On The Sly

Give this question a try: Converse & Baker are

(a) the North Country's newest law firm
(b) a new pastry shop on Margaret Street
(c) the latest popular brand of sneakers
(d) the North Country's longest-running coaching tandem.

Look around the CVAC basketball gyms and you will notice that the boys' basketball coaching ranks are being taken over by the young guys with full heads of dark hair and not much need of a razor. Don Carlisto at Saranac Lake, Brenden Gotham at Lake Placid, Chris Hartmann at Plattsburgh High School, Mike Recore at Northern Adirondack and Matt Berry at Peru Central all have movie star looks. They could rival Tom Cruise in any local theatre. Then there's Ryan Converse at Beekmantown, whose coaching attire is a custom-fit dark suit, looking like he's more likely to be seen on the Hollywood Red Carpet than a locker room. And don't be surprised if Northeastern Clinton Central's fuzzy-cheeked coach Robb Garrand gets mistaken for Brad Pitt. And if Ticonderoga's Dan Dorsett decides to give up coaching I think a movie role might be waiting.

Thank goodness there's still a place for Sean Connery and Robert Redford! Into the gym steps Larry Converse and Jim Baker of Seton Catholic Central. Now those guys are coaches! Since 1989 when Mount Assumption Institute and St. John's Academy, Plattsburgh's two remaining Catholic high schools, merged, Converse and Baker have teamed up as the boys' varsity and junior varsity coaches. Longer running than Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Converse and Baker have taught basketball and sportsmanship almost as long as some of their younger counterparts have been living.

And next Saturday at the Section 7 Class C finals Larry Converse and Jim Baker will be there side-by-side looking for another championship. Both men coached at St. John's Academy prior to the centralization of the city's parochial schools. Converse came over from a brief stint at Beekmantown, and joined Baker, a Plattsburgh High School graduate, on the Irish's coaching team. When Seton Catholic Central School was created, it seemed like a natural fit, and, boy, has it worked -- for 17 years and counting.

Converse and Baker have been on more road trips, shared more stories, watched more basketball games and eaten more post-game meals together than you would want to know! You can't picture one without the other. They are the Abbott & Costello, the Brooks & Dunn, the Simon & Garfunkel of the CVAC. Some wonder how long can this can go on. In a time when so many things are temporary, so many things are here today and gone tomorrow, it's nice to know that Sean Connery and Robert Redford are still making movies. Likewise, it wouldn't be the same without Larry Converse and Jim Baker on the Seton Catholic sidelines. I don't see any reason why things should change. Here's hoping they stay on the Seton sidelines for a few more decades!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Section 7 basketball playoffs continued last night at the Field House on the campus of Plattsburgh State. I watched girls play basketball for about seven hours from the best seat in the house, courtside as the games' public-address announcer. What a job! I'm paid to watch basketball, and I have the no-stress job of introducing the starting lineups and reporting the fouls to the crowd. What with the lack of stress I have plenty of time to observe what goes on around me.

Seated at my right at the "head table" were Rick Bruce and Goose Gagnon, official timer and shot clock official respectively, in high-pressure jobs, and they can't take their eyes off the basketball, lest valuable seconds be lost. And in the game of basketball mere seconds can be the difference between winning and losing. Seated to my left for much of the evening was Keith Kane, sports reporter for the Press-Republican. He obviously had to pay close attention to what was going on, because his notepad was full of numbers, numbers, numbers. It looked as though he were working on some mathematical formulas from the world of calculus, a world I know nothing about. So these hard-working men had no time to observe what I observed last night at the sectional basketball games.

Shiny shoes! When did shiny shoes worn by the referees become in vogue? Last night the refs, Tom Lacey and Andy Morelli, wore the shiniest shoes I have ever seen. They looked like they were vinyl. They somewhat reminded me of those black goloshes my mom used to make me wear when I was six years old. Oh, they looked great, very dapper! These aren't shoes you spiffy up with shoe polish. These are the kind of shoes that you clean with Windex. They looked great and I wonder if they are available to the average shoe buyer, or if you have to show your basketball officials credentials to purchase a pair.

