I attended the 145th annual Texas Press Association Convention & Trade Show June 19-21 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center along with several of my colleagues. We attended numerous informative sessions on current industry topics and participated in several Q and As.
It’s always a great opportunity to network, see what others in the field are doing and compare notes. I usually come away feeling rejuvenated and ready to work harder. This year was no different. In fact, I came away with fresh ideas and an eagerness to implement many of the things we learned. The ways in which we report the news and keep our communities informed is ever evolving and it is vital that we accept the challenge, buckle up for a sometimes bumpy ride and continue serving our communities.
I took Hubby and Daughter with me as I usually do. It’s an opportunity to get them out of the house and allow them to mingle with a different set of people. As the Texas Press Association is a collaborator with the Freedom of Information Foundation, a Texas Open Government Seminar was added to the convention agenda with some bonus sessions offering refreshers on the Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act. These classes were slated to start promptly at 1 p.m. so we needed to grab some lunch before they dropped me off for class while they went to the nearest Barnes & Noble to happily while away the afternoon.
We ended up at a place called Seven Mile Cafe that we thoroughly enjoyed. With six locations in the DFW area, it is a beautiful two-story, open air, light-filled building that serves innovative breakfast, lunch and coffee.
I ordered the Capitola breakfast tacos which were three corn tortillas filled with scrambled eggs, avocado, bacon, tomato, hash browns, jack and cheddar cheeses that were served with fresh salsa and cilantro jalapeno sauce. Although I could only finish two of the three, they were delightful.
That evening was dinner on your own and we opted to just stay in and try Houlihan’s, the restaurant in our hotel. I selected the pan-fried pork dumplings with Sriracha and sesame-ginger soy sauce and they were perfect – filling, yet still fairly light.
Following classes on the second day, there was a luncheon in which new inductees to the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame were recognized and honored, as well as the presentation of the Golden 50 Awards which recognize those who have worked in the newspaper industry 50 years or more.
Though the meal was your standard convention fare – grilled chicken breast, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and cheesecake topped with blueberry compote – it was all very good.
Following our afternoon classes, we left the hotel/convention center and car-pooled over to the University of North Texas Library for dinner, tours and entertainment. As we entered, we were welcomed by Dr. James Mueller, dean and professor of UNT’s Mayborn School of Journalism.
Following cocktails, we were treated to a tour of the offices of The Portal to Texas History, a gateway to rare, historical and primary source materials from or about Texas. Created and maintained by the UNT Libraries, the Portal leverages the power of hundreds of content partners across the state to provide a vibrant, growing collection of resources that include unique collections from Texas libraries, museums, archives, historical and genealogical societies, and private family collections. The Portal features digital reproductions of photographs, maps, letters, documents, books, artifacts, newspapers and more. I am proud to say that a grant has allowed for hundreds of old issues of the Polk County Enterprise to be included on the Portal and we are adding more all the time. It is a virtual treasure trove for researchers and historians and I look forward to writing more about it another day.
Following our tour, we were treated to a delicious Mexican buffet that included chicken enchiladas, cilantro lime rice, refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, chips and a southwestern green salad with an incredible smoky chipotle dressing. There were several desserts to choose from that included key lime pie and tres leches cake. However, being the chocolate-lover that I am, I opted for the obscenely large slice of layered devil’s food cake that featured milk chocolate caramel mousse and crunchy hazelnut, praline fan wafers, chocolate frosting and a dark chocolate ganache glaze. It was super rich and decadent, but fantastic.
Following classes the final morning, we all gathered in the convention hall where the trade show and silent auction had just ended, eager to find out who the winning bidders would be. I ended up snagging a book – “Citizen Reporters - S.S. McClure, Ida Tarbell, and the Magazine That Rewrote America,” a T-shirt that says “This is my living in unprecedented times shirt” and a cute little wooden plaque that says “Write. Revise. Scream a little. Repeat.”
An additional takeaway from the convention was the book “Bill Hobby - A Life in Journalism and Public Service,” a gift to every convention attendee from former Texas Lieutenant Governor Ben Barnes, a principal of the Ben Barnes Group where he serves as a political strategist, governmental affairs consultant, fundraiser and advisor.
From there we reassembled for the final luncheon and awards contest. Lunch was quite the pleasant surprise, as it was an almost embarrassing array of riches. There was an antipasto salad featuring fresh mozzarella, genoa salami, farfalle pasta, pepperoncini, fresh olives and basil pesto; roasted root vegetables with lemon and thyme oil; baked rigatoni in a rustic tomato sauce with roasted mushrooms, leeks, tomato confit and goat cheese; chicken scallopini with preserved lemon, capers, sundried tomato and baby bella; roasted branzino with lobster arrabiata sauce; seafood cioppino served with grilled rustic bread and basil olive oil; and espresso tiramisu and assorted mini cannoli. It was a delicious feast.
I always enjoy attending the annual Texas Press Association Convention because they do everything first class. More importantly, however, it’s a great group of people and I always learn so much. This year was no exception.
