Z-Man

When I first arrived at the mighty Mezz, there was a guy working there we all called “Z-Man;” Richard Zitrin (“ZIT-trin”).
Zitrin was a page editor — I think he put together the editorial page.
Like everyone I ever met at that newspaper, he had his feet squarely on the ground; so I thought the world of him.
Zitrin was Jewish; perhaps not very Jewish in his religion, but Jewish in his ancestry — i.e. ethnically Jewish.
He inadvertently taught me about tolerance.
One day I mentioned we had “jewed down” our building-contractor on our house project.
Z-Man didn’t say anything, but I could see my remark hurt.
Thinking as highly of Z-Man as I did, I decided that wasn’t happening again.

Arrived at Messenger newspaper probably in 1995, first as an unpaid intern after my stroke October 26, 1993. Hired in January of 1996.

The “mighty Mezz” is the Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper, from where I retired over two years ago. Best job I ever had — worked there almost 10 years.

RE: “House project.....” —In 1989 we had built our house in West Bloomfield we now live in. It was built by a contractor.