Welcome to the SALections!

We hope you find this newsletter inspiring and just maybe it will make you laugh out loud or shed a tear. Here we go.

March 2025

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The Hero for March 2025 is Gene Kapp

Written by Mike Russell & Sal Urbano

It was in the mid-1980’s that I would meet the finest man I’ve ever known. I didn’t know it at the outset but when Gene Kapp and I met in Norfolk at WTKR-TV, a forty-year friendship would began innocently enough over coffee in the newsroom.

Gene was a reporter who came to Norfolk from Roanoke and I was the sports guy who came to WTKR from Richmond. We worked together in a newsroom loaded with talent.

There was Ed Hughes, who was known as the Walter Cronkite of Norfolk. Ed anchored the news there for thirty-six years. There was Nate Custer, a veteran reporter who was looked up to by the entire Virginia state senate. There was Bob West, a distinguished veteran reporter and Gene was on the rise – he would soon become the 11pm news anchor.

Both Ed and Gene were fantastic news anchors, as well as being great reporters. This was actually not a common occurrence. Usually, people are better in one area or the other.

Gene and Ed could cover a story like no one else and were equally adept at anchoring. In addition, they went out of their way to share their knowledge with up-and-coming reporters in the newsroom like Mike Russell.

Gene and I were the odd couple. He was the strait-laced news reporter with a wicked sense of humor. I was the casual sports guy with a lighthearted approach to what I called the toy department of life (covering sports). He was from the Pittsburgh area, and I was from Philadelphia. We appeared to be polar opposites, but we had mutual respect for each other.

I was with Gene at a Halloween party when he met his wife, Carolyn, and I would attend their wedding. Years later in the fall of 1994, Gene was in my wedding. Our friendship developed easily and grew tremendously over the next four decades.

“OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN”

Both Gene and I had a particular fondness for a movie entitled, “Dead Poets Society” where Robin Williams plays an extraordinary teacher who molded his class of young men with inspiring poems and the challenge of leading an exemplary life. We would say that to each other and laugh as our friendship revealed just how good life could be.

We both would leave the news business for assorted reasons, I wanted a family, and it was tough to make a relationship work when you were spending nights, weekends and sometimes 80 hours a week covering sports. Gene would go on to work as a Senior Communication Manager for CBN. It was there that he adeptly managed a number of adversarial groups and media outlets who wanted to take down Pat Robertson. We would kid about how well Gene could manage the incoming scuds and efficiently diffuse them – he was the calm in the midst of full- blown chaos. He had a gift for that.

When I left Norfolk, it was a serious crash and burn. I had a 3-year relationship end, was working hard to cover the pain and found myself incarcerated in Virginia Beach for 30 days over Christmas. It's in those moments you find out who your true friends are. I had a few who wrote me regularly and kept in touch.

Gene, a man of great faith, simply would not let me fall any further. He made it his mission to bring my mail once a week and checked in on me regularly. He brought dinners and visited often. I did not want my mom to see me in an orange jumpsuit and when she became concerned and wanted to come down, it was Gene who called her and said Sal is fine and he’ll be home soon.

I simply could not ask for anything more from a friend, when I was at my lowest point. He provided all this support quietly and without fanfare as Gene was a humble servant of God with strong faith and if he was your friend, you were simply blessed beyond measure.

How many people do we know who would make such a generous gift of their time and make such a personal investment to visit someone in need - without judgment or an ulterior motive?

Gene looked in on me with compassion - at a time in my life when I so needed his support and to remind me that I wasn’t alone. You could meet a thousand people in a lifetime and not find a better - more honorable man who wanted to do right by the people in his life.

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Gene built an extraordinarily successful crisis communication consultancy, Kapp Communications – one that would see him counseling world leaders while traveling to more than twenty different countries.

He also collaborated with numerous political leaders and White House officials – including a President known for his penchant for ignoring advisors.

My wife surprised me when I turned fifty by inviting Gene and Carolyn to spend the weekend with us. It was the best present a guy could ask for. We went to dinner and talked for hours. He gave me a refreshed picture of a special time when we worked together in Norfolk.

The station has just invested in a Satellite truck, which could go live from wherever it was driven. To kick off the debut of the Satellite truck, WTKR sent Michele, Gene, and I with two photographers Brian Igelman and Bob Shepherd along with our truck operator, John, on a tour of the state of Virginia.

We went to Charlottesville, Blacksburg, Roanoke, Richmond, and Alexandria to report back to Norfolk live with a series of broadcasts with ties to Hampton Roads while I did the sports remotely. We had so much fun on that road trip, which was a ton of work but when you’re in such good company the long hours were no problem at all.

