News & Notes

Thinking About Joe Paterno

2012-01-22T18:59:37Z

Joe Paterno

Written By Tony Mussari, Sr.
Copyright 2012
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD
tmussari@gmail.com

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Dr. Martin Luther king

The news of Joe Paterno’s death did not take me by surprise, I expected it. Anyone who followed his story during the past two weeks, knew that Joe Paterno’s days were numbered. Nevertheless, I was saddened to read about Joe’s passing.

During my lifetime, I had three encounters with Joe Paterno. All of them were positive.

The first time I called him, he answered his own phone. I invited him to be a speaker at a banquet here in my hometown. He could not attend because of health problems his wife was experiencing. He graciously volunteered to get us another speaker, and he did.

Our second meeting happened when my brother Ken introduced me to Joe at a social function. He was polite, gracious and very friendly.

The third contact took place 21 years ago. My brother, an avid Penn State fan, died shortly after he left the Blockbuster Bowl in the third quarter. The cause, a fatal heart attack.He was 53-years-old. Our family was devastated. I wrote to Joe Paterno to tell him about Ken’s death. I asked him to write a letter to Ken’s wife and children to ease their pain.

This is the letter he wrote:

During an interview for Windsor Park Stories in 2007, Lee Lispi, one of Joe Paterno’s players, spoke about Joe Paterno the coach and the man. You can watch that interview at this address:

http://www.windsorparktheater.com/index.php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&task=viewvideo&Itemid=27&video_id=102

Much has been written and said about Joe Paterno during the past few months. In my mind’s eye, the words William Shakespeare wrote for Mark Antony should be comforting to Joe Paterno’s family and instructive to us:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest -
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men -
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

On this day of parting, the words of Joe Paterno ring true for me. This morning I sent his words as a thought for the day to a friend and former student to ease the pain of a recent setback in his life.

Joe Paterno, coach, teacher, philanthropist, husband, father and grandfather is dead at 85. He achieved greatness. He empowered others to do good work on and off the field. He was human. He made mistakes, and one serious and haunting misjudgment. He lived long enough to acknowledge that misjudgment.

He was, in Shakespeare’s words, an honorable man.

May God have mercy on his soul.

Please provide feedback to:
Tony.mussari@gmail.com

Be Yourself: Our Face of America Journey Continues

2012-01-16T21:59:27Z

Be Yourself!

Written By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2011
Mussari-Loftus Associates
The Face of America Project
www.faceofamericawps.com
tmussari@gmail.com

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. Ralph Waldo Emerson

N.E.D., Hallelujah!

If you have been following our Face of America journey, you know the good, the bad and the ugly about Kitch’s battle with breast cancer. We shared our story as a patient and a caregiver to help others better navigate the dark gravel road called cancer.

In this our first newsletter of 2012, we would like to share some very good news. Kitch completed all of her post treatment tests, and recently she heard these words from her primary care physician: “No Evidence of Disease!”

The acronym N.E.D. filled our hearts with a kind of joy and relief that defies description.

To everyone who helped reach this goal, we want you to know that we are grateful for your acts of kindness and your prayers of healing.

We are forever indebted to the doctors, nurses and medical technicians, who gave Kitch the competent and compassionate care that produced this positive outcome.

You can be sure that we will spend the rest of our life helping others meet the challenges of cancer so they can hear the words “No Evidence of Disease.”

Looking Backward

Two years ago this weekend, Kitch and I were in Yarmouth, Maine. It was the first trip in what would become our Face of America journey across America.

While we were there, we attended Sunday service at the historic First Parish Church. We visited with Frank Knight, one of the most respected citizens in Yarmouth and the revered caretaker of Herbie, a 240-year-old Dutch Elm that was about to be taken down.

“You get old because you stop doing things,” Frank Knight told us. “You don’t stop doing things because you get old.” The former tree warden of Yarmouth knows what he is talking about. He was 101 years young when he shared this advice with us.

For three days, the Down East Village Restaurant and Motel was our home. Ed and Sue Ferrell were perfect hosts.

To this day, we have fond memories of our visit to Maine, the people we met and the things we learned there about America at its best. We are looking forward to a return visit, if and when our book is published.

You can read about our experience in Maine at this address:

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/visiting-maine-in-search-of-the-face-of-america/

Happy Birthday, Dr. King

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, Kitch and I would like to share some of his quotations that remind us of what America is on its best day:

Everything that is done in this world is done by hope.

He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.

Life’s most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.

The time is always right to do what is right. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

When I think about the life and death of Martin Luther King, the poignant words spoken by Senator Robert Kennedy come to mind:

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice for his fellow human beings, and he died because of that effort...Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and to make gentle the life of this world...Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.

