Want to be a full-time sports copy editor?

Harry Liggett passed this email on to me. If you're interested in becoming a full-time copy editor for a new sports web site covering Summit and Medina counties, here's the information. If you want to see what the web site is like, click on the headline. The email:

My company has just launched a sports website covering high school sports in
Summit and Medina counties -- www.sportsink.com. We've just completed our
first month in operation and have received very good feedback. The site
generated more than 6,000 visitors in the first month and more than 37,000
pages viewed.

We are completing some additional functionality for the site and, once
complete, we plan to license the software for use in launching other high
school sport sites around the country. SportsInk.com is our pilot site.

In the meantime, we are in need of a full-time copy editor, and I thought
that perhaps there might be former ABJ employees looking for employment.

Would you be willing to send out the attached job description to your
mailing list of the BJ Alums blog or post it on your site?


Thanks for your assistance.

Sincerely,


Angela Charles
Sports Reporting Technologies
4000 Embassy Parkway, Suite 400
Akron, OH 44333
tel. 877-799-9994 ext. 2102
www.sports-reporting.net
www.sportsink.com







Job Opening:
Managing Editor/Copy Editor, www.SportsInk.com

Akron-based web site company dedicated to high school sports news coverage in Summit and Medina counties is seeking an experienced copy editor to help run day-to-day operations as Managing Editor.

The position requires minimum 5 years copy editing experience. Background in sports reporting and Internet publishing helpful. Must have an interest and motivation to work in a self-managed, fast-paced, technology-based environment. Evening and weekend shifts required.

Responsibilities include:
Day-to-day management of content appearing on the SportsInk.com web site.
· Edit stories from reporters and correspondents
· Contact coaches for game scores and highlights to fill in any missing scores
· Write a round-up story each night from scores and highlights received from multiple games
· Select photos, media to accompany stories
· Oversee placement of stories on various pages

Communications with important contingencies
· Monitor SportsInk’s public e-mail accounts and respond and/or take action as necessary
· Respond and follow up as necessary to coaches’ and athletic directors’ e-mails
· Provide feedback to reporters or regular contributors regarding their articles


Please send resume to:

Angela Charles
Sports Reporting Technologies LLC
E-mail acharles@sports-reporting.net
Tel. 330-666-5164 ext. 2102
www.sports-reporting.net
www.sportsink.com

50 awards this year for BJ newsroom

Despite severe personnel cutbacks in the newsroom, the Beacon Journal has won at least 50 awards this year in national, state and other contests. At my request, BJ Managing Editor Doug Oplinger, the best advocate that John Deere ever had, has provided me with a list. The charge has been led by David Knox, David Giffels and Betty Lin-Fisher.

Beacon Journal Newsroom contest winners for 2008

Name Contest Place Category Notes
Staff Scripps Howard Foundation Finalist Public service reporting American Dream
..
David Lee Morgan Jr. Ohio Prep Sports Wrtiers Association First Writer of the year
..
Staff National Headliner Awards Second Journalistic innovation American Dream
..
Staff SABEW Best Projects American Dream
..
Mike Rasnor APSO Third Blogger
Mark J. Price APSO Third Best headline writer
Betty Lin-Fisher APSO Honorable Best business writer
Rick Armon APSO Third Best business writer
Rick Steinhauser APSO First Best graphic artist
Marla Ridenour APSO Third Best sports feature writer
David Giffels APSO First Best news writer
Ed Suba Jr. APSO First Best feature photo
Rick Armon APSO Second Best explanatory reporting
Staff APSO First Best community service American Dream
..
Lisa Abraham Association of Food Journalists Finalist Best newspaper food column
..
Bob Dyer National Society of Newspaper Columnists Third Notes/items
..
Staff Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism First series/project American Dream
..
Phil Trexler Ohio Excellence in Journalism First Breaking news Bobby Cutts trial
Rick Armon Ohio Excellence in Journalism First General news Losing our home
Betty Lin-Fisher Ohio Excellence in Journalism First Columns-Business Challenge yourself
Rich Heldenfels Ohio Excellence in Journalism First Reviews/criticism single article Other side of Polanski case
David Giffels Ohio Excellence in Journalism First Best in Ohio: Essays
Mark Turner Ohio Excellence in Journalism First News front page design Front page news design
Staff Ohio Excellence in Journalism First Spread/multiple page design Reclaim the Dream
Staff, ABJ, Ohio.com Ohio Excellence in Journalism First Best Web site in Ohio
Lisa Abraham Ohio Excellence in Journalism First Columns-Lifestyle A taste of tradition
Mike Cardew Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Sports action Sole Sister
Ed Suba Jr. Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Sports feature Game Winner
Ed Suba Jr. Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second General feature A mother wait
Mike Cardew Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Portrait Freedom
Staff Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Public service American Dream
Stephanie Warsmith and Dennis Willard Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Investigative OSU ticket scandal
Ohio.com, Akron Beacon Journal Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Newspaper web site design Ohio.com
Tracy Wheeler Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Medical/health writing Stem cells mature
Lisa Abraham Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Columns-Lifestyle World pasta day
Dave Scott Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Headline writing Billy Goat's owner is still on the lam
Rich Heldenfels Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Best in Ohio: Reviews/Criticism
Kim Barth, Ed Suba, Mark Turner Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Spread/multiple page design Middle Class Health Care
Dennis Willard Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Best in Ohio: Column writing
Elissa Murray Ohio Excellence in Journalism Second Best in Ohio: Headline writing
Ohio.com, Akron Beacon Journal Ohio SPJ First Best of Show: General News Site
..
Bob Downing Ohio SPJ First Best newsmaker profile An American Hero (John Seiberling)
Bob Dyer Ohio SPJ First Best columnist in Ohio Body of work
Paula Schleis Ohio SPJ Second Best business profile A Barber in Barberton
Rick Armon Ohio SPJ Second Best explanatory journalism Losing our home
Stephanie Warsmith and Rick Armon Ohio SPJ Second Best government reporting Fight for control of Summit GOP
Dennis Willard Ohio SPJ Second Best media criticism OSU tickets
Bob Downing and Stephanie Warsmith Ohio SPJ Second Best newsmaker profile Ralph Regula
Dennis Willard Ohio SPJ Second Best political commentary Body of work
Dennis Willard and Stephanie Warsmith Ohio SPJ Second Best public records use OSU tickets
Staff Ohio SPJ Second Best public service journalism American Dream

Well done, guys, under some very difficult circumstances. I know that the BJ won four Pulitzers during my 26 years there, with Doug and then-ME Larry Williams being the main reason for the Pulitzer over the Goldsmith Goodyear greenmail ugliness that still is costly to the Akron business scene, but we had John S. Knight and a much fuller newsroom.

Monsoon memories

By John Olesky (BJ 1969-96)

Paula and I maneuvered monsoons, murky mountains, malady and Mountaineer misfires meted during my 56th post-retirement trip, and 31st with her, Sept. 19-23.

The primary reason for the trip was to go to a football game that was played by my alma mater, West Virginia University, against Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium. As usual for these once-a-year WVU road games, we tacked on extra days to enjoy the region. Ha!

The start of the Saturday night game in Auburn was delayed an hour by the monsoon – 2.5 inches in little more than an hour. Earlier, when we left Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International airport, we should have rented Noah’s Ark instead of a car. I-85 traffic was slowed by visibility-impeding torrential rains – up to 12 inches in a few days, and most of it, it seemed, while we were driving toward Alabama. Atlanta streets had water up to two feet deep rampaging through like the Colorado River before the Hoover Dam tamed it.

The morning after the game, we headed to Cherokee, NC, which is an elk’s throw away from The Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s entrance. The road signs say that we drove over The Smokies to Gatlinburg, TN and back. I’ll have to take their word for it. The murderous murky mist made it impossible to see more than a few hundred yards. I got out of the car and walked toward Clingmans Dome, at 6,643 feet the highest point in the Smokies, in Tennessee and on the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail footpath that runs from Maine to Georgia. Visibility atop Clingmans can be up to 100 miles. For us, try 100 feet.

Tourists in Gatlinburg seemed happy that they could see well enough to go from shop to shop. It’s why people come there, I guess.

A word about visiting Cherokee. Brown-bag it or eat at McDonald’s. Don’t trust the local “restaurants.” I have the out-of-body (in both directions) memories to prove it.

We had to delay our return home by a day because of the malady and cascading waterfalls – on the rain-smothered roads, including Interstates.

The football game? Oh, my Mountaineers lost a 14-0 lead and the game, 41-30, gift-wrapping six turnovers (five interceptions, one fumble) for the home team, which had the most friendly and hospitable fans I’ve encountered in my football travels over the years. Southern hospitality is no myth.

Last year, we flew to Colorado to watch the Mountaineers play. WVU lost.

In 2007 we flew to South Florida to watch the Mountaineers play. WVU lost.

In 2010 we plan to fly to Baton Rouge to watch the Mountaineers play LSU.

Put your money on the Tigers.

To see photos of our trip, click on the headline.

Want to join debate over health care lawsuit?

Rather than let the comments languish under "Comments," I'm repeating them in their own open forum.

Feel free to express your opinion. After all, we've spent our careers supporting the First Amendment, which made our profession No. 1 among the Founding Fathers of this country. Just keep it civil, and avoid personal attacks. That's the decent thing to do. And I attach my name to my opinion. That seems less cowardly. But that's just me. And I'll be happy to pull any comments out into the open in this post where everyone can see and evaluate them.

If you want to see the original story on the Composing retirees' lawsuit against the Beacon Journal and Mr. Black, the Canadian, click on the headline. There also is information on how you can join the battle, if you choose.

