Looking back on 2005

The BJ Retirees blog (web log) has caught on with some of you. We are averaging 28 visitors a day or nearly 200 each week. There have been more than 8,350 visitors since the blog started in July, 2004. There were only 1,120 visits in 2004 (the first six months) and 7,180 visits this year alone. There have been 349 items posted on the blog since the beginning including 88 the first six months and 259 this year. Visitors have taken a look at more than 11,000 pages on the blog since July 2004.

Noteworthy posts in 2005 including many on the possible sale of Knight Ridder; the unveiling of the new BJ clock tower, launch of the freebie 77South paper and a fun reunion in Columbus. We also recalled some past BJ bloopers and old time photos. Charlie Buffum provided a bunch of old clippings of the bloopers and he and Tom Suchan provided copies of old Towers Topics which provided memories of the past. We recalled the old “God willing” addendum to the weather report by Ron Kuhne and located him in Indiana for his recollections..

We ran photos or scrapbook pages on three weddings this year: Rebecca Smith, Rebecca Strong and Roderick McBane and there were no doubt some not reported to us. Many received honors or retired, including Larry Froelich and Charlene Nevada.

Unless we missed one there were 20 deaths in 2005 including Jane Betz, Robert Boyles, Ronald Capretta, Phil Dietrich, Gordon Dix, Milan Dungjen, Charlotte Earll, Bud Fisher, Donn Gaynor,. Paul Grove, Robert Hollister, James Kittinger, Robert Leitch, Ted Milligan, Edna Morgan, Polly Paffilas, Donald Shook, Richard Sweet, Ruben Sweet, Curt Sutliff and Miriam Wise.

We hope to continue in 2006 with more reprints from old Tower Topics and have been promised an inteview with Browser, the BJ mascot. Hopefully we won’t hear much more from the Sherman who started the push to sell Knight Ridder almost like that other Sherman, William Tecumesh, who led a march to the sea during the Civil War.

And the names of more than 500 were mentioned on the blog, many more than once–inlcuding Tony Ridder who was mentioned 14 times. You can see an alphabetical list by clicking on the headline above. It will be available until the end of January. Please excuse any errors or omissions.

'Fear the roo' sells big

Mix together a newly successful athletic program, the holiday gift season and a fresh slogan and you have a marketing winner. ``Fear the Roo'' merchandise has been selling out since the women's cross-country team, the men's soccer team and the football team all won Mid-American Conference titles, the soccer team earned a national ranking and the football team went to the Motor City Bowl.

The school grossed $100,000 in athletics merchandise sales in December, according to Mike Waddell, associate athletic director in external relations at UA. Waddell estimated that half of that came solely from Fear the Roo sales. In December 2004, the gross was about $7,000.

The bookstore inside UA's Student Union has been a hot spot for Roo items, selling out its first shipment.

Prices range from $14.98 for a youth T-shirt to $34.98 for an adult hooded sweatshirt.

The fearsome kangaroo is not the same critter as the university's bouncy, friendly mascot, university officials say..

``This is not Zippy. Zippy is the guy who will go to your birthday party and kiss your baby. Around our department, we call this guy Hoppy.''

[Excerpted from a story by Dan Kadar on the Beacon Journal Business front on Thursday, December 20.]

Remembering Fran and Bud

Happy New Year everyone!

About six years ago I scored a box of Fran Murphey's post cards on eBay, and in it was this one sent to Fran by Bud Morris after he had retired to Alabama.

I'm guessing that maybe it was a tradition for Bud to send Fran a hand-drawn post card on special occasions.

Did Bud do this just for Fran, given her collection, or did he treat others to similar greetings?

Anyway, just a little memento of two ABJ icons I thought I'd share here along with my best wishes for 2006.

Senior Moment for Tom Moore

Tom Moore confesses a senior moment:

You never know who you'll run into. Yesterday my son-in-law and I were at Chapel Hill Plaza getting out of the car to go into Tops. A lady passed us and I immediately knew she looked familiar but I couldn't come up with a name right away (Guess I was having a senior moment). So I caught up with her and risking a slap or a kick said: "I think I know you."

She stopped and said: "What's the first name?"

That senior moment was still with me.I told her that she asked me too fast, but I was sure I worked with her at the Beacon Journal.

She replied: "First name Joan?"

I told her that was it.

She said "I'm her twin sister from New York!"

And she said she'd give my best to Joan.

That senior moment left me shortly thereafter and I remember Joan Rice was the name that eluded me. What, I worked with her for 20 or so years? It's hell when you get old.

New stamp for Wilsons

Here are excerpts and one of the photos from the Christmas letter of Elizabeth and Craig Wilson:

Craig's daughter, Andrea, and her husband, Dan Korow, adopted a 4-day-old June 4. He is Joshua Justus Korow, now a healthy 6 months old. He rolls over and wants to crawl. We hope to see him in spring at Cedaredge, Colorado. Our joyfulness led to a lighted stork and doll in our front yard.

Elizabeth created an official Joshua U.S. stamp from a snapshot. Neither daughter, Dawn nor Andrea, could be here for the final open house at Oakdale Grade School. They had many wonderful teachers. We loved all the school carnivals.

