See anyone familiar?

Quite a crowd appeared at the Wild Mango at Great Northern Shopping Center for the April 29, 2011 Pd retirees luncheon. We got some of them to give us some notes on what they've been doing since leaving The PD.

Jim Strang reports: "When I was in high school, I thought I would be a history teacher - even in retirement, I'm trying the "road not taken" and subbing in Avon schools - Grades 3-11, all subjects. I love it. The kids seem to like it, too, since they've built me two facebook tribute pages and give glowing reports on ratemyteacher.com. Life is good, so far -- hortator45@yahoo.com."

Jim and Marianne Hatch were in town for Hatch's sister's funeral. " We love 'California'. The sun shines everyday. The women are all beautiful and the wine is cheap," he said.

Pat Gessler is ready for baseball after attending spring training.
We still go to see the Cleveland Indians play in March. But this year was especially good -- we found the best spring training facility we've seen to date, the newly opened Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, which is on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. It puts the Goodyear park to shame. Goodyear is sterile with the exception of the entrance and a few palm trees behind center field; Salt River has panoramic views of the Camelback and McDowell mountains and beautiful desert landscaping. And where else can you buy Indian fry bread at a ballpark! There were only lawn seats available the day we went, but the tickets we bought allowed us to roam the stadium, where we found an umbrella-covered table big enough for our party of five to sit (and watch the Indians beat the Diamondbacks). Salt River is also the spring training home of the Colorado Rockies. If you go to Phoenix this stadium and very fan friendly site, is a must see. p.s. There is no more baseball in Tucson, where Hi Corbett (Cleveland's old spring training home) was the first Cactus League ballpark.

Tom Gaumer joined Alana Baranack and Tom Quinn. Gaumer is a docent at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and a volunteer on the Cuyahoga National Park Railroad. Alana continues her obituary work while Quinn is an editor at an ecology newspaper.




Stu Abbey, with his wife Bobby, has been doing artistic things and has a website: ArtofStuartAbbey.blog.com, called Paintings and Ponderings.

Wilma Salisbury, Janet Beigle French who organized the soiree and Bob McAuley were there.
Janet says: "I keep busy in The West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church -- singing in the choir, knitting shawls, etc in the knitting group, helping with the gardening. And I make necklaces and earrings to sell at the church auction, and at a small shop. And send many for gifts. As I have time, I'm also mending and indexing my old PD food dept. scrapbooks and giving them to the CSU special collections library. (A Stark County librarian
found me this week and asked for dates of a special series that ran in 1983. ")

Brian and Terry (Considine) Williams and their daughter Katy now live in Hudson, Oh, "having returned to the 'North Coast' after living on both the Pacific (San Diego) and Atlantic (Long Island) for 30 years. Brian was an editor and sometimes columnist for Newsday and Terry reported and did features for the Long Island desk of the N.Y.Times. We've been back about five years. Our email address is go minnie@bigplanet.com." Brian worked on the PD's city desk and left about 1969.

Finally,Doris O'Donnell and John Coyne say "Hi".

Wynne's WWII mascot Smoky honored

This item was from Steve Esrati et al

On April 25, 2011, (former PD photographer) Bill Wynne, along with two grandsons (Will and Andy 
Tabar) flew to Liverpool, England to receive a special British honor for 
Smoky.  The "guys" 
were indeed in England for the Royal Wedding but weren't in London. They 
watched the pomp along with about 2,000 other people on a big screen TV 
in a park in Liverpool. They are flying back May 2nd and will probably 
be a bit jet lagged. Congratulations to Bill Wynne and Smoky! 
(billsmoky@aol.com)
Regards,
Marcia Wynne Deering



News Release: UK

Date of issue: 27 April 2011

www.pdsa.org.uk

British honour for American soldier dog, Smoky

Smoky, a Yorkshire Terrier who became an American World War II mascot, 
today (27 April 2011) received the PDSA Certificate for animal bravery.

The presentation of the posthumous award to Smoky took place at the PDSA 
PetAid hospital in Liverpool. Smoky’s owner, Bill Wynne (age 89), a 
United States veteran of the war in the Pacific, who had travelled from 
his home in Cleveland Ohio for the ceremony, said he was delighted and 
honoured: “Smoky was not just my dog she was a friend to everyone who 
served alongside us in the Pacific conflict. She was an inspiration to 
everyone she met during her wartime career and later in civilian life 
too. For her bravery to be recognised in Britain is very special.”

