STUART WARNER GOING INTO KENTUCKY JOURNALISM HALL OF FAME

 

Former BJ Mad Hatter legend Stuart Warner will be inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame.

There was NO mention of his BJ time in the announcement, only his Lexington Herald-Leader sports editor days and as “a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor at the Plain Dealer.”

As Stu clarified for me, he edited 2005 Pulitzer winner Connie Schultz’s columns and editor 2008 and 2009 Pulitzer finalist Regina Brett’s column and Connie’s Pulitzer finalist series about a man wrong convicted of rape.

From another source:

Winner: Lead writer, The Goodyear War, 1987 Pulitzer Prize for general reporting. Winner: Managing supervisor, 1994 Pulitzer Gold Medal, Akron Beacon Journal, A Question of Color/Coming Together (supervised 29 journalists, who produced a 16-part series on race relations in Akron, Ohio.)

From this BJ Alums blog earlier a more-informative article:

Stuart came to the Beacon Journal after 10 years with Knight-Ridder's Lexington newspaper. He was at the BJ from 1979 until 1999.

 

He left the BJ for the PD. By the time he took a PD buyout in 2008, he was writing coach and projects editor, similar to his role at the BJ.

 

Stuart, after four years with the Arizona Republic, became editor-in-chief of the weekly Phoenix New Times in Arizona, which has gone online with some impressive investigative reporting.

 

Stuart and wife Debbie Van Tassel roamed Ol’ Blue Walls together as editors before heading off to the PD and then warmer pastures in Arizona.

DON FERMOYLE'S WIDOW PASSES AWAY

 

Betty Brokenshire Fermoyle, widow of former BJ editor and reporter Don Fermoyle, passed away Friday, April 22. Don passed away in 2013 one day before BJ assistant Circulation director Bill Aylward did. Betty and Don were married 52 years.

Their children are Suzie Fermoyle Whitmer, Christine Fermoyle Kaisk, Kathy Fermoyle Koehler and Patrick Fermoyle.

Betty is a 1957 graduate of Highland Park High in Highland Park, Michigan, where she grew up. She once was a bookkeeper assistant at the Highland Parker newspaper. When Don was roaming the BJ Betty was working at Summa Health.

Don also worked at the Cleveland Press.

Bacher Funeral Home, 3326 Manchester Rd., which handled Don’s arrangements, also is handling Betty’s arrangements.

JIM CRUTCHFIELD HAS MORE MOVES THAN A WILDLY GYRATING BELLY DANCER

 

Crutchfield’s 11^th job with Marshall Project

Former BJ managing editor Jim Crutchfield was named editor-in-chief of the Marshall Project’s first local news team in Cleveland.

He began at the Pittsburgh Press in 1968, did PR for the Pittsburgh Model Cities Program, reporter for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, managing editor of the BJ, executive editor of the Long Beach Press-Telegram, deputy managing editor for the Detroit Free Press, press secretary for Senator Carl Levin and, from 2001-2006, president and publisher of the BJ, then Gaylor Visiting Professor of Journalism Ethics at Arizona State’s Journalism School and next the journalism faculty of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

He always keeps an empty suitcase handy for his next move.

He wears more hats than Stuart Warner.

The Marshall Project is online journalism focusing on criminal justice in America. Its leaders are former hedge fund manager Neil Barsky and former New York Times executive editor Bill Keller. One out of two isn’t bad unless it’s your college’s conference standings. Then it’s the unfortunate .500.

BJ PENSIONS SITUATION CLEARED UP. CHECK. CHECK. CHECK.

 

BJ pension snafu solved

When BJ retirees got TWO pension checks in the same month someone in the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federal agency that took over after the BJ owner’s bankrupt filing, was embarrassed and maybe even chastised by their superiors to a colossal screwup.

And BJ retirees were worried that, if they spent the second check that PBGC would demand its money back that was gone for food or house payments.

Thankfully, someone in the federal agency that bails out bankrupt companies used common sense.

Since BJ retirees got checks for May AND June my mistake, as the letter points out, there will be no check in June. In July, monthly checks will resume.

So everyone will get 12 monthly checks in 2020. And everyone can relax, except for the PBGC person was asleep at the wheel. His or her supervisor probably made it clear that it’s not just a 9-to-5 job but one that affects, in the BJ retirees’ case, hundreds of people.

All’s well that ends well. As long as you’re not the careless fool who created the problem.

So, spend BOTH checks but make sure you have enough money to last till your July check.