The letter included a photo of Dawn and her husband, Mitch Harper, tending their garden July 4. That night, their neighborhood celebrated with bright, noisy fireworks. Canada Geese on a nearby pond waddled fearfully northward. We took home the delicate fabric perpetual calendar that Dawn had cross-stitched back when she was in her teens. She re-stitched all of it. We put on Velcro so the months and days wouldn't rip the fabric. Elizabeth re-matted and re-framed it. Craig put it up near our kitchen table.

Elizabeth, busy secretary of the Magic City Kiwanis, nominated Grace Duncan, the Noon Kiwanis treasurer and past president, as the Outstanding Citizen of the Year. Grace was honored at the annual Barberton Community Foundation dinner at Anthe’s restaurant.

Our flower beds bloomed with the advice and energy of Sara Manka. The third Mensa Grace Harrington Wilson $600 scholarhip for a female in journalism went to a Leawood, Kan., girl. Craig and Tony, helped by Kiwanians John McAnlis, Gene McNair, Mendy Palumbo and Verne Scott, aided the Barberton Historical Society saving tons of historic roof tiles from a bank being leveled.

We worried when the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Craig Wilson was hit 30 times by opposing pitchers. And we smiled at Craig Wilson's column in U.S.A. Today about the other Craig Wilsons. What a whacky 2005! We hope 2006 will be just as much fun for all of you

KRI places third in Top 10 stories

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

A few kind words for 'Darth' Ridder

Joseph Menn, staff writer of the Los Angeles Times, had a few kind words for Tony (“Darth”} Ridder in a lengthy article headlined “Moment of Truth for Media Chief.”

Menn writes:

The day after Hurricane Katrina wrecked the Gulf Coast, Tony Ridder headed for Mississippi, where one of his newspapers was confronting the biggest story in its history without power, telephones or running water.

The chairman and chief executive of San Jose-based Knight Ridder Inc. reached the scene before most of the staff of the Biloxi Sun Herald had made it back to the newsroom. He brought in logistics specialists, emergency supplies and the promise to provide whatever the paper needed to tell the tale and take care of its employees and their families.

"It had a fairly electric feeling, to look up and see the chairman of your company," said Sun Herald Executive Editor Stan Tiner. "You would be amazed at the extreme goodwill that has been engendered for the company by this."

Three and a half months later, the 65-year-old Ridder is dealing with a storm of a different sort.

Pressure from unhappy shareholders has forced him to put Knight Ridder on the auction block. Depending on the buyer, the company that traces its roots back to Ridder's great-grandfather could be broken up – or at the very least lose the family-style stewardship displayed by the CEO's emergency trip to Biloxi.

The likely sale of Knight Ridder and its 32 daily papers has sent shock waves through an industry in which subscribers and advertisers are defecting to the Internet and stock prices are languishing. How Tony Ridder and his company fare in the coming weeks may show his peers what the future holds for them.

It also may serve as a referendum on Ridder himself. Perhaps more than that of any other media chieftain, his career has been marked by the tug of war between the cost of producing quality newspapers and Wall Street's demands for profit.

Menn goes on in the Christmas spirit for a bit, but also discusses criticism of Ridder’s methods. Read it all, if you choose, by clicking on the headline above.

Paula and John in California

Paula and I spent a December week in northern California. It was a homecoming for Paula, who worked and lived there for two decades. We rode a cable car in San Francisco, went to Japan Town (multi-level shopping center with only Japanese stores and restaurants), drove up some mighty steep streets (even for a West Virginia native), visited Oakland & Berkeley, the redwoods of Muir Woods and more places than I can remember. It rained regularly.

Our trip from Cleveland Hopkins Airport was an adventure. Our flight was canceled because of winds in Chicago (Isn't that why they call it The Windy City?), then combined with another canceled flight hours after the original takeoff time. That meant we missed our connection in Chicago for Oakland, so we hustled onto a flight to San Francisco, which meant a $70 drive from San Francisco to Oakland to get our rental car and our luggage (which, it turned out, remained in Chicago). Bottom line: We arrived at our Wyndham Hotel in Pleasanton 16 hours after our originally scheduled flight from Cleveland. The trip home was uneventful, on time all the way.

More KRI headlines

More headlines on the possibility of a sale of Knight Ridder:

From Editor & Publisher:

New Twist: Guild Leads Effort To Buy 8 Knight Ridder Papers

By Joe Strupp
NEW YORK Leaders of The Newspaper Guild-Communication Workers of America are seeking investors to purchase the eight Knight Ridder daily newspapers that are represented by the guild, they announced Thursday. Guild President Linda Foley told E&P the effort was aimed at allowing the guild shops under Knight Ridder control to be purchased by companies more likely to avoid severe cost-cutting that has plagued the industry.

The proposal comes as Knight Ridder, which owns 32 newspapers, is on the selling block following demands from its largest shareholders that the "undervalued" company be sold.