The "comments" so far:


Anonymous said...
Hopefully you lose. We've all had to make sacrifices. You should too, you greedy old bastards.
7:04 AM

Anonymous said...
Nice way to respect your elders, who made sacrifices for YOU. When someone is promised something in a contract, the other side doesn't get to take it away without consequence. What the BJ did--taking away promised prescription coverage--is no different from stealing from someone's 401K account. The account belongs to the beneficiary, not to the company. That's not a "sacrifice." That's a rip off.
9:18 AM

Anonymous said...
The sacrifices you may have made were negotiated and put there by the 'old folks' in the first place. How do you think the company had something for you to sacrifice?
No one ever put a gun to the heads of company persons agreeing to the terms of a contract.
2:21 PM

John Olesky said...
Management loves it when its workers don't understand that protecting the rights of one segment is important to all segments. Long after we stopped having children I supported maternity benefits because that's what union members do. And the retirees, while they still were working, and happily, at the Beacon, gave up part of their pay raises every year to get the health care benefits that they were promised. These amounts are on record at each negotiations and the actuaries who made the calculations were paid jointly by the union and the company, which each got copies of what each item added to or subtracted from the contract's cost.

Management would love for every person to think he/she can go it alone. It saves them tons of money.

The takebacks, despite written guarantees not to do it, ARE a form of thievery.

Retirees, incidentally, are VERY sympathetic to current BJ employees. It is a situation that we abhor on your behalf. We know that you are trying your best, as we did when we worked for the Beacon Journal, only under far more difficult circumstances than we had under Jack Knight's leadership. Current BJ non-management employees and BJ retirees are on the same side.

I know it's common for "old folks" to bring up John Knight, but Jack was a newspaperperson's newspaperman. He felt, and acted like, both management and employees were in the great newspaper adventure together. Once Tony Ridder came into the picture, that attitude died.

And now an international company controls what happens to current employees and retirees. Are there really any current non-management BJ employees or BJ retirees who are happy with that situation?

But, as current and retired newspaper folks know, debate is healthy. That's why we were/are bulwarks in the First Amendment for decades.

Gina White said ....

I think you could certainly attribute greed to the Beacon Journal's action in cutting retiree benefits.

Anonymous said ....

Sorry to hear about the Canadian reneging on the deal.

However, the "lifetime employment" guarantee explains how the Beacon has had to retain columnists and especially editors who, may I say politely, have been pulling the paper down for years.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The lifetime employment applied only to Composing personnel, which is at the center of the lawsuit involving retired printers. Guild retirees were guaranteed that they would keep the health care in effect at their retirements for the rest of their lives.

Judge Dowd sets Oct. 26 hearing for lawsuit against BJ

Notification concerning the lawsuit against the Beacon Journal over the changes made in BJ retirees' health care coverage:

U.S. District Judge David D. Dowd held a status conference today in the White, et al. v. Akron Beacon Journal Publ. Co., et al. case. He set a hearing for October 26, 2009 at 3:00 pm on the Plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction. That is, Judge Dowd will decide whether to enjoin the Akron Beacon Journal from failing to pay the promised health-care benefits to retirees of the Typographers Union. The hearing will be at the U.S. District Courthouse in Akron, and the Plaintiffs, Regina and Dave White, Ruth and Tom West, and Hugh Downing would welcome all interested retirees and their spouses to attend to show their support.

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

To see the original story on the lawsuit, click on the headline.

UA Press publishes Jane Snow recipe book

Former Beacon Journal food writer Jane Snow’s new book, Jane Snow Cooks: Spirited Recipes & Stories, was released this week by the University of Akron Press. Jane & Michael Stern of Roadfood describe Jane Snow Cooks as, “…not just a book of recipes to treasure [but] the story of life in Akron, in the Midwest and in America as seen in the way people cook and eat.”

The book is filled with great recipes: everything from Akron favorites like Nick Anthe’s Bean Salad and Cranberry Velvet to classics such as Pennsylvania Pot Roast, Tomato & Corn Bisque, and Julienned Squash with Walnut Butter to exotic dishes like Nid D’abeilles and Gazpacho Andalucia. But, Jane Snow Cooks is more, it is alive with the stories behind the recipes. Snow shares history, her experience, and helpful tips with the reader in a way that is entertaining and informative. As you go through and cook some of these amazing recipes, expect to learn the origins and history of the dishes and have a great time.

Jane Snow will be at several events over the next few months. Check this calendar.

Click on the headline for more book information.

Retirees sue BJ & Black Press over health care coverage

If you wish to join the lawsuit against the BJ and Black Press to get the health care coverage you were promised in writing, contact:

Donald P. Screen at (440) 829-4577
donald.screen@gmail.com

Screen says he "would welcome" Newspaper Guild retirees to join the suit since we had "minimal co-pay" in our prescription plans at the times of our retirements. In my case, $2 per prescriptions, which has long since passed by the wayside. While the primary focus of the original lawsuit is for the printers' union, Guild retirees eventually will be part of the lawsuit, too.

Members of either union, if they wish to join the lawsuit, may contact:

Subodh Chandra at (216) 578-1700
subodh.chandra@stanfordalumni.org

The lawsuit is being handled in Ohio by

The Chandra Law Firm, LLC
1265 W. 6th Street, Suite 400
Cleveland, OH 44113.1326

The first contact made by BJ Composing retirees Dave & Gina White was to Allen Anderson of the Michigan law firm. Anderson may be contacted at

(231) 946-9584

Anderson's email address is

aga@smith-johnson.com

The case name is
White et al v. Akron Beacon Journal Publishing Company, Inc. et al

The case number is
5:09-cv-02193-DDD

The Communications Workers of America also is providing counsel for the lawsuit:
Attorney Richard R. Rosenblatt joined the lawsuit on behalf of the Communications Workers of America, Local 14514, which includes retired BJ printers.

Judge David Dowd Jr. is handling the case.

My thanks to two Guild retirees who sent me copies of the Plain Dealer story on the lawsuit while I traveling to the West Virginia-Auburn game and then ducking floods that paralyzed much of Georgia.

The Chandra firm's press release on the lawsuit filing:

September 22, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Subodh Chandra
216.578.1700 (o); 216.965.6463 (m); or Subodh.Chandra@StanfordAlumni.org


Retirees Sue Akron Beacon Journal for “Bait-and-Switch” Scheme

AKRON, OHIO – Today, retirees from the Akron Beacon Journal filed a federal class-action lawsuit against their former employer and Canadian media mogul David Holmes Black for engaging in a “bait and switch” that denied them contractually guaranteed, lifetime, low-cost health care in exchange for their early retirement.

These retirees, who are members of the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 14514, which was formerly known as the Akron Typographical Union, International Typographical Union Number 182, had been guaranteed lifetime employment with the Akron Beacon Journal as part of their union contract. The Journal persuaded these retirees to take early retirement and give up their right to lifetime employment in exchange for low-cost prescription-drug and other healthcare benefits for them and their spouses for the rest of their lives.

The suit alleges that in 2006 the Journal breached its contract with the retirees, who took early retirement by replacing their low-cost prescription-drug coverage with high-cost plans, causing a significant financial burden and leading, for some, to declining health. Black played a key role in interfering with the Journal’s contractual obligations after he assumed control of the company.

The retirees released the attached Fact Sheet that explains the details of their case against the Journal, including the contractual obligations that were made and violated and the harm that has been done to the health of the retirees.

Retiree attorney Subodh Chandra said, “The Akron Beacon Journal convinced these people to give up lifetime job security, a permanent salary, and enhanced retirement benefits in return for diminished retirement incomes and guaranteed low-cost health care. But instead of keeping faith with their retirees, the Journal began cutting away the health-care safety net that they had been contractually guaranteed.”

CWA has joined in the suit. Seth Rosen, CWA District 4 Vice President stated, “Employers must be made to stand behind the commitments they make to their employees and retirees, who after all made it possible for the company to grow and prosper. To callously cast them aside is both legally and morally reprehensible. CWA stands behind these retired employees and their spouses as they seek simple justice.”

The suit, seeking an injunction and damages, is captioned White, et al. v. Akron Beacon Publishing Co., et al., and was filed in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division.

The Chandra fact sheet on the case:

Akron Beacon Journal Retirees v. the Akron Beacon Journal

Fact Sheet


People expect newspapers to tell the truth. Certainly, employees of the Akron Beacon Journal didn’t expect their own newspaper to lie to them when it promised them low-cost, lifetime health-care benefits in return for giving up their guaranteed right to lifetime employment. But the Journal did lie to its employees, reneging on its health-care guarantees after its employees gave up their right to lifetime employment. These employees—now retirees—have suffered irreparable harm from the Journal’s bait and switch and are now suing in federal court to force the Journal to keep its word.

THE BAIT

For almost as long as anyone can remember, the Journal has tried to keep valuable employees on board by promising them lifetime employment, a practice still common in the publishing industry. Many members of the Akron Typographical Union, Local 182 (now merged with the Communications Workers of America), received such a guarantee decades ago, either when they first signed up to work for the Journal or shortly thereafter.

By the 1960s, however, the Journal began offering a “Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program” to more senior Union members. If these employees agreed to retire by a certain date and give up their right to permanent employment, the Journal promised that they would continue to receive some of the same, attractive health-care benefits enjoyed by active employees. Having been told by the Journal that this offer was good only for a short period of time, and not wanting to risk being stuck with a less attractive benefits package later on, many senior Union members took the Journal at its word and agreed to retire early.

Voluntary-Retirement-Incentive-Program Benefits that the Journal offered to different retirees included:

· A lifetime prescription-drug card entitling its bearer (and his or her spouse) to purchase all needed prescriptions at only nominal cost, e.g., for a $2.00, $3.00, or $5.00 co-payment.
· Lifetime hospitalization and surgical coverage for retirees and their spouses (which becomes “secondary” upon eligibility for Medicare) on the terms in effect as of the date of their retirement.

THE SWITCH

In November 2006, the Journal (by then under the direction of Canadian media mogul David Holmes Black) sent a letter to those who had retired under its Program, outlining certain “changes” to these retirees’ health-care benefits. Among other changes, the letter explained, the prescription-drug card would be replaced by another card under which far greater ($40.00 in the case of non-preferred drugs) co-payments would be required. The letter also implied that it would do no good for retirees to complain about the changes, since the retiree benefits had not “vested”—meaning that the Journal had every right, under the applicable collective-bargaining agreement with the Union, to make whatever changes it wished.

