Lisa Katz Pagel obituary

Lisa Katz Pagel, wife of Thomas Pagel, passed away at her residence at Fort Lewis, Washington, on Wednesday, September 21, 2011.

Lisa was born May 8, 1965 in Akron, Ohio, the first child of Joyce (Moseley) and Marvin Katz, a schoolteacher and a journalist.

She grew up in Glenshaw, Pa., Worthington, Ohio, and Rockville, Md., developing a love for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Orioles, Maryland crabs and Nicobolis from Nicola's Pizza in Rehoboth, Del. along the way.

A thespian and member of the choir in high school, she returned to Ohio for college, majoring in Telecommunications and then Journalism at Kent State University.

Her career began at the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia, where she worked as a copy editor and reporter.

She switched gears and headed to Richmond, Va. and served as press secretary to Governor Doug Wilder. Next she was off to Petersburg, Va., taking on the excitement of leading publication relations for Virginia State University.

Lisa was always delighted in new adventures and moved to Durham, N.C. to start anew at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, Public Relations Department. She was a die-hard Tar Heels fan and enjoyed the company of many dear friends while she lived there.

Lisa left North Carolina to take on a new challenge as a military spouse when she married Major Thomas Pagel on July 4, 2009. With her perky personality, she quickly fit right into the family support groups and scrapbookers.

Lisa and Thomas were at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas when they discovered she had gallbladder cancer. Lisa took the news in stride and maintained her positive attitude throughout. During her cancer treatments she always made a point to learn the names and stories of the folks she met from the other patients, doctors, nurses, technicians and caregivers to the housekeepers and desk staff.

Even on her roughest days Lisa would make sure to say ``hello'' and ask how they were doing, usually asking a question in follow-up to a previous conversation. She knew every person had a story and everyone was special and she could make them feel that way, be it with a word or that smile that could only make you smile back.

Left to cherish her memory is her husband, Major Thomas Pagel of Fort Lewis, Wash.; her parents, Marvin and Joyce Katz of Hendersonville, N.C.; her sister, Susie Katz Bobenrieth; brother-in-law, Rafael; niece, Adriana; nephew, Alex of Portland, Ore.; nieces and nephews, Kirsten, Joshua, Leandra, Jacob, Mallory, Michaela, Suzanne, Peter, Kendra, Hope, and Christopher; her parents; and mother-in-law, Ruth Pagel of Marshall.

Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, October 2, 2011 at the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Island Lake Township, Minnesota. Burial will be at the Marshall Cemetery. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m., with a 7 p.m. prayer service Saturday at the Hamilton Funeral Home in Marshall. Visitation will continue at the church on Sunday, one hour prior to the service.

Condolences may be sent to: www.hamiltonfh.com. Blessed be the Memory of Lisa Katz Pagel. Hamilton Funeral Home, (507) 532-2933

[Akron Beacon Joursnal, Akron, OH, Friday, September 30, 2011, page B5, col. 5]

Lisa's father is Marv Katz, who included the Beacon Journal in his 40-year career. Marv retired in 1998 after a career that included journalism, public relations, freelance writing and PR consulting.

Lisa was Glenn Proctor's first intern at the BJ for the summer of 1987.

Click on the headline for BJ Alums postings about Lisa.

PD editor/slotman Ted Mellow dies

Theodore J. Mellow, long-time editor/slotman at the PD, died Aug. 21 in San Diego.
Ted moved West with his wife, Alida, in the mid-90s. Previously, they lived in Hinckley and Medina.

Ted was born in Missouri on Oct. 7, 1921. He was raised in China, the child of missionaries. At 16, he returned to the U.S., attended school, served in the military and married his first wife, Jan. She died in 1984.

Klosterman at Akron library Oct. 20

Former BJ staffer Chuck Klosterman will be The Main Event Speaker Series' star at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Akron Main Library Auditorium.

Chuck will be pushing his latest book, "The Invisible Man," (Simon & Schuster) which Publisher's Weekly describes as a "tour de force exploration of intimacy and voyeurism." His other books include "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs," "Fargo Rock City" and "Downtown Owl."

Charles John Klosterman was born June 5, 1972, in Breckenridge, Minnesota, but was raised on a farm near Wyndmere, North Dakota, and is a 1994 University of North Dakota graduate. He left Akron for New York City in 2002.

If Klosterman is as entertaining and informative as PD television critic and former BJ TV/movies critic Mark Dawidziak and Kent's Paul Bauer were last night in their Main Event appearances discussing their book, "Tully: American Writer, Irish Rover, Hollywood Brawler," then you'll be in for a treat. Jim Tully was a famous Hollywood writer of the 1920s through 1940s who preceded Walter Winchell and has connections to Kent and Akron. It is Dawidziak's 12th book.

