Facing Out: The Most Interesting News of the Week

March 23, 2024

This spring, they’re walking on water, or seemingly so, on frozen Middle Saranac Lake. (Nancie Battaglia)

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

How happy are you this morning?

The 2024 World Happiness Report (yes, that’s a real thing) issued this week includes some conclusions worth considering. First the good news: Older Americans (60-plus) are happier than young Americans (under 30) and among the happiest people on Earth. Credit: social connections, security, and the learned ability to persevere through bad times. America’s seniors are the 10th happiest bunch on the planet, trailing only those in the Scandinavian countries, Canada and a handful of others. But our young people are only the 62^nd happiest in the world, behind those in Israel, Taiwan, Kosovo, Bosnia, and other countries where you might expect to find more unhappiness among the young. Unhappiness among young American was enough to drive the United States out of the top 20 happiest countries for the first time since the report was first published in 2012.

The unhappiness among young people in America and other English-speaking countries is deep. In a 2022 Harvard study, American young people — 18-25 — reported the lowest levels of happiness compared with other age groups, as well as the poorest mental and physical health, sense of purpose, character, virtue, close social relationships and financial stability. The isolating impact of social media and anxiety about the state of the world, including wars and climate change, (a are the commonly cited reasons — along with the American (lookin’ at you, Pharrell Williams) expectation that we should always be happy and getting happier.

An unidentified corporal photographed by journalist and Troy native Bernie Kolenberg during a trip to Vietnam in 1965. Kolenberg, who worked for the Albany, N.Y., Times Union, was the first American photojournalist to die in Vietnam. His negatives have been lost, but photographer John Bulmer recently restored prints Kolenberg left behind.

PAGE ONE MAN: In 1965, Albany, N.Y., Times Union photographer Bernie Kolenberg, known as a “Page One Man” for his ability to reliably make front-page-worthy images, was the first American photojournalist killed in action in the Vietnam War. This week, his work was on the front page again, thanks to the restoration efforts of another son of Troy, photographer John Bulmer. Kolenberg’s niece, Joanne Ziter of Cold Spring, N.Y., reached out to Bulmer earlier this year in response to an offer he made on his Facebook page to restore images.  

“After discovering the shared ties between Bernie and myself—our hometown and profession—and learning of the sacrifices he made for his art, to bear witness and tell important yet uncomfortable stories, I felt driven not only to restore his photos but also to ensure they reach new audiences. If my own work were to be sealed in a box 50 years from now, I would hope for a fellow photographer to liberate it.”

None of the negatives Kolenberg made with his Leica M3 survive, but Bulmer was given access to prints the photographer made for an exhibit after his first trip to Vietnam in 1965, and painstakingly restored them as digital images. Read more about the process on Bulmer’s website.

“Working so closely with Bernie's photos provided me with a unique perspective on his work as a photographer. His images were technically close to perfection, yet I often had to remind myself that they were captured in the chaos of a war zone, likely with shaky hands, manual focus, and on film. What's even more remarkable is that Bernie was self-taught.”

Bernie’s widow and son have died, but at least one former Albany Times Union colleague still remembers him: Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Kennedy, who often witnessed the lengths Bernie would go to for a shot. Kennedy met with Bulmer to tell him stories of the Page One Man. Kennedy called Kolenberg “a folk hero among journalists, a myth maker” whose creativity in capturing the decisive moment was legendary.

THE OGG OF GOLF: If it’s time to play golf, it might also be time for the Capital Region of New York to recognize an all-but forgotten local contributor to the game. Of course, Dottie Pepper, Billie Shields, Jimmy Hines, Laura Diaz and Tom Creavy get well-deserved moments in the sun, as they should, but what about Willie Ogg? William Robertson Ogg, born in May 1888 in Carnoustie, Scotland, where the British Open has often been held, was a professional golfer, golf course architect and club designer. He was also one of the founding members of the PGA of America. Ogg, who often played in a white shirt and tie, won four times as a pro and tied for 9th in the 1923 PGA Championship. He brought his A game to Albany in the 1950s as the club pro  at the Albany Country Club, now the campus of the State University of New York. He was considered an excellent golf instructor and was the author of the book “Golf as I Know It,” published posthumously in 1961. Perhaps Wille Ogg’s his most enduring contribution to the game came in 1933, when he created and patented a design for a perimeter weighted iron or cavity back iron. Golf Magazine reported a couple years ago that 44% of the top tour pros use perimeter weighted irons versus bladed clubs. Ogg also enhanced Wilson’s line of woods by improving their shafts and patented a golf glove design. At about the same time that Willie was inventing the so-called Ogg-mented club, another golf great with Capital Region ties — Eugenio Saraceni, better known as Gene Sarazen — was inventing the sand wedge. Sarazen, who grew up in Harrison, N.Y., is remembered locally for his generosity to Siena College students.

