Press Release/Crime Story Assignment

EXTORTION/Caleb Waldron 1

ASSEMBLYMAN PLEADS GUILTY FOR ATTEMPTED EXTORTION

By Caleb Waldron

KALAMAZOO, Mich., On October 19^th former state Assemblyman Alfred E. Steele pleaded guilty to attempted extortion related to the guidance of public contracts, according to U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie.

The New Jersey Assemblyman pled guilty to accepting $15,500 in bribes from an FBI undercover insurance brokerage company in exchange for official assistance in the direction of public contracts and further payment via a portion of the insurance brokerage’s revenue.

Mr. Steele, age 53, was arrested on September 6 along with 10 other public officials and one private citizen for one-count criminal Information charging attempted extortion under color of official. Prior to his arrest, Mr. Steele had arranged and attended meetings between public officials within several municipalities, including his own, and

representatives of the FBI undercover brokerage company. The defendants involved in

the scandal include officials from the Paterson Housing Authority, the City of Passaic, the City of Orange, and the Paterson School District. After his arrest, Mr. Steele resigned both his job as a Passaic County undersheriff and his seat in the New Jersey Assembly.

The case was brought before U.S. district judge Anne E. Thomson. The crime carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison with a $250,000 fine. Mr. Steele faces 37-46 months in federal prison and currently remains free on $200,000 bond pending sentence. Christie credited the investigation’s success to special agents of the FBI under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun. Also credited were investigators and prosecutors with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office under Prosecutor Theodore F.L. Housel.

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Source: FBI press release via: http://newark.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2007/nk101907.pdf

Critique on New York Times "Death Penalty Tests a Church as It Mourns"

The following is a critique of the October 28th New York Times story "Death Penalty Tests a Church as It Mourns" by Alison Leigh Cowan, accessible through the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/nyregion/28cheshire.html?ref=todayspaper

CRITIQUE/Caleb Waldron 1

CRITIQUE ON NEY YORK TIMES ARTICLE “DEATH PENALTY TESTS A CHURCH AS IT MOURNS”

By Caleb Waldron

This article lacks structure, eloquence, and detail, starting with the title. “Death Penalty Tests a Church as it Mourns” is confusing and unnecessarily convoluted. “As is mourns” is superfluous; something like “Death Penalty Tests mourning church” would grab the reader’s attention more, and draw a stronger connection between the death penalty and the church’s morning. Otherwise, they seem to be independent variables.

In terms of eloquence, this article smacks of speculation with questionable support. Phrases like “it might have been expected” and “they think/thought that” litter the work; there’s no sense of the concrete, or of actual facts. The article seems to consist entirely of hearsay and supposition. What’s more, the crux of the conflict within this article isn’t explicitly outlined. There’s mention of parishioners’ reluctance to publicly condemn the death penalty, but there’s no mention of their motivations for doing so.

There isn’t a single sentence in this piece that outlines the basic moral issue involved. As such, there’s no sense of overall context with this piece. The reader’s left stranded with the information that a church is conflicted over issues related to the death penalty, but isn’t given the proper tools to apply that conflict to their own lives or surrounding issues.

In regards to the overall context of the situation, there’s no sense of opposing viewpoints in this article. The sources are all parishioners who struggle with their own individual perspectives on the moral validity of the death penalty. But again, with no sense of larger context, the reader feels stranded from the piece.

Overall, this article relies on supposition and implication in such a way that creates a sterile, alien style.

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Article Critique 10/27

The following is a critique of the New York Times article entitled "Watchdog of C.I.A is subject of C.I.A inquiry" from October 11th.
http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/washington/12intel.html&OQ=_rQ3D1Q26refQ3Dtodayspaper&OP=2af68787Q2FQ5CuQ26cQ5CQ5BiNQ510iiQ5E5Q5C522DQ5Cb2Q5CbbQ5CuQ20Q51Q7E49OQ5Ei9Q5Cb549Q5EQ26GhQ7EQ5EdG

