Best bets of things to do west of Boston, Dec. 22-28

Best bets of things to do west of Boston, Dec. 22-28

More love shown to Culinary Underground School for Home Cooks today.

We really are grateful to the Boston Globe!

Public Radio Kitchen and WBUR

Thank you to Sue McCrory at Public Radio Kitchen for selecting CU's upcoming Buche de Noel baking workshop to be featured in second place on their Thursday Tidbits list of to-dos in the Boston area. This is a fun and informative media outlet, hosted locally by affiliate station WBUR.

Hub Pages: Outlet for Writers

Opened an account on Hub Pages and experimenting with topics to write about. Seems to be an interesting community of wide ranging experts.

Thank you to Worcester Telegram & Gazette!

Food Critic Barbara Houle gave a shout out to Culinary Underground this week. New professional staff has entered the kitchen and Ms. Houle picked up on our news release.
Thank you for the support!
http://www.telegram.com/article/20111208/COLUMN28/112089752

Alyson Lee's design for SAVE THE FROGS at Atlanta International Airport

SAVE THE FROGS! in the world's busiest airport

Last month we got offered a deal we couldn't refuse: two 14 foot long posters in Atlanta's International airport -- the busiest airport on the planet. Tens of thousands of people will see these two posters and many will become SAVE THE FROGS! supporters and spread our message around the planet.
The spaces usually sell for $238,000 for the 6+ months the posters will be up, but we were able to get the spaces for only $1,500, less than one percent of their value! However, SAVE THE FROGS! still needs to raise the $1,500 to pay the bill; I skipped my paychecks last month to ensure we would have the funds to get through October and we are still getting by on very little.

PLEASE CHIP IN WHATEVER YOU CAN, EVEN $10 HELPS! ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.  savethefrogs.com/donate

Please take your photo in front of the poster and send it to us...it may end up on this webpage! The posters are in Concourse E International: Delta, Air Jamaica, British Airways, Korean Air, Lufthansa (Germany), South African Airways.
Feel free to post this image on your website.
Thanks to Alyson Lee for the graphic design. Thanks to Southern Orange-eyed Treefrogs for looking so cool!

Holiday cooking classes

Holiday cooking classes

Hello Boston.com!

Thank you so much for the posting of CU's Holiday Appetizer Class. We love the love you are showing us!

Alyson Lee's work for Save the Frogs

I'm volunteering for a great organization called
SAVE THE FROGS!. Please help SAVE THE FROGS
win $100,000 for amphibian conservation! Go to www.savethefrogs.com/chase and cast your
vote for SAVE THE FROGS -- this is an easy way
 to help the environment!

The Boston Globe West

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2011/11/13/holiday-cooking-classes/FskIv1A9hQTf3mdXT3ZRrL/story.html#share-nav

Oh, elusive Boston Globe. Thank you for the few crumbs you are able to throw my way. Your Jennifer Roach chose to mention client Culinary Underground in a Southborough Briefs piece published today. I am enormously grateful!

Guest Blogging

An invitation to be a guest writer for someone else's blog is another of the many ways social media is making self promotion affordable (free!), creative, and fairly easy to do. Client Culinary Underground has just begun to participate in this way, many thanks to an invite from the host of  www.mysouthborough.com. A nice photo, some helpful commentary, and contact info for further inquiry is all that's really needed -- in this case the subject is Thanksgiving 101, both timely and tasty.

What a difference a year makes (doo be doo be doo)

Culinary Underground opened its doors at 21 Turnpike Road/Route 9 West in Southborough ONE YEAR ago. Whew! Time sure does that thing it does. This client continues to grow and rise to the challenge of helping folks cook for themselves in a healthy, creative, and economical manner. And, the public is responding. So is the media. Another interview was conducted today with Founder/Director Chef Lori Leinbach by Carole Lamonde for the CNC media group (MetroWest Daily News and the like). It is especially gratifying when nice people are clients, and good things happen for them. That's been my consistent experience with CU. Here's hoping their second year in the new digs (I covet that kitchen!) will be even more fruitful and satisfying for them.

