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We’ve been redecorating a little bit at the Gazette offices the last few weeks. Our new publisher, Craig Richards, seems to enjoy moving furniture and the small house at 14 Tilton St. now has a fresh, clean look that the whole staff seems to like.
Emptying drawers gave me a chance to see some things I’d forgotten I had and also allowed for some reflections on games and events that I’ve been able to cover in the last 26 or so years.
As you’d expect, one desk drawer held pens and paper clips. There was an old Gazette pen that didn’t write anymore, and deeper in the drawer about 10 of the same green pens were rubber banded together. So, now at least, I have some pens that write. I won’t take them home, however, because I never can seem to keep a pen from disappearing at my house.
Among the items in the next drawer were some old journalism textbooks. One was on layout and design. That could be helpful, so I kept it. Another was on media law. Hope I don’t have to use that anytime soon.
There were plenty of old programs. Some were from Hammonton or St. Joseph football games. Those were fun to look through, as they brought back memories of former players and games that were filled with exciting plays and huge crowds.
There were some old Hawks books, you know the ones, with tons of ads and the rosters of the teams that played at Hammonton Lake Park.
Hammonton Softball Tournament programs, a few from when HHS hosted a baseball tournament, one from the year a kid from Audubon named Joe Flacco won the Most Valuable Player.
Moving to the other side of my desk, the top drawer held some old business cards as well as a few letters people have written me through the years.
Many of the businesses no longer exist, although a few do and it was fun to recall conversations with the people whose names were on the front.
The letters were also fun to read. Some I remembered receiving, while others I had to think about for a while. They were mostly thanks for covering someone or something. Many were filled with praise but some were critical. It’s always fun to get an angry letter every now and then.
The last drawer was maybe the most fun to go through. For one, it held a few items that used to sit on my desk, such as a Splash, the old Atlantic City Surf mascot, bobble-head, along with a collectible Roberto Clemente one that was still in the box.
There were a few old press passes—one from the groundbreaking of the New Jersey Manufacturers building down on 12th Street, another from a state championship football game at Rutgers.
And there were some old photos.
These were the real treasures of the old desk. Many of them were shots I took in the days before digital cameras.
Some of the items from the old desk are now boxed up and a few survived for the new desk. They’re all treasures to me, items from what has been more than two decades of working in Hammonton.
I hope I can collect some more soon. Stop in the offices to see the changes we’ve made.
Dan Russoman is the sports editor of The Gazette. Follow Russoman on X @DanRussoman.
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