The act of bravery that earned the courageous little dog the PDSA 
Certificate took place in January 1945. Bill and Smoky were part of the 
150,000 strong US fighting force taking part in the Southwest Pacific 
Theatre of Operations in the Philippine Islands. As the Battle of Luzon 
raged, Corporal Bill Wynne of the 26th photographic Reconnaissance 
Squadron, 5th United States Air Forces, was approached by Sergeant Gapp 
of the Communications section with a request: could Smoky, the 
Squadron’s mascot, take vital communication cables through an eight inch 
wide, 70 foot long drainage culvert under the airstrip? If she could, 
the airstrip would not have to be dug up or the men and ‘planes exposed 
to the constant enemy fire.

Smoky, who was only seven inches tall and weighed just four pounds, 
delivered the cable with huge encouragement and praise from her devoted 
owner Bill. In doing so she protected the lives of 250 men and saved 40 
US war planes from being destroyed by Japanese bombers.

“When Smoky was faced with her moment of truth, her ultimate test of 
character, this brave terrier did not shy away from her duty or 
disappoint her master,” said Jan McLoughlin, PDSA Director General, who 
presented Smoky’s posthumous Certificate for animal bravery. “Even if 
Smoky felt fear, did not stop her, nor prevent her from succeeding at 
the very moment it mattered most to her friends and colleagues.”

Smoky’s reward that day in 1945 was the biggest steak the canteen could 
find. She also won the recognition that she was no longer just a mascot: 
from then on she was regarded by her fellow soldiers as a serving war 
dog. With Bill at her side, Smoky served in the Pacific until the end of 
the war.

After the formal instrument of surrender was signed on 2 September 1945 
on the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Bill and Smoky began to 
prepare for demob and the journey home to Cleveland. By this time 
Smoky’s coat, which Bill made from a green felt card table cover, 
bristled with military honours including Wings for 12 combat missions, 
the Asiatic Pacific campaign ribbon with eight battle stars, the 
Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two battle stars, and two Presidential 
Unit Citations (equivalent of the UK’s Distinguished Service Cross). 
Smoky died peacefully in her bed in Bill’s home, on 21 February 1957. 
There are six official memorials to Smoky in the US.

The PDSA Certificate for animal bravery was instituted in 2001 and each 
winner’s story is a unique account of inspiring bravery. Smoky is the 
eleventh recipient, and the first animal that served in WWII to be 
awarded the Certificate. Smoky has six Memorials nationally in the U.S. 
Smoky is the heroine of a memoir by Wynne titled " YORKIE DOODLE DANDY, 
or The Other Woman Was A Real dog."

PDSA - founded as the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals of the Poor 
in 1917 by Maria Dickin - is now the UK's leading veterinary charity. 
PDSA provides over 2 million free veterinary treatments for sick pets of 
needy and eligible owners each year. The charity does not receive 
government funding but relies entirely on donations to carry out its 
work. Maria Dickin CBE introduced the PDSA Dickin Medal in 1943 to 
recognise animal gallantry during WWII and its aftermath. .The PDSA Gold 
Medal for animal bravery, the Certificate and Commendation were 
introduced in 2001.

For more details go to www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards

ENDS

Notes to Editors

PDSA is the UK’s leading veterinary charity, providing free veterinary 
care for the sick and injured pets of people in need and promoting 
responsible pet ownership. For further information, photos and 
interviews, please contact Emily Malcolm or Isabel George in the Press 
Office on 01952 204 767, or e-mail malcolm.emily@pdsa.org.uk or 
george.isabel@pdsa.org.uk. For more information about PDSA visit 
www.pdsa.org.uk/mediacentre

And popcorn plant too

Message from Richard Ellers (geerichard@aol.com):

If you miss Friday's PD editorial retirees lunch (April 29 Wild Mango, 362 Great Northern Mall, North Olmsted )then you will miss getting a free grow-your-own popcorn planting/growing kit from Richard Ellers who said:
“Here's a chance for you or some other popcorn lover to grow and learn. I developed these kits for school teachers when I was an OSU Extension Master Gardener and a volunteer environmental educators.”
Each kit comes with full instructions, a gardening glossary, and enough seeds for a three by four feet plot.

Cartoonist Dick Dugan dies

DUGAN JAMES RICHARD "DICK" DUGAN, 85, passed away Saturday, April 16, 2011 at Hospice of the Western Reserve surrounded by his family.

For 39 years his cartoons, especially Chief Wahoo and Cleveland Brownie, were a fixture on the editorial and sports pages. If a colleague left the paper, he would draw a caricature that friends would sign as a going away present.

For the death notice go to http://obits.cleveland.com/obituaries/cleveland/obituary.aspx?n=james-richard-dugan-dick&pid=150393656

For the obituary by Grant Segall:

http://www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2011/04/dick_dugan_drew_caricatures_fo.html

Luncheon on April 29 in North Olmsted

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Casual unstructured lunch troupe

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January, April, July and October

Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: Noon, April 29

PLACE: Wild Mango, 362 Great Northern Mall, North Olmsted

Enter restaurant from parking lot behind Red Lobster, next to Sears.

