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The Inside Dope

The Inside Dope image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
July
Year
1976
OCR Text

     As I sit here in my cubicle at the SUN, pecking out this fortnightly manifesto on the trusty 1934 Royal that has stood by Iffy for all these years, an occasional drop of perspiration falls upon the page, and the thought occurs that if this is spring---which, according to our official urban astrologer, it still is- what can we expect when summer rolls around in earnest next week? If it were only Christmas, we could ask Santa Claus for an air conditioner. In the meantime, didja ever notice how handy the News and the Free Press are when you need to fan your face or deal with a persistent insect? I always wondered why they print so many pages.

    Not that the folks here at the SUN wouldn't like to have that kinda space theirselves to fill with more useful and appealing subject matter with which to inform and delight their esteemed readers. In fact, the folks in the front office have been pullin' out all the stops the past few weeks to hasten the day when that can begin to happen, and they've asked me to tell you about some of the moves they've just made in that direction.

   First off, as you can see by scrutinizing the masthead which occupies the position opposite me on this page, Mede Linda Wolin has floated into our midst on a silver bird from the Bay--- San Francisco Bay, that is---to assume the duties of Consulting Publisher for the balance of the year. Besides bringing us all a breath of fresh California air, Ms. Merle will be giving us the benefit of her copious skills in the publishing business. Among other things, she's been the Associate Publisher of Mother Jones magazine, a welcome new addition to the ranks of progressive publications, which will soon be making its appearance on the newsstands of the Motor City. And most recently, Mede served as the Director of Development and Associate Editor of Francis Ford Coppola's City of San Francisco magazine. Mr. Coppola, of course, decided earlier this year to fold up that magnificent venture so he could concentrate on his latest cinematic epic, but for a change, the Bay's loss is Detroit's gain.

    Secondly, to better get the good word out to Michiganders of every shape, size, and variety, the SUN stalwarts have instituted a brand new Promotions Department. To head up that operation, they chose the dynamic young David Fenton, whose unerring P.T. Barnum sense has masterminded many a SUN promotional campaign over the years. David, of course, was a key member of the collective that guided the SUN through most of the Ann Arbor years, and alongside Barbara Weinberg, he has carried out the functions of co-publisher since the paper arrived in the Big D last September.

    And finally, moving up to collaborate with Ms. Weinberg in the Publisher's office from here on out is the popular and hard-working David Sinclair, who has headed up the SUN's advertising sales staff for the past two years. Mr. Sinclair, for the time being, will be doing double duty until such time as his replacement in the Sales Dept. can be selected.

    What does it all mean to you, the reader, you may well ask? In a nutshell, the SUN folks just want you to know that summer in the city hasn't slowed them down a bit ----as a matter of fact, they're on the move every minute of every day, putting together the kind of talent and expertise that will make the paper better and better all the time, serving y'all to the utmost of their abilities. Coupled with the arrival a couple months back of Nadine Brown and Jan Prezzato in the Editorial Department, Kadija Cloyd and Vince Harrington in the Distribution offices, and the elevation of Frank Bach to Managing Editor, Kulchur, the latest batch of hirings and promotions take things to a still higher level down here at the Leland House--- and, the folks in the front office asked me to add, "We've only just begun!"