PIANO MAN: If you’re a classical piano aficionado, you already know Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner. If you don’t recognize the name, think about this: Llewellyn began his first college degree at age 5, and at 6 began performing regularly with orchestras. He made Juilliard history at age 14 as the youngest-ever admittee to the College Division. In 2009, he performed solo at the White House for President Obama; and in 2013, for the Presidential Inauguration concert at the Kennedy Center. At 18, he was honored as the most promising American pianist of a new generation. On April 21, he’s coming to The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, N.Y., to perform as part of the Glens Falls Symphony and de Blasiis Chamber Music Series, one of the oldest in the country.

WELCOME, MADNESS: March Madness is upon us, with Colgate, Dayton, Yale, UConn, North Carolina, Northwestern, Charleston, and other teams with huge fan followings at the Big Dance. But the hottest ticket this spring is to see Caitlin Clark, the University of Iowa basketball player and Division I career scoring leader, who has become one of the biggest draws in sports. Nearly 10 million people watched her play in last year’s championship game, a loss to Louisiana State. If all goes well for her Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark will potentially play in a Sweet 16 game at Albany’s MVP Arena on Saturday, March 30, and an Elite Eight contest on Monday, April 1. Ticket prices are soaring.

PLEASANT WALK, INTERRUPTED: Hikers, both the experienced and the woefully unprepared, keep New York State Forest Rangers responding to calls for help in dangerous conditions in the Adirondacks almost all year-round. Earlier this month, it took more than 30 Department of Environmental Conservation rangers to rescue two people in the Johns Brook Valley area of the Adirondacks in tough, icy conditions. A 61-year-old hiker from Pittsford slipped and hurt his leg on the west side of Saddleback Mountain. A 38-year-old from Maryland injured his leg and shoulder while sliding down an icy trail off Basin Mountain. Bad weather prevented helicopters from flying, so rangers prepared for two separate nine-mile carry outs on dark, icy trails. They reached the first man, splinted his leg, and wrapped him to keep him warm. Due to the steep conditions, the second rescue required use of a high-angle rope system.

DISNEY WARS: George Lucas threw his considerable influence behind Disney Chairman Robert Iger this week, in the latest boardroom battle over leadership of the Walt Disney Company. Lucas is said to be Disney’s largest individual shareowner. Activist Nelson Peltz is challenging Iger, and at the 2024 Disney shareholder meeting on April 3, investors will choose between rival board candidate slates — Disney’s chosen 12-member lineup, Peltz’s Trian Partners’ two nominees (Peltz and ex-Disney CFO Jay Rasulo) or three from a private investment firm. Peltz argues that Disney’s stock has underperformed the market and that the company needs to adopt and execute more urgent strategies to drive sustained and profitable growth. Iger’s Disney empire struck back recently, releasing a political style attack ad against him.

TINY AND MIGHTY: How could an Adirondack town of only 2,000 possibly produce four winter Olympians, including Maddie Phaneuf? Meet the Polar Bear Ski Club from Old Forge, N.Y., whose young members can get a free ride on the local school bus every day to municipally owned McCauley Mountain. In an era where the cost of skiing seems out of reach for ordinary families, the Polar Bear Ski Club’s fees are far cheaper than most clubs: no more than $225 “for life.” And for families who can’t afford the fees or equipment, there are scholarships made available by other local families. “Imagine riding the bus to the mountain every day after school,” says the club’s president Erica Murray. “And imagine a town making sure your kids all have free ski passes so that they can get on that mountain every day.”

THE MUSIC HALL: The Troy Savings Bank, founded in 1823, decided in 1870 to move to larger offices a block away – and to include on the third floor of its new headquarters a community treasure, a music hall. The renowned acoustics of the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall drew artists like Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, and Artur Rubenstein. But as Troy’s Industrial Revolution success faded, so, too, did Troy’s ability to support the Music Hall. The community stepped in and raised money to save it in 1979, and the Hall has been going strong in the decades since, even after another banking institution bought the bank. This week, the leaders of the Music Hall announced a plan to invest $14 million in an expansion project that will allow it to hold performances during the summer months, provide additional space for programming, add parking and transform parts of the exterior. Completion is expected by the end of 2025 with the possibility of the first summer performances in 2026.