Visit Wild Mango website for directions.

MENU: Order from menu on separate checks. Menu items include:

Asian Chicken Salad, $8

Bar-B-Q Ribs (Hawaiian style) $8

Roasted Duck Breast $12

Ginger Soy Glazed Salmon, $9

Chicken Cheese Cake, $7

RSVP By Tuesday April 26

Janet Beighle French (216) 221-2318, or jabfr519@sbcglobal.net or

JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923, or japallant@sbcglobal.net

Please notify if you want to be removed from list.

A review of Naughton's book

Tales of a serial prankster: Turning the boss’s office into a fun & inviting place

by Roy Peter ClarkPublished Apr. 11, 2011 12:01 amUpdated Apr. 11, 2011 10:40 am

In the sweet leisure of his retirement — if you don’t count the chemotherapy — former Poynter president Jim Naughton has penned a 257-page opus titled “46 Frogs: Tales of a Serial Prankster.”

Without the help of WikiLeaks or Romenesko, sources at Poynter have gotten their hands on one of the few available copies produced by Naughton himself. In spite of its playful title, Naughton’s professional memoir describes his experiences in such influential jobs as White House correspondent for The New York Times; managing editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer; and president of The Poynter Institute.

From his earliest days in journalism to his retirement four decades later, Naughton has littered American highways and byways with the detritus of his practical jokes. Some cost hundreds of dollars. Others tiptoed up to a line labeled “Against the Law.” And almost all involved animal husbandry, a circus cavalcade of dinosaurs, gorillas, elephants, camels, goats, sheep, chicken, crabs, and, of course, frogs.

The stories are entertaining enough. As beast fables they carry real lessons, about journalism and leadership, about life itself. Members of the Poynter faculty have mined this material and come up with a handful of gems. Over the next four days, Poynter.org will share some of Naughton’s stories in his own words. We will also explore what contemporary leaders can learn from such eccentric parables.

For the rest of the story go to http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/leadership-management/118951/tales-of-a-serial-prankster-turning-the-boss-office-into-a-fun-inviting-place/

No joking

Jim Naughton's " 46 Frogs: Tales of a Serial Prankster" has just been self published and

contains a fair amount of story telling about the PD.He worked at The PD from 1962-`1969 before moving on to New York, Philadelphia,and the Poytner Institute.

You can order it by going to: 

http://www.lulu.com/product/hardcover/46-frogs/15261161?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1

Got a minute?

Former PD book editor Jan Harayda gets accolades from New Jersey Monthly for her highly regarded blog, One Minute Book Reviews.
Check out the article, with a link to her blog, at
http://njmonthly.com/articles/best-of-Jersey/best-blogs.html

Thom Greer dead of cancer

BRATENAHL, Ohio -- Thom Greer, a pioneering journalist who rose from covering the suburbs to being one of the first black editors of a major daily newspaper, died Sunday, March 27, 2011, of cancer. He was 69.
Greer became editor of The Plain Dealer in 1990 – 26 years after beginning his journalism career in Trenton, New Jersey. He was one of only three black journalists to lead newsrooms at major daily newspapers at that time.
"Thom was a role model for me and many other young African American journalists," said close friend Gregory Moore, Plain Dealer state editor when Greer came in 1983, now editor of the Denver Post. "He was just an incredible story-teller.

For more of Grant Segall's obit go to:

http://www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2011/03/thomas_h_greer_was_a_pioneerin.html

Press' Betty Klaric died

Former Press reporter Betty Klaric died Thursday, Feb. 24. She was the first female president of Local 1, the Newspaper Guild.

Grant Segal's obit says she also galvanized the environmental movement.
"All that was just in her first career. When the Cleveland Press folded, she became a government lawyer.
Klaric, 79, died at the Hospice of the Western Reserve from complications of brain cancer.
In 1964, she persuaded editors to give her one of the first full-time environmental beats on a daily newspaper. Her stories on the Cuyahoga River helped inspire sweeping environmental laws, a presidential commendation, a gubernatorial award and more."

For the complete obit got to:
http://www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2011/02/betty_klaric_was_a_pioneering.html

January lunch scheduled for East Side

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates
Casual unstructured lunch troupe
Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January, April, July and October
Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, Jan. 28

PLACE: Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar
Eton Place, 28601 Chagrin Blvd. (West end, behind Charter One)

East of the Chagrin exit from I-271. Stay RIGHT in Chagrin eastbound lanes east of I-271 bridge, then turn north into Eton Place. Underground parking available (blue canopy). Ask about strange street configuration.