In a statement released this afternoon, guild leaders said they had retained two advisory firms - Duff & Phelps Securities, LLC, of Chicago and Ownership Associates, Inc. of Cambridge, MA - to "work with the union to attempt a 'worker friendly' buyout of certain properties of the Knight Ridder newspaper chain."

Click on the headline above to read the E&P story.

From Bloomberg News printed on page B1 in the Beacon Journal:

Union plan to bid on Beacon, other newspapers rebuffed
Publisher Knight Ridder says it will only consider offers for all of its assets

By Greg Baumann
Bloomberg News
Knight Ridder Inc., which put itself up for sale last month, has rebuffed an initial effort by union workers to bid on the Akron Beacon Journal and several of its sister newspapers.

Knight Ridder and its investment bank, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., told the Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America on Wednesday that the company will only consider bids for all of its assets, union President Linda Foley said Thursday.

Knight Ridder, which owns 32 daily newspapers and is the nation's second largest newspaper publisher based on circulation, is considering a joint buyout bid from other newspaper groups and private equity firms such as Blackstone Group LP, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Providence Equity Partners Inc. The newspaper chain put itself up for sale following pressure from institutional shareholders.

The union will keep trying to persuade San Jose, Calif.-based Knight Ridder to consider a ``worker friendly'' offer for some of its properties, Foley said.

``We've reached out to them on a number of levels, being aware they are just taking bids for the entire company,'' she said.

Polk Laffoon, a Knight Ridder spokesman, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.

Shares of Knight Ridder fell 4 cents Thursday to $62.75. They are down 6.3 percent this year.

Click here to read the story in the Beacon Journal

Send us those Christmas photos

Christmas is a time when families get together. Don't forget your BJ family. Many would like to hear about what you and your family have been doing.

When you take those family photos at Christmas, please send one to us along with a little update on your family.

You can attach jpegs to e-mail with information to hliggett@ald.net or just mail them:

Harry Liggett
544 N. Firestone Blvd.
Akron, OH 44301-2254

A lot of people who read this blog would love to hear about you,

Greetings from Hertz family

A Christmas letter and card brings us up to date with David and Beth Hertz and their children, Alyssa and Joshua.

“We have had the busy year that many families with two little kids and two jobs know about,” they wrote.

Also gleaned from their letter:

Alyssa loves first grade. She has lost seven teeth and even is talking about boys. She started taking ballet this year and joined the Girl Scouts. Joshua, at 2 1/2, is talking up a storm. He scaled the side of his crib one day last spring, hitting the floor with a splat that his Mommy will never forget. He got a big bed quickly. He adores his sister (mostly), his weekly gymnastics and Daddy’s guitar.

David was asked to be “interim” business editor in May and then the deputy business editor quit in the fall so he’s running that department alone. Beth still works 20 hours a week in the Communications department of Cleveland Clinic and also does some freelance writing and editing. She contracted a virus similar to mononucleosis and was in bed four weeks–one of them in the hospital. One new thing for her is being a leader for Alyssa’s Girl Scout troop. She also is now president of the BG News (college newsaper) alumni society.

Burbach explains skimpy BJ

Beacon Journal Managing Editor Mike Burbach took center stage again Wednesday to explain why the newspaper is skimpier. Well, it wasn’t exactly center stage. His remarks were printed on Page A2 because the regular Commentary Page was missing. Here’s the message.


Newspaper looks different

Answers to questions about recent changes

Q: Some pages that we're used to seeing the Beacon Journal are missing this week. What's going on?

A: Most newspaper revenue comes from advertising. When the local economy slows down, there's less advertising. Less advertising means a smaller paper. That's been the case this year in Akron This year is almost over.

Q: So the "tighter" paper is the function of a tight budget?

A: Yes.

Q: Is the Beacon Journal losing money?

A: No. The Beacon is a profitable, strong business. We've hit a few bumps this year, and we'll get over them.

Q: If you have to cut expenses, why cut pages and not some other expense?

A: We have cut others, mostly in ways that are invisible to our customers. But a newspaper really has two big categones of expense: Paper and people. We opted to save on paper.

Q: Is the Beacon journal going to be thinner permanehtly?

A: No. The Commentary page, which includes opinion columnists and usually appears on Page B2, will return next week. So will the features sections, such as Health and Food, which have been inside Local sections this week.

Q: Are there more changes coming in the future?

A: Yes. The news and advertising world has become much more competitive, and newspapers have to adapt.

- Mike Burbach managing editor

On another front (actually B13): Movie reviewer George Thomas says “Watching Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is the equivalent of being locked in a car with three squabbling kids under 10 on a cross-country trip." Son Matthew, however, says it is “an outrageously funny movie” and believes it is “perfect for families.”

Ronald Capretta dies at 55

Ronald C. Capretta
Ronald C. Capretta, 55, of Canfield, Ohio, passed away Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005, after a strong fight with liver cancer.

