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Community Corner

Journalist Videotaping Life Stories of Senior Citizens This Week at the Library

Free video sessions for senior citizens offered by retired journalist at the Bloomfield Public Library, beginning week of January 16

 

Bloomfield resident Gene Nichols has come up with his own way to give back.  Nichols, a retired journalist and public relations executive, is offering to videotape community members 65 and older as they recount memories and milestones in their lives.

“My next door neighbor, Al, died about 18 months ago. He was a lifelong employee at Roche and the neighborhood Mr. Fixit.  It was only after his death that we leaned that Al held a doctorate in chemistry from Columbia University,” says Nichols, explaining that the service he wants to provide, Life Story Cam, will make sure that people’s accomplishments and “stories” will not be lost once they pass away.

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National Public Radio has recently launched a similar project, called Story Corps, in which they’ve recorded some 30,000 anecdotal reminiscences from people and made them available for viewing.  “[NPR’s] pieces take the form of short stories,” according to Nichols, who says his pieces, which will run 10-12 minutes, will be more like an overview from earliest recollections to present day information and reminiscences. 

Life Story Cam sessions will be held free of charge (for those age 65 and over) at the beginning the week of January 16.  Interview questions can be previewed at www.lifestorycam.com and the actual process will involve Nichols conducting an on-camera interview with each participant which he will then format, edit and create a DVD.

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“If anyone is unhappy with the results, the material will be discarded,” says Nichols.  However if people like it, Nichols will instruct them how to upload their “story” to a website that, with proper access codes, can be viewed by friends and family from far and wide.

Nichol’s motivation stems, in part, from his fear of the eventual obsolescence of print media.  He believes that local media needs to provide information to the community about its members who pass away. He worries that without obituaries, we don’t have records of people’s lives.

“During his retirement years, my father was a volunteer reader for kids confined to Einstein Hospital in the Bronx,” says Nichols.  “My temperament and talents don’t skew in that direction, but I wanted to contribute something to society that was meaningful.” 

Nichol’s father passed away 35 years ago.  “He was not around long enough to meet any of his eight great grandkids.  They would have loved him.  Would that a video bio had existed!  I knew virtually nothing of his family.”

Currently, the sessions are by appointment and will (mostly) take place at the library (84 Broad Street) or occasionally at the Civic Center next door (90 Broad Street).  To find out more information and to arrange an interview time, please contact Gene Nichols at 347-560-8056.

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