar and appreciated by readers and done at no cost to families.

Providing staff-written obituaries for most everyone is certainly not com-mon practice among newspapers and Schanen believes the practice has become “an identifier for Ozaukee Press.”

It’s a lot of work and a huge burden on time around here but obituary writing is an art and we take it seri-ously.”

Ozaukee Press reporter uncovers death notice hoax

Contrary to obituary, Port man is alive and wellBy Mark Jaeger, Ozaukee Press — The victim of what he says was a cruel hoax, Jim Radloff was shocked to read of his death in a Milwaukee newspaper.

Like Mark Twain experienced more than a century ago, reports of Port Washington resident Jim Radloff’s death were greatly exaggerated.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ran Radloff’s paid death notice last Thursday. Two days later, the newspa-per ran a retraction.

The boxed retraction said: “The death notice for James E. Radloff which appeared in the Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel was printed in error. Mr. Radloff is NOT deceased. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel regrets this error.”

Indeed, the 64-year-old man is very much alive, and he’s not laughing about being written off as dead.

The source of the bogus report was the boyfriend of his daughter, who e-mailed the death notice to the Journal-Sentinel, Radloff said.

“It was embarrassing as all get-out,” he said. Radloff said he and his daughter have had a strained relation-ship of late, largely because of the influence of her boyfriend. Radloff presumes the death notice was to be used as an explanation for why Radloff’s grandchildren no longer see their grandfather, he said.

That boyfriend also tried to run a death notice last week in Ozaukee Press, announcing that Radloff had died on Sept. 28. The paper refused to run the announcement after suspicious inconsistencies were noticed in the information provided.

A Press reporter called the funeral home that supposedly handled the services, and a representative said they had no record of dealing with Radloff or his family.

When the reporter left a message on Radloff’s cell phone asking about the obituary, he quickly returned the call.

Read the rest of the story >>

Jim Radloff, Ozaukee Press photo

OBITUARIES Page 11BThursday, December 12, 2013

Preplanning a funeral is extremely helpful to those left behind. It can help ease a grieving family’s pain and alleviate the pressure of making difficult decisions at a stressful time. Knowing they’ve carried out their loved one’s wishes brings peace of mind. For information about prearrangement, visit or call us.

Pamela LepplaEernisse Funeral Homes & Cremation Service

1600 W. Grand Ave. (Hwy. 33 & LL), Port Washington 284-2601171 N. Royal Ave. (Hwy. LL & Park St.), Belgium 285-4141

1167 Washington Ave. (5 Corners), Cedarburg 376-9600www.eernissefuneralhome.com

LIGHTHOUSE FLORIST

And Wine Gallery

Full Service Flower Shop

410 West Dekora Street, Saukville

(262) 284-3303

Wedding, Sympathy and Everyday

Full Delivery Service

Order Flowers 24 hours a day at:www.saukvilleflorist.com

Mon.-Fri. 9am-5 pm • Sat. 9-2 pm • Sun. By Appointment

Saukville and Port Washington’s

Diagnosed with stage-four prostate cancer eight years ago, B. Bruce Krier, president and chief executive officer of Krier Foods in Random Lake, faced it the same way he did everything — with a positive attitude and a willingness to try innovative measures to conquer it. If he wasn’t feeling well, his answer to queries was, “I’ll be better tomorrow.” “He was a unique man. That is the best word to describe him,” said his nephew John Rassel, who joined Krier Foods in Random Lake as operations manager eight years ago. “With the news he received and to turn that into something positive was absolutely remarkable. He did that with everything. Why should the news of a deadly cancer be any different?” For the past eight years, Mr. Krier participated in an experimental treatment program for end-stage prostate cancer at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. His battle with cancer ended Thursday, Dec. 5. He died at Zilber Family Hospice in Wauwatosa at age 60. A Mequon resident, he formerly lived in the Town of Belgium and Random Lake. “He told me he would see me through the company’s 100th anniversary, and he did,” Mr. Rassel said. “We were both awed and humbled by the number of people who came and shared their stories (at an Oct. 3 anniversary celebration at the Luxembourg American Cultural Center).” Mr. Krier was the fourth generation to operate the family business founded in 1913 by his great-grandfather J.B. Krier as Krier Preserving Co. in Belgium, where vegetables were canned. The name was changed to Krier Foods in 1982, and the vegetable canning operation sold to Lakeside Foods in 1988. Mr. Krier expanded the beverage canning operation in Random Lake to become a major innovator in beverage packaging. Mr. Krier was an active member of the Feith Family YMCA in Saukville and supported its LiveStrong program, a free wellness program for people with cancer. In a 2011 interview with Ozaukee Press, Mr. Krier said staying physically fit was crucial to his health. “It’s one of the few things concerning my health I have control over,” he said. “Keeping my strength and energy up is a high priority. I don’t want my respiratory system to be what takes me down.” He started the Bruce Krier Foundation, which provides scholarships to high graduates and supports educational and community programs through grants and donations. “His legacy will live through that foundation,” Mr. Rassel said. “It will be used to help the causes he believed in.” Mr. Krier was a founder of Angel on My Shoulder, a nonprofit organization that supports cancer survivors and their families with a variety of programs, including camps for children whose siblings or parents have cancer. He was also a major benefactor of St. Marcus Lutheran School, a charter school in Milwaukee, and a strong supporter of Marquette University in Milwaukee. Mr. Krier was a founding member and benefactor of the Luxembourg American Cultural Society, which operates the cultural center in Belgium. He took great pride in the prairie and wetlands he developed on land in the Town

Bruce Krier

of Belgium. It is the largest private wetlands restoration in the state, Mr. Rassel said. Mr. Krier was born Oct. 8, 1953, in Port Washington, the son of Raymond and Lucille Karrels Krier. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School in Lake Church and graduated from Cedar Grove-Belgium High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Miami. Mr. Krier was a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters. He enjoyed golfing, tennis, biking and animals. Mr. Krier is survived by his sisters Rae Ann (John) Hanley of Bonita Springs, Fla., and Deborah (Donald) Rassel of Port Washington and brothers Robert and Peter (Debra) of Cedar Grove. A Mass of Christian burial was scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Divine Savior Parish, Holy Cross Chapel in the Town of Belgium. Father James Ernster and Deacon Gerald Malueg will officiate. Visitation was to be from 2 p.m. until the Mass. Memorials are suggested to the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77210-4486 or St. Marcus Lutheran School, 2215 N. Palmer St., Milwaukee 53212. Eernisse Funeral Home in Belgium is handling arrangements.

A funeral service will be held Friday, Dec. 13, for longtime Port Washington resident John M. Windis, who died Monday, Dec. 9. Mr. Windis, 92, died of complications of cancer and heart problems at Cedar Lake Communities in West Bend, where he had lived for the past three weeks. Mr. Windis had a deep, abiding love for Port Washington and Lake Michigan, his daughter Joan Windis Simonsen said. “He had a great respect for the lake,” she said, noting her father talked about almost drowning in the lake twice. “He loved it. He could not stay away from it.” Mr. Windis remembered watching the distinctive Port Washington lighthouse being built, his daughter added. “He described that very vividly,” she said. “He remembered watching them lay the bid rocks for the lighthouse, watching it as it was built.” Her father, who worked on a fishing boat as a young man, instilled a love of the lake in his family, often walking on the beach and swimming with them, his daughter added. Mr. Windis was born in Milwaukee on Aug. 30, 921, to John and Anna Aigner Windis. A short time later, the family moved to Port Washington, where Mr. Windis’ parents operated the Wilson House hotel, restaurant and bar. Mr. Windis and his sisters helped out at the establishment. Mr. Windis was orphaned when he was young, and his older sister raised him, his daughter said. Mr. Windis attended St. Mary’s Grade School and Port Washington High School, then worked on a fishing boat before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in the military during World War II and the Korean War. After he left the service, he earned a degree in business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In August of 1948, he married Mary Thelen. The couple lived in Madison and Milwaukee for six years, then moved to Port Washington. There, Mr. Windis was vice president of loans at the former Port Washington Savings and Loan. He also did home appraisals. Mr. Windis was involved in the commu-nity, serving for more than 50 years as the cemetery coordinator for St. Mary’s Parish in Port Washington. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and Kiwanis Club. Mr. Windis loved the outdoors, and shared

John Windis

his passion with his children, often ice skat-ing, sledding and hiking with them. He had a passion for golf — a sport he only stopped playing when he was 90 — and also enjoyed bowling, traveling, socializing, go-ing to movies and dancing. He liked German food, playing chess and cards and solving crossword puzzles. Mr. Windis is survived by his former wife Mary Windis of West Bend and their children Katherine Windis of Sun City, Ariz., Judith Hill of St. Petersburg, Fla., Carol (Tom) Schneider of Oconomowoc, Jennifer (Bob) Heth of Winona, Minn., John Jr. (Mary) of Oshkosh, Deborah (John) McNaughton of Milwaukee, Joan (Gary) Simonsen of Racine, Jean (Randy) Jacque of West Bend, Mary (Mark) Adams of Canistota, S.D., Patricia (Ron) Neu of Kewaskum and Roberta (Max) Bailey of Bartlesville, Okla. He is further survived by 21 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Mr. Windis was preceded in death by his son Daniel, parents John and Anna and sisters Anna Uselding and Kay Pretschold. The Mass of Christian burial for Mr. Windis will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Port Washington. Father Tom Lijewski will preside. Visitation will be at Eernisse Funeral Home in Port Washington from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, with a Knights of Columbus walk-through set for 6:30 p.m. and a family rosary service at 6:45 p.m. Burial with military honors will be in the parish cemetery.

Willard Felix Tackes, also known by many at the West Bend Market as “The Potato Man” of Newburg, age 87, died on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013, at his home in the Town of Trenton.

He was born and raised in the Town of Farmington, the son of Robert and Helen (Szuminski) Tackes. He was a lifelong resident of Washington County.

Willard was employed at Gehl Co. for 40 years and was a member of the Hexelbank Club.

He was a vendor at the West Bend Farmers Market since its beginning (over 30 years) and also at the mar-kets in Cedarburg and Grafton. At the farm, he had a variety of animals, cash crops and vegetables.

He enjoyed fishing and traveling. Willard and Bertha took a dream va-cation in 1981 to Australia and New Zealand. He also visited 49 states (not Alaska).

He was a member of the Newburg Fire Department in his earlier years, and was a longtime member of Holy Trinity Catholic Parish in Newburg.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Bertha (Unger) Tackes; loving children Yvonne Tackes of West Bend, JoAnn Critchley of Fond du Lac, Gary and Vicki Tackes of Slinger, Wanda and Dennis Docter of Markesan and Janette and Tom Schroeder of Cascade; cherished grandchildren — a baker’s dozen,

Jennifer, Amanda (Derek), Trisha (Dan), Melissa (spe-cial friend CJ), Tonille (fiance Rick), Cassandra (special friend Jeremy), Andrew (spe-cial friend Abeni), Caleb, Blake, Alicia (Paul), Mikayla (special friend Nate), Adam (special friend Savannah) and Jonathan; eight great-grand-children, Kayla, Machaia,

Devon, Hannah, GraceLynn, Kenadie, Ethan and Camrynn; siblings Adeline Flasch of West Bend, Darceal Jordan of Kewaskum and Darleen Rochwite of Campbellsport; and sisters-in-law Gladys Unger, Gladys Tackes and Christa Tackes.

He is further survived by former son-in-law Randy Critchley, many other relatives and dear friends.

Willard was preceded in death by parents Robert and Helen; parents-in-law Hugo and Alma Unger; sib-lings Gladys (Herbert) Ramel, Virginia (Philip) Schneider, Allen, Orville, Marvin, Joyce and Dalvine; and brothers-in-law Bill Flasch, Stewart Rochwite, Henry Jordan and Arnold Unger.

