Michael Shapiro of The Alternative Press –spoke on "The Changing World Of Journalism."

Mike Shapiro, CEO and Editor of Internet newspaper THEALTERNATIVEPRESS.COM, was introduced at the July 27 Kiwanis meeting by Monty Montague (Monty is on the left in the photo). Mike’s goal is to provide high quality, objective non-partisan information to the local area. The news service operates in ten towns: New Providence, Berkeley Heights, Summit, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Livingston, Madison, Short Hills-Milburn and Westfield.

Mike is an attorney. He graduated from Rutgers and Stanford Law School. At age 21 he was in the news when he ran for Mayor of New Brunswick, NJ. Born and raised in Livingston, Mike now lives with his family in New Providence.

He and his wife started the news business 20 months ago. Mike had a career in NYC as a full time lawyer. He likes to give back to his community and did pro bono work in NYC. He was not able to spend much time with his family or do the kind of community work he liked to do, so he decided to make a change.

He and his wife came up with the concept of publishing an online local newspaper for our area. They launched it in October 2008 in Summit, New Providence and Berkeley Heights. Today the site is looked at as one of the New Jersey leaders in 24/7 local on-line news. Over 400,000 people visited the website in the past year. Their staff is paid and includes over 200 freelance reporters, over 30 columnists and an 8-member sales team. Over 100 businesses advertise on the site.

He described how traditional printed newspaper businesses are in trouble. Many printed newspapers are going out of business due to lack of readers, growing expenses and competition from the Internet. Others are staying in business by becoming Internet newspapers. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is the largest hyper-local Internet newspaper in the USA.

The Alternative Press is totally free for readers to use. Expenses are covered by local business advertising. The site is launching a new Health and Wellness Section. The site has town news, topical sections, letters to the editor and guest columns. All publications are reviewed by the editor. Press releases are accepted and only checked for basic errors (the submitting organization has the byline). Organizations like Kiwanis can submit press releases which can contain up to 6 photos.

The site publishes a free community calendar. People can post an event themselves. Basic business directory listings are free. The website is search-engine optimized and indexed under Google News. Real estate listings can be posted at a low cost with up to 10 photos. People can also send HD videos to the editor for uploading to the website. At the end of August, TAP is re-launching the site with new state of the art technology. People will be able to do their own uploading. Views will be segmented by town and features can be viewed across all towns. Two more towns will be added n the fall.

If a local news item comes up, we should let Mike know and he can send a reporter. Click here to visit thealternativepress.com.

Announcements for Kiwanis July 27 Meeting

The NJ District Kiwanis Convention is coming up August 20th through 22nd at the Hanover Marriott, right in our own back yard. Chatham Kiwanis member Marc Litwack is being installed as District Governor at the Saturday August 21st dinner. Members who are planning to attend need to submit registrations by Aug 6. Please let Rich know if you will attend. You can register yourself by downloading forms but Rich still needs to know who will attend. Meal order forms are required by August 11. Next week Rich will be away and Mary Anne Maloney will lead the luncheon meeting at Charlie Brown’s.

“Morris County Tourism Bureau” Presented by Carol Barkin at July 20 Meeting

The Morristown Visitor’s Center began 14 years ago. Last year the organization was rebranded “Morris County Tourism Bureau” to better describe the growing scope. However, you can still take walking tours from the Morristown Visitors Center at 6 Court St. Morris County has four National Landmarks: The Morristown National Historical Park (Washington’s headquarters, etc.), Speedwell Village (Vail and Morse), Craftsman Farms (Stickley), Thomas Nast Home (Santa Claus). The tag lines for Morris County are “NJ’s Great American Getaway” and “Take a Vacation in your Own Back Yard.”

Visitors say they “can’t believe how beautiful New Jersey is”. The Morristown Green is much improved after a million dollar facelift. Today you can see children playing on the Green. The oldest garden in Morris County is the beautiful secret garden behind Macculloch Hall. Morris Museum is showing a great exhibit: “The Shoe Must Go On.”