I remember when Gene told me he had a small cancerous nodule on his pancreas and the plan was to get chemotherapy to see if it could shrink the tumor which was positioned in a very tough spot. I thought as I put the phone on mute and said, “Damnit, why him,” as I was pissed.

Partly because my dad. died of pancreatic cancer when he was thirty-eight and also because Gene had worked his tail off and had just started his retirement when he was forced to deal with an aggressive cancer.

Just like Gene, he heard what I said, and don’t you know he was consoling me when it should have been the other way around. That was typical of Gene.

Thankfully, he had the absolute best doctors and surgical team available at John Hopkins. His lead surgeon said that after several chemo sessions, he believed he could remove the tumor via surgery.

I was headed down toward Virginia Beach for a business trip and wanted to see Gene before his operation, but the team at Hopkins moved up the surgery date, requiring Gene to take multiple tests on the same day of my visit. Gene told me that we’d get together afterwards.

The day of his surgery was a long one. The procedure to remove the tumor required the utmost skill and took north of 12 hours. Afterwards, his doctor said he felt he got it all. Gene felt good about the operation and was on his way to recovery. He was up and walking a mile a day and I checked in often, we emailed back and forth.

He was doing great. His recovery went on for several more days, and I figured he was resting. Then, I heard from Carolyn that Gene had developed an infection. Since his body was in a weakened state from the surgery, he could not overcome it. They tried every drug possible to help him, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

It was a terrible and sudden shock to learn of his passing. I recall falling to my knees wondering why God needed Gene more than we did.

He deserved time to enjoy his retirement with Carolyn, but as we all know every day is a gift and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. It took time, but we were comforted by the fact the Gene is in a better place and is no longer in pain. Still, it was a major gut punch that remains with me and bothers me to this day.

There was a story told at Gene’s Celebration of Life by Jay Sekulow – Chief Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice. Jay remembered a time when President Trump wanted to write his own speech for a special event. Gene reviewed the speech and said, “Mr. President, I really like your passion in this speech, but we’re not using any of it. I’ll rewrite it for you.” It was one of the few times that President Trump heeded counsel from an outside advisor.

I wanted to speak at Gene’s service and his wife, Carolyn, who has such amazing strength and is one of the loveliest women you could ever know, said she wanted the service to be a celebration. So instead of speaking during the service, which would have been too emotional for me, I sprinkled in stories about Gene before and after the service and at dinners with his friends and family.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU KNOW WHO MET THE POPE?

One of the things that CBN was known for was a project called “Operation Blessing.” The project involved a large jet that was equipped with onboard surgical suites, doctors and nurses who would visit developing nations to offer a host of medical services to underprivileged people and children, anyone in need. As a result of this extraordinary mission work, Pat Robertson was granted an audience with Pope John Paul – and Gene Kapp was in that meeting at Pat’s side.

Gene was humble and didn’t wear his success on his sleeve, but over the course of his media and public relations career, he met with many members of Congress including House and Senate Leadership, international political figures, and the leaders of several countries. In one story he talked of being transferred to multiple Escalade vehicles to meet an official in a secret location. When he walked into the meeting place, he found himself face to face with Yasser Arafat.

From the Norfolk newsroom, to his work at the CBN ministry, to his meetings with national and international leaders, Gene was a highly respected professional – due largely because he was a man of tremendous integrity and he delivered valuable, consistent counsel to all his clients. He truly was the calm in the midst of a storm.

And then when he was off the clock, Gene enjoyed life. He loved his wife, he thoroughly enjoyed golf, a fine glass of wine, he was an avid sportsman who enjoyed target shooting at the range. And in his Chesapeake Beach neighborhood – you would often see Gene cruising the area streets in his red golf cart.

WHAT IS THE MEASURE OF A MAN?

When you think about your legacy and that’s a great topic for all of us to explore – some of the questions that come to mind are:

How do we want to be remembered?

How will you make the world a little bit better than you found it?

Gene Kapp is certainly loved and fondly remembered by hundreds, if not thousands of people. Suffice it to say Gene accomplished so very much throughout his 67 years. He was a humble servant of God who believed in personal integrity and delivering on his word.

All of us who were fortunate enough to know Gene, were truly blessed by his friendship, his sharp sense of humor and by his keen insight on world events. He was intently focused on his professional mission and handled it with confidence and ease.

When his work was done, he could laugh and joke with his friends and family over a beer or glass of wine. He is missed terribly by his family, a whole host of friends and all those who knew and loved him.

Rest easy, Captain my Captain, you more than accomplished your mission. Our steps are heavier now without you, but we carry on in your honor.

