All: This Is My Last Day - Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

A UPI flashback.
Memo to Domestic Bureaus, July 24, 1934, by Earl J. Johnson
Gentlemen:
We used the phrase "whore houses" in the news report last week. This raises
the question of how far we can go under our policy of frank reporting.
The phrase "whore houses" was used by a federal judge in questioning a
witness in an important trial. We were handling a running story of the trial
with questions and answers, and we carried the judge's question verbatim. We
will continue to use such terms in the news report on those rare occasions
when they fit naturally into the record of official remarks by judges or
public men.
"Sex orgies" is appearing frequently in stories about the Dave Allen morals
case in Hollywood. On some days I have had the feeling that we were using
that phrase too often, although there is no doubt of its accuracy.
What we must avoid and this is creating an impression of trying to be
darting or flippant in the use of such terms. "Whore houses" appeared once
and we may not have occasion to use it again for years. I hope not, because
to many readers it is an offensive term. We must employ our new freedom with
discretion, restraint, and good taste always.

What would he have thought when UPI put out the story on July 3, 1978, about the Suprme Court decision on George Carlin's Seven Dirty Words.

In 1992, George Bush was coming to the end of his presidency. Apparently someone thought it had come a bit early. I still have a copy of a letter dated Sept. 17, 1992, from Van Nuys, Calif. It was addressed in neat handwriting to: "President George Bush, White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. 20500 Attn: Frank Skinner" It was stamped, "Return to sender, addressee unknown."

In 1992, Bill Clinton was elected president, a black man named Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles police officers. A not guilty verdict in the case against the officers sparked several days of rioting. Bosnia and Hercegovina seceded from Yugoslavia and Congress was rocked with a bad check scandal that snared a number of congressmen. Hurricane Andrew hit Florida, killing 14 and leaving a quarter of a million homeless. And, in Britain, the royal family couldn't seem to keep it together. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson divorced, then Princess Anne and Mark Philips divorced and finally, the storybook marriage of Princess Di and Prince Charles came to an end.

Early in the year, we lost another colleague, who had left UPI for the Associated Press.

The Washington Post obit read:
Robert M. Andrews, 59, a reporter in the Washington bureau of the Associated Press who was a highly regarded rewrite man and a deft and skillful teller of human interest and feature stories, died Feb. 20 at Fairfax Hospital. He had cancer.
Mr. Andrews was a newsman for 35 years, and he spent almost all of that time with the wire services. He began with United Press International in London. In the early 1960s, he joined the UPI bureau in Washington and stayed for 13 years. In 1978, after a brief period in public relations and with U.S. News & World Report, he joined the AP.
In recent years at the AP, Mr. Andrews covered cultural events and wrote features. The sort of thing that caught his attention was church services in unusual settings. Thus, a story he wrote from Tysons Corner said, "Every Sunday morning, in his makeshift church above an automobile body shop, pastor Cameron Simmons knocks out the dents and heals the scrapes from the spiritual fender benders of life."
A piece on the same theme, so to speak, from the Rosslyn section of Arlington began, "Looking for a different worship experience? Consider 'Our Lady of Exxon,' a local Methodist church where you can drive in for gasoline and a lube job, then walk upstairs for some fire and brimstone."
"We've lost our best storyteller, the man who brought Washington down to earth for millions of readers across the world," said Jonathan Wolman, the AP bureau chief in Washington.

