KFYR-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader

Monica Hannan
mhannan@kfyrtv.com

Graduations
5-27-08

I never really wanted to go to my high school or college graduations. For one thing, I`m easily bored and I belonged to big classes. But every time (and I`ve been through three), my mother convinced me that big events or accomplishments deserve to be recognized by ritual. So I bought the gown and the silly hat and sat through the ceremonies. I don`t remember much about my high school graduation, except that I caught my sleeve on the stairs heading up to the stage and nearly tore my arm off. For my bachelor`s degree, my parents sat through two hours of ceremony, and barely saw me cross the stage…that`s how far away they were. They say they heard it, though. And when I received my master`s degree in May of 1989, there was a heavy snowstorm that caused a big stir. Those are the things I remember, but there`s nothing in my memory of the ceremonies themselves.

What I will never forget, though, are the moments when my own children graduated from high school…the latest just last week. The truth, then, is that the graduation ceremony is really for the parents and grandparents and teachers and tutors who saw the student through. Those who quizzed them on spelling words, helped them learn their times tables, listened to them rant about the unfairness of teachers and sat through countless soccer and hockey games on frozen bleachers. It`s those people who are marking the occasion with great ritual, and a hugh sigh of relief. If you`re a parent, I`ll bet you can relate.

Reflections on 20 Years
4-1-08

Last night I did something I have never done before. (Perhaps I should just leave it at that. The possibilities are endless. But no). I read a short story written by my mother.

The thing is, I`ve always assumed I was the writer in the family. She`s been a voracious reader. I inherited that from her. But I thought the writing was pretty much my deal. But her story was great! It took me a little while to get over the fact that it was she who had written it. I kept hearing her voice narrating it, very much the way she sounded as she read to me when I was little, or even into my preadolescence when I was sick. But eventually the story itself drew me in. When I read the last page I remembered again that Mom wrote it, and couldn`t stop smiling. She has talent.

I don`t mean to sound surprised. I knew, for instance, that she used to write a book review for a neighborhood bookmobile when we lived in Spokane, and her emails and letters are always wonderful and creative. But that she should start working to develop that skill now, at the age of 67, says something really positive to me about my own future.

Which brings me to my point. Today I celebrate my 20th anniversary here at KFYR. In the last year, I`ve learned a new passion (quilting), I`ve taken on a new job (managing another department about which I know absolutely nothing), and I`ve made some new friends. It`s been a great 20 years and I can`t wait to see what the next 20 bring. Who knows, I may celebrate my 40th anniversary right here. I`d be the same age that my mother is now. But I`d prefer to think that, like her, I will be expanding my gifts and abilities and taking on new challenges instead of worrying about sinking into old age. Mom, I admire you. It will also be fun to see what you do in the next 20 years!

Blind Leading the Blind
2-29-08

I got new contact lenses this week. That`s not an unusual occurance. It happens every six months or so, but this time either the prescription is just a little off, or my eyes are finally catching up to my age. Because I can`t see a darn thing unless it`s attached to arms longer than mine. It really did seem to happen overnight. I woke up Monday morning, put my new contacts in and began putting my makeup on like I always do. Except I couldn`t see my face. I took the contacts back out and switched them around, thinking I`d mixed them up. No help. It`s not easy putting on eyeliner from two feet away, so before I could even finish the job I hopped in the car and headed to WalMart, where I bought a pair of $6.00 cheaters. It’s not easy putting on eyeliner wearing those, either.

I got to work and realized I`d left the cheaters at home, so I wandered to the drugstore to buy another pair ($4.00) that were cheaper, but more stylish, if you can believe it. Then I remembered seeing a really cool pair at an antique mall, so I went on line. Sure enough, they had cheaters that a person might actually want to wear. I`m waiting for them to arrive in the mail. I need a lot of pairs, because they`re never on the end of my nose when I want to see something. Next, I suppose I`ll buy one of those chains that little old school teachers wear around their necks. If you`re a young school teacher and you wear them, please don`t take offense. I`ve already established that they can be a trendy fashion item, but you don`t see them all that often on women who aren`t of a certain age. I`ve actually been receivnig compliments on how they look on me.

