Russ Kane dies

Russ Kane, former city editor, copy editor, promotions director, died Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009 in the VA hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. His daughter Barbara was at his side, holding his hand when he died at 3:30 p.m., according to his son Rob. Russ had had a stroke in late November.

Here's the link to the obit by Tom Feran:

www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2009/12/russell_kane_former_plain_deal.html

Still more to learn at 90

Jean Elsner, the wife of the late editorial writer Sid Elsner, got a nice front page story on Wed, Dec. 12, about her still taking classes at CSU at age 90:

"Jean Elsner , 90, of South Euclid, is a life-long bookworm and has been taking classes at Clev for the last 27 years. Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, CSU will present her with a special medal during the graduation ceremony. Elsner graduated the first time in 1941 from Ohio University. Elsner, who has never driven a car, still takes the bus to her classes. "

For the rest of the story:

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/12/at_90_cleveland_state_universi.html

Harry West revisited

Pat and Ralph Gessler had breakfast with Harry West at the Paris hotel in Las Vegas in September. West, a former features editor, isn't golfing anymore but loves keno, says Pat, a former news editor/systems guru. Ralph, a former printer, is still working in circulation.

Russ Kane has stroke

Russ Kane, who had a stroke Nov. 25, is in Palo Alto, Calif. VA hospital . He's in building 100, ward 4A, the hospice unit. Russ was a city editor and Sunday Magazine editor, among other positions.

His son Rob Adams-Kane, a former PD copyaide, says "he's surrounded by grandkids and others and getting as many visitors as he can stand. From time to time he throws them all out, via minute but unmistakable gestures. He's very weak. Russell has chosen to not receive significant nutrition or hydration since his move to the VA.

The address is 3801 Miranda Ave., Palo Alto CA, 94304.

Rob says Russell is "greatly enjoying the stories in John Tidyman's new book, Gimme Rewrite Sweetheart, which we're reading aloud for him. "

Alumni invited to Book Sale

The Plain Dealer Holiday Book Sale is on deck for Thursday, Dec. 3 from 3-5:30 p.m. in the second floor community room. Security Guards have been alerted to admit former Plain Dealer employees.

Prices haven't risen: $3 hardcover; $2 paperback, $2 CDs, $10 coffee table books, $8 and $5 audiobooks. Also music CDs and ample kids books. Limit of these to 10 per customer per day.

Half - price day is Friday, Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to noon.

See you there.

Tales of Snyderman

 Seems that there are a few domestic tales about the late Bob Snyder, aka Snyderman, in the book just out by his widow Pat Snyder, "The Dog Ate My Planner: Tales and Tips from an Overbooked Life."

 

    The book features Bob as Gadget Man, obsessed with electronic devices, and shares other well-kept secrets such as his obsession with flossing, his ploys to beat the American health care system, and his personal filing (or not) system.   

 

    You can read more by going to the book's web page, http://www.TheDogAteMyPlanner.com, or Pat's web page, http://www.PatSnyderOnline.com. 

 

 

 

Friday, Oct. 30 Luncheon Date

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Casual unstructured lunch troupe

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

Spouses and guests always welcome

 

NEXT  LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, October 30

 

PLACE: Stancato’s, 7380 State Road (Ohio 94), Parma,

 Strip mall near intersection with West Pleasant Valley Road

From I-480 take State Road south

From I-77, Ohio 82 (Wallings Road), west to State Road, then north

From I-71, Ohio 82 east to State Road, then north

 

COST: Buffet $6.95, plus beverage, dessert (optional), and tip

 

RSVP by Friday, October 23

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

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

 

Future gatherings: January 29, April 30, and July 30

Miller's memorial

Bill Miller's memorial Friday, Oct. 2, 2009  at the Ohio theatre was quite a party. Here's a link to photos and tributes:

http://www.clevelandpeople.com/other/william-miller.htm

Cy Wainscott, managing editor/production

By Judy Wainscott

 Cy Wainscott, 74, who died September 27th at home in Gambier, was literally raised in movie theaters in north central Illinois (Rantoul 
 and Champaign-Urbana), where his parents managed theaters.