Bob was a shining light also during his years at UPI and one of his gems was a sidebar during the funeral of President John F. Kennedy.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 (UPI) – A little boy at his grieving mother’s side saluted the passing casket.
And in that moment, he suddenly became the brave soldier his father would have wanted him to be on this day, of all days.
For today, John F. Kennedy, Jr., turned three.
His world was strangely different, in little ways a child notices but does not understand.
Where was his daddy? The tall man with the laughing eyes who had a big desk and saw lots of important people and stooped to spank him good-naturedly and took him on helicopter rides and called him “John-John.”
This was supposed to be the day of The Party. The cake with three candles to blow out, the friends singing boisterous “Happy Birthdays,” the gifts.
But home, the White House, was quiet. Some of the furniture was gone. And the soldiers outside, whose salutes he delighted in trying to return with one of his own, looked different. They didn’t glance down at him and sneak a wink or a smile today. Their commands barked, their rifles clattered.
Secret Service agents came and led John-John and his sister out to the north portico. Mrs. Kennedy, dressed all in black, met them at the door and took them to a limousine. Then she walked back up the line with their uncles, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Sen. Edward Kennedy, and the slow, sad march to church began.
President and Mrs. Johnson and a host of aides and security agents followed Mrs. Kennedy on foot. John-John and Caroline rode in the car behind them.
A half-mile later, in front of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, the parade stopped. John-John and Caroline were brought around to join their mother.
The little boy looked around bewildered and started crying. His mother spoke to him softly, and he stopped.
They walked up the steps of the cathedral, and there waiting was Richard Cardinal Cushing of Boston. John-John seemed awed by the tall, craggy-faced man towering above him, wearing a white, two-pointed miter and black vestments.
Mrs. Kennedy, holding each of her children by the hand, walked in and down the aisle to their seats.
John-John grew restless during the mass. Someone picked a small book—The Church Today—Growth or Decline—from the literature rack at the rear of the cathedral and gave it to the boy to occupy him. He still clasped it in his hand when he left the church with his mother and sister.
They stood waiting at the bottom of the steps. Pallbearers appeared at the door with the flag-draped casket, and as it came slowly down toward them, Mrs. Kennedy leaned down and whispered to her son.
He stood apart, straightened stiffly, and raised his hand in salute as the casket passed.

It was another year of farewell messages as those who stayed continued to hope that the company would pull through. But there were ominous signs and the ranks were dwindling fast. There were fewer people to say good-bye to. Royal Brightbill, who said good-bye on behalf of his creation, Helmut De Lago, and then said good-bye for himself, found himself saying good-bye again. Failing to get any reassurances from the company that surgery would be covered by the UPI health plan, I canceled surgery and later wrote a pre-emptive good bye — just in case.

On May 4, 1992, I sent the following:
All-wa
Fyi, I was scheduled for surgery Wednesday to have an obstinate hernia repaired. However, after attempting to check insurance status with company and having people at comprehensive benefits even refuse to discuss it, and then talking with doug levy (union official), I have canceled the surgery. The word to the wise, I think, is stay healthy. Anything submitted between now and whenever is highly speculative.

On May 11, 1992, The Washington Post did an in-depth piece on UPI, titled, "At UPI, No News Is Bad News. The Failing Wire Service Needs a Buyer, and Fast"
Paul Hendrickson set the stage with his lede graph:
"They were there with the news Chef Boy-Ardee died. They were there with the report that Lindbergh was safely on the ground at Le Bourget. They were there first those 29 still-chilling Novembers ago when a president's head lurched back in his limo at Dealey Plaza. The bulletin went on the UPI printer at 12:34 p.m. Dallas time. White House correspondent Merriman Smith -- 'Smitty,' everyone called him -- was riding in a press pool car swerving down Elm Street in Dallas in those bewildering afterseconds. He kept fighting off AP's Jack Bell for control of the radio phone. The 11 words appearing in a clacking black on a teletype were: 'Three shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade in downtown Dallas.' Thanks to United Press International, small-town editors with their backsides to stoves in New England heard about JFK in Dallas two minutes before the emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital received JFK."

He interviewed Tom Ferraro, a White House reporter at the time, who said: "I've described it as being married to a terminally ill patient. On one level you want her to die, so you can get on with your life. On the other, you don't want to give up, you don't want her to give up. You do it for the rushes you get." Ferraro said the rush was still there, "but, you see, there's no ... clients anymore."
David Wiessler, at the time the senior political reporter, told Hendrickson, "We used to take the story by the throat and shake it around and bang it on the table. And, and, we ... just ... can't ... do that anymore."

I was working the desk that June day in 1985 when I heard the radio report that Chef Boy-Ardee had died. His real name was Ettore Boiardi. It was the weekend and I hadn't a clue where to go to match the story. I had a friend who worked at my neighborhood Safeway. I called him and asked him to grab a can of any Chef Boy-Ardee product and read the label. He gave me enough information that I was able to find the bureau closest to his firm in Ohio and get a reporter on the case.