Ron was a beloved husband, proud father, and a loving son, brother, and uncle. He was born June 25 in Akron, graduated from Cuyahoga Falls High School, and was a member of the Ohio National Guard. He spent all of his life in the newspaper business, most recently as the director of marketing and advertising for the Vindicator in Youngstown, Ohio. He also put in many years of service at other newspapers, including the Akron Beacon Journal, the Lorain Morning Journal, the Lansing State Journal, the Fort Myers News Press, and the Cincinnati Enquirer. Ron was an avid golfer and a member of the Salem Golf Club.

He is survived by his wife, Donna (Paulini) Capretta of Canfield, Ohio; parents, Alfred and Pauline (Jacoby) Capretta of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; daughter, Amy Capretta of Cincinnati, Ohio; sons, Ryan Capretta and Adam Capretta of Canfield, Ohio, and Michael Miller of Mogadore, Ohio. He was the brother to Laura (Charles) Marino of Stow; uncle to Matthew Marino and Allison Marino of Stow.

Friends may call on Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Fox Funeral Home, 4700 Market St., Boardman, Ohio. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at St. Christine Church, 3165 S. Schenley Ave., Youngstown.
(Fox Funeral Home, 330-788-5044.)
[Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH Tuesday, December 20, 200, page B5. col. 3]

BJ tackles KRI sale confusion

Managing Editor Mike Burbach with a Dear Readers: column on page A1 on Sunday and Dave Giffels in his column on page B1 tackle the confusion over possible sale of Knight-Ridder. Since he's the boss we will post Burbach out front. You can click on the headline to read Giffels who is a little more interesting--talking about getting a case of notebooks in response to rumors of hard times at the BJ. Here's Mike:

Paper's future unclear, but work goes on

By Mike Burbach, managing editor

The Beacon Journal has been thinner lately. What's going on?

Most newspaper revenue comes from advertising. When the local economy slows down, there's less advertising. Less advertising means a smaller paper. That's been the case this year in Akron.

Q: Is the Beacon Journal going to be thinner permanently?

A: No. But our business is changing, and we have to adapt. The paper will change in the months to come to emphasize the news, information and advertising that have the most value to our customers. We know that we can't be everything to everybody.

Q: Is the Beacon Journal up for sale?

A: Yes, indirectly. The Beacon Journal is owned by Knight Ridder, which is a publicly traded company.

Earlier this fall, Knight Ridder's largest shareholder, an investment company based in Naples, Fla., demanded that Knight Ridder put itself up for sale. The company has done that and is considering bids.

What's going to happen to Knight Ridder?

A: We don't know. Another media company might buy it. Some other kind of company might buy it. It might ``go private,'' meaning an investor or group of investors buys all the stock and takes the company off publicly traded exchanges. Knight Ridder might remain independent, and continue to operate. Or there could be some other result.

Q: What does this mean to the Beacon Journal?

A: Long term, we don't know. The Beacon could remain part of Knight Ridder or a company that buys Knight Ridder. The paper could be bought by one company and sold to another, or it could be bought by an individual or group of individuals.

Short term, it means more pressure to deliver the financial results that are expected of us. And that means we must keep tight control of expenses AND pursue new business and revenue.

Neither Knight Ridder nor the Beacon Journal is losing money. Both are profitable.

The big investors who own Knight Ridder say the company should be more profitable, as some other newspaper companies are.

Q: So, you're in limbo right now?

A: Yes and no. Yes, in that we don't know what will happen with Knight Ridder. No, in that every day we aim to deliver news and advertising to you to the best of our ability.

Our commitment to greater Akron and to the principles of good journalism and good business is not in limbo. It remains.

We're determined to do the best we can with the resources we have. We're determined to do everything we can to manage through this transition -- whatever it turns out to be -- constructively.

It's a difficult time in the newspaper business. We're straddling media -- print and the Internet, particularly -- and generations. Older people grew up getting much of their news from newspapers, and younger people have grown up getting much of their information on the Internet.

One of our challenges is to make sure our business is strong so we can continue to serve the community with compelling journalism. We intend to do so.

Reach Mike Burbach at 330-996-3507 or mburbach@thebeaconjournal.com.

Sorry about the broken link

A few who tried to click on the headline to read Murrary Powers Memories of 1982 have reported difficulty. The problem was with my Internet provider who had some difficulties this week. Hopefully, you can get there now.

~~The Blog Guy

Letter from Tony and Mary Jean

[Blog Guy’s Note: The letter sent to me and reprinted here did not include a signature. I hope that is not ominous. A previous post has a link to a 10-page analysis in PDF format by Morgan Stanley ] .


KNIGHT BIDDER
BENEFITS RESOURCE CENTER

Dear Knight Ridder Retiree:
The recent news that our Board of Directors has chosen to explore strategic alternatives including a possible sale of the company has - understandably - raised questions for many of you. In an effort to respond, we have anticipated some of those questions and provided answers to them right here. If you feel you need further clarification on these, or on something else entirely, please contact the Knight Ridder Benefits Resource -Center (KR>BRC) at (800-232-7272 .

General

Q: What does it mean that the Knight Ridder Board of Directors is "exploring strategic alternatives"? Does this mean the company is being sold?

A: No, that is not the only possible outcome. There is a wide range of possible outcomes, which include the sale of Knight Ridder, restructuring the company or engaging in some other form of transaction or maintaining the company in its current form.