Why?

Recently, someone asked me a vey pointed question: “Why do you spend so much time searching for the Face of America on its best day?”

My answer was quite simple: “I am trying to be useful.”

Yes, useful.

When Kitch and I produced corporate videos of J.P. Morgan’s CEO, Dennis Weatherstone, he was quick to tell large audiences of employees that among the most important people in the bank were the people who worked in the mail room. “If they get it wrong,” he would say, “everything can fall apart,”

That does not mean that CEO’s, and other executive types are not important, but without the men and women who are on the ground in the classrooms, offices, operating rooms and mail rooms of institutions in cities and towns across America, not very much would get done.

These are the people who make America work. Seldom if ever, do they get any attention. Their work does not make the headlines. They are not the subject cable news programs. In a way, they are very much like my father.

My father was a signal maintainer for the D&H Railroad. If he got it wrong on the job, trains would crash. If he got it wrong at home, I would not be writing this. He was not rich, powerful or famous. He was the most important and lasting influence in my life. Watching him sacrifice for his family gave me a Ph.D. in what really matters in life.

He was not an angry man. He was not a self absorbed man. He was not stressed out about his situation. His world was his family, his neighborhood and his church. He was thoughtful, generous, and kind. He took pride in his work, and he was grateful for everything he had. He was a patriotic and loyal citizen. He lived a useful life.

From my father, I learned that the greatness of America can be found at the ground level. He taught me by example to live the words of Emerson:

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.

As we begin the third year of our Face of America journey, Kitch and I are determined to do what Suzanne McCabe encouraged us to do:

Please keep on focusing on the positive people and happenings around us. So much of what we hear and read focuses on the negative – your stories remind us that we really are surrounded by good, but the negative tends to drown it out. Please keep giving good a voice!

Toward that end, you will find three new articles in our Face of America Blog. They highlight the accomplishments of three genuine Faces of America:

Mollie Marti, Holly Berry and Debbie Heberling.

You will find their stories at these secure addresses:
http://faceofamericawps.com/news/walking-with-justice/

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/serendipity-meeting-holly-berry/

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/service-with-a-smile-and-kind-words-to-match/

Until the next time, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.

Tony & Kitch Mussari

Please provide feedback to:

Tony.kitchmussari@gmail.com

Christmas Greetings from Windsor Park

2011-12-19T00:53:25Z

Christmas Greetings from Windsor Park

By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2011
Mussari-Loftus Associates
The Face of America Project
www.faceofamericawps.com,
tony.mussari@gmail.com

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.” Charles Dickens

Moments to Remember

Kitch and I would like to share a few of the magic moments we experienced during our recent Face of America trip to North Plainfield, New Jersey. To be honest, these were four of the most wonderful days of the year. They were filled with learning moments, teaching moments, affirming moments and humbling moments.

The learning moments happened during a production of A Christmas Carol. At one point in the play, 60 students, teachers and administrators were on the stage dramatizing the words of Charles Dickens. They helped everyone in the audience better understand the spirit and the meaning of Christmas. Kitch and I were exhilarated and rejuvenated by the profound words of Charles Dickens and the excellent performance of his play in North Plainfield.

If you have a minute, you can read about our evening with Dickens and how the play puts Christmas in perspective. You will find it at this secure address:

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/an-evening-with-dickens/

Another learning moment took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Kitch and I attended the Christmas Spectacular with Jacqueline and Tom Mazur. There were many aha moments during the stage show. The one that made the greatest impression on my heart involved a song Closer Than You Know. It provided the theme for a prophetic story about a frazzled mother who was looking for the perfect Christmas gift for her daughter.

This secure address will take you to an article about our Radio City Music Hall Christmas experience and some pictures we took of the building once heralded as the showplace of the nation:

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/a-day-in-new-york/

Teaching Moments

The teaching moments happened during and after two student assemblies at the North Plainfield Senior High School. I was given an opportunity to speak to more than 1,000 students before two separate screenings of our documentary Shanksville, PA: A Place of Transformation. I did my very best to introduce the students to the Legacy of 2LT Emily Perez, the meaning of the word hero and the importance of community service.

If you are looking for something to counteract all of the negative messages we get in the news these days, the short video we produced about Emily’s Legacy and the two articles we wrote about the students we met in North Plainfield will lift your spirits and give you hope.

These links will take you to the short video and the articles:

http://faceofamericawps.com/video/emilys-legacy/

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/four-days-in-north-plainfield-nj-part-3/

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/four-days-in-north-plainfield-nj-part-4/

An Evening like No Other

On December 6, the North Plainfield school district hosted a community screening of our Shanksville documentary. It was an evening of special moments and unexpected surprises. In every respect of the word it was a perfect experience.

