Raymond “Gus” Gustitus, 67, of Pittsfield, Mass., died June 17 at Hillcrest Commons in Pittsfield.
He was a printer at The Berkshire Eagle and at Arrow Press, both of Pittsfield.
He leaves his wife, Christine; a son, Eric; two daughters, Jennifer and Maryellen; nine grandchildren; a brother.
The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondent Nimra Aziz, an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.
Robert Andrews ‘Bob’ Colby, 74, of Guilford, Conn., died June 24 in Connecticut Hospice in Branford.
Colby was a community news editor for many years at The Day of New London, Conn.
He leaves his wife, Margaret; a sister, Dorothy; a brother, David.
The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondent Nimra Aziz, an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.
Harvey Steven Rottenberg, 73, of Richmond, Va., died June 12 in Richmond.
He was a newspaper reporter in Providence, R.I.
He was a co-author of two books on horticulture, “The Gardener’s Catalogue” and “Sex in the Garden.”
Rottenberg leaves his wife, Eileen; a son, Ariel; three grandchildren; a brother.
The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondent Nimra Aziz, an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.
David Roderick Sr., 88, of Dartmouth, Mass., died June 15 in Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, Mass.
Roderick was employed in advertising for 33 years at The Dartmouth Chronicle, the Taunton Daily Gazette, and The Spectator of Somerset, all in Massachusetts.
He leaves a daughter, Elizabeth; two sons, Mark and Matthew; a brother; a sister; a godson.
The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondent Nimra Aziz, an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.
Elisabeth H. “Libby” Fippinger, 84, of Wethersfield, Conn., died June 15 in Hartford (Conn.) Hospital.
Fippinger began her career in journalism as a reporter for the New Milford (Conn.) Times. She then joined the advertising firm of Wilson, Haight & Welch in Hartford.
She leaves her husband, Richard; a son, Karl; three grandchildren, Liam, Sean and Hailey.
The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondent Nimra Aziz, an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.
Joan Deming Ensor, 103, who lived virtually all her life in Redding, Conn., died June 9 at Pillsbury Gazebo Apartments in South Burlington, Vt.
She spent many years as the Redding reporter for The News-Times of Danbury, Conn.
Her stories also ran in The Newtown Bee, the then-Bridgeport Post, and The Hour of Norwalk, all in Connecticut.
She wrote a series of articles called On the Town for the Redding Pilot, recounting early 20th century life as she knew it.
She combined the columns into a two-volume book, “On the Town: Growing Up in Long-Ago Redding,” and “On the Town: Some Later Years in Long-Ago Redding.” She was a co-author of the “Book of Trails,” a guide to a network of public trails.
Ensor was a Democratic deputy registrar of voters and a member of the Democratic Town Committee. She also was a member of the Redding and Regional boards of education. She spent 12 years as a member of the Zoning Commission.
Ensor leaves two daughters, Imogen and Sally; two stepdaughters, Celinda and Persis; three grandchildren, Katie, Seth and Noah; three step-grandchildren, Chris, Becky and Aaron; three great-grandchildren; four step-great-grandchildren.
The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondent Nimra Aziz, an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.
MASSACHUSETTS:
Frederick H. Gage, 90, of South Paris, Maine, died June 18 in Maine Veteran’s Home in South Paris.
He was a sports editor for many years at the former Wilton (Conn.) Times.
He later was news and sports director for WLAM-AM of Lewiston, Maine.
He also was sports editor of the then-Lewiston Evening Journal. After retiring from the sports department of the Sun Journal of Lewiston in 1990, he continued to write a horse racing column for the Sun Journal.
He was a member of the National Amateur Press Association and was its president in 1992 and 1993, the association’s only president from Maine.
Gage leaves his wife, Carolyn; two daughters, Debra and Karen; two grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren.
The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondent Nimra Aziz, an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.
Judith Ellen Keneman HOPEWELL TWP. Judith Ellen (Bailey) Keneman, 69, passed away at the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, N.J., with family by her side on Sunday, May 22, 2016.
Born in Framing-ham, MA, Judith grew up in the nearby town of South-borough. She attended Algonquin Regional High School, graduating with honors in 1965. She was a member of the National Honor Society and held the position of worthy advisor of the Marlboro chapter of Rainbow Girls. She was elected from the state of Massachusetts to function as the grand drill leader for a statewide assembly and was also selected to be a foreign exchange student.
