LETTER FROM THE EDITOR, Joan Krauter, jkrauter@bradenton.com
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Time it was, and what a time it was, it was . . .
As Jim and I turned to walk out of his office, his baritone stopped me cold.
It was Friday the 13th, and he had just learned that his position at the Bradenton Herald had been eliminated.
And he sang.
Just that one line from Simon and Garfunkel - sadly, softly, poetically. And that says so much about Jim Smith.
These are strange times for journalists. The work goes on, but the business is struggling and cutbacks are reality. Then again, most of us got into the business for that strange thrill of reporting and writing about life's triumphs and challenges.
Jim got into the business more than three decades ago, daring himself and everyone around him to be different. In the nine years we've worked together, he continually astounded me with how much a difference he could make.
He joined the Herald as sports editor, which was almost too easy for him. He introduced us to "Sunday Drive," a weekly column that got me hooked on a Sunday Sports section for the first time ever. In the years to follow, as managing editor, he helped remake the Herald with his sharp eye for detail and design and his love of the written word.
So, what better tribute to Jim than the reflections, musings and well wishes from some of his fans - coworkers who Jim has helped guide along that newspapering path for years.
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JIM HAS A SENSE OF adventure about newspaper journalism that is infectious and instructive. He liked to have fun with his work. He was always willing to try something new - whether it was a new approach to a story or a new product like a Sunday street edition. But he always made sure that underlying our efforts was a commitment to the same core journalistic principles that had brought us this far. That is a balance that is sometimes hard to keep, but Jim always provided a steadying hand to ensure we were following the right course.
- Metro Editor Marc Masferrer
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WHEN YOU WORK with someone more than eight years, it's the little moments that stick in the mind.
In Jim Smith's case, what I really appreciate about him is his lack of pretension, how he embraces bluesy music and blue-collar places like the Tip-Top Tavern and Council's Bradenton Recreation Parlor. If you wanted the best greasy hamburger in town and the coldest beer, Jim could tell you where to look.
Just because he has the common touch, doesn't mean he doesn't have a razor wit or a steel-trap mind. He has the ability to bore in and ask questions about stories on the news budget which, in retrospect, seemed obvious but hadn't always been asked.
But he also has a light touch as an editor. He is like a skilled surgeon. He makes deft, concise suggestions that help bring out an emotion or a texture, explain an idea or bring the picture into sharper focus. I learned about that light touch when he edited an eight-part series I wrote two years ago about returning to Vietnam. - East Manatee Editor Jim Jones
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