Bob Condon will be missed
Counting the days until March 14; Another volume of columns
By Ken Tingley
Bob Condon announced his retirement in Thursday’s Post-Star.
Most of you probably don’t know who Bob Condon is or why I am writing about him now.
I suspect that is the way Bob likes it.
One of my first decisions after becoming editor of the newspaper in 1999 was to make Bob city editor. He had been at the newspaper for six years as regional editor. He worked with the free-lancers and coordinated coverage in the small towns and villages in the region.
What Bob brought to the table was his organization and editing skills and something I didn’t realize at the time - he brought order, calm and direction to the chaos of the newsroom.
There are less than two dozen references to Bob in my book “The Last American Newspaper.” His work often took a back seat to some of the more dramatic stories from editors such as Mark Mahoney and Will Doolittle, but his contributions were just as important, maybe more so.
“Condon became the organizational center for everything we did,” I wrote in the book. “He kept the press running on time by hitting all our deadlines, he married photographic excellence with more in-depth assignments, but most of all he oozed calm.”
Nothing rattled Bob.
The times any of us even saw a glimpse of anger or frustration can be counted on one hand. Not many of us can say that.
Bob told me he sent his resume to the newspaper for the regional editor position but when he never got a response, he moved on. The managing editor at the time later told him that his resume had slipped through the crack between his desk and the wall. When the editor finally found it, he called Bob.
That small piece of fortune benefited all of us.
Bob became a master at “flooding the zone” with reporters on big breaking news stories like the E. coli outbreak at the Washington County Fair, the railroad tanker leak in Fort Edward and the Ethan Allen sinking.
As regional editor he discovered a free-lance writer in Ticonderoga name Maury Thompson who became a staple in the newsroom for nearly two decades. Maury retired in 2017, but is back writing for Bob again.
I remember conversations with Bob about getting him out of the office to write an occasional story, but it rarely happened. He was too important in the newsroom, although he did write the definitive story on the Warren County bike trail.
When I retired as editor in 2020, no successor was named. Bob’s title was changed from city editor to local news editor. The reality was that Bob was doing the same job he had always done, but a big chunk of mine as well. There was no story at the time reporting his promotion. I suspect that was Bob’s choice as well.
While he shunned the limelight, it was not unusual for Bob to spend 30 minutes in the lobby talking with a reader who had brought what they thought was a great story idea, or maybe some old newspapers they found in their attic. They rarely bore fruit, but Bob patiently listened to their stories. Regardless of whether there was a story or not, I think those folks came away feeling better about their daily newspaper because there was someone there willing to listen.
It is something we all could be better at.
One thing Bob and I did share was a love for the rock and roll of Bruce Springsteen. We shared one concert in Albany together as well. So like any good reporter, I couldn’t help but connect the dots regarding Bob’s retirement announcement.
It coincided with the opening of a new tour by the Boss. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Bob is eyeing a position as a traveling public relations professional for the E Street Band.
What I remember most about my two decades as editor was having a dedicated core group of editors I could count on to not only get the job done, but to go above and beyond the call of duty.
That sums up Bob Condon perfectly.
He always went above and beyond the call of duty.
He was honest, told you the truth when you asked him a direct question and was someone you could trust.
He once posted a quote from Bob Woodward on the bulletin board for everyone to see:
“So much is hidden. I get up in the morning and I ask the question: ‘What are the bastards hiding?’ Not as a cynical reporter, but as a realistic reporter. People are always hiding things.”
- Bob Woodward
On my last day of work, I took it down and brought it home with me. I’m not sure why.
For those of you who didn’t know his name, you have no idea how much he will be missed. But one thing is for certain, it is the end of an era.
It begins again
Speaking of Bruce Springsteen, the rock star known for being “Born to Run” began his latest tour Wednesday night in Tampa, Florida. Bruce and most of the original E-Street Band are now in their 70s, but that didn’t stop them from performing a 28-song set that lasted almost three hours.
I suspect most of us will struggle to stand for three hours once we get to our 70s.
Springsteen will be making a stop on Albany on March 14. Sure, I paid too much for the tickets, but I will again be in attendance for what I believe will be my 29th or 30th show.
That are not many times in your life when you get to experience pure job for a three-hour period of time.
Second volume
I’ve gotten so much great feedback from you readers over the years, but it is especially gratifying about my collection of columns “The Last American Editor.”
I recently spoke over at the Moreau Senior Center and one man told me he had read the book twice. Other are just discovering it.
I have two favorite reviews. In one, a reader told me they didn’t read books, but they read mine. In the other, the man said he didn’t much care for my book. He found himself tearing up about the stories of regular people facing difficult challenges.
If you move someone with your words, you can’t ask for a better review.
So what I’m wondering now is if there is a market for a second volume of columns. I know the material is there. Let me know what you think.
Moreau controversy
It always brings a smile to my face when a politician stands up in a public meeting and says the newspaper got it wrong.
That usually means the newspaper got it right.
Another supervisor in Moreau once accused a Post-Star reporting of making up the quotes from the supervisor and town board meetings. What he forgot was that the board recorded the meeting.
The reporter went back and found the quotes and printed a story about how the Town Board was lying.
It was great to see the newspaper again holding a politician’s feet to the fire.
Rotary event
The Glens Falls Rotary Club welcomed me with open arms at their luncheon meeting Thursday at the Queensbury Hotel. They even had cake, but that was apparently for everyone who had a birthday.
It was a great audience and it was great to see so many familiar faces.
It was my third time talking to Rotary. The first time was 24 years ago and the second time was last January on Zoom.
And the Queensbury Hotel is looking really good.
29-30 ESB shows. And my better half questions my sanity at a dozen or so going back to Philly and Passaic NJ in 78.
That's a wonderful tribute. People who can walk into a room where things are frenetic or chaotic and the temperature immediately drops when they enter- those folks are few and far between. It's a rare gift.