The first half of the article explains how Director Hayden’s investigation of Inspector General Helgerson can be viewed as counter-productive and outrageous. The second half of the article establishes why officials at the C.I.A are dissatisfied with the actions of Inspector General Helgerson. On the surface, this piece seems to provide an unbiased and evenly-balanced report of a conflict within the C.I.A between its Director and its Inspector General. But through a subtle orchestration of quotes and facts, the writer of this article conveys a sense of dissatisfaction and alarm over the actions of the Director of the C.I.A. These are my reasons:

1) The first indication of this subtle criticism is that while the title of the piece portrays the Inspector General as being the focus of the article, the actual name of the Inspector General isn’t mentioned until the third paragraph. The Director, however, is mentioned in the first paragraph. I understand that ledes and opening paragraphs are meant to convey as much important information to the reader as possible with the shortest amount of words- so I find that this article’s focus to be on the Director of the C.I.A, and not the Inspector General. This emphasis encourages the reader to question the actions of the Director.

2) Right before the article provides possible reasons for dissatisfaction with the Inspector General, there’s mention of the alternative and arguably preferable methods of complaint. This order of paragraphs leads to a skepticism towards critics of the Inspector General- while there’s an established disgruntlement towards the official, there’s no sense of justification for the investigation. In essence, the writer’s lack of evidence in support of the investigation itself, compared to the in-depth analysis provided by the first paragraph, subtly leans the report against the actions of the Director.

3) I find that the quotes of the first section are more powerful and well-worded than the quotes from the second section, which lends credence to the argument against the investigation. What’s more, the only ‘backed’ sources in this article are found in the first section- which lends more credence to their argument.

4) A paragraph found on the first page describes the firing of Mary O. McCarthy and the work of Mr. Helgerson in the investigation of officials. While no direct link between the two incidents is drawn, their inclusion in the same paragraph creates a sense of underhandedness on the part of the Director of the C.I.A.

5) The only concrete quote that ‘supports’ actions of the C.I.A Director is from John A. Rizzo, which states that “Director Hayden has done a lot of things to convince the operators that he’s looking out for them, and putting the I.G. back in its place is part of this.” But I find that this quote to be a subtle criticism of the Director- the wording ‘to convince’ could be interpreted as an attempt to fool others, or to convey a message that isn’t true. The choice of wording creates a sense of ambiguity that leans towards criticism.

In sum, this article criticizes the actions of the Director of the C.I.A without the use of an explicit confrontation or imposition of beliefs. This is conveyed especially well in the last paragraph, which describes the purpose of Inspector General as being ‘independent,’ after conveying the CIA’s desire to keep the situation contained within itself- thereby creating a sense of contradiction and highlighting a sense of skepticism towards the C.I.A.

Revised Obituary of War Hero

HERO DIES/Caleb Waldron 1

World War II Hero dies at 79

By Caleb Waldrdon

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Jeffrey R. Ahson, naval hero and longtime firefighter, died at 79 last night of emphysema, according to lietenant commander Geraldine Fyfe from the Naval Public Relations Office. “Ahson was a genuine war hero,” said Fyfe, clearly distraught over the hero’s death. Mr. Ahson was born in Chico, Calif. And served as a naval petty officer on the USS Emery during World War II. Mr. Ahson was noted for valor during the Battle of Midway in June 1942, during which he saved 4 seamen from the burning wreck and shot down three enemy aircraft. For his heroic actions, Mr. Ahson was promoted to ensign and was awarded both the Purple Heart and the Navy Cross.

After he retired from the navy in 1946, Ahson moved to Kalamazoo, Mich. He was designated as awarded the position of post commander of the American Legion 702 and of VFW 4206. Ahson was also a meber of the National Checkers Association, Gideon’s International, and the Elks Lodge. He was also an usher of John Calvin Presbyterian Church. Mr. Ahson served as a city firefighter until 1985 and collected firefighting memorabilia, including a 1924 fire truck that is now on display at the Museum of Kalamazoo. After his retirement, Mr. Ahson worked as a car salesman.

