I enjoyed a quick trip back to Michigan for Thanksgiving. My family hopped on the road to Kewadin, Mich. to celebrate the holiday at grandma’s house which is located on a corner of my uncle’s apple and cherry orchard, overlooking the Grand Traverse Bay. We stuffed ourselves full of delicious food per the holiday tradition. Before gathering around the television to watch the Lions lose yet another Thanksgiving game, I took a walk around the orchard to help digest. Keep reading →
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Tagged: Apples, Connor Boals, Kewadin, Michigan, Thanksgiving
My buddy Fred is doing his Master’s project on amateur boxing enthusiasts. Apparently, boxing is the new yoga and yuppies can be seen mixing with people from all walks of life in the sweaty old gyms across the city.
I tagged along with him on a reporting run to Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, which happens to be New York City’s oldest boxing gym. It was amateur night and I borrowed my roommate, Cody’s bounce flash to take it for a spin. It was tricky, but I had fun.
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Tagged: Boxing, Connor Boals, Gleason's Gym
Every Tuesday around noon, I return home to grab a meal and retreat into my thoughts before returning to class. It also happens that at noon the children of PS 135 descend on the playground outside my window.
I never get the retreat I’m hoping for.
From my perch at my kitchen table, my window is a frame. There is no need for television during lunchtime. The children provide the entertainment. There is every ingredient for compelling drama in the fifth grade: love, heartbreak, jealousy and anger.
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Tagged: Connor Boals, Photos, Writing
I’ve spent a lot of time covering the struggle of the now-former employees of the Stella D’Oro Cookie Factory in the Bronx.
My new piece, for The Bronx Ink, can be read here.
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Tagged: Kingsbridge, Connor Boals, Stella D'Oro, Jobs, The Bronx Ink
This Tuesday, November 3, was the New York City General Election. My RW1 Class was dispatched into the Bronx for some exit polling. I hopped on the train at 7 a.m. to head to Riverdale, a wealthy, white and Jewish Democratic stronghold in the Northwestern Bronx to see how people were voting for mayor. The polls were stationed at PS 81, the local elementary school.
The poll was very informal, but Riverdale looked like it was going to Mayor Michael Bloomberg. More importantly, more than half the people I polled were registered democrats that went for Bloomberg. Keep reading →
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Tagged: Bill Thompson, Bloomberg, Connor Boals, Democratic Party, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City Mayor, Photos, Ruben Diaz Jr.
My buddy Fred Dreier reached out to me after hooking up with Competitor Magazine offering for us to film the ING New York City Marathon for them. It was a long day, but it was really incredible seeing 40,000 runners and what felt like all of New York cheering them on.
I handled the filming, mostly, and Fred put on his competitive running journalist hat, corralling the pros at the end of the race. As members of the “mixed media” we were placed in a tiny box after the finish line, where various sweaty, limping and dazed athletes wearing space blankets were shuttled over to us by public relations people. I can’t imagine ever wanting to be interviewed or even being able to put together intelligible, coherent thoughts after running 26.2 miles, but the finishers were more than accommodating to our pestering immediately after the race.
Here’s the highlight video of the pro race that we put together:
I think Fred has a future in broadcast.
It was quite a weekend of adventure and forgetful “lesson-learning” on my part. Keep reading →
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Tagged: Competitor Magazine, Connor Boals Meb Keflezighi, Deena Kastor, Fred Dreier, NYC Marathon 2009, Ryan Hall
I took a walk around my neighborhood near Riverside Park. Perfect autumn mid-afternoon light.
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Tagged: Connor Boals, New York City, Photography, Photos, Pigeons, Riverside Park
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Tagged: Marble Hill, RW1
One of the few things you can get my whole family to agree to watch on TV is dog agility competitions. The animals are trained to quickly pass through a series of obstacles at their owner’s command.
Apparently, people run their cats through obstacle courses as well.
Apparently, its a growing sport.
Apparently, I even missed Whoopi Goldberg running her cat through the course yesterday.
The only difference is these cats aren’t trained. This is one of those only-in-America, people-and-their-pets kind of things that you have to see to believe.
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→ 2 CommentsCategories: Journalism · Manhattan · Multimedia
Tagged: Cats, CFA, Dogs, Feline Agility, Meet the Breeds, Whoopi Goldberg
The joys of journalism: me, in the media lounge at a dog and cat exhibition.
I am so official.
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Tagged: Cats, Dog show, Dogs, Journalism, Meet the Breeds, Press Pass