On June 4, 1992, a very sad farewell appeared in The Washington Post: A.B. Sawislak, senior editor at UPI, dies. Arnold B. Sawislak, 64, retired Washington editor of United Press International, died of complications of neurological surgery June 4 at George Washington University Hospital.
He was Arnie to us. He signed off his messages RNE, and we all knew who it was. He gave 41 years to UPI as a legislative correspondent, regional reporter, congressional correspondent, chief political writer, columnist and enterprise writer. He retired as senior editor in 1990.
Arnie wrote a weekly column, Washington Window, and a novel about tabloid journalism, "Dwarf Rapes Nun; Flees in UFO."
One of Arnie's gems:
WASHINGTON (UPI) – Less than 24 hours after President Nixon assured Republican governors last week that he knew of no more Watergate “bombs,” the White House dropped another one — and the shrapnel ripped the web of confidence Nixon had tried to weave in Memphis.

On June 23, 1992, I wrote:
All:
At the end of today’s shift I’ll be on vacation, returning Monday, July 6. while efforts continue to keep upi alive, the reality is that I leave today with the possibility that I will not be able to get back into the building to retrieve my coffee cup. So, I want to wish you all the best — and that best includes a thriving, productive upi on july 6. but if our words should not again cross the message wires, I want to thank all of you for your tremendous help, dedication, hard work and tenacity over the past few months. That said, I hope to talk to you on july 6.

And on july 6:
All:
Good morning! And july 6 did arrive! Savannah, ga., evening press headline: “man who killed wife, self just released from prison.”
Rosso-wa
Morn dave, and welcome back to the new upi.
Haskell-bh (Boston)

The following message is more than a personal goodbye; it was also a goodbye for the St. Louis, Mo., bureau. Steve Whitworth’s message also conveys the spirit of Unipressers.

Buros
Tdy marks my last day as a full-time unipresser et the closing of the x (St. Louis) buo. Eye’m not sure how long x buro has been open, but eye’m sure it’s almost as wild as upi. A lotta great ppl have worked here thru the yrs; just to mention a few tt eye was fortunate enuf to meet et/or work with: Jim Wieck, Dale Singer, laszio domjan, tom uhlenbrock, tim Bryant, rich luna, Janice kalmar, mandy Mueller, read martin, mede nix, steve wade, warren mayes et art Phillips. Eye also had the pleasure of working with jake wolf in Jefferson city, et such Kansas city staffers as john hendel, toni cardarella, Elizabeth drake, joe keenan, will dickenson, bob musinski et jenell Wallace.
Eye started with upi in 1985 in New Orleans, where eye worked with ellen debenport, rob gloster, john demers, janet plume, royal brightbill, joan duffy et dave fornell. Steve watsky was a stringer then et later became one of the classic unipressers; the msg wire unhas bn the same since he left.
Et of course eye’ve been fortunate enuf to work the network of unipressers nationwide, most of whom eye’ve never had the chance to meet in person. This msg wud be far too long if eye attempted to name everyone who has helped et guided me or just been a good friend over the wires. To those of u still with the company: u know who u are. Thnx for everything.
It’s very sad to be closing this buro down, but eye’m grateful for the opportunity upi gave me as a young reporter fresh outta j-skull. Eye know tt the nearly seven yrs eye’ve spent here hv given me experience et skills tt shld serve me well down the road. Again, thnx to all of u. eye hope eye get a chance to meet some more of u somewhere down the line; old unipressers shld always be friends, becoz we’ve shared experiences tt give us a common bond unlike any other news organization eye know of. Some experiences were good et others were bad, but anybody who has worked for this company for any length of time knows wot eye mean when eye say if u’ve been a unipresser, ur part of a family. It may be a loud, contentious family with a few conflicts here and there, but eye’m proud to call any past or present unipresser my friend et hope they feel the same way abt me.
My name or work may be popping up on the wire on a stringer basis for a while, at least until eye find full-time work elsewhere. Eye doan hv anything arranged yet, et it’s a little scary luking for a job in this economy, but eye’m counting on the good experience eye’ve gained here to help me land something.
Best of luck to al unipressers et keep on plugging. It’s been a pleasure working with all of u. et if any of u are ever in the st. louis area, look me up…
Thnx et rgds
Whitworth-x
1-20-92

unipressers
today is my last day behind my tube after almost 4-and-a-half years at the world’ most independent wire service. I have learned more about life during my time here than ever before. However, there have also been some very tough times, some that have even made me teary, like when my co-worker was laid off 2 times in a year.
On march 2, I start as the chief spokesman for the Illinois environmental protection agency. Thankfully, I will be replaced here at the Illinois capitol, where upi is very much revered for its legendary staffers, including our m.e. bob kieckhefer and others.
There are several ppl I want to thank before I go: phil magers-da (Dallas), who hired me and is a fantastic editor and boss. Jim wieck-exda, who treated everyone like a pro. David barron-exda, the fastest writer I ever saw. Marcy kreiter-hx (Chicago), who put her confidence in me and gave me latitude to do my best. And my current boss, char kosek-hx, who kills herself every day because she really believes in this place.
I wish all fellow staffers the best of luck and as one of my co-workers used to say, “unipressers never die, they just come back.” I’ve already done that once. Will the second time be a charm? 73s to all.
Shomon-gx-gt-da-peace (Springfield, Ill., ??, Dallas)