Kitch and I have tried to record the magic and the memories for you in this article:

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/four-days-in-north-plainfield-nj-part-5/

Living Christmas

Please accept these offerings as a Christmas present given from our hearts to everyone who has been kind and helpful to us during our Face of America journey across America and Kitch’s year-long battle with cancer.

If you are wondering why we continue to search for the Face of America on its best day despite all of the reversals, obstacles and setbacks, if you are wondering why we are determined to highlight stories of hope inspiration and service just like we did whhen we were producing Windsor park Stories, you will find our inspiration in the courageous life of 2LT Emily Perez, in the wonderful work being done in the North Plainfield School District and the encouraging words we receive from people like you who read our newsletter.

A few weeks ago, a person we admire and respect wrote these words after she read our November newsletter:

“Please keep on focusing on the positive people and happenings around us. So much of what we hear and read focuses on the negative – your stories remind us that we really are surrounded by good, but the negative tends to drown it out. Please keep giving good a voice!”

As Kitch and I look forward to Christmas and the New Year, the words of Charles Dickens fill our hearts with a desire to live the Christmas spirit every day of the year:

“I have always thought of Christmas time… as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time.”

Merry Christmas, and may God bless us everyone.

Tony & Kitch Mussari
Producers
The Face of America Project
Please provide feedback to:
tony.mussari@gmail.com

October Surprises

2011-10-30T18:34:56Z

October Surprises

By Kitch & Tony Mussari
Copyright 2011
Mussari-Loftus Associates
The Face of America Project
www.faceofamericawps.com
tony.kitchmussari@gmail.com

October is a fine and dangerous season in America. It is a wonderful time to begin anything at all. Thomas Merton

Waiting for the Snow to Melt

Like everyone else in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding states, we are waiting for the rare October snow to melt.
This picture of the Angel Garden is but one of 200 digital images I snapped at various times during the storm.

In our little corner of the world, we had almost a foot of snow. The water-laden crystals covered everything in our garden. It caused branches on the trees to bend and, in some cases, touch the ground. The images were delightful. The sounds of silence were peaceful. The power and poetry of nature was humbling.

On the flip side, trees were downed causing power outages. Driving was treacherous, and people were inconvenienced. Some suffered. One of our friends who is up in years and living alone in a mobile home has only a space heater to keep her warm. She is a courageous face of America who needs help. Kitch does what she can to fill in the gaps.

I must confess. I love snow. It brings back wonderful memories of my childhood complete with sleigh rides, snowball fights, building snowmen, and freezing cold hands being carefully warmed over a coal stove. We laughed together, played together, got wet together. We did these things in real time, with real people in neighborhoods where everyone knew their neighbors.

Where we lived, no one was wealthy, and every home was heated with anthracite coal, commonly known here as black diamonds. It was a glorious time of community, camaraderie and simple pleasures. It was a time that was, but will never be again.

Battling Cancer

Last Sunday our Face of America journey took us to a wonderful celebration of survival. For three hours we joined a room full of heroes who know the agony of cancer in real and very personal ways. They also know the ecstasy of survival, and the complications one encounters during recovery.

Affectionately titled “Its All About Me Pink Tea: Stories of Survivorship,” the event was sponsored by Candy’s Place, The Center for Cancer Wellness.

You can read our account of this beautiful and poignant experience at this secure address:

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/finding-the-ecstasy-in-life-after-the-agony-of-cancer/

Saying Good-Bye to a Friend

Our Face of America journey took us to Brooklyn on a beautiful Friday afternoon. I went to share a painful moment with one of our former students, Rob Anderson. Rob has been a good friend to both Kitch and me. In fact, when Kitch was diagnosed with breast cancer, Rob competed in a race for a cure. He dedicated his run to his mother and Kitch.

Rob’s mom, Frances Grasso, was a model for Kitch. Unfortunately, her cancer spread to her brain and she died a peaceful death surrounded by her four children: Michelle, Jennifer, Melissa, and Rob.

At her viewing, her oldest daughter, Michelle, described her mother with these words. “My mother was thoughtful, caring and kind. She taught us to always reach up for our best.”

I know that to be the case, because Kitch and I had the privilege of teaching Frances Grasso’s only son. He always responded with his best effort. He is a very good person with a very good heart. He willingly to gives of himself to help others.

Rob was very kind to us during our Face of America trip to Florida.

He is a living legacy of the love and kindness of his mother.

Being a very small part of Rob’s tribute to his mother reminded me of the words of Albert Einstein: “Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us...”

