By Eric Schoen
There was no Inaugural Parade where the newly inaugurated President of the United States got out of his vehicle and strode, family members in tow down the streets of Washington, D.C. No Inaugural Balls where people and corporations paid thousands of dollars to get a glimpse of the President and his wife dancing in one of the great hotel ballrooms of our nation’s Capitol.
I tried numerous times over the years to get a ticket to one of the balls. I wasn’t expecting anything more than a cash bar and maybe a piece of cold, rubbery chicken on a plate with a few vegetables, potatoes and stale rolls. Never had any luck. Due to COVID-19 I knew it wasn’t happening this year.
No visits by the throngs there for the occasion to the Washington Monument, Lincoln or Jefferson Memorials to honor Presidents of the past. Certainly no stopping by to greet the newly sworn in members of the House of Representatives or Senate who represent you. Add security to the myriads of issues causing these disruptions this year.
On Wednesday Joseph Robinette Biden was sworn in as the President of these great United States with Kamala Harris sworn in as his Vice President. Both of them placing their hands on the Bible sworn into office by the Supreme Court Justices of United States. The ritual we go through every four years continued, and despite impeachment attempts and so many other issues the great tradition lives on.
Nothing, no nothing will ever stop this great occasion from continuing. We are grateful for that. Our Government goes on without missing a beat as it has for so many years. We are represented by two United States Senators
11 and one Congressperson. Jamaal Bowman has replaced Eliot Engel as Congressman for many of us. Mondaire Jones has replaced Nita Lowey who decided to retire this year. We wish Jamaal and Mondaire nothing but the best as they continue allowing ‘We, The People’ to be represented in the halls of government.
What more can I say other than, ‘God Bless America, my Home Sweet Home. God Bless America, my Home Sweet Home!’
The Journal News. Your Local Newspaper?
When mom was alive the Journal News, the local newspaper was second only to the Bible. Actually when it came to learning about local news it was her bible. The paperboy or papergirl would deliver it late in the day after school, and he/she would get paid once a week, usually on a Friday for services provided.
Mom and dad and my sister and I read the Journal News, formerly the Herald Statesman to read about local news. The minute mom opened the paper she would turn to the obituary page to find out who died. My sister would join me in asking mom, ‘Who died?’
The paper was filled with all local news, everything from what was going on in the schools and city to local perspectives on national and world events. Mom would turn to the sports section not to find out the scores from the previous nights Mets, Yankees, Jets or Giants games but to find out the bowling league scores as she had some friends who bowled and she took great pride on posting their accomplishments on our refrigerator,
Great columnists, Eileen Campion, Jennie Tritten and Gwen Hall to name a few. Dave Hartley, a ‘Yonkers boy’ served as the editor of the paper for so many years. He knew the history of Yonkers. If the Editorial on the Editorial Page had a Yonkers spin on it or information on historical Yonkers within, you knew that of the members of the Editorial Board Dave Hartley had written it.
Will David, the crime reporter kept you abreast of all things criminal in Yonkers. He would produce numerous stories each day on everything from business and home break-ins to who got arrested locally the day before. He was the kind of reporter editors loved. Always walking the courtrooms of Yonkers, gathering local police reports and chock full of police contacts who would provide him with crime news both off and on the record. He would have four, five maybe even more stories in the paper everyday.
I understand that times have to change. The Herald Statesman which itself was the combination of two Yonkers newspapers, The Herald and The Statesman became the Journal News giving the paper a regional flair. Many people stopped reading the paper because they read the Herald Statesman for Yonkers news and complained there were few Yonkers stories in the newly branded paper.
Which brings us to today. Several weeks ago I raised the question to the current Editor of the Journal News, Mary Dolan as to why there was no coverage in the print edition, still sold on newsstands and home delivered of a fire in an apartment building across the street from where I grew up. One person died. I provided her with a list of media outlets that had covered it. I obtained that list by simply using Google to see if there were any stories on the fire.
Her response: ‘Thanks for reading. Covered on lohud with story, photos, gallery. Holiday deadlines required preprinting print editions. Lohud is our breaking news platform.’
I wrote back to Ms. Dolan, ‘So am I to get the impression that people like my sister Who do not go online should cancel their print subscription if they want breaking news.’ Or want to know what occurred yesterday around town?
Four alarm fire in Yonkers last week. The building housed a supermarket, dry cleaner and a laundromat. Building reduced to rubble, currently being carted away. A story affecting many lives from those in the neighborhood who relied on the businesses to the young couple with a new born baby who owned the dry cleaner purchasing it several years ago. Not even a picture in the print paper.
A four alarm fire is a big thing. It occurred before an increasingly earlier deadline for the Journal News. I still am shocked that there was no mention in the next days Journal News print edition. And the words in Ms. Dolan’s email ‘Holiday Deadlines required preprinting editions.’ What does that mean? The local newspaper will have no local news in it if it falls on a holiday?
Sad. Tells you the sad state of affairs of daily newspapers in 2021. Question what the purpose is in buying a print edition of the Journal News. The paper doesn’t cost 25 cents anymore either. Maybe the answer is to stop selling print editions of local papers. What purpose do they serve with so many online resources?
One only hopes that after the pandemic pray god comes to an end and local events start happening the weekend section of the Journal News will list local happenings around town. Not that it did such a great job before the pandemic.
Fortunately you have this great paper to read. Local News you need to know. I am glad to be part of it.
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
