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Executive Committee Meeting
Opening Minutes
Jerry Micco of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, APSE's president, called the Executive Committee to order at 5 p.m., Feb. 19 at the Marriott Hotel in Torrance, Calif. ATTENDANCE Elected officers: Micco, president Former presidents: Appointed officials: Ed Storin, Hilton Head, S.C., treasurer Also attending: Jack Genung, Home News Tribune (East Brunswick, N.J.) TREASURER'S REPORT APSE secretary-treasurer Ed Storin reported the organization was doing well financially and had increased membership, which totaled 400 newspapers and wire services, 11 more than last June. Eight newspapers failed to renew their memberships, but APSE had picked up 19 new member papers in recent months and has 29 new individual members. Storin also noted that APSE had collected $2,000 more in membership dues than had been budgeted. Storin said APSE had 14 first-time judges from the under-40,000 circulation category. He had budgeted for 16. CONVENTION Van McKenzie, deputy managing editor of the Orlando Sentinel, and 2005 convention host, reported on convention plans. He said the Ritz-Carlton opened last year, has eight restaurants but none offsite within walking distance. He said the Sentinel has commitments for $70,000 from 17 Florida newspapers to help sponsor the convention. McKenzie noted that the opening night ceremony would be at Disney World, and that as hosts, the Sentinel would offer some changes at the convention, including several brunches and moving the awards ceremony to Saturday morning from its traditional Saturday night spot. He said there will be a Saturday night party with a carnival atmosphere for members and their families. McKenzie also said the Ritz-Carlton's rate will be $159 per night, and will be honored up to four nights before and after the convention. McKenzie said APSE had a commitment of 155 rooms, and a big turnout could pose a problem. He will ask the hotel to hold more rooms, but he could not guarantee a room rate. FUTURE CONVENTIONS Herb Stutz, convention coordinator, said the 2006 convention would be held at the MGM Grand June 21-24 in Las Vegas, and the 2007 convention is scheduled for St. Louis. SPORTS JOURNALISM INSTITUTE Leon Carter of the New York Daily News reported that there will be 11 students in the class of 2005 and that all have been placed with newspapers for summer internships. OTHER BUSINESS Committee reports: There were no committee reports. Second vice president nominations: Outgoing region chairs Jim Jenks of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Fred Faour of the Houston Chronicle accepted nominations for second vice president. Micco said more nominations could be accepted at the closing meeting. Julie Ward of USA Today made a motion to close nominations and Tim Wheatley of the Indianapolis Star seconded the motion. Internet connection at the Olympics: Terry Taylor, sports editor of the Associated Press, asked if anyone would be interested in connecting directly to the internet through AP at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. She said writers would enter a private workspace, plug into the internet and connect to their papers. She said it will be an easy, cheap and fast method. Marriott rate card: Stutz asked if APSE should arrange for a Marriott rate card for members and Micco said the issue will be discussed and voted upon in Orlando. Recruitment: Brownell, third vice president, led a recruitment drive, and said many large papers responded but that small papers consider the $95 annual membership fee to be a detriment. Mark Leary, sports editor of the Journal News in White Plains, N.Y., said he felt many small paper sports editors write their own checks for membership. Brownell suggested an associate membership that would allow small papers to join but not enter the contest. Micco said he would appoint a committee to study the issue. Preview sections in contest: Micco, who assumed the role of contest chair in the absence of first vice president Celeste Williams, discussed a contest rule that prohibited stand-alone preview sections to be submitted as optional entries. He said he would have had to disqualify too many sections from the contest and would leave it to the judges to rule whether a section was eligible. Bob Yates, assistant managing editor/sports, of the Dallas Morning News, said Micco's ruling was not fair, that his paper, and perhaps others, had not entered sections because it was abiding by the rule, and suggested APSE get the issue solved by next year. Micco said he felt the rule was vague. Mike Fannin, assistant managing editor/sports at the Kansas City Star, said it was unfair to penalize a section that publishes a stand-alone NFL preview section each week because it is a regular part of the Sunday sports section. Yates suggested that the rule is outdated and that it's original intent had been lost. |
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