RIDENOUR, MACKINNON, SCHIELY, SCOT FAGERSTROM TAKE GANNETT BUYOUTS AND ARE LEAVING BJ

 

And the exit dirge goes on

It’s not quite as large a crowd as the 2016 exodus when more than 500 years of experience walked out the BJ door on the same day, but Marla Ridenour, Jim Mackinnon, Karren Schiely and Scot Fagerstrom have accepted the latest Gannett buyout and will be ending their BJ careers.

There will be a Saturday, November 5 gathering (on my 90^th birthday, incidentally) for the quality quartet in the Missing Falls Brewery, 540 S. Main Street, Suite 112 in Akron open to ALL BJ alumni.

Betty Lin-Fisher, who posted the news, will turn any electronic payments (only, no later than Thursday) donations into farewell gift cards for the foursome. Drinks and food will be available for participants to purchase.

Betty added:

If you do PayPal, please choose “friends and family” (not goods and services) so PayPal doesn’t charge us and take some of the money as fees. (Or better yet, choose one of the other options).

Venmo: @Betty-Lin-Fisher

PayPal: blinfish70@gmail.com

Zelle: 330-607-0718

The 2016 exodus was preceded by, in 2001, the departure of ports columnist Tom Melody, chief artist Art Krummel, the copy desk’s Sandy Levenson, columnist Mickey Porter, Features Department editor Joan Rice, superb writer Bill Bierman, Reference Librarian Diane Lynch, copy editor George Davis, editorial board member Tim Hayes, Metro reporters Bill Canterbury, Bob Hoiles and Dennis McEaneney, Mark Braykovich, reporter Barb Mudrak Galloway, columnist Steve Love, Jim Quinn, religion writer Laura Haferd and Terence Oliver.

 

In 2006 24 left with 335 years of service, including Bonnie Bolden, wife of former editor Bruce Winges; clerk Barbara Albrecht, artist Dennis Balogh, reporters Gary Estwick and Mary Ethridge, columnist Diane Papparone Evans, copy editor Tim Good, reporter Andale Gross, copy editor Erin Hill, reporter Gloria Irwin, copy editors Jim Kavanagh, who went to CNN, and Jody Kraner, reporter Delano Massey, copy editor Kim Profant, reporter Tom Reed, photographers Robin Sallie and Lindsay Sample, food writer Jane Snow, reporter Kathy Spitz, reporter; Chiffon Staebler, copy editor  Debbie Stock Kiefer, editorial writer Sarah Vradenburg, reporter Judie Wallace and photographer Jocelyn Williams.

 

Newsroom managers laid off or took voluntary resignations besides Bonnie were Dave Wilson, David Hertz, Susan Kirkman, Michael Needs and Debra Adams Simmons.

 

In 2008 there were 18 departures with 273 years of service, including city hall reporter Carl Chancellor, deputy Metro editor Keith McKnight, Metro editor Ann Sheldon Mezger, columnist David Giffels, cartoonist Chip Bok and classic music critic Elaine Guregian.

 

Since that horrible day in 2001, the BJ has lost more than 2,000 years of newspaper experience, most of it while at 44 E. Exchange Street. About 100 left, not through retirement, as I did in 1996, or getting a job elsewhere.

We are getting nearer and nearer to this notice:

“Will the last person who leaves the BJ please turn off the lights.”

My heart can’t stand much more of this from what once was the shining light of Ohio newspapers. And I sympathize greatly with those still remaining with ever-heavier loads because so many staffers are gone.

 

Virtual clapout for 5 BJ exits

 

BY BETTY LIN-FISHER

Yesterday, the virtual Beacon newsroom kept the clapout tradition alive. We had a virtual clapout for five of our colleagues who took the recent Gannett buyout:

 

Bob Dyer,

, Yuvonne Bruce Webb

, Kim Drezdon, Malcom Abram and Scott Babbo.

 

We will miss all of their expertise and companionship! While we couldn't gather in person, we had a virtual "Clap Out." The picture credit goes to Bob Dyer, who used a setting in the virtual meeting that seats participants in auditorium chairs

 

Good luck to everyone!

 

(There were also probably other ABJ alumni who took the buyout since it was companywide. One I know of is

Steve Berta

, who posted about it on his Facebook page and took the buyout from the Indy Star.)