BJ PROMOTIONS' WENDELL HORN PASSES AWAY

Wendell Horn, former BJ promotions department, passes away

Wendell Horn, 88, who was BJ assistant to the promotions director after he graduated in 1955 from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, a fellow alumnus of my State Desk editor Pat Englehart when I began at the BJ in 1969, passed away Sunday, April 10.

His resume includes having a hand in the BJ-sponsored Soap Box Derby and Spelling Bee and as vacation substitute for the Beacon’s Movie Critic, TV Editor and Home Section Editor.

 

Wendell was chairman of the Canton Literacy Commission (2021-2022), presiding at board meetings and as ex officio member of all the Commission committees. In 1987-88 he was senior copywriter for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and its publications. From 1960-87 he managed a staff of 4 copywriters preparing ads for Firestone dealers and stores nationwide.

Wendell graduated from Canton’s Lehman High School in 1951.

He lived in North Canton, once named New Berlin till World War and Germany made that unpopular, for his final 18 years. Previously he lived in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. Wendell also was a deacon at North Canton’s Zion Lutheran Church.

His father, Clayton G. Horn, had a long newspaper career. The attached article from December 1971 about Clayton Horn’s retirement talks about his career.

Wendell worked under long-time director Ralph Iula whose son, Jeff Iula, took over the Soap Box Derby responsibilities later from Ralph.

Wendell’s father, Clayton Horn, was executive director of Thompson-Brush-Moore Newspapers. Clayton retired after 43 years with T-B-M and was a Kent State trustee (1964-71). He also was vice president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton since its inception. He was managing editor of the East Liverpool Review, the Canton Repository. Clayton was born in Bellvue, Ohio.

Wendell’s obituary:

NORTH CANTON - Wendell G Horn, 88, of North Canton, passed away on Palm Sunday, April 10, 2022. He was born on April 19, 1933, to the late Clayton G. and Juanita K. Horn of Canton. He attended Clarendon and Avondale grade schools and was a 1951 graduate of Lehman High School where he played varsity basketball.

 

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. It was there, he was also a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and was Vice President his senior year.

 

Wendell’s first job after college graduation in 1955 was as assistant to the promotions director at the Akron Beacon Journal. It was there he met the love of his life, Arlene Mosely. They were married May 21, 1960 and celebrated just under 62 years together as loving and dedicated husband and wife.

 

At the Beacon Journal he helped with coverage of the newspaper’s sponsored events, including the Soap Box Derby and Spelling Bee. He also served as vacation substitute for the Beacon’s Movie Critic, TV Editor and Home Section Editor.

 

In 1960, he started work for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company as Catalog Writer. He was later promoted successively to sales promotion specialist, manager of newspaper and supervisor of advertising.

 

When Firestone moved its sales and advertising departments to Chicago in 1987, Wendell opted to stay in NE Ohio retiring from Firestone and working as a senior writer for the Goodyear Tire Company.

 

A year later, when Goodyear closed its creative and advertising department, Wendell joined Loos and Sexauer advertising agency in Akron, serving as senior writer and creative director. These were positions he would next serve with Taylor-Hawkins ad agency. He retired in 1997 at age 64.

 

In retirement Wendell chose to put his energy and experience into volunteer work. He served as president of Friends of the Stark County District Library, chairman of the former Mayor’s Literacy Commission of Canton, and president of the Malone University Associates. In 2013, Wendell was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of Lehman High School in the Civic/ Community category.

 

Wendell was known as a frequent contributor to the Letters to the Editor section of The Canton Repository. He was always surprised at how many people in the community commented on his letters, which were often political in nature. He served two terms as precinct committeeman for the North Canton Republican Party.

 

He was an avid, lifelong sports fans, rooting for the McKinley Bulldogs, Northwestern Wildcats and Cleveland’s Indians, Browns and Cavaliers. He felt fortunate to have attended several major sporting events: an Indians win in the 1948 World Series, two major league no-hitters (one of them by Indians pitcher Dick Bosman in 1976), the Indianapolis 500, the 1981 NBA All-Star Game and the 1984 Major League All-Star Game. He also attended four McKinley High School state championship games – two each for the Bulldogs’ football and basketball teams.

 

Wendel referred to himself as a “survivor” having conquered tuberculosis, leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in his adult years. He lost his sophomore year of Lehman basketball when he had a successful operation that corrected a rare congenital urinary tract condition.

 

Wendell loved his family dearly, and enjoyed vacationing with them, including several vacations in Siesta Key FL. He leaves his loving wife Jill and four children: Laurie Horn of North Canton, Holly (Dylan) Atkinson of Canton, Mark (April) Horn of Glendale AZ, and Christopher (Sabine) Horn of Goettingen, Germany and brother-in-law Terry (Lynn) Manning of Deland FL.