Carol mentioned a great history book, “This is New Jersey” by 95-year old local author John Cunningham. A noted historic gem is Florham Mansion on the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University. There are 100 other nearby mansions where millionaires lived. In the Gilded Age, Morristown was known as the “inland Newport” for its summer season. Gilded age mansion remnants include Villa Walsh, Loyola House of Retreat, Delbarton and others.

Three Morris County periods of historical significance include the Revolutionary War (Washington and his troops), Early Industrial Age (Historic Speedwell, Macculloch’s 105 mile long Morris Canal which was America’s first great engineering project), and the Gilded Age. A forth period was the Communications (AT&T) Age.

The Bureau is half funded by Morris County taxpayers with the rest coming from contributions. Click here to view the Bureau’s prize-winning website. Kiwanians in the audience eagerly picked up Carol’s brochures for Morris County Parks (18,000 acres), Morristown walking tours, Thomas Nast Home, Craftsman Farms, Historic highlights of Borough of Chatham and Chatham Township. She also distributed newsletters, the Morris County Points of Interest map and other visitor’s guides.

Individuals and companies can become members of the Morris County Tourism Bureau. People can supply email address to receive notices automatically. The Bureau has a Facebook page with 153 followers. They are also using other Social Networking sites like Twitter. Cell Phone guided tours are in development.

She summarized by saying, “We have a string of pearls here in Morris County.” Photo shows Nancy Boucher (left) introducing Carol Barkin.

Erin Boehmer Overviewed the University of Virginia “Water and Health in Limpopo” (WHIL) Project in South Africa at Kiwanis July 20 Meeting

Project site is about six hours drive north of Johannesburg. UVA teams had worked in two villages (Tshapasha and Tshibvumo) for a few years and extensive planning was done for this year’s May through July trip to the South African site. A first water filtration system was built earlier and this team’s goal was to expand the water filter.

Erin enjoyed working with South African students in the local school. Using a microscope, she showed students that coli form bacteria was present in the drinking water. South African students are enthusiastic and will do anything to please their teachers. In class they raise their hands and snap their fingers to be called on by their teacher.

Working with people in the villages was really a challenge. The “Chief” UVA had been working with in the past was actually a stand-in Chief. A new Chief came to power and he did not get along with the stand-in Chief (whose back yard was the site of the first water filter). Existing plans made with the agreement of the stand-in Chief had to be replaced with new plans developed on the spot.

There is no electricity or Internet in the villages. Most resources are non-existent. People are not literate. Getting people to understand and believe that they can do better was difficult. Communications with the villagers was a problem. UVA team members wanted to have community meetings with villagers but Chiefs prefer to relay information to villagers themselves. Villagers wouldn’t show up for UVA team communications meetings. To overcome this, the team built a message board to improve communications.

This year’s addition to the water filter was completed. The UVA water filtration project will continue for the next three years. Lessons from the trip will be evaluated and be used to determine how to help the villagers get what they need. Click on “The Water and Health in Limpopo Report” (a Blog) to learn more about this project. Photo shows Kiwanis President Rich Behling introducing Erin Boehmer.

Announcements for Kiwanis July 20 Meeting

Gary Arnesen said that the recent Chatham Borough Ogden Rd. clean-up will bring in $400. He asked members of Kiwanis to suggest a date for the next clean-up.

Rich announced that the Installation Dinner has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 22 starting at 6:00 PM. It will be held at Brooklake Country Club and cost will be $40.00 per person. More details will be provided later and members will be asked to purchase tickets before the event.

A draft of the Kiwanis Club Directory was circulated for review, correction and approval by members.

Tom Mullin reminded members that he will need some Kiwanis workers to report to the August 19 Library Picnic by 2:30 PM to start the grill and set up the food. The picnic will start about 3:45 PM.

July 13 Program: “Hospice, what it is and what it’s not.”

Trish Thomas and Bridget Martorelli from Compassionate Care Hospice talked about “Hospice Care” of terminally ill patients. Bridget, a patient relations coordinator, told us that there are over 40 hospice companies in New Jersey and this care is covered under Medicare. Compassionate Care Hospice has been in business since 1993 and the company is in 19 states. Photo shows Trish on the left and Bridget on the right with Marty Sechehay, who arranged for the talk.