The Journal’s publisher and Human Resources Director offered similar justifications at informational meetings, or whenever retirees telephoned or stopped in to complain. Mr. (David Holmes) Black insisted on these changes, retirees were told, “because he could.”

Since February 2007, class members have been forced to pay considerably more for prescription medications than they had been paying before the Journal’s unilateral cancellation of their guaranteed, bargained-for benefit. Many have also been harmed irreparably.

HOW RETIREES WERE HARMED

Example 1: The experience of class member John Costello is typical. Mr. Costello suffers from a severe and degenerative arthritic condition. Before the Journal changed his benefits structure, Mr. Costello was able to control his arthritis pain with an injection costing $600 weekly, but which, with the Journal’s prescription-drug card, he received for a co-payment of only $5.00.

As Mr. Costello recounts, “When the Akron Beacon Journal unilaterally cancelled my prescription-drug benefit, I was unable to afford these arthritis injections and stopped taking them. Since then I have experienced daily arthritis pain.”

Example 2: David White has suffered in a variety of ways. He was among those to whom the Journal promised supplemental health-care coverage under which he would incur little or no out-of-pocket expense for most medical services. He estimates that, in 2008 alone, he and his wife, Regina, were forced to pay some $6,000 in medical expenses that, under the program he was promised, would have been either no-cost or very low-cost. He also estimates that they paid about $1,200 in 2008 for prescription drugs that would once have cost about $200.

His most significant injuries, however, have been non-monetary. His long-time general practitioner, who treated his high-blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, now refuses to see him because his replacement insurance, through Aetna, is unacceptable. Indeed he has had an exceedingly difficult time finding any physicians in the Venice, Florida vicinity willing to accept this insurance.

Example 3: In addition to paying, in 2007 and 2008, some $2,000 more for medications than he should have, Hugh Downing suffered the indignity of being told by Aetna that he is “too old” to receive Darvocet to control the pain he experienced following facial surgery for skin cancer. Mr. Downing also suffers from coronary-artery disease and has had a heart attack, angioplasty, and numerous stents and heart catheterizations. Although for these serious conditions his doctors prescribe only name-brand medications, Aetna pays (when it pays at all) at most for generic forms. Mr. Downing is forced to pay out-of-pocket for needed name-brand prescriptions, such as Plavix, which cost him $80 for each refill.

He has also had to contend with other burdensome and expensive Aetna requirements, such as the necessity of having prescriptions pre-certified, of having to try certain “prerequisite” drugs first, and of having to absorb different co-pays depending on a drug’s “tier.” He believes his health has suffered as a result of his inability to afford or otherwise gain access to the medicines prescribed by his doctors.

Example 4: Ruth West, similarly, has difficulty affording the name-brand medications her doctors have prescribed for her diabetes, for a thyroid condition, for high-blood pressure, and for acid-reflux disease. Against her doctors’ advice, Ms. West often opts for generic drugs (which themselves are more expensive without her promised drug card) or simply “does without.” Due to all the added expense, some of her conditions are going untreated and have become worse.

SUMMARY

Affected retirees gave up a valuable right—the right to lifetime employment—in reliance on the Journal’s promise of nominal, fixed prescription-drug co-payments, and have experienced increased cost and, in many cases, declining health as a direct result of the Journal’s actions. They relinquished job security, a permanent salary, and enhanced-retirement benefits, and instead accepted diminished retirement incomes—only to be left holding the bag for the increased price, and decreased accessibility, of their prescription medications. They believe the Journal breached an enforceable contract and also violated certain federal laws, and they are determined to have their benefits.


The Plain Dealer story on the lawsuit follows:

Akron Beacon Journal retirees sue company over change in health care benefits

By Olivera Perkins, Cleveland Plain Dealer Reporter

September 22, 2009, 5:58PM

Some Akron Beacon Journal retirees and their union filed a class-action suit today alleging that the company violated a contractual obligation to provide lifetime health care, including prescription drug benefits at a minimal cost.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland, says the retirees gave up lifetime job security in contract negotiations in exchange for an early retirement incentive program that guaranteed lifetime supplemental health care benefits, including "prescription-drug benefits requiring only minimal co-payments." The benefit included the surviving spouses of retirees as well.

Regina White, whose husband, David, is a retiree, said the family's out-of-pocket medical costs went from $100 a year to $6,000 a year.

The plaintiffs' lawyer, Subodh Chandra, said the company was using "bait and switch" tactics.

"The Akron Beacon Journal convinced these people to give up lifetime job security, a permanent salary, and enhanced retirement benefits in return for diminished retirement incomes and guaranteed low-cost health care," Chandra said in a press release. "But instead of keeping faith with their retirees, the Journal began cutting away the health-care safety net that they had been contractually guaranteed."

Karen Lefton, the lawyer representing the Beacon Journal, disagreed. She said her client will be fully exonerated.

"The Beacon Journal works very hard to make sure it is in compliance with all its collective bargaining agreements and with all of its legal obligations," she said.

In addition to the Whites, of Venice, Fla., plaintiffs include Hugh and Sharon Downing of The Villages, Fla., and Ruth and Thomas West of Rittman, as well as the Communications Workers of America, Local 14514.

The retirees left the newspaper between 1987 and 2001, according to the suit -- a time when it was owned by Knight Ridder Inc. Chandra said they didn't have problems with their former employer honoring the contract until 2006, after Canadian publishing giant David Holmes Black became owner.

The plaintiffs are individually suing Black as well as Edward R. Moss, former Beacon Journal publisher, and Aaron Burr, the paper's human resources director, whom the suit says "breached fiduciary duties owed to class members."

Catching up with . . . Connie Bloom

Paula and I attended the Taste of Hudson event a few weeks back and strolled through the arts & crafts section of tents. We came upon this happy-looking blonde with a “Connie Bloom” sign on her tent. Connie, once my co-worker in the Beacon Journal Features Department, is into fabric art, commonly called art quilts, in a major way. And impressively so, I might add.

I asked Connie to email me an update on her life since the BJ, which wasn’t that long ago for Connie. Here it is:

Hi John,

I have a working studio in the artsy Northside district of downtown Akron, next door to Luigi’s. Facing Luigi’s, you find four doors off the sidewalk in a row. One of them is for Red Light Galleries (111 N. Main Street, Akron).

Up the stairs, I am the third door on the right in the historic bordello building few people notice. That's where I create, with the help of the "girls." (Editor’s note: That would be the spirits of the former bordello professionals.) The studio is open to visitors whenever I am there, usually in the daytime, but we get little random traffic. I ask people to call ahead – (330) 472-0161 -- so they aren't disappointed if I'm not there.

I am on the monthly Art Walk, first Saturday of every month from 6-10 p.m.

I have been winning awards at local festivals, done some one-woman shows and given talks at local galleries and other organizations. I won second place for art excellence at Kent Art in the Park. There were 90 artists in contention, so that is a big deal for me. Kent is a fairly prestigious festival with a very high national ranking.

In short, this validates the scary big step I took by leaving the paper last year. I did the right thing. This change of career has blessed me in a million different ways.

The funny thing is I thought I would have more time, but far from it, I am running from early morning to late at night. I have a lineup of commissions that will keep me busy for the next year. I also teach a number of adult students seeking their muse.

My husband's name is Bob Shields. We have been together about 10 years and were married in September 2008. I kept my professional name. Bob is an affable guy with a heart of gold, very supportive of my work. He calls himself my roadie.

It was wonderful meeting you again John. I have many fond memories of our working together.

Warmly,
Connie

------------------------------------

Connie doesn’t mention it, but one of her commissions is a $5,000 project. Most of her art, of course, is in the three-figure range. One of Connie’s fabric art works that interested me, and most BJ folks, I would think, is the one she did in 2008 for BJ reporter Kim McMahan, a memorial for Kim’s late daughter Brooke McMahan. Connie uses clothing, jewelry and other items of the deceased and talks to a survivor to get a feel for the spirit and personality of the person being memorialized in fabric art.

On a happier note, Connie also uses toys, clothes and other childhood items to do fabric art of family members who have grown into adults.

In line with her BJ column about pets, Connie does fabric art on dogs and cats, including Connie’s own dog, Emily. Llamas, too, which you can see in a Peninsula business.

You can email Connie at

Connie@conniebloom.com

Click on the headline to see photos of Connie, her fabric art including the Brooke McMahan memorial and Connie’s business cards.

Obit stirs memories of good food and better friends

The obituary in the Beacon Journal for Shirley Gareri, widow of one-time Gareri Spaghetti House owner Aurelio "Albert" Gareri, caused pleasing thoughts to drift through my brain. Gareri's, for those who haven't been around long enough, was a restaurant on South Main Street at Exchange. Since it was only a block from the BJ, many of us went there for lunch or dinner, at least through the 1970s.

I found an August 2005 BJ Alums item that detailed, with photos, a 1977 farewell party for Ann Moritz, former assistant editor in the Metro and Lifestyle departments, who was leaving for the Boston Globe. The late Pat Englehart, who previously was the legendary State Desk editor, was identified in the photo as the Projects Editor. Harry, who had gone from assistant State Desk editor to assistant Metro Editor by then; reporter John Dunphy, currently with the Orange County (California) Register; and Don Bandy, rewrite man superb who is living out his retirement in Bradenton, Florida, also were in the photo.

I relished Gareri's spaghetti and meatballs. I have even fonder memories of Harry Liggett and I ringing out the old year and ringing in the new during our New Year's Eve work break with a beer (me) and a boilermaker (Harry), who dropped his filled shot glass into his beer. It was an annual ritual.

Just some food for thought.

Click on the headline for Mrs. Gareri's obituary.

If you want to add your memories of Gareri's, click on "Comments" and type away. Share your recall plate with the rest of us.

Catching up with . . . Pat Ravenscraft Snyder

Former Beacon Journal consumer news and lifestyle reporter Pat Ravenscraft Snyder laughs all the way to the bank as she teaches others to do the same thing. Pat is a lawyer, columnist/humorist, speaker and registered laugh leader. Honest.