When I`m tempted to be self conscious about it, I think of my two eldest children. My daughter got new glasses recently that look like something Buddy Holly used to wear. She even calls them "nerdy," so it`s not just me. She loves them. And my son bought a pair of plastic aviators. The kind that my high school boyfriend wore…in 1978. They are HUGE. He says the bigger, the better. For the two of them it isn`t really about being able to see. They`re both contact wearers, too. It`s about the fashion statement they`re making.

So I say bring on the biggest, boldest, brightest cheaters you can find. I`ll wear them with pride. I`m also going to go back and see my optometrist, though, for a pair of bifocal contacts. Because I really do need to be able to see to put on my eyeliner.

Ethics? A Moving Target?
2-14-08

I took part in a panel discussion on ethics in the media this week. It forced me to think about things I haven`t actively considered for a while. Things like, would I use an off-the-record source, or allow my reporters to use one? The answer is no, by the way, in nearly every case. Would I impersonate somebody in order to get a good story? The answer is no in every case. Or, would I ever enter a conversation with two strangers, in order to pump them for information for a story. The answer to that is also no, although I might try to confirm any information I overhead through an independent source.

One of the ideas I shared was that as times change, people are changing. What seems clear to me is not so clear to my younger employees. Last week we had a caucus in North Dakota, and several of my Millenials had planned to participate. I told them they could not, that it would violate the idea that journalists must remain fair and impartial. The caucus system may be cheaper, but it`s flawed in my view because it steals away the anonymity of the voting booth. They argued with me. They thought that what they did in their private lives should have nothing to do with their work lives. There was a time when this would not have been a question at all.

Does this mean that my reporters are unethical, or less principled? Not at all. What it means is that they were raised differently, in a different time and their ideas of right and wrong…at least as they pertain to their jobs…are just different. Right now, and as long as the buck stops at my desk, we`ll operate according to my rules. But it does pose some interesting questions about the future, doesn`t it?

A Great Place To Live
2-8-08

I`ve been hiring recently, to fill spots vacated by longtime anchor Brenda Scholten and medical reporter Joanna Small. I`ve advertised nationwide and as always happens, I`ve received tapes and resumes from people who live elsewhere. When they apply, the main questions they tend to ask have to do not with the station, the city, the cost of living or the job itself…but with the weather. It`s all part of our PR problem, and I`m not telling you anything new. But I did decide to ask a few of them what they`ve thought of the weather, now that the winter is half over. Here are some of their responses:

Emily Catalano, our web producer, is from Philadelphia, and was worried about the cold wind chills and expected more snow. But actually, she says they get more snow in Philly, and because she had to walk everywhere she went when she lived there, she`s actually been warmer here because she can drive.

Kevin Gribble, our weekend anchor and city beat reporter, moved from Florida. Before he came here, a news director told him he was a moron to even consider such a move. Having spent a winter and a half here now, he says he would tell others that the weather shouldn`t discourage them. "It was a valid concern, but now that I`m used to it, I run around in this," he tells me, pointing to his unzipped, fleece-lined sweatshirt. "I think it`s something anybody can get used to."

Annie Kelly, our new medical reporter, moved here from Chicago during what has been our coldest week so far this winter. She says the weather hasn`t been a surprise but then, she says Chicago is also cold. "I hear your summers are hot here, too, just like in Illinois, so there`s no real change for me."

Amanda Tetlak, our weekend anchor and reporter, moved to Bismarck from Florida. She says it`s not as bad as she thought it would be. "There have been days when I thought it was pretty cold," she says, but she`s still waiting for the "real" winter to start. From what she heard, she`s expecting something much worse.

Bill Halter is from Apple Valley, Minnesota. I asked him how our weather compares and he said, "Same."

So there you have it. The truth is, there are a lot of places in the U.S. that get really cold, or really hot. Factor in our low crime rate, our high standard of living and our overall friendliness…and what`s a 20-below day or two? They build character, and give us great stories to tell our grandchildren.

Empty Prairie?
1-03-08

Like many of you, I recently read an article in National Geographic magazine entitled, The Emptied Prairie by Charles Bowden. It has to do with the changing way of life in rural North Dakota. Anybody who lives here can plainly see that it contained inaccuracies and was poorly researched, but that aside, it painted such a lop-sided picture of life here as to be almost laughable if it weren’t so potentially damaging to tourism, our state’s number two industry.

