I, as many of you, was shocked to learn of his death.  And I, being my typical critical self, could not have cared less.  My first thought was that the world was better off without him, this strange, accused child molestor.  So I went home, on to my normal life, not really thinking much about what had just unfolded.

Then I began to watch all the national media coverage about his death.  I began to hear all the music that I grew up on.  Each song bringing back a different, cherished memory from my youth.  Bad was the first cassette that my parents bought for me.  I got it for Christmas, along with my treasured pink Walkman. 

I heard people closest to him, sharing their memories, and expressing their profound sadness that this icon passed at such a young age.  And before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.

No matter what you thought about Michael Jackson as a person, no one can deny the mark that he left on so many of us.  His music crossed generations.  He was an artist that I could listen to with my parents.  An artist that my nearly 2-year-old son loves to dance to.  His life was troubled.  There is no doubt about that.  But his legacy will always be his music, and the joy it brought to so many people.  I think it is safe to say that we will not see another entertainer like him, with his talent and cross-generational appeal, in our lifetimes.

So while I may not have approved of his lifestyle, I will mourn the Pop icon that Michael Jackson was.  His music helped to build the soundtrack of my life.  And I will always have fond memories of that.

The first cassette I had. Ok, well maybe it was my brother's, and I just stole it.

Just looking at the sign makes me hungry....

Of course I’m talking about Pepe’s!  I like to consider myself a pizza aficionado.  I’ve tried it all.  And since I could chew solid food, Frank Pepe Pizzaria on Wooster Street in New Haven has been the best of the best for me.

In this business, we get a lot of new people that come in from different parts of the country.  And of course, one of the first things I must tell them about our great state is where they could find the greatest pizza.  And since our new reporter Hallie Jackson is tasting her way through Connecticut, I thought it was appropriate to take a little Channel 3 field trip.  So my husband Rich and I, producer Leah and her husband Jake, associate producer Rachel, and Hallie and her boyfriend Doug, took the trip to the famed pizzeria this past Sunday. 

The line to get in

The line was a little long, but not too bad by Pepe’s standards.  After about an hour, we squished into our booth, anxiously anticipating the most delicious slice of heaven on the planet.  And we were hungry.  Between the 7 of us, we ordered 2 large pizzas and 3 smalls.  One large with pepperoni, another large with extra cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms, a small cheese, a small tomato pie, and a small white clam.  And when it finally arrived, we scarfed it down so fast we were all lamenting the pizza burn on the roof of our mouths.  But it was so worth it!  Leah and Jake, as usual, put everyone to shame.  They polished off an entire large themselves! 

Then, when we were all so full we could barely get our fannies off our seats, we decided to stuff ourselves some more.  What trip to Pepe’s would be complete without going next door to Libby’s for a gelato or Italian Ice?  So we meandered the 30 feet or so, and topped off our meals.  I highly recommend the cappuccino gelato, it was delicious!

Leah and Hallie enjoying their dessert

And so our gluttonous afternoon came to a close.  I think everyone could agree, that was some of the best pizza that they ever had.  And I think Hallie will do just fine, eating her way through Connecticut!

The gang, full and happy! From left: Leah, Jake, Rich, Me, Hallie, Doug, and Rachel in the front!

 And what a great night for Hartford!  There were so many people at the concert, and many downtown restaurants and bars were packed before and after the concert.  My husband, brother, sister-in-law and I went to agave for a drink afterward.  Now that was a good margherita! 

If you saw the concert, what did you think?  I’d love to hear what you thought about it.

Coming to America

Me and Rich in our seats!

Until next time….

Jamie Calli Mascia

6pm Producer

This may be a shock to many, but I, Jamie Calli Mascia, 27 years old, am a huge Neil Diamond fan.  My husband Rich, 29, is an even bigger fan than I.  He actually got me into his music when we started dating, 10 years ago.  Tomorrow we get to see him in concert at the XL Center.  I can not be more excited!  Rich and I saw him a few years ago at Madison Square Garden, and I have to say it was the best concert I’ve ever been too.  He is such a great entertainer! 

I’m so happy to see such a big name coming to Hartford.  It’s great for the city, and great for the fans.  I recently tried to get tickets to see New Kids on the Block at the Mohegan Sun Arena, but they sold out so quickly!  The venue is just too small for big name acts.