A Mass of Christian burial was held Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, at Holy Trinity Church in Newburg, with Father Kevin Kowalske presiding.

Interment followed the Mass at Holy Trinity Cemetery.

The Phillip Funeral Home of West Bend is assisting the family.

(262) 338-2050www.phillipfuneralhome.com

Willard Tackes

The Ozaukee Press writes and publishes a feature obituary about local citizens who pass away, at no cost to families. Download a PDF from Thursday, Dec. 12 >>

The following report is reprinted from Northwestern University’s Readership Institute. Read the full report, find downloads and review the Obituary Best Practices Gallery online at:

http://www.readership.org/content/obituaries.asp

Hatch, match, dispatch.

That’s journalistic shorthand for the three circumstances under which ordinary people’s names would appear in the newspaper: when they’re born, when they marry, when they die.

Over the years, those opportunities to have one’s name published have eroded. Space and cultural considerations have caused the decline of birth and wedding announcements in many U.S. news-papers, leaving the obituary as the last resort for public acknowl-edgement of an ordinary life. Space and revenue concerns led newspapers to run fewer, shorter obituaries, or shift them from a news item to a classified advertising revenue category.

Yet the Readership Institute’s Impact study of readership shows that obituaries - along with community announcements and sto-ries about ordinary people - have the highest potential of all news items to grow readership. In other words, if newspapers can do a “better” job in presenting this kind of news, they will see posi-tive, overall readership results.

But what does “better” mean? And why do these commonplace items have so much potential?

Impact research shows that there is a strong reader appetite for news that is intensely local and personally relevant, such as obituaries. While it is true that in recent years, newspapers have focused increasingly on “local news,” there is still a large, unreal-ized potential for this type of people-centered news.

They chronicle “life events” of the community, the circumstances that bind a community together. At their best, obituaries are engaging stories about ordinary people’s lives; they enrich the community’s sense of itself. This type of coverage frequently is missing or treated perfunctorily in contemporary newspapers, which have turned their focus over a period of decades to more coverage of institutions.

Current obituary policiesA review of the 100 newspapers in the Impact study, plus a num-ber of newspapers not in the study, reveals a wide range of poli-cies and practices on obituaries. The nomenclature varies from paper to paper. “Obituary” at some newspapers indicates the free, newsroom-produced notice of a life that has passed and “death notice” is the paid advertisement written by the family or the funeral home. At other newspapers the definitions are reversed. For clarity’s sake, we refer to these two basic types of obituary as “news obituary” and “paid obituary.”

The range of policies:A few newspapers - both large and small - maintain a policy of writing news obituaries for every person with any connection to the circulation area, however tenuous. Some of these news-

papers do not even offer paid obituaries.

A few newspapers have transferred the obituary function entirely to the classified department where paid obituaries are sold, and no news obituaries are written at all.

Most newspapers provide both news obituaries and paid obitu-aries with the length and detail in the news obituary varying from the barest essential facts (name, age, date of death, name of funeral home handling the services) to expansive chronicles of every life. Some of these papers publish a news obituary for anyone whose family submits the information; others are selec-tive, with the news staff deciding which to publish and which to discard. Read more >>

‘Acknowledgement of an ordinary life’Obituary writing tips and examples to grow readership

“ ...people who live in our coverage area have made an impact on the community and deserve an obituary written by some-one on staff.”

Bill Schanen IVOzaukee Press Editor

Click to read a recap of each intern’s experiences >>

WNA newsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 2014

WNA Foundation interns learn on-the-job at four community papers

5

In review

Four aspiring journalists got hands-on experience at Wisconsin’s community newspapers this summer, thanks to the Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) Foundation’s Summer Internships Program. Thirty-four students applied for the program, now in its second year. WNA Foundation provides matching funds to WNA-member newspapers to offer the eight-week, paid internships. Students work in all facets of producing print and digital media products and are immersed in a day-to-day workload. “The five students selected for the program bring a an impressive list of fundamental writing and editing skills, as well as a firm grasp of the digital and interactive skills needed to reach newspapers’ ever-growing reach,”

said WNA Foundation President Kris O’Leary, general manager of The Tribune-Phonograph, Abbotsford. “These young professionals show great promise and fostering that prom-ise is a fundamental part of the WNA Foundation’s mission.” Students supported their applica-tions with a brief essay (300 words or fewer) on their personal philosophy of journalism’s role in society as well as published work samples and sup-porting documents such as letters of recommendation, etc. to support the application. The WNA Foundation Summer Internships Program newspapers and interns included: • The Tribune-Phonograph, Abbotsford, selected Nathan Beck, a

journalism major with a minor in sociology at UW-Eau Claire to serve as its WNAF summer intern. Beck has been on staff at The Spectator (UW-Eau Claire student newspaper) and previously with The Forum (UW-Marathon County, Wausau).

• The Clintonville Chronicle hired Andrew Hanlon, a UW-Oshkosh jour-nalism major with an English minor. Hanlon has worked for both the Advance-Titan (UW-Oshkosh) and the Fox Journal (UW-Fox Valley).

• The Dodge County Pionier, Mayville, chose Haley Walters, a student at UW-Oshkosh majoring in journalism with a minor in political science. Walters has worked at the Advance-Titan student newspaper and also spent three years working for the Hartford Chronicle (2009-2012).

• Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, hosted Katherine Stein. Stein is a student at Northwestern University, majoring in journalism and minor-ing in Spanish. During the summer of 2012, she served as an intern at WisPolitics.com.

Applications for summer of 2014 being sought through April 7The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation’s Summer Internship Program supports students and WNA-member newspapers alike.

The program offers financial support to newspapers seeking to hire an intern and also assists in placing top-notch journalism students with some of the state’s most progressive news businesses. Deadline for applications is April 7, 2014.

Apply online >>

Click here to read about the 2013 interns >>

WNA Foundation summer

interns included: Andrew

Hanlon, left, working at

the Clintonville Chronicle

with his son; and from

left, below: Haley Walters,

Katherine Stein and Nathan

Beck.

Tricia Rose

Rose runner-up for Rising Star AwardClintonville publisher recognized

CLINTONVILLE - Minority businesses gathered in October for the Governor’s 2013 Marketplace Awards in Milwaukee, where WNA member Tricia Rose was recognized.

Each fall, companies and organizations from across the state gather to share tips, resources and successes with fellow minority businesses.

A State of Wisconsin certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise, Rose Publications of Clintonville made a repeat appearance at the event.

Rose was awarded the runner-up for the Rising Star Award, a special designation given to companies that have been in busi-ness for four years or less that show growth potential. Tri-state transportation company BCP of Deerfield was awarded the top designation.

In 2012, Rose Publications was named second runner-up for Outstanding Small Business.

There are more than 1,300 certified woman-owned businesses in the State of Wisconsin, and Rose Publications is one of only two in Waupaca County.

The annual Marketplace 2013 Governor’s Conference on Minority Business Development is orga-nized by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).

WEDC Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Secretary Ryan Murray was on hand to present the awards, aimed to recognize minority businesses for showing overall busi-ness excellence in sales, product, customer rela-tions, employment, and management dimen-sions.

The WEDC leads

economic development efforts for the state by advancing Wisconsin’s business climate.

Rose Publications has been awarded numerous accolades in their four years of business, starting just twelve weeks after they opened with the 2009 New Business of the Year Award through the Clintonville Area Chamber of Commerce. The company won the award again in 2010. The main publication of the com-pany, the Clintonville Chronicle won two awards in the 2010 Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, won eight in 2011 and five in 2012.

Rose Publications began producing the Manawa Messenger last summer, the second weekly newspaper for the company. They also produce the monthly school newspaper, the Trucker Times.

Owner Tricia Rose was honored with the distinguished Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award last summer, awarded by the Wisconsin Small Business Association (SBA).

Two state papers earn Online Promotions Awards

The Wisconsin State Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel came up winners at the 5th annual Second Street Online Promotions Awards, announced in December. Media companies from across North America were honored in 27 cat-egories for their outstanding contests, ballots, and deals programs. Second Street announced the finalists and winners during a webinar held on Dec. 12, 2013.

The Wisconsin State-Journal’s Mulligan Match-Up won the Best Sports Contest while the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Deertrak Golf Club was named a finalist for Best Recreation Deal.

“Media companies drove substantial results by executing contest, deal, and ballot programs,” said Matt Coen, presi-dent and co-founder, Second Street. “The volume and success of promotions has grown significantly since our first awards presentation five years ago. This year’s slate of nominees and winners represent millions of dollars in revenue for media companies and phenomenal results for their advertisers.”

Borrell Associates’ research shows that online promotions will grow to an $80 billion dollar industry by 2017, and the results represented in the Second Street Awards proved that to be true.

Some of the categories that were recognized include Best Photo Contest, Best Sports Contest, Best Recreation Deal, Best Deals Store, and Best Overall Promotion. A few new categories were Best Deal Card, Best Metro Ballot, and Best Niche Ballot. The ceremony also recognized the media outlets with the overall promotions performance covering small, mid-sized, and large market properties.

See the winning entries here: http://secondstreetlab.com/2013/12/2013-second-street-awards-winners/

Programs provide opportunities for U.S.-based journalistsSeveral exciting opportunities are available for U.S.-based journalists through the International Center for Journalists. Read program descriptions and links: U.S.-based journalists can report from Japan in 2014, covering topics including the economy, the environment, and social policies. Apply by Jan. 6, 2014. http://www.icfj.org/japan2014 U.S.-based journalists can report on a social justice issue from a country of their choice as a fellow in ICFJ’s Social

Justice Reporting for a Global America Program. Apply by Feb. 3, 2014.http://www.icfj.org/our-work/social-justice-reporting-global-america U.S.-based minority journalists can report from abroad on the subject of their choice as a fellow in ICFJ’s Bringing Home the World Fellowship. Apply by Feb. 3, 2014.http://www.icfj.org/our-work/bringing-home-world-fellowship

WNA newsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 20145

“If I’m around, I’m going to write his descendants a letter in 2072 asking that the letter be corrected on this point.”

Jim StinglMilwaukee Journal Sentinel Columnist

The Evjue Foundation in Madison has awarded a $5,000 grant to the Wisconsin Newspaper Association to support an inves-tigative journalism training program. WNA, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and Investigative Reporters and Editors are seeking to create Wisconsin Investigative Journalism Fellowships.

This program will offer inten-sive classroom training, cul-minating in certification of the fellows (two each from five news organizations) supplemented by a year of intensive collaboration with WCIJ on production of high-impact investigative reports. The organizations are seeking $57,000 in annual support from national and local foundations, corpora-tions and individuals for this inno-vative program, which we believe

will increase the quality and amount of investigative journal-ism in Wisconsin as the program continues year after year.

Interested in supporting this initiative? Please contact Andy Hall, WCIJ executive director, at ahall@wisconsinwatch.org.

The Center, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization, is housed in the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Under a facili-ties use agreement, WCIJ collabo-rates with the school’s students and faculty and hires paid interns who work with its professional staff to produce investigative reports that are distributed for free to news outlets across the state and nation.

Grant seeds training program

The following column, written by Jim Stingl, was published Dec. 28 in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

It’s about time we corrected this misspelling from 1954

Correction: In Thursday’s paper, Gilbert Borkenhagen’s name was spelled incorrectly as Borkenhager.

I don’t mean last Thursday. Actually, it was Sept. 30, 1954, in the old Milwaukee Sentinel.

Mr. Borkenhagen wrote to the Journal Sentinel this month saying he had noticed the 59-year-old error and hoped it would be cor-rected in a “timely fashion.”

I love that, a timely fashion. The error was from the last century and even millennium.

I was an infant then, so don’t look at me. And before the merger, I worked at the Journal, where we never made any mistakes.

This Borkenhagen fellow gave his address as Punta Gorda, Fla. I tracked down a phone number and gave him a call. We’re all about customer service here, plus I needed a column topic.

