The day after the Phillies eliminated the Dodgers to win the National League pennant, I get a phone call here in the office.
It’s the start of my favorite story so far from the Phillies run to a World Series title.
It’s from Sherry Lancianese, a mom out in Aston. It involves her son Jake, Gov. Rendell and the World Series. And the Daily Times plays a feature role as well.
It seems a few years back, when Jake was in elementary school at Hilltop Elementary, the governor came to the school to praise the district’s new kindergarten program.
While he was there he asked the kids some questions. Jake Lancianese correctly answered one of the questions. When the governor asked him what he wanted, Jake responded that if the Phillies ever made it to the World Series, he wanted tickets to a game. A story, including Jake’s photo and his request, appeared in the Daily Times the next day.
Jake didn’t forget. After the Phils won the NLCS, he sat down atthis kitchen table and penned a letter to the governor.
His mom called me. It sounded like a great story and I told her, absolutely, I thought it would be worth a shot of reminding the governor. I asked her to let me know how they made out. I meant to have someone get back to them, but in the frenzy we’ve been involved in with the World Series, it skipped my mind. It was on the list of stories I wanted us to do.
Last Thursday I get a voice mail. It’s from the governor’s aide. “The governor needs to speak to you,” Anne Shriver said in a pretty serious voice. My stomach was in knots. I knew that our editorial endorsements had appeared in the paper that day, and one of them mentioned the governor. I figured he was upset about something. I had totally forgotten Jake’s story. The governor, however, had not.
I call the aide back and leave her a message. She calls me back. I’m calling her at about the same time. She picks up the phone almost at the same time.
“Can you hold for the governor,” she asks? What was I going to say, no?
Rendell comes on the phone. I’ve met him a couple of times. He sounds like my best friend.
“Phil, you’re not going to believe this story,” he says.
I immediately think of Jake’s story. I still can’t believe I did this, but I blurt out, interrupting the governor:
“I don’t believe it, don’t tell me you heard from the Lancianese family.”
Oh, he had heard alright. They sent the letter certified mail. Rendell goes over all his own mail. He saw the letter, which included the story from the Daily Times as proof, and contacted the family.
That’s how that great story ended up on our front page Saturday. And that’s how wound up at last night’s Phillies game.
He and his dad were at last night’s Phillies game, courtesy of Gov. Ed Rendell.
And the Daily Times played a small role in it.
Sometimes I just love this job.
It’s the start of my favorite story so far from the Phillies run to a World Series title.
It’s from Sherry Lancianese, a mom out in Aston. It involves her son Jake, Gov. Rendell and the World Series. And the Daily Times plays a feature role as well.
It seems a few years back, when Jake was in elementary school at Hilltop Elementary, the governor came to the school to praise the district’s new kindergarten program.
While he was there he asked the kids some questions. Jake Lancianese correctly answered one of the questions. When the governor asked him what he wanted, Jake responded that if the Phillies ever made it to the World Series, he wanted tickets to a game. A story, including Jake’s photo and his request, appeared in the Daily Times the next day.
Jake didn’t forget. After the Phils won the NLCS, he sat down atthis kitchen table and penned a letter to the governor.
His mom called me. It sounded like a great story and I told her, absolutely, I thought it would be worth a shot of reminding the governor. I asked her to let me know how they made out. I meant to have someone get back to them, but in the frenzy we’ve been involved in with the World Series, it skipped my mind. It was on the list of stories I wanted us to do.
Last Thursday I get a voice mail. It’s from the governor’s aide. “The governor needs to speak to you,” Anne Shriver said in a pretty serious voice. My stomach was in knots. I knew that our editorial endorsements had appeared in the paper that day, and one of them mentioned the governor. I figured he was upset about something. I had totally forgotten Jake’s story. The governor, however, had not.
I call the aide back and leave her a message. She calls me back. I’m calling her at about the same time. She picks up the phone almost at the same time.
“Can you hold for the governor,” she asks? What was I going to say, no?
Rendell comes on the phone. I’ve met him a couple of times. He sounds like my best friend.
“Phil, you’re not going to believe this story,” he says.
I immediately think of Jake’s story. I still can’t believe I did this, but I blurt out, interrupting the governor:
“I don’t believe it, don’t tell me you heard from the Lancianese family.”
Oh, he had heard alright. They sent the letter certified mail. Rendell goes over all his own mail. He saw the letter, which included the story from the Daily Times as proof, and contacted the family.
That’s how that great story ended up on our front page Saturday. And that’s how wound up at last night’s Phillies game.
He and his dad were at last night’s Phillies game, courtesy of Gov. Ed Rendell.
And the Daily Times played a small role in it.
Sometimes I just love this job.
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