This is also the first time my husband and I are having a “date” since Marcello was born.  I know, it’s hard to believe!  He’ll be a year on the 18th, we probably should have done this months ago!  

If you know of any other great events coming to the area, let me know!  I’ll be sure to let you all know how the concert was.

Until next time….

Jamie Calli Mascia

6pm Producer

http://www.wfsb.com/video/17015652

Jamie Calli Mascia

6pm Producer

My husband and I think it’s a great idea, and we’ve been daytripping this summer around the state.  So far, we’ve been to Mystic Aquarium and to the beach in Old Lyme.  And Marcello had so much fun at both!  If you have children, I highly recommend taking them to the aquarium.  Marcello was only 10 months old at the time, but he loved it!  And who doesn’t love the beach?  If you have any other great things to do in Connecticut, let me know!  And I will update as my family takes more trips around the state. 

Here are a few pictures of Marcello enjoying his staycations!

Jamie Calli Mascia

6pm Producer

My brother-in-law was murdered.  Not when he was my brother-in-law.  In fact, this brutal crime happened a few months before my husband and I met, in 1998.  I have just come to realize that when someone searches for information regarding the case, this blog comes back as one of the results.  That is because my son’s middle name is in tribute to his uncle, whom he will never get the chance to meet.

I did not know Scott, but by now, I feel as though I did.  You will never hear anyone say a bad word about him.  He was kind, funny, and hardworking.  But his life was cut much too short on the night of January 26, 1998.  Scot was driving home from the gym, when he was shot to death by someone in a passing car.  He was about a mile away from his house.

It was such a random act of violence, it took police years to bring his killer to justice.  No one knew why anyone would want to hurt Scott.  But eventually, someone came forward, and led police in the direction of Anthony Azukas.  Azukas was angry and shooting at passing cars, and he just happened to hit Scott and kill him.   He is now serving a life sentence for murder.  He has tried to appeal his conviction, and his sentence.  And each time he brings the pain back to the surface for my husband and his family.  It’s hard to cover news sometimes, when you’ve been affected so deeply by it.  Luckily, I have co-workers I can lean on to lend an objective eye.

But I know Scott is with us everyday.  I went to a psychic years ago, and she told me so.  I don’t usually believe in things like that, but she knew too much about the case to not believe her.   And then I went into labor on Scott’s birthday.  Marcello was born the next day, on August 18th, but I know it was Scott’s way of letting us know that he was there, and he was protecting all of us, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Jamie Calli Mascia

6pm Producer

As I write to you, I am working on the most sleep I’ve had in weeks… 6 whole hours.  Ok, so maybe I dozed for a little longer, but you get my drift.  My son, for whatever reason, has decided that he doesn’t like to sleep alone in his crib, so he wakes up around 2 in the morning, and cries until I bring him into bed with my husband and I.  From there, he sleeps peacefully, while I lie awake, worried that I will roll over on him, or that he will get caught underneath the sheets.

So what does this have to do with being a producer, you ask?  Not much, except for the fact that it makes concentrating on my job so much more difficult!  Producers have to have clear heads, we need to be able to make snap decisions, and disect 3 page articles or press releases into a 3 line, 20 second story.   Producing is so much more than people realize.  Every day, I must decide what stories I’m going to put in my newscast, who will read them, where the anchor will be when they read them, what graphics will go along with them, etc.  I also have to stay in contact with all the reporters in my show, keep track of what elements they have for their stories, and help them to make active live shots.  I also write 95% of the stories in the show that you see at home. 

At times it can be a little overwhelming, but you get used to it.  So this whole lack of sleep thing has really been an adjustment.  Marcello used to sleep from 9 to 8, and just started waking in the last month or so.  Maybe he’s teething, but who knows?  I tried letting him cry it out, but I just can’t stand to hear him scream like that.  I just bought “The No Cry Sleep Solution.”   Hopefully it will give me some good tips.

With the recent baby boom going on around here (Kara Sundlun just recently announced she was pregnant, check it out in her husband, Dennis House’s blog), I find myself saying “oh, i want another baby right now!”  But then 2 in the morning comes around so quickly, and I realize maybe it would be better to wait a few more years.  I’d love to hear your thoughts, or even your advice on how to get my son to sleep through the night!