The misspelling, he said, was in a front-page article, which always magnifies the sting of an error. I found the byline-free story in the archives, and it was about two Wisconsin men who set what the Sentinel said “probably is a new Midwest fresh water diving record when they descended 197 feet to the floor of Lake Michigan with the aid of aqualungs,” about eight miles east of Kenosha.

Not to pile on, but we learned in journalism school that you don’t say new record, because

there is no other kind. Nobody is demanding a correction on that.

Borkenhagen, then 23 and living in Kenosha, assisted the two men that day along with other divers in the choppy lake water. He has no recol-lection of talking to a reporter, or giving — and spelling — his name.

The Sentinel gets points for con-sistency for spelling his name Borkenhager each and every time he’s mentioned. In his letter, Borkenhagen — now 83 years old and long retired — says the paper murdered his name as Bokenhagar, but it wasn’t that bad. If I’m around, I’m going to write his descendants a letter in 2072 asking that the letter be corrected on this point.

So what triggered Borkenhagen’s request? He said he was showing the yellowed articles recently to his neighbor, who pointed out the mistake.

“I see they spelled your name wrong,” the neighbor said. “Maybe we ought to ask for a correction.”

I asked Borkenhagen for the neigh-bor’s name. He said Mike Deignan and then spelled it from memory. “I’m hoping I’m spelling his name correctly. Otherwise, you might get another letter,” he said.

Just as I suspected, Deignan is a retired teacher. Nobody gets after newspapers more when we goof up grammatically or slip up at spelling.

In an email exchange, Deignan told

me, “I jokingly said we should write the (news-paper) requesting a correction, which started a cascading wave of suggestions as to how we should go about it.”

Another neighbor with too much time on her hands, Laurie Mense, got in on the fun and offered to write the letter on something called a typewriter. Then Borkenhagen signed the letter and they put it in something called a mailbox. Somehow it landed on my desk.

By the way, the Sentinel wrote about Borkenhagen and his diving buddies again in October 1954. This time it got his name right.

Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/its-about-time-we-corrected-this-misspelling-from-1954-b99168825z1-237843401.html

Columnist airs out 50-year-old error

Gilbert Borkenhagen’s last name was misspelled in a story that ran in the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1954.

Industry newsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 20146

NAA Newspaper Ads focus on the power of

newspaper mediaA collection of downloadable ads from the Newspaper Association of America focus on the power of newspaper media and the value news-papers offer to advertisers. High-resolution, print-ready PDF files area available for download at http://www.naa.org/Topics-and-Tools/Advertising/Sales-Collateral/2009/NAA-Newspaper-Ads.aspx.

To inquire about alternative sizes (select ads may be available in additional formats upon request), or if you have trouble downloading the materials, please contact NAA Web & Social Media Manager Amanda Knowles.

FTC explores native advertising Courtesy of Newspaper Association of America

By Sophia Cope, Director of Public Policy; Legislative Counsel

On Dec. 4, the Federal Trade Commission held an inaugu-ral workshop on native advertising called “Blurred Lines: Advertising or Content?” The purpose of the workshop was to better understand the “blending of advertisements with news, entertainment, and other editorial content in digital media” and how such content is “presented to consumers online and in mobile apps; consumers’ recognition and understanding of it; the contexts in which it should be identifiable as advertising; and effective ways of differentiating it from editorial content.”

This form of digital advertising is reminiscent of the print adver-torial and goes by many names, including sponsored content and content marketing. The goal is to create advertising content that is “native” in look and feel to the publishing platform and thus is more engaging to the reader. The content may promote a specific product or brand, but often it simply provides interesting infor-mation to the reader that has some relevance to the advertiser.

Native advertising is always paid, but how it is created differs. The advertiser may provide the content to the publisher; the pub-lisher may create the content using a dedicated native advertising team or sometimes the editorial team; or the content may be the result of collaboration between the advertiser and the publisher. There are also third-party vendors that work with advertisers and publishers to create native advertising content.

The backdrop of the FTC workshop was the understanding that the commission could use its existing authority under Section 5 of the FTC Act (15 USC § 45) to bring enforcement actions against companies that participate in native advertising that is unfair or deceptive to consumers. An open question, mentioned at the workshop and critical for NAA members, is whether a newspaper or other publisher could be liable for unfair or decep-tive native advertising content, particularly if the newspaper was intimately involved in the creation of the content.

With this in mind, there was consensus among workshop partici-pants that transparency is critical to native advertising to ensure that readers can easily distinguish between independent editorial

content and content that an advertiser paid for or even created. This will help maintain trust between readers and publishers in particular. Thus much of the discussion focused on what text and design elements make clear to readers that content that is not a traditional banner ad was published on behalf of an advertiser.

FTC staff asked why the term “advertisement” should not be used as a label. Some workshop participants noted that the term is jarring and disruptive for readers and that other terms are softer, thus increasing the likelihood that readers will engage with the native advertising content. This, of course, implied that there might be some intent to minimally deceive consumers about the purpose and origination of the content. Another consideration, which was not mentioned at the workshop, is that ad block-ers may block native advertising content if it includes the word “advertisement.” This would undermine the goal of native adver-tising, which is to better engage readers.

There was a discussion about labels such as “Sponsored Content,” “Sponsored By,” “Presented By,” and “Promoted By.” FTC staff noted that readers, seeing these terms, may believe that an advertiser has simply underwritten certain content that was independently created by the publisher, but they may not under-stand that the advertiser actually created the content. Labels such as “Sponsor Content” and “Sponsor-Generated Content” may be clearer. Other labels, often for links found at the bottom of many publisher webpages, are even less clear, including “Around the Web,” “You May Also Enjoy” and “Top Picks.”

Many advertisers and publishers are using design elements, including text placement, color, boxing and shading to call out content as native advertising. Academics are beginning to con-duct research in this area; for example, one researcher found that labels placed at the top and left of native advertising content are more often noticed by readers. Some native ads include brand logos to be even more transparent about the source of the con-tent.

The FTC is concerned that when native advertising content is shared through social media, labels often disappear and subse-quent readers do not understand that content was paid for and/or created by an advertiser. The FTC is also concerned that some disclosures come after a reader has clicked on a link; or, even if there is prior disclosure, it is not until a reader has clicked on a

link that the nature of the content becomes obvious.

The FTC is interested in developing industry-wide best practices. Some workshop participants were open to specific best practices or standards regarding labels and design. Others were only open to higher-level principles such as a commitment for increased transparency, which would allow individual companies to decide how to implement the principles. NAA will engage with the com-mission to discourage agency actions that would unduly burden newspapers as they explore this new source of advertising rev-enue.

Both advertisers and publishers that engage in native advertising are increasingly writing their own internal policies with a focus on promoting transparency. Industry groups are also beginning to develop guidance. For example, the Interactive Advertising Bureau recently released a report on native advertising, which includes principles for disclosure. The IAB states that “regardless of context, a reasonable consumer should be able to distinguish between what is paid advertising vs. what is publisher editorial content.” According to the IAB, the disclosure “must use lan-guage that conveys that the advertising has been paid for, thus making it an advertising unit, even if that unit does not contain traditional promotional advertising messages.” The disclosure must also “be large and visible enough for a consumer to notice it in the context of a given page and/or relative to the device that the ad is being viewed on.”

Additionally, the American Society of Magazine Editors recently published updated editorial guidelines “governing the relationship between editorial and advertising content.” The ASME document includes high-level principles, such as “The difference between editorial content and marketing messages must be transparent.” It also includes specific best practices for print and digital media. For example, for digital media, one recommended practice is that “Collections of paid links should be visually separated from edi-torial content by rules or shading and should be clearly labeled as advertising.”

NAA will continue to share guidance for increased transparency as it emerges across the advertising and publishing industries. Learn more by visiting our native advertising resource center.

Photo showcaseVisit WNA’s library on is-suu.com to browse this month’s collection of pho-tos gathered from WNA-member newspapers.

Want to submit a photo for next month's gallery? Send the photo or news-paper name, date and page number where the photo appeared to MaryKate.Elbow@WNAnews.com

Browse WNA member photos on issuu >>

Omro Herald 12/12/2013

December 13, 2013 3:18 pm /

OmrO Herald THursday, december 12, 2013 �

Official Newspaper fOr the city Of OmrO, lOcally OwNed siNce 1895

Omro Herald, Mailing Address: P.O. Box 502, Omro, WI 54963(920) 685-2707 • Fax: (920) 361-1518 • news@theberlinjournal.com • ads@theberlinjournal.com

Number 50 thursday, december 12, 2013 75¢ per cOpy

schoolshopping Day

With KidsPage 5

BusinessRed’s holiday

open housePage 9

Frigid temps result in parade’s cancellationOh, The WeaTher OuTside is FrighTFul

By Julie Schmidt

An arctic blast cut Omro’s Christmas cel-ebration on Saturday short, with wind chills deemed too dangerous to ask spectators and participants to endure for the annual holiday parade that evening.

“Due to extreme low and unsafe tempera-tures, the difficult decision had to be made to cancel this year’s holiday parade,” said Community Development and Main Street Director Dana Racine. “It is very important to factor the community of Omro’s safety into every community event. We hope this

year’s holiday season brings joy and hap-piness to all of Omro.”

It was a big disappointment for many, especially those who had spent a lot of time and money putting together beauti-fully lit floats. But there was still plenty of fun to be had in town, from Breakfast With

Santa first thing in the morning until the 1st Presbyterian Church’s Annual Christmas Smorgasbord that night, with shopping and snacking and singing in between.

Next year’s holiday parade will be held on November 22, so mark your calendar now!

Support for Restoration

OmrO herald phOtO

pat Kester of Kester’s wild Game food Nurseries presents $500 to Omro area historical society pres-ident John steen for the window restoration project at Old city hall. approximately $32,000 is needed to make the much-needed repairs to the Omro landmark while maintaining its historical integrity as part of the main street program and downtown revitalization.

Breakfast with the ‘big guy’

OmrO herald phOtO

eiGht-mONth-Old sawyer faust was NOt happy about his visit with santa claus during saturday’s breakfast at the Omro area community center.

By Julie Schmidt

At one point it was standing room only at Breakfast With Santa last Saturday, according to Marion Braasch of the Omro Area Community Center. The dining room was filled with families enjoying all the French toast they could eat, frosting cookies with Mrs. Claus, having their faces painted and telling Santa Claus what they’d like to find under the tree on Christmas morning.

“Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Omro Area Community Center’s Breakfast with Santa event,” said Com-munity Development and Main Street Director Dana Racine. “The turnout was wonderful and specifically we’d like to thank all of the volunteers and sponsors who made it all possible.”

The OACC teamed up with the Omro Girls Scouts this year for a holiday vendor a craft fair, once again providing unique shopping opportunities now all under one roof. Omro’s fifth grade students also hosted a bake sale and sold concessions, making for a great multi-faceted event. For more photos, see Page 8.

Yet another ‘sweet’ 4K care package is receivedBy Julie Schmidt

When Omro’s 4K students donat-ed much of their Halloween candy to be boxed up into care packages for service men and women deployed for the holidays, they were told their kindness would be appreciated all over the world. Of course the youngsters didn’t really understand

the significance, but in the past couple of weeks they’ve received thank you notes and photographs from Germany and elsewhere, and it’s starting to sink in.

And now they’ve been told that one of their packages was actually delivered to a Navy ship! AN (AW) Derek M. Lynch is a Field Training Officer with the

Kids’ kindness extends out to sea Security Department aboard the USS George Washington and is also the uncle of morning 4K student Grace Olson. He sent a lot of photos along with a letter letting the children know just how much their sweets and the art proj-ects they created are appreciated. Lynch also offered to come visit the 4K classes while he’s home on leave in January.

See SWeeT, Page 12

phOtO submitted tO OmrO herald

the 4K studeNts received photos from the USS George Washington, where one of their packages was sent.