MENU: Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich and one side $9.95
Fresh Portobello Sandwich and one side $9.95
Key West Crispy Chicken Wrap, $8.95. (Add salad for $3.95)
Beverage, tax, and tip extra.
Select sides at restaurant. Salad, soup, and dessert available.

RSVP By Tuesday Jan. 25
Janet Beighle French (216) 221-2318, or jabfr519@sbcglobal.net or
JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923, or japallant@sbcglobal.net
Please notify if you want to be removed from list.

Van's obit

Here's Michael Sangiacomo's obit on Van.


Van Richmond was never comfortable in the limelight. Even though Plain Dealer readers saw his work for more than 30 years, they rarely saw his name.

Richmond, 85, of Rocky River, who died Wednesday after complications from kidney problems, was the Page One editor at the newspaper for many years until his retirement on March 1, 1994.

The day Richmond retired, he slipped out the back door of the newsroom, eschewing the usual punch and platitudes. Chuck Caton, who worked with Richmond for years and assumed some of his duties, informed the rest of the newsroom with a simple email: "Elvis has left the building."

Born in Chicago, Richmond lived in Wisconsin and Bergen N.Y., before joining the Army in 1943.

After leaving the service, he went to Villanova University, near Philadelphia, and majored in engineering until a Jesuit priest gave him some advice.

"He said the priest told him he was a pretty good writer but not so hot in engineering and suggested a career change," said his widow, Elizabeth. "He transferred to the University of Iowa, switched to journalism and graduated in 1950."

Richmond worked at the Rockford Register Republic in Rockford, Ill., for 10 years before taking a job at The Plain Dealer in 1960.

He worked in several editing positions at the Plain Dealer before becoming Page One editor.

Caton, now the newspaper's assistant news editor, said Richmond helped make the newsroom an interesting place.

"He was a rock, a feisty guy with strong opinions," Caton said. "He was quick to let his opinions be known but put them aside when it came down to the front page. There, he was always straight down the line. He was a blue-collar guy from Chicago who just wanted to do his job."

Another associate, Rosemary Kovacs, said she learned her craft from Richmond.

"He was a great editor and teacher," she said. "He tried to act like an old curmudgeon, but underneath he was a softy."

In addition to his widow, he is survived by his son, Jerome, of Lakewood, and daughter, Anne, of Harrisonburg, Va.; his stepchildren, Michelle Miller of Rocky River; James Anderson of Westlake and Kathryn Harttrup of Seattle; and eight grandchildren. His first wife, Jean, died in 1989.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lakewood Baptist Church, 14321 Detroit Avenue.

Curt Chandler, former photographer, recalls:I'll never forget the look on Van's face the night I ran across the top of his desk to get from my spot inside the rim to edit a breaking news picture inside the photo lab. He was a newsroom icon.


Here's a remembrance by Bill Lucey: http://www.billlucey.com/2010/12/recollections-of-plain-dealer-page-one-editor-van-richmond.html

Van Richmond dies

From the PD death notice:
VAN R. RICHMOND entered eternal rest on Dec. 22, 2010. Beloved husband of Elizabeth (nee Dillow) and the late Jean (nee Muth); loving father of Jerome Richmond and Ann Pettit (Patrick); dear stepfather of Michele Miller (Matthew), James Anderson (Carrie) and Kathryn Harttrup (Jonathon); cherished grandfather of Cody, Connall, Lilli, Mairead, Brigid, Abbi, Meredith and Max. A memorial service will be held Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 at 2 p.m. at Lakewood Baptist Church, 14321 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Salvation Army.

From his PD friends:
He was.... a gigantic salad maker, some concoctions rivaling the terminal tower; an editor who knew the value of an exacto knife; a proud family man; a no-nonsense guy with a quick sense of humor.

Death of Obits

Former PD reporter Jim Naughton has a thought-provoking piece about the dearth and "death of obits" on the Obit site. He says that a study shows newspapers are running fewer, shorter obits or shifting them to classified ad revenue category.
But its study of obituary readership, mostly at smaller newspapers, “shows that obituaries -- along with community announcements and stories about ordinary people -- have the highest potential of all news items to grow readership," he writes.

You can read the complete article at:

http://obit-mag.com/articles/a-death-notice-for-obituaries

Our newest alum

Elizabeth McIntyre is leaving the PD after 20 years in the newsroom. Her last day is 11/24.
Elizabeth started on the copy desk in 1990 and ended up in 2007 as Deputy Managing Editor/Content, with many stops in between.

What's next? She'll decide on her next move after a real holiday season with her family.

Holiday book sale!

PD alumni,

Mark your calendars for one of the finest perks in our building: the semi-annual sale of books, music, DVDs, audiobooks and sundries that have accumulated all year.