 

(Picture IDs since I know former journalists will ask - Top from left, Stephanie Warsmith, Mike Shearer, Betty Lin-Fisher, Bob Dyer, (2nd row from top from left): Jim Mackinnon, Cheryl Powell, April Helms, (3rd row from bottom from left): Emily Mills, Joe Thomas, Jennifer Pignolet, Kerry Clawson, (2nd row from the bottom from left) Scott Babbo, Scot Fagerstrom, Darrin Werbeck, (front row from left) Dan Kadar and Doug Livingston). There were more people on the call, but they may not have had their cameras on, so they didn't get put into an auditorium chair.)

 

BY YUVONNE BRUCE-WEBB

 

 

 

BY STEVE BERTA

I cleaned out my desk at an eerily quiet IndyStar office yesterday, completing my last day at the place that defined my career in journalism.

I accepted Gannett's buyout offer, so for now I'm taking it easy and jumping into the kitchen remodeling project we've been putting off.

COVID, and working from home, made my last day surreal. The parking garage was so empty that, when I closed my car door, it sounded like a major explosion echoing across a mountain range.

It was a strange ending, but par for the course in 2020 I guess. There was a great Zoom sendoff last night for those of us who were leaving. I'm grateful for all the kind words.

Now, I guess, it's on to new adventures, starting with that kitchen.

 

After expunging hundreds, BJ seeks one

The Akron Beacon Journal has an opening for a metro reporter.

"We are looking for someone who can tell provocative stories that connect with audiences in print, online and through social media. The successful candidate needs to be creative enough to tell engaging stories using all of the tools available to journalists.

"If you have a passion for journalism and want to work with award-winning professionals, send your resume and story links to:

"Bruce Winges
"Editor and Vice President
"Akron Beacon Journal
"bwinges@thebeaconjournal.com  

"A minimum of 1 to 2 years of experience is required."

The BJ had Jim Carney, Marilyn Geewax, Steve Hoffman, Dick McBane, Dennis McEaneney, Terry Oblander, Rick Reiff, Tom Ryan, Dave Scott, John Dunphy and Brian Usher.

But they were among the hundreds who left when the Internet sucked the financial life out of newspapers all over America.

You can’t lose thousands of years of experience without paying a heavy price.

Last of JSK crew gone?

Editorial page columnist Steve Hoffman left the BJ today, joining former managing editor Doug Oplinger and preceding photographer/line drawer/marathon bicylist Denny Gordon by a week.

Others taking Ol’ Blue Walls’ buyout offers are reporter Marilyn Miller, photographer Michael Chritton and copy editor Susan Gapinski Price, married to editor/nostalgia writer Mark J. Price.

According to my math from the online BJ newsroom list, that will leave 57, from Editor Bruce Winges to the message clerk. There was closer to 250 during my time at the BJ.

I’m wracking my brain trying to think of anyone left who was there when John S. Knight was running the show, after his yearly return from Miami by way of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville the first Saturday in April. Chaffeur Gene Cecchi drove the car to Akron. JSK flew to Louisville and Akron each year.

The best newspaper owner I ever worked for – and there were seven in my 43-year career – passed away June 16, 1981. So there would have to be someone at the BJ in his/her 36^th year at Ol’ Blue Walls to have seen JSK walk into his corner office on 44 E. Exchange Street.

Current Editor Bruce Winges started in 1983, two years after Mr. Knight passed away.

By the way, John Knight and I had something in common: We both were born in West Virginia.

I was born in Monongah, 3 miles from Fairmont and 25 miles from Morgantown. JSK was born October 26, 1894 in Bluefield, on the southern border of my native state. He could see Virginia from his crib.

Doug had been there 45 years, so he shared the same air as JSK. So did I since I arrived in 1969 and retired in 1996, dyslexic numbers if you only count the last two numbers of each year.

Arguably the best columnist in BJ history, Bob Dyer, didn’t leave the Wooster Daily Record to join the Beacon till 1984, after JSK passed on.

Editorial page editor Michael Douglas joined the BJ about a year after Bruce.

Thanks to Advertising Makeup retiree Mike Williams who has the 1982 BJ employee roster:

John Knight was editor emeritus and Elizabeth Sammeth was his secretary. After JSK’s passing, she shared secretarial duties for vice president/editor Paul Poorman with Helen Coy.

I was on the board of the Cuyahoga Falls Amateur Baseball Association for a decade with Helen’s brother, Al Coy.

Jim Gels was vice president/general manager. Maxine Revay was his secretary.

Bill Schlemmer was assistant to the general manager.

In the Art Department were chief artist Bud Morris, Dennis Earlenbaugh, Dennis Haas, Art Krummel and Walt Neal.

In the Photo Department were chief photographer Bill Hunter, Paul Tople, Ott Gangl, Denny Gordon (soon to be the final JSK retiree), Ron Kuner, Marcia Nighswander, Don Roese, Lew Stamp, Bill Wade and Ted Walls.

