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Junk Food

I guess there's pretty much an "official" day for anything.

Alexa tells me today is National Junk Food Day. 

OK, if you say so. 

What We Do: Getting theTraffic Safety Message Out..in Boston

 

As the summer continues, we continue to get exposure for client The National Road Safety Foundation, talking in the media about summer driving and teens.  Our spokesperson appeared live on Boston's WCVB-TV 5.  We also had a live spot last weekend on Chicago's WFLD-TV, on "Good Day Chicago."

Teen crashes and fatalities spike during the summer months -- an average of 9 teens are killed every day during the "100 deadliest days" from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Our campaign, which includes social media with partner SADD, calls attention to the risks and has ways to keep kids safe on the road.

 

What We Do: Innovation in the Classroom

Heading out to Aurora, Colorado for a quick trip to present the Innovation in the Classroom Award on behalf of The National Road Safety Foundation.  I'll be presenting the award Monday to Deputy Sheriff John Shallenberger, a school resource officer in the Tazewell County IL schools, at the national conference of the National Association of School Resource Officers.

SROs are a dedicated group of police officers who mentor young people and set good examples for them.  I'm honored to be in their midst.

 

 

 

What We Do: Getting the Teen Driver Safety Message Out...in Chicago

If you're in Chicago and watch Good Day Chicago on FOX32 WFLD-TV, yes, that was me this morning, talking about the 100 deadliest days of summer.

Here's a clip, running about 3-1/2 minutes.

 

 

A Return to the Dark Ages

 

It looks like the Supreme Court, powered by extremist Republican lawmakers, pushed us back in time, removing Constitutional freedoms for women (and men).

Time to push back before we no longer recognize our great nation.  November is only 4 months away.

What We Do: Safest Summer Ever

 

As we get into summer officially, we're continuing our efforts for The National Road Safety Foundation, getting the word out about safe driving for teens during the summer months, when teen traffic deaths spike by about 20 percent.

We're working with some partner youth organizations like SADD and FCCLA.  Here's a clip from a great live interview one of the student leaders of FCCLA, Haley Reid, did with the NBC station in Montgomery, Alabama.

We have another live spot coming up Friday with Good Day Chicago on WFLD-TV.

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My Hero...Always

What's the meaning of Juneteenth?

Congrats to friend Torrey Maldonado, a teacher and a Christopher Award-winning children's book author, who has organized, for the 2nd year, a group of black authors to talk about the meaning and significance of Juneteenth. 

Here's a story from School Library Journal about the effort.  

He's put together an impressive group of writers and it's definitely worth a read.

And here's a link to the piece in Brown Bookshelf today.

 

 

What We Do: Teen Traffic Safety

Here's another clip from our virtual media tour to promote the Safest Summer Ever campaign by The National Road Safety Foundation and SADD.

 

This clip is from CBS 17 in Raleigh NC.  It aired on the evening news Friday night.

 

Jazz Birthday -- Oliver Nelson

One of my all-time favorite jazz musicians and composers, Oliver Nelson, was born on this day in 1932.    

I first heard his music when I was new to jazz, in high school in the early '60s.  Pianist/jazz educator Dr. Billy Taylor had a show on radio in New York, which is how I stumbled across jazz.  Billy had a new record out on Capitol, backed by a big band arranged and led by Oliver Nelson.  When I bought the album, I fell in love with one of Oliver Nelson's tunes called "Stolen Moments," which is now a jazz classic.  It has a beautifully haunting melody and, over the years, some great lyrics have been written to go with the tune.  Hear it here, from his album "Blues & The Abstract Truth."

When I was in college radio, I played Oliver Nelson's tunes many times on my jazz show.  I'd always crank up the volume, sit back and enjoy it.

Nelson only lived to age 43, which was a real loss to jazz since he undoubtedly had many more tunes in his head and heart.

Happy birthday Oliver Nelson and thanks for the great tunes that live on.

 

Click here to hear him perform "Black, Brown & Beautiful."