Author Interview (Kenya Smith)

Today, we are celebrating a local author who recently published his first book for children based on his own experiences as a father . Meet Kenya Smith, author, poet, father, Renaissance man in general and find out about his childhood in the NewK and his new book.

1. What is your name and what do you do?

My name is Kenya Smith. I'm an author, student, full-time Nursing Assistant (for now), partner and father.




2. Where were you raised and what schools did you attend?

I guess you could say that I was raised in New Kensington. I/we moved here from Brooklyn N.Y. in 1987. I always say that I grew up in Brooklyn, and became a man in New Ken. I attended Valley High School. Of course you have to throw Vo-Tech in there. Back then...(did I say that?), yes back then it was called N.W.A.V.T.S (Northern Westmoreland Area Vocational Technical School). I put that in there because I learned a lot about cooking from my chef's training course. After graduation in 1992 I attended C.C.A.C Allegheny Campus through the Job Corps program. I quit in 1995. I started going to school again in 2007 after the birth of my son, and I'm doing very well. I've recently been accepted to the PTA (Physical Therapy Assistant) program. If all goes well (which it will) I'll graduate in 2014 with a degree.



3. Did you have a mentor or role model growing up in New Kensington?

Not many mentors to follow in New Kensington. You rely on your friendships in which I still have with my best friend (Richard Rose) of 21 years. I looked up to some of the older cats in New Ken like Jimbo...it takes time to figure out why you look up to certain individuals. Sometimes it's to learn what TO do or what NOT to do. I guess I just remember certain times of my life in which an individual made an impact on my life. Mr. Commodore, & Mr. Wilcek were instrumental in guiding my path. Mr. Bitar caught me in the hall one day and asked me why I didn't smile...I told him that I didn't have a reason to. He told me that I should because it brings out my personality. I've been smiling ever since & one day thanked him for the advice.



4. What do you like the most about living in this area?

I like the fact that it is a diverse area. You find all kinds here. I guess I like the fact that it's an area that gives you room to grow. I didn't like moving here when we did. I grew to like the area and most of the people in it.



5. If you left the New Kensington area, what 3 places or businesses would you miss the most?

I would miss Perry di Pizzaman's, I would miss driving past Valley High School, and I would miss....I guess Eat n' Park. Those are the places with many memories. Although I don't eat at Perry's often I could always be taken back to the first time I had a slice of their pizza. It was the closest thing to a N.Y. slice that I could get. It was also a huge hang-out spot for us back in the day. I don't know WHERE the kids go after football games now...we went to Perry's where the music was playing and the food was good. A lifetime of memories at VHS...the football games were great. One could find warmth in the midst of friends on the coldest nights. People would go to Eat n' Park after the games. I only knew that because I used to work there. It was my 2nd "official" job.




6. What do you think is the most common misconception about New Kensington and it's residents?

I think the most common misconception about New Ken is that "everyone is bad." New Ken is a small town, so word gets around fast, which also means many things can be misconstrued once it gets to say...the 5th ear. It's not the people HERE most of the time, it's the people from out of town. Every small town has their good and bad areas. New Kensington has had it's share of bad news and seeds....Only some know what it takes to keep it together, but those are the people who leave.



7. What inspired you to write a children's book?

I drew my inspiration from my love to write. This all began as an idea to write a book of poetry...which at this point is on the back burner. I could have done that. . .it would have been cheaper. My son was born in 2007 and my fiance had a dog at the time. He was 10 years old. When we brought our son home (after 3 months because of his prematurity), I watched how they bonded together. Guiness grew a cancer in his leg & wouldn't last long. In 2010 I decided to write about their bond and to use it as a way to teach children how to take care of a dog. I also decided that it would be a great tribute to him. He (Guiness) had to get used to me too. I titled the book Food Left For Ginny because my son could not say Guiness when he was a toddler. I owe a lot to my illustrator Katherine Brown because she capture the images very well in this way. We sent her actual pictures of Kai, and Guiness. The book has a good back story as well...the fact that Guiness was around before Kai. I wrote it in past AND present tense to show what he used to do, and did once we had Kai.


