The Star-Gazette was the first newspaper of the now massive Gannett conglomerate. It was founded as the weekly Elmira Gazette in 1828 and became an evening daily in 1856. Frank Gannett bought a half-interest in the newspaper in 1906 to begin what would eventually be Gannett Co., Inc. The following year, he merged the Elmira Gazette with a competitor, the Evening Star, to form the Star-Gazette. In 1923, Gannett bought two other competitors in the city: the morning Daily Advertiser and the Sunday Telegram. The Star-Gazette and Advertiser combined as a single all-day newspaper in 1963. The Star-Gazette became a morning publication in 1982. The Telegramname plate was dropped from the Sunday edition in 1985.
You may recall that I found a job working at the Elmira Star-Gazette newspaper three nights a week while I attended classes at Mansfield University during the day. I'd leave around five and drive 30 miles to Elmira, NY, where I worked at the sports deck. I'd take calls from high school coaches and sometimes college coaches and write little blurps for the next day's paper. Like this: Annie Smith led Waverly (5-1) girls in Twin Tiers sports last night over Corning East, 31-17. Smith sunk 13 points while Beth Hill added six. Betty Lucas led Corning East, 4-5, with eight points. It was the Blue Stars' fourth win in a row.
Eventually, I was sent on assignment to cover high school football and basketball games on weekends, which I loved. For those stories, I got bylines in the sports page, and other journalists at the paper began showing interest in me.
Then, one afternoon in April, the phone rang while Denise and I were having lunch in our North Hall dormitory apartment. It was Sports Editor Al Mallette.
"What time are you coming here tonight?"
I said, 5:30.
"Can you get here at four and wear a tie?"
I didn't know what to expect and thought I might be fired. But I ruled that out because Mallette could have done that over the phone.
When I arrived at the Star Gazette, my tie and I took our customary seat at one of the sports desks. About half an hour later, Mallette came up behind me and said, "Let's go. Are you ready?"
I follow Mallette across the newsroom and into a glass office where the paper’s Editor, Kevin Hoogy can watch the newsroom from his desk. Suddenly, I was face to face with the Managing Editor of the Gazette, Dick Wick, and Hoogy. Mallette sat next to me.
"Ron," Wick said, "you've been doing great work on the sports desk. We're glad you just wandered in," and they chuckled. But I didn't. I wasn't nervous, and I can't remember why. I was, like, matter-of-factly.
Hoogy, the paper's Editor, spoke up. "Ron," he said, "we'd like to offer you a full-time job."
Doing what? I asked.
"Regional reporter for the Northern Tier," Wick replied. "Covering the news in Potter and Tioga Counties."
But I'm a full-time student at Mansfield. That's why my wife and I came here. I just can't quit college."
"We're not expecting you to," Hoogy answered. "You can go to school full-time but cover the news in between."
"We think you can handle it," Wick said. " We've watched how you work from the sports desk. You're hungry. You want to get out there and mix it up. Well, here's your chance."
“Also,” Hoogy added, “we need to increase our circulation in the Mansfield and Wellsboro area, as well as Towanda and Coundersport. We think you can help us do that."
What would happen if a major news story surfaced and I had to go to psychology class?" I asked. It's very possible.
"That's your decision on how to play that, not ours," Wick said. "And you would report to me. We'd keep in close contact."
Hoogy spoke up. "You may want to let your professors know that if you had to cover a story, you may miss their class but later meet with them to catch up."
My head was spinning. I needed time to think, and then there was Denise. I could not make the decision without her input. And I knew she would not like this.
I have to talk to Denise, I said.
"Here's my card," Wick said, "call me tomorrow or the next day."
"We'd need to know soon, " Hoogy added. "If you say no, we must go outside and fill the position."
That night, taking calls from coaches, my head was really spinning, and it continued spinning as I drove home. I had a lot of time to think.
I viewed this as exciting. It was a tremendous challenge, and I loved writing. I remember Garth Wade once telling me reporters are just storytellers who have to tell stories in a limited space. That's why I loved working the sports desk. But this? This was way beyond the sports desk.
Also, attending classes can get a little boring. When we got married and left for Mansfield, I left a good job as an outside salesman with a company car for the S.S. Pennock Company, the second-largest wholesale florist in the country. I began at Pennock’s out of high school, sweeping floors and helping to unload trucks at the warehouse. In two years they made me a salesman, which I loved. I earned that job through my work effort. I wasn’t afraid of hard work.
Denise and I went to Mansfield because I wanted to teach and coach at the high school level. Even though going to class, studying, and writing papers wasn’t nearly as exciting as a salesman with a territory or working as a reporter, it was a commitment we made together.
I knew one thing: Denise would not be happy with the offer from the Star Gazette. She'd be a stricter, tougher interview than Wick and Hoogy.
Comments