Is Good Writing Officially DOA? Why Writing Remains More Important than Ever in Today’s “Twitter” Era

Is Good Writing Officially DOA? Why Writing Remains More Important than Ever in Today’s “Twitter” Era

Worth reading!

Honoring a Gentleman

Bill (William P.) Densmore will be honored this weekend during a fundraising event for the Worcester-based Center for Nonviolent Solutions. I met Bill first as a client, when Better Ending Partnership was in need of a year-long PR campaign to go public and make serious inroads in the New England public eye. As we began to work together very closely, I quickly grew to respect and admire this accomplished Worcesterite, perhaps the best-known mover and shaker in the city. With a quiet manner and an irresistible smile, Bill brought people together for all the right reasons: education, business sustainability, conflict resolution, health care, and so much more. He is credited for the creation of dozens of nonprofit groups and initiatives, and continues to look for more ways to help his beloved community. I have learned much about work and life from this special man, and consider him a fellow dog lover and a good friend.

THE WAY OF NONVIOLENCE: 

A Recognition Luncheon Honoring William P. Densmore 

Saturday, October 22, 2011 

12:00 noon to 2:00 PM

Tilton Hall, Clark University, Worcester, MA

CU in WoMag this week

Thank you so much to Dorreen Manning and staff at Worcester Magazine for choosing Culinary Underground School for Home Cooks to be featured in this week's Two Minutes With column. Great photo and fun exchange with Chef/Founder Lori Leinbach.

SoulPancake / SP Content / See, Think, Talk: How Do Our Names Define Us?

SoulPancake / SP Content / See, Think, Talk: How Do Our Names Define Us?

This is a terrific and very thought provoking web site. The specific article is worth reading.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com - Did the pitcher bark?

Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com - Did the pitcher bark?

Last week the Worcester Tornadoes once again held a Bark in the Park event, a fundraiser for Worcester Animal Rescue League. What a great concept that accomplishes so much: raises awareness about the shelter as well as much-needed funds, gives pet lovers who are also baseball fans an especially fun night out, and encourages responsible pet ownership (and good dog behavior) in a very public setting. High marks all around.

Hasbro Children's Hospital and The Walk

Now in it's third year of success, The Walk: Hasbro Children's Hospital continues to raise awareness and dollars for the world class medical facility in Providence RI.  I was very pleased and honored to provide the initial PR services (as On Target Communications) and be a part of the 12-months+ of planning and promotion for this significant first-time effort for HCH. Here is a link to the first year's press release distributed by PR Newswire in 2009.  Hasbro Children's Hospital Kicks Off Inaugural Fundraising Walk

Good luck to the Lifespan and HCH teams as they continue the mission on September 24, 2011!



Former Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, Rhode Island Hospital President Timothy J. Babineau,
 HCH familes and Walk participants cutting the ribbon to mark the start of
 the inaugural The Walk on October 4, 2009 in downtown Providence RI.



Writing for ShrewsburyPatch.com to promote the pets at WARL

Tika, one of the senior pets at WARL who's been waiting for her forever family.

Read this piece and others written for online weekly ShrewsburyPatch.com. It has been a good outlet to regularly promote homeless pets available for adoption at the 99 year old Worcester Animal Rescue League (WARL).

http://shrewsbury.patch.com/articles/take-tika-home

End of August -- busy or slow?

This is always an interesting time of year. What percentage of the US population takes these last few weeks off through the Labor Day weekend? I'd be very curious to know. From a PR perspective, this is one of those dead zones (like December) in terms of bookings, meetings, and getting through to contacts. On the other hand, those on vacation have the time to read: what are they looking at? Issues of monthlies and weeklies, emails they've put off until now, catching up on blogs, video clips and other media sources they couldn't get to until they had some RnR time. For campaign and event planner's of course, getting the work done now for the deadlines looming in the fall is critical, so we are definitely not hitting the beach or the mountains until . . . uh, well, good question . . .