Unipressers
It’s been my great honor to work alongside you ever since I first crossed the threshold of the rv (Richmond) buro in 1976. in two stints with this great old ship I’ve had a lot of fun, done a few great stories. But the memories that mean the most will remain those of my colleagues. From the beginning u have dazzled me with your abilities and dedication, inspired me with your grit, buoyed me with your humor and, more recently, made me cry as I’ve watched you suffer the indignities and privations of our darkest voyage.
I’ll remember each of you, past and present, including Ed Roby, whose brilliance and big heart couldn’t hide long behind the gruff Brooklyn cab driver exterior, and who marked my standing as the first female to work in rv (Richmond) by calling me only “da goil” from day one: Tom Ferraro, my dearest friend and professional inspiration, who fooled me into thinking he was a choir boy in the old rv days by muttering, “excuse me Karen” every one of the 100 times a day he said the “f” word: Jeff Reynolds, who brought sanity and clarity to the oh-so appropriately named MAD (MidAtlantic) desk — and later the likes of bill lohman, ellis Conklin, jane Sutton, ken franckling and bill inman who allowed me the privilege of handling their feature copy; ron cohen, who epitomizes the meaning of upi to me; Helen Thomas, who let me have dinner with her; frank cook, who made me laugh; dave rosso, who hasn’t given in to this very day; steve gerstel, who let me sit next to him in hopes of his enormous talent would rub off and who elevated me to the highly coveted title of “head honey” on the hill … and the rest of the wonderful, crazy bunch of you still turning it out on your cranky old tubes in your flea bitten offices. Thanks to you I’ll never stop being proud to call myself a unipresser. Gd luck to you all. 73s. Karen Timmons-wafin (rv, waftus, sa-hu-ru, wa) (Richmond, Washington-features, Senate, House, Regional, Washington)

Buos
This is another one of those msgs
Who: Sharon (sa) miller-sxr
What: bailing out
When: well, today could be my last day, and then again eye might be back for a short time after eye return from vccn next week. It all depends on how the skeds work out.
Where: san Francisco (see how) all those people to whom eye’ve sed over the years “eye owe u a drink for tt” are welcome to come by and collect ‘em. The bar’s open. We might even provide munchies.
Why: it’s time. no eye do not have a new job with a wealthy company tt also will hire u at big bucks. My husband is about to get a housewife for the first time in 13 years of marriage. Eye figure about one month of tt will drive us both crazy.
How: reluctantly, even tho eye kno it’s the rite thing to do. Eye’ll miss all of u terribly.
73s
sab-miller-sxr (San Francisco-radio)

unipressers
I am leaving upi after 12 years. it has been a wonderful life, not just a job. I’m grateful for having had the opportunity and thankful to all who helped me along the way. I hope upi will go on forever. It is a great institution that deserves to live and to flourish once again. Special thanks to Helen, leon, steve geimann, bob martin in London and the hill folk — shep and gerstel — who kindly helped us regionals learn the ropes back in the good ole days. I’ll miss y’all. Have to leave suddenly to avoid conflict of interest. Just got a job in governor wilson’s administration doing public affairs for his health and welfare agency. New trails for me, and for you, I hope for only the best. Cheers and 73s. chrystal-bc (Sacramento)

allpoints (goodbye)
it’s hard to say good-bye to u all even though I met most u only on the message wire. Upi has helped me fulfil part of my dreams over the last four years both as a paris stringer where I covered some memorable stories, and as a desker here in wa where I learned to run the fast-paced and understaffed 24-hour desk. But I have a good offer from the competition and think the future is brighter there. Upi can’t survive (nor can I) on dreams and its reputation. There are too few people, and (not that I need to tell u) all are overworked and underpaid, and deserve better. For my two cents worth, the best investment upi could make now is in people. The only way upi can survive and prosper is to have a good product. The only way to have a good product is to have good, experienced reporters and editors. And the only way to get and keep those people is to treat them and compensate them fairly. Sounds like an elementary business principle but some people haven’t learned that. When and if they do, who knows, maybe I’ll be back. All the best to everyone.
Lever-waforn (Washington-foreign)

