Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 27, 1993 TAG: 9307270046
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
I'm out of the office at a conference much of this week. When I get back to work Thursday, I'll be so busy catching up on the courts beat that I probably won't have too much time to spend in the office.
Just as well.
This is the last week the New River Valley bureau will be blessed with the presence of Jack Chamberlain, assistant editor.
Jack is retiring after about 30 years in the business. He wrestled with an early-retirement offer, then decided to take it, then wrestled with that decision because ink practically runs through his veins.
But lately, he's embraced the idea of moving on to what had been his summer home. In fact, he's looking positively giddy.
He's even composing a song to the tune of the "Ballad of the Green Berets."
"Six more days, that's all for me. One more week, and you're rid of me. "
Friday, he was still trying to complete the ditty.
As I worked toward getting a full-time job with the newspaper, New River Editor Beth Obenshain often would suggest that I work closely with Jack for help with my stories.
At first, I suppressed groans of protest.
Jack?
The man who once took an hour to edit a routine 12-inch story of mine, sending my blood pressure boiling as we argued over this word, that phrase, this legal jargon?
The man who insisted on ages for everyone in a story? Who wanted to know the dog's name every time? Who wanted to know what the accused murderer-rapist-robber-and-wife-beater did for a living?
Who always seemed to say, "What if we said it like this?"
Who drove me crazy with the often-recited "make it sing" directive, even on routine police blotter items that didn't seem to lend themselves to melody?
Work with Jack?!?! Oh, all right, if that's what it takes to get hired.
Hey, you know what, Jack? It does sound better like this.
You know what else? Having the dog's name does help the story.
And maybe the world does need to know what the rapist - er, make that accused rapist - does for a living and how old the woman was who chased down a purse-snatcher.
And, Jack, maybe the reason you had to take an hour to edit that routine police story is because no story should be considered routine. If it bores me, imagine how the readers will feel about it.
Thanks, Jack, for the lessons learned by an at-first-unwilling student, for the pats on the back when I "done good," for the help that helped me land my dream job.
Kathy Loan, 30, covers police and courts for the New River Valley bureau of the Roanoke Times & World-News.
by CNB