But shiny shoes weren't the only thing I thought about last night while performing my stressless duties. Seeing so many great athletes running up and down the court, dribbling, shooting and scoring, it made me wish I could play just one more high school game to demonstrate my athletic abilities to the admiring fans. Not that I didn't get my chance. A true athlete is always prepared, and so was I when my moment arrived last night.

Suddenly, while Rick and Goose and Keith were busy focused on their important responsibilities, a basketball came flying in our direction. Somehow an errant pass was headed towards the head table. I sprung into action! In a moment that mystified the crowd I quickly jumped out of my seat, twisted my body into a pretzel-like shape it hasn't known in years, and batted the speeding sphere away from the important guys seated at halfcourt.

Who knows? This flying orb could have knocked Rick's finger off the timer button, costing the game valuable seconds. Or it could have hit Goose in the shoulder, rendering him in pain for the rest of the evening. Or, worse, it could have broken Keith's pencil, snapping it in half like a twig, leaving a notepad of unfinished formulas and an incomplete news story the next morning.

As I made my athletic leap to knock the ball away, a hush fell over the crowd, amazed that my body still has such athletic dexterity. I noticed the ten girls playing the game at the time suddenly stopped and looked at me, wondering how in the world a man my age could have made such a move. Even my boss, Jon Rebideau, the head honcho of sectional basketball, came running over to praise me for saving the table from harm, and thanking me for putting my body at risk. He reminded me that whereas they have alternate referees in case of injury, they have no stand-by announcer, and avoiding injury should be at the top of my list for the rest of the sectionals.

Little did they all know that my quickness of movement at the table was really to prevent my bag of snacks from getting crushed by the basketball. Seven hours is a long time to watch basketball without eating, and no way did I want my bags of potato chips, pretzels and candy crushed by some ol' basketball.

I can hardly wait for today. Another seven or eight hours of high school basketball at the Field House, this time boys' hoops. Hope to see you there. If you do go, check out the shiny shoes. I'm headed to the mall right now to try to buy a pair. And watch for the best athlete at the officials' table. See if he makes another amazing move to save his co-workers (and bags of goodies) from harm.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 6:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Recently I went to Bobby's Lounge, run by Bobby and Bev Hall, to see some old friends and to have lunch. After perusing the interesting menu (what? fried baloney sandwiches?) I opted for the hot pepper steak and a cold one. When Bev served me my lunch it looked good enough, but it took just one bite for me to lose 38 years off my life!

One bite of the meat, the peppers, the onions, the flavors, and I was immediately transported to BJ's Diner on City Hall Place. The year was 1968 and it was 3 o'clock in the morning. The place was crowded, college guys and girls were trying to outshout each other, and I was enjoying one of Big John's hot pepper steaks. Seated across the little table from me was this cute brunette that I had met that night at Filion's. Oh, those were the days! After a night of fun in downtown Plattsburgh it was a tradition in the late Sixties to go to BJ's for something to eat. If the place was too crowded you could always stop at Wylla's or The Royal for one more beverage before trying to cram into Big John's Diner.

And Big John was quite a character, who served up food with amazing speed and great taste, especially those legendary hot pepper steaks. For awhile on the other side of City Hall Place was Ma Coakley's, run by Butch. He served up great food, too, and you could always count on running into somebody you knew at 3 in the morning.

City Hall Place was the place to be in the late Sixties. The Hotel Deliri was down on the corner towards Bridge Street, and, although I was never in it in those days, there was the Chez Lionel on the adjacent corner. And, for a time at the Bridge Street end of City Hall Place, there was the Egg and Machine Shop, which for its brief lifespan was Plattsburgh's most popular night spot.