I want to begin by saying I’m not native to North Dakota. I was born in California, but I have learned to love it here and consider it my home. My husband, Cliff Naylor, and I have written two books dedicated to all of the wonderful places and people we’ve met in rural North Dakota in our years of working here. The warmth of the people is legendary, as is their pride in their home communities. It’s true that there are small towns struggling to survive, but the article took that grain of truth and stretched and distorted it to fit a preconceived idea that life here is one of loneliness and despair. When we talked to people in the small towns featured in that article, they painted a much different picture.

The author of the piece is from Arizona. My father lives in Arizona. He has no grass in his neighborhood -- only gravel and cacti. There is nothing green as far as the eye can see, from his front yard all the way to the mountains in the distance. When I visit him, I fly into Las Vegas and then drive to his home outside Kingman. I haven’t seen other parts of Arizona, but what if I were to write an article for National Geographic based on that limited view? The picture I painted would be pretty bleak and very inaccurate. I feel certain that there are characters in Arizona, that there are unhappy people, and that there are small towns that are dying in the scorching sun and parched earth. But I’ll also bet that there are vibrant communities, beautiful scenery and happy, optimistic people. An article that doesn’t include them all would be unbalanced.

I didn’t realize how attached to this state I was until I had read Mr. Bowden’s article. In a way I have to thank him. He allowed me to express what a wonderful place this is. I’m not telling any of you anything you don’t already know. But after reading his account, I think it would take blasting powder to get me out of here. Even so, I would send this message to Mr. Bowden. Work a little less on your pretty prose, and a little more on balance. It’s what journalism should be about, and this article is unworthy of National Geographic magazine.

Hair War
12-14-07

I’ve always had a running battle with my hair. I usually view it with irritation at best, and at times I’ve felt out and out betrayed by my tresses. And this is a war that’s gone on for 47 years now. But let’s back up.

When I was little, I longed for long hair. My mother, who had spent her childhood with hair streaming down her back and found it to be a monumental pain, refused to deal with long hair on me. She thought of short hair as incredibly freeing, and it probably didn’t help that I cried every time she brushed it. So, it was kept very, very short in various versions of the pixie. It required almost no combing. I looked like a boy. Most people thought my older brother and I were twins. My dad even cut my bangs, and on occasion, trimmed too much off, giving me a very surprised look. I was a victim of really bad haircuts.

It’s probably no surprise, then, that when I was finally old enough to care for my own hair I rebelled against that control, and grew it all the way down to my waist and kept it there for years. I did not welcome comments or advice. How ironic that I would go on to choose a career in which hair is such an issue. For most of my adult life, I’ve given over control of my hair to others. And while they aren’t overbearing about it, occasionally, management recommends a change. Let me be the first to tell you, some viewers really hate that. And they aren’t shy about letting me know. Recently I changed the part from the right to the left and starting sweeping my bangs off my forehead, and the response was immediate. Love it or hate it, people noticed.

We’re glad you watch, and I’m glad you feel comfortable enough with me to mention my hair. After all, would you walk up to your next door neighbor and tell her you hated her new style and she should change it back? Probably not. So, we’re family, and I love that about us. So I’ll say the same thing to you that I would tell my mother if she walked up to me and said she hated my hair. You can’t argue with genetics! Perhaps you can buy me a hat?

Puppy Love
11-28-07

It was not so very long ago that I told my family no more dogs. When our last dog, Lizzie, died of old age, I thought we were too busy to undertake the job of raising a puppy. But our youngest, Hannah, could only remember Lizzie as elderly and tired. She had never experienced the fun of a younger dog. She kept up steady pressure for a year. It’s probably no surprise, then, to hear that Cliff and I finally gave in and he brought home a six-week-old sheltie.

The puppy was a surprise for Hannah, so we didn’t tell her our plans. We began communicating with a breeder in Minneapolis, with the understanding that my brother-in-law would pick up the dog that we’d picked out and bring it to us in Bismarck. The dog we chose was a female with a shy, quiet disposition. She looked very much like Lizzie had looked, and from what the breeder told us, acted very much like her, too. Very much a lady.