Judith began her college studies in September of 1965 at Simmons College in Boston studying nursing. She met her true love, Scott Allen Keneman, during her freshman year and married him in June 1967. After working various jobs to help support them while Scott acquired his PhD. degree, she became a homemaker, raising a son, Brian Scott and a daughter, Amy Lynn. Judith returned to her college studies at Trenton State College, (now known as “The College of New Jersey”) many years later, receiving her B.A. in history, with honors, in May 1993.
Judith returned to the working world as office manager of Imani Presbyterian Church in Trenton, NJ, where she worked for several years. Then she was hired as the executive assistant to the Gallup Poll editor-in-chief at the Gallup Poll in Princeton, where she worked for 12 years. During this time, Judith helped to select and manage the Gallup Blue Books, a collection of the most important and newsworthy articles each year, in addition to managing the Gallup Brain subscription, before retiring in 2011.
During her retirement, Judith spent countless hours enjoying her many hobbies, including birdwatching, gardening, family genealogy, photography, and spending lots of time with her two beloved grandsons. In 2012, Judith won her first photo award from Cape Cod Life Magazine, which led to four years of award-winning photos being featured in Cape Cod Life magazine, as well as the cover of their 2013 annual calendar. Judith won several more awards in the coming years for her photos of birds, landscapes, sunsets, and other nature shots from N.J. Audubon exhibits and at various galleries in Mercer County, NJ, and Bucks County, PA. She was an active member of the Princeton Photography Club, Yardley Photography Club, and the New Hope Art League. Her most recent accomplishments include: having one of her Bucks County covered bridge photos chosen for a billboard by a local bank and featured in Bucks County Magazine; having several of her nature and animal photos displayed on the walls of a newly opened upscale farm-to-table restaurant in Hopewell, NJ; and having a seven-photo/six-page portfolio with biography published in the May issue of Cape Cod Life magazine. Judith won three separate “Best of 2016 Readers Choice Awards” in Cape Cod Life magazine’s June issue, with one photograph featured in the May 23 local Boston ABC Television show, Chronicle. Judith was a member of N.J. Audubon, Mass. Audubon, and Friends of Patterson Farm Preservation.
Her love of history and over 40 years of research in genealogy were supported by her active role and memberships to the Society of Mayflower Descendants, Daughters of the American Revolution, New England Historic Genealogical Society, John Alden Society, Duxbury Historical Society, Framingham Historical Society, and Southborough Historical Society. Judith was also a longstanding member of Pennington Presbyterian Church and served as deacon for many years, in addition to volunteering in the office.
During her adult life, she also lived in Carmel, IN; Lancaster, PA; and Barrington, IL. She and Scott moved back to Princeton, NJ, with their children in 1989, where they have resided since. Judith is survived by her husband, Scott Allen Keneman of Princeton; daughter, Amy Lynn Keneman Djerbal and husband, Merouane of Newtown, PA; two grandsons, Rafi Keneman Djerbal and Malek Alden Djerbal; her sister, Susan Elizabeth Bailey of Richmond, VA; two uncles, Frederick Zartarian of Boston and Jack Kocyk of San Marcos, CA; and aunt JoAnn Kocyk; as well as sister-in-law, Sharon Dolan and husband, Stan of Frisco, TX; sister-in-law, Barrie Kimball and husband, Steven of Towson, MD; and by nieces and nephews who knew her as “Aunt Judy,” Brad and Katie Kimball, Gavin and Ashley Kimball, and Beth Kimball of Towson, MD; Jaime and Trey Worley, Lori and Eric Haas, and Bryce and Meredith Dolan of Dallas. She leaves behind many beloved cousins including her goddaughter and cousin, Glynis “Gigi” Zywicki and husband, Ron of Lombard, IL; Scott Garland and wife, Jane of Warrenton, VA; Greg Garland of Bloomfield Hills, MI; Tanya Kocyk Gabriella of San Marcos, CA; Sasha Kocyk Andrews and husband, Rob of Carlsbad, CA; Kim Kocyk Landry and husband, James of Lexington, MA; Edgar Bailey and wife, Priscilla of Providence, RI; James Bailey and wife, Betsy; and Meg Bailey and husband, Rob. Judith’s son, Brian Scott Keneman, preceded her in death.