But I was more into hot peppers steaks than drinking in those days, and, I guess, that hasn't changed. I finished my hot pepper steak that day at Bobby's and felt a lot younger. Was it my imagination or were all the old-timers at Bobby's wearing tie-dyed shirts and sporting long hair? A few days later, when I was feeling like my old self again, I headed back to see Bobby Hall. Obviously Bobby has studied the cooking techniques of Big John back in those days. Obviously Bobby Hall is in on some secret ingredient that renders flavors that conjure up the Sixties. I've got a feeling I've found a way to imagine I'm a college guy for the rest of my life.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

My previous Basketball's Best blogs have centered on the North Country basketball teams that I have seen play. I am aware of at least two great teams that drew the accolades of fans prior to the time that I was watching high school hoops.

Both great teams were at St. John's Academy, coached by John Flynn, who later became my coach at Our Lady of Victory Academy. The 1945-1946 Irish team won the North Country League title. Led by Jim Holcombe, they also had Dud Bullis, Gus Lapham, Larry Infante and Bob Pearl in their usual starting lineup. This team had height and speed, and the title in '45-'46 was the third in a row for St. John's.

A few years later in 1949-1950 the Irish kept on their winning ways with a 15-3 record and another NCL championship. The usual starting five featured Urgil Votraw, Tank Squires, Jack Noone, Gary O'Leary and Jim Sears.

Two weeks ago I attended two basketball games in the St. John's Academy gymnasium, 5th and 6th graders in the Adirondack Catholic Elementary Basketball League. The games were billed as the final basketball games in that school's gym, since St. John's will be closing at the end of the current school year. With the green-and-white banners still hanging on the walls, it brought back a lot of memories. So many great athletes played on that gym floor, so many exciting games in front of the packed bleachers and crowded stage. Fittingly, the final game included an Irish kid with the last name of Ryan.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Title IX -- what a revolutionary idea in 1972. You mean girls can play sports, too? Back in the Sixties, when it came to sports, a girl's dream was to be captain of the cheerleaders or to date the quarterback. Suddenly girls were wearing uniforms with numbers and kicking the soccer ball or hitting the softball. In the winter female basketball players started making their mark. It didn't take long for them to excel, either.

Among the greatest basketball teams in the North Country would have to be the Saranac Central team in 1980-1981. Led by Linda Ryan and Tina Pellerin, the Lady Chiefs won 22, lost 3, and started the parade of championships won by girls sports at that school. More recently, I remember the outstanding play of Annie Parks, now a college women's basketball coach, who was a great ballhandler and outstanding shooter.

The Westport Central teams coached by Tom Beauvais made their mark around the state in Class D girls' basketball. Both Julie Moore and Erin Pratt went on to play Division 1 women's basketball.

The dominant team in the last several years in Section 7 has been Northeastern Clinton Central, coached by my fraternity brother, Andy Landry. The NCCS girls' basketball program is unequaled when it comes to developing basketball players. Excellent coaching in the early grades inspires a sense of pride in the program and the players are devoted to the game at an early age. This year's team, with Courtney Coryea, one of the all-time greats, along with Alex Forey, Rachel Coryea, Darby Turner and others, may make their mark as one of the best ever in Section 7. Last night they wrapped up the CVAC title with a 15-0 record, and head into Sectionals play confident. If there were ever a team destined to be state champs, this is the team.

Sectional basketball begins next week. Check out the Press-Republican sports pages and get to a girls' game. It's come a long way from the days of having to pass the ball after a couple of dribbles and some girls not being able to go past halfcourt. Watch Nicole "You Can Call Her Nikki" Rock of Peru or Katelyn "Mega" Mannix of Beekmantown hit three-pointers. Watch Jessica Thorpe of Beekmantown or Shannon Nutbrown and Nicole Dirolf of Ausable Valley battle under the boards. Watch Jenna Ruff of Peru or Natalie LeMaire and Allie Hesseltine of Saranac Lake turn up the offense. Watch the never-quit hustle of Katelyn McNulty of Saranac and Katie McCallister of Ausable Valley.