Frances Grasso, 54, lives on in Michelle, Jennifer, Melissa and Rob, and all the people who know them.

Moving Forward

Kitch and I have decided to produce a documentary about battling cancer. It will draw upon our experiences and the things we learned during the past year.

In may be hard to believe this, but the idea came to us after we discovered Martina McBride’s song “I’m Gonna Love You Through it.” It’s written with conviction and warmth. It’s a wonderful story, and it is a testimony to Martina McBride’s great talent.

An unsuccessful effort to enlist the support of McBride’s production company provided us with a great opportunity. We needed a song and a music bed for our project, so we wrote lyrics that speak to the central theme of the documentary and Kitch's experience battling cancer.

Our friend Mike Lewis helped us make a connection with a producer in Nashville, and next month our song will be recorded.

We have our fingers crossed. We hope things will work out well. We will keep you posted on any developments.

From the Courthouse

On October 17, I drove the Luzerne County Courthouse to respond to a summons for jury duty. For a good part of the week, I had the privilege of living one of the values that exemplifies America at its best, equal justice under law for everyone.

In my opinion, being a part of a jury pool provides invaluable insight into America and Americans at the ground level.

You can read about what I discovered at this secure address:

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/maintaining-justice-jury-duty/

Picture of the Month

One afternoon, I saw something I had never seen before. In fact, when I first saw the hawk having lunch in our backyard, I did not believe my eyes. After I snapped a few pictures, the hawk decided to make a quick exit. Fortunately I had the camera set to the shutter speed and exposure.

This is a picture that speaks to elegance, strength, survival and nature in its unvarnished form.

Until the next time we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.

(Picture of children in the snow courtesy of The Library of Congress digital collection)

Tony & Kitch Mussari
Producers
The Face of America Project
Please provide feedback to:
tony.kitchmussari@gmail.com

Victories & Visits

2011-10-01T23:26:44Z

Victories and Visits: Our Face of America Journey Continues

By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2011
Mussari-Loftus Associates
The Face of America Project
www.faceofamericawps.com
tmussari@gmail.com

You cannot touch love, but you can feel the sweetness that it pours into everything. Annie Sullivan

Battling Cancer: Great News

Kitch finished her radiation treatments on August 17. This picture records the ecstasy and joy of the moment. Day by day she is getting stronger. She takes a yoga class every week, and she works out with light weights three days a week.

Throughout her ordeal, Kitch has been courageous, determined and resolute. These are the words that gave her strength to battle cancer with optimism and hope, “I refuse to let cancer make me a victim.”

In her own quiet way, she is helping other cancer patients deal with the disease and the treatments. In every respect, 2011 has been her finest hour.

To Kitch’s doctors and nurses, the members of our family, our friends and the people we met during our journey along the dark gravel road called cancer, we say Thank You.

For the rest of our life, we will use what we learned battling this disease to help others who are suffering. That is the least we can do for the precious gift of life God gave us.

Good News

Every now and then someone asks us what the status is on the book we have written about our Face of America journey. Recently, we received some very encouraging news from our literary agent.

The book proposal is in the hands of an editor at a major publishing house in New York. We don’t know what the outcome will be, but we have been told this is a major accomplishment especially in these days of celebrity books!

Our agent put it this way, “Not many book proposals get that far these days.”

We have our fingers crossed, and we will keep you posted on any developments.

Shanksville: Sentimental News

To use the words of a famous nanny, our final visit and screening in Shanksville was “practically perfect in every way.” The weather was good. The people who attended were wonderful. The documentary was well received, and the memories we have are rich in all the ways that matter.

Recently we posted several articles about our final screening on our Face of America website. You can read them at these secure addresses:

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/shanksville-a-place-of-transformation/

http://faceofamericawps.com/articles/

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/an-unforgettable-weekend-in-shanksville/

http://faceofamericawps.com/news/the-secret-to-our-remarkable-weekend-in-shanksville/

During the past ten years, producing the Shanksville documentary was central to the rhythm of our life. We recorded the necessary B-roll and interviews during our visit. We recorded additional interviews during the year, and we set aside four months for editing and post-production.
To be very honest, it was the most important work we have ever done, and we loved every minute of every day we worked on the film and planned the events for the visit.

Access to the Peoples’ Memorial to the Heroes of Flight 93 was never an issue. The people we met at the Peoples’ Memorial were welcoming and very helpful. It was not uncommon for us to visit Shanksville several times during the year.

In ten years, we have produced 22 documentaries about Shanksville, Point Thank You on the West Side Highway in New York and Ground Zero. None of these documentaries was motivated by profit and no attempt was ever made to commercialize this work.