Mr. Ahson is survived by his wife Therese Alpert, his brother Henry from San

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Franscisco, his sisters Judith Eaker from Reedsville, N.C., Shirley Solomon from Newark, N.J., his children Richard Ahson from Phillipsburg, Kan., Angelina Malino from Omaha Neb. and Lilla Stalling from Pipe Creek, Texas and five grandchildren.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Littleton Mortuary, with viewings at 4 p.m. to 5:30 and 7:30 to 9 o’clock on Friday. The funeral will be held at Littleton Mortuary following the 10 a.m. services. The family requests no flowers.

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Article Critique on Bhutto Bombing 10/19

STORY CRITIQUE/Caleb Waldron 1

Critique of 10/19/2007 New York Times Piece “Bomb Attack Kills Scores in Pakistan as Bhutto Returns”

KALAMAZOO, Mich. 10/19/2007- I find this to be an extremely powerful article because of its use of structure and the order of its content. This article weaves together separate moods and pieces of information in such a way that the reader is drawn into the work, thereby conveying a large amount of information without creating a sense of boredom. The lede sets a fast-paced, informative tempo- the basic descriptions of time and place are encapsulated in a brief, to-the-point paragraph. But the motivations behind the car-bombing, or any sense of context in regards to the targeted victim, are left unaddressed until the fourth paragraph, where there’s reference to Benazir Bhutto’s political career. Because this paragraph only grazes the subject of possible motivations behind the attack, the reader is drawn further still into the piece. And the next few paragraphs certainly capture their attention- descriptions of the crowd, of the explosion’s devastating effect, and of a juxtaposition with comparatively uplifting/inspiring descriptions of Ms. Bhutto’s arrival creates a sense of drama and intrigue that easily holds the reader’s attention. Finally, towards the end of the piece, there’s an analysis of the event’s overall motivations and ramifications in regards to tensions between the Pakistani government and the Pakistan Peoples’ Party. By this time, the reader has received an in-depth, humanized, detailed description of an event that would seem sterile, alien, and statistics-oriented in the words of a less talented writer.

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Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/world/asia/19pakistan.html?ref=todayspaper&page

wanted=print

My fake obituary project, revised

After careful consideration, I decided to talk less about Ms. McKinney's personal life and focus more on her achievements. While I feel that her upbringing might have added a more personal element to her life, I felt that snapshots of her career in politics and teaching would get across a better representation of who she was to the community at large and grab the reader's attention. The obituary is as follows:

Obituary for Hannah McKinney

Hannah E. McKinney, mayor of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and professor of Economics and Business at Kalamazoo College since 1989, died last night at the age of 52 due to food poisoning at Kalamazoo College. Mayor McKinney’s husband, James, told reporters that the beloved political figure died after dining at Kalamazoo College’s cafeteria at approximately 6:45 at night. No other information was released in regards to the death.

Mayor McKinney was the publisher of several books, including “The Development of Local Public Services, 1650-1869: Lessons from Middletown, CT” by Greenwood Press in 1995. She also co-directed “Convening our Community” from 1999-2001, during which time she published several articles based on community building.

During her teaching career at Kalamazoo College in 1989, Mayor McKinney focused on the professional aspect of economics. Her area of study dwelt on the issues of urban economics, public finance, and urban planning. Her teachings both reflected this focus and reflected a wide spectrum within her field, as demonstrated in classes such as First-Year Seminars, studies of micro and macro economics, quantitative methods, and issues of urban development. After several years as a professor at the college, Mayor McKinney carried this enthusiasm for economics and development into the wider sphere of the city itself.

Her charisma for reform was first noted during her position on the City’s Planning Commission of Kalamazoo from 1991-1997, during which time she chaired the Comprehensive Plan update and also served on the Downtown Plan committee. After having a taste of political life, Mayor McKinney ran for and obtained political office as vice-mayor of Kalamazoo for four terms, from 1997-2007. During November of 2005, she was elected as mayor of Kalamazoo. In her own words, “it was a difficult campaign because (she didn’t) know whether Kalamazoo has been faced with so many hard issues in decades.” (Kalamazoo Gazette) Even now, issues of job loss, racial unrest, poverty, and tightening budgets are still an issue for Kalamazoo. But the Mayor’s efforts to thaw the icy relations between the cities of Kalamazoo and Portage may provide a solution in the form of inter-city commerce. Her later research efforts included work on the future of small metropolitan areas and work on a National League of Cities project that examined the measures of poverty alleviation in cities across America.