8. Any plans for another book in the works?

My plan is for a series of childrens books which will teach them how to take care of their "typical family pet." Last summer we all heard about this fad where people were raising exotic animals...in Ohio some escaped. I say typical because people don't typically have a tiger lying around in the yard. Speaking of typical, the next book will be titled (tentatively) Cats Don't Fetch Balls! It will teach children how to take care of cats, but give a lighthearted look at a cats life...what they do and DON'T do. I have two other titles for the series, giving the people 4 in all. I've discussed collaborating about a 5th one about horses. My 6th childrens book will be about a "monster" and how he/she/it awoke a kid from his/her sleep. Then....there is/are my books of poetry. I'm on Fastpencil.com and here on Facebook where my poetry can be found. The first book of poetry will be called Life in this Leather Jacket KonciousLea Written. This book of poetry will be autobiographical so to speak. At this point I probably have enough for 3 books of poetry (once the month of April ends).



9. Please give us the information on how to purchase your book and plug any events you have coming up in the future.

The book can be found on my publishers site authorhouse.com. I've been doing really well on amazon.com so most of the time I refer people there. I'm trying to get in the top 100 in books. Even if it's for ONE day. My book can be found on barnesandnoble.com as well. If one wanted to go to BNB to purchase a book it would be ordered, as my book is considered to be print on demand. I've been posting events on my fan page KonciouSLea. Promoting a book doesn't get the bills paid, therefore work comes first. I've been reading in libraries. My last appearance was at my school at Boyce campus. People can look for a couple of stories that they will do for me. I think this will launch Food Left For Ginny even further. The deans were very impressed and not only have they decided to do a feature story of me in the President's news letter, but they will do another story which will include a press release. My plan is to get Food Left.....in all school libraries that I make appearances in to spread the word that they may place it in the districts libraries. I'm planning a book signing. . .hopefully next month. I'm looking forward to signing my fans books. I'm also considering a fan page on Facebook for Food Left. . . .this will give people a place to go with their children to leave comments directly from them. My fan page isn't always children friendly because of the content of some of my poetry. I'm also deeply considering having a child's audio for the book. These are all thoughts which take time to filter through. If you ask me if I thought I would be a children's author I would have told you no 3 years ago. This is a great accomplishment for me, and I'm proud of it....even if I sold just ONE book.

(Clicking this picture won't allow you to look inside. We stole this
picture from Amazon.)

Thank you very much Kenya for taking the time to talk to us.

We wish you the very best of luck, and look forward to getting a chance
to read your book.

Meet The Man, That Meets The Stars (Part 2, The Final Chapter)

Yesterday, we introduced you to Newker
Anthony Breznican.

Read Part 1 here.

This interview was so good, that we decided to
split it up into 2 parts.

We apologize for not reminding you to go to the lobby.Let's get right back into it, shall we?

Continued...

theNewk: You really have a great head of hair, Anthony. What’s your secret?

A.B.: Just good Slovak genes, I guess. I don't do anything else. Maybe a little Dapper Dan now and again when I'm looking like Doc Brown from Back to the Future. For most of my life, I had a third-grader haircut. When I turned 30, my wife suggested I let it grow long. So it grew for more than a year and went down to the middle of my back. I was just experimenting, but that was a bad look. No pictures of that are allowed to be displayed in our house. Now I look like a '90s era hockey player.


theNewk: You are going to a deserted island that has a blu-ray player. Which 3 movies do you pack in your satchel? (Men in California wear satchels, right?)

A.B.: We call them purses. Okay, so three movies … I won't be a smart-ass and be like, "How 'bout a documentary about how to build a lifeboat, n'at?" So I'd say Avalon, this 1990 Barry Levinson movie with Elijah Wood as a little kid, and this German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl (you'd recognized him) as his grandfather. It's about an old-guy storyteller, and the little boy's connection to him, and it reminds me a lot of my own grandfather, who was a housepainter, but in his later years that was just an excuse to go to people's houses and gab and tell stories. It's my favorite movie. The end of that flick … Jesus. For me, it's always Niagra-f**king-Falls.

After that … Gremlins. It's my favorite Christmas movie, and we'll need something for Desert Island Christmas. You laugh, but Gremlins is deep sh*t. Those little green guys represent greed, and our consumerist culture, where even our holiday is overrun by our need for gifts and gadgets. The Gremlins show up and f**k all that up, causing havoc and unhappiness for everybody. Everybody would be better off without all that stuff, maybe. Especially Mrs. Deagle. It's Walden, man, with green scaly monsters. (I'll shut up now.)

