John Olesky, Pete Geiger, Sandy Geiger, Bill Geiger, Paula Stone Tucker

Another reunion with Geigers

Pete and Sandy Geiger and son Bill Geiger of Detroit met John Olesky and Paula Tucker for a BJ reunion Monday in Leesburg, Florida.

Pete, who retired from the BJ before spending 13 years (1994-2007) in Mongolia with Sandy, was a reporter and religion columnist at Ol’ Blue. Both taught college English as a foreign language in Zuunmod, Mongolia, a provincial capital city of 20,000.

Their son, Bill, is with 911, directing emergency calls to the correct jurisdictions in metropolitan Detroit.

John was State Desk assistant editor when Paula was one of its reporters, and later newsroom electronics coordinator who trained the first person on the first computer in the newsroom, and still later the television editor (1969-1996 BJ career).

Pete, Sandy, Paula and John had an Orlando reunion three years ago during another Florida trip by Paula and John.

Pete still is a reporter, for Clay Today, a weekly in the Penney Farms, Florida area where they live. That’s 38 miles west of St. Augustine.

Sandy keeps busy volunteering, for a different cause each weekday.

Their email address is psgeiger@bellsouth.net
Their phone number is (904) 284-2220.

Paula and John are renting in The Villages, Florida, 14 miles from Leesburg, through March.

One or the other or both play golf, practice with the New Horizons Band, take colored pencils art lessons, attend free outdoor concerts on town squares and goes to car shows and indoor concerts.

BJ still is all Business

This is a response to an inquiring mind who noticed that no Business Desk editor is listed on the BJ newsroom directory.

There is a business department with a handful of reporters. Rich Desrosiers is both Metro editor and business editor.

Larry Pantages, who has been BJ business editor and sports editor during his time at Ol’ Blue, is the national editor. Joe Thomas is deputy metro editor. 

Larry wrote the 50-year anniversary Cleveland Browns story because he was around in those days. He did the same thing when the 2011 Cleveland Cavaliers were closing in on the all-time Cavs losing streak, set by a team he covered. 

Same situation in 2007, when he was business editor but wrote a retrospective on Ted 

Stepien, the idiot owner who had a player drop a softball off Cleveland's Terminal Tower as a publicity stunt. 

Fortunately, no one was injured when the speeding object reached the pavement because it made a 99 mph fastball look like a slow pitch.

Carney knee-deep in feeling better

Former BJ reporter and sometimes Akron talk-show host Jim Carney is a happier man today. 

Not knee-slapping happy, but pretty close.

Jim had knee replacement surgery nine weeks ago.

Jim Carney

Let Jim explain:

“Turned a corner at 6.5 weeks when nothing hurt or ached. Couldn’t be happier.”

Jim had his left knee replaced with the man-made version in the Crystal Clinic area of St. Thomas in Akron.

He is married to Katie Byard, still a BJ reporter.

Although the first knee arthroplasty wasn’t performed till 1968, there are 719,000 knee replacements in America every year.

I had mine done a half-dozen years ago. 

For the first two weeks at Edwin Shaw rehab (before they closed that building down), they had me on happy pills & drips so I don’t remember much.

But I’ll never forget the next two weeks – the pain. After all, they cut into your knee bones to insert the scientific stuff.

Then I spent 2 months in therapy at Akron General’s Sports & Fitness Center in Tallmadge, which has a fantastic staff.

If therapist Laura, who later moved to the Carolinas to do the same work, told me I could do a specific exercise machine 20 or 30 times, depending on how it felt, I always did 30. It worked like a charm.

No more pain. Before the surgery, my knee hurt as if someone was taking a chainsaw to it.

It’s tricky getting in and out of cars and into those cramped concert and theater seats and it gets stiff if you don’t flex it every 10 or 15 minutes, but it sure beats the pain of the human knee gone wrong.

It only gets better from here, Jim, as long as you maintain it through exercise.

When Paula and I are not traveling, I go to the Falls Natatorium 3 days a week, and end my hour with a 1-mile walk at a speed of 14 minutes or so.

