Celebrating great wkyc people

January was a month filled with festive gatherings celebrating, honoring, and sending off magnificent wkyc employees respectively.

The first reason for a 'beginning of the year week long party' sent former Metromix writer Marc Magill on his way to the Windy City as Underwriter for AXIS Capital. Gonna miss him like the dickens. Marc began working my shift on our website, wkyc.com, and then moved over to Metromix.com. He was my baseball buddy...we'd talk baseball, strategize, and hit Progressive Field together as much as we could as well as frequent West 9th or the other hot spots around town!

He could not vacate the city before having a terrific sendoff at his fave hotspot, The Map Room.

The next fitting event for a true king --the king of the wkyc Akron Bureau.

Larry Baker has been a journalist for over 45 years. Once everyone got back from their holiday travels and life's craziness died down for just a little while, we all gathered to honor Larry for his retirement from wkyc in the proper way at a terrific, scenic venue in Summit County...Furnace Run Metropark--part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park System.

There were people from every station, many of his former co-workers as well as contacts of his he made through the years who put up with his antics!

Oh, the tributes--sorry folks. This is a family blog and most would have been sensored or even bleeped had they been broadcast! Suffice to say, there was not a dry eye after laughing so hard we were all crying....

Larry made an impact on so many people through his teachings, his actions, his inspiration, and total honesty. He told it like it was. His brutal honesty could make you or break you. But you always knew where he was coming from and what he was saying was authentic and from the heart.

I can not even begin to dig into his great history, the stories he covered, and what he'd seen through his tenure in tv. He's truly a remarkable human being who made me a better person, a true journalist, and someone who wants to carry on Larry Baker's legacy.

Finally, we gathered to celebrate new life. One of our producers/planning editor, Amy and her husband, are expecting. We gathered in the conference room to wish them well, shower her with the most adorable tiny gifts, and gorge and delicious foods to break up a long day! It always brings great joy to welcome a new little member of the wkyc Channel 3 family--hopefully one day soon for Amy and her family!!