 

Wendell was a 38-year member of Zion Lutheran Church in North Canton, where he served as deacon. He later spent 11 years as a member of the former Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Canton, serving as a lector and outreach chairman. When that church closed in 2009, he became a member of Canton’s Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

 

A funeral service will be held April 21. Calling hours will be from 10 to 11 am followed by a service at 11 in Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 2551 55th St., N.E. Canton, 44718. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, online at www.stjude.org .

 

Arnold-Canton 330-456-7291 www.arnoldfunerahome.com 

MARLA RIDENOUR'S HONORS KEEP PILING UP

 

Another trophy for Magnificent Marla

 

Betty Lin-Fisher did an EXCELLENT job in her article about BJ sportswriter/columnist Marla Ridenour receiving her Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Hall of Fame award Sunday in Columbus.

 

Marla can put it alongside her Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame award she won in 2013.

 

Marla went from the Dayton Daily News, where I was #2 in the sports department under the legendary Si Burick, 10-time Ohio Sports Columnist of the year, then the Columbus Dispatch and, finally in 1999, the BJ.

 

She got her training wheels in 1976 while still in college when the Lexington paper needed a female to go into the lockerroom to cover the University of Kentuck’s women’s basketball team.

 

She has covered the Browns, the Indians, the Reds, the Bengals.

 

And did a Hall of Fame job, too.

Other Ohio Associated Press Media Editors honors went to BJ reporter Amanda Garrett for enterprise reporting in the large-newspaper division and Gannett staffer Sydney Clark for full-page design.

Second place BJ winners were Editorial Page editor Mary Kay Quinn for editorial writing, Mike Cardew for feature photos, Marla for best sports columnist.

Third place BJ winners were Amanda for news writing, Nate Ulrich for sports feature writing and Rob Backus for full-page design.

 

 

TERRY CONSIDINE WILLIAMS, BJ COPY GIRL AND NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER, PASSES AWAY

 

Terrific, prolific Terry Considine Williams, once BJ copy girl, passes away

Terry Considine Williams passes away 2022 former BJ copy girl

Teresa “Terry” Considine Williams, once a copy girl for the BJ, passed away Saturday, March 26.

After the BJ St. Mary’s High graduate Terry was Cleveland Health Museum public relations director, wrote a Guarding Your Health column for the PD, writing radio and TV scripts for United Appeal, Cleveland WERE radio publicity director, John Carroll University news bureau chief, radio/TV reporter/columnist for the PD, where she she met her husband, journalist William Brian Williams, Griswold Eshleman advertising and public relations firm speech writer, Mike Douglas TV show public relations director, United Nations writing blurbs about their books, Hoke Communications contributing editor, New York Times’ Long Island reporter.

Terry had an amazingly active journalism life.

Terry’s obituary:

 

HUDSON - Teresa (Terry) Considine Williams, of Hudson, youngest of the 11 children born to Edward J. and Catherine C. Considine of Akron, died March 26, 2022. Preceding her in death, her newspaperman husband, William Brian Williams; their daughter, the remarkable Katy Considine Williams; brothers: James, Edward, Robert, Richard, William, Howard, and Paul and sisters: Mary Reymann, Kathleen Ostroski, and Jeannette McCormick. She is survived by many nieces and nephews.

 

Terry began her journalism career as a copy kid at the Akron Beacon Journal, while still at St. Mary’s High School (Akron) and covered traffic and police courts and wrote features. She later became public relations director for the Cleveland Health Museum, and wrote a Sunday column, “Guarding Your Health” for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

 

Her varied career included writing radio and TV scripts for United Appeal; publicity director for the original Cleveland radio station WERE; first woman head of theNews Bureau at John Carroll University; radio/TV reporter and columnist for the Plain Dealer, where she met her husband. Company policy held that one of them had to leave when they married. Brian became Suburban Editor of the Plain Dealer and wrote a popular Sunday column, “Crab Grass”.

 

In addition to free-lancing magazine and newspaper articles, she became a speech writer at Griswold Eshleman, Ohio’s largest advertising and public relations firm; and was then invited to become Public Relations Director for the syndicated Mike Douglas TV Show.

 

When the family relocated toNewYork, Terry first worked for the United Nations, writing clarifying blurbs about their new books. She then became a Contributing Editor for Hoke Communications, Inc. which published Direct Marketing and Fund-Raising Management magazines and news letters. For five years she covered the U.S. Postal Service and its effect on those fields, traveling frequently toWashington DC.