Click on the headline for previous BJ Alums posts on Klosterman.

Headline everyone's talking about

By Jim Romenesko

I asked Detroit Free Press editor and publisher Paul Anger about the crease that resulted in this headline:

His response to my email:

Jim, yes, we have seen this and our circulation folks looked into it. As far as we can tell, it was one paper in one rack. We don’t know if someone with a twisted sense of humor folded it that way intentionally and set it up in the rack, or it was just the way the paper creased when driver inserted it into the window. Either way, no, it was not an entire press run, nothing like that. — Paul

Historical Society to honor John & Jim Knight

Posted by Audrey Hylton on Cuyahoga Falls Patch news website

The Summit County Historical Society will honor notable residents or former residents of Summit County who have been recognized nationally for their accomplishments, and whose inspirational life story continues to impact life in Summit County.

The Summit Awards will be presented Saturday, Oct. 8, at Greystone Hall, 103 S. High Street, Akron. The program begins at 8 p.m.

The 2011 recipients are: Shirley Fry Irvin, Sports; James Stewart Polshek, Arts; Ara Parsegain, Humanitarianism; Dolores Parker Morgan, Entertainment; John S. and James L. Knight, Philantrophy; Frederick Douglass “Fritz” Pollard, Trailblazer; and Lewis Miller, Industrialism.

The honorary chair of the Summit Awards is Dr. W. Gerald Austen, a renowned heart surgeon who is widely considered one of the foremost heart specialists in the world.

Ticket prices for the event vary and may include dinner and an open bar before the ceremony. For more information, call the Summit County Historical Society at 330-535-1120 or e-mail: schs@summithistory.org.

Harold McElroy services are Saturday

PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. - -Harold Ray McElroy, 74, beloved husband of Linda, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 5, 2011 at Waccamaw Community Hospital. Born in Akron, Ohio, he was the son of the late Charles William and Elva McElroy. His great-granddaughter, Reagan Lacole Edwards, also preceded him in death. Harold retired from the Akron Beacon Journal after forty two years of service. He was the treasurer of the F.O.P.A. #6 for several years. Surviving are his wife, Linda; children, Coleen Sweazy (Denny), Maureen Anderson, Michele, Jamie and John Scott; brother, Jim (Debby) of Burke, Va.; nephew, Jeff; ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Services will be held 3 p.m. Saturday, October 1, 2011 at the Anthony Funeral Home KUCKO-ANTHONY-KERTESZ CHAPEL, 1990 S. Main St. in Akron, with visitation one hour prior to service. In lieu of flowers or donations, the family requests that a tree be planted in Harold's memory. Anthony Funeral Homes 330.724.1281 www.anthonyfh.com
[Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Wednesday, September 28, 2011, pae B5, col.2 ]

Poll respondents say they follow more news

Buried in the latest Pew research on where Americans turn for local news, there’s this important trend: 72 percent of respondents — nearly three-quarters — say they follow local news closely most of the time, whether or not something important is happening. That’s up from 57 percent in 2008. More people are also following national news closely most of the time, with 68 percent saying they do currently, compared to 55 percent in 2008. Despite two wars and other unrest throughout the Arab Spring, fewer Americans (56 percent) are following international news closely than did in 2009 (62 percent).

Interestingly, while Americans are following news more closely, they’re also more distrustful of the media than ever, with 75 percent saying journalists can’t get their facts straight and 60 percent saying they’re biased. People believe their particular sources for news are less biased than the media generally, though.

The latest Pew research reveals that adults rely on the same top news source as teens, if you compare Monday’s report with a Knight report released earlier this month. Both groups depend first on local TV, with newspapers as the fourth source. The groups diverge in the middle, where adults rely on “word of mouth” and teens rely on the digital version of the same: social media. Adults also rely on radio, while teens rely on video.

Program at library touts book on Jim Tully

Paul J. Bauer and Mark Dawidziak, authors of the recently published Jim Tully: American Writer, Irish Rover, Hollywood Brawler, will be giving a talk about Ohio’s colorful Irish-American “hobo author” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, in the Main Library Auditorium of the Akron-Summit County Public Library. Ken Burns, who wrote the foreword for the biography, calls this study of Jim Tully “wonderful, hugely important.”

The multi-media presentation will include pictures from the biography as well as footage from the 1928 film version of Tully’s Beggars of Life and the 1930 movie featuring Tully, Way for a Sailor. Bauer and Dawidziak also will be signing copies of the biography published by Kent State University.