Among your friendsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 2014

Staff News

MADISONJohn M. Humenik, a lifelong news-paperman from the Midwest who began his career as a paperboy, has been named publisher of the Wis-consin State Journal.

Humenik, 50, is currently president and publisher of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.

He succeeds Bill Johnston, 63, State Journal publisher since 2006. Johnston announced his retirement in October.

As publisher of the Wisconsin State Journal, Humenik will oversee the newspaper’s entire operation, includ-ing advertising, circulation, news gathering and digital products.

Lee Enterprises, based in Dav-enport, Iowa, owns half of Capital Newspapers, which publishes the State Journal, The Capital Times and several other newspapers in the re-gion. The Arizona Daily Star is jointly owned by Lee and Gannett Co.

The two newspapers are com-parable in size. The Arizona Daily Star’s print and digital circulation is 77,547 daily and 106,587 on Sundays. The State Journal’s print and digital circulation is 81,103 daily and 107,288 on Sundays.

Madison.com, the website the State Journal shares with The Capital Times, has 11.2 million page views per month, on average. The Arizona Daily Star has 9.9 million page views per month.

Humenik will be handing over pub-lisher duties at the Arizona Daily Star to a successor to be named. However, even after that transition, Humenik will oversee all newspapers published by Lee Enterprises in the Tucson and Madison areas as “group publisher,” the company announced.

“By staying connected and involved with our Tucson operation, together we will be able to explore important synergies,” Humenik said. “I believe that relationship will prove to be a tremendous advantage for our group, especially as we build upon our print and digital successes.”

Humenik (pronounced HU-men-ik) began his career as a 12-year-old newspaper carrier in Tinley Park, Ill. By age 15, he was covering sports in the suburbs of Chicago as a stringer and part-time staffer. He received a journalism scholarship to attend Eastern Illinois University and was sports editor of a newspaper at the college.

He was editor of the Quad-City Times in Davenport for seven years and was named “Editor of the Year” in 2004 by the former Suburban Newspapers of America, now Local Media Association. He transferred to Tucson in 2005, where he became president and publisher three years ago.

He and his wife, Lisa, have two adult children.

Read more >>

OSHKOSH Karen Befus has been named gen-eral manager of Oshkosh North-western Media and will also continue in her roles as advertising director in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac and gen-eral manager in Fond du Lac.

Befus takes over after former general man-ager/executive editor Stewart Rieckman re-tired in October.

Befus, who at-tended the UW-Oshkosh and is a current member of the Leadership Oshkosh class at the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, spent more than two decades in Arizona, where she worked at the Arizona Republic and newspapers at Arizona State University before mov-ing back to Wisconsin in 2012.

She joined Gannett Wisconsin Media as a digital sales strategist in August 2012 and was named advertising di-rector in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac in March. She took on general manager duties in Fond du Lac in August.

For Befus, the appointment as gen-eral manager brings her career back to the place it began. An Oshkosh native, Befus’s first job was delivering the The Northwestern along a Ceape Avenue route.

“When I was 11 years old, this was my first job,” Befus said. “To think that I’m at where I’m at now is pretty incredible.”

SHARONKellen Olshefski has been promoted to editor of the Walworth/Fontana/Willams Bay Times and Sharon Reporter.

Olshefski had served as staff writer for the company. He started out as a freelance correspondent while studying journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was hired as a part-time editorial as-sistant in 2012.

Anne Trautner, has been hired as assistant editor in the newspaper’s Elkhorn office. She worked as an edi-tor and reporter at papers in Virginia and Tennessee before moving to Wisconsin in 2003.

Since then she has worked with the Lake Geneva Regional News and as a freelance writer for The Catholic Herald weekly newspaper.

MARINETTEMany Eagle Herald (Marinette) subscribers received only part of the Dec. 7 newspaper package. Due to electrical issues with the Eagle-Herald’s printing press, not enough newspapers were printed to dis-tribute a full copy of the newspaper to all subscribers on that Saturday morning. Many subscribers received only the Saturday preprinted adver-tising package.

EagleHerald staff worked with elec-tricians to repair the problem, and the newspaper received help from the

Shawano Leader to have the Eagle-Herald printed in Shawano.

MINOCQUAThe Lakeland Times has asked Wisconsin’s state attorney general to investigate potential violations of the open records and open meetings laws by Lakeland Union High School.

The newspaper had filed complaints with Oneida County district attorney Michael Schiek, but after looking into the matter for more than a year and despite finding a massive deletion of emails, Schiek took no formal action.

The newspaper contends the lack of accountability for deleting public re-cords will gut the open-records law. A purported email the newspaper is seeking – a directive to teachers and staff not to assist a severely physically disabled student with the computer technology the student needed – would have been among the missing emails. A LUHS staff member has said the email existed in both a notarized and signed affida-vit and to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department.

WAUKESHALee Fensin has retired after nearly a half century at the Waukesha Freeman. The award-winning sports editor spent 47 1⁄2 years at the newspaper

Pat Neumuth is leaving the West Bend Daily News to become the as-sistant sports editor at the Wauke-sha Freeman.

WATERTOWNGayle Davis has joined the display advertising department of the Wa-tertown Daily Times.

Davis worked for 11 years as an ac-count executive with Conley Publish-ing and succeeds Chris Selke, who recently left the Daily Times.

ELKHORNKellen Olshefski, who rose through the ranks at Southern Lakes News-papers, has been promoted to editor of the Elkhorn Independent.

Olshefski has most recently served as a staff writer with the company. He started out as a freelance cor-respondent while studying at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and was hired as a part-time edito-rial assistant in 2012.

Olshefski, who grew up in East Troy, is familiar to many in Elkhorn after working in the Independent office at 812 N. Wisconsin St. for the past year.

Anne Trautner, who has been hired as assistant editor joins Olshefski in the Elkhorn office. She worked as an

editor and reporter at in Virginia and Tennessee until moving to Wisconsin in 2003. She has also had a stint with the Lake Geneva Regional News and has worked as a freelance writer for The Catholic Herald weekly.

PORTAGEJason Maddux, the editor of the Daily Register for more than eight years, is leaving the position next month to become executive editor of the Sentinel in Carlisle, Pa.

The Daily Register has won more than 125 awards in the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest during Mad-dux’s tenure, including three straight General Excellence awards for best newspaper in its division, compet-ing against papers more than twice its size. It also has won two straight WNA awards as the best newspaper in its class. In 2009, the staff won a Lee President’s Award, the top edito-rial award of its parent company, for coverage of Sgt. Daniel Thompson’s death in Afghanistan and its effect on the community.

Maddux also was editor of the twice-a-week-newspaper in Reeds-burg, the Times-Press, from 2010 until July of this year.

MANITOWOC A Hudson native and veteran reporter-editor, Phillip Bock has joined HTR Media to cover education and other issues for the newspaper and website with stories, photos and videos. Bock is a graduate of UW-River Falls with studies focused on web development and journalism. He served as a reporter for a daily newspaper in Minnesota and as an editor at two weekly newspapers in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He has earned awards for business cover-age from both the Wisconsin and Minnesota Newspaper Association.

— 30 —Thomas R. Sears

Thomas R. Sears, 65, of West Palm Beach, Florida, formerly of Racine, died Nov. 18, 2013 in West Palm Beach after a brief illness.

Sears was born on June 9, 1948 in Milwaukee. Upon graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1970, Tom embarked on a distin-guished career as a journalist. With

8

Karen Befus

Larry W. Antony Jr

John Humenik

Marion Advertiser 12/05/2013

December 6, 2013 3:21 pm /

School District of MarionBoard to Meet December 11

BOARD AGENDAWednesday, December 11, 2013

BOARD OF EDUCATION-SCHOOLDISTRICT OF MARION

District Board Room7:00 p.m.

A.Pledge of AllegianceB.Call to Order, Roll CallC.Consent Agenda• Adopt the Agenda• Action to Approve the Minutes ofPrevious Meetings• Payment of Bills• Financial ReportGuestsKaren Kerber, AuditorReportsD. Professional Development: AnnualBoard Meeting ChecklistE. Receive Requests/Information fromIndividuals or DelegationsF. Board Member Updates/RecognitionG. Committee ReportsH. Administrator Reports• Special Education Director• Elementary Principal• High School Principal• SuperintendentDialogueI. Follow Up From Barry ForbesSessionDialogue/Action ItemsJ. Accept Donations from Booster Cluband David HaswellK. Boys Basketball Numbers –attach-ment #1L. 2014-15 Open Enrollment Spaces-attachment #2M. Acceptance of Audit Report

Consideration of a motion to moveinto closed session pursuant to sections19.85 (1) (c) (f) of the WisconsinStatutes for considering data of specif-ic persons which, if discussed in public,would be likely to have a substantialadverse effect upon the reputation ofany person referred to in such historiesor data, or investigations.• Probationary Teacher Review-attachment #3• Interim AD Applicant Dialogue• Administrator EvaluationN. Return to Open Session to Announceto Take Action from Closed Session andAny Other Business That May Legally Come Before the BoardO. Adjournment

Open Meeting Law ComplianceThis notice includes information

available to the District at the timethat notices must be provided to TheMarion Advertiser to ensure publica-tion. This meeting notice may berevised or supplemented up to 24 hoursprior to commencement of the meeting,unless for good cause it is impossible orimpractical to give such notice, inwhich case shorter notice may be given,but in no event shall less than 2 hoursnotice of a meeting be given. If thismeeting notice is revised or supple-mented, a new meeting notice will beissued and posted, provided to anyrequesting media, and provided to anyofficial newspaper or news media likelyto give notice in the area.

This is business meeting of theBoard in public, not a public meeting orforum. A time is provided for specificcomments and requests for informationfrom the public. People who wish tospeak to a specific agenda item shouldnotify the Board President before themeeting starts.

Town of Pella to Hold MonthlyMeeting Monday, December 9

Agenda for the monthly meeting –Monday, December 9, 2013

Time: 7:30PM Place: Pella Town Hall

1. Call to order.2. Reading of the agenda.3. Approve previous month’s minutes.4. Input from the public.5. Review/Approve agreement with theHumane Society regarding dog licensefees.6. Appoint election inspectors for termJan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2015.7. Zoning.8. Roads.9. Treasurer’s report and payment ofbills.10. Adjourn.

Respectfully submitted,Lisa Papendorf, Town Clerk

Town of Dupont Board to Meet Tuesday, December 10

The regular monthly meeting of theTown of Dupont Board of Supervisorswill be held Tuesday, December 10 at7pm at the Dupont Town Hall located atN11297 Town Hall Road, Marion.

AGENDA1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call, Confirmation of meetingpostings and approve agenda3. Approve minutes from NovemberRegular Board Meeting 4. Treasurer’s Report, Review of finan-cial reports5. Public Input: Clintonville AreaAmbulance director6. Discussion & Action Item:a. Certified Survey Map

b. Discuss & move on putting up weightlimits on Kretchmer, Hidde, Nietzke &Hunting Rds. c. Resolution 2013-2 in Opposition toSenate Bill 349d. Ordinance 2013- Establishing FireProtection Chargese. Approve election workers for the next2 year term7. Road Maintenance Reports8. Fire Department Reports9. Comprehensive Planning CommitteeReport10. Zoning Administrator’s Report11. Building & Grounds12. Chairman’s Report13. Clerk’s Report & pay bills14. Adjourn

Jennifer Sauby, Clerk

SMC Auxiliary Love-LightTree Lighting December 6

The Shawano Medical Center (SMC)Auxiliary is inviting the public to jointhem at the Love-Light tree lightingceremony on Friday, Dec. 6 at 5:30 PM,just prior to the Shawano HolidayStroll parade. The three Love-Lighttrees are located outside SMC'sRehabilitation Services building, 116N. Main Street (corner of Main andGreen Bay).