All
Well, this brief bdcst shift marks the end of my life with the vaunted wire service. After 10-plus years I’m heading to nx (New York) to join my family and seek my fortune after 10 years in km (San Diego). The weather is fine here, but there are no no opportunities in either journalism, flackery or anything in between. I just want to thank everyone who has helped me along the way or has just been a pal. The long list includes tony gonsalves, joe fasbinder and the hard-working hc (Los Angeles) crew, my old pal bill murray in sx (San Francisco), bob martin and everyone at nxs (New York Sports). The roster of the departed is too long to even bring up, but my mentor marty houseman, the old latam (Latin American desk) hand, deserves a special mention. So many people. This place was really something and I hope it bounces back without any further layoffs.
73s
Anderson-km (San Diego)

Buos
(bye) well, folks, been over this road so many times before there isn’t much more I can say about it. I certainly have learned not to say goodbye. Have enjoyed being reunited with old friends throughout the company, making new ones and fighting the good fight with some of the best in the business, today is my last day on this current tour with upi, but I will be keeping close contact and pulling for your success all the way. 73
brightbill-led

allpoints
(goodbye) 14 years ago this month I hired on at the phoenix buro for a temporary four-month position with the goal of earning enough bucks to move to Hawaii. As I like to say, somehow I didn’t make it to Hawaii. But I’ve had a good run. I helped cover the u.s. invasion of panama with the late doug tweedale (Christmas in the tropics)…once armed men stopped my bus going into panama city, and once I had a late night encounter with invisible U.S. troops on a dark road. During my nearly two years as forn correspondent for Colombia and Ecuador, I covered a volcanic eruption that killed 23,000 people, a guerrilla raid on the justice palace that killed 100, a presidential election and two papal visits. My years here on the forn desk have seen the collapse of the berlin wall, the soviet coup, the death of the ayatollah khomeini, etc. they say what this company doesn’t give in perks or praise, it gives in excitement and I guess I’ve had my share. A lot of people gave me a boost, like former latam exec gary neeleman who guided me to Colombia and former managing editor bill Ferguson who gave me a plane ticket to panama. Herb surrett hired me in phoenix, where gravel-voiced harriett hindman chain-smoked and showed me the ropes. Lou Carr, Leon Daniel and Jeff Reynolds in Washington have shown me what it is to endure. Loretta Robinson the courage of the human spirit and Dave Rosso, the benefits of an undying sense of humor. And all u folks in buos overseas, u who fight to do a good job despite all odds, I pray that someday u’ll get the appreciation u deserve. So many people, so many war stories. They say at an embattled company, people stay because of the companionship. That’s what I’ll miss the most. My husband is pursuing his dream to become a pilot for the Coast Guard and we’re moving to Pensacola, Fla. UPI says maybe later, I can work from there. But who knows. So I’ve decided to say good bye, because this is probably it. Thanks to all. Rgds. Walsh-waforn.

Buros
I guess there are still a few left out there. Hi I’m unemployed n yur not. But seriously, at whatever time I decide to turn out the lights this afternoon, fy (Frankfort, Ky.) will be officially downclosed n I’ll be heading to the unemployment line. As far as ky is concerned, sal-sv (Louisville) is captain n crew. The last 13 months have been a great learning experience for me, but learning experiences wont feed my kids next month. Many thnks are in order, especially to my boss and mentor sal-sv (the Italian stallion), kieck and kreiter-hx (Chicago), cook and pohla-ps (Pittsburgh), swenson-nxs (New York-sports) and king of the techs jim price in Indianapolis. I hope upi survives this latest downgrade, but it don’t luk gud. Who wud want to buy a wire with only a handful of writers. My advice is to start updating those resumes. And if you have any baseball cards to give away, msg me on pza. Im going back on the show circuit to supplement my non-existent income until a brighter day. Tnks again to those who count. You know who you are.
Danny-fy