Third movie -- Citizen Kane. Is this a cop out? Everybody says it's the best movie ever made … yeah, yeah, yeah. You know why? Because it f**king is! Believe me, when I saw it for the first time as a teenager, I was like 'Oh great, a classic black and white movie from forever ago …" But Charles Foster Kane is totally gangster! Forget Rosebud, and all that … The greatest line in that movie (and there are a lot of them) is right after the rally with that giant photo of Kane. He's running for governor, and winning, but his rival has the dirt on him and his mistress. He gets word that news will break in a rival newspaper, and goes to the mistress' apartment, where his opponent Gettys is going to blackmail him to drop out of the race. Kane refuses, the story is published, and his political campaign is ruined anyway. Gettys says to him: "I can see you're a man who's going to need more than ONE lesson … And you're going to GET more than one lesson." I use that line all the time.


theNewk: Do you have hobbies (other than being awesome)?

A.B.: I'm not awesome. I'm weird and goofy. I love birds. Show me a bird from North America, and I'll bet you I can identify it. My Nunie and Pap had all these birdfeeders when I was a kid, and I used to go collect the feathers -- bluejays, cardinals, goldfinches -- and keep them in a photo book, all labeled and everything. I don't do that anymore, but I still love birds. There's a feeder outside my office window. The bluejay comes around and squawks and knocks over the feeder, and irritates all the other birds. My wife says she understands why I like those.

Otherwise, I like to garden, and I like to cook. So the best is pulling in a bunch of tomatoes and then making them into sauce. Hiking is fun, though I don't get to do it too much. It's not like growing up on Mt. Vernon, where you just walk a couple of blocks and all the sudden you're in the woods on Farm Hill, climbing around the middle of nowhere. If my favorite thing was sitting in traffic, I'd be one happy motherf**ker because I do way more of that out here in L.A.

I write fiction in my free time. I just wrote a book all set back in the Valley. Maybe it'll be published someday.


theNewk: We now invite you to namedrop. Let’s hear some of the famous folk you have met.

A.B.: I've already done enough of that uninvited. The truth is, I've met a whole lot of people. I've been doing this for quite a few years and in that time you get to talk to pretty much everybody who is working in movies. For example, I've interviewed the Olsen Twins! (Boring interview.) And The Crocodile Hunter. (Great fun, but he was nutty.) But I do have some favorites …

The thing is, a lot of entertainment reporters get their interviews from junkets -- these press days at a hotel, where 1,000 reporters get a few minutes with the people in a movie. I hate those, however, because you get terrible interviews. So, working for a large paper, I try to negotiate separate, longer access. Interview at the person's office, or home, or wherever … a museum. Anywhere but a hotel, and anytime except on a day where a million other reporters are talking to them. To get that kind of access, you have to have a lot of good relationships. I'm kind of proud to have reached that level. And it makes for better stories.

You should never expect to be remembered (these folks deal with a lot of faces) but it's nice when you interview someone multiple times and can build a rapport. I feel like I've done that with Spielberg. I can't just call his cell and be like, "Hey, Steve-O! Turn on VH1! They're playing that Chumbawumba song!" But if I need him for an interview, I can usually get him. And that's flattering -- that he takes you seriously, and will make himself available.


This is a good one with him: Spielberg's family values -- http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-06-23-spielberg_x.htm

Also, Clint Eastwood has always been one of my favorites, and I've gotten to interview him many times. People are very intimidated by him, because he is soft-spoken. Not shy, just a quiet man. Since he is Dirty Harry and The Man With No Name, that silence makes people wig out and get nervous and giggly and loud when they talk to him. So he gets quieter, because who wants to talk to a reporter like that? He doesn't do a lot of interviews, so I feel lucky (ha ha, no pun intended) that he seems to like me and will talk to me. That came from many years of interviews going well. Each one builds on the other, and the publicists see you get along and aren't an idiot and that leads to other good interviews with other people who are hard-to-get. In college, I had a poster on my wall of Eastwood from The Outlaw Josey Wales, where he has two giant guns crossed over his chest and a mean squint aimed right between your eyes. When he sees me now, he smiles and says "Hi Anthony, how've you been?" I play it cool, but I always want to be like: "WHOA! CLINT EASTWOOD SAID MY NAME!!!!"


Eastwood Stares Down War -- http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-10-12-clint-eastwood_x.htm

I like doing interviews with difficult people. Kristen Stewart from Twilight is known as kind of a morose presence in interviews, but she's actually intelligent and fun to talk to if you do it well. I mean, who wouldn't be sullen when every middle-aged Jiminy Glick-esque reporter sits down and is like, "OMG, what's it like to kiss a VAMPIRE!?" We met to talk about Adventureland (filmed in Pittsburgh at Kennywood!) and had a great talk.

