RETIREES' REACTIONS AT THE 2022 BJ NEWSROOM REUNION

 

BJ retirees react to 2022 reunion

 

Ann Sheldon Mezger:

The very talented Andrea Louie made the gorgeous centerpiece for our reunion cake table (there's at least one photo of it on this thread). She then added little branches where tags could be hung and invited folks to "Write a word, leave a message, share a memory of the ABJ".

 

Here's what the tags (some signed, some not, and a couple with signatures I couldn't decipher) said:

 

Great gathering always! – Chuck and Lisa Ayers

 

I got paid to have an opinion.

Thanks for the fond memories. – Carla Davis, copy editor

 

It’s taken 30 years, but I finally recovered from being cussed out by Fran Murphey enroute to “Morning Exchange” in Cleveland. I was her driver and coordinator. – Carla Davis

 

Remember the great relationships and friends made at ABJ. It will carry you through rough times.

One of my favorite places to have worked. Lots of memories! – Pam McCarthy

 

Hello! Let’s rock.

You were my home and my family. Thanks for the love. – Regina Brett

 

That time Thom Fladung did a training and everyone wanted to hire him on the spot. – Mitch McKenney.

 

44 forever. – Larry Pantages

 

What a great place to grow up. . .and never stop.

There are places I remember all my life. Thanks for everything ABJ. -- Thrity Umrigar

 

Andrea, beautiful arrangement. The memories we cherish. The good times we cry about. So privileged to be a part of it. – Jolene Limbacher

 

I met Fran Murphey when I shook her awake in the parking deck. I thought she might be dead. She was P.O.’d. – Kathy Gardner

 

Gathering around the computer screen waiting to hear we won a Pulitzer – again! Such amazing talent and proud to be part of it.

 

BJ. Fun place to “work.” – John Olesky

 

ABJ – where I learned everything I needed to know for all that followed. – Andrea Louie

 

So glad I was there during the Golden Age.

By the grace of God and the 4th estate and Bill Hershey, I got to work at the Beacon – Katie Byard Carney

 

The Beacon Journal. Where great people produced great journalism. – Greg Gardner

 

Great to see the wrinkles and smiles of my ABJ family. – David Hertz

 

So glad I got to be reunited with my Beacon friends. – Elaine Guregian

On the BJ Newsroom Alumni Facebook page Thrity Umrigar posted:

I was so overjoyed at seeing so many beloved faces that I completely forgot to take pictures— but I did want to say this. If I was a multi millionaire I would open a newsroom and hire all of you. But instead of actually producing a daily newspaper we would just get together every day and hang out and eat lots of good food and then go home and come back the next day and do it all over again. I will thank my lucky stars until I die for having worked with such wonderful people.