Q: How long will this process take?

A: We can't predict an exact timetable. It depends on what decisions are made.

Q: What is the process Knight Ridder's Board of Directors will follow?

A: The company is working with Goldman Sachs, its longtime investment banker, and with Morgan Stanley, to advise it. When the Board makes a decision on a specific transaction, there will be a public announcement.

Benefits

Pension Plan Benefits under the Knight Ridder qualified plan and non-qualified plan

Q: Will I lose my qualified pension benefit and/or non-qualified pension benefit as a result of a change of control in the future?

A: No. The obligation to pay pension benefits is not affected by a change in control. That obligation will continue, whether the pension plan continues to be sponsored by Knight Ridder or will become sponsored by a new organization. The plan cannot be amended to reduce a benefit to which you are already entitled.

401k Plan Benefits

Q: Will my 401(k) Plan benefit be affected?

A: No, the money ih your 401k account remains fully funded and under your control. Please visit www.krem.com and follow the retirement links for more information on the Plan.

Q: What should I do with the Knight Ridder stock in my 401k account?

A: Knight Ridder may not provide investment advice. You should seek advice from a financial counselor if you are concerned about your Knight Ridder investment. In 2003 the Plan was amended to allow you to decrease or increase your investment in the Knight Ridder common stock fund at any time.

Q: May I transfer my 401k balance to an IRA?

A: Yes. You will need to contact Vanguard directly to start this process. (800) 523-1188.

Health Benefits

Q: Will my Knight Ridder Retiree Medical plan change?

A: No changes are planned for the 2006 plan year. However, it is important to remember that we have made changes to the Plan in the past and Knight Ridder always reserves the right (and any potential acquirer will have the right) to amend or cancel the Plan.

Note: The questions and answers above are not meant to suggest that Knight Ridder's plans will remain static in the future, any more than they have in the past. Knight Ridder always reserves the right to make changes in its plans. In the event of a discrepancy between this Q&A and the terms of an applicable plan, the terms of the applicable plan will govern. No planned design changes are currently contemplated.

Please know that we greatly regret the concerns that this news has caused. We hope that the answers given here will offer some reassurance. Many of you have written us notes and e-mails offering empathy and support in recent weeks; we appreciate them greatly, and, in return, we thank you for the many contributions each of you made to Knight Ridder during your years of active service. Clearly, one of the many things that make this company special is the loyalty it engenders among those who have spent large parts, or all, of their careers with Knight Ridder. Your communications now are testament to that bond.

Looking ahead, it is not possible to speculate on how this process of exploring strategic options will unfold. What is possible is tdo assure you that as we go forward, the values that always have defined Knight Ridder - quality journalism, fairness to our employees, service to our communities and diversity in all that we do - will continue to be uppermost in our minds. As we know they are in yours.

With best wishes for a very happy holiday season,

Tony Ridder Mary Jean Connors

Bud Fisher dies at 83

Former reporter, sports publicist `Bud' Fisher dies
Hall of Famer credited with idea for the annual Acme-Zip football game

By E.A. ``Bud'' Fisher

INDIANAPOLIS - Editor's note: Elder Ayres ``Bud'' Fisher, a former Beacon Journal reporter who served as a publicist for the Professional Bowlers Association for 30 years, died Friday in Indianapolis at age 83.

Mary Fisher, his wife of 29 years, sent the Beacon Journal an obituary that Fisher himself first wrote in 2000. Fisher had given an earlier version to the Beacon Journal that was placed in the newspaper's library.

Explaining his reasons for writing his own death notice, Fisher said: ``Hello, Guys. I was bored, so I decided to write my own obit. When you receive it from my wife, you can be sure I'm dead. You can chop it up any way you want, but I thought I would have some fun doing it. It's been a great life!

``Have a good one

``Fisher''

The following is the updated version of Fisher's obituary:

Former Beacon Journal sports and police reporter turned sports publicist and sponsor, E.A. ``Bud'' Fisher, died Friday at the age of 83 after a lengthy illness. Fisher retired in 1990 after serving as the Akron-based Professional Bowlers Association public relations director, winding up 30 years on the job.

Fisher went to work for the Beacon Journal when he was a high school senior at North in 1940. After service in World War II, he returned to Akron, where he rejoined the Beacon Journal sports department while attending Kent State University. In the next two decades, he worked on auto racing at the Rubber Bowl, horse racing at Ascot Park, Thistledown, Randall and Cranwood, hockey in Akron, publicity for the National Industrial Basketball League, hydroplane racing, and as publicist and sponsor for the Cleveland Browns' annual preseason game at the Rubber Bowl from 1946 to 1960.

He then joined the fledgling PBA being organized by the late Akron businessman Eddie Elias.

Fisher was ring announcer for Akron Boxing, for the Gold Gloves and professional boxing and wrestling, and once manned the public address system for the Akron and International Soap Box Derby events, and was wrestling commissioner.

One of Fisher's contributions was coming up with the idea for the Acme-Zip football game. He passed the idea along to the late Red Cochrane, who turned the game into an annual spectacle.