The ceremony will include a prayer,words from SMC AdministratorDorothy Erdmann, lighting of thetrees, & singing of a few holiday carols.

Proceeds raised from the Love-Lightprogram help the Auxiliary providescholarships to area students enteringtheir final year of college in the healthcare field.

Christmas Bell Choir ConcertSet For Sunday, December 8

The public is invited to attend aChristmas Bell Choir Concert, whichwill be held on Sunday, December 8th,4:00 p.m. at the Clintonville UnitedMethodist Church, under the directionof Jodi Zillmer.

A medley of Christmas songs will beplayed with handbells by 10 stellarmusicians. Special narrations willpresent the Christmas message duringthe program.

After the concert, Christmas Treats& Mulled Cider (as well as other bever-ages) will be served.

A free will offering will be taken.

16th Annual ChristmasParade Saturday, December 7

The sixteenth annual ChristmasParade in the Village of Iola is plannedfor 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, December7, 2013. The parade begins at the HighSchool and passes Iola LivingAssistance and shops on Main Street,ending at the Iola Historical Society.

A visit with Santa and entertainmentby a musician/storyteller for all chil-dren will follow the parade at the IolaHistorical Society. Refreshments willbe served by the Iola Lioness Club.

Anyone who would like to sponsor afloat or march in the parade contactJeannine Harbridge at 715-445-5450.

The Iola Lioness Club sponsors theparade, with the support of the IolaVillage Library, the Iola Lions Club andthe Iola-Scandinavia Chamber ofCommerce.

Belle Plaine 4-H ClubThe Belle Plaine 4-H club had their

monthly meeting at the Belle PlaineTown Hall on November 18th. The nextvisit to Birch Hill will be December17th at 6:30. We will be singingChristmas carols so mark your calen-dars to come and spend time with theresidents to make their holiday joyful.Also, bring a calendar and small gift togive to the residents. We will buy giftsto give to those residents who don’thave family.

Nancy Netzel told the club about howsuccessful the rabies clinic, bake sale,and nail clipping were and how somany members were helping that itwent really well. Thanks We CareAnimal Hospital and Doggie Detailers!

The club voted to donate to LoveLights again this year. We will also beringing bells for the Salvation Army onDecember 13th in front of Wal-Mart.Please come and ring bells even if youdidn’t sign up and please donate aswell.

We will be decorating the float for theChristmas Parade on December 1st at3:00 at the Clark’s house. The paradewill be December 6th at 6:00 – we willline up in the parking lot next to thepurple building and across from theMemorial Park Ball Diamonds.

Installation of the new club officerswas held at this meeting also – theywill start their term in December. Re-enrollment for this coming year needsto be completed on line by January 1st.If you have any questions or need help,contact Nancy, Nancy, Mary or call theextension office. The club by-laws willbe emailed to sign and you will need tobring them to the next meeting andsome will be available at that meetingtoo. Dues can be paid at the next meet-ing.

Members were reminded that theycould come to the town hall onDecember 8th at 3:00 to make lapquilts for the residents at Birch HillNursing Home – bring a good pair ofscissors and a sewing machine if youhave one. Everyone did a great jobbringing lots of items for the FoodPantry.

The club also held their annualachievement night at this meetingwhere the members could put ticketsthey earned by participating in activi-ties and attending meetings through-out the year into buckets to win prizesand they had a great taco buffet. Thekids all had a lot of fun and everyonegot to go home with something.

Please remember to cash your fairchecks by November 30th. Members

were reminded to bring 3 Christmascards for the residents at Birch Hill tothe next meeting signed “From: BellePlaine 4-H Club”.

The next meeting will be held at theBelle Plaine Town Hall on Sunday,December 8th at 7:00 p.m., come at6:30 to eat our snacks early (everyone

bring a finger food). We will also behaving our Christmas Party so bring a5-7 dollar gift for a child your age toexchange, put your age, boy or girl andwho it is from on your gift. Any newfriends who would like to join our 4-Hclub can call the extension office at526-6136 for more information.

8 THE MARION ADVERTISER, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013

LIBRARY CORNERWhat’s new at Marion Public Library?

Holiday Raffle:*We have two items up for Raffle- a Holiday edition Barbie for the girls, and aLego set and movie for the boys.*Tickets are only 50 cents each- get yours at the circulation desk!*Drawing will take place on December 16th at 5:00pmCultures and Cuisines Club:*Next date is December 16 at 5:00pm. Theme is Holiday Food Traditions fromthe United States. Bring a dish to pass and a recipe for our recipe binder!*If you’d like to share something from your Holiday Traditions for our displaycase, please bring them in!Book Club:

*Currently Reading Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn.*Next Meeting is January 14th at 6:00pm!

Weekly programs: *Library Playgroup meets on Wednesdays from 9-11am*Pajama Time Storytime Every FOURTH Monday at 6:00pm: Wear your paja-mas! (Next Storytime will be December 23rd.)*After-School Program for Young Adults –Every THURSDAY from 3:45-4:30pmwith Miss Katie. She always has fun activities to share!

Looking for something good to read? Here are some new books we haveat the library:

Under a Texas Sky by Dorothy GarlockIt’s 1932 and Anna Finnegan is about to start shooting her first movie inRedstone, Texas. But the movie is plagued by one trouble after another. Whois sabotaging the film and why?

Stranded by Dani PettreyDarcy St. James returns to Alaska to join a journalist friend undercover on thetrail of a big story. But when Darcy arrives, she finds her friend has disap-peared. Something sinister is going on, and the deeper she and her friendGage digs, the more Gage fears they’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg.

Fix-It and Forget-It big cookbook by Phyllis Pellman GoodFinally, an all-in-one handsome volume, the best 1,400 slow cooker recipes.These recipes are collected from some of America’s best home cooks, testedin real life settings, and carefully selected from thousands of recipes.

RECOGNITION BANQUET–The Clintonville Lions held its 11thannual Citizen Volunteer Recognition Banquet at Mathew’s SupperClub recently and recognized Lynn Marks for her distinguished vol-unteer efforts, especially for her founding with her husband Steve ofthe non-profit nIc Foundation in memory of her son Nicholas whodied in 2005 as a result of a violent assault. She has been activelyinvolved in area school districts and communities and around thecountry promoting violence prevention strategies through an educa-tional focus.

Pictured with Marks are Lions Lowell Easley, Octe Mattson,and Jill Meyer.

BELLE PLAINE 4-H CLUB OFFICERS–Pictured left to right back row: Rolando Colon, Sergeant atArms; Noah Habeck, Vice President; Shannon Palmer, Treasurer; Casey Clark, President; Aubrey Netzel,Secretary; and Jordan Bartz, Reporter

BELLE PLAINE FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS–Pictured left toright: Gage Timm, Kayla Clark, Rolando Colon, Crede Timm, andIsabel Colon.

STAR SPANGLEDCHRISTMAS–Little Stars(from the left) AveryFregien, Gwendolyn &Giselle Rose, and LaurenVan Straten sing theirpart in "Star SpangledChristmas" presented atthe Mielke Arts CenterDecember 5 & 6 at 7pmand 7 & 8 at 2pm.Admission is free withfree will offering appreci-ated. No reservationsneeded. Info: 715-823-5133.

Pictured at the left,Snoopy (Connor Fregien)checks out his house in"Star SpangledChristmas".

All proceeds benefit thearea animal shelters.

Marion Advertiser Omro Herald

Visit www.WNAconvention.com >>

Among your friendsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 2014

Staff News

9

WNA LEGAL HOTLINE >>Keep this number handy: (800) 362-2664

The WNA Legal Hotline means help is just a phone call away!

WNA-member editors, reporters and advertising staff may call toll-free to ask an attorney for immediate help when they are denied access to government meetings or records, have concerns about a story that could involve libel or privacy questions, or face similar challenges to Freedom of Information (FOI) principles.

Ad staff may also use the Hotline when questions arise about the legality of an ad.

Need assistance that’s not necessarily legal in nature? Be sure to call on WNA staff at (800) 261-4242!

the exception of brief stints at the DeKalb (Illinois) Daily Chronicle and the Chicago Sun-Times, Sears spent his career at the Palm Beach Post beginning in 1973. He served the Post in several capacities during his career but spent the majority of his time as copy desk chief of the sports department. Read more >>

Gail J. Toerpe

Gail J. Toerpe, former publisher of the Washington Island Observer, died on Christmas Eve, 2013, at age 78.

Gail and her husband Bob published the Observer from 1992 to 2012 and joined the ranks of WNA’s Golden Members in 2012.

Read more >>

Bill Capellaro

Bill (William Henry) Capellaro, former editor and publisher of a group of southern Wisconsin weekly com-munity newspapers, passed away on Dec. 23, 2013.

A 1962 graduate of Marquette Uni-versity’s journalism program, Capel-laro worked briefly for Northwestern Mutual Life as a public relations

practitioner, where he met his future wife, Helen Hausmann.

Bill flirted with politics, working as an aide to Lt. Governor Jack Olson, when Olson ran for governor. Soon after, Bill moved into journalism. He began as a television news reporter and news director in Milwaukee. In the early 1970’s, Bill found the job he loved most, editor and publisher of a group of weekly community newspapers, based in New Glarus. He authored a weekly column, “Bill’s Corner,” which ran alongside his wife Helen’s, “Equal Time.” Bill joined and led various local organizations and ran for public office in his legislative district. Although he was unsuccessful in his bid, he enjoyed knocking on doors in the district with family and friends and talking about issues on doorsteps. After selling his newspapers to a neighboring publisher, Bill worked in real estate in New Glarus until he had his first stroke. At that point, cour-age and determination carried him through a raft of problems, includ-ing cancer, stroke and eventually, dementia and aphasia.

Read more >>

Pearl “Toddy” Bowman Porath

Former Banner Journal editor Pearl M. “Toddy” Bowman Porath, 94, of Black River Falls died Dec. 8, 2013.

Toddy was born in Black River Falls in 1919 and following high school gradu-ation, she attended vocational school in Eau Claire and then enrolled in the journalism program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

She moved to Miami, Fla., in 1942 and worked there until returning to Black River Falls in 1952. At the urging of the Jackson County Veterans Service Officer she became the represen-tative of several Midwestern news outlets.

Starting in 1952, she was the Jackson County correspondent for the area’s daily newspapers, radio stations, TV stations in Eau Claire and La Crosse, and the United Press International and Associated Press Wire Services. In 1953, she was hired to handle publicity for Jackson County District Attorney, Lester Johnson. She con-tinued in that capacity until Johnson’s election to Congress in 1954. From 1956 until 1972, she was the editor of the Banner Journal newspaper.

WFOIC offers open government resources

The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council has updated two resources:

• How to Use the Open Records Law >>

• Open Government Problem Areas >>

Be sure to download copies of these updated guides for your newsroom.

The council also distributes a monthly column, “Your Right to Know” for publication in WNA-member newspapers. Visit http://www.wisfoic.org/ for more information.

The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is a non-profit group dedi-

cated to open government and is comprised of five members representing the public plus representatives from each of the following:

• Wisconsin Newspaper Association• Wisconsin Broadcasters Association/Broadcast News Council• Wisconsin Associated Press• Society of Professional Journalists--Sigma Delta Chi• Wisconsin News Photographers Association

Remember trademark usage during playoffs, Super Bowl season

The National Football League (NFL) under federal law retains the exclusive right to control the marketing of all NFL trademarks. These trademarks include the following: The phrases “Super Bowl,” “Super Sunday,” National Football League,” “NFL,” and the NFL shield and all Super Bowl logos. Additionally, the NFL and the individual teams also own federally registered trademarks for the team names (e.g., “Packers” or Buccaneers”), nicknames (e.g., “Pack” or “Bucs”) and uniform and helmet designs. The NFL also owns the trademarks for “National Football Conference” and “NFC,” as well as “American Football Conference” and “AFC.” Without the express permission of the NFL marketers and advertisers may not use these terms in their promotions.