Though gone too soon, Judith had a life well-lived, was well-loved and will be very missed by those who knew and loved her. Memorial donations to honor Judith may be made to N.J. Audubon or Mass. Audubon. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 26, at 6 p.m. at the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home, 2560 Pennington Rd., Pennington, NJ, with the Rev. William McQuoid officiating. Friends may call from 5 p.m. until time of service. Condolences are welcome at wilsonapple.com. Wilson-Apple Funeral Home 2560 Pennington Rd. Pennington, NJ 08534 (609) 737-1498.
The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondent Nimra Aziz, an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism.
‘It is important for newspapers to continue to have opinions and not shy away from saying something that someone might take offense at. I want to read a paper that is self-confident even if I don’t agree with their editorial board.’
— Curtiss Clark, Editor,
Newtown (Conn.) Bee
As election seasons begin to heat up, candidates do whatever they can to round up votes and endorsements from public figures and their local newspapers. But does the opinion of your local newspaper still have an impact?
The Bulletin interviewed seven editors and a reader from throughout New England on the changing roles of a newspaper and the fate of endorsements. Although a majority agreed that endorsements of candidates are an essential role of newspaper, at least a couple of newspapers in New England have experimented with or currently do not endorse candidates. The editors interviewed also discussed the process of selecting a candidate to endorse and how to do so without an appearance of bias.
“I think newspapers, its reporters and its editors have a unique perch on which to evaluate candidates in a thorough way that the average voter doesn’t have,” said Michael Cuzzi, senior vice president of VOX Global, a strategic communications company in Portland, Maine.
In 2014, when the Portland Press Herald made the decision no longer to endorse candidates for office, Cuzzi wrote an editorial piece calling the decision a “disservice to readers and voters,” including himself.
According to Greg Kesich, editorial page editor of the Portland Press Herald, the decision was made to avoid the appearance of any bias because the Press Herald was owned at the time by the largest donor to the Democratic Party in Maine and the husband of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a North Haven, Maine, Democrat.
In a 2015 announcement that the Press Herald would return to publishing political endorsements, Kesich wrote: “When the excitement at election time surges, opinion writers want to be in the middle of it, not watching from the sidelines. And that’s where the readers want us.”
Kesich noted in the announcement that the Press Herald returned to running endorsements because its ownership had changed.
The Press Herald isn’t the only New England newspaper to have questioned the practice of endorsing candidates, however.
The Narragansett (R.I.) Times has not endorsed a candidate for office since 2006.
“We have so many hyperlocal elections and we are so close with candidates that endorsements don’t service our public, our readers or us,” said Matt Wunsch, managing editor of the Times.
Wunsch said the Times instead encourages readers to engage with the newspaper and fill editorial pages with letters to the editors, which drives readership and circulation.
Some journalists think that refraining from endorsements actually weakens the position of a newspaper in a community.
“It is important for newspapers to continue to have opinions and not shy away from saying something that someone might take offense at,” said Curtiss Clark, editor of The Newtown (Conn.) Bee. “I want to read a paper that is self-confident even if I don’t agree with their editorial board.”
“Local endorsements could have an impact if it gets a voter to go to the polls,” said Walter Bird Jr., editor of Worcester (Mass.) Magazine. “Maybe they will vote for the person you endorse, or maybe they’ll just get out and vote.
Others interviewed echoed the sentiment that the impact of an endorsement isn’t to sway an election, but simply to provide useful information for the newspaper’s readers.
Bird sees that as particularly important in Worcester, where voter turnout is low. He said that if a newspaper is capable of generating interest in an election and engaging its readers, then it should not be afraid to step in and state its opinions.
Clark agrees that endorsements are a service to the community.
“It’s not that we think people are hanging on every word we say and waiting to hear what we think,” Clark said.
Data from the News Interest Index, a survey conducted in 2008 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, confirmed Clark’s thoughts on the matter.
The survey found that newspaper endorsements of political candidates drew mixed reviews from voters. It found that 69 percent of survey participants saw no effect from a newspaper endorsement. Fourteen percent said, however, that an endorsement would make them more likely to vote for a candidate and another 14 percent said it would make them less likely to vote for a candidate.
Clark said he also thinks that the less ideological a newspaper is — meaning that it doesn’t always align with the same political party — the bigger an impact it could have.
Again, his thoughts aligned with research on the topic. The National Bureau of Economic Research conducted a study on whether readers filter out media bias. The researchers, Brian G. Knight and Chun-Fang Chiang of Brown University, found that the more unexpected or surprising an endorsement was, the bigger impact it had on its readers. A newspaper with a perceived liberal bias endorsing a Republican candidate is more influential than if that same newspaper had endorsed a Democratic candidate.