In the Business News Department were business editor Jim Toms, Bob Henretty and the recently retired managing editor Doug Oplinger.

On the Copy Desk were Larry Froelich, Roger Mezger, Dick McLinden, Carol Camp, Art Cullison, George Davis (who may still be doing part-time stories; I’m not sure), Don Fermoyle, Donn Gaynor, Don Hawk, Tim Hayes, Barb Lumpkins, Mickey Porter and Gene Winski.

In the Sports Department were executive sports editor Stuart Warner, sports editor Tom Melody, Paul Bailey, Jim Derendal, Tim Farkas, Barry Forbis, Kevin Huhn, Ken Krause, Mike Naragon, Bob Nold, Sheldon Ocker, Larry Pantages, Jack Patterson, John Seaburn, Dick Shippy, Dan Thom, Ray Yanucci and Milan Zban.

In the Reference Library were chief librarian Cathy Tierney, assistant librarian Vick Victoria, Francis Crago, Marge Davis, Paul Gna, Diane Lynch, Tanya Parnell and Dick Vidergar.

In the Features Department were assistant managing editor Jim Nolan, Features Editor Ann Mezger, Sandy Levenson, secretary Rosemary Rountree, Beacon Mag editor Bill Bierman, secretary Lillian Petraitis, Action Line chief Craig Wilson, David Bianculli, Connie Bloom, Jewell Cardwell, Bob Downing, Mark Faris, Daphne Ginnings, Betsy Lammerding, Russ Musara, Char Nevada, Bill O’Connor, yours truly John Olesky as the TV Editor, Polly Paffilas, Joan Rice, Don Rosenberg, Ted Schneider, Jane Snow, Bill Snyder and Jabe Tarter.

In the Columbus bureau were chief Mike Cull, Suzanna Gussler and Bill Hershey.

The news editors were Al Fitzpatrick, secretary Janice Reschke, executive editor Dale Allen, secretary Cindy Irby, Dave Boerner, Bill Winter, Bob Jodon, Harry Liggett (founder of the BJ Alums blog) and Tom Moore.

The Editorial writers were Dave Cooper, Ron Clark, cartoonist Chuck Ayers, Helen Carringer, Ken Cole, IQ supreme Hal Fry and Sol Schwartz.

In National News were Colleen Murphy (later Tigelman), Ron Shinn and Debby Stock.

On the Metro Desk were top honchos Tim Smith and Abe Zaidan, Keith McKnight, John Dunphy, Kathy Fraze, Webb Shaw, clerk Sue Reynolds, Don Bandy, Bill Canterbury, Jim Carney, Karen Chuparkoff, Jim Dettling, Leon Dobbs, Pat Engelhart, Marilyn Geewa, Pete Geiger, Dick Henson, Steve Hoffman, Bob Hoiles, Ida James, John Kostrzewa, Chuck Lally, Marilyn Mastroianni, Chuck Montague, Barb Mudrak, Frances Murphey, Dick McBane, Dennis McEaneney, Ken Nichols, Pat Norman, Terry Oblander, Diane Paparone, Bob Paynter, Nancy Peacock, Pete Phipps, Mary Grace Poidomani, Roland Queen, Rick Reiff, Tom Ryan, Dave Scott and Brian Usher.

If my math is right, there were 159 in the newsroom in 1981 (more before I retired in 1996).

I went through the entire list of newsroom and Composing employees. I did not see the name of anyone still at the BJ. If I’m wrong, email me at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com with the name of someone still at the BJ who was there before June 1981.

After reading this article, former BJ columnist Steve Love wrote:

Hey John,

 

Thanks for the Last of JSK Crew list and the 1981 roster. I can't think of other JSK people remaining but did notice a couple of us  who joined the BJ in 1981 left off the roster—Ed Meyer, Browns writer, and myself, then the Metro columnist.

 

I arrived a couple of weeks after Jack Knight's death, coming from another Knight-Ridder newspaper, the Wichita Eagle [there was the afternoon Beacon in those days, too] and having worked for the Miami Herald in the days of JSK winter sojourns to that clime and newsroom.

 

Ed came from Florida, too, where he covered the Tampa Bay Bucs for the Clearwater newspaper.

So much change.

 

Hope you are both well and the same. Some things should not change. 

 

Steve

Mike Williams provided some insight into JSK’s chauffer, Gene Cecchi:

Hi John,

Every once in a while I think of Gene Cecchi, John Knight's long-time chauffeur, but usually at the time can't remember his last name.  So just now I went to Google search to find it.  Only one link on my first screen referred to Gene, an article written by Clark Hoyt in 2002 on Stanford University's JSK scholarship program page.  I thought it was worth sharing for its insights into the JSK legend.

