Proud of 18 years at The Reminder

Nov. 16, 2017 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

I realized with a jolt this week that my anniversary was coming up. Not my wedding anniversary, but my work one.

On Nov. 11, 1999, I was officially hired by Reminder Publications Managing Editor Carla Valentine to edit the Chicopee Herald. Two years later Carla moved on in her life and was I elevated to that position, one I’ve held onto for the past 18 years.

It’s a world full of coincidences – Carla’s mom was one of my regular listeners when I worked at WREB in the 1980s. Carla listened to me as a young person and then years later she hired me.

Eighteen years is a long time, especially in the local media business. It’s not a standard milestone, such as 20 or 25. I will never make it to 50 as my friend Ray Hershel will do in a few months, but 18 seems like a respectable amount of time.

I’ve been fired three times while working for newspapers and performing public relations. Talk to anyone – well almost anyone – and one will learn that being canned in this business is frequently the norm. It goes with the territory.

Radio was known for years as being one of the most volatile media industries. Deejays and talk show hosts could be gone with the harsh word of a sponsor or a change in a program director. The person who was beloved by one member of management could be hated by his or her successor.

I once lost a sponsor on WREB because I had a Playboy Playmate as a guest. The sponsor, an insurance company, thought it was immoral. I received plenty of calls that hour, though, which was the point of my job. Luckily I did not lose my position.

During my career, which started in 1975, I’ve written for the Valley Advocate, Amherst Record, Westfield News and Holyoke Transcript-Telegraph. I’ve done all sorts of freelance work, including several stories for The Republican – I’m sure certain people there would be shocked at that revelation.

As mentioned above, I spent five years as a talk show host at the late and lamented WREB.

Along the way, there have been some detours, such as managing Tower Theaters in South Hadley and working as a seafood cook. Being a bartender also provided income that was necessary, as well as some insights into human behavior.

You don’t go into Springfield area media to get rich.

My longest stint at any job, though, has been with this company and I’m thankful the Flying Buendo Brothers gave me the opportunity and have not yet seen a reason to show me the door, although I’m sure the thought has crossed their minds from time to time.

I’m also sure there have been some readers who would dance in the streets if that terrible liberal at The Reminder were no longer there.

I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with some great reporters, photographers, sales people and graphic artists of whom I’ve been very proud. Sure, there have been a couple of duds, but that’s life.

My current staff is one of the best groups so far. Chris Maza, Payton North and Deb Gardner work well together and are excellent journalists. I’m a lucky editor.

As you cross that 60 year-old line, certain thoughts become more and more prevalent.  We Baby Boomers have been trained to view 60 as a sort of finish line for life. Once you cross it you’re in unknown territory.

At age 63, I think of retirement, but for very practical reasons I hope to stay on until age 66. Although I may retire from this company, I won’t – can’t – retire from writing. I enjoy it too much and I’ve been doing it for too long. I have three, maybe four books in various stages that I would like to complete.

I also greatly enjoy my work with Focus Springfield, also a great group of professionals. Granted a fat man with a white beard is not exactly standard TV material, but they have been tolerant of my non-TV looks and I thank them for that.

So, thank you Chris and Dan Buendo for not firing me yet. Thank you to the many wonderful colleagues with whom I’ve had the utmost pleasure of working. Thank you to the readers who like me and thank you to those of you who are outraged by me. It’s been a long strange trip and one that I will suspect will remain delightfully strange in the future.

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