The original home of Culinary Underground makes it to TV Land.

Segment Three: Unusual Houses - Video - WCVB Boston

Thanks to Boston Chronicle producer Sangita for her great work putting together the segment with Culinary Underground CFO Chuck Linton and The Berm House, the original home and namesake of Culinary Underground School for Home Cooks.

Launch of new web site for WARL

Thank you to Sean Walsh, Melanie Dulac and all the staff and volunteers who contributed comments and advice. This new site for WARL has been a long time coming and is already drawing positive comments. Hopefully, its vibrant look and feel should encourage visitors to linger and learn all about WARL.

Brag Wall

 It was time to create a Brag Wall for this blog. Lots of "Me with" captions. Here we go:

Me with actor/singer Michael Damian.

Me with Boston media icon Mary Richardson.

Me with the staff of Lifespan and the Patriot's Jarvis Green.



(Ah-hem) Me and Worcester radio show personality Greg Byrne.



CU in the T&G

Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com - Culinary Underground leads revolt against boring, bland, unhealthy meals

Thank you so much to Food Writer Barbara Houle for this terrific story published today about client Culinary Underground School for Home Cooks in Southborough MA and all the excitement happening there this summer.

SAVE THE FROGS! Day in front of the White House (there's my designer Alyson Lee!)

Alyson Lee & SAVE THE FROGS!

On Friday, April 29th, my amazing graphic designer Alyson Lee and her son Jackson attended a SAVE THE FROGS! Day rally on the steps of the EPA in Washington DC. For three years, Alyson has assisted with over 90% of the graphic design work for this growing and important international nonprofit organization, founded by Dr. Kerry Kriger to bring more attention to the plight of disappearing amphibian populations around the globe. Alyson got involved at the urging of her eight year old son ("Mom, you've got to help the frogs!") and has been working with Dr. Kriger and his group for three years. I was more than pleased to toot Alyson's horn on a local level (her work and the event were already recognized by CNN, Nat Geo Channel, and Vanity Fair among others), and here is the news release we produced and distributed for her.

For Immediate Release                       April 27, 2011

Contact: Alyson Lee Graphic Design, alylee11@gmail.com tel 508 981 2584

Central MA Graphic Designer Provides Vital Assistance

To International SAVE THE FROGS! Day April 29^th

CNN,  Vanity Fair, Nat Geo Take Notice!

(Worcester MA) – Thanks to Worcester MA Graphic Designer Alyson Lee, a bold and effective advertising campaign is rallying the international public for the 3^rd Annual SAVE THE FROGS! Day on Friday, April 29^th. Designed in response to the global crisis of diminishing amphibian populations, the annual event has been supported by the exceptional design work of Ms. Lee, a lifelong Worcester resident, mother, and concerned citizen. SAVE THE FROGS! is America's first and only public charity dedicated to amphibian conservation.

“Not long after I founded SAVE THE FROGS! in 2008, I heard from designer Alyson Lee,” stated Dr. Kerry Kriger, Executive Director, SAVE THE FROGS! “Her eight year old son Jackson saw a TV report about the launch of our work, and became so concerned about the cause that he urged his mother to contact me to ‘help the frogs, Mom’. For three years now, Alyson Lee has been essential to our communications campaigns, creating a host of ads and other graphic work that is helping to educate and inspire people around the world.”

The mission of SAVE THE FROGS! is to protect amphibian populations and to promote a society that respects and appreciates nature and wildlife. The vision is a world in which not a single amphibian species is threatened with extinction.

Supplying roughly 90% of the graphic design work, Ms. Lee is proud to be associated with this important nonprofit organization. Recently, her efforts helped CNN, Vanity Fair Magazine online, Nat Geo, and other major news outlets take notice. Over the Easter holiday weekend, Ms. Lee’s ad for SAVE THE FROGS! Day was featured in a 2-minute segment on CNN (see attached).