Fisher had a colorful career as a Beacon Journal police reporter. In 1951, he walked in on a holdup at the notorious Duffy's gambling club in the Portage Lakes area. Cleveland hoodlums made off with thousands of dollars but the sheriff's office never charged anyone. Fisher also engaged in a futile struggle to prevent a man from jumping off the old high-level bridge between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. He also was shot at on East Market Street.

He was a member of the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame, the Akron Radio Hall of Fame and the PBA Hall of Fame, and received the Bowling Writers Association of America Mort Luby Lifetime Service Award. He was one of three Americans to win the World Bowling Writers' Golden Quill Award.

He is survived by wife, Mary Fisher; daughters Lise Russell of Kent and Laura Marco of Mogadore; and grandchildren, Bill Russell and Dan Russell. Also surviving is sister Betty Pivar of Akron.

Mary Fisher said Monday that her husband was cremated and interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorials can be made to the Bowling Writers Association of America Scholarship Fund, c/o Steve James, 8501 N. Manor Lane, Fox Point, WI 53217, or St. Vincent Hospice, 8450 Payne Road, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46268.
[Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Wednesday, December 14, 2005, page B5, col.. 3]

Our gift of Ten Wishes

MERRY CHRISTMAS


Harry and Helen Liggett
in Akron, OH





Our Christmas gift to you, from an unknown author, are these
Ten Wishes for you for the New Year:

1. Enough happiness to keep you happy.
2. Enough trials to keep you strong.
3. Enough sorrow to keep you human.
4. Enough hope to keep you thoughtful.
5. Enough failure to keep you humble.
6. Enough success to keep you eager.
7. Enough friends to give you comfort.
8. Enough faith and courage in yourself to banish depression.
9. Enough wealth to meet your daily needs.
10. Enough determination to make each day a better day than yesterday.

Murray Powers recalls Old Timers

Some retirees who read this blog consider themselves real old-timers. Below , however, is a list of real old timers. They were key personalities at the Beacon Journal before 1982. If you would like to know more about any of them them, click on the headline above and read Memories written in 1982 by the late Murray Powers who was probably the greatest manager editor who ever served the Beacon Journal.

Do you know any of these personalities who were remembered by Powers?:

Mynne Andrews , Joe Aylward Sr., the younger Joe Aylward , Ford Barker, Marie Beatty, Joe Costello, Jim Curry, Tom Haney, Russ Harris, Jack Harris , Lynne Holcomb, Betty Jaycox , Jack Knight, Ruth McKenney, Maurice McMeen , Kenneth Milburn, Bill Murty , Frankie Pullo, Jim Rosemond , Jim Schlemmer, Oscar Smith, Bob Stopher ,Tony Weitzel, Earl Wilson and Earl Woodard,

Click on the headline to read Powers Memories

Former Knight Ridder Exec Isn't Selling

This letter was written to Editor and Publisher by a former Knight Ridder executive:

I sincerely hope that the recent pressure on Knight Ridder to sell itself, restructure, or whatever it is that critics want, accomplishes nothing. Knight Ridder has a positive, if not spectacular, record as an investment, and in the current atmosphere of corporate misconduct and mistrust, it is a company with a long, proud record of integrity.

While I understand the need for profit growth, I also know that there is more to business, especially the newspaper business, than simple dollars and cents.

Those who follow the newspaper industry, and every journalist, know that in this business, there is a dual responsibility. We need to make profits which reward our shareholders, but we also have a powerful obligation to inform our readers, to be a strong influence for good in our communities, and to be the kind of watchdog for the public interest that only a good newspaper can be.

It's difficult to balance the two responsibilities. Nobody is perfect; everyone would like high profit margins and Pulitzer prizes at the same time. Despite the obstacles, I think Tony Ridder has done a first rate job of steering the company to the kind of balance that's required.

For shareholders who cannot tolerate the vagaries of the newspaper business and have maximum profit as their only goal, I say, "Sell, if you must, and invest in some cash register company without a soul."

I retired in 1995 as senior vice president, operations, Knight Ridder, so I am biased. But from experience I know what kind of company it is. Under current circumstances, I'm not interested in selling my stock.

Gus Harwell
Port Orange, Fla.

Congratulations for service

Akron Beacon Journal staff members were congratulated in the Dec 9 issue of HotType for service anniversaries.

Among those celebrating 35 years were Charles Montague and Ted Schneider, newsroom, and Chester Knight, production..

Celebrating 30 years were Doug Oplinger, newsroom, and Phillip White, advertising

Marking 25 years were Karen Lefton, human resources; Mike Bookwalter, Leroy Dilbeck, Anthony DiMauro, and Hershel Haines, production; and Dawn Bonfiglio, John Vicars and Terrance Yancer, information technology

Marking 20 years were Dennis Balogh, Gloria Irwin, Diane Leeders, Terry Pluto and Olga Reswow, newsroom

Marking 15 years were Elaine Guregian, Carol Biliczky Levandoski, and Robin Sallie, newsroom

Knight Ridder draws suitors

The world will get a glimpse of how desirable, or not, newspapers are, as preliminary bidding begins for Knight Ridder.