You will find a boxed set of Malcolm Gladwell titles, the Doonesbury retrospective ($100 retail), impeccable classical recordings, a stylish umbrella, Barbara Streisand's new coffee table book, hundreds of children's volumes and thousands of other great gifts.

The heartwarming parts are 2-fold -- we're keeping the prices steady -- $3 hardcover, $2 paperbacks, $10 coffee-table books -- and all proceeds go to United Way.

The housekeeping parts: Pay your book cart IOUs to gain admission. No early bird bids; no cruising the items beforehand. Limit of 10 children's books the first day. No hoarding and sorting -- be considerate of colleagues.

The sale will run in the second floor community room Thursday, Dec. 2, from 3 to 6 p.m., and half-price Friday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Happy shopping,

Karen Long

Photo editor Ray Majestic dies

Ray Matjasic led Plain Dealer photographers and won national awards
Published: Thursday, November 18, 2010, 3:20 PM Updated: Thursday, November 18, 2010, 3:26 PM
Grant Segall



Whether shooting photos for the Marines or The Plain Dealer, Ray Matjasic never hesitated to charge into danger.

"Ray was the best street photographer I ever knew," retired PD Picture Editor Bob Dorksen said Thursday. "He was aggressive. He knew the cops. He could get into places others couldn't."

Matjasic died Tuesday, Nov. 16, one day after turning 90, at the Slovenian Home for the Aged.

The nationally honored Matjasic started delivering Plain Dealers at age 9, rising at 3:30 a.m. to haul them in a wagon. The PD became his only full-time civilian employer. He worked at the newspaper from 1938 to 1983, retiring as chief photographer.

Matjasic (pronounced muh-JAY-sic) limped from bullet and shrapnel wounds incurred while crawling through the sands of Taipan, photographing the U.S. invasion during World War II. That didn't stop him, after returning to Cleveland, from rushing into riots and more, snapping on the run. He once ran alongside police chasing a gunman suspected of robberies. The suspect finally turned the gun on himself.

Matjasic could shoot joy, too. He photographed the inaugurations of presidents Nixon and Carter. He shot his daughter, Judy, and her collie playing in the family's Euclid home for a Better Living section cover on recreation rooms.

Jack Nicklaus once said his favorite picture of himself on the links was Matjasic's shot of the native Ohioan carrying his 4-year-old son, Gary, on his shoulder after winning the Professional Golf Association Championship at the Canterbury Golf Club in 1973. The photographer signed a copy, and Nicklaus hung it at home in Florida.

Matjasic covered both joy and woe with the Indians, photographing the World Series in 1948 and 1954.

Colleagues said he led the photo department like a Marine, chomping a cigar, barking orders, making sure tables were cleaned and sinks scrubbed. "He was a strong leader who made sure we got our work done as well as we could," said photographer David I. Andersen.

Matjasic was born in Cleveland and raised on Addison Road in a family of six. During the Depression, the family sometimes earned less than $10 per week. So Ray started delivering papers for $7.50 per week. Not owning galoshes, he would dry his shoes in the oven between deliveries and school.

He graduated John Hay High School and joined the PD's circulation department. He rose to district manager, befriended photographers after work and learned their trade.

Then he joined the Marines and photographed them in action across the South Pacific. At Taipan in 1944, he took shrapnel in the knee and, while lying in the sand for six hours, took a bullet in the hip.

In 1945, he joined the PD's photo department, shooting on crutches at first. He rose to chief photographer in 1964.

His many scoops included an exclusive invitation to the home of the slain Marlene Steele and her husband, Robert, a Euclid municipal judge, later convicted of conspiring in her death. He won more than 50 local, state or national awards, including best in show from the Columbia School of Journalism and a berth in the Cleveland Press Club Hall of Fame.

Matjascic lectured on photography at Ohio State, Bowling Green State, Kent State and elsewhere. In 1969, he helped found the Cleveland Chapter of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association and became its vice president. He liked to fish in Lake Erie, New York's Lake Chautauqua, Florida, Mexico and elsewhere.

He left Euclid for the Slovenian Home about 10 years ago. He lost his wife, the former Emma Pelcar, in July and their son, Raymond Jr., in October. The son had retired from his father's old circulation department at the PD.

Raymond Aloysius Matjasic

1920-2010

Survivors: daughter, Judith Smith of Willougby, and three grandchildren.

Funeral: pending

Contributions: Slovene Home for the Aged, 18621 Neff Road, Cleveland OH 44119, slovenehome.org.