 He and his 
 brother, Marc, would report to work there after school.

 One of Cy’s  special jobs, he recently told his wife, Judy, was making popcorn in the  theater basement, bagging it with lots of salt and butter, then taking it up to the candy stand. When he or Marc tired of the feature movie, 
 they would nap on cots in the projection room, entertaining one another 
 by acting out favorite scenes until they fell asleep.

 

Cy never lost his 
 love for popcorn—his comfort food—or for the movies of the 30’s and 
 40’s. As he realized he was dying from cancer, he cheered himself by 
watching dozens of old movies on DVD.

 
 His early career goal was the Lutheran ministry and he prepared at 
Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. During his senior year, he worked on 
 the college newspaper and decided he would make a better newsman than  preacher. He never regretted that decision.

 

His first job after graduating in 1957 was as a reporter for the Ashland (OH) Times-Gazette. He was soon managing editor, the youngest in the state at that time.

 In  1962, he joined The Plain Dealer as a copy editor and was eventually a 
 Managing Editor, responsible for overseeing the production of the 
newspaper. He was a member of Unit One, the American Newspaper Guild, and of the journalism fraternity, Sigma Delta Chi, and past president of 
 the Press Club of Cleveland.

During the 1980s, for five years, he was publicity director of Kansas 
 State University in Manhattan, KS. He left to join a division of 
 Eastman-Kodak in Boston that made computer systems for newspapers. He saw the world on that job, consulting with newspapers in New Zealand, 
 Poland, Sweden, Scotland and England, including the Times of London.
 
 In 1991, Cy and Judy returned to a home they’d purchased in Gambier, her 
hometown, where he joined the Kenyon (College) Review as Managing 
 Editor. He also served as advisor to the student newspaper, The 
 Collegiate, and was selected all-campus advisor-of-the-year.

 He retired 
 in 1995 to pursue hobbies, including the King Arthur legend, model 
 trains, tropical fish and heraldry. He loved to design coats of arms and 
 was working on a set for the Board of Trustees of Kenyon when he died.     
  

During a trip to England in the 1960’s, he was so moved by a service at 
 Westminster Abbey he returned home an Episcopalian. He was an active 
 member of Harcourt Parish Episcopal Church in Gambier where a memorial 
 service will be held Saturday, October 24 at 11 am.

 Besides Cy’s widow, Judith McCluskey Wainscott, whom he married in 1965, 
he is survived by his mother, Frances McDaniel Wainscott Grantham, of 
Fairborn, OH. Other survivors include his brother Marc’s widow, also 
 Judy Wainscott, of Fairborn; his brother-in law Jon (Tony) McCluskey and 
 his wife, Bonnie, of Appleton, WI; a nephew, Charlie McCluskey, of 
 Oshkosh, WI; a neice, Paige McCluskey Richards of Milwaukee and her 
 husband, Erik, and their daughters, Sadie and Stella. Cy’s father, Cyril 
 Emmett Wainscott, died in 1958. Cy’s widow requests that memorial 
 donations be made to favorite charities.

For funeral home info and to leave condolences visit  http://www.snyderfuneralhomes.com/\

Alana Baranack has an obit with lots of photos at http://obitsohio.com/2009/09/28/cy-wainscott-74-gambier/

The Plain Dealer's obit can be read at http://www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2009/09/cy_wainscott_former_managing_e.html

Jane Moulton, food writer

JANE H. MOULTON, 83,  an assistant food editor and wine columnist  for the PD from  1967-1992,  died  Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009 at South Pointe Hospital in Warrensville Heights

 A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. at the Church In Aurora with Rev. Kevin Horak officiating. Mrs. Moulton will be buried in Aurora City Cemetery.  

The entire death notice is at www.greenfamilyfuneralhome. com. The obituary will be in the Plain Dealer on Tuesday, Sept. 29,2009.