 When Paula and I are traveling, we’ll walk 1 to 3 miles a day (it helps Paula’s back and lowers my blood pressure and keeps my knee in shape).

Oh, the humanity! J

Stuart Warner

Former BJ columnist Stuart Warner, who hangs out in Arizona with wife Debbie Van Tassel these days, provides an image I can’t get out of my mind, no matter how hard I try.

Let Stuart tell it, since he’s an acclaimed wordsmith:

“Congrats to former Kent Stater Michael Keaton on his Oscar nomination for “Birdman.”

“Almost every man has had the dream of his most famous scene from the movie, caught out in public in only your tighty whities.

“But I lived it once, in 1995. Was staying in the Quaker Hilton Hotel in Akron, which has round rooms because it was built from oats silos.

“I woke up at three in the morning and headed for the bathroom. Except I opened the door to the hallway instead. I woke up real quickly, when I heard the door slam behind me and there I stood in the hallway in my Fruit of the Looms. 

"There was nothing else to do but march through the lobby and ask for a key. You just hold your head high and act like this happens all the time.”

The Quaker help figured it was just another guy sowing his oats in the oat silo.

Picture-perfect situation

Ron Kuner

Sint Marteen has some of the best picture-takers in the world enjoying its Caribbean sunshine today – retired BJ photographers Don Roese, Tom Marvin and Ron Kuner and their wives.

The better halves are Mary Ann Roese, Kay Marvin and Rose Kuner.

Tom Marvin

Don gets around a lot. He visited 1970s State Desk reporter Cathy Strong in New Zealand where he crossed paths with former BJ State Desk editor John Olesky and reporter Paula Tucker. He’s been to Alaska almost as often as the Intuits.

Don Roese

Saint Martin is an island in the Caribbean about 180 miles east of Puerto Rico. France owns the northern part, Saint Martin, and the Netherlands owns the southern part, Sint Marteen. It is the smallest sea island divided between two nations with inhabitants. The division began in 1648.

There should be some photo album coming out of this trip with all those experts cavorting in the sand, sea and sun.

Hugh & Sharon Downing; John Olesky & Paula Stone Tucker

A place that’s too good to be true . . . but is!

Living in The Villages, Florida is like Disneyland for senior citizens. Something to do morning, afternoon and evening. You have to limit yourself to three fun things a day.

Hugh with Buckeye fans from Lancaster

Maybe that’s why, even though Paula and I have been here two weeks, we haven’t run into one grouchy person yet. They’re too busy enjoying life for that.

Retired BJ printer Hugh Downing and wife Sharon have been home owners there since 2001, when Hugh retired from Ol’ Blue.

Tuesday night, for example, there was dinner in a Mexican restaurant and then a night of dancing and free music on Spanish Springs Square, one of three town squares in a village of 100,000 residents. That goes on every night of the year at all three village town squares.

Hugh and John took a stroll around the perimeter of the gazebo and dancing patio (you could still hear the music) to check out the renovation of a new theater for stage productions and concerts. 

They ran into a pair of happy Ohio State fans (ALL Buckeye fans are happy about winning the national championship in a rout with a third-string quarterback) from Lancaster, Ohio. And chatted.

That’s what people do in The Villages. They wave at everyone passing by when they drive one of the 50,000 golf carts along the street. They talk to strangers in the town squares as if they are old friends.

And they have found a place to enjoy whatever is left of their life span. A lot.

I’ve never seen a place like The Villages in my life, and I’ve been to 52 countries and 43 states. My only regret is that it took me 82 years to find it.

Hugh Downing, John Olesky golfing in The Villages, Florida

Hugh enjoying life in The Villages, Florida

Retired BJ printer Hugh Downing and wife Sharon have been living in The Villages, Florida, the world’s most unique retirement community that has ballooned to 100,000 people, since Hugh retired in 2001.

Sharon’s parents live in Bradenton, Florida so they got several looks at The Villages lifestyle before they built a home there.

Their four sons live in Hudson, Toledo, Buffalo and Virginia.

Hugh and John Olesky played on the De La Vista golf course in The Villages on Monday. 