Pat has been writing a humor column, "Balancing Act," for nearly a decade for Suburban News Publications in Columbus. The publisher of the 22-newspaper group is former BJ business editor Jim Toms. Pat’s column also is available to subscribers online, on the air and to print media outside the Columbus area.

Pat offers workshops, speeches and laugh-ins, tailoring stress relief programs for lawyers, sandwich generation caregivers and stepfamily members. Last year Pat became a certified laughter leader through the World Laughter Tour. See, I told you. Check it out at

www.worldlaughtertour.org

Human Resources Association of Central Ohio member Pat offers lunch-and-learn programs on laughter and stress relief. Her appearance schedule is loaded through December. Some are sold out.

Somewhere along the way, Pat also got into hang-gliding. Busy and interesting woman, huh?

Now that she’s retired from practicing law for a few years, Pat found time to write her first book, "The Dog Ate My Planner: Tales and Tips from an Overbooked Life" (Two Harbors Press, Minneapolis), based on the "dog" that creates time management difficulties in her humor columns. The book will be launched Sunday, Sept. 13 at Espresso Yourself Music Cafe, 50 W. Olentangy Street, Powell, OH. The previous location had to be scrubbed when the RSVPs became an avalanche. Kickoff guests include World Laughter Tour founder Steve Wilson.

To buy Pat’s book, go to:

www.patsnyderonline.com/buy-the-book

Other web sites are

www.TheDogAteMyPlanner.com

for additional information about the book.

www.PatSnyderOnline.com

for Pat’s web site.

And for the dog, believe it or not, two places to check: On Twitter at

twitter.com/plannerdog

and on the dog’s Facebook Fan Page (you read it right) at

ow.ly/outA

As Pat explains, it's not really a "dog." But you knew that. The "dog," Pat says, "is all the stuff that interferes with our lives -- electronic devices, food, fashion, etc. -- rather than being a dog that handles time management in my humor columns. The Dog is now advising folks on time management via Twitter, however."

Pat was married to long-time Plain Dealer reporter and editor Bob Snyder, who died from diabetes complications in May. Bob and Pat once co-authored a Sunday PD column on the challenges of stepfamily living, in their case combining Bob’s Hanukkah traditions with her Christmas ones. They published their experiences in “Cup of Comfort for Christmas” (available in bookstores during the holidays and on Amazon.com).

Pat became a grandmother for the first time this year with the arrival of Taylor Joy, born to her son James Ravenscraft and his wife, Tracy, who live in Columbus, where James has a construction company, Exterior Accents. Another son, Paul Ravenscraft, who lives with wife Shelly in Tempe, Arizona, is admissions director for Copper Canyon Academy, a private therapeutic girls boarding school in Rimrock, Arizona. Daughter Sarah Snyder is a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in integrative wellness at Ohio State.

For photos of Pat, Bob, Taylor Joy and, of course, the dog (on the book cover), plus a copy of Pat’s appearance schedule through December in case you’re in the Columbus area and want to see her, click on the headline.

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Incidentally, Mark Ravenscraft, 62, Pat’s former husband who was in Akron and Summit County politics for 17 years, switched to Florida where he has spent 20 years in politics, state bureaucracy and business. You can check Mark out at

quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/index.php?n=Main.MarkRavenscraft

Laughathon

Terry Oblander is a great storyteller. Which probably explains why the laughter and the voices were so loud that the waitress at Papa Joe's Restaurant came to see why the BJ Alums lunch bunch was having so much fun.

Terry was an outstanding reporter at the Beacon Journal for about two decades, and for several years less than that at the Plain Dealer, mainly in the PD's Medina bureau. Terry, in a way that only Terry can do it, unfurled funny tales of dealing with politicians, charlatans, colleagues and news sources. His companions happily provided the deep-down laughter.

Terry and his wife are down to one child, a 17-year-old, at home. Two others set out on their own in Cuyahoga County cities. Terry is enjoying his retirement at the Oblander home in the city of Medina. He still creates puzzles, as he did at the BJ and at the PD. When Terry looks at words he sees anagrams that spell different words.

Enjoying Terry's humor at the monthly BJ Alums lunch bunch gathering on Akron-Peninsula Road and Portage Trail Extension were retired printers Cal Deshong, Gene McClelland, Carl Nelson and Al Hunsicker and former BJ newsroom guys Tim Hayes, Tom Moore and John Olesky.

Click on the headline to see photos of the happy campers.

JSK documentary ready

In April 2007 this BJ Alums blog reported that University of Akron graduate student Paul Jacoway was working on a documentary about John S. Knight, who in the early 1900s took over a debt-laden Akron newspaper from his father, C.L. Knight, and built it into a respected empire of 31 daily and 26 non-daily newspapers in 28 U.S. markets. Decades after Knight Newspapers merged to form Knight-Ridder in 1974, it was sold to McClatchy in 2006 not long before newspapers began collapsing and drastically downsizing staff around the country.

But the end of the Knight legend isn't the end of the story. Jacoway, a part-time instructor at U. of A., has produced, written and directed a documentary, “Final Edition: Journalism According to Jack and Jim Knight,” which will premiere at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, in the Akron-Summit County Public Library auditorium, 60 S. High Street. A discussion and reception will follow the showing. All of the events and parking in the adjoining deck after 6 p.m. are free and open to the public.

The premiere date is significant: It's the birthday of the late John "Jack" Knight in Bluefield, West Virginia. He came to Ohio, as so many West Virginians have over the decades, when he was 3 years old.

Jacoway expanded his project, originally titled "The Times of John S. Knight," to include both JSK and his brother, Jim. The brothers also founded the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a charity based in Miami, Florida.

Jacoway's co-producer is Kathleen Endres, communications professor at the University of Akron. Akron deputy mayor David Lieberth narrates the film, which includes interviews with former BJ columnist and writing coach Abe Zaidan, BJ editorial page editor Michael Douglas, BJ Editor Bruce Winges and Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibarguen.

Teachers who want to involve their students may contact Jacoway at

paul_jacoway@yahoo.com

or by phoning (330) 374-0237.

The documentary was underwritten by a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Mike Needs plays Bret Harte for Forest Service

If you click on the headline you can see a YouTube video of Mike Needs portraying author/humorist Bret Harte in the Lake Alphine Theatre of the Stanislaus National Forest in California. It's part of his job as an interpretive specialist for the U.S. Forest Service. Mike lives at an elevation of 8,000 feet near Bear Valley, CA in the high Sierra Nevada. He produces and organizes programs for the outdoor amphitheater that serves a group of campgrounds in the Stanislaus Forest. He also leads hikes and does presentations throughout the area.

The mailing address for Stanislaus National Forest is 19777 Greenley Road, Sonora, CA 95370

Said Mike, enjoying his new career at age 58, in a June 2009 BJ Alums post:

"It's a great job. I love it out here."

If you want to read the announcement about Mike's performance, goes to

http://thepinetree.net/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=12976

In case you missed the photos of Mike's farewell party from the BJ, go to

http://www.jimarnold.org/galleries/mike_needs_party/

Among Mike's duties at the BJ were Features Editor, Public Editor (ombudsman for the readers), running the BJ's online Ohio.com web site, Design Editor and, for a brief time, wine columnist.

My thanks to Mark Dawidziak, who does a great author/humorist, too (Mark Twain) for finding the YouTube video of Mike doing Bret Harte.

Abe not grumpy about high school reunion

Abe Zaidain, on his Grumpy Abe website, discusses his 60-year reunion at tiny Ramsay High School in Mt. Pleasant, PA. It reminded me of my high school reunions in West Virginia -- Monongah (pop. 963) High School, Class of 1950, 45 graduates, only 13 known dead (hey, we scattered from the hills so majestic and so grand to states spread around this nation so it's hard to keep an accurate body count although I do check the Social Security Death Index from time to time).

Abe dripped with nostalgia, not his normal mode.

To read it for yourself, click on the headline and scroll down to the item labeled

I did go home again

Fair warning: If you're a diehard conservative you might want to close your eyes to avoid Abe's political musings.

Newspapers close. Who cares? There's still Internet. Well . . .

Princeton University took on the question of what happens to democracy when newspapers close, using the Cincinnati Post for its research. How's this for an attention-grabber: While there was only a 3.6% decrease in the number of candidates running for each office, there was a 16% increase in incumbents being re-elected? The contenders just didn't have a newspaper to make voters award of their candidacies.

The research is long, complicated and maybe boring to some, but you can click on the headline to check it out for yourself.

In another story, newspaper closings proved most damaging in smaller towns. Folks there have less access to the Internet, and even the Internet doesn't cover the local news and politicians' misbehavior as well. And often doesn't have the financial resources to challenge public documents that officials withhold unless there's a lawsuit.

Go to

HTTP://WWW.MICHIGANDAILY.COM/CONTENT/2009-04-20/NEWSPAPER-CLOSING-MOST-DAMAGING-SMALLER-TOWNS

for the details.

Another startling statistic: A century ago, 689 cities in the United States had competing daily newspapers. Today? About a dozen cities.

Forty-seven newspapers have closed their doors since 1990. Another five were swallowed in mergers with more viable competitors.

Go to

http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=1341

for the American Journalism Review story.

Here's a list of the newspapers that closed or merged. Read 'em and weep.

