Wednesday, February 2, 2022
I had the privilege of working with Jake at the Gazette Leader back in the 1990s. I was the person who installed the first newsroom computers there, which presented a big change and challenge for Jake. I had to create the coding for the copy and headlines as well as a manual for the staff to use. I remember calls from Jake to "unfreeze" his keyboard, which usually involved vacuuming of cheese cracker crumbs, the kinds of things that never bothered his trusty typewriter. In the winter, Jake's wardrobe always included a thick cardigan, and the dry atmosphere in the newsroom produced static which froze his computer, leaving him frustrated and longing again for his trusty typewriter. No one could write a story as quickly, as succinctly, and as accurately as Jake, and he was a combination of bloodhound and pit bull at following a story. Over the years since, our paths continued to cross and I will miss seeing him.