I'll be there at Sectionals. Come over and say hello.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I'll be watching the television coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics only intermittently. My brother, on the other hand, has a huge 12" X 16" schedule right next to his easy chair and remote control. He gets up at 5 in the morning to watch the United States athletes take part in the myriad of events they call the Olympics. He yells at the screen, knocks over his bowl of popcorn and cheers American athletes across the finish line. I have trouble working up such passion, especially considering some of the events now labeled as an "Olympic sport."

Is there really a sport called biathlon? Do many people know what the sport involves? Did your kid ever play biathlon in the backyard? I just don't see the connection between cross-country skiing and shooting a rifle. I have cross-country skiied. Once. That was enough. I took a shortcut out of the woods and headed back to the fireplace for a cup of hot chocolate. My brother has cross-country skiied hundreds of times. Not once has Goose brought his rifle along. What's next? Combining ice hockey and darts?

Another sport my brother will be watching on television is skeleton. Now wait a minute! Didn't we already have the luge? The "sport of skeleton" was invented in 1982 when somebody decided to take the luge course head first. Nobody knows that this guy had been at the local pub for four hours prior. Perhaps ten years from now someone will take the bobsled or luge course standing up and create another Olympic event.

Then there's curling. Oh, I know this sport has been around forever. As a kid my parents would take me to the Curling Club in Lacolle, Quebec, to watch the "sport." This is the one event where I think I can make it as an Olympic athlete. Even bowling is faster-paced! This is like bowling in slow motion and then sweeping the lanes. I've swept my kitchen floor plenty of times and never realized I could be practicing for an Olympic event. Even at the ripe age of 57, I can bowl in slow motion and carry a broom.

The event called short track really gets me. Did someone decide the regular long oval track was too much of a distance for some people? Do we really need speedskating around a small oval? And a few years from now will we have "Really Short Track" followed by television coverage of "The Ultimate Short Track" in the 2022 Olympics?

Lastly, is snowboarding a sport? Since when? Its debut in the Olympics was 1998. I think snowboarding was invented by teenagers with baggy pants who wanted something to do with their skateboards during the winter. So, six or eight years ago teens started leaving two skis at home, deciding one short board was a lot easier to carry around. My brother gets all excited because the USA is taking the top spots, winning all the medals, in snowboarding. Could it be that the other Olympic competitors from other countries starting using snowboards sometime ago, like last winter? Or last month? Try buying a snowboard in Egypt.

I'm all in favor of the speed and daring of the skiing and speedskating events, the tradition of ice hockey and bobsledding, as well as the skill and beauty of figure skating. But let's not keep making up new sports and creating pseudo-Olympic athletes. Otherwise in four years you'll find Foxy Gagnon, or better yet, Goose Gagnon, wearing the red, white and blue as Olympic athletes!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

In Part One of my look at high school basketball I recalled teams from the 1950s and 1960s that I felt were most memorable. During the 1970s I was very busy establishing my new teaching career and devoting a lot of time to my first Marriage-Go-Round. But I still had some time to follow high school hoops now that my own playing days were over.

During the Seventies the great rivalry between Plattsburgh High School and Saranac Central School was established. Anyone who followed basketball in those days knew that when these teams met you had better get to the gym early. Many people took the afternoons off from work so they could get into the gym at 4:30pm for a 6 o'clock jv start. By six the bleachers were full and another hundred hopeful fans were waiting in the hallways.

The names in the 1970s changed a bit from year-to-year, but we could argue forever about which school had the better team. Coached by Morris Towne, Saranac's trio of Tom Ryan, Mike Ryan and Butch Butchino may be the best three players to ever play side-by-side. They had size and quickness and all three were deadly shooters, especially in the Chiefs' teepee. But the Chiefs weren't just those guys. The 1976-1977 Chiefs went 13-1, winning the CVAC and Section 7 titles. They had Rick McCorry, Mark Christian, Brian Martin, Leigh Martin and point guard Tom Jackstadt. That team played in the first-ever Capital Conference tournament in Troy.