Arrangements: Monreal Funeral Home

Former PD photographer Bill Wynne recalls:


I am sorry to hear my colleague Ray Matjasic has died. It has been most difficult for Ray and his family the past few years, Another of our great newspaper journalists has passed and we mourn each of them for the loss of their own personal contributions in communicating whether by keyboard or camera. Our whole life experiences influence how each of us see, judge, and interpret what we are witnessing. A photographer keyed to grasp instantly a situation, Ray's greatest attributes were first tenaciousness, beat the competition. This followed, whether in chess, checkers or cards , but particularly with cameras. And then interpretation, his communicating to readers, was implemented by pure instinct, He had a tough early life giving him a definite advantage. He recognized situations giving him insights in foreseeing what would unfold before him, resulting what is best expressed, by the old adage " a picture is worth a 1000 words. " May you rest in peace old friend.

Whitey Watzman wrote:

I'm really saddened to be reading about the death of Ray Matjasic, a guy I was paired with on many assignments over a long period of years.

Ray, in my opinion, was the greatest, a newsman down to the very depths of his soul, "the best street photographer" in Cleveland, as Bob Dorksen said. I like that phrase. It really sums up who Ray was. He could have been cast in the Ben Hecht play, "The Front Page."

But besides having smarts, he was a high-quality photographer, and his suggestions to me were always right on the nose, from the time he sort of took me under his wing when I became a reporter at the old P.D.

Whitey

Dan Coughlin's new book

Lorain Journal Columnist and former Cleveland Magazine Editor Rich Osborne has a nice column about former PD sport writer Dan Coughlin's new book, “Crazy, With the Papers to Prove It,” published recently by Gray & Company. He talks about the story Dan didn't put in his book -- the time Dan was president of the Press Club of Cleveland and talked the board into buying a racehorse. You can check it out at http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2010/11/14/opinion/mj3668858.txt

Fashionable Kim's boutique

Former PD style editor Kim Crow has gone from telling us about fashion to selling fashion. She has opened a fabulous boutique in Tremont called Evie Lou, offering contemporary clothing for all shapes and sizes. (She named it after a mini-fashionista niece.)

Stop in for a look at 2153 Professor Ave. in Cleveland. Hours and details can be found at her website, www.evielou.com.
Her husband, Ted Crow, is an artist at The PD.

Mark Russell, editor of Orlando Sentinel

Former Plain Dealer assistant ME and reporter Mark Russell was named editor of the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday, accepting the top newsroom job six years after arriving at the news operation.

Russell, who was managing editor and then "print news manager" in a newsroom reorganization, succeeds Charlotte Hall, who retired on Oct. 1.

"I am honored and humbled to become editor of the Sentinel and the leader of such a talented and hard-working staff of journalists," Russell said in an announcement. "I intend to drive hard to produce watchdog journalism and expand our digital game to make sure we're delivering compelling content on mobile and the web as well as in print."

Before joining the Sentinel, Mark was assistant managing editor/metro at The Plain Dealer. Before that, Mark was The Plain Dealer's business editor for four years. He started at the newspaper in 1987 as a business reporter and later moved to the city desk and then served as an assistant city editor. Mark left The Plain Dealer to join The Boston Globe as assistant metropolitan editor in 1993, a position he held for two years before returning to The Plain Dealer.

Earlier in his career, Mark was a staff reporter for nearly three years in The Wall Street Journal’s Cleveland and Pittsburgh bureaus.

Let's have lunch!

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates
Casual unstructured lunch troupe
Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January, April, July and October
Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, Oct. 29

PLACE: Li Wah, 2999 Payne Ave (Asian Plaza, E 30th St, and Payne)
Parking adjacent to plaza and in lot off E. 29th St.

COST: $12 Janet and JoAnn will collect money so, if possible,
please have correct change

MENU: Family style meal includes Won ton soup, appetizer, chicken and beef main dishes, rice, tea, cookie

RSVP By Tuesday Oct. 26
Janet Beighle French (216) 221-2318, or jbfr519@sbcglobal.net or
JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923, or japallant@sbcglobal.net

Re-connect with Pauline Thoma

Pauline Thoma's daughter, Judy Nicoloff, reports that Pauline has moved to assisted living and would love to hear from other retirees.
Pauline is at Sunrise of Rocky River, 21600 Detroit, Rocky River, OH 44116 and her phone is 440-895-2355.

Cavs writers joins ESPN

Brian Windhorst, who covered the Cavs for the Akron Beacon Journal and The Plain Dealer is going to ESPN's new show: “The Heat Index," a special venture devoted to coverage of the Miami Heat and LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

You can read more about it at Clevescene.com and the BJ alumni blog:http://bjretirees.blogspot.com

Dubail on the move

After nearly 19 years, Jean Dubail is leaving The PD. HE says" "I'm staying in Cleveland, but leaving the newspaper to work for patch.com, which is a network of local news websites owned by AOL."
Jean was a reporter, an assistant city editor, editorial writer, metro editor and online editor for Cleveland.com. He's a native of St. Louis.