Trish, who is a hospice nurse and an educator, gave a brief history of hospice, which began in England in the 1960’s when Cicely Saunders started St Christopher’s Hospice. In those early days, it was mostly about Cancer. The movement came to America in the 1970’s. American hospice pioneer Florence S. Wald, dean of the nursing school at Yale heard a lecture by Saunders and was inspired to add hospice care to nursing education.

Hospice is important. You matter because you are YOU, an individual. And, you matter until the last moment of your life. Hospice brings a better quality of life to people who are terminally ill. We need to remember that the patient is in charge of his or her own destiny and they need to be informed and make decisions about their life, right up to the end. Hospice care takes place wherever the patient lives. Nurses often identify which patients should be considered for hospice care. Doctors might say “we cannot cure you”; however, hospice care is available. People like Bridget can improve communications between patients, relatives, medical staff and hospice caregivers so that decisions about hospice care can be made. Hospice provides comfort, power, respect, meaning and self-esteem to people in their last days.

Click here to learn more about Compassionate Care Hospice.

Click here to learn more about Medicare Hospice Benefits.

Announcements made at July 13 regular luncheon meeting, Brooklake Country Club

The July Board meeting is 8:00 PM tomorrow at Chatham United Methodist Church. There will be a brief meeting on a fund raiser after today’s program. Luncheon meetings the first two weeks of August will be held at Charlie Brown’s.

COMMUNITY Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts

Nancy Boucher introduced Ed Kirchdoerffer, General Manager of the Morristown Community Theatre, the July 6 meeting speaker. Theme for the theatre this summer is “Summer 2010 is going to be HOT”. He apologized for causing our heat wave this year :)

The theatre opened as a playhouse in 1994. Originally built in 1937, it was a Walter Reade movie theater until the early 80s when it closed and was left to deteriorate. It was a boarded up eyesore until 1994, when Alexander Slobodniuk, Ukrainian Pianist, invited his friend Valerie Gergiev, conductor of the Kirov orchestra to look at the theater. Valery stepped onto the stage, clapped his hands, loved the acoustics and announced that “the Kirov will play here.” Seven months later, after Morristown volunteers stepped in and restored the venue, the Kirov did play there.

Several renovations have been done in the last 16 years. The goal of the theatre is to become a world class performing arts center. A recently developed plan resulted in a 24,000 square foot expansion in the back of the theatre. The entirely new stage is now twice the size that it used to be. Stage ceiling is 70 feet higher. There are 6 dressing rooms, a main curtain in front of the stage and an orchestra pit. The new Starlight Room can be used for smaller performances for an audience of 90 to 100 people.

In 2005 the theatre started an educational program with helpful guidance from Bergan PAC. Now the program serves over 300 very talented kids. Summer camp is going on right now. A traveling troop of kids is available to give free performances to non-profit organizations (like nursing homes).

The theatre has evolved to where they can “give back” to the community with free concerts that all people in the community can attend. The theatre wants to demonstrate that Arts are important. For example, the theatre is working with Randolph to support their music program. There is a monthly honors program with local schools. The theatre is a non-profit with a large staff of volunteers, mostly seniors.

There is an eight million dollar positive financial impact on Morristown – restaurants are packed with customers on event nights. Real estate brokers highlight the theatre to help attract new residents to live in Morristown.

Several ideas for renovations in the future, including larger bathrooms, are being studied. However, money is needed. Members who donate a large amount (Starlight Society Members) can use the VIP Starlight Room bathroom. The next construction project will probably be smaller in size than prior ones.

Ticket sales for the 2010-11 season start next Tuesday. Brochures for the next season, hot off the press, were handed out to Kiwanis members. Subscriptions may be purchased now. Good group rates are available to organizations like Kiwanis.

Free concerts will be held in front of the theatre to promote subscriptions and attendance. A summer series with 14 performances will be offered during the next three months. The Nutcracker Christmas performance is moving from the Papermill Playhouse to the Community Theatre.

Funding for Arts programs is difficult to find in today’s economy. Donations are welcomed.

