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Bob Thebuilder's avatar

Many editors would now leave in those last two paragraphs, converting a news story into an editorial--a contributing cause to the deaths of newspapers IMO. Readers want to see news on the front page and to find opinions on the editorial page where they belong. Thank you for the fine elegy.

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Seth Rolbein's avatar

Thanks for the thoughts, Bob, and for referring to this as an elegy -- an elegant, eloquent description. As for those two graphs, of course this isn't a news story but even so I'd argue that both of them are factual, though I wouldn't argue with any editor taking out the word "amazing" to put them both on more solid ground. I should have. Thanks again, best, s

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Bob Thebuilder's avatar

Mr. Rolbein. FYI, I was referring to this vignette from your piece:

"Dana read it, marked it up with a fat red pencil, and said, “That’s fine, except I’m cutting the last two paragraphs about how ironic it is that we celebrate Memorial Day because so many soldiers died in vain and so many more would rather forget their horrible experiences and how it’s certain that most of the people marching in our parades did nothing heroic.”

“But all that’s true,” I protested.

“I appreciate that,” he sighed, “but let’s pick our spots, OK?”

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Seth Rolbein's avatar

Ahhh, now I get it and what you're saying makes all the sense to me. Light dawns on Marblehead.

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Peter Clemons's avatar

Wonderful description Seth. We were all so dependent on actual people. On each other. Team work.

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John Basile's avatar

Seth; You and that crew you write about set the standard for all of us who followed you at The Reg. We never met that standard but at least we had something to aim for.

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Dwight Shepard's avatar

Nice tribute, John. When you left The Register, I knew it was over.

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Seth Rolbein's avatar

Mr. Basile, please don't minimize your wonderful hard and dedicated work in that newsroom. Always a pleasure to work with you and much appreciate what you did and still do, now with dulcet tones. Speaking of tones, that includes your absconding with my saxophone! s

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Trish Gunther Russell's avatar

Sometime in 1975 the Register published a story about me and how I was going to college to major in Horsemanship. That little paper kept me connected to the Cape throughout those years and beyond. Now neither my college nor the Register are still around.

Thank you for tugging at my wonderful memories.

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eswolfson's avatar

What a great piece! Reminded me of so many people and things, including my favorite chicken salad sandwich at Connelly’s.

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Seth Rolbein's avatar

Wouldn't have gotten there were it not for your family introducing me to Cape Cod, and offering this teenager beautiful support.

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Kevin Rice's avatar

I remember reading those articles and saying I'd like to meet that writer, that guy some time...

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Seth Rolbein's avatar

Then lo and behold fate brought us together in so many creative ways. How cool is that!

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