It was a full house at Don Bean's funeral and friends from far and wide were in attendance. Bean told people that he liked to go to funerals as long as he was the star. That day, he was the star.

Jim Naughton, former PD and Philadelphia reporter came from Florida. George Condon came from Washington. He said Bean was so proud of influencing Naughton in prank making. In the photos, from top, George talks with Doris O'Donnell, Naughton talks with Olga Bean, and Jim and George.

Jeanne Albers

Jeanne Albers died at age 66 in Santa Monica, California, Thursday morning. Cancer. She wrote in The Plain Dealer fashion department for a few years in the late 1960s. She wrote occasional essays in a form called "Dear Friend" letters. She was a Cleveland native, West Park area. She then went east for a few years and then to California. She and her second husband lived in Santa Monica for the last 20 years or so. No children. Dan Coughlin got the news from his sister, Cathy Breninghouse, who was her good friend since high school and kept in touch

Bean wrote his own obit

While Grant Segal wrote the official obit of Don Bean for The Plain Dealer, Bean wrote his own draft of his obit. Former obit writer Alana Baranack posted it on her blot at:http://obitsohio.blogspot.com/

Bean's obit

This is the official obit as written by Grant Segal. Bean wrote his own obit and former obit writer Alana Baranack posted it on her blog:obitsohio.blogspot.com

Parma -- Unfortunately, this obituary isn't just another of Don Bean's pranks.

The long-time Plain Dealer scribe, who phoned in tycoon Cyrus Eaton's death under deadline in 1967, 12 years too soon, died Sunday at MetroHealth Medical Center from pneumonia. He was 82.

As Bean often shouted, "It really happened."

In a free-wheeling field, "Beaner" led the way. He convinced rookie reporters to go interview the mother of the unknown soldier and cover a convention of black governors when there were none. He persuaded editors to run a fictional story about "Johnny Pot," supposedly the Johnny Appleseed of marijuana.

When Bean wasn't funny, he was passionate. Short, stocky and loud, he climbed onto chairs at meetings and exhorted colleagues as president of the Cleveland Newspaper Guild and as a trustee of Church in the V.

During a strike, he stood up to a charge by mounted police. He also pressed charges in vain against a member of a rival union who supposedly struck him in the head from behind.

But Bean didn't just inspire stories. He wrote them. Colleagues say that beneath the commotion was a great reporter and mentor.

"He had sources all over the place and got all the information the rest of us couldn't get," said Tom Gaumer, a retired reporter and editor.

Bean covered the Hough and Glenville riots and Dr. Sam Sheppard's murder trial. He persuaded George Steinbrenner, who ran American Ship Building Co. before the Yankees, to release the names of three workers killed in an explosion. He said he pressed a suburban police chief so hard for information, the chief lunged across the desk and grabbed Bean's throat.

He could be sensitive, too. "This guy felt for the people he wrote about," said long-time colleague Jack Hagan.

Bean was inducted to the Press Club of Cleveland's Journalism Hall of Fame.

He once played Santa Claus on downtown streets. The rest of the year, he felt like Santa's favorite.

"There wasn't a day that I didn't want to go to work," he recently wrote.

A pro to the end, Bean wrote up material for his obit. He said he was one of five boys raised in Northfield. He graduated from what's now Nordonia Hills High School in 1946 and served in the U.S. Air Force off the Bering Strait. He graduated from Kent State University in 1954.

He worked for the Cleveland News, Cleveland Press, wire services and radio stations. He lost a race for Parma city council in 1959.

In 1961, Bean joined the PD. He variously worked as assistant city editor and covered features, courts, cops, City Hall, general assignment, obits and more.

While working at a southwest suburban bureau, the long-time Parma resident swung by the downtown office in a Stroh's T-shirt, Bermuda shorts and white socks.

Working nights for years, Bean was the rare father in the 1960s at his three children's school events and on their field trips, including a three-day tour of Washington, D.C.

Bean wrote a PD magazine piece in 1983 about giving up liquor. He'd been one of many hard-drinking reporters and driven a company car into wet cement.

In 1980, he checked into Edwin Shaw Hospital for four weeks of treatment for alcoholism. He said he never had another drink. But other habits died hard. After checking out, he bought a carton of pop, called the city desk and bragged about downing a six-pack.

Bean retired in 1994. He golfed, hiked, wrote a history of his church and gave several gallons of blood over the years.One of the most popular Bean stories has him pushing the publisher out of a first-story window.

"Wish I had," Bean said last year. "Great story."

Donald Lee Bean

1928-2010

Survivors: Wife, the former Olga Fedorovich; children, Nadine M. Bean of West Chester, Pa., Matthew M. of Wickenburg, Ariz, and Scott A. of Parma; six granddaughters and a great-granddaughter.