Kristen Stewart and the secret life of teenagers … http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-03-31-kristen-stewart_N.htm

Tommy Lee Jones -- awful interview. Hostile, nasty, just looking for a reason to give you sh*t and call your questions dumb. I made it through by playing it all formal and business-like. Not an easy interview at all, but I got good, controversial stuff out of him about the war and his movie In the Valley of Elah.

Tommy Lee Jones is so ready for a fight he doubts there'll be much of one: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-09-11-tommy-lee-jones_N.htm

What guy doesn't dig Harrison Ford? But he's very tight-lipped. Not known as a good interview. I thought if I got him outside of a hotel, he might be a little looser, and it worked great. He agreed to meet me for a hike in Santa Monica to talk about Indiana Jones 4, temple of the crystal skull, or whatever. Kind of wild walking up this trail with Han Solo and seeing the faces of the people: like, WTF? He was awesome. Cracked a couple Chewbacca jokes, told me about how a studio tried to get him to change his name when he was just starting out as an actor, and said Han Solo should have died in Jedi. Sweet! Best line, talking about being embarrassed when he flew the helicopter that rescued a lost Boy Scout in Wyoming: "Suddenly, I'm swanning around as some kind of (expletive) hero." THAT'S what I consider a great interview and a good day at work.

Take a Hike, Harrison Ford -- http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2008-04-16-harrison-ford_N.htm

Sidebar: Why Han Solo should have died -- http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2008-04-16-harrison-ford-side_N.htm


theNewk: Wow, that’s an impressive list. But be truthful for a minute…you were more nervous to talk to us here at theNewk, than any of those people, huh?

A.B.: Oh yeah, always better to be the interview-ER, rather than the interview-EE. Though, I apologize for rambling. I don't mean to be the Grandpa Simpson of interviews.

This is fun though, because I love my hometown and it's always good to talk to a fellow Kensingtonian. New Ken is a part of my DNA. I have lived in LA for 12 years, been doing THIS job for about 8, and L.A. is not home. Home is back there. But I think that has helped me in my work. I don't go into interviews popping my fingers, and winking like a slickster. I'm not Billy Bush. I just try to be a regular person, a movie-fan, but not a suc-up, and never forget that I'm just a kid from Pittsburgh. I don't go around starstruck, but treat the famous and unfamous (and in-famous) just like people. And I try to be myself. I'd like to think that they respond to that, and that makes for better interviews.

There are certainly times when I feel like I don't belong. Some big party, limousines pulling up, and everyone is trying to strike a pose, and I feel like … okay, clearly I am an infiltrator here. I'm just a New Ken kid. But in a place like Hollywood, where everyone is trying to be someone, it's a good thing to already know who you are.


theNewk: Now is your chance to tell all of our readers where they can find your work. Plug away, my friend.

A.B.: I think I did that already. If anyone wants to read those stories, I hope they like them.


theNewk: Let’s get down to brass tacks. Would you have any interest in becoming theNewk’s West Coast Correspondent? (Let it be known that this position doesn’t pay anything. Also, we aren’t really sure what the term “brass tacks” means, so we hope we didn’t offend you.)

A.B.: I'm ready. Let me know what you need. (I'm not sure of the etymology of that phrase either. If only there were some resource where you could type in something like that and "search" for some kind of answers within, like, some kind of inter-connected web of date. Call it like an, I don't know … INTER-web, or something.)


theNewk: We would like to thank you for taking time out of your day to talk with us. We only have one final question. Any chance of you wearing an I <3 Biff t-shirt (available at the site) to the Oscars?

A.B.: You bet! But I'm writing this ON OSCAR DAY, and I'm heading to the theater in a few hours. So … send me one and I'll do it next year. Damn … send Biff! I'll bring him, too.

Once again, we would like to thank Mr. Anthony Breznican
for taking the time to humor us with an interview.

We know that we're not a real news source.

Which makes this piece all the more special.


We hoped you all liked it.
As we are quite proud of this one.

Meet The Man, That Meets The Stars (Part 1)

Today's interview is a biggie.

His name is Anthony Breznican, and he is a local
boy, living it up in Hollywood.

And before we start telling you all about him.

You should just continue reading.

(Anthony's official staff photo)

theNewk: What is your name, and what do you do?

A.B.: My name is Anthony Breznican, and I am a film writer for USA Today. I watch movies, go to sets, interview actors and directors. The job is to try to tell the story of storytellers. Fun work. Especially if you like that sort of thing.


theNewk: Whereabouts were you raised, and where did you go to school?