The Wisconsin State Journal will stop running free birth announcements as two Madison hospitals announced they will no longer provide informa-tion.

By David Wahlberg — For years, the Wisconsin State Journal has carried free birth announcements by parents who consent to have the information published. Madison’s two birthing hospitals say they will end the prac-tice starting Thursday (Jan. 2).

The State Journal will stop publish-ing birth announcements later this week because Madison’s two birthing hospitals will no longer provide the information to the newspaper.

The end of the traditional keepsake for parents and notice to the com-munity stems from a growing concern about infant abductions, hospital offi-cials say.

Birth listings “set people up as targets for somebody who might want to steal a baby,” said Kathy Kostrivas, Meriter Hospital’s assistant vice pres-ident for women’s health services.

“It’s an effort to improve safety and security for families,” said Kim Sveum, spokeswoman for St. Mary’s Hospital.

State Journal city editor Phil Brinkman said the paper can’t print the notices unless it gets the informa-tion from a hospital or other trusted source.

“Like obituaries, the potential for mischief is too great when it comes to taking this information directly from individuals over the phone or by email, which is why we rely on hospitals to provide it on the parents’ behalf,” Brinkman said.

“I understand the hospitals’ concern for the safety of their patients and their families,” he said. “But we have only published birth announcements from parents who have consented to share their news with their friends, neighbors and co-workers.”

The hospitals said they will stop pro-viding information on babies born after January 1, 2014.

Kostrivas and Sveum said at least two groups have long recommended that hospitals not share the information.

A 1999 alert to hospitals by the Joint Commission, which accredits hospi-tals, discussed eight infant abductions in hospitals.

“Discontinue publication of birth notices in local newspapers,” the alert said.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tells parents to consider the risk of birth notices.“In general, birth announcements in newspapers are not endorsed by most experts,” says a guide by the center, called, “What Parents Should Know.”At least 290 babies have been abduct-ed in the U.S. since 1983, including 132 at health care facilities, according to the center. Four cases, from 1989 to 1993, were linked by law enforce-ment to birth announcements, the center says.

“Our world is so different now than it was 25 to 30 years ago,” said Cathy Nahirny, the center’s senior analyst

for infant abduction cases. Abductors “are using every means available to them to select a possible victim infant,” she said.

One reason some hospitals are no longer providing birth information is a fear of lawsuits, Nahirny said.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association and the American Hospital Association don’t track how many hospitals provide the information and how many don’t, spokeswomen said.

The State Journal’s free birth announcements included the date, hospital name, parents’ full names and whether the baby was a son or a daughter. The announcements did not list the parents’ hometown.

Sveum said St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, which like St. Mary’s is owned by SSM Health Care of Wisconsin, is evaluating whether to continue providing birth information to the Baraboo News Republic and the Wisconsin Dells Events.

St. Mary’s Janesville, which is also owned by SSM and opened two years ago, hasn’t given birth information to newspapers.

Kostrivas said hospitals also discour-age parents from posting birth news on social media.

Jade Lewis mostly followed that advice after her daughter, Kaia, was born at St. Mary’s in August. She posted three photos on Facebook, but not until two months after the birth.

Lewis, of Madison, said she’s disap-pointed newspaper birth announce-ments are going away.

She clipped Kaia’s State Journal notice for her scrapbook, and friends of her husband’s parents called with congratulations, saying they learned about the birth in the newspaper.

“It was a nice little celebratory blurb that made you smile,” she said.Read more >>

Birth notices to end because of hospitals’ new policy

Two Madison hospitals will no longer provide birth information to newspapers.

Visit www.WNAconvention.com for registration & more >>

February 27-28, 2014

Member Exchange/AboutWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 2014

Help Wanted

REPORTER - NOW Newspapers, a group of eight weekly community newspapers based in Waukesha, WI, is accepting resumes and work samples for a full time Reporting position. We plan to fill this position with an ener-getic journalist with solid reporting and writing skills who can produce quality copy. The ability to meet deadlines is critical. We are searching for an ag-gressive, motivated, driven individual with a “can do” attitude to provide news coverage for our suburban com-munities. This includes city govern-ment, school district, police and fire, human-interest features, issues and trends, and occasional project report-ing with other duties as assigned. The individual we seek will have a nose for finding interesting angles and is a good storyteller with a keen sense for news. Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Journalism, newspaper experience, including college programs, preferred. Must be able to communicate and work effectively with internal and external customers, staff and supervisor. Must have demonstrated strong basic writ-ing and reporting skills. Skills in pho-tography, live blogging, video and audio are helpful, but not required. Due to the creative nature of this position, work samples are required to be considered for this role. Please include either your website where samples can be viewed or attach documents. Submit resume with writing samples to ssattler@jrn.com (02-06)

COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER PRINT AND ONLINE EDITOR — Live and work in the scenic St. Croix River Valley. We are seeking an individual who loves to be out of the office and has the talent to discover and report on the news of the community. Strong writing and interpersonal skills a must as well as the ability to work independently. Other duties will include leading our online newspaper, design and pagination of paper, and photography. Excellent benefit package and work environment. Send resume and clips attn: Tom Stan-gl, Publisher, Amery Free Press P.O. Box 424, Amery, Wis. 54001. tstangl@theameryfreepress.com (51-04)

SALES REPRESENTATIVE - The Keno-sha News is currently seeking a Sales Representative to service, promote and sell employment related services to current clients and to solicit new busi-ness. This individual will demonstrate strong presentation skills and the ability to close sales in the employment market. Strong analytical skills, a prob-lem-solver and effective interpersonal skills will also be a requirement for this position. A successful candidate in this role will possess exceptional time management skills, capable computer knowledge and organizational abilities. This position requires at least one year of outside sales experience in the

employment market, prior experi-ence in consistently achieving and succeeding goal expectations and the ability to meet deadlines and maintain up-to-date customer records. It will be top priority to make sure your customers experience superior ser-vice. Kenosha is a city of 100,000 that sits along the shore of Lake Michigan between Chicago and Milwaukee. It’s a great news town, seeking to evolve from its manufacturing heritage and capitalize on its location along a major interstate highway. It is home to a state university, a private liberal arts college and a technical college. Please send a resume and cover letter to Hu-man Resources Manager Daphne Ursu at dursu@kenoshanews.com or 5800 Seventh Ave., Kenosha, WI 53140.Equal Opportunity Employer (51-04)

PHOTOGRAPHER — The Leader-Telegram has an immediate opening for a full-time p.m. shift photographer. This person will coverage a variety of news, sports, and feature assign-ments, working closely with editors and reporters to generate ideas and create photos for publication and website display. Need strong visual communi-cation skills with dedication to providing honest and interesting images. Must be highly competent in use of Adobe Photoshop software, digital cameras, and strobe lighting. Preference will be given to candidates with previ-ous photojournalism, multimedia, and social media experience. Portrait skills and ability to write accurate captions are essential. Very deadline oriented. Some advertising photo work expect-ed. At times will need to carry up to 25 pounds of photography equipment and be able to walk considerable distances and do some climbing. The major-ity of assignments require local travel with exposure to a variety of weather conditions. Must have a reliable vehicle along with a valid driver’s license and satisfactory driving record according to Eau Claire Press Company policy. Benefits include employee retirement plan, medical and dental insurances, health savings account, flexible spend-ing account, paid time off, short-term disability, long-term disability and life insurance. A pre-employment drug test is required. Submit a cover let-ter, résumé, and several examples of photography to: steve.kinderman@ecpc.com or Mr. Steve Kinderman, Photogra-phy Manager, Leader-Telegram, P.O. Box 570, Eau Claire, WI 54702-0570. An Equal Opportunity Employer (51-3)

NEWS REPORTER - The Ashland Daily Press has a full-time opening for a news reporter. Candidates should be able to write stories on deadline, have solid writing skills and be able to take your own photos. A background in InDesign, Photoshop and multi-media is helpful, but we will provide training. 401K, benefits package available. Posi-tion is open immediately. Send resume, cover letter and samples of your work

to: lservinsky@ashlanddailypress.net or mail them to Editor, Ashland Daily Press, 122 W. 3rd St., Ashland WI 54806. (51-3)

INTERNSHIPS — The Telegraph Herald (TH) is a “general interest” daily news-paper published in Dubuque, Iowa 365 days a year. The TH’s total weekly readership is 104,000 in the Dubuque tri-state area of Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. The TH specializes in local and regional news coverage, but offers a comprehensive package of state, national and international news as well. TH Media has three summer intern-ship opportunities. Please review the descriptions below. To be considered for one of these positions, please apply online at www.wcinet.com/careers. (50-2)

SPORTS REPORTER - The Water-town Daily Times is seeking a full-time sports reporter. We have a lively sports section where we emphasize high school sports with our two-person staff. We cover a dozen high schools in a wide variety of sports. The success-ful candidate will have a love for sports, the ability to write crisp stories, make liberal use of color photography and so some copy editing. Page layout is an important part of the position. Knowl-edge of Macs, inDesign and Photoshop are all important but we will train. We offer a competitive wage and benefit package. Position is open immediately. Send resume, cover letter and samples to toms@wdtimes.com or to: Managing Editor, Watertown Daily Times, P.O. Box 140, Watertown, WI 53094-0140. (50-2)

SPORTS REPORTER - The Plymouth Review is seeking a sports reporter. Find out more online at: http://www.plymouth-review.com

PUBLISHER - Want to be your own boss? Due to health issues, a northcen-tral Wisconsin paid weekly newspaper and shopper is looking for a buyer and/or owner-operator to take the reins. Perfect for an experienced all-around newspaper person who is familiar with all facets of publishing. Earn an equity position while living and working in the beautiful Northwoods. Interested? Reply to Mary.Callen@WNAnews.com

For sale

ABOUTThe Bulletin is a published by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

Subscribe/unsubscribe to The BulletinThe Bulletin ArchivesSubmit news and editorialSend feedbackJoin the WNA group on LinkedInLike WNA on FacebookFollow WNA on Twitter

INTERESTED IN RECEIVING MORE FROM WNA?

Click below to sign up for:

• WNA’s Government Update, distributed monthly. • Press Notes, a daily e-mail of industry news compiled by the Society of Professional Journalists and re-distributed by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association as a service to WNA members. • Free Member Exchange, job listings and items for sale. Not getting The Bulletin by email? Send your request, including your name, business name, title and email address to Mary.Callen@WNAnews.com.

10

Applications for summer of 2014 being sought through April 7

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation’s Summer Internship Program supports students and WNA-member newspapers alike.

The program offers financial support to newspapers seeking to hire an intern and also assists in placing top-notch journalism students with some of the state’s most progressive news businesses. Deadline for applications is April 7, 2014.

Apply online >>

Click here to read about the 2013 interns >>

Scholarship applications accepted until Jan. 17

Annual Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation scholarships are avail-able for journalism students working toward their associate or baccalaureate degrees. Two $1,500 scholarships will be awarded at the WNA/AP annual con-vention, set for Feb. 27-28, 2014 at the Milwaukee Marriott West.

The scholarships are intended to help provide support to college students with a solid interest in the newspaper industry. Students with interests in reporting, editing, advertising, photography, graphics, circulation, marketing or any other aspect of newspaper operations are urged to apply.

Students should send a personal letter of application listing their academic interests and record, internship information and other pertinent information. Applicants must include three published work examples and a letter of recom-mendation from a faculty member or department chair.

Applicants will be considered based on their academic record, financial need, past involvement in student or other newspapers, and potential for a career in newspapers.

Deadline to enter has been extended to Jan. 17, 2014.

Find out more and apply online >>

Member Exchange/AboutWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 2014

Wanted - an 11X17 laser monochrome printer, such as an Epson, HP, or Xante. Must be able to produce a 75-85 lpi dot for reproduction purposes. Contact Ed-ward Mikkelson at 608-931-9484.