This coming Friday, April 29^th marks the annual SAVE THE FROGS! Rally on DC, to be held on the steps of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The organization’s focus this year is to push the federal government to ban the lethal pesticide Atrazine, known as the “21^st Century DDT”.

Ms. Lee and her son Jackson will be there, in DC, marching for the frogs, as they have for the past three years.

“The biggest reason I’ve stayed with Dr. Kriger for so long is his dedication and passion for this cause,” confirmed Alyson Lee. “I just knew from the beginning that if anyone was going to get the word out there it would be him and I wanted to help! Please go to www.savethefrogs.com to learn more about how you can help too.”

For further information, visit www.savethefrogs.com.

About Save The Frogs Day (April 29th)
Save The Frogs Day is the world's largest day of amphibian education and conservation action. Amphibian populations have been rapidly disappearing worldwide and nearly one-third of the world's amphibian species are on the verge of extinction. Up to 200 species have completely disappeared since 1979.

Event supporters in the USA will gather in Washington DC, New York or San Francisco for a Save The Frogs Day Rally, or find an event in their community by visiting www.savethefrogs.com.

--End--

More updates from 2010: City of Worcester and the Worcester Animal Rescue League

http://www.necn.com/09/08/10/Worcester-approves-new-pit-bull-regulati/landing.html?blockID=306872&feedID=4206

The September 8, 2010 TV spot produced by NECN/Worcester News Tonight was just one of many media stories generated by New England regional outlets -- print, radio, and TV -- on the topic of a Pitt Bull Dog Ordinance proposed by members of the Worcester City Council, and the WARL's opposition to the initiative. At WARL we posted to our web site many more links to stories published on the subject. It truly was a sizzlin' summer at WARL with Executive Director Allie Simone regularly in the media spotlight, testifying at City Council meetings, and giving tours of the League to interested reporters and city officials. Also, many responsible dog owners turned out in great numbers in support of the League's position. It was a great opportunity to educate about the pitfalls(!) of Breed Specific Legislation, and WARL and it's relatively new director were jettisoned into the public eye like never before.

One of the devoted WARL volunteers and a happy Pitt Bull Mix, who was shortly adopted out to a great family
.

Culinary Underground School for Home Cooks on New England TV

http://www.necn.com/10/13/10/Culinary-Underground-opens-in-Southborou/landing_arts.html?blockID=330817&feedID=4214

During last October's Grand Re-Opening at their new Route 9 location, Culinary Underground was visited by NECN/Worcester News Tonight's Katie Daly. Students were thrilled to have their "15 minutes of fame" as you can see here.

Subsequently, The Boston Globe, MetroWest Daily News, Worcester Magazine, The Telegram & Gazette and others were queueing up to talk to the chefs and the students, and hopefully get a little (and literal) taste of what's cookin' at this expanding enterprise.

A little updating from last year, a very productive one!

http://www.telegram.com/article/20110307/OUTANDABOUT/103070572/-1/worcesterliving

The Telegram & Gazette covered Rainbow Child Development Center's Girls Night Out once again, and we were so grateful for their support. It was a fun night with new and old friends, with wonderful wares on display and terrific hosts at The Manor to care for us.

Center for Nonviolent Solutions

This is a grassroots group that launched in the fall of 2009. Earlier that year I designed a media campaign for them pro bono, which was executed successfully. This is a wonderful group of Worcester-based community leaders devoted to changing our world, starting right here in Central MA.

This month I assisted with the distribution of the following news release promoting their upcoming 2nd Annual Meeting:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: John Paul Marosy, jpmarosy@gmail.com, Ph: (617) 645-6083
We can arrange interviews with the keynote speaker or recipients of the Nonviolent Solutions Awards.

Nonviolence Emerges As Favored Solution Locally and Globally  

Worcester, Massachusetts, March 3, 2011-  The Center for Nonviolent Solutions (CNVS) of Worcester, MA will celebrate local and global nonviolent solutions at its second annual meeting at 9:30 AM on Saturday, March 19 at the Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Square, Worcester, MA. 