Previously, they played a round together in December 2014 when Paula and John spent two weeks in The Villages. This time they're renting for three months, through March. The weather was in the 70s, of course.

Other than a visit from retired BJ printer Carl Nelson, who has relatives living in The Villages, Hugh hasn’t seen any other of his former co-workers.

Hugh and Sharon had a BJ reunion more than a decade ago with John and his late wife, Monnie, on Siesta Key, adjacent to Sarasota, Florida. Both were staying near where former BJ printer Bill Gorrell had his Poor Bill's rental complex.

If you want to re-connect with Hugh, his phone numbers are (352) 446-1378 and (352) 359-7556.

Even Florida sometimes requires sweaters

Bob Springer, wife Barbara enjoying Florida vacation

Kent State and BJ days behind Bob and wife, life's more fun and less work.

60 years ago Monday, Serling’s writing career took off

Monday marks the 60th anniversary of "Patterns," the live TV drama that put Rod Serling on the map as a writer.

Rod Serling Books is timing the reprinting of Rod's first book, "Patterns," with this anniversary.

PD and former BJ television critic Mark Dawidziak wrote the foreword to the reprinted book, as reported previously in July on the BJ Alums blog.

Serling, born into a Jewish family in Syracuse,  went from World War II action and injuries in the Pacific to Antioch College to radio jobs in New York and Ohio to WKRC-TV in Cincinnati.

“Patterns” was the 72^nd script he submitted to various radio and TV venues. That skyrocketed him into a genius writer of “The Twilight Zone.

He sold the other scripts, Mark pointed out. But "Patterns" was his rocket to fame.

Serling wrote for radio and then TV, first in Cincinnati, then on the national level. But "Patterns" broke him through as a celebrity.

A perfect example of never giving up.

Sandy is a great-grandma!

Great-granddaughter for Sandy Bee Lynn, retired BJ Reference Librarian, and husband Glenn Lynn.

The kid is Maxine Belle and her parents are Jennifer and Jason.

Coos Sandy:

“Baby girl - 9 lbs - beautiful. Pictures soon!!”

After the BJ, Sandy put in about 15 years at the Orrville and Wadsworth public libraries and lives in Doylestown.

Tallmadge fire kills 15 horses

Fire destroyed a World War II vintage barn and killed 15 horses on Thursday.

Mindale Farm is owned by attorney Trina Carter, a former Tallmadge school board member. She grew up on the land with her grandparents. The farm was named for Van Dale Carter and his wife, Minnie.

In 1999 she bought the farm from her family’s company, Carter-Jones Lumber Co., to spare it from developers. Her grandfather, Van Dale Carter, started both the farm and the company.

The 750-acre property is in east Tallmadge.

To read Phil Trexler’s story in the BJ, go to  http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/barn-fire-in-tallmadge-kills-15-horses-1.556477?cache=18961415304345%2Fnews%2Fohio%2Fcss%2Fresults.css%2FRK%3D0#.VK85DSmdL5o.facebook

L-R: Tom Feran, Rich Heldenfels, Mark Dawidziak, Dave Glasier

Later, BJ to PD ‘trade’ for Rich from Schenectady

Current PD and former BJ television critic Mark Dawidziak came up with this photo from the past.

Mark explains:

"Four kids on the corner trying to bring you up . . . " A Throwback Thursday shot of four TV critics at press tour (I think 1990) when NBC turned the top of a Century City parking garage into a drive-in: Tom Feran, Rich Heldenfels, yours truly and David Glasier. Tom, Dave and I were representing Northeast Ohio newspapers. Rich soon would be.

“It was the NBC press tour party. Brandon Tartikoff (one of his last tours for NBC, he left in 1991) showed up in a specially designed varsity jacket.”

Rich, who once used R.D. Heldenfels as his byline, came from Schenectady the BJ to succeed Mark, who followed David Bianculli, who came from Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1980 to be Channels' first TV critic wth me as the Channels midwife along with Jim Nolan (in Nolanese, that would be Jm Nln because his memos eschewed vowels).