In honor of the Finest Man, I have ever known -

Eugene Joseph Kapusta aka Gene Kapp.

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Footnote to WTKR-TV Story

In the spring and summer, the crew would bring in grills and make dinner. While we were doing the 5pm and 6pm news, we could smell the food and it smelled so good.

It was so hot under the lights in the summer, that often we had on shorts. All business above the waist & casual below the waist.

At 630pm, we would all eat together. It was more than 20 of us and we had a ball. They were some great times.

Coming later this year - WTKR TV in Norfolk is celebrating 75 years of broadcasting in Hampton Roads. It will be a great celebration for the Norfolk - Virginia Beach - Hampton communities. Here is an inside tip of what's to come & what an honor - some of my video's will be featured in the celebration.

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SAX SOLO - SCOTT MAYO

He is one of the all-time great sax players and you probably never heard of him. You have definitely seen Scott Mayo as he has played for a number of years with Earth, Wind & Fire.

Scott is so much more than just an extraordinary sax player. He is a composer and a producer with 30 years of experience to his credit.

So how good is he? Well he’s good enough to have played for Sir Paul McCartney, Beyonce, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, JayZ, Mick Jagger, Ariana Grande, Stevie Wonder, Sergio Mendes and Carrie Underwood - to name a few.

How’s that for name dropper lane? This guy has a magic touch with the sax creating masterpieces. Just take a listen to his work here on a song for Vi with Earth Wind & Fire – “If I Ever Lose This Heaven.”

Scott is so far beyond brilliant – he creates mood setting moments doing his thing on the sax.

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Cinema Lou

We are delighted at the SALections to have Cinema Lou share his thoughts with us as a Special Contributor.

Cinema Lou - SNL 50th Anniversary

Saturday Night Live just celebrated their 50th anniversary, with a 3 hour and 18 minute retrospective filled with famous hosts, musical guests and a star studded concert. I found myself in awe of all the talent that appeared and had performed over the years in Studio 8H at NBC Headquarters in 30 Rock.

It got me thinking. Who was your favorite all-time performer? It might be impossible to pick just one. From the original Not Ready for Prime Time players featuring Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and crew, television history was made. Then came Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock… I could go on forever. And how about all the A-list hosts and musical guests. The list is endless.

Someone asked who is the best feature player? Some said Eddie Murphy, some Gilda Radner, some say it was Dan Aykroyd. It’s hard to choose, and for me, it’s impossible. Some casts are better than others but I believe the current iteration is as good as any.

Bowen Yang is a star. So is Sarah Sherman, Chloe Fineman, Mikey Day, Ego Nwodem and I could go on and on. And the weekend update team of Colin Jost and Michael Che are as powerful as all who came before them.

Sure there is criticism- it’s not very funny, the skits and highlights are timeless. That may have some merit, but to put on a live 90-minute show with lots of moving parts is a monumental task performed almost to perfection by Lorne Michaels and his team.

Lorne and possibly the show won’t be around forever, but the skits and highlights are. You can watch all 50 years worth of shows on Peacock, and I recommend you do, to see how the show evolved and how it is still relevant. It may not always hit the mark, but it’s still some of the best television and we’re lucky to be able to see it enough to see it and enjoy it.

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY​​

As we celebrate International Women's Day on Saturday, March 8th, let's keep in mind all the women who courageously support their causes and make the world better. That is a tremendous list to note, but here are a few that come to mind.

All the Mothers who bring children into this world and support them growing up.

All the wives who keep their families on track week after week and year after year with their guidance and loving hearts.

To the International Women's Day Ambassadors, who take time to spotlight all the woman deserving of our support and applause.

Anne Hathaway

Nicole Kidman

Emma Watson

Camila Pitanga

Xemina Sarinana

We salute you for your spirit and for being you!

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"If you want something said, ask a man,

if you want something done, ask a woman."

Margaret Thatcher

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"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is

until you put her in hot water."

Eleanor Roosevelt

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"Women's natural role is to be a pillar of the family"

Grace Kelly

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FAVORITE DISHES

Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass

My cousin Patty was a phenomenal cook. She had so many talents and cooking was definitely a passion for her. We will be using her special dish (below) as a logo for this category in Patty’s honor.

Sea Bass can be pan-seared and become a delicious feast to enjoy in as little as 15 minutes. So if you want something that's easy to make and a real treat to enjoy - then you'll want to add this recipe to your list.

First, pat the sea bass fillets dry with paper towels to remove moisture. Then, generously sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of the fillets.

Next, heat the butter and oil in a large skillet/frying pan (or well-seasoned cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the fillets skin-side-down and pan-sear for 3-4 minutes per side (depending on the thickness).