Mayor McKinney was born in 1955, and later received an AB from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a P.H.D in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. She lived with her husband James and their two children on Grande Avenue in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Funeral preparations were made by Truesdale Ansell Funeral Home on Westnedge Avenue, and services will be held at noon this coming Sunday at Allen Chapel Ame Church. Kalamazoo College will hold its own memorial service at 9:00 this coming Monday morning. She will be missed by all.

Throughout her career, Mayor McKinney literally ‘practiced what she preached’ in regards to progressive reform in the economic, political, and educational spheres.

SOURCES:

http://www.kalamazoocity.org/portal/government.php?page_id=263

http://www.kzoo.edu/faculty/profile.php?name=mckinney

Kalamazoo Gazzette, Wednesday November 9, 2005

Critique of Obituary

The following is a critique of the article "Nolan Herndon, Navigator in '42 Raid, Dies at 88" that can be accessed through the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/us/12herndon.html?ref=todayspaper

I find that this obituary’s focus the deceased’s military service detracts from conveying a sense of personality. Indeed, besides Mr. Herndon’s role as a navigator-bombardier there’s little to no reference of any other event related to his 82 years of life. The article further compartmentalizes the man’s life by emphasizing a single event within his career, known as the “Doolittle Raid.” While this was no doubt an influential and life-changing event within his life, there’s no sense of context- the reader gets no sense of what led him to engage in the event, or how it affected him in later life. There’s mention that he received the Medal of Honor, but nothing that connects him to the incident as a whole or distinguishes him from his fellow airmen. In essence, the reader feels completely disconnected from the deceased- the same obituary very well might have been written for any of the other 4 airmen who engaged in the “Doolittle Raid.” This is less an obituary than a cold, impersonal history lesson.

Critique of article related to starvation in Japan

This is a critique of the article “Death Reveals Harsh Side of a “Model” in Japan” by the New York Times that can be accessed through the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/world/asia/12japan.html?pagewanted=2

This article’s initial focus on the death a single victim of poor welfare in China adds an element of personality to an otherwise impersonal and un-contextualized abhorrence that affects millions. The ‘shock value’ of a starvation victim’s ledger grabs the reader’s attention and brings them to the focus of an issue that would otherwise be alien to the average American reader; there’s an element of connection to the piece. While I’m not a fan of the notion that ‘shock breeds good news,’ the account of pain and longing creates a connection that couldn’t be captured through a sterile graph of income projections or low-housing figures. Furthermore, the pictures convey the desperation of the welfare recipients’ situation. The frames of dilapidated housing and an emaciated victim of the welfare system capture a sense of the squalor in these peoples’ environments and a sense of connection to their situation as a whole. In essence, this paper creates a connection between the reader and a topic that would otherwise be alien and sterile.

Obituary Critique

The following is the title of an obituary posted on the New York Times website titled "Nolan Herndon, Navigator in '42 Raid, Dies at 88," which can be accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/us/12herndon.html?ref=todayspaper

I find that this obituary’s focus the deceased’s military service detracts from conveying a sense of personality. Indeed, besides Mr. Herndon’s role as a navigator-bombardier there’s little to no reference of any other event related to his 88 years of life. The article further compartmentalizes the man’s life by emphasizing a single event within his career, known as the “Doolittle Raid.” While this was no doubt an influential and life-changing event within his life, there’s no sense of context- the reader gets no sense of what led him to engage in the event, or how it affected him in later life. There’s mention that he received the Medal of Honor, but nothing that connects him to the incident as a whole or distinguishes him from his fellow airmen. In essence, the reader feels completely disconnected from the deceased- the same obituary very well might have been written for any of the other 4 airmen who engaged in the “Doolittle Raid.” This is less an obituary than a cold, impersonal history lesson.

Article Critique 10/12

The following is a review of the "New York Times" article "Watchdog of C.I.A. is Subject of C.I.A. Inquiry."

