Posted on 06/07/2007 11:41:00 AM PDT by FortWorthPatriot
I need recommendations for FReepers living in and around the Phoenix, Arizona area. I may request to have a story be covered by one of the local newspapers or television stations there and want to know which paper or station would be the best to contact so that it would get good coverage
The story - pending approval from my newly found 2nd cousin - will be about her reunion with her father, whom she has never seen, nor met, nor known for the past 55 years. He was 22 and an airman in the USAF when she was born, but for some reason her mother and he had some find of falling out and up until the day she died, her mother refused to tell her anything about him.
I dabble in genealogy and through one of my contacts, my name was given to her since her paternal grandmother was my paternal grandfather's sister. She contacted me this past Monday afternoon by phone to introduce herself to me and to ask me if I might have anything on her father. I told her all I had was his name and that was about it.
She told me that just up until recently she herself didn't even know his name, until she ordered a copy of her own birth certificate to obtain it. From that, she learned her paternal grandfather's name and from there her paternal grandmother's name. She then learned the name of our great-grandfather, which led her to contact my cousin who passed my name and number on to her.
Long story short, my dad (who is her father's first cousin) didn't have anything on her father, but was still in contact with his sister, who still lived near my dad in Northeast Arkansas. I forwarded the contact information on her aunt to her and she called her Tuesday evening.
The next next morning she emailed me to say that she spoke with not only her "new" aunt but with her father as well! I could not believe it. God does work in mysterious ways.
She found out that he currently lives in Phoenix, is retired, and cannot wait to see her. She is already planning a visit the 24th of this month. This will be first time in 55 years that this man will have set eyes upon his own child.
My cousin said that she does not blame him for what happened and said that she believes everything was her mother's fault. I do not plan to inquire any further into the catalyst behind the separation as for one thing it is personal to her, of course, and rightfully none of my damn business.:)
Anyway, I haven't spoken to her yet about doing this (the story) but if she wanted to do it I wanted to see if I could get coverage of their reunion. I wanted to see what papers or TV stations would be good ones to contact.
I appreciate your help.
Thanks!
http://www.azcentral.com, http://www.evtribune.com, http://www.kasz.com, http://www.azfamily.com, http://www. phoenix360.com . To start.
Try FOX 10.
My husband and I watch FOX 10, they usually have human interest stories on their 9pm newscast.
You may want to contact the radio station KFYI.
My vote goes with East Valley Tribune, already mentioned in the first post.
Fox 10 is a good TV station to go with.
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