We did the work to help keep the memory of that day alive. We did it to help young people better understand what happened that day and why it is important to remember all those who lost their lives on September 11, and after in Iraq and Afghanistan. We did it from the goodness of our hearts and with love for our country.

For our part, we are pleased to have had the opportunity to tell the Shanksville story in a Windsor Park way. Our final visit and screening was remarkable in every sense of the word. We left Shanksville with a very good feeling about the work we did, the people we met, the friendships we made, the things we learned, and the hundreds of people we took to the Peoples’ Memorial in Shanksville.

The words of Annie Sullivan best describe our ten year What Is America? project in Shanksville.
“Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose - not the one you began with perhaps, but one you’ll be glad to remember.”

Anniversary News

One year ago we were driving south to finish our Face of America Journey. We visited Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Georgia. Kitch really enjoyed this part of our journey. She loved Charleston and Savannah. We met some wonderful people, and we recorded several; beautiful scenes. Little did we know then what was ahead of us? Often during her battle with cancer, we talked about the magic moments from this part of our trip.

Picture of the Month

During our final vist to Shanksville, kitch and I decided to spend a few minutes walking along Main Street. this sentimental journey took us to one of the town's landmarks, Idas Store.

While we were there we purchased two ice cream cones. Like two tenagers, we sat in front of the store visiting with people as they came to pick up items.

I took this picture of the Amish while Kitch and I were sitting on the bench in front of Ida’s Store.

Kitch waved to the couple, and the Amish woman smiled and waved back. It was a priceless moment on a day of many memorable moments.

On the Road Again

In the days ahead, we will be sharing our Shanksville documentary with audiences in Maryland and New Jersey.

We have been invited to speak about the documentary and our Face of America project at a lecture series in the spring.

One of the women who visited Shanksville with us this year is determined to find a way to get the documentary into high schools across the country. If that happens we will very busy. If it doesn’t happen, we have the sweet memory that someone cared about our work and was willing to help us share it with others.

In our opinion, it doesn’t get any better than that.

Until the next time we hope that all of your stories will have happy endings.

Tony & Kitch Mussari
Producers
The Face of America Project
Please provide feedback to:
tmussari@gmail.com

Milestones: Our Face of America Journey Continues

2011-08-04T15:39:16Z

Milestones: Our Face of America Journey Continues
Written By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2011
Mussari-Loftus Associates
The Face of America Project
www.faceofamericawps.com
tmussari@gmail.com

Battling Cancer: An Update

It’s been four weeks since our last newsletter, and during that time Kitch and I reached several milestones.

Kitch began what we hope will be the final stage in her battle with breast cancer. We call it the “burn treatment.” She receives radiationtreatments every day of the week for six weeks. At the end of each day, she is tired, but, other than that, she is tolerating the treatments very well.

In two weeks we will have a better idea about our future. We are cautiously optimistic, hopeful and very thankful for the words of encouragement and prayers of healing from family, friends and many of the people we met during our journey.
From our hearts to your heart, thank you.

Crossing the Finish line

One of the major accomplishments of this summer happened during the second week of July. We finished writing the book proposal for America at Its Best. It is 32 pages single spaced with 15 subdivisions. It contains quotations and excerpts from 100 people who responded to our request for help.

To be honest, it was more difficult to write than any chapter in the book. We are told by those in the know, the acceptance of the proposal by our literary agent is a major achievement and a giant step forward in the publishing process.
We have our fingers crossed, and we will keep you posted on any developments.

Montoursville

On July 17, I joined the North Plainfield Cheerleaders and their Coach, Skip Pulcrano, in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. There we participated in the 15th Anniversary commemoration of the TWA Flight 800 tragedy. It was a Face of America moment like no other.

I did my very best to record a description of the events, the people and the legacy of this horrific tragedy. You can read Montoursville: Celebrating Death to Understand Life in our Face of America Blog at this direct and secure address:
http://faceofamericawps.com/news/montoursville-celebrating-death-to-understand-life/

Philadelphia Freedom

Recently, we took our Face of America Project to Philadelphia. There, we attended a publicity workshop hosted by Steve Harrison.

The workshop was wonderful, the attendees were simply magnificent, and the experience was affirming, positive and encouraging.

For three days, almost 200 people from every section of our country and three foreign countries shared information, insight and help to one another. In my mind’s eye, it was a unique example of people working together in harmony. It was a genuine Face of America moment.