The co-authors discovered Tully in 1992, spending the next 19 years researching and writing their book. Although largely forgotten today, Tully was a literary superstar of the 1920s and '30s. He also spent time in Akron, working briefly for both the Akron Beacon Journal and the Akron Press.

Considered the father of the hardboiled school of literature, Tully wrote about the American underclass: hobos, carnival workers, con artists and boxers. Along the way, he worked for Charlie Chaplin, interviewed James Joyce and picked up such pals as W.C. Fields, Lon Chaney, H.L. Mencken, Frank Capra, Jimmy Cagney, Jack Dempsey, Erich von Stroheim and Damon Runyon.

The free program is presented by the Akron-Summit County Public Library and Friends of the Main Library. Auditorium doors open at 6:30 p.m. Parking in the High/Market deck is free for those arriving after 6 p.m. Call 330-643-9035, or visit www.akronlibrary.org for more information.

Father of Sharon Lorentren dies at 99

The father of Sharon Loentzen died Thursday. She announced it on facebook thus:

It is with great sadness that I tell you that my dad, Leonard Burkhard passed away this morning, after a very, very hard week. He fell Sunday night and broke his hip very badly. On Monday morning, he had surgery to repair it, so he would not be in constant, agonizing pain. Not surprisingly, he was not able to come back from that trauma.

My mom is numb at this point, and I'm not sure how much she really comprehends what has happened. We are heartbroken, but appreciate the 99-3/4 years he was here. He really did want to make 100 in November, but it was not to be.

Here is his obituary in the Beacon Journal on Sunday:

Leonard Arthur Burkhard ``Do the very best you can... and leave the outcome to God.' Leonard Arthur Burkhard lived by those words. He made his transition from this earthly life to be with his Lord on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2011. A viewing will be held at the Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel, 85 N. Miller Rd., TODAY, Sept. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. Family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to 12, preceding the memorial service at noon, to be held at Billows on Monday, Sept. 26, followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery. A celebration of his life will take place at Rockynol Assisted Living, 1150 W. Market St., at 2 p.m. Condolences may be sent to 60 N. Rose Blvd., Akron, OH 44302. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to either Rockynol Assisted Living or Fairlawn Lutheran Church. (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel) ``Do the very best you can... and leave the outcome to God.' Leonard Arthur Burkhard lived by those words. He made his transition from this earthly life to be with his Lord on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2011. A viewing will be held at the Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel, 85 N. Miller Rd., TODAY, Sept. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. Family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to 12, preceding the memorial service at noon, to be held at Billows on Monday, Sept. 26, followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery. A celebration of his life will take place at Rockynol Assisted Living, 1150 W. Market St., at 2 p.m. Condolences may be sent to 60 N. Rose Blvd., Akron, OH 44302. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to either Rockynol Assisted Living or Fairlawn Lutheran Church. (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)
[Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, OH, Sunday, September 25, 2011, pshr B5, col.6. ]

Lisa Katz Pagel dies

Update:
FORT LEWIS, Wash. - Services for Lisa Pagel, formerly of Marshall, are pending at the Hamilton Funeral Home. She died Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011, at her residence at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Hamilton Funeral Home, Marshall, MN hamiltonfh.com


Barbara Hipsman Springer, wife of former BJ staffer and current Kent State faculty member Bob Springer, sent this email about Kent State graduate Lisa Katz Pagel, daughter of former Beacon Journal staffer Marv Katz:

To all of Lisa's friends - With that kind of heading, you know what is next. Please share with those who knew Lisa or know her family, if you would.

Lisa passed away today at about 3 p.m. eastern with her mom, Thomas, Susie and Marv all there at the Pagel house in Washington State.

Funeral Services will be in Marshall, Minnesota and a memorial service is being planned for Chapel Hill at a future date.

A while back, Bob and I started a Lisa Katz Pagel scholarship fund at Kent State's School of Journalism and Mass Comm. Any donations will support a "leadership" news student as they make their way through the university. We may have it be a freshman scholarship - but that remains to be seen. It exists for the past few months as "Lisa Katz Pagel."

Wish it weren't so, but it is. She was peaceful this past few weeks and has had visits from many through cards, flowers and calls as well as in-person visits. She will be missed as a member of our advisory council and as our good friend.

Peace, Lisa.

Best, Barb Hipsman Springer

Survivors include Lisa's husband, Major Thomas Pagel; Lisa's sister, Susie Bobenrieth, a family-practice physician in Portland, Oregon; Marv and wife Joyce, who live near Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Lisa did her J-School internship at the BJ. She was a former Marshall, Minnesota resident who died in Fort Lewis, Washington, where he husband is stationed.

