DECEMBER BJ GATHERING CANCELED. TOO MANY NO-SHOWS MAKE IT A NO-GO!

 

             KIMBERLY BARTH, JOHN OLESKY, DAVE SCOTT AT NOVEMBER BJ GATHERING

No-shows means

No-go in December

For BJ Gatherings

 

The first revival BJ Gathering in September drew Jim Carney and wife Katie Byard, retired reporters; Dave Scott, BJ regional issues reporter and deputy Business Editor before the April 2014 BJ buyouts exodus; Rich Heldenfels, TV critic when John Olesky was TV Editor at the 44 E. Exchange Street site of the BJ; Betty Lin-Fisher, BJ consumer reporter now doing the same job at USA Today while still living in Summit County; and John Olesky and his lady friend Joan Salisbury who moved into his Tallmadge condo from Glen Burnie, Maryland.

A lucky seven showed up.

 

 

At the 2^nd BJ Gathering in October, former columnist/features writer Bill O’Connor and Advertising Department page layouts expert and slave of Johnny Grimm, Mike Williams, showed up along with me, John Olesky.

Three’s Company is a good title for a TV sitcom, but the drift-awaying began.

 

At the 3^rd BJ Gathering Nov. 16 only Kimberly Barth, who with Katie Byard, decided to renew the monthly BJ gatherings that once brought as many as 40 into one room at Papa Joe’s Restaurant in the Merriman Valley; Dave Scott again; and John Olesky again, showed up.

 

So we’re stuck on 3.

 

That won’t cut it. Kim decided to cancel the December 3^rd Thursday of the month BJ Gathering.

 

And maybe find a venue better suited to people who just want to chat with each other.

 

The first 2 BJ Gatherings were held at a table outside the room where the Missing Falls Brewery bar is so we could chat in comfort and hear each other.

 

Someone appropriated that one long table this time, so the 4 of us  -- Kimberly Barth, Dave Scott and John Olesky (John’s lady friend, Joan Salisbury of Maryland and Massachusetts, was there, too) couldn’t hear each other sitting THREE FEET away across the table.

 

As I see it, the solution is to find another venue. Missing Falls Brewery is popular . . . too popular and too loud if senior citizens want to talk to and hear each other.

 

So, from my viewpoint:

 

1. Find a venue like Papa Joe’s where BJ folks can hear each other talk across the table from each other.

2. If at least 8 people don’t say in advance that they WILL positively be there, cancel that month’s BJ Gathering.

 

If you have any suggestions, contact Kimberly Barth or Katie Byard. If you contact me I’ll relay your suggestions to Kimberly and Katie.