Ovittore's Cherry

Yeah, we took Ovittore's cherry.
And no, we didn't pay him for it.
You got to keep these guys hungry and lean — helps 'em keep their edge.
Seriously: we don't pay for Local Vocals as of yet -- remember we're only a few months old and have not yet blossomed into the media giant we will eventually become. That'll probably take two or three more weeks. The Local Vocal is, however, a very good way to break into out pages.
I told Jay the other day that the first few clips are the hardest to come by -- at least that was the case with me when I started as a freelancer in 1994. Someone at the GambitWeekly in New Orleans gave me my first break and I cut it out and lugged it all over town. But clips beget more clips, and by the time I had about 30 or so I was able to prove to editors that I had the goods and I could meet deadlines every single time.
I, too wrote for free at times in the early stages of my career (against the advice of many of my professors, by the way) and I also wrote for very little. I did a story on panhandling once (unposted) where I actuallty begged for change in the French Quarter for eight hours. I got paid $20 to write the piece. I made $40 panhandling. It was a real eye-opening experience.

Charles Womack dies at 87

My grandfather and the man for whom I am named, passed away yesterday at the age of 87. He was an amazing man that did more good and touched more lives than anyone I have ever known. I am honored that he passed his passion for hard work, travel, family and living life to the fullest on to me, Charles A. Womack III. But of all the gifts he gave me, the one that is the most valuable and can never be taken away, is his name. I am proud to be Charles Womack and extremely proud to be the son of Charles Womack, Jr. and to have been the grandson of Charles A. Womack Sr.

The following was printed in our hometown newspaper of Danville, Va.

Charles Womack dies at 87
June 2, 2005
DANVILLE, Va. - E. Linwood Wright on Wednesday recalled a statement Charles A. Womack made recently during a Sunday school class at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church.

“There are times when one has to stand up and be counted, no matter how unpopular it may be.”

That was how Womack’s family and friends say he lived his life.

Womack died Wednesday at Danville Regional Medical Center following a period of illness. He was 87.

Womack, who served on Danville City Council from 1958-1966, was known for fighting for those who were unable to fight for themselves. He was a champion of the local civil rights movement, communicating the concerns of the city’s minority residents to city council. His efforts led one former councilman, the late John Carter, to attempt to have Womack censured.

“He was always working toward promoting racial harmony,” said Womack’s son, Charles “Zan” Womack Jr. “And of course, at that time, he took a lot of criticism for it.”

Bishop Lawrence Campbell of Bibleway Cathedral became acquainted with Womack in 1963 during the height of the civil rights movement in the city.

“He was very amenable to the cause, and to me, served as a bridge-builder in the community between the races,” Campbell said. “He was very sincere and (a) very philanthropic and highly religious man … a person who quietly helped so many people without blowing a trumpet.”

But Womack’s efforts went far beyond his work at city hall. Countless children in the city’s low-income neighborhoods are able to take swimming lessons and participate in summer camps each year because of Womack’s financial support, said Danville Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director John Gilstrap.

“He was a great gentleman,” Gilstrap said. “He was one of Danville’s finest, and he will be dearly missed.”

The foundation bearing Womack’s name made many of those opportunities possible for the area’s youth. The Womack Foundation was established in 1959 with the goal of providing educational and recreational opportunities for local children. Several parks and community centers were also built with foundation funds.

Wright, a former Danville mayor, said residents would never know the extent of Womack’s generosity. He said Womack donated “a ton of money,” most it anonymously.

“He liked to support people,” Wright said. “He was not a brick-and-mortar person particularly.”

An exception to this rule was Womack’s support of the Estelle H. Womack Museum of Natural History. The museum is named in honor of Womack’s wife, who died in 1994. Womack donated a total of $350,000 to the museum.

As a permanent member of the Womack Foundation board, Campbell said he witnessed Womack give numerous low-income children the opportunity for a college education. Campbell said Womack “walked among many great men, but never lost the common touch.”

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time, but the family asks that memorials be made to the Womack Foundation, c/o American National Bank, P.O. Box 191, Danville, Va., 24543.

By JONNELLE DAVIS
Register & Bee staff writer

You never forget your first...

Note: This is my first official blog post.
As you can see, we here at YES! Weekly have decided to crash another party. Thanks for having us.
Here we'll try to bring you some of the things we can't (or won't) tackle in our pages. All of our employees will be encouraged to post, and for my part I'll do my best to put out a couple things a week.
One caveat: When I lapse into this type of informal writing style, I tend to be a bit more raw than in printed publications. I'll most likely preface my posts geared towards older readers with an ostentatious warning.
But for the most part, this blog interests me because I'm very much on board with the new trend towards transparency in the media. I envision posting items concerning the 'how' and 'why' of some of the stories we cover in the big book and maybe some glimpses into the decision-making process over here, both in terms of editorial content and the many choices a writer or photographer makes when applying his craft.
And sometimes the best story is the untold one behind the piece that appears in the print edition — the story behind the story, so to speak. When time and the libel laws permit, I'll be runnning some of those as well.
Feel free to ask us anythiing in this forum. And also be generous in dispensing advice — we realize we're the newcomers here and that we can benefit from the wisdom of the blogging sages here in town and elsewhere.
An example: I just learned how to hyperlink, but since I'm on a Mac (running OS 10.3.7 and using Safari 1.2.4 as my browser) I did it manually. Is there an easier way?

Tell us how we could make YES! Weekly better. What would you like to see more of, less of, etc?

Putting my toes in the water, and getting sauce on my hands.

After attending the amazing fund-raising event hosted by David Hoggard, his lovely wife, Jinni, a vast amount of local bloggers, friends and families, I was blown away! The support and fellowship that has brought these people together is something to be appreciated. Sure blogging is fun and neat and appears to be the hot new form of internet communication of the day, but the friendships and unity that this new forum has created is much more impressive to me. My wife and I attending the event with our little girl Caroline and had some kind of fun. The food was waaaaaaay too good and I ate much too much. Though the BBQ sandwiches were top notch, I kinda enjoyed sneaking around the side, moving past Billy The Blogging Poet and making friends with the man in control..the grill master. If you were smooth enough, he would rip you out a few ribs, BEFORE THEY WERE CUT UP FOR SANDWICHES...and my gosh. The sauce was top shelf. Though I did not get this guys name, I did ask nicely for the recipe for the rib sauce. He politely declined. I asked again thinging he would reveal something...NOTHING...I guess ribbing is kinda like being a magician. Never reveal your tricks.
Charles Womack
PS This is our first attempt at a blog, so HELP!!!! I want the site to be better.