Go to website www.mayoarts.org to learn more. Click on the home page and go to the bottom to sign up for e-news mailings (click on E-Mail Alerts). You can also go their Facebook Page and Blogger site.

ELIMINATE – Kiwanis eliminating maternal/neonatal tetanus

Kiwanis, UNICEP join forces to save 129 million mothers and newborns. The Eliminate Project will protect mothers and babies from Tetanus.

At the July 6 Chatham Kiwanis meeting, club President Rich Behling donned his ELIMINATE-labeled hat and overviewed the new Kiwanis World Service Project. The ELIMINATE project was introduced at the July 2010 Las Vegas Kiwanis International Convention. The project is similar in scope to the IDD project carried out several years ago. The objective is to eliminate Maternal/Neonatal Tetanus (MNT), with affects 129 million people each year in third-world countries. Pregnant women get tetanus and when the baby is born it suffers agonizing pain and dies within 2 weeks. Only three 60-cent shots ($1.80 total) would save 60,000 babies from this terrible death every year. Kiwanis is partnering with UNICEF - Kiwanis will raise the money and UNICEF will distribute the shots. Total cost is $110,000,000.

Nancy Boucher reported that Lauren Kapsky (former CHS Key Club officer and Chatham Kiwanis Scholarship winner) was a member of the project selection committee. Several projects were analyzed leading up to selection of the ELIMINATE project.

Rich shared information brought back from the convention with President-Elect Dick Plambeck so he can implement the project in our club next year. A regular Kiwanis meeting program including video is planned for November.

Click on this Kiwanis link to learn more about ELIMINATE.

Announcements for Kiwanis Luncheon Meeting held July 6

Rich Behling asked Nancy Boucher and Hal Witlinger to stand up to be recognized for attending the Kiwanis International Convention in Las Vegas last weeks. Rich also attended. All three wore green Kiwanis T-shirts and while in Vegas they went to casinos as frogs. Rich said it was beneficial for him to attend the convention and he strongly recommended that members go to the convention next year in Geneva, Switzerland.

Rich is verifying the data for next year’s member directory and he passed around a draft of the directory for comment. He asked all members to review the data and if it is OK, put a check mark beside their name. If not, they should make corrections. If they want to, members can write their cell phone number on the right side of their data.

Tom announced the upcoming Chatham Library Children’s Reading Program picnic on August 19 and he will pass a sign-up sheet around in a couple of weeks.

Mal Kitson announced that the Independence Day parade went off with a lot of success. Both floats were decorated nicely; we had a lot of help. There were only about seven marchers – we could use more. Stephanie Cooperman, who marched with Karen Swartz, said she will try to get Builders Club and Key Club to march next year.

A brief meeting was held following regular meeting to discuss a wine tasting fundraiser.

YouTube Video of Kiwanis Floats for Independence Day Parade

A video of the floats sponsored by Chatham and Madison Kiwanis is posted on YouTube.  Click on this link.  To see photos of the flag raising ceremony and entire parade click on the link to Ron's Picasa Web Site: 2010 Independence Day Parade.

Kiwanis in Chatham Independence Day Parade - July 3

Kiwanis members marched in the Chatham Borough Volunteer Fire Department’s 55th annual Independence Day parade. Standing in front of the Chatham Band float, which some had helped decorate early in the morning are (L-R) AD Dudderar, John Bauer, Nancy Boucher, Mal Kitson, John Eyre, Monty Montague and his granddaughter Sarah. Stephanie and Neil Cooperman also marched - several other Kiwanis members marched with other organizations. The float is donated by Coviello Bros. Landscapers in Madison.

Kiwanis Decorates the Lady Liberty Float for Parade

Kiwanis members and spouses helped decorate the Lady Liberty float for the Independence Day parade. We did this the day before the parade, on July 2 in the Chatham Main parking lot. Chatham Main donates the use of their large flat bed trailer. L-R: Mal Kitson, John Harper, Tom Mullin, Joyce Kitson, Bert Whalin, David Lloyd, Monty Montague and John Eyre. Ron Whalin and Dick Ligertwood were there but not in the photo.