Back to Canarsie

Visiting Canarsie

Friday July 14, 2006

09:03 PM. Got car inspected at Toyota dealer in Bay Ridge. Then drive to Canarsie. Little else but visit Courier—first time, I think, since leaving. Though maybe did visit in first year or two after.

Only person still there is Katherine. Office worker. Still fairly young. Didn’t remember one another, but determined she was there from about May ’87 on. She was a friend of Claudia’s. I did remember later that Claudia had a girlfriend who came in to work there.

Talked about Fran, Oreen (correct?), Ann (but was she saying “Fran?” Not sure there was an Ann). Bob and Mae. Ray Sito. Larry. Brian Winzeworth and Brian Cohen. Annette.

Talked with reporter—fat guy around 50. He remembered Peter Pliterris. Don’t remember reporter’s name. Was friendly, showed me interior. They’ve knocked out the wall to my and Brian’s office. He and editor (Chuck Rogers) sit on window wall. Have Mac G3s and small CRTs, very blurry. Type and layout in Quark. Yuk. Couple of layout guys who have more modern Macs. Pretty sure he told me the writers have “eight” and the layout people “nine.” Could he means OS 8 and OS 9. Crimeny.

Chuck remembered me. “From Missouri, right?” Recognized my name right away. Said I’d done a good job. He had left the staff shortly before I came, returned about two months after. Has edited ever since.

Brian Winzeworth didn’t remain on very long. Had a hard life and mental problems, said Chuck. Reporter told me Ray had been let go. Ray had cheated on his wife. Is not remarried. Claudia moved to Staten Island. Bob S ___ (Sammet? no, not it...) [it was Samitz] died shortly after I left. Mae died in 1998 or so. Mike Bologna is a big shot now at a printing company. Married his hair-cutting girlfriend—Sue?

It was fun, but depressing. Glad I was remembered and got a compliment. Not sure what Chuck was saying I did a good job on. Seemed to me layout-design. But did he really know or at least believe I had some input there? Mostly it was Brian Cohen’s doing. But I did have charge of laying out the front page and first two news pages.

Kathryn told me it’s now a terrible neighborhood. “Nobody cares about anybody.” She notes that “it’s all black now.” And slow look-neither-way jaywalking galore.~ VIJournalDiary