Click on the headline for previous BJ Alums blog articles on Lisa.

William Ellery McClatchy dies at 86

William Ellery McClatchy, a world-class croquet player and the last member of his generation to oversee the family's newspaper business, The McClatchy Co., died Tuesday at age 86.

He died of natural causes at his home in Pope Valley in Napa County, said his nephew, Kevin McClatchy.

William Ellery McClatchy was the middle of three brothers who inherited and expanded a storied California newspaper tradition.

Read more:

'Ziggy' creator Tom Wilson Sr. dies

Tom Wilson Sr., who created the "Ziggy" comic character that appears in the Beacon Journal and more than 500 other newspapers, died Friday at the age of 80 in Cincinnati.

"Ziggy" first appeared in newspapers in 1971. Wilson was an artist for American Greeting Cards in Cleveland.

His son, Tom Wilson Jr., took over the comic in 1987. Tom Sr. also is survived by wife Carol and daughters Ava and Julie.

Ziggy starred in the ABC Christmas special, "Ziggy's Gift," which won a 1983 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program and was re-released on DVD in 2005.

Wilson was head of the Universal Press Syndicate creative team that developed Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears licensing.

Click on the headline for the complete article on the passing of Ziggy's creator.

Dawidziak at Twinsburg Library on Tuesday

Former Beacon Journal and current Plain Dealer TV critic Mark Dawidziak will be at the Twinsburg Library at 7 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the book he co-wrote with Kent bookseller Paul Bauer. It's called "Jim Tully: American Writer, Irish Rover, Hollywood Brawler" (Kent State University Press). Tully's fame includes being fired twice by the BJ.

Bauer's former St. Sebastian elementary school classmate Carol Carlson booked the pair.

Mark teaches "Reviewing Film and Television" and "Vampires on Film and Television" at Kent State University.

He also spends a lot of time doing Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Dickens and Mark Twain shows in the area with his wife, Sara Showman.

Mark had another birthday Sept. 7.

Connie Schultz resigns from PD

Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz resigned today. Schultz worked for nearly 18 years at the newspaper.

Schultz is the wife of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown who is up for reelection next year.

Here is the note Schultz sent to her colleagues explaining her resignation.

Dear friends and colleagues,

Nearly 18 years ago, The Plain Dealer took a chance on me. I was a 36-year-old newly single mother who had spent 15 years writing freelance stories from my kitchen table. My password for Newsmaker remains what it was for my PD computer on December 15, 1993, my first day on the job: Wow.

What a ride.

In recent weeks, it has become painfully clear that my independence, professionally and personally, is possible only if I'm no longer writing for the newspaper that covers my husband's senate race on a daily basis. It's time for me to move on.

Editor Debra Adams Simmons has been incredibly supportive, and an inspiration to me. I am especially grateful for her unconditional commitment to the recent Agent Orange project, "Unfinished Business." Ellen Stein Burbach, my direct editor, has been my champion for more than a decade. Their faith in me was emboldening. Their guidance made me better. They will no longer be my editors, but they remain cherished friends.

I leave The Plain Dealer with gratitude, and plenty to do. I'm working on my next book, and will continue to write essays for Parade magazine. I'm still a columnist with Creators Syndicate, and I'll continue to focus on issues of social and economic justice. I'm weighing other options, and look forward to what comes next.

To my hardworking colleagues: Thank you. I continue to cheer you on.

To those who became my steadfast friends: Thank you doesn't begin to coverit. I'm loyal as a pug.

To everyone at The Plain Dealer: I leave with a sad but hopeful heart. I was so lucky to be your colleague.

Connie

Email from Linda McElroy

Hi Everyone;

Wanted to let you know that a memorial service for Harold will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1st at the Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz funeral home. The hours are 2 to 4. The obit will be in the paper on Wednesday, Sept. 28th.

I am coping and it is pretty lonely right now. Everyone went home on Wednesday.

Hope all is well with all of you.

Take care.

Linda


Linda's husband, Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, died Sept. 5.

Click on the headline for BJ Alums articles about Harold.