Imagine our surprise, then, when Cliff’s brother brought us a male puppy with a bouncing personality that is anything but shy and retiring. I was confused. What happened to the dog that we chose? Cliff was sort of vague…something about a mistake or confusion. I accepted it because, after all, the puppy (whom we named Lambeau) was already here. Hannah fell in love with him, and I have to admit, he has brought more smiles into our home than I would have thought possible. He’s active, but totally loveable. I forgot about the female that we should have had.

On Thanksgiving Day Cliff told me a story that still brings tears to my eyes. He told me what had really happened. Dave did go to Minneapolis and picked up the little female that we had asked for. He stopped at a rest area near St. Cloud, and the puppy bolted from the car. He couldn’t catch her, and in the dark, he couldn’t find her either. He tried for a long time, but finally had to accept that the dog was lost. Imagine his distress! But he did the only thing he could do. He returned to the breeder and picked out Lambeau instead. He put an ad in a newspaper in St. Cloud, and ran the ad for ten days, but received no response.

On Thanksgiving Day, nearly a month after the dog was lost, he received a call from a family living beside a lake not far from the Interstate. They had found the little sheltie living under their dock. They captured her with a fish net, and remembered seeing the ad. She was skinny, they said, but otherwise in good condition. She is not here yet. Dave is bringing her to us this weekend. We can hardly wait. We’ve named her Louise, our own little Thanksgiving miracle. And that is the story of how one family that didn’t want ANY dogs, ended up with two.

My “Mommy Madness”
11-15-07

I work a split shift here at KFYR. I come into work at around 11, and I work until around 11. But in between, I take a long supper break. During that time, I typically eat dinner with my family, help my youngest with her homework, and spend a little bit of time doing domestic chores like the dishes and the occasional load of laundry.

Thursday night was fairly typical. When I arrived home the plumber was there, because my kitchen sink was backed up and my dishwasher was draining onto the floor. After that was resolved, I discovered that my son and his friends had (unknowingly) eaten the ingredients we needed for supper, so my mom and I cooked bacon and eggs. Afterward, Hannah and I spent a long time circling our block, walking and talking and trying to get her ten-week-old puppy to do what he needed to do. Oh, and my phone rang six times in the space of those two hours.

Talk about Mommy Madness! Jody Kerzman has been airing a special all week devoted to moms and what makes them tick, and like a lot of you who answered Jody`s survey, I can really relate. Working and raising kids is two full-time jobs. But also like most of you, I wouldn`t have it any other way. Those kids give meaning to my days. Being a mommy and a problem solver just go hand in hand. But we can all learn from each other. Be sure to catch Jody`s hour-long special on Mommy Madness this Saturday at noon, central time.

i News!
10-05-07

This week we launched a new feature on our Website… iNews with Emily Catalano. Emily is our web producer at KFYR, and she’s in charge of all the great content you see on the site. But we suspect she’ll be much more than that. We are confident that she’ll be our link with the next generation of viewers. As our industry grows and changes in ways we never anticipated 25 years ago, back when I got my start, so we assume that it will continue to grow and change during Emily’s tenure. And we want to make sure that we’re providing what people of all ages want and need.

We encourage you to write to Emily, ecatalano@kfyrtv.com, and let her know what you think of what she’s doing. In the weeks and months ahead, she’ll be out talking with young people in the community as well, finding out how we can be more responsive to what you want in your news product. And she’ll be interested in letting you into our world as citizen journalists. When you see something that should be captured and shared, by all means, pass your videos and phone pics our way. We look forward to hearing from you. And we look forward to seeing what Emily comes up with in the weeks and months ahead.

Things are changing in ways I never anticipated. I’m sure enjoying the ride.

Second Adulthood
9-04-07

How many of us have dreamed of reinventing our lives? I was so inspired by Bismarck police chief Deb Ness, who decided to retire from the force and open a quilt shop. She’s combining all of the administrative skills she`s learned with her love for what had been a hobby, into what she hopes will be a thriving business.

Deb was gracious enough to offer me a sneak peak tour a couple of weeks ago, and from all appearances it will be a huge success. It`s a beautiful store, and her plans for it are exciting.