The program will feature the presentation of local Nonviolent Solution Awards to the Mosaic Cultural Complex program of Covenant United Methodist Church and to Annette Rafferty, founder of Abby’s House, an organization that provides emergency and long-term housing, as well as woman-centered advocacy and support services to homeless, battered and low-income women. 

Whether redressing decades of injustice by a brutal Mid-East dictator, creating effective alternatives to street crime for at-risk urban young men, or assuring the safety of women who are victims of domestic abuse, community leaders are increasingly turning to the philosophy and tactics of nonviolence as a viable solution to conflict.

Keynote speaker Dr. David Adams, a professor of psychology for 23 years at Wesleyan University, will speak about creating a local Culture of Peace, drawing on his experience as director of the International Year for the Culture of Peace at UNESCO where he was responsible for mobilization including the Manifesto 2000 http://www3.unesco.org/manifesto2000/uk/uk_manifeste.htm
a document signed by over 75 million people around the world.

“From Cairo to Kelley Square, people are hungry for solutions that avoid the pain and the human and economic cost of violence,” said Paul Ropp, Research Professor of History at Clark University and President of the board of CNVS.  “We’re excited about showcasing the positive impact that nonviolence can bring to local and global conflicts.”

About CNVS:
CNVS is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and resources on nonviolence and encouraging alternatives to violence in resolving conflict. The Center operates a Library and Resource Center at its headquarters at 901 Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA and on its website http://www.nonviolentsolution.org/ , and provides training and education for community groups and at the K-12 and college levels. The Center specializes in training on mediation and other nonviolent conflict resolution techniques.

###

Preparing for a Marketing Planning Session

Nonprofit marketing has always been challenging, perhaps now more than ever. At WARL we continue to work on the basics (maximizing the new brochure, revising and revitalizing the website) while we look to the bigger picture. Later this month we will host a planning retreat off-site, where we will work with whiteboards and worksheet, ready to roll up our creative communications sleeves and think BIG.

Catching Up While Snowed In

Considering the weather conditions of December and January, this has been a very good creative time to hole up indoors and generate many more ideas and tasks for my client projects: 

Culinary Underground School for Home Cooks

Worcester Animal Rescue League

Rainbow Child Development Center

and more.

A few highlights include:

The beginnings of a new website for WARL. Initial meetings with designer Sean Walsh produced this template which the Marketing Committee and Board were very happy to see and signed off on. Subsequently, Sean is setting up codes and the technical details, and Melanie Dulac, a staffer at WARL, and I are revising old website copy and generating new. We'll include photos from volunteers Lois Bourget and Jessica Walsh, and the gorgeous design look and feel from WARL's new brochure, courtesy of graphic Designer Alyson Lee. This is a very exciting and badly needed improvement.

Culinary Underground moved into the holidays with a very big bang. Appearances on The Hank Stolz Experience, sound bites in local papers, and the interest of the Boston Globe West were all good developments. We are touting the new Kitchen Corner retail store at the School, as well as speciality classes like Vegetarian Tuesdays and weekend Date Nights.  ShrewsburyPatch.com continues to publish the Food Tip of the Week that I prep for CU Chef Suzanne Johnson. And, I am reaching out to area colleges  to expand the constituent base. Clark University plans to come to a class soon, curious to see how they can teach their students SAFE cooking techniques in the housing units they have put so many resources into.

Rainbow Child Development Center hosted Girls' Night Out once again, this year at The Manor Restaurant in West Boylston. I assisted with event planning and production, publicity, and supervision the night of the event. Many terrific local vendors participated and showed attractive and diverse wares just in time for early holiday shopping. With live music, free personal pampering services such as chair massage and reflexology, guests were well cared for and seemingly content.

Also, I began to conduct research on creating a nonprofit entity for a client, which will have a strong community service mission. This is interesting and exciting from-the-ground-up creative thinking and planning, as well as an opportunity to speak with professionals in assorted fields.  More on this later, I'm sure.