Memories of Bandy from Charlene Nevada

When word of Don's health was first posted on this site about a month ago, I did send him a note to thank him for teaching me so much. When I broke my leg on the BJ parking deck in 1977, there wasn't much I could do but rewrite since I could not drive.

Those months as the back-up rewrite person were so valuable to me. I got to watch a pro crunch facts and turn them into an easy-to-read news story. He was unflappable and quick as well.

Because of Don, I also got to cover a murder a month before our daughter was born. It was almost lunchtime. The only people left in the office were Don, an intern and me. A call came in that someone had been murdered at a west akron church and the killer might still be in the church.

Well, a good editor does NOT send out his ace rewrite guy on deadline. This was 1978 and I think the cops were so worried I would have the baby in the church parking lot that they just left me alone. I got the name of the victim (the church secretary) and all sorts of stuff -- and Don turned it into a great deadline story.