The Beacon Journal in a report by KRI reporters Chris O’Brien and Pete Carey on the business front on Saturday said two major newspaper companies–Gannett and McClatchy–and a handful of private equity firms have expressed interest in buying Knight Ridder “raising the chances that the Akron Beacon Journal’s corporate parent could be sold sometime next year.”

A source familiar with the bidding process for the nation's second-largest newspaper group also confirmed that MediaNews, a Denver newspaper company, was said to be interested in joining a bidding coalition, but had not yet submitted its own bid.

On the private equity side, as expected, Knight Ridder received a joint bid from a trio of prominent firms -- Blackstone, Providence Equity and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Also expected to submit preliminary bids were Texas Pacific Group, Thomas H. Lee Partners, Madison Dearborn Partners and Spectrum Equity Partners. It was unclear Friday whether each of these firms was bidding separately or as part of some coalition.

Knight Ridder is now expected to move to a second round by inviting some or all of the bidders to examine its internal finances and visit with management and its newspapers.

If the next round doesn't produce bids well above the current stock price, it could open the door for Knight Ridder Chief Executive Tony Ridder to present an alternative plan to shareholders that keeps the company intact and ends pressure for a sale.

``I think you could argue that if there is a way to keep most of the properties together under the Knight Ridder banner, that would be his preference,'' said Barry Lucas, an analyst at Gabelli & Co., whose affiliate, GAMCO, owns about 1 percent of Knight Ridder's stock. ``And if there's a lack of vigorous interest, it could play into that scenario.''

Wall Street remained skeptical that a sale would occur. Knight Ridder's stock fell 23 cents to $61.25 on Friday as only about half the number of shares that typically sell changed hands. Analysts said a company's stock usually gets a substantial boost if it's for sale. While Knight Ridder's stock rose early last month, it has hovered around $60 since.

The current bidding process was triggered Nov. 1 when Knight Ridder's largest shareholder, Private Capital Management, demanded the company put itself up for sale, citing a lagging stock price. Within a week, the second- and third-largest shareholders had made similar demands, leaving Knight Ridder facing a shareholder revolt by firms that control 37 percent of its stock.

Click on the headline to read the full story in the BJ

As investment bankers review initial expressions of interest from possible buyers, community leaders where Knight Ridder publishes are weighing what a sale could mean to their region. The Philadelphia Inquirer discusses the subject in a story you can find at:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/13364151.htm

The newspaper industry is on the defensive, with circulation stagnant, advertising dollars migrating to the Internet and newsrooms reducing their work forces to save costs.

Given all that, it may be hard to believe that newspapers are actually profitable, but they are. And Knight Ridder is among the most profitable.

You can find a 10-page analysis report in an Adobe Acrobat (pdf) file at the site of Morgan Stanley. The url is:

http://www.poynterextra.org/KR/Research.pdf

No laughing matter

It's probably a mistake, but below is a Pearl Harbor Day diatribe by Cleveland Scene. You might want to let them know that is it not a laughing matter for BJ retirees who worry not only about pensions and health benefits, but also about JSK turning over in his grave, the future look of all communications in a society that gets news by sound bites--and yes--even about the Cleveland Scene.

Save the pencils!
The Akron Beacon Journal, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning paper now operating as a 'zine for the geriatric set, is getting squeezed to comedic proportions by San Jose's Knight Ridder, its parent company.

Knight Ridder is under a dual assault by investors, who are demanding 30 percent profit margins, and the company's own leadership, namely CEO Tony Ridder, the heir-in-charge who's proved strikingly adept at running Knight Ridder into the ground.

Executives recently asked employees to share pens and notepads with other departments, since no more office supplies will be purchased this year. The problem is that some departments have already run dry, including the photo department, which ran out of batteries and paper. "They did make an exception and ordered the photographers new batteries," says reporter Paula Schleis.

"It's been a tough year," concedes managing editor Mike Burbach. "The budget has been very tight and we're saving where we can, but I don't think it's gotten to the point where reporters are without pens and notepads. At least I certainly hope not."

Plain Dealer reporters were prepared to launch an emergency relief effort by shipping office supplies to Akron, but they were told not to bother. "Frankly, with all this talk about the Knight Ridder sale, we don't want them wasting their goodwill on notebooks," Schleis says. "We'd rather they wait and use it to help the people who are going to lose their jobs."

In the meantime, if the Beacon is soon printed on piles of stolen bar napkins, you'll know why.

Wheelers thankful for fourth family member

This item and photo on Beacon Journal reporter Tracy Wheeler and his family is from the November 21 issue of HotType. It is a little late because of an e-mail glitch.

On Saturday, Oct. 29, Tracy Wheeler and his wife, Kim, came home from their second trip to Thailand with their second son, 14-month-old Max. Big brother Terry Pitak, 6, went along, too. His parents made the same trip to adopt him in February 2000, working through Holt International Children’s Services, the Oregon-based nonprofit agency that helped them find Max. The journey home with Max, who was fairly quiet on the 27-hour trip, was easier than the journey home with Terry Pitak, said Tracy Wheeler. Terry cried for two days straight in Thailand, then worried his new parents to distraction by spiking a 104-degree fever on the flight home.