A.B.: I grew up at 411 Vernon Street, on Mount Vernon in New Kensington. Went to St. Joseph's grade school in New Ken, where I was one of only five boys in the class -- Billy Peters, Chad Fularz, and the twins, Matt and Mark Junod were the others. Despite the high girl-to-us ratio, they always seemed more interested in the St. Pete's guys. For high school, I put on a blue blazer and red tie and rode a bus over to St. Joe's in Natrona Heights.


theNewk: When you visit home, what are some of your “must stops?”

A.B.: Mazziotti's Bakery in Arnold. They have some of the best bread to be found anywhere on the planet. I'm also happy that P&M Pizza came back. I love that stuff, though it's an acquired taste -- and I still can't figure out how it goes from mouth-scaldingly hot to ice cold in an instant.

If it's warm weather, I have to hit Glen's Custard. All of the flavors are good, but above all, their banana custard is sublime. Something is going on there that I have been unable to replicate in my home ice cream maker. They roast the bananas or something. I have a theory they use baby food banana to make it. Is that possible?

This one's a little weird, but my favorite cookie is the chocolate fudge walnut thumbprint at the New Ken Giant Eagle. The NEW KEN Giant Eagle. I've hit other Giant Eagles, and the crew in New Ken is doing something different. I once tried to pay one of the bakers $50 for the recipe. She wouldn't give it up. "Anyway, it makes, like, 200 cookies a batch." She didn't understand how much I liked those cookies. (Or that I could do long division.)

I'm always on the hunt for homemade pierogies. If you want to capture me, put a sign saying "Pierogies" in front of a church and wait by the back door with a net. I love going down to the Church Brew Works because they make weird pierogies, not just the usual potato-cheese kind. If they renamed it Church Pierogie Works, I'd be just as happy.


theNewk: How did you hear about theNEWK.com, and how has it changed your life?

A.B.: I think I found it searching around for news about New Ken. I like to keep up on what's happening in my old hometown. And I keep waiting for the reappearance of Lizard Man.


theNewk: Better movie: Red Dawn or Young Guns?

A.B.: Red Dawn. I got a copy at work a few years ago and put it in the DVD player as a joke, since my wife had never seen it. I thought we'd watch about 15 minutes and turn it off. It's cheesy as hell, but … a bunch of kids turn themselves into an armed militia and set off suicide bombs in their hometown to fight off an invading force? It was actually pretty chilling. Watch that movie and you'll understand the mind of an insurgent. It doesn't justify anything they do, but it makes you see things from their perspective. Funny, because that was never its intention. It was just a rah-rah right-wing "Fight the Commies" movie from the '80s. It sort of accidentally becomes a deeper movie by showing violence as a viable option for people in an occupied country. "AVENGE ME!" and all that. They're remaking it now. I wonder what that movie will be like.

Anyway … Young Guns is good, too. I don't remember much about it, actually. But I about freaked when that school teacher gets machine-gunned at the start of Red Dawn, and the dead kid is hanging out the classroom window. Remember THAT vividly.


theNewk: We understand you travel a lot. What is the coolest place you have ever been?

A.B.: This may sound like pandering, but if I was being honest -- the coolest place, the place I'd wish I could be at any given moment … That would be my Nunie and Pap's house in New Ken or my Grandma B's house in West Tarentum. Those were my vacation spots as a kid. Get away, nobody hollering at you, just sit, read, eat, watch TV, hang around with the grannies …

But I know what you mean. I do get to travel a lot for this job, and that's a nice perk, though going somewhere for work isn't the same as going just to visit. I go to the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival, and Park City, Utah, for Sundance each year. If I weren't trying to see 30 movies at Sundance, I would try the skiing, but that hasn't happened yet. That's a cool, scrappy get-together, where big-names, no-names, fans, wannabes, and up-and-comers all mingle instead of existing behind the usual walls or velvet ropes. A guy bumps into you coming out of the bathroom, and you're like, "Uh … hi, Al Gore."

My greatest Sundance experience was about two years ago. U2 was there to premiere U2 3D, and I was lined up for an interview. But then the guys cancelled everything. It was a Saturday, their movie premiered that night, and Bono and The Edge decided to skip press and have lunch with Robert Redford at his resort waaaay out in the mountains. I talked them into letting me meet them at Redford's place, and ride back to Park City for the interview. It was just me, The Edge in the backseat, the driver, and Bono riding shotgun. Cool, right? Plus, they'd just done some shots with Redford, so they were really loose and chatty. It was like a road-trip. Took more than two hours to get there, and they played me rough-cuts of songs from No Line on the Horizon, which was then about two years away from release. By the end, I was out of questions and we were just shooting the sh*t about movies, books, music they were listening to. Their music means a lot to me, so that may be my favorite interview.