And just one last note, for the benefit of my husband mostly… I’m a Yankees fan, and he’s a Red Sox fan.  So the adorable picture of my son at the top of this post was taken when he was with me.  Any other time, you will see him decked out in Sox gear.   It’s quite interesting in our house this time of year. I think maybe I’ll make Marcello a shirt that says “confused.”

Until next time…

Jamie Calli Mascia

6pm Producer

are the days when your baby comes to visit!!!

My husband was kind enough to bring my son, Marcello, for a visit to the station last week.  It’s always nice to have a little break in the day, especially when you get to see that cute little face.  I made use of our lactation room to feed him a little lunch, and then gave him his solid foods in our break room.  Which brings me to a product I have to recommend.  It’s Phil and Ted’s “MeToo.”  It’s a portable seat that clips onto the table, so your little one can eat with you.  And it only weighs like 2 pounds!  Marcello loves it.  I did not register for it, but got it anyway as a shower gift, and I’m so glad I did!  It’s on the web at www.philandteds.com. 

It’s Monday again, with a long work week ahead.  Our lead story today is more charges for the man accused of that awful deadly home invasion last week in New Britain.  Stories like these really make me sad.  Two women, having a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, when some scum bag comes off the street and shoots them both.  Today the suspect, Leslie Williams, was officially charged with murder, and also with aggravated sexual assault.  And just weeks before the home invasion, Williams had just gotten out of prison for sexually assaulting a little girl.   It’s just so sad.  And scary too.  Police have said this was a random attack.  I always felt safe in my neighborhood, but after random home invasions in Cheshire and now New Britain, I don’t really like being home by myself.  Gosh, I haven’t said that since I was in 7th grade!

Ok, well I should get back to the world of news now.  I’d love to hear your feedback, whether it be to tell me how cute you think my son is (isn’t he adorable?!), or to give me your thoughts about the tragic home invasion, and what you think should be done to these repeat offenders.  Until next time….

Jamie Calli Mascia

6pm Producer

My son’s name is Marcello Scott Mascia.  He was born on August 18, 2007.  He is the first baby for both my husband Rich, and I.  We also have a Yorkie named Sophie.

Coming back to work was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.  I had a pretty long maternity leave, 14 weeks.  I had just gotten used to being a mom, and doing whatever my little boy needed me to.  But now I had to leave him for hours every day!  It got easier as the days went along.  I am very fortunate to have 2 bosses who are also mothers, so they did whatever they could to make my transition easier. 

Another challenge was the whole breastfeeding thing.  I was, and still am, nursing.  So I had to work in pumping sessions twice a day, to make sure my son had enough to eat.  I’m sure many of you moms out there know how difficult that can be, but my employer has helped me out a great deal.   At channel 3, we have been provided with a lactation room.  I am able to go up to the room, lock the door and sit in a nice comfy chair while I pump.  There is also a tv, which make the time go by a little faster.  And just so all you moms out there know, if you wish to continue breastfeeding when you go back to work, you are protected by state law.  According to the law, passed back nearly 6 years ago, an employer has an obligation (not discretion) to make “reasonable efforts” to provide a room, or other location near the work area where the employee can express her milk in private.  The statute also indicates that this location is to be someplace other than a toilet stall.  So do not let going back to work make you stop breastfeeding, it is such a great gift for your child!

Of course,  missing Marcello every day is the hardest part of going back to work.  As anyone here at the station can attest to though, I keep plenty of pictures of the little man on my desk, so I can see him all the time!

 Being a working mom is tough.  But being a mom has also made me better at my job.  I view stories a lot differently now, and I think I’m better able to relay those stories to the viewers.  It’s softened me.  I connect to stories more.  If we do a story about a child, I think, “what if that were my child?” 

 Ok, well I hope this served as a good introduction…. and that it hasn’t bored any of you too much, and that I haven’t given you too much information, hahaha.  I’d love to hear some of your comments.  If any new moms have a question, feel free to ask!  I hope to post regularly, with my latest trials and tribulations in the world of motherhood, and maybe even my lovely hometown. 

 Jamie Calli Mascia

6pm Producer