Jim Campanini, editor of The Sun of Lowell, Mass., also saw value in an unexpected endorsement.
“Sometimes we make endorsements just to wake up the incumbent, even when they (endorsed opponents) have no chance of winning but show a lot of potential. They (incumbents) get the message,” Campanini said. “God forbid newspapers want to give that voice up. Why would you want to lose your voice in the community to get people out there and encourage them to vote?”
How does a newspaper select a candidate to endorse?
The process by which a newspaper’s editorial staff selects a candidate to endorse varies from paper to paper, but it is not a decision made lightly.
Most newspapers have an editorial board, which often includes editors, editorial page staff, and the publisher of the paper. In local elections and sometimes even national elections, the board invites candidates for office in for meetings where they can further explore a candidate’s policies and abilities.
Some editorial boards find it productive to sound out the candidates in the same forum, as opposed to meeting with the candidates individually.
Morgan McGinley, who retired in 2007 as editorial page editor of The Day of New London, Conn., found that group meetings with the candidates made for richer discussions.
The Sun of Lowell sponsors local debates in the 14 communities it covers and has the candidates submit two-minute videos with a pitch for their endorsement, a process Campanini considers rigorous but necessary.
“It gives you a connection to the community,” Campanini said about why the Sun sponsors debates. “We don’t pick winners. We select people for our endorsements who show certainty, ingenuity, honesty and that they value their community.”
In 2015, Worcester Magazine took an unusual tack. It ran a three-week series in which it dedicated each of three weekly editions to different local elected offices. In those editions, the magazine outlined everything it thought readers needed to know about the race. The magazine then ran its endorsements for each election online, instead of in the print edition. According to editor Bird, that decision was made to avoid distracting from the purely informational nature of each issue.
Since switching back to the practice of endorsing political candidates, the Portland Press Herald does not allow any overlap of its news and editorial staffs. The only members voting on endorsements are those on the editorial board who agree with the decision to endorse candidates. Three members who did not agree with endorsing candidates abstained from voting.
Ken Johnson, managing editor of The Patriot Ledger of Quincy, Mass., said the Patriot Ledger functions differently. He said the editorial board is happy to hear the opinion of any editor or reporter who cares to share his or her opinion. Johnson also said the Patriot Ledger considers any candidate that the publisher has in mind for an endorsement, but would be surprised if the publisher were to veto the consensus decision of the newspaper staff.
At smaller newspapers, the process can differ. Clark of the Newton Bee does not have an editorial board and makes endorsement decisions on his own. Clark said that because of limited access to political candidates in his small community, he often relies on his research and observations of the campaigns as opposed to personal meetings with the candidates.
Can readers separate news from editorials?
Whether readers can separate the voices of the news sections and editorial sections of newspapers is a key issue in the debate on newspaper endorsements.
Kesich of the Portland Press Herald shared his thoughts on the subject.
“It’s the nature of opinion versus news, which is a constant push and pull in a newspaper environment, and it’s always going to be,” Kesich said.
The editorial board that Kesich works on always sticks to the opinion pages and never reports to the news sections of the Press Herald. That is not always the case in smaller newspapers with shrinking staff, however.
Bird, of Worcester Magazine, acknowledged that there is often a misinterpretation of the role of a newspaper’s editorial pages.
“As social media and the public’s involvement in media has grown and evolved, I think people are confused. But I put some weight on consumers’ shoulders to try and understand the difference,” Bird said.
Bird said people have criticized columnists for being opinionated, even when that is what they are supposed to be. He called for more education for readers on the separate components of a newspaper.
Clark said that a more common issue is readers finding bias in political reporting, where an author seems to take sides or “go easy” on some candidates. He thinks that readers are sophisticated and understand the difference between an editorial and a news story.
“We all have our own political deck,” Clark said. “If you can’t take your feelings out of it, then you shouldn’t do it (endorse candidates). The (endorsed) candidate has to be who is best for your city or town.”
–Matt Wunsch, Managing Editor
Narragansett (R.I.) Times
–Walter Bird Jr., Editor
Worcester (Mass.) Magazine
–Jim Campanini, Editor
The Sun, Lowell, Mass.
–Michael Cuzzi, Senior Vice President
VOX Global, Portland Maine