U2 Writes Sundance Soundtrack -- http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/sundance/2008-01-21-u2-sundance_N.htm

And outtakes from the interview -- http://u2.interference.com/f285/great-bono-edge-interview-183672.html

Cannes is beautiful, but to truly enjoy that city you need to be super-rich, which I'm not. I am merely a barnacle on the yacht of the famous. But chatting in a French coffee shop about lost movies with Martin Scorsese, or sitting Indian-style on a giant bed in a 5-star penthouse, shooting the breeze with Angelina Jolie while a Mediterranean breeze comes in the window. She's cool. Very funny, and easy-going. Tomboyish, like the cool girl in school who hung out with the guys, instead of the girls. You know what I mean? That became the focus of the interview -- she's this terrifying, sexual presence onscreen, but much more goofy and regular as a person, despite the whole image thing fleeing from the paparazzi.

Okay, I'm rambling. But a few other places -- This crazy, remote spot in the Atacam Desert of Chile where they filmed the climax of the 007 movie Quantum of Solace. It's this deep space observatory located 70 miles out in the middle of the red-rock Martian moonscape, where it never rains (perfect for looking at the stars.) James Bond series takes 'Quantum' leap: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2008-04-03-bond-quantum_N.htm

And going to the Bahamas to watch them shoot Casino Royale -- Bond reloads Image -- http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-03-09-bond_x.htm

The best set-visit, though, was Transformers 2. Michael Bay is a nutcase, but we get along. So he let me hang around in White Sands at the Army missile base, where they built this Egyptian city to blow-up. I was given such great access, that I could easily have blown-up myself. They used real military people, too, firing tank rounds into the set, and divebombing from the sky in F-22s and A-10 Warthogs. I wrote two cover stories out of that, which are among my favorites. (I'm also a child of the '80s and just love Transformers. Still have a lot of the original toys.) Also, White Sands was gorgeous. Miles and miles of pure white dunes, which look like giant piles of sugar. But it's a missile range, so you couldn't wander off into them -- they used minesweepers to clear the area where they filmed, but the dunes beyond that were marked with signs warning of potentially unexploded bombs buried everywhere.

Transformers recruits military to break out big guns for sequel -- http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2008-12-28-transformers-main_N.htm

Michael Bay likes to blow things up -- http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-06-18-transformers-main_N.htm

Be sure to stop back tomorrow, and read part 2
of this interview.

Where we ask hard hitting questions like:

theNewk: You really have a great head of hair. What’s your secret?

And just so you know, this is really what
Anthony looks like.

(We can kinda see the Koko B. Ware resemblance.)

The Man, The Myth, The Clown?

We are going to keep this short, because what
follows is too good to put off any longer.

Without any further ado, we present to you...

Debo The Clown

theNEWK: What is your name, and what do you do?

Debo: My name is Debo the Clown and I am a ballon twistin, clown-magic-doin, comedy jugglin, unicycle-ridin, joke-tellin, make you laugh so hard you might wet yourself clown. Sometimes just for a laugh, I dress as a regular person, what a howl!


theNEWK: We love your fashion sense. Where do you shop for clothes?

Debo: Actually the outfit that I usually wear was made for me by a woman named Suz. She was the Wardrobe Coordinator/Consultant for the movie King of the Road. I was in it and wouldn’t you know it hasn’t been released yet. You can still check their website www.kingoftheroadmovie.com. I also have a tux for more formal things, whatever that may be. As far as the rest of it, dumpsters can be a clowns best friend. What, don’t act like you’ve never gone dumpster divin.


theNEWK: What is it about being a clown, that makes you happy?

Debo: I bring joy and laughter to the young and old. The laughs usually come at my expense but every now and again I get real lucky and get people to laugh at themselves. A clown friend of mine (yes all clowns know each other) always says “laugh at yourself, everyone else does!” When you interact with a child, regardless of their age, the only thing better than the smile on their face is seeing the smiles on the faces of their parents and anyone else watching.


theNEWK: Do clowns use the internet?

Debo: What’s that, the computer thing? What’s so great about “surfing the web?" Everytime I put my surfboard on my computer it doesn’t go anywhere. Seriously, YES-all the time. There is a clown-shoe size amount of info that is so helpful. We clowns share ideas all the time, some are debolicious (a real word look it up) and some get tossed out like a broken balloon. By the way, my rubber chicken Gladys eats those, so if you see us somewhere please feed her. Thanks!


theNEWK: Have you ever heard of theNEWK.com?