At my request, Mark expanded on the details:

“John,

“Glad you're away from Ohio January and near a Florida golf course.

“Rich was the TV critic at the Schenectady paper when this picture was taken. I think he got to the Beacon in '93 or '94. We overlapped at the Beacon for a few years before I left for the PD in '99.

“I got to the Beacon in October 1983, when Bianculli left for the Philadelphia Inquirer, then the New York Post, then the New York Daily News, then Rowan University. 

"In a few months, I'll have been at the Plain Dealer the same number of years as I was at the Beacon: 16.

“All best,

“Mark”  

Rich clarified it even better: 

"I joined the Beacon Journal in 1994 as TV critic; Mark then became the critic at large."

Fracking and earthquakes connection

Fracking causes hundreds of mini-earthquakes in Ohio.

To read Bob Downing's story in the BJ, go to http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/Study-Fracking-Triggered-77-Earthquakes-Ohio.html

Newspaper reacts to Paris killings

=========================================================

Cathy Robinson Strong, Ms. Inside-Outside in Kiwi Kountry

Up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Cathy!

Cathy Robinson Strong, 1970s State Desk reporter living in New Zealand, gets high on painting.

Cathy lives on the beach when she isn’t teaching mass communications at Massey University in Wellington.

Cathy writes:

“Finally getting painting done. Note my inside-out-clothes, so when I go for coffee I can turn them right side out and look decent.”

Another former State Desk reporter, Pam McCarthy, who lives in North Canton after a long career as a Hoover High teacher and is close friends with Cathy, even spending hot tub time with her when they had a reunion in Boston, responded:

“Good grief, woman! That looks terrifying!!

“I painted our whole house (inside) more than 15 years ago, with its 11-foot tall walls, standing on a stepladder to cut in and nearly had a breakdown. At least I could roll most of it with a brush on an extension rod standing safely on the floor. How high up are you???”

Pretty damn high, Pam, I’d say. But, then, Cathy always was high on life, even teaching in Dubai for three years.

Retired BJ photographer Don Roese, who visited Cathy in New Zealand before Paula and I tag-teamed for a Cathy visit, chimed in:

“As I said before, ‘You are a fine-looking woman.’ Now, go out and have some fun.”

Sheryl Harris with very first Ms. Magazine issue

A can’t-Ms. xmas gift!

Former BJ artist John “Derf” Backderf sure knows how to come up with an untoppable Christmas present. He gave his wife, former BJ reporter Sheryl Harris, the first issue of Ms. Magazine!

Wrote Derf:

“She was very excited. Reilly (the family dog), despite being a male, keeps her company as she reads. But then, as Sheryl was so fond of saying back in her table-pounding Feminist days back in college as a Women’s Studies minor: ‘All men are dogs.’ "

Responded Cheryl:

“I'm almost afraid to read it. It came in a little plastic sleeve. It's such a treasure. And such a surprise.”

Want a BJ reunion in Florida?

Paula and I are in Florida through March. We're renting in The Villages, which is Disneyland for senior citizens.

If you're in Orlando or Tampa, you're 40 minutes away. If you want to have a reunion with John Olesky, a BJ retiree in 1996 after 43 years, call (330) 388-4466.

We are located 20 feet from Silver Lake golf course, which I play almost daily.

This is the city of 100,000 with 50,000 golf cars and free music and dancing in several squares every night of the year. It's non-stop party city.

Wave slams Patrick Carney into dislocated shoulder

Black Keys Drummer Patrick Carney, son of BJ Guild retiree Jim Carney, dislocated his  shoulder in a swimming accident.

He was released from the hospital but still has significant pain.

Pat was on the island of Saint-Barthélemy -- better known as Saint Barths -- where a giant wave slammed him into the ocean floor.

Jokes Pat on InstaGram:

"Tune into my new lifetime movie. 'Dislocated shoulder' airing right now."

The Black Keys’ next concert is February 6 at the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute to Bob Dylan; it's unclear whether Carney's injury will prevent the Black Keys from playing.

Ten days later, Carney and singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach will embark on the Black Keys' month-long European tour.