It's 1981 and you're a journalism school fresh-out. The New York Times isn't falling all over itself to get you on their payroll. To make matters worse, the film, "All the President's Men" has funneled every reporter wannabe into the field. What to do, what to do?

       After the ordeal of a drive to New Boston, TX – a half-horse town 20 miles west of Texarkana – to interview on a weekly, a job which I deferred, I sent a letter to the Medina Gazette. They'd turned me down for an internship because they were full, but the editor had been kind enough to suggest I apply for a job after graduation.

      Lo and behold, I got a letter back from a different editor asking if I'd like an interview. Shore 'nuff.

       Seems the Gazette had just gone through a bloody union push. The employees didn't adopt a union and management performed a Saturday Night Massacre to rid itself of firebrands. I fell into one of the openings that was created. A prime spot: Medina beat reporter.

       I got the job. It paid $9,500 for the first three months. If I lasted out the probationary period, my salary would jump to an astounding $10K.

       Seems management had gotten the unionization message and was becoming kinder and more generous. If you're curious, $10K in 1981 translates into about $22K now. The lot of a reporter is not a munificent one.

      The Gazette is a six-day per week paper – Monday through Saturday – with a circulation of about 15,000. It served the Cleveland suburbs of Strongsville, Brunswick, Medina, Wadsworth, and pretty much the rest of Medina county.

      When I was on it, it was the gateway for those entering newspapering and those retiring. Most of the reporters were, like myself, fresh-outs. The editors were reporters who either got promoted or were married women who wanted to work, but needed time for the kids as well. The rest of the editorial staff were oldsters and people who'd retired from Big Time journalism. They handled the hot stuff like covering weddings and church events.