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Vince Coakley returned Monday from Haiti with this assessment: It's going to be a long recovery for the earthquake-stricken nation, but in the end life could be better for the Haitian people.
"A theme that streams through this so much is there's a resilience about people," says Coakley, news anchor for WSOC (Channel 9).
"In spite of all they've suffered, there's a looking ahead. There's a sense of stoicism that I picked up. People are thinking that it's time to figure out how to improve their lives."
Coakley went with a ministerial mission led by Jean Telfort, a Haitian native on the pastoral team at Steele Creek Church. They spent six days assessing long-term needs that faith-based groups can address.
Their journey took them to orphanages, the tent city outside the collapsed National Palace in Port-au-Prince and villages outside the capital.
Quake damage was visible 40 to 50 miles into the countryside, Coakley says. "It reminds me a lot of tornadoes - a tornado will knock over this house, but the next one is fine. There'd be one house in a village that was collapsed and then the others would be OK. There was a randomness to it."
On Sunday, they went to a church that had been damaged. Coakley fell asleep in the truck on the way and arrived to find a service being conducted on the side of the road. Some parishioners hadn't eaten in three days.
"I woke up to the sound of music. You would not know there was any disaster - people were just outside, praising God and celebrating. It was surreal. Pastors were reminding everyone that their building was destroyed, but the people are the church.
"It was inspiring. We get discouraged if our cable goes out. Here there were people who experienced a catastrophe and they were worshiping outside. That communicates a lot."
Coakley hopes to edit the video he shot into a documentary to help raise money for rebuilding Haiti. Housing is a prime concern - the homeless need shelter before the summer rainy season kicks in. And he worries that people may forget about the crisis in a few months.
Overall, though, he sees better days ahead through the rebuilding.
"I believe Haiti is going to be a surprise. It's going to astound people. This is going to mark a turning point in the dawning of a new Haiti."
Media Movers
Janine Davis, producer and co-host on the WPEG-FM ("Power 98" 97.9) Morning Maddhouse and a 16-year veteran of Charlotte's CBS Radio stations, is out the door. "CBS decided not to renew my contract, which I kind of knew was coming. We both said, 'It's been real, a great run.' It's time for me to move on to the next chapter." Davis plans to remain in Charlotte broadcasting and spend more time expanding chapters of Girl Talk Foundation Inc., which she founded in 2003 to build self-esteem in young girls ... Among the nominees for the Academy of Country Music's major market personality award is Catherine Lane of WSOC-FM (103.7). Nominated in the large-market category is former WSOC-FM morning host Jeff Roper, now at WTQR-FM in Greensboro. Winners will be honored April 18 in Las Vegas ...
Rosie Barresi will join WSOC (Channel 9) as a reporter from the CBS affiliate in Colorado Springs, Colo. ... Julie Szulczewski, managing editor at Channel 9, is leaving at the end of the month to become news director for the NBC affiliate in Albuquerque ... WFAE-FM (90.7) reporter Simone Orendain signs off Feb. 19 to become a freelance radio producer in Manila, where she lived before moving to the United States at age 8. "I'm going to pursue my career-long goal of being a foreign correspondent," says Orendain, who has won numerous awards after coming to WFAE-FM in 2005 ...
Local winners of regional Emmy Awards include Andy Benton and Stuart Watson WCNC (Channel 36) for serious feature news report; Dan Robbins and Ann Sheridan of WCNC for serious feature news series and for community service; John Wendel of WCNC for weathercast; Jeremy Williams of Raycom Sports for sports segment; Williams and David Barringer, Alex Farmartino, Robert Reichley, Beverly Rumley and Lance Stewart of Raycom for sports programs; Barringer, Williams and Chris Stevens of Raycom for editor, short-form; Barringer for director, short form; Rohan Backfisch, Erik Barnhart and Hammond Reynolds of Fox Sports Carolinas for sports event; Jon Johnson of Fox Sports South for graphic arts; Linda Midgett Otzenberger of WTVI for cultural documentary; Brent Kennedy, Jere S. Thomas and Onur Tukel of WTVI for promotional spot; Randy Fulp and Brett Ray of Emulsion Arts/WTVI for lighting ...
Former Wake Forest football player Wesley Bryant starts a new hour-long sports show today on WGIV-AM (1370) weekly at 9 a.m. Saturdays.
