Tag: Metro

Rosemary Feal, Modern Language Association, Metro Q&A: Stories that never ran

A year ago, I did a short interview with Rosemary Feal, then the Executive Director of the Modern Language Association, ahead of the group’s annual conference in Philadelphia.

The interview was due to run in the Metro but never did. With a year passed and its hook gone, I run it here for all you grammar geeks because there just might be interest in hearing the thoughts of someone who told me: “I also love the semicolon, but that’s just my personal preference.”

Find what I submitted below.

Continue reading Rosemary Feal, Modern Language Association, Metro Q&A: Stories that never ran

Metro: Seth Williams stumps and Northeast Philadelphia Now

Two pieces I wrote for NEast Philly made their way into yesterday’s Metro Northeast Philadelphia edition.

First, as depicted above, a piece on Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams’s presentation at the Northwood Civic Association meeting during which he again outlined the four main objectives of his nascent administration.

Second, as depicted below, my coverage of the second meeting of Northeast Philadelphia Now, a fledgling attempt to coalesce various neighborhood groups to fight back against quality of life crimes plauging that part of the city.

Continue reading Metro: Seth Williams stumps and Northeast Philadelphia Now

Metro cover on Frankford recovery homes, their content partnerships

The cover of a regional edition of the highest circulated daily newspaper in Philadelphia featured a news story of my own yesterday.

Rumors on the possible sale of an alleged drug-infested nuisance property veiled as a recovery home in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood that came out of last week’s Frankford Civic Association meeting was enough to warrant front page coverage of Metro. The property has been seen as something of a rallying call on the issue of illegal ‘recovery homes.’

I attended the meeting as a former resident and occasional contributor to NEast Philly, the Northeast hyperlocal, that started last month a content partnership with the Philadelphia edition of the international free daily newspaper franchise.

Continue reading Metro cover on Frankford recovery homes, their content partnerships

Reporting for Metro Philadelphia

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Metro (June 2009 to present): I regularly contribute news stories and short features to the Philadelphia edition of the international newspaper. I also occasionally fill-in for staff reporters. See examples of some of my larger stories here.

January 2010 Invoice

  1. Christopher Wink N Electric Assist Bicycle
  2. Christopher Wink N Bradley Ericson Entrepreneur Q&A 1/4/10

December 2009 Invoice

  1. 12/21/09: 3.5 hours, 1:30 to 5 p.m. (Delilah Winder Taxes 12/22/09) 70
  2. Rosemary Feal MLA 12/22/09
  3. End-of-year Philadelphia Statistics
  4. 12/20/09: 4 hours, 2:30-6:30 p.m. (Fishtown plow streets 12/21/09; Holiday shopping brief 12/21/09; Man on the street snow 12/21/09; City snow removal data 12/21/09) 80

November 2009 Invoice

  1. Christopher Wink N Devon Theater 11/20/09 $125
  2. Christopher Wink N Burholme Blaze 11/23/09 $25
  3. Christopher Wink N Old City shooting brief 11/23/09 $125
  4. Christopher Wink N Thanksgiving Bicyclist 11/30/09 $125

October 2009 Invoice

  1. Christoper Wink N Dressed as Yankees fan 10/23/09 150
  2. Christopher Wink N PPA Parking Wars 10/1/09 150
  3. Christopher Wink N PPA QA 10/5/09 75
  4. Christopher Wink N Buffalo wings 10/15/09 100
  5. Christopher Wink N Geert Wilders 10/20/09 30
  6. Christopher Wink N WS playoff guide-KILL 10/28/09 50
  7. Christopher Wink N Fans in wrong city 10/28/09 250

September 2009 Invoice

  1. 17 hours at $20 =$340 ( Tues 9/8: 8:30-5;30 (9 hours) Wed 9/9: 10:30-6:30 (8 hours)
  2. Michael Vick story 8/9/09 125
  3. Death of American post office 9/2/09 $100
  4. Reporting: Colleges 9/9/09 $25
  5. Mural Arts 9/9/09 $100
  6. Sunday 9/27: 12:30-6= 5.5 X $20 = $110
  7. Monday 9/28: 10:30-7= 8.5 X $20 = $170
  8. Sticky Duct-taped cat 9/30/09 $100
  9. Young and unemployed 9/30/09 $100

August 2009 Invoice

  1. Science Cheerleader 8/20
  2. Babbette
  3. Temple Tuition
  4. Wrongful termination
  5. Plan C

July 2009 Invoice $150

  1. Casino story
  2. Two small items

Metro: Snow reporting, records and such

Snow on Gaul
The remains of the second largest snow storm in recorded Philadelphia history on the 600-block of Gaul Street in the Fishtown neighborhood on Sunday, Dec.

Nothing newspapers love more than a big storm. I jumped into the fray with a few items for Metro on the second largest snowfall in recorded Philadelphia history in today’s paper.