On the Plattsburgh High School side of the story, coached first by Ray Holmes and then by Mike Flynn the Hornets were outstanding during the Seventies. With players like Kevin Daugherty, Jeff Holmes, Jeff Moskowitz, Leo Ryan, and then Joe Cardany, Hollis Chapman, Paul Marcus, Frank Jackson, Mike Miller and point guard Casey Flynn, the Hornets challenged Saranac every step of the way.

The Hornets' winning teams continued into the 1980s with players like Bill Sutton and then his younger brother Angelo Sutton, along with Guy Garrow, Todd Wilkinson, Peter Ryan, Derek Baum, Mark Haubner, Rob DeGrandpre, Greg Stanley, Everett Williams, Charlie Mason, Harry Reed, big Wayne St. Denis, the Delio brothers, Marc and Vinnie, Matt Sames, and point guards Larry Moskowitz and Jimmy Miller.

I'm sure many outstanding players have been left off my quick list. And I'm also sure that readers will be more than happy to fill in the blanks, and to mention other schools. But during the Seventies and Eighties I didn't attend games as religiously as in the past. Last week the undefeated Saranac Chiefs went to the Hornets' Nest and fans enjoyed another great battle as the Hornets tried to upset Gary Castine's team. It was a battle till the final minutes. Basketball is alive and well in the North Country!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 7:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

High school basketball continues to be a winter high point for sports fans in the North Country. I'm just back from a couple of outstanding boys' basketball games between Saranac Central and Plattsburgh High School. There was a time, however, before the merger of schools, when Saranac, Dannemora, Ellenburg, Champlain, Rouses Point and other schools played in the Clinton County Interscholastic League, the CCIL.

And those schools produced some outstanding basketball players and basketball teams. Living in Plattsburgh, I didn't often get to see them play, but I read the sports pages of the Press-Republican, and I was excited when I got to see some of them play. I remember a guy from Saranac named Alan Palmer. Oh, my, what a basketball player, and there was Steve White, Donnie Beauharnois and then Steve Parker. And wasn't Elmon Henry from Saranac in the early 1960s?

I remember the Dannemora Black Knights had Neil Breen in the 1950s battling OLVA's Lefty Tessier for the scoring title, and then the Recore twins and Pip Lafountain in the late Sixties. In 1967-1968 they went 14-0 in league play and 17-2 overall. A few years before that I remember a team with Tom Welch, and names like Kiroy and Wing at Dannemora.

I had relatives in Champlain so I got to watch the Champlain Rockets sometimes, first in 1955-1956 with high-scoring John Zurlo, who later was elected County Clerk, and then I watched Charlie Niles Jr. and Johnny Niles, Dick Van Hoesen, Randy Couture and Gary Moeller. Coached by Frank Shumway, they racked up points in a hurry and in the mid-Sixties went 46-6 over three seasons.

Ellenburg has some high-scoring teams, and I seem to remember the name LaBarge. People have told me what a great basketball player and athlete Basil Curry was at Ellenburg High School. But, again, these were teams we saw only at post-season time, or if I was lucky enough to have my dad bring me to a game in those days. And remember Orville Nedeau scoring 68 points in one game for Mooers?

The CCIL was a great league, which lost its purpose when schools began merging. Rouses Point and Champlain and Mooers became Northeastern Clinton Central. Ellenburg and Altona became Northern Adirondack. Eventually Dannemora merged with Saranac.

No matter what the league, no matter what the time period, basketball has been an exciting sport in the North Country for over 60 years. And, judging from tonight's Saranac-PHS encounter, things aren't going to change!

