by Lee Robinson (from April 1965)

(ed note:) Lee Robinson was Jerry’s wife and assistant editor at the paper for a number of years. She often wrote Jerry’s column when he was out of town or simply because he fell asleep in the evening and did not finish by deadline)

I was having coffee with the Boss in our favorite booth at the Epicure restaurant in White Center. The conversation had taken a turn for the worse.

He wanted to discuss things like “How come you took two hours for lunch?” and “don’t turn in late copy” and “there weren’t any socks in my drawer this morning” finishing with “did you remember to take the meat out of the freezer?”

That kind of talk is hard on a girl so early in the morning. I was hoping something would happen to distract him. Something did happen. He was called on the telephone.

He hates to answer the telephone during a coffee break. So when the manager Jim Willis came by our table to say good morning and mention that he was wanted on the phone, the Boss complained about having to walk clear back to the kitchen to take the call.

The Boss sez “gee whiz, there, Jim!, how come you don’t install a ‘hotline’ in the booth for The News?” “ After all this is my office away from the office,” he adds

Jim Willis is quite genial. He sez “ O.K. big Jer. We will put a sign on this booth ‘exclusively for the White Center News.”

This sort of talked cheered the Boss enormously. He was chuckles. Next thing we know Jim reported back to the table to announce that the telephone jacks would installed the next day. 

“Where would like to have them big Jer?”, he queried. The Boss look a little dazed for a second or two. But he recovered and shouted gleefully. “ Well now, let’s have one here  and another one there.” “Okay,” Jim sez “We will install one jack in the booth and another in the dining room just for you.” And by golly he did!

How about that for a status symbol? I’ll bet we are the only weekly newspaper in the business with a private telephone in the local restaurant.  Now when the Boss tries to sneak off for a cuppacoffee or we nip for medicinal purposes only, I will be able to track him down. Fortunately that thought hasn’t occurred to him yet. Don’t tip him off. Let this be our little secret. 

And say, don’t call that phone between 8:30 and 11 a.m. I’ll be taking my nap then.