Nancy Lee weds Marie Wilson

Nancy Ann Lee and Marie Collins Wilson were married Friday in Aquinnah, Mass. The Rev. Dr. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, an Episcopal priest, officiated at the Outermost Inn.
Ms. Lee (left) 56, is the editor and vice president for licensing of The New York Times Syndicate. She graduated magna cum laude from Kent State University.  She was a Plain Dealer copy editor and assistant photo editor in the 70s. 
She is the daughter of Joyce I. Lee of Fort Myers, Fla., and the late James E. Lee.
Ms. Wilson, 69, is the founder and president of the White House Project, a nonprofit organization in New York that promotes women’s leadership in business and government. She graduated from the University of Delaware and received a Master of Science in higher education from Drake University.
Until 2004, she was the president of the Ms. Foundation for Women in New York. She is a creator of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Her first marriage ended in divorce.
She is the daughter of Myrtle M. Collins of Atlanta and the late Henry A. Collins.

Help wanted: Copy editor

A new website, http://www.sportsink.com, covers high school sports in Medina and Summit counties. SportsInk is looking for a copy editor to wrangle stories into good shape and sniff out extra info as needed.

SportsInk is also offering the SportsInk software to writers who want to cover high school sports in areas outside of Medina and Summit counties. Find out more info at http://www.sports-reporting.net

William F. Miller Memorial Celebration

A tribute to the late William F. Miller, Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter and dear friend to Cleveland's vast ethnic community, is set for Friday October 2nd, 5:30pm, in the beautiful Ohio Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, 1501 Euclid Ave, downtown Cleveland.
Because of William's efforts in helping save the historic and now thriving theaters, PlayhouseSquare has generously offered the Ohio Theatre for this celebration of his life.

Friends from Cleveland's ethnic, civic, media and arts communities will gather to salute Bill's 40-year career as one of Greater Cleveland's most accomplished, passionate and charismatic journalists.

William F. "Wolfgang" Miller: writer, photographer, polka singer, devoted friend, loving husband and father. An exciting guy who could energize a room!

Join us for a night of great stories, joyous memories, special guests, music and more.

Dick Russ, Managing Editor of WKYC-TV Channel 3, will emcee the tribute.

A cocktail reception will be held in the theater following the program. This celebration of Bill’s life and achievements are free and open to the public.


For more information, please contact:

Billy Miller (organizer)
212-598-4902
Email: Billyartnyc@yahoo.com

August Pust (organizer)
216-261-2690
Email: Gapust@aol.com

Jeannie Emser (PlayhouseSquare)
216-348-5271
Email: emserj@playhousesquare.org

Job tip from Mark Puente

The sheriff's office is looking for a PIO. The deadline is 8/26/09 to apply. Any journalist or former journalist would get hired. That is what the sheriff is looking for. The starting pay is only about $19 an hour but would be good for someone who retired or took the buyout. It includes government benefits. I saw the posting on a bulletin board. The number is 216-443-6000.

The drawback is that person would have to deal with my 10 calls a day.

-- Mark

Press Club names latest Hall of Famers

PD columnist Regina Brett, retired photographer Bill Wynn, editorial page editor Betsy Sullivan and former Plain Dealer reporter Walt Bogdanich will be among the group to be inducted in the Press Club of Cleveland's Hall of Fame in October. (Sullivan and Bogdanich were chosen last year but were unable to attend the induction ceremony. ) Joining them will be three WKYC staffers: sports director Jim Donovan, managing editor Dick Russ and Paul Sciria, a former WKYC reporter and a pioneer in the ethnic press. For the full story follow the link:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/08/regina_brett_jim_donovan_5_oth.html

Snuffy Berkov, Walt's widow, dies

Here's a link to the death notice: http://obits.cleveland.com/obituaries/cleveland/obituary.aspx?n=janet-berkov-snuffy&pid=131077030

Walt was a wire editor and book editor. He died in 2006 in Ocean Pines, Md.