For very thick fillets over an inch, it can take 5 minutes per side. Note that if it sticks when you try to flip the fillet, it’s not ready. Leave it for another 10-15 seconds and try again.

To ensure the Chilean sea bass fillets are properly cooked, use a thermometer to check that the internal temperature is 140-145ºF /60-63ºC. Alternatively, use a fork to see if it flakes easily.

Meanwhile, while the fish cooks (or beforehand), prepare the simple lemon sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned. Then mix in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

How to serve

To make this dish complete, pair it with some great sides. You can pick a fresh, flavorful salad or a simple, classic side dish. Here are some of the best dishes to serve with pan-seared Chilean sea bass:

• Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes are comforting and satisfying.
• Salads: An arugula salad will add a refreshing, crisp contrast to the rich sea bass.
• Cooked Vegetables: Sauteed Spinach, asparagus, green beans and roasted brussel sprouts bring vibrant, fresh flavors and textures.

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LOVE SONGS

Diana Krall - The Look of Love

Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David in 1967, "The Look of Love" has been covered by many artists. It was originally made famous by English pop singer, Dusty Springfield.

The song was featured in the James Bond film, Casino Royale. It also

received a best song nomination in 1968 at the Academy Awards.

This version of "The Look of Love", by Canadian Jazz Pianist and Singer Diana Krall stands out for the treatment of the standard and the

creative video she delivers.

Performed by a 2-time Grammy winner, this is "The Look of Love" by the incomparable jazz pianist and singer, Diana Krall.

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GRATITUDE

As we head into March, what are you grateful for and why?

GIVING THANKS

So what sprinkles your donuts as we move into March?

Are you grateful for all those in your life that you love. Your spouse, your family, your kids, your friends, anyone else?

Are you grateful for the women in our lives?

Are you grateful for March Madness and the NCAA tournament?

Let's make a conscious decision to make EVERY DAY SPECIAL

with our loved ones. Our time is precious and we are here but

for a few moments, so let's make those moments count.

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THANK YOU – GRAZIE – MERCI – OBRIGADO

That wraps up the March Edition of the SALections.

Before we close it out, we have one last item - what we could all use a little more of as we enter the new year. That is

"HARVEST FOR THE WORLD"

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Gather every man

Gather every woman

Celebrate our lives

Be thankful for your children

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The SALections is proud to sponsor the Fabulous South Philly String Band. The SPSB became special in our family as my Uncle Rocco played accordion in the band for 30 years. We have fond memories of the parade when it began on Broad and Oregon.

The SALections sponsors the South Philly String Band in honor of a great man - Rocco Filoso!

South Philly has won back to back Mummers Parades and incredibly 6 of the last 11 New Year's Day Parades. Captain Denny Palandro also won Best Captain this year.

Here is the South Philly String Band's 2025 Award Winning Performance entitled, Castlevania.

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That's two in a row for the South Philly String Band. Here is their award winning performance for 2024, entitled Christmas Bizarre.

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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS

We could not let this edition pass without a special shout out to the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles with one of the all time great Super Bowl Beatdowns in the 59-year history of the game with a thorough ass kicking of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes will have nightmares of guys in green chasing him for the rest of his life thanks to the incredible Eagles Defense that gave up just 1 first down and 23 yards in the first half and put that three-peat talk to rest for good.

What a great year to be an Eagles fan at The CAVE in Ventnor, NJ. It's a tight knit community of crazy Eagles fans who had the best year every Sunday of this NFL season cheering on our Birds.

The Cave in Ventnor, NJ

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Special thanks to Barb Berlin, a great friend and my former weekend news anchor & work wife in Richmond for her amazing proofreading skills. Thank you Barb!

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#SALections March 2025

#GeneKapp, #WTKRtv, #ScottMayo, #EarthWindandFire, #InternationalWomensDay, #DianaKrall, #TheLookofLove, #HarvestfortheWorld, #PattySpecialDish, #ChileanSeaBass #SouthPhillyStringBand, #RoccoFiloso, #CinemaLou, #PhiladelphiaEagles #SuperBowl59Champs, #BarbaraBerlin, #TheCaveVentnorNJ, #SALectionsMarch2025

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#SALections

#Humor, #Confessions, #SaxSolos, #Concerts, #CinemaLou, #Gratitude, #GivingThanks, #PlacestoVisit, #Concerts, #Secrets #BarbBerlin, #Heroes, #OldPhotos, #Gratitude, #DayTrips, #Promises, #FavoriteDishes, #MomentsThatTakeOurBreathAway

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