Wanted - The Iron County Miner in Hurley, Wis. would like to purchase a 35mm SLIDE SCANNER: High-capacity, high-resolution. Common models include: Nikon CoolScan 4000, 5000 or others (with autofeeder); Pacific Scan PowerSlide 5000, 3600 or other model; or Braun Multimag Slidescan. Features include: Automatic slide feeder (if it accepts a Kodak Car-ousel, that’s even better); Automatic dust removal (known as Digital-ICE or Magic Touch); and a USB or Firework connec-tion. Email details to Michael Moore at stuporglue@gmail.com

Wanted to buy: Used string tie machine in good working condition. Prefer B.H. Bunn co model or brand compatible with Poly/Cotton Twine #12. Please fax informa-tion and pricing to (906)932-5358 or call (906)932-2211 ext. 113 leave message.

WANTED: License for Quark 8.0. Contact Greg Mode, systems director, Daily Jef-ferson County Union, at (920) 563-5553 ext. 132, or gmode@hoards.com.

To Give Away - To anyone still in the print-ing business, a big box of staples for Bos-tich stapler heads Nos. C6250A, C6200B and E6200B. Sizes 25 1/2, 25 3/8 and 25 1/4. My Bostich stapler is now in the local museum and no longer needs the refills. Contact Frank Eames at 262-723-6144. You can pick up at the old Elkhorn Inde-pendent building if you’re close by or pay only the shipping cost if further away.

Nikon D700, camera only, one owner, $1,400. Serious

inquiries only. Contact Michael McLoone for more information, mtmcloone@gmail.com.

The Daily Globe of Ironwood Michigan has for sale: AB Dick 9850 Offset Press. Two-color, Chain Delivery, Swing-away T-51 Head. Good condition. $3,000.00. You haul. (906) 932-2211 ext. 115.

PUBLISHER - WANT TO BE YOUR OWN BOSS? Due to health issues, a northcen-tral Wisconsin paid weekly newspaper and shopper is looking for a buyer and/or owner-operator to take the reins. Perfect for an experienced  all-around news-paper person who�s familiar with all facets of publishing. Earn an equity position while living and working in the beautiful Northwoods. Interested? Reply to Mary.Callen@WNAnews.com (44-52)

JOURNALISTS SEEKING JOBS

POSTED DECEMBER 2013

Amanda Graham — Reporter

POSTED NOVEMBER, 2013

Steve Wilson - Reporter

POSTED SEPTEMBER, 2013

Dale Bowers - Photographer

Cecil Foster - Circulation Specialist

POSTED AUGUST, 2013

Greg Ylvisaker - Editor/Journalist

POSTED JULY, 2013

Mario Koran - Journalist

POSTED MAY, 2013

Bridget Cooke - Journalist

POSTED APRIL, 2013

Matt Saxton - Editor

Michael Linville - Sports Reporter/Editor

Ed Gambardella - Sales Manager/Ad-vertising Executive

POSTED MARCH, 2013

Barbara Busch - Sales or Circulation Rep

Rebecca Rudolph - Reporter

Chuck Gysi - Newsroom Leadership

POSTED FEBRUARY, 2013

Gregory Lucid - Reporter

POSTED JANUARY, 2013

Barb Reittinger - Circulation specialist

Newspaper management veteran

Wanted to buy

Give Away

For sale

Publishing for sale

Seeking work

11

For Sale

Submit your adsWNA’s Free Member Exchange features “Help Wanted,” “Give Away” and “For Sale” ads submitted by WNA member newspapers. The Free Member Exchange is updated frequently and available online on the Employment page in the Industry Resources section of the WNA website and also distributed through a weekly email, sent to more than 800 subscribers with an interest in the Wisconsin newspaper industry.

Members may submit ads via email to: Mary.Callen@WNAnews.com. Member-submitted ads will appear on this page for four weeks and are included when Bulletins are distributed.

WNA members may also list help wanted and internship ads in the Iowa Newspaper Association Bulletin at no cost. Send your ad to jhulbert@inanews.com

Ads from non-members are 25¢ per word with a $50 minimum per month of publication. Get WNA’s

Free Member Exchange delivered to your inbox: Subscribe to the Free Member Exchange email list >>

Submit your resumeIf you are seeking work in the Wisconsin newspaper industry and would like to have your resume includ-ed, please:E-mail your name, the type of position you’re seeking (i.e., editorial, advertising, business, etc.), and your resume in PDF (preferred) or MS Word.Include “Resume” in the subject line of your e-mail. Your resume will remain online for up to three months, unless you request removal sooner. The Wisconsin Newspaper Association reserves the right to decline resumes, and is not responsible for inaccurate resume information sent by applicants.

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association has partnered with Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to assist its outreach efforts to detect Medicare fraud in the state.

WNA is distributing public service advertisements, requesting members place the ads as space is available. Your response has been super!

A BIG THANK YOU to our member newspapers for running the ads. If you haven’t run these ads, we’d like to respectfully request that you consider using them as space allows.

Please consider running one of the following 2x2 or 2x4 ads in your

paper, as a public service and contri-bution to your newspaper association, as space permits.

Your newspapers have also received news releases from Wisconsin SMP through WNA’s release service (Wisconsin News Tracker) and will receive more releases in the future. Thank you to the newspaper editors who have chosen to run the releases. Please consider printing and posting future SMP releases to inform your readers about the programming avail-able to seniors and caregivers. Wisconsin has 918,344 Medicare beneficiaries among the approximate-ly 47,672,971 in the nation.

Help report, prevent Medicare fraud

DOWNLOAD A PDF of all three ads >>

FREE FOR WNA MEMBERS:There is no charge for members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association to place ads in the Free Member Exchange.

Communications Director Mary.Callen@WNAnews.com

Direct line: (608) 283-7623

WNA newsletters; Wisconsin Newspaper Directory; promotions

and communications;WNAnews.com; collegiate and high school journalism

outreach

Media Services Director Denise.Guttery@WNAnews.com

Direct line: (608) 772-2479

News Tracker – monitoring services and press releases; WNA

newspaper archive; WisconsinPublicNotices.org; WisconsinNewsTracker.com

WNA Foundation Director Bonnie.Fechtner@WNAnews.com

Direct line: (608) 283-7622

WNAF contests, scholarships, internships; Trees Retreat; WNA

Member services;

Wisconsin News Tracker Team Leader

Dianne.Campbell@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7625

News Tracker account manager; search technician supervisor

Communications Specialist Search Technician

MaryKate.Elbow@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7620

WNA member information; search technician; Wisconsin Openness

Report; Member Exchange

Wisconsin News Tracker Search Technician

Ruzica.Dzanic@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7626

News Tracker search technician

Member Exchange/AboutWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 2014

WNA Staff

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association exists to strengthen the newspaper industry, enhance public understanding of the role of newspapers, and protect basic freedoms of press, speech and the free flow of information.

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) was established in 1853 and is among the oldest press associations in the world. Over the years, the association has established a number of services for its members, advertisers and the general public.

Created by and for Wiscon-sin’s newspapers, WNA exists to strengthen the newspaper industry, enhance public understanding of the role of newspapers, and protect ba-sic freedoms of press, speech and the free flow of information.

WNA is the single point-of-contact for working with newspapers in Wisconsin. In addition to serving 223 member newspapers (31 dailies and 192 weeklies), WNA serves advertis-ers through advertising placement programs (Customized Newspaper

Advertising) and additional clients through WisconsinNewsTracker.com (news tracking and release services).

Supporting WNA goals is the WNA Foundation, a not-for-profit orga-nization created in 1980 to improve the quality and future of Wisconsin’s newspapers and the communities they serve. The foundation solicits, manages and disburses funds and other resources for the benefit of Wisconsin’s newspaper industry and, ultimately, the citizens of our state.

Contact >>Visit us at: 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI

Phone: (608) 283-7620 or (800) 261-4242 Fax: (608) 283-7631 Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

WNA Board of Directors President: Kent Eymann, Publisher, Beloit Daily News

First Vice President: Carol O’Leary, Publisher, The Tribune-Phonograph, Abbotsford

Second Vice President: Chris Hardie, Executive Editor, La Crosse Tribune

Third Vice President: Bill Johnston, Publisher, Wisconsin State Journal, Madison

Secretary: Brian Thomsen, Publisher, Valders Journal

Treasurer: Genia Lovett, Publisher, The Post-Crescent, Appleton

Past President: Steve Dzubay, Group Publisher, RiverTown Multimedia, River Falls

Mike Beck, Publisher, Wausau Daily Herald

Sidney “Skip” Bliss, Publisher, The Gazette, Janesville

John Ingebritsen, Regional Publisher, Morris Newspapers, Lancaster

Jennifer Peterson, Media Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, Journal Communications, Inc.

Phil Paige, Group Publisher, Conley Media, Waukesha

Ann Richmond, Publisher, The Daily Reporter, Milwaukee

Paul Seeling, Publisher, Woodville Leader

Gregg Walker, Publisher, The Lakeland Times, Minocqua

We’re here for you!

DENISE GUTTERYBONNIE FECHTNER

DIANNE CAMPBELLMARY KATE ELBOW RUZICA DZANIC

BETH BENNETT

MARY CALLEN

WNA Executive DirectorReach Beth by email at

Beth.Bennett@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7621

Director of WNA/WNA Services/WNA Foundation operations and policies; legislative advocate

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association has been taking steps to ensure all newspapers are in compliance with Wisconsin law, which now requires that every public notice published in a newspaper appear on the search-able statewide website - WisconsinPublicNotices.org. The site is main-tained by WNA and uploading of all public notice content will help to preserve the industry’s communications leadership and revenue streams.

To ensure compliance with the law, WNA changed its bylaws pertaining to newspaper membership to reflect the reality of digital record keeping. The change was approved by the WNA membership at its 2013 annual meeting, held in February.

As a condition of membership, all WNA members are now required to send their publications to WNA electronically. All PDF pages of your pub-lication must be uploaded to the association via FTP (file transfer proto-col). These PDF files are used by WNA for tear sheets, archiving and also to meet legal requirements for the Wisconsin Public Notice website.

When you send your pages electronically to the WNA, you will also gain access to a free, searchable electronic archive for your newspaper. Each newspaper has been assigned a specific code and login information to upload pages and access the paper’s archive. To get your newspa-per’s coding and login information, please contact WNA Media Services Director Denise Guttery at Denise.Guttery@WNAnews.com.

WNA members: Please promote WisconsinPublicNotices.org in your print and digital products. Download ads here >>

Does your paper comply with public

notice laws?

12

Writing MattersJim Stasiowski, the writing coach for The Dolan Co., welcomes your ques-tions or comments.

Call him at 775- 354-2872, or write to 2499 Ivory Ann Drive, Sparks, Nev. 89436. He has coached report-ers at newspapers and magazines in dozens of states.

What a horrible yearWhoever is keeping score – I’m talk-ing about cosmic score, not some simplistic accounting of touchdown passes or three-pointers from the top of the key – should take note of what a horrible year 2013 was.

To be clear, the reason I’m unhappy with 2013 has nothing to do with problems at work, family calamities or public humiliation. I’ve managed to avoid all three, occasionally by the narrowest of margins.

No, 2013 was a bummer because three of my best newspaper friends either have left, or announced they were leaving, their newsrooms.

One is retiring; one found a prom-ising outside-journalism opportu-nity; and one … well, he’s hard to describe, but whatever he does next, he’ll have more fun than anyone else and get rich. Maybe richer. I’ve never asked about his finances.

What you need to know is that all three have three things in common. (Four, if you count occasional loud arguments with me, often fueled by post-deadline drinks.)

First, all have been extremely suc-cessful writers as well as highly accomplished, inspirational editors.

Second, each is very much an indi-vidual, unafraid to defy the conven-tional wisdom. As one of them often advised journalists, “When a bunch of reporters are running toward something, run in the opposite direc-tion because that’s where the real story is.”