You can get a better idea of what took place and why it was so uplifting in an article I wrote for our blog: Three Days with Steve Harrison in Philadelphia. The direct and secure address is:
http://faceofamericawps.com/news/three-days-with-steve-harrison-in-philadelphia/

Shanksville: A Place of Inspiration

Everything is in place for our 10th Annual Visit and screening in Shanksville. The title of what may be the final episode in our What Is America? Series is Shanksville A place of transformation.

Of all the things Kitch and I have done during our documentary career, nothing quite equals the special nature of our experience in Shanksville. We admire and respect the people we met at the People’s Memorial to the Heroes of light 93. We cherish the memories of that very special place, and we treasure the life-time friendships we have with the good, decent and inspirational people who took it upon themselves to preserve the legacy of the Heroes of Flight 93.

Our friends in Shanksville have treated us like family. They opened their homes and their hearts to us. Without their help we would not have been able to produce and screen 21 documentaries about this sacred place.

Thank you Janie, Chuck, Jayne, Dawn, Val, Vera, Sue, Grace

For the next six weeks, Kitch and I will do everything we can to make the visit and the screening a moment you will not soon forget.

When I think about the time Kitch and spent at the People’s Memorial to the Heroes of Flight 93, the words of Edgar Allen Poe come to mind:

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming…

Until the next time we hope that all of your stories will have happy endings.

Tony & Kitch Mussari
Producers
The Face of America Project

Please provide feedback to:
tmussari@gmail.com

Greetings from Windsor Park on the First Day of the New Year

2011-01-02T16:17:52Z

Greetings from Windsor Park on the First Day of the New Year

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

Kitch and I would like to extend our best wishes to you for a New Year blessed with peace, joy and good health.

In an attempt to say thank you to the many people who helped us during our travels, we put together a slide show that summarizes some of the highlights of our Face of America Journey. It is very simple in design, and very selective in nature. It is the first in a series of video projects that will enable us to share our story with you.

The video contains images from 24 states and 50 cities. The pictures represent 276 of the more than 450 people we met during our travels.

You can watch the video at this address:

http://faceofamericawps.com/video/memories-from-our-face-of-america-journey-3/

2010 is a year we will not soon forget. It exceeded every expectation in terms of adventure, discovery, growth and an understanding of what is really important in life.

Our year began on the snow covered streets of Yarmouth, Maine. It ended quietly on an unseasonably warm day here at home. After a week of wonderful visits with former students, friends, Elena, Jeff and our grandchildren, the last day of the year was reserved for Kitch and me. That’s the way we have spent this special day for most of our married life.

Like people all over the world, today we continue our journey. We look forward with hope to a future with many uncertainties and an equal number of opportunities. We take comfort in the words of Emerson:

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Last evening, Kitch and I talked about some of the things we learned about our country and its people during our Face of America Journey.

1. In Maine, we learned to be grateful for gift of age. “You get old because you stop doing things,” Frank Knight told us. “You don’t stop doing things because you get old.” The former tree warden of Yarmouth knows what he is talking about. He is 102 years young.

2. In New Jersey, we learned to be grateful for what our friend, Richard Loomis called the genius of the young. It was Monica Ramirez, a senior at North Plainfield High School, who put everything into perspective with these words, “No matter what happens, somebody will be there to catch you.”

3. In Virginia, we learned to be grateful for the gift of grandchildren. It was my granddaughter who taught me the importance of self-deprecating humor. “I like you Papa Tony. You make me laugh. You are funny.”

4. In Kentucky, we developed a greater appreciation for the words of Thomas Merton, beautiful words like contemplation and silence. “In the silence of God, we taste the sweetness of our own souls, the peace of our own hearts.”

5. In Little Rock, Arkansas, we learned about the power of courage. We were humbled by stories of the Little Rock Nine and their parents who stepped forward in 1957 to open the doors of Central High School to everyone. The words of Elizabeth Eckford apply. “When you reach out to someone who is being harassed, it is powerful to them. You in effect, and I’m not exaggerating, you can help them live another day.”

6. On a cold night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dr. Robert Fugate showed us the incredible beauty of that part of space that lies beyond the earth and the moon. It was a stunning moment that we will never forget.

7. Crossing the desert in Arizona, we were enveloped in the vast expanse of open space. The mystery and magic of the desert is breathtakingly beautiful.

8. In California, we experienced the healing power of hospitality. Former students and friends old and new welcomed us and made us feel at home. Jack Rushton shared words that to this day help us deal with the unexpected surprises life gives us. “You have to accept those things you will never be able to change.”

9. In Utah, our friend Paul Swenson opened a door to a magical afternoon with U.S. Olympians. It was an opportunity to experience excellence in ways we never dreamed possible. Lauren Cholewinski, one of the rising stars in the Olympic movement, shared words that everyone needs to hear:

“What’s impossible for one person could be just a challenge for another. You should take everything in stride as a challenge versus Oh, I can’t do this. Just look at it as I’m going to do this. I’m going to get there.”