Finally, for over 11 years, she was a reporter and writer for The New York Times, covering Long Island. Her ashes will be sent for burial on Long Island where she lived for 30 years.

 

Memorial service will be 5:00pm Friday at the Hummel Funeral Home 500 E. Exchange St. Akron, Ohio 44304, where friends may call one hour prior.

 

She suggests contributing to your favorite charity in her name.

CIRCULATION'S GARY FOLEY PASSES AWAY

 

Circulation retiree Gary Foley passes away

BJ Circulation retiree Gary Foley passed away Thursday, March 24. He retired earlier this year after 27 years at the Beacon Journal where he was a dispatch customer service specialist for the Circulation Department.

His widow is Stephanie Foley.

Gary started at the Beacon Journal in May 1995. He was a telemarketing supervisor in Circulation before transferring to the call center as a customer service representative and dispatcher with Debbie Fox as his Circulation Director. 

Gary’s obituary:

AKRON - Gary A. Foley, 73, passed away March 24, 2022. He was born in Akron and lived in Goodyear Heights for the past 23 years. Gary attended Firestone High School and graduated from Emporia College in Kansas.

 

He was employed by the Akron Beacon Journal for 27 years, until his retirement in early 2022.

 

Gary loved entertaining family and friends with his Fall deck parties and his annual spaghetti dinners. He was always the life of the party.

 

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister. Gary is survived by his wife of 46 years, Stephanie; children, Scott Marshall of Akron, Christopher (Robin) Marshall of Tallmadge; grandchildren, Jessica, Jonathan (Jenny), Patrick, Nola, Sebastian; great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

 

Visitation will be 3:00 until 4:00 p.m., Thursday, March 31, 2022 at the Donovan Funeral Home, 17 Southwest Ave. (On the Historic Tallmadge Circle). Memorial service will follow visitation at 4:00 p.m. at the funeral home with Rev. Jim Case officiating. Interment will be at Hillside Memorial Park at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to One of a Kind Pet Rescue, 1929 W Market St. Akron, OH 44313

JOHN McMILLION, BJ PUBLISHER FOR 3 YEARS, PASSES AWAY

John McMillion passes away

Former BJ publisher John McMillion passed away Tuesday, March 15 in Two Harbors, Minnesota.

McMillion switched the BJ from an afternoon to a morning newspaper to “stop the erosion in operating profit,” as he put it, including eliminating double-time pay for working on Sundays during his 3 years at 44 E. Exchange Street.

He began at the BJ in 1986. The Beacon won another Pulitzer, for coverage of James Goldsmith’s greenmail attack on Goodyear that put hundreds out of work, in 1987. Chris Harte replaced him as publish in 1989.

John’s obituary:

John M. McMillion was born Dec. 25, 1929 and left this world peacefully in his sleep at his home on March 15, 2022 at the age of 92 years.

John McMillion got his first newspaper job over 80 years ago, if you give him credit for his first paper route, which he obtained in junior high school.

Since then, he’s been a police reporter, a sports writer and editor, covered county, district and federal courts, politics, the legislature and just about every type of news story you can imagine, from the sublime to the ridiculous.  He wrote a political column for several years in New Mexico.

In the process, he’s talked to millionaires, paupers, high government officials and some well-known sports and entertainment figures.  In his home library, he has a picture of him talking to Bobby Kennedy, a picture of Mamie Eisenhower standing on the rear platform of a Santa Fe train in Clovis, New Mexico, where he was Managing Editor, and an autographed Snoopy story board from Charlie Schultz.

John started his career as a police reporter in Amarillo, Texas after obtaining a journalism degree at the University of Kansas, after four years in the Navy during the Korean War, serving three years in Korea and Japan. He has worked for newspapers in Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota and Ohio.

He also did a stint as United Press International Bureau manager in New Mexico and ran a Gubernatorial campaign for two years in New Mexico.

He came to Duluth in 1975 as General Manager of the Duluth News-Tribune and the then Duluth Herald and became publisher three months later.  In 1986 he was transferred as publisher to another Knight Ridder paper, the Akron Beacon Journal.  He did extensive labor relations work at both Duluth and Akron.

During his tenure in Akron the Beacon Journal won a Pulitzer prize.  He retired at Akron in 1990 and lived in Albuquerque ten years before returning to the Duluth area in 1998.  He said he missed the winters.

