Dyer to moderate forum on religions

BJ columnist Bob Dyer, far more renown for his Mark Twain-ish humor, will moderate an Akron Area Interfaith Council forum with a panel of young people of different faiths discussing the acceptance of religious differences.

Food for thought instead of yucks and outstanding writing will be on the menu at 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at First Congregational Church, 292 East Market Street in Akron.

It’s free. No reservations are required.

Ryan Lewis

New BJ Tribe writer

Ryan Lewis, who writes for Bleacher Report on the Internet, will be joining the Beacon Journal as Cleveland Indians beat writer.

Eric Poston, Kent State student and Harry Liggett’s nephew, provides additional information about Ryan Lewis:

“John - About the ABJ new Indians beat writer. "Wanted to let you know I graduated with Ryan Lewis at Green High School, Class of 2009. He attended Kent State and worked at The Suburbanite (same paper I do) for a period of time. “He covered high school sports for both the ABJ and PD for a period of time before landing this new job.”

Sheldon Ocker once covered the beat admirably for the BJ. So did Bob Nold.

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.