Funeral: 11 a.m. Saturday, Church in the Valley, 2241 Everett Road, Boston Township.

Arrangements: Mallchok Funeral Home

Bean's life in the Depression

Don Bean wrote a 19-page remembrance of life in the Depression. It can be seen at http://hson.info/Bean.pdf

says Stu Abbey.

Don Bean dies

Donald Leander Bean, bean like in lima bean, died Sunday afternoon, Sept. 19, 2010, at Parma Community Hospital. He had been in the hospital about a week or so with pneumonia and congestive heart failure. They were planning to transfer him to Metro General but he didn't make it. Services are pending.

They don't make 'em like Bean anymore. Bring on the stories. Big Jaw Jackson. Johnny Pot. The plane crash that wasn't. The mother of the unknown soldier assignment. All those Guild meetings, Stand up, Bean.

Here's a shot John Tidyman took of him golfing about 2 weeks ago. Played better than ever, he said.

Send us your memories...

Dan Biddle, author

Former Plain Dealer reporter and all-around great guy Dan Biddle (and some other guy) wrote a great book called "Tasting Freedom" about the early days of the civil rights movement. I just spent a week with Dan and Cindy Roberts and they are lovely as ever.
You can go here to read some excerpts or skip to the bottom of this message to get to the link to amazon.com if you'd like to order the book. Spread the word about the book.. I'm sure Dan will be in Cleveland for a book signing one of these days. I'll keep you posted. - Jack Hagan

http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1839_reg.html

This just in!

Want to be notified when we post something new to the PD alumni blog?
Go to http://www.pdalumni.blogspot.com/rss.xml and follow a couple of easy steps.
You'll be the first to know when we have news.

Look who we ran into

Lots of former PD people were spotted Sat. night July 31, 2010 at a birthday party for Sue Zimmerman, former free lancer for the PD now teaching at KSU.
Former bureau chief George Condon Jr. right, of Washington, D.C. was back in town visiting his father who was in the hospital. George is now with Congressional Daily since Copley closed its Washington Bureau.
With Sue Zimmerman, right, is Betsy Lammerding, retired Beacon Journal deputy features editor.,
Below them is former reporter Tom Andrzejewski, now a media consultant, and Terry Pederson, former Living editor and now a writer for a Cleveland Clinic publication. Wilma Salisbury, former dance critic, sits with Tom A. Former photographer Diana McNees didn't have a camera but Paula Slimak, former reporter, did. Bob McAuley chats with Doug Kramer, who still works at the PD as a copy editor.
Also there were Jim Cox, former PD reporter and now a media consulant, and Jim Darr, who works for the Bond Accountability Commission which works with Cleveland Schools.

A Tinker sighting in central Pennsylvania!

Former PD infographics artist Virginia Tinker Brace stopped by Philipsburg, Pa., for a visit with former PD photographer Curt Chandler and his wife Stacie. Tinker was in the area for a reunion at her alma mater, Lock Haven University. Tinker lives in Fredericksburg, Va., with her daughters Ali and Emma and works for Capital One Finance in Richmond, Va. Curt and Stacie both work at Penn State University, where he teaches multimedia reporting and she works in the Intensive English Communication Program.

Latest lunch

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Casual unstructured lunch troupe

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January, April, July and October

Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, July 30

PLACE: Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights

(top of Cedar Hill)

COST: $20.50, includes salad, non-alcoholic beverages, tax and tip.

CHOICES: Roasted Duck Breast Salad (baby greens, shallots, walnuts)

Dublin Lawyer (lobster and mushrooms in whiskey sauce)

Grilled Vegetable Plate

Hamburger Plate

RSVP by July 23

Janet Beighle French (216) 221-2318, or jbfr519@sbcglobal.net or

JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923, or japallant@sbcglobal.net

PD book sale July 8-9

Thousands of books, music CDs, books-on-CD -- as well as a few movies and TV series DVDs --will go on sale July 8th and 9th in the second floor community room.

The sale will run from 3-5:30 p.m Thursday, July 8 and from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, July 9. Prices will hold steady at $3 hardcover and $2 paperbacks. The second day is half-price (meaning a hardcover, retailing for as much as $30-$35, will be available for $1.50). Proceeds go to the United Way.

We have hundreds of children's books, including some classics, best-sellers in fiction and nonfiction, as well as new authors to take a chance on. We have romance, poetry, science fiction, mystery and graphic novels. We have cookbooks, history, biography and memoir. We also have hundreds of books on CD for those long car trips -- which we sell for $8, retailing for as much as $45-$50.

Here is your chance to contribute to charity and scoop up some bargains. See you there.

Karen Long