Anchorage Times
Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock
Evening Sun, Baltimore
Baton Rouge State-Times
Brooksville Daily Sun Journal, Florida
Coatesville Daily Record, Pennsylvania
Columbia News, Pennsylvania
Daily Independent, Conway, New Hampshire
Daily Journal, Elizabeth, New Jersey
Daily News, Alamosa, Colorado
Daily News, Camarillo, California
Dallas Times Herald
Evening Bulletin, Providence
Evening Express, Portland, Maine
Evening Sentinel, Ansonia, Connecticut
Fort Lauderdale News
Geauga Times Leader, Chardon, Ohio
Gwinnett Daily News, Georgia
Herald, Augusta, Georgia
Hollywood Sun, Florida
Houston Post
Hudson Dispatch, Union City, New Jersey
Kansas City Times, Missouri
Knoxville Journal
Lawton Evening Constitution, Oklahoma
Manchester Herald, Connecticut
New York Newsday
New York City Tribune
Newburgh Hudson Valley News, New York
Oregon City Enterprise-Courier, Oregon
Peninsula Times Tribune, Palo Alto
Pittsburgh Press
Press Courier, Oxnard, California
Press, Ypsilanti, Michigan
Richmond News Leader
Roanoke Times & World News
Sacramento Union
St. Louis Sun
San Antonio Light
San Diego Tribune
Santa Paula Chronicle, California
Shenandoah Evening Sentinel, Iowa
Shreveport Journal
Spokane Chronicle
The National (sports)
Times-Herald, Newport News
Tulsa Tribune

Newspaper Mergers

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (from Milwaukee Sentinel and Milwaukee Journal)
Montgomery Advertiser(from Montgomery Advertiser and Alabama Journal)
Morning News of Northwest Arkansas
Springdale(from Morning News and NorthWest Arkansas Morning News)
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Cheyenne (from Wyoming Tribune and Wyoming Eagle)

Dunphy parent firm files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Freedom Communications in Irvine, California, parent of the Orange County Register where former BJ staffer John Dunphy works, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in a Delaware court. Dunphy is Team Leader/Web producer for ocregister.com, the paper's online outlet. He has survived three rounds of layoffs over the past 19 months and been involved with business and sports coverage at the paper and on the web site.

Freedom’s debt will be cut from $770 million plus to $325 million.

Banks will take over from the Hoiles family, which has owned the flagship Register since 1935 and grew the company to 33 dailies, 70 weeklies and other publications, and eight television stations.

The timing of the filing stopped Freedom's payment on a $28.9 million class action settlement with the Register’s carriers over whether they were properly classified as independent contractors.

The Tribune Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times, filed for bankruptcy last December followed in February by the owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. The Rocky Mountain News in Denver closed Feb. 27.

Click on the headline to read the full story of the Freedom Chapter 11 filing.

Catching up with . . . Marge Englehart

Marge Englehart, widow of former Beacon Journal State Desk editor Patrick T. Englehart, will be taking a cruise to Alaska this month. Marge stayed in their "dream house" near Ocala, Florida, for seven years after Pat died in 1995.

Today Marge lives in the Elks National Home in Bedford, Virginia. She keeps busy with golf, bowling and bridge.

And keeping track of her children's activities. Son Peter, once a producer for ABC Sports, is an avid marathon runner. Mary Pat is married to an architect. Andrew is a lawyer and a civil engineer with a dozen or two people working for him. Phillip has a doctorate and is in Kansas City, Missouri.

You can drop Marge a card or letter at

Marge Englehart
Elks National Home
931 Ashland Avenue
Bedford, VA 24523

If you want Marge's phone number in her apartment, call me at (330) 388-4466.

The Elks have operated the retirement complex -- "not a nursing home," Marge says -- since 1903 after the civic organization bought the bankrupt Bedford Hotel. The 200-acre Elks Home is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on U.S. 460, between Roanoke and Lynchburg. Visitors take I-81 to exit 150A onto U.S. 460.

There has been a Bedford Community Theatre on the Elks grounds since 1976.

To see a photo of the Engleharts and the Oleskys at the Soap Box Derby, click on the headline. We were in John S. Knight's box, but we had to buy the seats.

Strapped newspapers fight less for open courts

Newspapers are so busy trying to stay afloat financially that they have, for the most part, greatly reduced their efforts to open court proceedings and records to the public.

It once was commonplace for newspapers to sue to get at public records. Now that they don't nearly as often, who will bring this information to the public?

To read about this problem that finances cause to the public's right to know, click on the headline.

Catching up with . . . David Bianculli

Those of you who worked in the BJ newsroom in the 1980s probably remember the ebullient David Bianculli, the TV critic when I was TV editor. I asked Mark Dawidziak, Plain Dealer TV critic who succeeded David as the BJ's TV critic, to catch me up on David's doings. His reply:

David is doing remarkably well, teaching full time at Rowan University, still a regular contributor to NPR's "Fresh Air" program and still living in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. His daughter is in Florida with a law degree and beginning her career there. His son is in Los Angeles, working as a reader for a Hollywood producer and hoping to work his way up the screenwriting food chain. But the big news from David is that he has finally completed his book about the Smothers Brothers. It's due to be published by Simon & Schuster early next year.

---------------------

David also has a web site,

www.tvworthwatching.com/

where he continues to write about television.

His first paying TV job ($5 per column) was in 1976, for Florida's Gainesville Sun, while a University of Florida student. Other TV critic stints: Ft. Lauderdale News (1977-80), Beacon Journal (1980-83), Philadelphia Inquirer (1983-87), New York Post (1987-93) and New York Daily News (1993-2007). He has been the TV reviewer for National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" since 1987.

David has written two books on television and its impact: "Teleliteracy: Taking Television Seriously" (1992) and "Dictionary of Teleliteracy: Television's 500 Biggest Hits, Misses, and Events" (1996).

If you Google "David Bianculli," as I did, you get 7,980 results.

To see photos of David in his post-BJ years, including one with the Smothers Brothers, click on the headline.

BJ gets 2 firsts, 8 seconds; web site No. 1

Beacon Journal columnist Bob Dyer and reporter Bob Downing took first places in the 13th annual Ohio Society of Professional Journalists contest.

Dyer was named the best columnist in Ohio among newspapers with circulations in excess of 100,000. Second place went to the Plain Dealer's Regina Brett, a former BJ columnist.

The BJ-supported Ohio.com was picked as the best online site in Ohio.

Second place awards went to the BJ's Dennis J. Willard, who got three; Stephanie Warsmith (three, shared with others); Rick Armon (two, one shared); Paula Schleis; and the paper's American Dream Project. Downing also shared a second place.

Click on the headline for details.

Personal note from Harry Liggett

Helen and I are almost back home after a catastrophic illness nightmare at Cleveland Clinic for 20 days--mostly in intensive care. Helen had surgery at Akron General Medical Center in April for a ruptured ulcer on the back of her stomach. A scan at that time also showed a mass near the aorta diagnosed as B cell lymphoma. Helen had chemo and 24-7 dialysis. The chemo caused a huge decrease in the mass but there were other problems. Finally on August 17 (Day 20), she was discharged and taken by ambulance to Copley Health Center, 150 Heritage Woods, across from AGMC wellness center for rehabilitation. Room A210. Telephone 330-670-6690. Thanks for all your prayers. Sorry I have been out of touch, but I am devoting all my time to Helen.

Click on headline to read more on my personal blog

Catching up with . . . Stu Feldstein

When Stuart Feldstein first came to the Beacon Journal I kept calling him “Steinfeld,” transposing the syllables in his name. Just think, if I left the “t” out of my misnaming, Stu could have become a famous and rich comedian.

When I reminded Stu of that by email, he replied:

I didn't even remember the Steinfeld thing. At the BJ, Jim Ricci used to call me Stuberg, and various others called me Stuball, Feldberg, and a few other names I shouldn't mention.

At my request, Stu provided information on his life after the BJ:

I left the BJ in 1977 to join Business Week magazine in its Cleveland news bureau. In 1979, I got transferred to the New York HQ office, where I was editor of one of the news departments.

In 1982, I left the magazine (and daily/weekly journalism) to take a job with a corporate strategy consulting firm. In 1984, I struck out on my own and co-founded a company called SMR Research Corp. in Hackettstown, New Jersey. I'm still working there.

SMR makes an interesting little story for journalists depressed over the declining state of the newspaper and magazine industries. It had occurred to me that while I was at Business Week we did long cover stories about companies and industries, but despite the length, we left most of the material we gathered on the cutting room floor.

I thought to myself, “Hey, what if I took one of those company or industry stories, pumped it up to much larger size with tables and charts, and called it a research study? Wouldn't the company's competitors -- or the participants in an industry -- pay for a study like that? And couldn't I then keep the cash instead of giving it to Harold McGraw or John S. Knight?”

Well, this worked. At SMR we publish research studies on financial subjects, and we do other things as well like statistical modeling. We are well known in very small circles. I've done better financially than if I had stayed in daily journalism, and I get to work for myself. Have a few employees, too.

I got divorced from my first wife, and married a second in 1984 -- a wonderful lady named Carol. She got breast cancer and passed away in 1997. In 2004, I got married a third time (the last, I hope) to Stephanie Fava, whose nickname is Stevie. Met her in India during a trip arranged by a yoga outfit.

As you would imagine, I now have an extended family. I have two children (now in Pennsylvania and Colorado), plus three step-children here in NJ, and two grandchildren. My brother Steve still lives in Akron. My parents passed away some years back.

We live on a 20-acre farm in the northwest corner of NJ, near the PA border. It's the last really wild part of New Jersey, not at all like what you saw on the “Sopranos” series. We have the highest concentration of black bears in the country, and plenty of other wild critters, too. I grow berries on the farm, so encounters with creatures are a daily occurrence. We have a great little dog (a Hurricane Katrina rescue dog) who became a fine farm dog; she chases away the big animals and eats the rest.

That's my life story.

--------------------------------

Well, not quite. After a bit of Googling, I found that Stu is president and co-founder of SMR Research Corporation, which has an impressive clientele list.

Stu is a frequent speaker at financial industry conferences with 22 years of experience in financial research and consulting. He once was a Pulitzer Prize nominee for his financial reporting.

Click on the headline to see a photo of Stu and Stephanie on an elephant in India in 2001 during a trip arranged by a yoga outfit.

-------------------------------------

If there’s a former BJ colleague you’d like to know about, email their email and/or their U.S. mail address or their phone number to me at

jo4wvu@sbcglobal.net

and I’ll see what I can do. It doesn’t matter which department they worked in.

Anne Heche rips into ex-KR spokesman's son

You wouldn't think there'd be any connection to what once was Knight-Ridder on "The Late Show With David Letterman." Well, there is.