10. In Minnesota, we learned to be grateful for the gift of life, the most precious gift of all. In the rush of morning traffic, we learned how quickly life can turn to death. We did not know it then, but we would learn this lesson again before the first phase of our project ended.

These are but a few of the lessons we learned during our journey. Each one speaks to America on its best day. Each one is given life by the people we met. They are a part of the mosaic of the Face of America on its best day. What we learned from them helps us to look forward with hope, optimism and a feeling of confidence in our country and its people.

Emerson’s words best describe what Kitch and I are feeling as we begin the New Year. “Write on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.”

Kitch & Tony Mussari
www.faceofamericawps.com

A Day of Community Service

2010-05-16T15:05:30Z

The Face of America: February 8, A Day of Community Service

By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2010
Mussari-Loftus Associate, LTD
The Face of America Project
Photographs By
Kitch Loftus-Mussari

You can never do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

February 8, was a 16 hour day. Kitch and I spent 5 hours in our Prius driving 270 miles. The rest of the time was spent recording 4 community service visits, recording 7 interviews, and covering a 100th anniversary celebration of the Boy Scouts of America.

It was a long day filled with magic moments of leadership, learning, service, caring and sharing.
It began in a fire station, and it ended at a community landmark. Everything in between was rich in the ways of the heart.

Our First stop was the North Plainfield Municipal Building. Once there, thirteen cheerleaders checked in at the desk, and then they made their way around the building to the fire station.

They were greeted by Fire Chie William Eaton and Police Chief William Parente. After an exchange of pleasantries, the co-captains of the cheerleading squad presented two American flags as a symbol of gratitude for the work of both departments to keep the people of North Plainfield safe.

It was a signature moment for both men. They, in turn, complimented the students with words that made them feel 10 feet tall.

Church Visit

Our next stop was the Covenant United Methodist Church. Located on Front Street, this church sits with dignity and class behind towering trees that give it definition and distinction. In a word, this church looks inviting from the outside, and, as we soon discovered, it is very welcoming on the inside.

Pastor Frank Davis took us to a conference room across the hall from the church office, and there the North Plainfield cheerleaders presented several bags of clothing for the earthquake victims in Haiti. Reverend Davis was visible moved, and he was quick to shower words of grace and gratitude on students.

Davis was most impressed by what he called their willingness to think of others not about themselves. “These young ladies want to help,” he said, “They want to make it a reality. It is a classic example, people can come together to make a difference in peoples’ lives.”

On our way to the food pantry, Pastor Davis took the students on a tour of his church, and he explained the basic tenants of Methodism.

In a large room beneath the sanctuary, four members of Starfish Social Services were waiting for us. Standing behind a table, Edna Shanok, Mr. & Mrs. Jack O’Malley and Harry Mayer accepted bags food from several of the students

Then it happened. People began to talk about their thoughts and emotions and a magnificent collage of heartfelt and caring words emerged.

Harry Mayer told the students it was wonderful to see young people doing something good.
Edna Shanok expressed her fears with these words: “I wonder what will happen when we get to old to do this kind of work. This gives me hope that you will take our place in caring for those who need help.

Sheila O’Malley was unequivocal in her compliments: “You give us hope. Your parents and teachers have done a wonderful job.”

Jack O’Malley, a retired teacher, was nothing short of inspirational when heshared these words:
“It’s really uplifting. Theses students prove that all kids are not bad. Kids in ever generation get a bad rap because the things that make the news are all negative. You are an example to be followed by your peers.

The students were equally eloquent in their comments.

Christianna Blue put it this way: “America is about giving and helping. I am so grateful that we can help”
Toni Costello said the moment made her proud of herself and the other cheerleaders.

Amanda Aponte saw a connection to the annual community service trip to Shanksville, Pennsylvania. “In Shanksville we were trying to help the relatives of people who died,” she said, “here we are trying to help the relatives of people who are alive and struggling.

Washington Rock

The community service field trip ended at Washington Rock, a strategic outlook for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. There, the cheerleaders placed 13 flowers to honor the veterans of that war and every war.

We stopped for lunch at a local pizzeria, and then it was back to the school. For the rest of the afternoon cheerleaders came to our makeshift studio in storage room adjacent to the library. They shared their reactions and the things they learned during this very special day.

They talked about the joy of giving, the need to become more involved in the community, and the privileges we too often take for granted. Several students told me how good it felt to be appreciated, and one person told me that on this day she learned that America is just perfect.