YADDA YADDA YADDA: Before we unveil this story, we remind you the show Seinfeld ended its nine-year run in 1998. That’s 26 years ago. George, Jerry, Elaine and Kramer didn’t even have cell phones. (Kramer still wouldn’t). The world has changed and changed again since the squad ended up in a Massachusetts jail. And yet here come the Yankees with a George Costanza bobblehead. You may remember actor Jason Alexander’s George worked for the Bronx Bombers as an assistant to the traveling secretary (of course you do, because immortality exists in reruns). The first 18,000 fans who show up to watch the Red Sox-Yankees game on July 5 will get a free Costanza bobblehead. It’s the summer of George.

A RUN ON MINI TOTES: Trader Joe’s announced plans to replenish the supply of mini-totes after the $2.99 item sold out quickly in stores and demand escalated, leading to resale offers of $1,000 for all four colors online.

INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS’ DAY: (This is not a lawyer joke.) The conventional wisdom is that PR people and lawyers can’t get along. In our case, that’s a magnus error. We love and admire the many outstanding lawyers we work with. To all, a happy day, April 9.

DUNKIN’ RIP OFFS: State officials are investigating a vegan Long Island bakery that has gone viral for allegedly trying to pass off doughnuts from Dunkin’ as their own, gluten-free treats. CindySnacks, a specialty vegan grocer in Huntington, accused one of its vendors of supplying it with non-vegan doughnuts tainted with allergens that it didn’t even cook.

SUPER BOOK: NBA superstar Stephen Curry is delving into the world of children's literature with "I Am Extraordinary," a book to inspire kids to embrace their uniqueness. Through the story of Zoe and her journey with a hearing aid, Curry champions the power of difference and self-confidence.

DAVID BREASHEARS, who summited Mt. Everest five times and seemed to possess superhuman tolerance for risk, died at sea level at his home in Marblehead, Mass. He was a mountain climber and cinematographer whose 1998 film, “Everest” is the highest-grossing IMAX documentary ever. As a young man, Breashears led an ascetic life as a rock climber, committed to the sport and spending most of his waking hours on rock faces. He earned notice for his minimalist approach, refusing all but the most basic gear and rejecting shortcuts, even when they offered a safer way up. Later, as a filmmaker, his generosity became legendary. During the filming of Everest, a blizzard hit, stranding many climbers on the mountain. Mr. Breashears immediately offered spare oxygen tanks, batteries and food to the rescuers trying to locate the stranded men, even though he needed those supplies to complete his film project. He was 68.

JULIA MARY (ROBINSON) BELAFONTE was born on Sept. 14, 1928, in Manhattan, the daughter of Russian Jews who saw to it that she was educated at the High School of Music and Art. She left high school when she won a scholarship to study dance and ended up teaching Marlon Brando and Alvin Ailey. In the 1950s, she came to Hollywood where Brando introduced her to entertainer Harry Belafonte. Their 1957 interracial marriage foreshadowed their life’s work campaigning for civil rights and integration. After raising a family, she continued her career as a dancer, actress, choreographer, and documentarian. Mr. Belafonte died this month. She was 95.

“Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity. It is right and it is duty.”
— Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, Assassinated Monday, March 24, 1980.
Canonized October 14, 2018

LATER, GATOR: A Western New York community is rallying behind a man who kept a blind, 11-foot, 750-pound alligator in a pool inside his home — where children were invited to swim with the gentle giant. The 34-year-old reptile named Albert was seized by the Department of Environmental Conservation and the SPCA.  “I took care of him better than most people take care of their kids,” the owner said.

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Principal Authors: Leigh Hornbeck and Mark Behan.

Sincere thanks to our contributors: Ryan Moore, John Brodt, Bill Callen, Kristy Miller, M. Peter Lanahan, Tara Hutchins, Claire P. Tuttle, John Bulmer, and Nancie Battaglia.

FACING OUT is what we do. We help companies, organizations and individuals work effectively with their most important external audiences – their customers, their shareholders, their communities, the government and the news media.  www.behancommunications.com

Facing Out features news and other nuggets that caught our eye, and that we thought might be of value to you, our friends and business associates. Some items are good news about our clients and friends, others are stories that we hope will leave you a bit more informed or entertained than you were five minutes ago. As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback. 

Let’s make it a conversation: mark.behan@behancom.com