So I ask you, who wouldn`t want to combine their passion with their livelihood? If you`re lucky, you work in a job that is also your passion -- the only thing you can imagine doing with your life. But if work for you is just, well, work, then perhaps it`s time to consider a change.

It`s actually not as unusual to make a big change as you may think. I recently read a book called, My Time: Making the Most of the Bonus Decades After 50 by Abigail Trafford that made a great deal of sense. It pointed out that most Babyboomers can expect to live for decades past 50, a time when many parents are contemplating an empty nest. Instead of it being a sad time, Trafford points out that it can be an exciting time when you can actually turn back the clock. You can recapture that feeling you had when you were just starting out, just deciding what you wanted to do with your life. Now you can decide what you want to do with your second life, as Ness is doing.

Now don`t get me wrong, I`m not getting ready to jump ship. I`ve actually been able to take on new challenges under the same roof, going from reporter to anchor to news director at KFYR. And I write books and I quilt. These are all things I love. But it`s very freeing to think that when I turn 50, the possibilities will still be endless -- a new beginning rather than the beginning of the end.

Murder Suspects Caught
8-16-07

It doesn`t happen all that often here in North Dakota. Murders, particularly the random type, are usually something we hear about from far away. So this week, when fugitives Jeremy Brooks and Coty Martinez were captured near Drake, it was difficult to say how law enforcement would deal with the media.

This particular road was one we hadn`t been down before. Let`s face it, some consider journalists to be the worst type of pests. We`re necessary. After all, who is going to let citizens know to be wary, to lock their doors? Who will disseminate photos of the suspects? But we can also get in the way. We know it, and yet we plow ahead because that`s our job. And law enforcement in McHenry County let us do it, even helping us to the best of their ability.

Because they did, we were able to bring you the stories that you saw -- on the manhunt, from the first moment a concerned resident offered aid to a stranger (because it`s what decent people do), until the final capture in a farm field. Hats off to the sheriff and his staff, who made our job easier, and your news better.

A Part of Our Community
7-31-07

I was touched over the weekend by the welcome home celebration for the First Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiments Security Forces Unit, as I`m touched over every celebration of soldiers returning safely from war-torn regions of the world. Perhaps this one was more poignant for me because my brother also recently returned from his tour of duty at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.

Like so many of you, he left his wife and three young children for more than a year, communicating with them mainly via phone and email. He did his best to do justice to both his country and his family, and he did it with very few complaints. Still, I was relieved beyond measure when he called our mother somewhat unexpectedly to tell her that he was home and he was safe. I can only imagine what my sister-in-law felt.

Today I received an email from somebody who wondered if we are going to cover every single one of these celebrations. "After all," this viewer wrote, "they`re all the same." Of course they aren`t. Each one is different, just as each soldier who serves is different. I identified completely with families in Fort Lewis, Washington, who cried out loud and long against a decision to honor fallen soldiers collectively because the individual memorial services were taking up too much time. And I was glad when the powers that be last week reversed that decision. It was the right thing to do.

We will continue to cover every serviceman or woman who dies, every group that answers the call to serve, every deployment, and every homecoming, because those who serve are part of our community, and therefore, are a part of us.

Television Is Changing
7-20-07

This spring I attended the Radio and Television News Director`s Association Convention in Las Vegas, and through it all, there was a theme. The television industry is changing, and if we want to survive as a medium, then we need to change with it, and that includes going multi-platform.

In response to that, we`ve done our best to give you, our viewers, more of what you are telling us you want. You can now get at least parts of our newscast on-line, on your phone, and on the radio, in addition to your television screen.

Another area that`s new for us, but probably not to many of you, is blogging. We are learning that those of you who we`d particularly like to attract, the young and the young at heart, are less willing than viewers of the past to sit still and wait for information and news to be brought to you. We`ve found that you want that information the moment you think about it, and you want to share your thoughts with us, too. That`s what this blog is all about. I`ll share my thoughts with you, and my hope is that you`ll return the favor.

It`s an adventure for...shall we say, "seasoned," writers like me, because unlike the airwaves, what I write here will stay here. What a great challenge. I`m looking forward to it.

Sister Stations: KMOT in Minot, KQCD in Dickinson, KUMV in Williston