Happy Birthday Scouts

Later that evening Kitch and I would experience this sense of perfection at a candlelight ceremony honoring the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.

Looking into the faces of these youngsters, their parents, their scoutmasters and the community leaders who were part of this celebration that comment reverberated in my mind.

Listening to the mayor, Michael Giordano, read a proclamation celebrating the Boy Scouts and Troop 235, Patriots’ Path Council, I felt a sense of pride about our country and our democratic government that is deeply rooted in law and respect for individual rights.

The flickering candles reminded me of Washington’s men warmed during those cold winter nights by campfires. It’s a scene that has repeated itself many times over, in places near and far, where Americans give testimony to the sacred words of 1776:

We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Then, we were 13 colonies. On this day we were 13 students learning about life, love, compassion and country. What they learned is best described in the teaching of Mussar: “Our deeds have the remarkable power not just to help others, but also to make ourselves better.”

February 8, was a 16 hour day filled with rich images of a Face of America that cares about others, and that’s a beautiful thought for any day

Until the next time, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.

Please provide feedback to

tmussari@gmail.com

Kitch and Tony Mussari
Producers
The Face of America Project

Life Lessons From Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea

2010-05-16T00:44:05Z

25 Life Lessons From Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea

By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2010
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD
The Face of America Project

I came late to the banquet that is Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea.

That is my misfortune.

Once I started reading this inspirational masterpiece, I could not put it down. This is one book that will stand the test of time, just like Mortenson has withstood every imaginable challenge on the road to fulfilling his dream.

In so many ways and for so many different reasons, this is a book that everyone should read. It is a book of beautiful words, beautiful thoughts and beautiful deeds. It is a story about beautiful, courageous, determined and thoughtful people.

Here are some of the things I learned about life from my first cup of tea with Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin:

One other thing I learned from Mortenson’s book belongs in a class by itself. It is one of his favorite quotations, and, in my opinion, it is a portrait of the heart and soul of this teacher, this builder of dreams, this builder of schools, this builder of peace and prosperity for the children of Afghanistan and Pakistan, this Face of America on its best days.

“What we are trying to do may be just a drop in the ocean. But that ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Mother Teresa

Until the next time, Kitch and I hope that all your stories have happy endings.

Please provide feedback to:
tmussari@gmail.com

Jack’s Notebook

2010-05-03T16:57:28Z

15 Things I learned from Jack’s Notebook

By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2009
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD

Jack’s Notebook is a celebrated story about creativity. Written by Gregg Fraley, it is simply wonderful. The technique is creative. The writing is very tight. The story is intriguing, and the information about life and problem solving is nothing sort of transformational.

Gregg Fraley has a gift. He can take a complex idea and teach it in an unforgettable way. Yes, I said unforgettable.

When was the last time you found a beautiful love story and the essentials of creativity in a detective story?

On one level, Jack’s Notebook is an explanation of CPS, Creative Problem Solving. On another level, it is a wonderful love story with so many interesting, mysterious, and sometimes demonic twists and turns, it literally leaves the reader breathless.

Theses are some of the things I learned, and in some cases relearned about life thanks to the magical words of Gregg Fraley.

1. Sometimes your own view of yourself can stop you from doing some things that might help you grow.

2. The more you care for an idea, the more passion you have in your heart for it
the better your chances are for success.

3. Sometimes the quickest way to make something new is simply to make a new combination of elements.

4. Most problems in life have many right answers, not just one.

5. Every problem is an opportunity.

6. Raw intelligence and good common sense are two different things. One is the engine; the other is driving skill, and circumstances can put people, even very
bright people, sensible people into some tough situations.

7. Life can be great if you have a curious mind and the simple quality of kindness
and incredible patience with things-allowing things to grow, evolve.

8. Nothing is as bad as we make it out to be.

9. The first step toward understanding happens when we see things from the other person’s perspective.
10, Thoughtfulness and simple good manners strengthen relationships.

11. There is power in thinking with your heart.

12. Nothing is as simple as it seems.

13. People with hope are less likely to make poor decisions based on desperation.

14. Successful people plan for what will happen after they achieve their goal.

15. The best way to live life is simple. Stay on the right side of the law. Always be on the right side of what’s right.

This list may seem long, but it is very short when compared to all of the things one can learn about innovation and creative problem solving in Greg’s Farley’s masterpiece, Jack’s Notebook.

This book is for anyone who is coping with a problem of any kind. It is an inspirational book that will make you feel up to the task of dealing with the recession that is plaguing all of us.

This is a book that is good for the heart as well as the mind.

Once I started reading Jack’s notebook, I could not out it down.

Please provide feedback to:
tmussari@gmail.com