Debo: What self-respectin New Kensingtonian/Arnoldonian/Lower Burrellite hasn’t? Your site is funnier than a barrel of drunk monkeys. Hey that was pretty funny, good one Debo. I like all the little bits of info about the AK Valley, I mean you guys have all things New Ken in there, pretty cool. Nice job ladies and gentlemen, your video for New Ken’s Holiday Parade should get an award, especially the choice of music. You definitely get the Debo Award for Excellence and your trophy is dun, dun, dun, a RUBBER CHICKEN!!!!!


theNEWK: How many other clowns have you been in a car with, at the same time?

Debo: Only did it once and lost count at 12, it can get pretty pungent in a Volkswagon right after lunch. Now I know why clowns charge extra for that kind of action.


theNEWK: What is the best event you have participated in, and why?

Debo: My first was New Ken’s Community Days a few years ago and it seems to get better every year. I see lots of my friends from the year before and some of them actually remember me. It’s a privilege to work with/for our brave men and women in the New Ken and Arnold Volunteer Fire Departments. Mad props to any of you guys reading this, and THANK YOU for your service. I hope to be back again this year.


theNEWK: Would you ever consider teaching us how to make balloon animals? (Other than snakes, we are pretty good at making those already.)

Debo: Of course, I’ll show you how to make an outstanding worm. It may look like a snake, but we all know it’s a worm.


theNEWK: Other than cotton candy, funnel cakes and popcorn…what do clowns like to eat?

Debo: I used to eat retired clowns, but they started to taste funny, so I gave that up. I eat lots of pies now, especially the ones that get smashed in my face. Then I wash it all down with a bottle of seltzer water.


theNEWK: Do you have hobbies?

Debo: Chasing cars, digging up yards, taking naps under the porch……oh wait , that’s from when I was a dog. I don’t have any hobbies now.


theNEWK: Who is the most famous person that you’ve entertained. (Not including us)

Debo: Not including you? Wow, that’s a tuffy. I think I made balloon hats for the daughters of Marty Griffin from KDKA radio. He’s much better looking in person than on the radio.


theNEWK: How often do you need a new tire for you unicycle?

Debo: It needs rotated every 10,000 rotations. I keep a spare handy, but I try not to use it, cause I get too tired from carrying it. Sorry about that, but if I don’t make jokes like that, I get hit with a dirty sock.


theNEWK: What about this area, do you like the most?

Debo: I like the fact that we have so many brain surgeons, and that they like to disguise themselves as bums. Really though, I like how everyone knows and looks out for each other. There is always so much happening that its hard to keep up. Particularly in the summer with New Ken’s Community Days, and at Christmas time. The parade and gathering at City Hall, Santa on the back of a fire truck going street to street is a cool new tradition. It’s a New Ken/Arnold thang. Also the National Night out, when our brave men and women go door to door, and meet with neighborhood kids…..actions speak louder than words no doubt.


theNEWK: Would you like a chance to plug your websites, upcoming events, and your services? If so, go for it…

Debo: Alright everyone get your pens ready. You can check me out on my official site www.debotheclown.com

You can also:
Tweet me www.twitter.com/debotheclown
Space me www.myspace.com/debotheclown
Tube me www.youtube.com/debothecoolestclown
Face me www.facebook.com/debotheclown

As far as events, I’ll be at the Pittsburgh Auto Show on Feb, 13th from noon to 3, then later that day its off to the Strongland Chamber of Commerce Home Show at Pittsburgh Mills Mall, from 6 to 9. Make sure you come and get a balloon, or do some juggling, or do a magic trick with me. Check me out to see where I’ll be publicly, and don’t forget to book early for a birthday party, that you’ll soon not forget, as you will completely lose your mind. Visit me on Facebook for special “Fans of Debotheclown” discounts. Contact Debo for the best birthday party in the area. 724—777-0438 mail@debotheclown.com Come get yo clown on!!!!


theNEWK: What was your favorite and least favorite question that you just answered?

Debo: I forget, as I have short term memory loss. What did you say?

We would like to thank Debo for the interview.

We would also like to thank him for being 100%
serious, during said interview.

Please don't hesitate to give him a call, for any and
all of your family entertainment needs.

We promise...you'll thank us.

Get To Know a Newker.