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

If you want to find me on a winter's night most likely you have to go to a gymnasium. That's where I usually am, videotaping high school basketball games for public-access television. It has given me the opportunity to see countless great athletes, male and female. It also gives me the chance to trade stories with some of the North Country's biggest basketball fans. I'm often asked, "Foxy, who is the greatest player you've seen?" Or, "What's your pick as the best team?" I know you can't compare the teams of the Sixties to the teams of today, because the game of basketball has changed and the athletes have changed, as well.

But I can think about about some of the greatest teams I've seen since since my Dad and Mom started taking me to high school basketball games when I was six years old. The first team I ever saw play was the Our Lady of Victory Academy Foxes, coached by John Flynn. The years 1952-1955 have often been called the "Lefty Tessier Years," but he was backed by a corps of great players. Lefty made scoring 30 points in a game look easy, and he played alongside Billy Flynn (the coach's son), Geary Andrews, Johnny Owens, Don Buckley and Walt Criss. They beat undefeated Immaculate Heart Academy of Watertown in '55 to win the Northern New York Catholic League title. 19-4 overall, they went to the state finals in Glens Falls, losing in the championship game 51-49. They were my first heroes, and they inspired me to want to be the next great basketball player at OLVA. I never made it that far!

A few years later I remember watching the Plattsburgh High School Hornets play in that old gym on Broad Street, the site of Stafford Middle School. From 1957-1959 the Hornets went 37-5, including a 20-1 season in 1958-1959. Great athletes like Billy Benson, Jimmy LaPierre, Don Nephew, Mike Berry and Ron Giambruno had many youngsters dreaming of wearing the Orange & Black.

In the early Sixties, while I was playing junior high basketball at OLVA, there were great teams all around the North Country. St. John's Academy had a great team led by Pat Gregory. Beekmantown was tough to beat with Jack Glasgow and Earl Burnell tearing up the nets.

My high school years were 1962-1966, and that's where I had the opportunity to watch "The King of the Hill," Carl King, play. He was a senior when I was a freshman. In the tiny gym at OLVA I'd sit on the stage surrounded by about 20 cheering nuns, all in their black and white habits, and watch Carl make magic with the basketball. Guys like Carl, Terry Polhemus, Richie Daul, Larry Prenoveau and Bucky Willette became my new heroes.

It seemed like all around the North Country in the Sixties that basketball was at its best. So when I reached the varsity level in basketball I competed against some great teams. From 1963-1965, PHS racked up a 37-4 record. I remember Jeff Burns, Chris Rowlson, Mark Stetz, Stu Key, and Harry Yelle. And things didnt get any easier for the opponents a year or two later when Mike Giambruno, Stick Larocque, and my friends Bruce Stevens, Phil Dubuque, Tommy Herlihy and Jimmy Vaughn led the way.

And you can't leave out the great teams at that time at Mount Assumption Institute. When we played the Blue & Gold we had to contend with Gregg Ducatte, Jeff Wells, Steve Beebie, Jerry Seon, Terry Meron, Tommy Liu, and I had to try to guard my friend, point guard John Burdo.

And the St. John's Irish had a bunch of great shooters like Willie Watson, Mike O'Connor, Pete Hayden, the Trudell boys, Brian Poissant, plus on the boards they had Harry Canning. These guys were shooting in the gym every Saturday from 7am-noon. If there would have been a three-point shot in those days the Irish would have broken 100.

Maybe the best of all, though, were the Peru teams in those days. From 1967-1969, led by Bill Finney and Bob Finney, the Indians went 57-3. They were 20-0 in 1967 (Bill was a senior and Bob was a sophomore) to win Peru's first-ever sectional basketball title. Great athletes like Barney Woodward, Scooter Giroux and Dorn Fenner gave many opponents nightmares in those days.

High school basketball has always provided great entertainment. The further you get into the season the more exciting it becomes. I hope I see you at a basketball game over the next few weeks. Let me know what other teams should be included in this trot down Memory Lane.

