Cathy Strong writes about BJ reunion

 By CATHY STRONG
It took 35 years for my mates at the Akron Beacon Journal to visit me in New Zealand, and they all came the same month coincidentally.  Amazing.   Here are photos from my meet up with my former State Desk Editor John Olesky and his partner former ABJ journalist colleague Paula Tucker.  They were so lovely and within minutes we slipped in our original friendship, as if only minutes, instead of 35 years, has passed by.   See the photo of the ABJ Southern Headquarter reunion meeting that we held at the top of the Auckland Sky Towner's revolving restaurant.  After that we took the ferry to historic Devonport and held a post-reunion-meeting social at one of the local street cafes.   We reminisced over old incidents such as  John's copy-editing poems he used to leave on my stories, and lots of names from the past.  It is heartening to hear how so many from that era have continued to be top journalists.   

This came straight on the heels of a visit to Wellington by Don Roese and his wife Maryann, of which you already received photos.  They stayed with me for a week, which was heaven.   I got to catch up on everyone and everything in Ohio life, and introduce them to my life down under.

But wait, there is more.   Olesky and Roese didn't know each other were going to be in New Zealand at the same time, and as it turned out the Roeses were flying out from the Auckland airport about the same John and Paula were flying in.   So in a surprise move, Don and Maryann tracked down John and Paula as they arrived to give them a ABJ welcome to New Zealand.

This was not the first ABJers to visit me.  In the late 1970s the wonderful Fran Murphy came and stayed with me, and developed a taste for smoked eel.     And my closest Ohio friend, ABJer Pam McCarthy flew up to Boston two years ago for a reunion. 

I hope I don't have to wait another 35 years to see my mates from the ABJ.

Cheers    Cathy Strong

Dr. C.R. Strong
Ph: 021 2172112