John and his wife of 36 years, Melanie, lived in Two Harbors, Minnesota.  They have a daughter, Amanda (Brian) Kerrigan who graduated in Education from the University of Kansas and is a teacher in Colorado.  John has three older children, a son John McMillion who is a retired airline pilot for Southwest Airlines, a daughter Johanna McMillion who is a banker in Ignacio, CO and a daughter Jennifer (Andrew) Jelson who works for the Univ. of New Mexico Foundation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.   John has five grandsons, Sean (Kailey) McMillion, Macon (Kelly) Jelson, Garrett Jelson, Benjamin Kerrigan and Liam Kerrigan. 

John grew up in southeast Kansas, and that is why he talked funny.

A special thank you to friends Tami Magnuson, Scott Jasperson, Debbie Waterhouse, Dr. Debbie Allert, “The Boat Club”, and to Pastor Susan Berge and John’s Knife River Lutheran Church family, who loved and sustained John & Melanie through John’s many years of disability.

Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be directed to Knife River Lutheran Church, or to a favorite charity of John’s these past 50+ years, St. Labre Indian School, PO Box 216, Ashland, MT 59003-9989.

Services will be held at 11 AM on Monday, March 28, 2022 at Knife River Lutheran Church.  The service will also be live-streamed on Knife River Lutheran Church’s Facebook page.    To share your memories or condolences online please visit www.cavallinfuneralhome.com .

BE AT O'CONNOR'S HOUSE MAY 29 TO REMEMBER MICKEY PORTER

 May 29 Celebration of Life memorial for Mickey Porter

Mickey Porter’s sons Mike and Ben will hold a memorial to celebrate his life at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 29 at the home of former BJ features writer Bill O’Connor, 1108 Rambling Way in Bath Township.

It is open to “all Beacon Journal folks, past and present, and their spouses, partners, significant others, boy toys and trophies,” O’Connor tells me.

Bill added:

“We'll have a few drinks and enjoy the wonderful legacy we have from that magical time that is too-fast fading. No one enjoyed our newsroom and the people in it more than Mickey Porter.” 

Sorry to disagree, Bill, but I think I’m neck-and-neck with Mickey on that one. I would RUN to work because it was so exciting and enjoyable. The camaraderie was astounding!

Mickey, one of the best columnists in BJ history, passed away Friday, March 18.

He spent 40 years at Ol’ Blue Walls at 44 E. Exchange Street.

TOM HUNSICKER, AL'S SON, JOINS TOO-LARGE BJ CROWD IN HEAVEN

Tom Hunsicker, son of the late BJ printer Al Hunsicker, passed away Friday, March 18. Al passed away in 2015.

Tom’s sister, Pam Hunsicker Coy of Norton, and my daughter, Monnie Ann, attended Falls High together. Pam’s father-in-law, the late Al Coy, and I were involved in the Cuyahoga Falls Amateur Baseball Association, often at CFABA board meetings when Al and his best friend, the late Glenn Winsett, were on the CFABA board and in charge of cooking hamburgers during Falls High baseball doubeheaders at Waterworks Park.

 

Tom’s other sister is Brenda Hunsicker Hoover.

 

Al was at the BJ for 32 years. I was there for 26, retiring in 1996.

 

I was at a 2009 Papa Joe’s monthly gathering of BJ retirees that included Dave Boerner, Tom Moore, Harry Liggett, Calvin Deshong, Gene McClellan, Al Hunsicker, Ken Wright and Joe Catalano. Tom Hunsicker will find his father in Heaven having gatherings with Dave, Tom, Harry, Cal, Gene, Ken and Joe. Too many gone too soon. Dammit!

 

Al’s wife, Lillian, passed away in 2021.

 

Tom’s obituary:

 

Thomas W. Hunsicker, 56, of Cuyahoga Falls, passed away on March 18, 2022. He was born in Akron on December 8, 1965 to the late Alfred and Lillian Hunsicker. Tom lived in San Antonio for the past twenty plus years, where he worked as a network engineer and vice president at Wells Fargo.

Tom played recreational volleyball for many years and loved dogs, particularly the labrador retrievers that he rescued. He was an avid sports fan of San Antonio and Cleveland teams.

In addition to his parents, Tom was preceded in death by his grandparents and his great-niece, Raegan.

He will be dearly missed by his sisters, Brenda (Dale) Hoover and Pamela (Don) Coy; niece, Jillian (Brandon) Foster; nephews, Ryan (Laura) Coy, Jeremy Hoover, and Jeffrey Hoover; and thirteen great-nieces and great-nephews.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 25, 2022 from 5-7 followed by a 7:00 p.m. memorial service at NEWCOMER FUNERAL HOME, 131 N. Canton Rd., Akron. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the San Antonio Humane Society, 4804 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78229 .