Lawrence magazine story pitches
(SPRING 2021) - For this assignment, I researched public records to find information about a local business and its associated individuals. Then, I created an email pitch for three magazine stories about the business from the research I gathered.
I kept a detailed diary of the research I performed. This diary contained the search terms I used, including the various search term operators I performed. The dairy also included the results from each search I performed and the notes I took from the results I chose to explore.
The diary also contained a four-step evaluation process of each possible source to determine if the source would be credible enough to use in the pitch.
In the email, I pitched three magazine stories: one about the business, one about the business owners, and one about the property owners.
The goal was to convince Lawrence Magazine editors to use my story ideas in its feature stories.
email pitch
Topic: Long history of 642 Massachusetts St.
According to its website, Liberty Hall is a locally owned and operated historic theater in downtown Lawrence.
According to its website, Liberty Hall is comprised of
A concert hall (Liberty Hall)
A video store (Liberty Hall Video)
A coffee house (La Prima Tazza)
An independent cinema (Liberty Hall Cinema)
According to business entity search, Susan Millstein currently owns Liberty Hall. Her husband is also listed as an owner, but according to his obituary, he passed away in October of 2020.
According to property search and Liberty Hall’s website, before the Millstein’s purchased Liberty Hall in 1988, it was previously,
1854 - The building where an abolitionist newspaper called The Herald of Freedom worked from.
1856 - A hall for meeting speeches and community events.
1882 - Bowersock Opera House owned by M.G. Bowersock
The 1930s - Jayhawk Theater
1965 – Red Dog Inn Night Club
The 1970s – A disco club called Bugsy’s
Topic: Downtown Lawrence would not be what it is today if it were not for Susan and Dave Millstein
According to the Lawrence Preservation Alliance, there were once plans to turn downtown Lawrence into a covered mall. According to the Lawrence Preservation Alliance article, Susan and Dave Millstein fought the mall plans and renovated several downtown buildings.
According to Dave’s obituary, he and Susan started their first community-inspired business with Sunflower. According to the obituary, it began as a small surplus and camping store and eventually grew into an outdoor sporting goods store. According to the obituary, their next project was rehabilitating Liberty Hall in 1988.
According to business entity search, They currently own Liberty Hall, located at 642 Massachusetts St.
Susan and Dave Millstein are local to Kansas. According to property search, they live in Baldwin City, KS.
According to Kansas offender KASPER – Offender Population Searches and federal inmate Find an inmate results, Susan and Dave Millstein have no criminal history.
Topic: Local business owner’s unique environmentally sustainable home
According to property search, 624 Massachusetts St. is owned by Liberty Hall Associates. According to business entity search, Susan and Dave Millstein own Liberty Hall Associates. Thus, Susan and Dave Millstein own the property that Liberty Hall operates from and Liberty Hall itself.
According to property search, Susan and Dave Millstein live in Baldwin City, KS. According to the Lawrence Journal-World, they have a unique home that they constructed in the mid-1990s. According to the Lawrence Journal-World, a national magazine recognized Susan and Dave Millstein’s home as “an interesting and creative example of green building technology and environmental sustainability.”