Third, they are three of the wittiest people I’ve ever known. Maybe the three wittiest.

Here are the reasons elevated wit cor-relates to excellent journalism:

Inherently, a newsroom is tense. Story pitches that sounded good at 8:30 a.m. are in jeopardy by 10:15, then shortly after noon, are discarded as good ideas gone bad, replaced by different pitches that may suffer the same fate.

A sense of humor will dispel tension, sure, but tension can return as swiftly as a fire hose fills a teacup. But wit shows that, even though there is plenty to worry about in a newsroom, ers will appreciate as meaningful.

Read the rest of the column on the WNA website >>

Ad-libs John Foust has trained thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training.

For information, contact: John Foust, PO Box 97606, Raleigh, NC 27624. E-mail: john@johnfoust.comPhone: 919-848-2401.

You’re replacing someone. Now what?

I was talking to Angela about her early days at her newspaper. “When I moved into this sales job, a lot of clients asked about the person I replaced. Most of them asked inno-cent questions about how that person was doing. But some of them were nosy and persistent. I figured the best strategy was to stay upbeat.”

It’s a big challenge to step into a new position, whether it’s a result of account reassignments or a mat-ter of replacing someone who has left the newspaper. By being upbeat, Angela was on the right track. People transition in and out of jobs and sales territories all the time – and the new person has some control of how those changes are perceived. Here are three points to keep in mind:

1. Be positive. Never say anything negative about the person you’re replacing. “Early on, I decided to avoid saying things that I wouldn’t say if my predecessor were in the room,” Angela said. “There’s nothing to be gained by criticism, even if that person left under negative circum-stances.

“It’s smart to prepare some posi-tive comments – things that are true, things you can say with sincerity. For example, you can say something like, ‘I appreciate your concern. Joe developed some ad strategies which got great results for his accounts.” Or ‘Joe told me how much he enjoyed working with you. I’m sure his old accounts will miss him.’”

2. Don’t gossip. It’s human nature for clients to want to hear the details – good or bad – of how and why their former representative is no longer handling their advertising. And it’s natural to want to please their curios-ity. That’s why even the most inno-cent question calls for self-discipline.

“Just because people are curious doesn’t mean I have to answer inappropriate questions,” Angela explained. “I found it helpful to say, ‘I appreciate your interest in Joe, but I wasn’t here at the time, so I really can’t answer your question.’ I kept my comments as neutral as possible.”

Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”

Read the rest of this column on the WNA website >>

Design for ReadersEd Henninger is an independent newspaper consultant and Director of Henninger Consulting. He offers comprehensive newspaper design services including redesigns, work-shops, design training and design evaluations.

Visit www.henningerconsulting.com or ed@henningerconsulting.com

10 News design basicsA few years ago, I developed the Francis A. Henninger Grant Program, which helps me improve the look of even the smallest newspapers.

From my work on those projects, I’ve realized that many editors at these papers have hardly any training in proper news design. Many of them are just “winging it,” and they’ll freely admit it.

As a result of that realization, I now offer a seminar titled “News Design 101: All Basics. No Bull.” The presentation offers those editors an opportunity to learn some of the most fundamental techniques, approaches and practices of good news design.

Many of those who read this column also serve their community newspa-per as editor, publisher, reporter, pho-tographer, clerk, janitor, gofer, etc. And they, too, will admit they have little design training. So I thought I’d share some of the tips in that seminar here.

Here’s a Top 10 Basic News Design Things You Need to Know:

1. Headline hierarchy. Place larger heads higher on the page. Give your lead news story the largest, boldest headline. Start big, so your smallest head isn’t teeny-tiny.

2. Use a dominant photo. Give your lead photo some size. At least three columns. Anything smaller doesn’t bring enough impact to the page.3. Crop photos tightly. Look for the picture in your picture. Rid your photos of cluttered backgrounds and zoom in on your subject.

4. Avoid funky photo formats and frames. No ovals. No notched cor-ners, no colored or embossed frames. We are community newspapers, not high school yearbooks.

5. Use modular design. Keep all the elements and packages on your page in rectangular format. There will be times when you will have to “dog-leg” a story around ads, and that’s acceptable. But stick to modular design wherever possible..

6. Keep briefs brief. No more than three to four inches. Anything more than that is a story—put a headline on it and place it elsewhere.ing in the right direction.

Read the rest of this column on the WNA website >>

Community Newsroom Success StrategiesJim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He is author of “Votes and Quote

He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com.

A lesson in reporting tragedy

A family’s farm is devastated by a tornado. A reporter is on the scene moments afterward to record the events, including talking with family members.

A student commits suicide and, understandably, it’s a shock to many people. A story documents the com-munity’s response; the family relives the episode, blow by blow.

A child is murdered. Within days, an interview with the grieving parent is published.

All three stories were handled dur-ing my tenure as editor of the Red Wing Republican Eagle. All three dealt with tragedies and involved interviews with family, friends or others close to the situation. All three probably put people in an unfamiliar – and uncomfortable – spotlight.

Tragedies are some of the most read-able stories but also the most difficult to write. It’s probably the toughest assignment for any reporter – rookie or veteran.

It’s difficult to predict how the people will respond – when approached for the story, during the interview and after it’s published for all to read. Anger, bitterness, remorse, guilt – people may react with any of these emotions.

A reporter from another newspaper, who was involved in such an inci-dent, wrote about a letter to the editor his newspaper received describing the reaction of the family of a man killed in a car-truck collision. It was written by a member of the man’s family.

“To be honest,” the family member wrote, “our first reaction was anger and dismay that a reporter would violate our family’s privacy during a time of grief. The reporter, however, handled the contact with tact and concern that was not upsetting to our mother.

“The result was an article that pro-vided your readers with some small comprehension of this man who died in the crash. For many readers who wondered why they were late to work, your paper let them know it was because a decent, hardworking man lost his life that day, and this man had a family that is now griev-ing its loss.”

Read the rest of the column on the WNA website >>

Newspaper TechnologyKevin Slimp is a speaker and trainer in the newspaper industry.

Visit www.kevinslimp.com or e-mail kevin@kevinslimp.com.

Reflecting on 2013I thought the holidays were sup-posed to be the easy time of the year. Whoever came up with that idea surely wasn’t a journalist. I remember looking at my calendar just a few months ago and thinking that November and December were going to be awfully quiet. It’s funny how things work out differently than planned. That’s certainly been true for me lately.

My, how things have changed. A year ago, I was spending most of my time writing and speaking about the situation in New Orleans and other Newhouse cities. At the time, it seemed like we might all be fol-lowing their lead. Funny how things change in a year.

In the past few weeks, I’ve been all over the map. I would like to be the first to declare that “The end is near” period has ended and most news-papers are now figuring out how to improve their products again.

OK, in truth, plenty of others have realized that lately. It’s becoming quite chic again to write about the future with optimism.

And what are newspapers asking of me these days? My recent trips can be broken down into three catego-ries:

- Publishers Summits: Groups of publishers gather now and then to discuss what’s going on in the indus-try and how to better prepare for the future. I’ve been leading these and the change in perception has been quite striking since a year ago. While some publishers still arrive with seri-ous worry about the future of their newspapers, most seem to come with stories of rising profits and optimism about the future. There’s a lot less talk about digital - which seemed to be all we were talking about a couple of years ago - and a lot more talk about creating better products.

- Getting Color Right: I guess it’s only natural that since we do, indeed, have a future, it only makes sense to prepare for it. Over the past two weeks, I’ve been in Tupelo, Mississippi and Newport, Rhode Island, working with daily news-papers to improve the quality of their printing. I suppose I shouldn’t forget the Selmer Independent Appeal, a weekly newspaper in West Tennessee. And in the next few weeks, I’ll be in Minnesota and back in Tennessee, doing the same thing.

Read the rest of the column on the WNA website >>

Industry columnistsWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 2014

JOHN FOUST JIM STASIOWSKIED HENNINGER JIM PUMARLO KEVIN SLIMP

13

Education & TrainingWNA BULLETIN | JANUARY 2014

Online Media Campus provides high-quality, low-

cost online training to media professionals. More

than 20 programs are offered annually on writing

and editorial topics, print and online advertising

sales, technology, social networking, management

issues and much more.

Each program runs approximately 60 minutes

and is designed to be interactive. A post-webinar

follow-up by presenters is included to ensure that

all questions are answered. Registration is typically

$35.

Online Media Campus is a partnership of the

Southern Newspaper Publishers Association, the

Iowa Newspaper Foundation and the Wisconsin

Newspaper Association Foundation — in addition to

press associations throughout the United States and

Canada.

Online certificate programs are offered as more

in-depth trainings which go beyond the typical one-

time webinar. Each program is individually designed

to fit the subject matter and training requirements.

Find out more

http://www.onlinemediacampus.com

14

2014 WNA/AP Convention and Trade Show Waukesha will host the

2014 annual Wisconsin Newspaper Association/Associated Press Convention and Trade Show, set for Feb. 27-28,2014 at the Milwaukee Marriott West.

The annual event draws

nearly 500 Wisconsin newspa-per industry professionals — including publishers, adver-tising executives, editors, reporters, journalism students, faculty and more.

The two-day event offers educational seminars, a trade show, statewide awards pre-sentations and networking opportunities. Winners of the annual WNA Foundation intern-ships, scholarships and Better Newspaper Contest are honored, inductions to the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame are made and WNA’s Badger Award (recognizing champions of open government) is presented.

Mark your calendars

Woodward Communications employees meet with young journalists during the Career Fair, held at each year’s WNA/AP Convention and Trade Show.

Be sure to take advantage of special rates from WNA’s partners

The Wisconsin Newspaper Association is pleased to offer a variety of quality educational programs at reduced rates by partnering with regional and national media associations.

To help de-clutter your inbox, WNA is now sending a weekly summary of upcoming top-notch training opportunities.

Be sure to indicate you are a WNA member when registering and take advantage of reduced rates on these offerings!

Visit http://bit.ly/18r2ywy to sign up for the Tuesday Tune-Ups messages (click General Interest messages) and also for WNA’s Government Update, Wisconsin Openness Report and/or Press Notes newsletters.

Learn at your convenience

Prospecting Digitally: How to Warm-up Leads and Quit Cold-Calling

Thursday,Jan.9•RegisterbyJan.6

People are harder to reach today through traditional approaches. Social selling and business-to-business selling are working today and you need those tools in your tool box. Social media selling is all about opening doors to people and opportunities. In this session, we’ll introduce simple and easy ways to execute tactics you can put to use immediately, including how to warm up leads, how to get known for what you do and how to create credibility.

Qualifying Opportunities: Quit wasting time on deals that won’t close

Thursday,Jan.23•RegisterbyJan.20

We’ve all been there. The prospect asks

for a proposal, claims they want to do it, promises you’re the one they’ll buy from, and as soon as they get your proposal, they disappear. Qualifying is about ask-ing questions. In this session, we’ll iden-tify the specific questions that must be asked in order to completely qualify your opportunities. You’ll learn how to feel more confident about opportunities clos-ing, understand the possible threats to an opportunity, be more consistent closing, move opportunities in your pipeline and better understand solutions.

Preventing Competitors From Stealing Your Customers

Thursday,Feb.13•RegisterbyFeb.10

Your best customers are your competitor’s best prospects. Today there is increased competition for your customer’s budget and it is harder to protect your custom-

ers from being swayed by the “new lat-est thing.” In this session we’ll identify account management opportunities and requirements and develop strategies to accomplish both. You’ll learn how to retain and grow more accounts, develop your relationships, generate referrals and introductions, cross-sell and up-sell and ultimately, generate more revenue.

Registration fee: $35 per session or $99 for the entire series. Group discounts are available. Visit our website for more infor-mation. (Registrations submitted after the deadline are subject to a $10 late fee)

Register at www.onlinemediacampus.com