Unipressers
Ouch! Getting kicked off the upi roller coaster smarts! And not knowing where I’ll land adds a little terror to the adventure. But when I jumped off the radio merry-go-round 3-and-a-half years ago I knew the ride at upi was getting rickety and I might lose my seat at any dip or turn. A snickering Hartford courant reporter asked me at the time how it felt to jump onto a sinking ship and I told her I could swim. And swim I will. But it’s been a thrill to work with the legendary bruno vittorrio ranniello, who gave me a new view of religion; mark dupuis, who gave me a new view of politics; and dennis milewski, who gave me a chance to climb out of the radio swill bucket and do some real news. And “young ken” (brown), of late on the national desk, how could I forget you? Well, your “big sister” is a “wib wench” no longer. Thanks for the memories, guys, and if you hear of any jobs, please let me know. good luck to all who are left to continue the battle. And now I’m off to pink slip heaven. Amen. Chrs. Yost-bp (hf) (Bridgeport, Conn., Hartford)

Allpoints
I’ve rewritten this message a hundred times in the past few weeks. What it comes down to is that no matter how many more employees or clients the other outfits have, none ever have had or ever will have a finer group of staffers. You are what has always made upi a special company (and why I’ve quit twice before and come back). To all of you overseas, particularly those of you I’ve come to consider friends, a special salute. If you ever head toward virginia, there’ll always be a light on and welcome mat out for you at our house. Bests, lai-waftus (Jill Lai-Washington-features)

All at upi
When bob gornall lured me from the cw (Charleston, W.Va.) daily mail in august 1966 to upi, he promised me it would NOT be “a bed of roses.” How right he was. The first winter, ray evans and I worked 63 consecutive night tricks, due to 60-day xgr (legislature) session. The second winter, ray and I worked 42 consecutive nights, since xgr met only 30 days in alternate years “back then.” Like wally martin-upr, I started as a wire service copy boy — INS in columbus, ohio, in 1952. we made eight-copy books for reporters to do their stories on. I took two copies to the cz (Columbus, Ohio) bus station and shipped them to the ironton tribune and another nupe in tt area for tt day’s editions. Then I went soft and worked for newspapers in parkersburg, w.va.; panama city, panama; Marietta, ohio; then to the Charleston daily mail where gornall offered me a 45-dollar-a-week raise at the very time our fourth child was born. All the children are thru college now. Don’t say upi doesn’t keep its promises — it has been no bed of roses as promised by the first dozen or so buro managers. Let me say that if we are better people because of adversity, then upi people are the strongest people on the face of the earth. I’m glad I came on board. As consarned aggravatin’ as it cud be much of the time, as I often told mac porterfield prolly the only way I wud get outta hr was to get thrown out. Oh, well, “no more scores ‘n stuff” to collect. The fones have stopped ringing. So long. Best wishes.
Dan hose-cw

The following message was a personal goodbye that also signaled the closing of a bureau and the entire state of New Jersey.
All
Three years ago, I closed down upi’s Newark bureau and now I’m turning out the lights in new jersey, abandoning drawers full of disorganized files, two functioning terminals and a temperamental fax machine.
I joined upi in 1985 after working for a client newspaper (now both an ex-client and an ex-newspaper) in northern new jersey. After I came on board, I realized I was lucky to be in new jersey—a state that produces an extraordinary amount of news and a state where a series of talented editors had built a bureau with a real gorilla reputation. I got to cover the Baby M case and the john list trial and to meet people like joyce carol oates, john mcphee and john digilio, a reputed mobster who once wrestled a co-defendant to the floor during a brawl in a courthouse hallway and later was found in the Hackensack river with five bullets in his head. (digilio used to pinch me on the cheek and say, “hey, honey, after I win my case, I’m going to take you out.” I was never sure what he meant by that, but someone took him out first.)
The last three years have been hell. Two of us have tried to keep a state report going and watched the client base dwindle. I’m glad the company is now trying to pull up its socks and find a direction, and I hope that my bad memories will fade with time.
There are many many people, a lot of them still with the company, that I was fortunate to work with and get to know. There are six people who stick in my mind as typical of the talented and dedicated journalists upi hired and then sometimes threw away — former nxl staffer cathy burke, former financial editor dottie brooks, former book review queen jill lai, former new jersey editor and national desker dennis o’shea, former national super-desker dan chiszar and former Washington morning message king dave rosso.
To those of you who are staying, best of luck. To those who are joining me in the exodus, remember — it’s not an end, it’s a beginning. After all, chiszar is now a roustabout with the circus. Chrs, burns-tr (Trenton)