Former Times Press editor, poet dies

By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer

Akron-area poet and author Miriam Wise Andrews grew up with an interest in literature.

She was a former editor at an Akron newspaper and a national magazine.

``She always had a book in her hand growing up. I remember her teaching me about poetry and literature when she was only 11,'' said sister Esther Wise Crooks of Mogadore.

``She always made it so interesting,'' said sister Ardath Wise of Mogadore. ``I think she did a lot to cause us to enjoy poetry to this day.''

Mrs. Andrews, author of two books, died Wednesday at Altercare of Hartville. She was 96.

Mrs. Andrews was born in Bath, but grew up in Mogadore. She was the oldest of eight children (five girls and three boys). She graduated from Mogadore High School and attended Oberlin College and the University of Akron.

Mrs. Andrews was the editor of a reader participation poetry column called the Silver Braid at the Akron Times Press, which was a predecessor of the Akron Beacon Journal.

During the 1970s, she was executive editor of Poet Lore, a national poetry quarterly. She also wrote her own poetry, which mostly appeared in magazines such as the Saturday Review.

She left the area in the 1940s. She first moved to New York City and, as she wrote, she also managed an Akron singer. She moved to Washington, D.C., and wrote to promote the Children's Federation. It was there that she met her husband, John Andrews, an attorney who was also a writer. The couple moved to Vermont, where they both wrote and conducted poetry seminars.

She published two books with her poetry collections: Fifty Poems and Mary Shiminski I Love You.

Her first book was dedicated to her mother; the last, to her husband. They were married 25 years. They had no children.

After his death, she moved back to the Akron area in 2000. She built a home on the family property in Mogadore, not far from the home she grew up in.

Ardath Wise said her sister was inspired to write her second book by a young man who wrote ``Mary Shiminski I Love You'' on a bridge on the highway. ``She stopped to talk to the young man as he was writing it, then wrote a poem of the man's undying love for the woman.'' The book bears the picture of the graffiti on its cover.

On the back of the book, critics termed her poetry as ``A festival of life. It is an art form that celebrates all experiences -- even the most tragic, meaningful and hopeful. It takes us into the magical.''

Crooks said her sister was multitalented. ```She was very good at playing the violin and playing chess, but people were her hobby. She was a wonderful conversationalist, and really good with people.''

[Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH,Saturday, December 3, 2005, pag B6, col. 1]

Congratulations to the Zips

Congratulations to the University of Akron Zips who won the Mid-American Conference championship Thursday night at Ford Field in Detroit.

Junior quarterback Luke "Cool Hand" Getsky hit senior receiver Domenik Hixon on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to play. Senior place-kicker Jason Swiger then made the extra point to give the Zips a 31-30 win over Northern Illinois.

Fear the Roo.

Latest talk on KRI sale

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that three private equity firms are considering purchasing Knight Ridder. The Blackstone Group, Providence Equity Partners, and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts have banded together in a possible bid for the newspaper company.

The potential deal, if it pans out at all, is still in the early stages; the trio might balk at the price tag -- Knight Ridder's market capitalization is $4 billion. However, the paper reported that some financial buyers say that Knight Ridder could be attractive under new management. Other private equity firms are sniffing around as well. The first rounds of bids are due Dec. 9, according to the Journal.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley analyst Douglas Arthur issued a report on Tuesday that considered the implications of a possible sale of the company. Morgan Stanley, which was hired by Knight Ridder as a second advisor to Goldman Sachs, examines several different scenarios that involve potential buyers.

Or, the sale of Knight Ridder could fall through based on some of these premises:

* Knight Ridder's board rejects Private Capital Management's "aggressive approach," forcing PCM to dump its 19% of the company's shares.

* The industry slump continues and investors lose confidence.

* A potential buyer could run into regulatory issues.

* There are a limited number of interested parties to place bids.

* Knight Ridder could buy PCM's shares.

* Knight Ridder unions could fight any attempt to merge it with another company.

Click on the headline for a report in Editor & Publisher.

Date changed for Guild holiday party

Note from Paula Schleis:
Due to a date conflict at the Printer's Club, the Guild Holiday Party has been moved to Wednesday, Dec. 21. Same great food and entertainment, though, so we hope retirees will come out and join us!

Interesting

According to the story in today's Beacon Journal by Knight-Ridder Newspapers reporters Chris O'Brien and Pete Carey, the chain's worst-performing newspapers are the two Philadelphia papers, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and -- the interesting part -- the San Jose Mercury News. Maybe San Jose, KR's flagship paper after John Knight's Miami Herald was pushed aside, can't afford to absorb any more Tony Ridder yachts?

Typically, business analysts figure the way to more profits is to lay off enough people to hit the dollar increase you want. Which makes today's newspapers, unfortunately, no different than a widget-making company.

Sad. And scary. The media as another widget hardly does much to create an informed citizenry.