Wednesday night in a rerun show actress Anne Heche ripped into her former husband, Coleman "Coley" Laffoon, while talking to Letterman. Such words as "lazy-ass" were uttered by Heche.

Coley, born in 1973 in Cincinnati, is the son of former Knight-Ridder vice president of corporate relations and spokesman Polk Laffoon IV. Coley grew up in Grosse Pointe while Polk was with the Detroit Free Press, once a K-R newspaper. Polk made splashes with his 1980's "Who's Running Cincinnati?" series in the Cincinnati Post, which showed that a handful of companies controlled much of what went on in The Queen City. He also wrote “Cincinnati’s Jewish Community” in 1977 for the same newspaper. Polk began as K-R VP of corporate relations in 1994 and added the title of corporate secretary in 1999. He was investor relations officer for Taft Broadcasting in Cincinnati for 17 years and went to San Jose after Ridder basically absorbed Knight.

Heche and former movie cameraman Coley have a 7-month-old son, Homer, from their five-year marriage. Heche pays $3,700 monthly support to Coley for the child. He also got a lump sum of $515,000. She told Letterman that Coley's main occupations are playing soccer and opening his mailbox to get her child-support checks.

Actually, Coley has a job, with Los Angeles real estate company Hilton & Hyland. His reaction? "I wish Anne Heche could see that public bullying isn't good for the soul or positive for her child. It's mean."

Coley attended the University of Florida.

Heche, starring on HBO's "Hung" series, and her former "Men in Trees" series star James Tupper have a baby boy, Atlas Heche Tupper, born earlier this year. She once was linked romantically with comedian/talk show host Ellen De Generes.

My thanks to former BJ reporter Charlene Nevada for tipping me off about the connection.

To see photos of Heche, Coley and son Homer, click on the headline.

Catching up with . . . Kathy Lally

In the early 1970s, the Kathy Lilly byline often appeared on Page A1 of the Beacon Journal. Kathy had a knack for getting the families of American military people killed in Vietnam to pour their hearts out to her during their times of sorrow. It also helped "put a face on" the Vietnam War, making it personal instead of just statistics and ideology. She left the Beacon about 1975, near the time that U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war ended. She reverted to using her maiden name of Kathy Lally and has an impressive career in journalism.

At my request, Kathy provided an account of her life and career since she left the BJ. Here it is:

I have been at The Washington Post for the last four and a half years. I'm deputy business editor.

I left the BJ around 1975 and went to the Baltimore Sun, where I edited a weekly news section, then was weekend metro editor and then features editor. I spent eight years as education reporter, and I was Moscow correspondent from 1991 to 1995 and 1997 to 2001, working with my husband, Will Englund. He won a Pulitzer in 1998 for investigative reporting for a series on shipbreaking. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Baltimore Sun series by Larry Cohn and Will about how the Navy disposed of unneeded ships caused the Navy to change the way it handles the shipbreaking.)

I was deputy foreign editor of The Sun before coming to The Post.

Will and I have two daughters: Kate, who is a photo editor for Getty Images in New York and was married in October 2008, and Molly, who graduated from Emerson in theater and is saving money to go to grad school in playwrighting.

Will left The Sun in January 2008 and is covering the White House for the National Journal, and we're still living in Baltimore and commuting to Washington.

------------------------

I emailed Kathy again, asking for identifications on the photo that Kathy, at my request, provided. I ended the message with:

I guess I could have just scribbled:

"See me."

That would have reminded us both of the wonderful, frenetic days with Pat Englehart. I still miss him. And Fran Murphey.

Kathy’s reply:

Oh, I miss them too. They were wonderful -- and memorable -- people.

Both Pat and Fran, of course, are deceased. And legends among BJ oldtimers.

Click on the headline to see a photo of Kathy and Will along with daughters Molly and Kate at the October 2008 wedding of Kate.

Want to be an author for History Press?

As a former Repository reporter, I must tell you how much I love “BJ Alums.” It’s an absolutely brilliant way to keep in touch with former co-workers.



And I’m hoping it’s an absolutely brilliant way for me to find potential authors in the Akron area.



I’ve recently accepted a commissioning editor position with The History Press, a publisher of local and regional history books based in Charleston, SC. It’s my duty to find authors/ historians in Ohio who are interested in preserving the rich history of the Buckeye State.



I’d love to get a title or two underway in the Akron area, and I’m hoping you guys may be able to hook me up with the right authors.



We publish several core series of books, including Brief Histories, American Chronicles and Vintage Images. We’ve also found a considerable amount of success with our works that focus on an area’s seedy past – and really, every place has one. These books generally run as one of three series: Murder and Mayhem, True Crimes or Wicked.



In Brief Histories, the history of a town or county is presented in a straightforward, readable style that will be accessible to all readers. The books are typically between 30,000 and 40,000 words long and contain around 50-100 pictures.



American Chronicles books are compilations of history articles or historical vignettes about interesting people, places and events in an area’s past. They are between 25,000 and 35,000 words long with 25-75 images. This is a great project for the local newspaper’s history columnist or blogger, as these works of tremendous local historical value can put together with surprising ease.



The Vintage Images series are visually driven books that present the history of an area through a collection of historic images. There are three different types of Vintage Image books:



-The “Lost” series comprises collections of images that document elements of a town’s history that have been lost to time. The number of images depends on the book’s layout but ranges from 140-200. Introductions and captions combine for a total of approximately 15,000 words.

-The “Picturing the 20th Century” series is similar in format to “Lost” books, but focuses on images of a town or county as it has grown and changed through the 20th century.

- Finally, our “101 Glimpses” books are smaller, gift books that show the highlights of an area’s history. As the series name indicates, these books have 101 pictures – as well as a short introduction and captions.



The History Press is a traditional publisher and handles all parts of the publishing process, including financing, sales, editorial, design and printing, and compensates its authors with royalties. For more information about us, please visit our website at www.historypress.net.



I would greatly appreciate any help you can offer as I look for book projects in the Akron area. I would be delighted to hear from you and answer any questions about our program. Again, “BJ Alums” is a truly beautiful blog.



Regards,



Joe

----------------------
If you're interested, call Joe at the phone number in this posting.

If you want to check on History Press, click on the headline.





Joseph Gartrell
Commissioning Editor
The History Press
18 Percy Street
Charleston, SC 29403
Office: 843.577.5971 Ext. 156
Fax: 843.577.6712

www.historypress.net

Olga O'Neal, Classified retiree, dies at 77

Olga Buzek O'Neal

Olga Buzek O'Neal, 77, passed away August 22, 2009.

Born in Greensburg, she was an area resident all of her life. Olga, a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, retired from the Classified Dept. of the Akron Beacon Journal. After retirement she enjoyed working for the Sanctuary Golf Club and Danbury of North Canton.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James; brother, Paul; and sisters, Julie and Anne. Olga is survived by her children, David O'Neal, and Linda (Chris) Cowley; grandchildren, Elizabeth, David, and Melissa; great-granddaughter, Kimberly; brothers, Dan and Sam; sisters, Rosanne Burian, Betty Provost, and Karrie Guenther; many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held to celebrate her life Thursday 3 p.m. at the Hecker Funeral Home in Uniontown, with Dean Miller officiating. Memorials may be made in her name to her children.

Hecker, 330 699-2600.

Knight-Ridder video tablet was ahead of its time

Did Knight-Ridder foresee the Amazon Kindle and Kindle DX? Or perhaps the inevitable tablet renaissance that will be sparked by Apple’s upcoming launch of a tablet device?

In a K-R promotional video made in 1994, the K-R laboratory predicts newspapers being replaced by sleek black tablet devices that allow people to consume media on the go.

Why did the project fail to get off the ground? Screen technology, said former K-R laboratory head Roger Fidler (and later Kent State journalism professor) in an interview this year – screens were too heavy and sucked too much power.

Click on the headline for the link to the video.

(Thanks to Mizell Stewart for this goodie via Facebook.)

-- Ken Krause

Mark leaps onto the Twain track again

At my request, former Beacon Journal and current Plain Dealer TV writer Mark Dawidziak provided me with this information:

I'm just up for air after helping to run the 103rd International Dickens Fellowship Conference in Cleveland (we did our three-person Mark Twain show, "Twain By Three," for the Dickensians) and delivering a paper on the importance of Hal Holbrook's "Mark Twain Tonight!" at the State of Mark Twain Studies Conference at Elmira College. Editor's note: In New York state.

Hal made good on his promise to get to Elmira to hear the paper. A friend from Thousand Oaks was in the audience and made the following clips from the video function on his digital still camera. He then posted them on Youtube. Watch the first one to the end (the others are optional viewing).

I started teaching the Reviewing Film and Television course at Kent State University this past spring. And Kent State University Press has issued the first two reprints by the lost Ohio author Paul Bauer and I have been researching for, oh, about 17 years: "Shanty Irish" (with a sublime foreword by "Matewan" director John Sayles) and "Circus Parade" (with a foreword by Harvey Pekar).

For a brief rundown on Tully, go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Tully

He worked briefly for the Akron Beacon Journal around 1908.

Links to the reprints:

http://upress.kent.edu/books/Tully_J2.htm
http://upress.kent.edu/books/Tully_J.htm

And our biography of Tully will be published by KSU Press, with a foreword by Ken Burns, in 2011. We just finished it, so it has been an incredibly packed summer.
Updates as they occur,
All best,
Mark


-----------------------

Ken Burns, of course, is the guy who has produced some of PBS' finest series. Burns' works include "Mark Twain." And there's “Baseball,” “The Civil War,” “Frank Lloyd Wright,” “Huey Long,” “Lewis and Clark,” “The Statue of Liberty,” “Thomas Jefferson” and “The West," to pluck a few from a long, long list.

To watch Hal Holbrook's chat, click on the headline, and watch to the end to see Holbrook hug Dawidziak, our Mark, who also puts on an excellent Twain show in local venues along with his wife, Sara Showman.