Next generation relies on TV, web news

By Julie Moos

Knight Foundation
The Knight Foundation’s latest survey of high schoolers found that 92% of students say it’s important to stay informed about the news (the same percentage says it’s important to vote). The research shows a shift in how teens get their news. In a typical day, they report doing the following to get news:

• Watch TV for news 1-3+ times: 77%
• Read an article online 1-3+ times: 54%
• Watch video news online 1-3+ times: 48%
• Read an article in print 1-3+ times: 42%

Their choices do not consistently align with the sources they say are the most truthful providers of news and information. They are least likely to read newspapers for news, but find them the most truthful source:

• 88% say newspapers are very or somewhat truthful.
• 78% say television is very or somewhat truthful.
• 58% say websites are very or somewhat truthful.
• 34% say social networks are very or somewhat truthful.

Despite their distrust of its accuracy, the research shows an explosion in use of social media for news and information. When asked, how often do you get news and information from a list of sources, 56 percent of teens said social networks were a daily source of news and information for them:

Frequency of use for news & information	Social networks	Internet	Mobile
Daily	56%	33%	31%
Several times a week	20%	32%	19%
About once a week	7%	18%	11%
Less than once a week	6%	12%	13%
Never	10%	6%	27%

In 2007, only 8 percent of teens got news and information from a mobile device and 67 percent had never used a cell phone for news.

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between use of social media and support for the First Amendment. The results were encouraging:

There is a clear, positive relationship between social media use and appreciation of the First Amendment. Fully 91 percent of students who use social networking daily to get news and information agree that “people should be allowed to express unpopular opinions.” But only 77 percent of those who never use social networks to get news agree that unpopular opinions should be allowed.

The survey was conducted between April and June of this year, with 12,090 students and 900 teachers from 34 public and private schools participating.

McElroy memorial service in Akron Oct. 1

A Memorial Service for Beacon Journal business department retiree Harold McElroy of Pawleys Island, South Carolina will be 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Anthony Funeral Home on S. Main St. in Firestone Park. A get-together will follow. The announcement will appear in the Beacon Journal on Septeber 28.

Harold, 74, who worked at the BJ for 42 years, died Sept. 5 in South Carolina. He had lung cancer surgery in June.

Born in Akron, he was the son of the late Charles William and Elva McElroy. His great-granddaughter, Reagan Lacole Edwards, also preceded him in death.

Harold was the treasurer of the F.O.P.A. #6 for several years.

Surviving are his wife, Linda; children, Colleen Sweazy (Denny), Maureen Anderson, Michele, Jamie and John Scott; brother, Jim (Debby) of Burke, Va.; nephew, Jeff; ten grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Click on the headline to see earlier stories about Harold's health problems.

Earlier Medicare enrollment period

AARP reminds retirees that Medicare open enrollment will start earlier this year.

The enrollment will run from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 instead of the previous years' start/stop dates of Nov. 15 to Dec. 31.

During Medicare open enrollment you can switch Part D prescription or Medicare Advantage plans.

Click here to compare costs and benefits of plans or call (800) 633-4227.

Federal mediator David Thorley dies

Wayne County native David S. Thorley, 74, of Silver Lake, a federal mediator for nearly a quarter of a century, died Monday from multiple myeloma, a disease he fought nearly 11 years.

He had mediated disputes between the Beacon Journal management and The Newspaper Guild's then-Akron chapter.

Mr. Thorley worked as a machinist at Akron Brass and in 1964 became president of the International Association of Machinists Local 1581. By 1968, he was a staff representative for the International Association of Machinists and was hired as a mediator by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in 1975.

Click on the headline for Jim Carney's story about Mr. Thorley.

Quality quartet at BJ Alums lunch

Faithful four showed up today at the monthly BJ retirees lunch at Papa Joe's Restaurant on Akron/Peninsula Road at Portage Trail Extension. They are retired printers Gene McClelland, Al Hunsicker and Carl Nelson and newsroom retiree John Olesky.

Al talked about his granddaughter -- daughter of Al's daughter Pam and her husband Don Coy -- getting an engagement ring.

Gene and Carl found out that they both worked for the AC&Y Railroad when they weren't at the BJ. Gene sold two of his vehicles that he likes to tinker with but still has four -- auto, motorcyle and truck.

John was back for the first time in three months because his travels coincided previously with the 1 p.m. second Wednesday of the month date for the BJ retirees lunches.

Since retired printer Calvin Deshong didn't show up, as he usually does, and the quartet was concerned, they called Cal. Not to worry, Cal assured them. Cal's joints became a problem, the Prednizone has helped, but not enough yet to make the monthly lunch. Cal will be 93 on Nov. 24.

The four who showed equalled the smallest attendance since no one showed up in January -- the quartet who dined in May.

If you work or worked at the BJ, you're welcome to attend the monthly lunch at 1 p.m. second Wednesday of the month at Papa Joe's on Akron/Peninsula Road at Portage Trail Extension.