The first half of the article explains how Director Hayden’s investigation of Inspector General Helgerson can be viewed as counter-productive and outrageous. The second half of the article establishes why officials at the C.I.A are dissatisfied with the actions of Inspector General Helgerson. On the surface, this piece seems to provide an unbiased and evenly-balanced report of a conflict within the C.I.A between its Director and its Inspector General. But through a subtle orchestration of quotes and facts, the writer of this article conveys a sense of dissatisfaction and alarm over the actions of the Director of the C.I.A. These are my reasons:

1) The first indication of this subtle criticism is that while the title of the piece portrays the Inspector General as being the focus of the article, the actual name of the Inspector General isn’t mentioned until the third paragraph. The Director, however, is mentioned in the first paragraph. I understand that ledes and opening paragraphs are meant to convey as much important information to the reader as possible with the shortest amount of words- so I find that this article’s focus to be on the Director of the C.I.A, and not the Inspector General. This emphasis encourages the reader to question the actions of the Director.

2) Right before the article provides possible reasons for dissatisfaction with the Inspector General, there’s mention of the alternative and arguably preferable methods of complaint. This order of paragraphs leads to a skepticism towards critics of the Inspector General- while there’s an established disgruntlement towards the official, there’s no sense of justification for the investigation. In essence, the writer’s lack of evidence in support of the investigation itself, compared to the in-depth analysis provided by the first paragraph, subtly leans the report against the actions of the Director.

3) I find that the quotes of the first section are more powerful and well-worded than the quotes from the second section, which lends credence to the argument against the investigation. What’s more, the only ‘backed’ sources in this article are found in the first section- which lends more credence to their argument.

4) A paragraph found on the first page describes the firing of Mary O. McCarthy and the work of Mr. Helgerson in the investigation of officials. While no direct link between the two incidents is drawn, their inclusion in the same paragraph creates a sense of underhandedness on the part of the Director of the C.I.A.

5) The only concrete quote that ‘supports’ actions of the C.I.A Director is from John A. Rizzo, which states that “Director Hayden has done a lot of things to convince the operators that he’s looking out for them, and putting the I.G. back in its place is part of this.” But I find that this quote to be a subtle criticism of the Director- the wording ‘to convince’ could be interpreted as an attempt to fool others, or to convey a message that isn’t true. The choice of wording creates a sense of ambiguity that leans towards criticism.

In sum, this article criticizes the actions of the Director of the C.I.A without the use of an explicit confrontation or imposition of beliefs. This is conveyed especially well in the last paragraph, which describes the purpose of Inspector General as being ‘independent,’ after conveying the C.I.A.’s desire to keep the situation contained within itself- thereby creating a sense of contradiction and highlighting a sense of skepticism towards the C.I.A.

Assignment from page 181 of "Writing and Reporting"

Assignment from page 181 of "Writing and Reporting":

The Connecticut State Police Department banned hand-held radar guns yesterday due to concerns of a possible link with cancer, according to police spokesman Adam Berluti. The police departmnent’s ban on hand-held radar guns was ordered as a precaution while researchers study the possible link between cancer and long-term exposure to the radiation waves emitted by the device. “The feeling here is to err on the side of caution until more is known about the issue,” Berluti said. “The whole situation is under review.” The move is considered to be the first of its kind in a police agency, and came two months after three police officers in Connecticut filed workers’ compensation claims, saying that they developed cancer from using hand-held radar guns. While the ban affects 70 radar guns, which will be withdrawn from service, state troopers will continue to use radar units with transmitters mounted on the outside of their cruisers.

Amazing Lead from the New York Times

"ZAMORA, Mexico — When she gets her high, Lupita Díaz says she enters a sweet illusion of peace, a respite from her pain and self-loathing."

This lede was taken from the New York Times online on Tuesday, October 3. The article was titled "Drug Trade, Once Passing By, Takes Root in Mexico," and the link to the article is

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/world/americas/03addicts.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

I chose this soft lede because the writer captures a sense of instability and loss in little more than a dozen words.