Gene often came downstairs to John Grimm's office to hang out while JSK conducted business on the third floor.  He always had a Racing Form with him, and I suspect one of his undocumented duties was to identify romising horseflesh for his boss. 

 

I don't remember if Gene was a smoker, but John's office, to my dismay, was one of the last holdouts in the building against the No Smoking campaign.

-- mike

 

 

 

Oplinger, Hoffman retiring; BJ offers buyouts

My sources tell me that BJ Managing Editor Doug Oplinger and editorial writer Steve Hoffman are retiring.

And the BJ is offering buyouts again to forestall layoffs.



Doug Oplinger

The word I get is that 3 reporters, 1 copy editor, 1 page designer and 1 photographer will take the buyouts.

But I also got word from a reliable source that we won’t know the total till management sees how many commit to the buyouts.

I remember when Doug first showed up at the Beacon Journal, baby-faced under his John Deere cap and still in high school when Bill Hershey recruited him at a Springfield School Board meeting, and into the world of Pat Englehart, the Tasmanian devil whirlwind of an editor, and Harry Liggett, a guy with a gruff exterior who set traps for any reporter who tried to bullshit her way in defense of an article that H.L. was editing.

Pat and Harry taught me, who came to Ol’ Blue Walls at the age of 38, way more about being an editor than I had learned before I came to 44 East Exchange Street.

And taught Doug, too. Lessons I’m sure that helped him as managing editor in a stressful and difficult time for newspapers.

At its peak there were about 250 in the BJ newsroom. Today, according to the staff list, there are 63 if you include vice president/editor Bruce Winges, Doug and everyone with a title and the reporters.

And that number will get perilously close to 50 by the time the buyouts are finalized.

Those remaining will not have an easy task on a newspaper that earned four Pulitzer Prizes.

5 out as BJ works on losing 2^nd 1,000 years of experience

The BJ buyouts, which include a year’s pay, today went to columnist Jewell Cardwell, Jim Carney, Bill Lilley, Dave Scott and Olga Reswow.

One exempt (non-Guild) choice also was made, probably chief editorial writer Laura Ofobike. 
 Before the first round of layoffs at the Beacon Journal in 2001, the bargaining unit had 197 full and part-time members. Today’s departures reduced that number to less than 60, or about 30% of the 2001 newsroom staff.

The rapid demise of the BJ began in 2001 when about five centuries of experience walked out the door on the same day. Gone were sports columnist Tom Melody, chief  artist Art Krummel, the copy desk’s late Sandy Levenson, columnist Mickey Porter, Features Department editor Joan Rice, superb writer the late Bill Bierman, Reference Librarian Diane Lynch, copy editor George Davis, editorial board member Tim Hayes, Metro reporters Bill Canterbury, Bob Hoiles and Dennis McEaneney,

Mark Braykovich, reporter Barb Mudrak Galloway, columnist Steve Love, Jim Quinn, religion writer  Laura Haferd and Terence Oliver.

In 2006 24 left with 335 years of service, including Bonnie Bolden, wife of today’s editor, Bruce Winges; clerk Barbara Albrecht, artist Dennis Balogh, reporters Gary Estwick and Mary Ethridge, columnist Diane Papparone Evans, copy editor Tim Good, reporter Andale Gross, copy editor Erin Hill, reporter Gloria Irwin, copy editors Jim Kavanagh, who went to CNN, and Jody Kraner, reporter Delano Massey, copy editor Kim Profant, reporter Tom Reed, photographers Robin Sallie and Lindsay Sample, food writer Jane Snow, reporter Kathy Spitz, reporter, 22 years; Chiffon Staebler, copy editor Debbie Stock Kiefer, editorial writer Sarah Vradenburg, reporter Judie Wallace and photographer Jocelyn Williams.

Newsroom managers laid off or took voluntary resignations besides Bonnie were Dave Wilson, David Hertz, Susan Kirkman, Michael Needs  and Debra Adams Simmons.

In 2008 there were 18 departures with 273 years of service, including city hall reporter Carl Chancellor, deputy Metro editor Keith McKnight, Metro editor Ann Sheldon Mezger, columnist David Giffels, cartoonist Chip Bok and classic music critic Elaine Guregian.

That’s a thousand years of service, and far more than that in experience since few began their newspaper careers at the BJ, in just three lopoffs.

Some just switched from the BJ to the Plain Dealer.

There’s not much Beacon Blue blood left to be let.