A remembrance of Bill Miller

Bill Lucey, a former copy aide and library clerk, has a remembrance of Bill Miller on his blog: http://www.billlucey.com/

Walt Berkov's widow dies

Snuffy Berkov, the late Walt Berkov's wife, died in Ocean Pines, MD. Here's a link to the death notice.http://obits.cleveland.com/obituaries/cleveland/obituary.aspx?n=janet-berkov-snuffy&pid=131077030

William F. Miller dies

Below is the obituary on cleveland.com. Alana Baranick has also posted an obit on her website, www.obitsohio.com. She is seeking a photo of Bill, so if any alumni have one, please contact her.


By Grant Segall and Mike O'Malley/Plain Dealer Reporters
Tuesday August 04, 2009, 11:17 AM

MENTOR — The big, boisterous William F. Miller rescued fire victims, dressed down election officials for slow returns, won leading awards from journalism groups and foreign governments, sang on a single with Frankie Yankovic's band, crusaded against newsroom smoking, helped strikers around the country and befriended all of Cleveland's many ethnic communities.
Miller, 73, died Monday at LakeEast Hospital, two weeks after a massive stroke.
He worked at The Plain Dealer from 1959 to 2001, covering labor, poverty and ethnic groups. He also emceed ethnic festivals and burst into song.
In various accents, strangers often told his colleagues, "You know Bill Miller? Bill Miller my friend."
Alex Machaskee, former Plain Dealer publisher, said, "He will most certainly be missed and always revered as our ambassador to our international communities."
Dennis Kucinich, a PD copy boy turned congressman, once said of Miller, "He has communicated the incredible beauty of our cultural mosaic in a way that has been both moving and entertaining."
Miller won top statewide awards for articles and took photographs on the side that were displayed in Willoughby, Slovenia, Croatia and Yugoslavia. He traveled widely, often as the guest of foreign governments, and learned snippets of dozens of languages.
He once found a Cleveland boarding house on fire and dragged out elderly residents, helping the fire department rescue the 21 occupants without injuries.
His name is inscribed at PlayhouseSquare for helping to save its historic theaters.
Miller was born in New Kensington, Pa., and learned to shoot and develop film at age 9 from his photographer father. He delivered the local Daily Dispatch and joined its staff at age 15.
He later got a bachelor's degree in English from Kent State University and a master's in journalism from Northwestern University. He also produced films for the Army in Japan.
Miller belonged to the international Newspaper Guild for 50 years. He took two years' leave from The Plain Dealer to work as a guild representative around the country.
He met his wife, the former Marianne Spaethling of Germany, when both were visiting relatives in New Kensington. The couple lived in Mentor.
He loved to tell tales and give advice, often starting with "My good man" or "Listen, my friend." He once grimaced at the hat of a brand-new colleague and told him where to buy a better one.
Miller's survivors include his wife and their two sons, Mark, a television reporter in Seattle, and Billy, a painter in Manhattan, N.Y.
The family plans to schedule a memorial in late September.
Miller retired partly to spend more time with his ailing brother, Pete, an Emmy-winning local television cameraman. Pete died the next day.
In his final Plain Dealer column, Miller wrote "It's best to leave the polka party before the janitor starts sweeping up."

July luncheon ahead at Nighttown

PD Editorial Retirees & Expatriates

Gather for lunch on the last Fridays of January, April, July and October
Spouses and guests always welcome

NEXT LUNCHEON: Noon, Friday, July 31

PLACE: Nighttown, 12387 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights
(top of Cedar Hill)

COST: $20.50 includes soup, salad, non-alcoholic beverages, tax & tip

CHOICES: Roasted Duck Breast Salad (baby greens, shallots, walnuts)
Dublin Lawyer (lobster and mushrooms in whiskey sauce)
Chevre Chicken (stuffed with cheese, shallots, walnuts)
Grilled Vegetable Plate

RSVP by July 24:
JoAnn Pallant (440) 734-1923, or japallant@sbcglobal.net


Grant Segall, PD obit writer, has asked for names, e-mails, & phones of former employees. The Abbeys will send your information unless you tell them otherwise.