FUTURE BLOGS: the CCIL, teams of the 1970s and 1980s, the "Good Ol' Days" of basketball and, of course, girls' basketball

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 6:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl. I have to admit that I've never been a big fan of the Super Bowl. I'm a baseball guy at heart, who loves the drawn-out excitement of a seven-game series to decide the true champion of the sport. Too often the Super Bowl has been a week's worth of hoopla, followed by a game that was all but decided by halftime. Plus, what's with those Roman numerals? Is there a logical reason that this is Super Bowl XL? Can we just call it Super Bowl 40?

In addition, I've never been that much of a party guy to truly enjoy the hosting, roasting, toasting and boasting that precedes the main event. Too often too much pre-game celebration leads to a Monday morning where you don't even remember or even care who actually won the game.

But there have been some exciting games through the years. Three of the last four games have been decided by three points, giving fans on both sides plenty to cheer about till the end. In 2000 the game came down to the final play with the Titans' Kevin Dyson reaching out for the goalline on the final play of the game inches away from a tie with the Rams.

You can bet I won't miss the halftime entertainment this year. A chance to see the Rolling Stones live! I'll bet Jagger, a rock star older than I, will put on quite a show. And if his shirt accidentally falls open, I don't think anybody will really care!

What really worries me are those Super Bowls games with just two Roman numerals. In Super Bowls II, IV, VI, IX, XI, XV, and XX the average margin of victory is 20 points. So, don't count on a close one for Super Bowl XL. My prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Seattle Seahawks 13.

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I found last Friday's front-page headline interesting: "Editor Change at Press-Republican." After over 45 years at the Press-Republican, editor Jim Dynko is retiring. Having worked his way through the years from general assignment reporter to editor, Jim has seen all aspects of the newspaper business and, no doubt, he's one of the best! I have an inkling that he'll have no trouble finding something to occupy his self-imposed "days off."

The new editor, according to the news story, will be Bob Grady. And I can understand why. Bob knows his vocabulary. Bob's been involved in the newspaper business for over 40 years, a respected journalist who has received recognition for his fine writing. He probably doesn't realize this, but I think I played a role in his promotion.

You see, in December when I was asked to meet with the editorial staff of the Press-Republican to hear their ideas about writing a blog, Bob, of course, was there. In addition to all the esteemed members of the editorial staff, Bob Parks, the newspaper's publisher, was there, notepad in hand. I was impressed with the big table we all sat at and the distinguished way they were dressed. I mean, suits and ties and all. Not Lois, though. She wore a beautiful dress, very proper for the occasion. I noticed their clothing because I was there in my jeans and polo shirt.

Before long I was learning all kinds of things about blogs, and I was very happy the editorial staff was considering me for the position of their first blogger. They seemed to have no doubt that I could handle the task. But what really cinched it, what really put me in the front row as their candidate, was when Bob Grady told me that I was a "pundit and raconteur in the community." I did a double-take! I've been called many things through the years, especially by angry students upset with my stern classroom rules, but never in my 57 years had I been called a "pundit," let alone a "reconteur."

I think publisher Parks was very impressed, because I saw him immediately make some notes on his notepad. I think it had to do with Bob Grady's effective use of vocabulary. Because the next thing you know, Jim Dynko is retiring and Bob Grady is making the front page news as the new editor.

In my classroom for 35 years I tried to stress the importance of vocabulary. I used big words, no sissy words that would be too easy. I instructed my students on the intricacies of words such as "ultimatum," "optimistic," and, my all-time favorite, "penultimate." Bob Grady was never one of my students, but he got the message somehow, nevertheless. I mean, not everyone can call someone a "pundit and raconteur" and get away with it! But Bob has taken the use of vocabulary right to the top!

Good luck to Jim Dynko in his retirement and best wishes to the new editor, Bob Grady. He knows his vocabulary!

Afterthought: Pundit, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means "a learned man; one who gives opinions in an authoritative manner; a teacher or critic." The synonyms for this word include bookworm, brain, egghead, expert, thinker.

Raconteur, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means "a person who excels in telling anecdotes."

Posted by Foxy Gagnon at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)