When we sat for our first official NEWK meeting, way back in 2009, we talked
about running some stories about local personalities and such.

We even mentioned it in some of our earliest works.

Unfortunately, it has taken us much longer than first imagined to construct a proper
interview, that was worthy to grace our distinguished pages.

But wait no longer.

As our crack team has come to the rescue.

"Hehehehehe...crack."
May we present to you, a man that goes by many names...

Fireman Frankie

theNEWK: What is your name, and what do you do?

Fireman Frankie: "My name is Frank J. Sarno...... friends call me Frankie, to the nightlife "DJ Frankie", and to my friends at theNEWK "Fireman Frankie" lol. I am a Mechanic / Electrician / DJ / Volunteer Fire Fighter.... I know, I know.... That's a lot. Right now, I'm a mechanic for my family's business in New Kensington (Mar Mac Tire Co.) and i have a side business as a DJ (FNF Entertainment). I belong to New Kensington Fire Dept #1, where I hold a line officers position as 2nd Lieutenant. This year i will have 15 years in the fire service."


theNEWK: Whereabouts were you raised, and where did you go to school?

FF: "I was born in New Ken and raised on Main St. in Parnassus. Grade schools I went to: Edgewood, Fort Crawford, and Mt. St. Peters. I spent my high school days at St. Joe's in Natrona Heights and graduated in 1996. I then went to Triangle Tech and got an Associates Degree. Finished that in 1997."


theNEWK: Name 3 local places that you like to grab dinner and/or a drink.

FF: "Do Drop Inn, Natrona Heights,PA (Eat and Drink)
Woodpeckers Pub & Grub, Upper Burrell,PA (Eat and Drink)
Mulligan's Clubhouse, Cheswick,PA (Eat and Drink)"


theNEWK: How did you hear about theNEWK.com?

FF: "Facebook....... and i've been addicted ever since! lol"


theNEWK: Pick any number between 12 and 14.

FF: "13....... Why?"
(We ask the questions around here, okay Frankie?)


theNEWK: What is the best place you have visited and why?

FF: "Italy in 1990. Went to see my Grandparents for a month. It was their 50th Wedding Anniversary."


theNEWK: Do you wash your goatee with regular soap, or do you use shampoo? (Answer “n/a” if you live life facial hair free.)

FF: "Good question!! I shampoo it!"


theNEWK: You are on a deserted island that has a pizza shop, and you must pick 1 topping for the rest of your life. What is it?

FF: "Italian Sausage!"


theNEWK: Do you have hobbies?

FF: "Music, Cars, Technology"


theNEWK: Are you good at impersonating anyone famous?

FF: "People tell me i look like Smash Mouth. I'm a man of many talents. To answer this question I will say Frank Sinantra!"


theNEWK: Are you for, or against, the designated hitter in baseball?

FF: "I don't watch Baseball...... Hockey and Football!"


theNEWK: What about this area, do you like the most?

FF: "The History of New Kensington and the small town. The fact that everyone knows your name.... well, Almost everyone. lol Thought about leaving so many times, but there's just something about it that keeps me here."


theNEWK: Do you have anything that you would like to plug? (We are talking about a business or a cause or something. Please don’t make a vile joke using the word “plug,” on our distinguished website.)

FF: "My family's business, Mar - Mac Tire Co. located at 345 Main St. in New Kensington. We are a Goodyear Tire dealer and auto repair center. We've been in business for over 50 years. www.marmactire.com


FNF Entertainment, DJ Frankie over 6 years experience. Top of the line equipment, digital music library, lights, and sound. Bar's, Nightclubs, Weddings, Adult Parties. www.myspace.com/fjsarno or www.facebook.com/FrankSarno or DJ_Frankie@comcast.net"


theNEWK: What was your favorite and least favorite question that you just answered?

FF: "Fav..... hmmmmm all of them but one.
Least....... Baseball... lol"

First off, we'd like to thank Fireman Frankie for taking the time to answer our
groundbreaking questions.

Our hard-hitting nature tends to intimidate many regular folk.

Frankie was not one of those folk.
He answered honestly, and without hesitation.

Other than that one time where he got sassy, and we had to put him in his place.

The one question we forgot to ask him, is if he plays "Breakfast a Tiffany's" by
Deep Blue Something during his DJing gigs.

We here at theNEWK love that tune.
(Even the uber-rare acoustic German import version.)

Maybe we'll get lucky, and he'll leave a comment with the answer.

-
We really hope you enjoyed this piece.

If so, let us know so we can find more interesting people to bother.