The second worst snowstorm in Philadelphia’s recorded history welcomed John Hutchison to Fishtown over the weekend.

Read the rest of the main story here.

With intrepid photographer Rikard Larma, I trekked through the snowy streets of riverward neighborhood Fishtown and then up to some big box stores in Port Richmond.

A few extras below.

Continue reading Metro: Snow reporting, records and such

Metro: Bicycle rally following hospitalized cyclist and legislation

At left, victim Rachel Fletcher after being struck by a motorist on Thanksgiving Day. At right, her working as a bicycle messenger. Both photos were provided to me by Fletcher.
At left, victim Rachel Fletcher after being struck by a motorist on Thanksgiving Day. At right, her working as a bicycle messenger. Both photos were provided to me by Fletcher.

Another ugly chapter in the ongoing battle for the road between motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and the law was the focus of a story I wrote for Metro yesterday.

A few days after one of their own suffered serious facial injuries in a hit-and-run crash, city bicycle messengers upset with what one courier describes as “rising anti-cycling sentiment” are rallying at LOVE Park this evening. Read the rest here.

Staff writer Brian X. McCrone contributed to my reporting and helped pen the final product. Below I share how I got the story and a lot of other reading in this increasingly heated fight.

Continue reading Metro: Bicycle rally following hospitalized cyclist and legislation

Metro: Adding human color to a Northeast Philadelphia fire

Naja Wigglesworth was happy to be alive after jumping from her apartment building during an early-morning fire. Photo by Rikard Larma for Metro
Naja Wigglesworth was happy to be alive after jumping from her apartment building during an early-morning fire. Photo by Rikard Larma for Metro

I was able to humanize a bit the standard spot news metro fire story yesterday, when I covered a five-alarm blaze in the Burholme section of Northeast Philadelphia for Metro.

It wasn’t the fire and it wasn’t the screaming but God who woke up Naja Wigglesworth early Sunday morning, the 23-year-old says.

She was on the second floor of the Austin Manor Apartment building in the Burlholme neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia when it went up in flames around 4:30 a.m. yesterday.

Read the rest here.

So often, because of time constraints, coverage of these tragic fires are just rehashing of deaths and times and places, without accounting for the people who endure a great deal. I was happy I got to hear from residents about their experiences.

Below, local TV news coverage of the fire and an interview that didn’t make it into the front page story.

Continue reading Metro: Adding human color to a Northeast Philadelphia fire

Metro: A Yankees fan roaming Center City

yankees-in-philly-metro

I was paid by Metro to parade around a rainy Center City Philadelphia last Wednesday wearing a Yankees hat, ahead of their World Series matchup with the Phillies, who won that first battle.

Diane Allman took a second glance at the only piece of Yankees memorabilia for sale at the Moell’s at 16th and Chestnut streets, turning up her nose at the Derek Jeter shirt. [Source]

See how the clip appeared in print here, and check that Thursday New York edition, which ran the experience of a reporter who dressed as a Phillies fan in Manhattan.

It’s one of those experiences that remind you why freelance writing can be a sweet gig. Below some background and extras from the story.

Continue reading Metro: A Yankees fan roaming Center City

Metro Phillies World Series package: Fans in the wrong city and best bars

Second page of Philadelphia and New York editions of Metro on Oct. 28, 2009.
Second page of Philadelphia and New York editions of Metro on Oct. 28, 2009.

As I normally do for a story, last Monday I publicized on Twitter and Facebook and my instant-message status and through e-mail that I needed sources for a story for Metro, the free daily newspaper with editions in Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.

Looking for Yankee fans living in Philly and Phillies fans living in NYC for a story. Who can help me out? [Source]

Just a few hours later, after wading through the responses, I had more than a dozen examples and more trickling in.

Last Wednesday, the day that the Phillies would win the first game of the World Series against the New York Yankees, I had a small package on the rivalry’s fandom, highlighted by small profiles of three fans in each city that cheered for the opposing team.

Like pictured above, see how the print version looked in Philadelphia and in New York. As always, below some background and extras that weren’t fit to print.

Continue reading Metro Phillies World Series package: Fans in the wrong city and best bars

Metro: Q&A with “Parking Wars” TV show producers

Some castmember of the reality show "Parking Wars."
Some castmember of the reality show "Parking Wars."

I spoke to series producer Andrew Dunn and executive producer Dan Flaherty of A&E’s popular reality show “Parking Wars” for last Tuesday’s issue of Metro-Philadelphia.

The show, which has followed staff of the Philadelphia Parking Authority for two seasons, is back for a third, which will also include scenes from Detroit’s parking enforcement agency. Unfortunately, that piece only ran in print, not online, although the week before I had another story on the PPA that was put on the newspaper’s Web site.

Because of space limitations, my Q&A with those two producers was additionally slashed, leaving just a few questions with Dunn. Below, I share what Flaherty, the show’s co-executive producer, had to say.

Continue reading Metro: Q&A with “Parking Wars” TV show producers