If you want to see other YouTube bits from the Twain gathering, which are all of Dawidziak talking about Holbrook, go to these four other YouTube sites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za9vvI7ia4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAwH-TsB5qs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yW2LunVaZQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB9zys6zu4w


The BJ lost a boatload of talent to the Plain Dealer as the BJ wound down from the dominant quality newspaper in Northeast Ohio to the McClatchy financial fiasco to the Canadian Black Press.

A sorry state, indeed, for the newspaper that began John S. Knight's climb to journalism immortality.

Stuart Warner becoming Case Western Reserve full-timer

Former Beacon Journal and Plain Dealer newsroom dynamo Stuart Warner will begin as a full-time lecturer at Case Western Reserve University on Monday. He will be teaching introduction to journalism and literary journalism.

Stuart came to the Beacon Journal after 10 years with Knight-Ridder's Lexington newspaper. He was at the BJ from 1979 until 1998. He left the BJ for the PD in January 1999. By the time he took a PD buyout on Oct. 13, 2008, he was writing coach and projects editor.

Stuart, a bit of a mad hatter as a BJ columnist, edited Connie Schultz's Pulitzer-winning columns and Pulitzer finalist articles by Connie and former BJ columnist turned PD columnist Regina Brett. He was a busy guy at the PD, editing material that brought more than 40 national awards to the PD.

He also did his own freelance writing, editing and coaching for Gray Publishing, AOL.com, Key Bank, the Beacon Journal and Marcus Thomas LLC. He's chairman of the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame, which will induct Regina in October.

Stuart's first book, "JOCK: The Quickest Thinking Coach in America," is scheduled for publication by Wind Publishing in Kentucky early next year.

When pressed for more information by me, Stuart admitted that "mostly I'm riding my bike and walking my beast, Tyrone, who was supposed to be a beagle, but is now upwards of 60 pounds."

Wife Debbie Van Tassel, another BJ expatriate, is Assistant Managing Editor/Features at the PD. Daughter Denise is a producer of AOL's entertainment site, popeater.com.

Falls mayor outed by Abe

Abe Zaidan, former BJ political columnist who taught other BJ writers how to write, zinged Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart a good one the other day. The air that whooshed out of Robart's posturing was a carload of hypocrisy.

Robart, being a good Republican, took to task all that money that Washington was flinging at automakers and other ne'er-do-wells. Abe pointed out that Robart gladly accepted money that pumped up various Falls ventures. And ignored summer jobs for more than 13,000 young Ohioans, 73 Akron teaching jobs that were saved and more than 1,000 Lordstown workers returned to work through the Washington money machine in recent weeks.

Abe's web site is called "Grumpy Abe." After 40 years, Abe still has the write stuff. If you want to read his incisive writings, click on the headline.

Regina Brett in Cleveland Hall of Fame

Columnist Regina Brett, one of at least a couple of dozen Beacon Journal writers and editors who left for the Plain Dealer, will be inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame on Oct. 28.

Regina has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary for the past two years. The American Bar Association and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association both recognized her efforts in establishing open discovery in Ohio this year, honoring her with the Silver Gavel Award and the Liberty Bell Award, respectively.

In 1999, Regina won the National Headliner Award for her columns on her breast cancer. Ten years later, she won the award again for her columns about passing the gene on to her daughter.

She also won the James Batten Medal in 1999 for columns championing underdogs and ordinary folks, and she was a finalist again for the medal this year. She has been named best columnist in Ohio by The Press Club of Cleveland, Ohio SPJ and the Associated Press Society of Ohio.

Regina is a Kent State University graduate and a native of Northeast Ohio.

Also in the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame Class of 2009 will be:

WKYC-TV Channel 3 sports director Jim Donovan, the radio play-by-play announcer for the Browns since their return to the NFL in 1999. His 1992 report on the Browns won a regional Emmy.

Former Cleveland Press and Plain Dealer reporter Walt Bogdanich, a three-time Pulitzer winner at the New York Times.

Former Plain Dealer photographer William Wynne.

Former Channel 3 investigative reporter Paul Sciria.

Channel 3 managing editor Dick Russ.

Two 2008 choices who didn't make it to last year's ceremony will be inducted this year:

Former Cleveland Press and Plain Dealer reporter Walt Bogdanich, who won three Pulitzer Prizes -- in 1988 for his Wall Street Journal reporting on substandard medical laboratories; and at the New York Times in 2005, which examined the railroad industry's safety record, and in 2008 (with colleague Jake Hooker) for their stories on toxic ingredients in products shipped from China.

Plain Dealer Editorial Director Elizabeth Sullivan.

Click on the headline to get the full Cleveland Press Club announcement.

Bill Berger's widow dies

Virginia Berger, widow of Bill Berger, who worked with Ralph Iula in the Beacon Journal promotions department, died. Below is her obituary. If you want to express your condolences to the family, click on the headline. If you want to pay your respects in person, the family will begin greeting friends at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, an hour before a memorial service.

Virginia's obituary:


Mrs. William E. (Virginia M.) Berger (nee Clark)
SILVER LAKE -- Mrs. William E. (Virginia M.) Berger (nee Clark) died of natural causes at her home in Silver Lake Village, Ohio on August 5, 2009. She was 86.
Mrs. Berger was born and raised in Akron, Ohio and was a graduate of Garfield High School.
After high school, Mrs. Berger worked at the M. O"Neil Department Store in downtown Akron, before marrying William E. Berger in 1949 and becoming a homemaker.
Mrs. Berger was a long-time resident of Silver Lake and had been a member of the Silver Lake Garden Club and the Chautauqua Club of Silver Lake. Mrs. Berger was a very vivacious woman who loved being around people and socializing.

Married to the late William E. Berger, who worked for many years at the Akron Beacon Journal, she and Mr. Berger for many years were among the escorts for the Beacon Journal-sponsored annual Thanksgiving Holiday New York City Theater Tour. She and her husband also escorted on many occasions the local Akron Beacon Journal Spelling Bee champ to the Nationals held in Washington, D.C.

Mrs. Berger at one time was an active member of St. Luke"s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and for a number of years taught Sunday school there during her younger years.

Preceded in death by her husband, William E., she is survived by her son, Gerald W. of Akron, Ohio; her brother, Lewis P. Clark, Jr. of Azle, Texas; her sister, Kathleen L. Bennett of Coventry Township, Ohio; nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to thank Nurse Sharon and all of the other staff of Hospice of Summa who assisted with Mrs. Berger"s care at the end of her life, and also Amy and Mary Lou and Dr. Susan Jekielek of Hudson Family Practice and Dr. Massood Babai. The family especially wishes to thank Carol and Lyn Andrick, who took care of Mrs. Berger in her home for many years.

A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 22, at St. Luke"s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2121 Sixth Street, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221, Pastor Robert E. Linsz officiating. The family will greet friends for one hour prior to service time. A private interment will be conducted at Oakwood Cemetery. Memorials may be made to her church in her memory.

The bottom lines about today's newspapers

It isn't news that newspapers are in a major financial freefall. Tony Ridder could buy back the Knight-Ridder empire for pennies on the dollar.

But those newspapers that switch to online versions eliminate about 85% of a newspaper's costs for such things as presses, paper, ink and trucks. And nearly 67% of homes have an Internet connection. The Plain Dealer is among the papers expected to push its readers from reading the printed paper to looking at its product online.

About 80% of newspaper revenue comes from advertising, which has plummeted amid competition from the Internet and zillions of local stations and cable channels. Newspaper profit margins have dropped from the 20% to 30% of the golden era to 10%, which still is a profit margin that many businesses would kill to have.

Based on current newspaper values, the $5.4 billion that Rupert Murdoch paid in 2007 for Wall Street Journal parent Dow Jones could buy Gannett, McClatchy, New York Times Co., Washington Post Co., A.H. Belo and E.W. Scripps and still have $750 million to spend on other projects.

Click on the headline to read the entire article.

Gary Jackson's son dies

Gary Jackson, former Advertising sales manager at the BJ who lives in Northfield, sent this email to Harry Liggett:

I have some sad news. Our youngest son, Kevin, passed away on August 4th. He leaves behind Margaret,7,and Charlotte,5,our precious granddaughters. Kevin was divorced from his wife, Susannah, about a year ago. The girls live with their mother and Kevin would see them on weekends. We had a memorial service for him at our church on Tuesday of this week and now we are trying to recover as best we can. If you want to see his obituary, it was in the Sunday, August 9 Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland Plain Dealer and Columbus Dispatch.
-- Gary and Marsha

The obituary:

Kevin A. Jackson, age 38, beloved father of Margaret and Charlotte; devoted son of Marsha (nee Weeks) and Gary; dear brother of Todd (Linda) and Steve (Ann); loving companion of Ainslee Adkins; former husband of Susannah; loving uncle of five and friend to many, passed away August 6, 2009.

Family and friends are asked to gather at The United Methodist Church Of Macedonia, 1280 E. Aurora Rd., Macedonia OH, 44067 for a Memorial Service Tuesday at 11 a.m. VISITATION 10 A.M. UNTIL TIME OF SERVICE.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the Jackson Childrens' College Fund, c/o ParkView Federal Savings Bank, 497 E. Aurora Rd., Macedonia, OH 44056.

Arrangements by Ferfolia Funeral Homes, Sagamore Hills, 330-467-4500.

Meandering in Michigan

Paula and I spent eight days in Michigan Aug. 4-12. We put 1,641.6 miles on my van.

We stopped in Detroit for a day and visited the Motown Museum, also known as Hitsville U.S.A., where founder Berry Gordy Jr. created his empire, using a garage converted into a recording studio. Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and others endured the cramped quarters to record No. 1 songs.

We visited Bob Kasper, my friend since we were in first grade at Sts. Peter and Paul School in Monongah, West Virginia (population 939). Bob has a summer home on Grand Lake, which is two miles from Lake Huron and 76 miles southeast of Mackinac Island.

Bob and I played twice at Rogers City Golf Club. The second time, Bob used a homemade utility club that subs for a 5-iron on a 142-yard drive for his first hole-in-one ever. It was my first time to watch a ball go from tee to cup in one stroke. We celebrated.

We attended two Polish festivals, in Rogers City and in Boyne Falls. It was buttonbox Heaven. The food brought back memories of my childhood and my Polish grandmother’s cooking. The Rogers City adventure included watching Ottawa and Chippewa do tribal dances.

The three of us took a ferry on Lake Huron to Mackinac Island, where autos are prohibited. You either walk, pedal a bike or use a horse. The 1887 Grand Hotel really is grand. We strolled around Mackinac Fort and watched reenactors play soldier.

After we left Bob, we drove the 20-mile “Tunnel of Trees” from Cross Village to Harbor Springs. The curves-filled road, which has no center line, is barely wide enough for cars to pass each other while going in opposite directions. Overhead, the trees form a solid canopy that blocks your view of sky and countryside beyond the trees.

We used Traverse City as a base while we drove to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore and climbed a dune that was 1,000 feet plus above sea level. The sandy reward was a view of Glen Lake.

We drove through the grounds of Interlochen’s School of the Arts, where Paula’s nephew once studied music.

It was my 55th trip since my 1996 retirement from the Beacon Journal.

Click on the headline to see photos of our trip.

Tom Moore gets pacemaker

I got this email from Tom Moore in response to my request for more information on his brief, earlier email:

I was scheduled to get a pacemaker next Thursday, so Monday I went in for preliminary tests. My heart rate was so low that they wouldn't send me home. Instead the doctor sent me to the Emergency Room.

Tuesday morning I had emergency surgery to put in the pacemaker. I got home about 10 a.m. today (Wednesday). My heart rate was down to 20 and that just ain't exactly good.

This is the second time that I've gone in for tests at the hospital and was surprised. When I had my quadruple bypass six years ago, I was in only for a stress test. Or so I thought.

But at least both times the doctors came through and probably saved me a lot of pain -- or even worse.

-- Tom Moore

Editor's note: For those who don't know, the pacemaker shoots electrical impulses to the heart when the body doesn't do that job properly. It keeps your ticker ticking. And that's a very good thing.

Faithful 7 at BJ lunch bunch

There were 7 at Papa Joe's for the monthly BJ lunch bunch:

Joe Catalano Composing
Cal Deshong Composing
Tim Hayes Newsroom
Al Hunsicker Composing
Gene McClelland Composing
Carl Nelson Composing
John Olesky Newsroom

The talk was mostly about our travels, new and long ago, and health care coverage. As usual, it was punctuated with laughter. These guys know how to enjoy their retirement years.

Seven is the lowest total since April 2009. Previous attendance totals:

July 8, 2009 ……………………. 10

June 10, 2009 …………………. 10

May 14, 2009 ………………….. 8

April 8, 2009 …………………… 5

January 14, 2009 …………… 3

December 10, 2008 …………… 8

November 12, 2008 …………… 6

October 8, 2008 ……………… 8

August 13, 2008 ……………… 9

July 9, 2008 …………………… 23
(Sandy Levenson, Bob Pell memorial)

June 12, 2008 ………………… 8

May 14, 2008 ………………… 12

Feb. 13, 2008 ………………… 11

Dec. 12, 2007 ………………… 8

Sept. 12, 2007 ………………… 16

August 8, 2007 ……………… 7

June 13, 2007 ………………… 12

May 9, 2007 …………………… 14

April 11, 2007 ………………… 15

March 15, 2007 ……………… ??
(no story & photos no longer available)

January 10, 2007 …………… 14

December 13, 2006 ………… 18

November 8, 2006 …………… 13

October 12, 2006 …………… 11

September 13, 2006 ………… 12

August 13, 2006 …………… 15

July 12, 2006 ………………… 10

June 15, 2006 ……………… 12

May 11, 2006 ………………… 11

April 12, 2006 ……………… 11

March 8, 2006 ……………… 13

February 8, 2006 …………… 11

January 11, 2006 …………… 13


For photos of the Super Seven, click on the headline.

23 ex-BJers went to PD. Any more?

When I returned from 8 days in Michigan with Paula as we visited my friend from first grade in tiny Monongah, West Virginia, I got an email from Roger Mezger updating information on BJ folks who switched to the Plain Dealer.

Donna Robb Miller, an intern at the BJ, is with the PD.

And Desiree Hicks, who left the BJ's Washington bureau for the PD's Washington bureau, is no longer with the PD, Roger emails.

Cliff Pinckard and Traci James, two of the last people that Stuart Warner hired at the BJ for the copy desk, both left for the PD shortly after Stuart left. Cliff is still at the PD on the sports copy desk. Traci, an Akron native, moved on to Philadelphia.

So that makes 23, including the 6 no longer at the PD (17 at the PD today were once at the BJ). They are:

Gone from the PD, too:

Stuart Warner
Mary Vanac
Bob Paynter
Terry Oblander
Desiree Miller
Traci James

Still at the PD:

Regina Brett
Mark Dawidziak
Reggie Fields
John Funk
Sheryl Harris
John Horton
Tim Leonard
Butch Maier
Roger Mezger
Donna Robb Miller
Cliff Pinchard
Terry Pluto
Don Rosenberg
Debra Adams Simmon
Mary Lou Sneyd
Debbie Van Tassel
Brian Windhorst

If anyone knows of others who fit the BJ-to-PD category, email me at

jo4wvu@sbcglobal.net

Or you can add the information by clicking on "Comment" for this post. I'll add the names when I see your comment.

Thanks.

John Olesky

Join us at Papa Joe's today

The monthly gathering of BJ retirees, buyouts, etc. will be at 1 p.m. today (Wednesday, Aug. 12) at Papa Joe's Restaurant at Portage Trail Extension and Akron-Peninsula Road. There's a lot of laughing and remembering. If you can handle that, show up. We get together at 1 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month.

See you there.

Bob Reese signs out at BJ security desk

Weekend visitors to the Beacon Journal no longer will be greeted by Robert N. "Bob" Reese, a fixture at the lobby security desk for 11 years. Reese has accepted a new assignment with Atlantis Security and will work Saturdays at the former O'Neil's Building at 222 Main St., and Sundays at the National City Building, 1 Cascade Plaza.

"I have great memories of the Beacon Journal and always will. I loved that place," said Reese, pictured here at the Main Branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library, where he also once worked.

If you happen to see him at one of his new posts, be sure to say hello. - Ken Krause

Cleveland Phillips obituary

Cleveland (Bookie) Phillips
(330) 535-1543 www.stewartcalhoun.comCleveland (Bookie) Phillips Cleveland (Bookie) Phillips passed away on July 21, 2009 after a brief illness at Akron General Hospital. Born to Henry and Ethel Kate Phillips on December 12, 1926, he lived in this community all of his life. He was a member of the United States Army, and he worked at the Akron Beacon Journal for more than 20 years, from where he retired. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Henry and Ethel Kate Phillips; brother, Ira Phillips; sisters, Amelia Bady, Effie Christian, and Olivia Allison; son, Ricky Phillips; daughter, Catherine Taylor; and niece, Penny Tucker. He leaves to mourn his passing son, Chucky Flowers; daughter, Shamarrow Sibley; grandchildren, Tia Taylor, James Taylor, and Marcia Hightower; great nephew, David Jenkins; and a host of other relatives and friends. Special friends, Janice Faye Davis, June Flowers, and Wanda Matthews. He will be missed by all who loved and cared for him. Rest in peace Cleveland (Bookie) Phillips. The family of Cleveland Phillips would like to thank everyone for your love and support during their loss of a loved one. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. May God bless all of you. The Family of Cleveland Phillips Services will be held Friday, August 7, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at Stewart & Calhoun Funeral Home, 529 W. Thornton St., Akron, OH 44307. Minister Dorsey Matthews, Jr. officiating. Friends may visit at the funeral home from 10:00 a.m. until time of service. Interment Ohio Western Reserve Cemetery. Procession will form at 30 W. Mildred Ave., Akron, OH 44310 and condolences may be sent to 1017 Stadelman Ave., Akron, OH 44320. [ Cleveland worked in maintenance, if I recall correctly. - Ken Krause ]

BJ folks to PD -- up to 20. More?

Stuart Warner, Mary Vanac, Bob Paynter and Terry Oblander are gone from the Plain Dealer after leaving the Beacon Journal and making the switch to our northern neighbor. But there are plenty of BJ expatriates left at the PD.

Regina Brett
Mark Dawidziak
Reggie Fields (Columbus bureau chief)
John Funk
Sheryl Harris
John Horton
Tim Leonard
Butch Maier
Roger Mezger
Terry Pluto
Don Rosenberg
Debra Adams Simmon
Mary Lou Sneyd
Debbie Van Tassel
Brian Windhorst

And Desiree Hicks left the BJ Washington bureau for the PD's Washington Bureau. But Gloria Irwin isn't sure if she's still with the PD.

That's 16. Twenty if you count the four that also left the PD.

The BJ became a farm team for the PD. When I first came to the Beacon the salary scale for the BJ actually was higher than the one for the PD.

Everything evolves. Not always for the best.

Stuart Warner came up with the most startling and saddest statistic:

Former BJ people have written, edited or supervised efforts that have won more than 70 national awards at the PD in the past decade.

My thanks to Stuart, Gloria, Mark Dawidziak and Ken Krause for providing names for this list.

Anyone else missing from the list?

John Backderf posts that he was one who went from the PD to the BJ. Derf was at the PD from 1986-1989 and in the art department at the Beacon from 1990-2000. Artists Rick Steinhauser (still at the BJ) and Terence Oliver did the same a few years after Derf switched. Derf, Chuck Ayers, Dennis Balogh and Art Krummel had the fabulous exhibits of their art work under the umbrella title of Four Guys in May at the Upstairs Gallery, 20 N. High St, in the Mocha Maiden and Musica building in downtown Akron.

The most famous PD to BJ switch, I think, was Terry Pluto, at a time when the BJ, as Bill O'Connor points out, was considered the more prestigious paper. Terry, of course, switched back amid an avalanche of PD promos bragging about the return of its prodigal son.