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Meet up with Jeff Kirik
I’m the sporting activities editor for the Erie Times-News and Gannett’s Western Pennsylvania Area. I attended Northern Illinois College and attained a journalism diploma in December 1989. I landed my 1st complete-time job as a sporting activities reporter in early 1990 with the New Castle News. In 1995, the Erie Moments-News hired me as a sports reporter and copy editor. In addition to all those roles, I served as the outside editor and assistant sports activities editor just before getting to be the Moments-News athletics editor in 2012.
I was born in the Cleveland spot, but my relatives moved to Irwin, Westmoreland County, when I was a toddler. My father was later on employed by the aviation division of John Deere, and we moved to Moline, Illinois, right before I reached the first grade. I grew up in Moline, one particular of the Quad Metropolitan areas, and attended Alleman Higher University, a Catholic faculty in Rock Island, Illinois. I was a strong safety on the soccer team, which achieved the condition semifinals my senior yr.
Through my childhood, my loved ones would routinely vacation to Pennsylvania, in which we would visit prolonged spouse and children southeast of Pittsburgh. All through those many visits, I designed a adore for western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh. I also turned a big lover of the Steelers and Pirates.
Why I grew to become a journalist
I’m a lifelong athletics supporter who grew up in an aviation loved ones. My father and more mature brother are pilots — my brother Steve was an Air Pressure fighter pilot and now flies for United Airways. My father and brother built a Thorp T-18 airplane in our basement all through my childhood. That was a great factor to inform buddies. The problem was I hated flying, so I hardly ever bucked a rivet on that plane.
Alternatively, I was obsessed with sporting activities at an early age. I recall routinely waiting on my entrance porch for our newspaper carrier to deliver our afternoon edition of the Each day Dispatch down the road. Occasionally I would race to meet up with him just so I could get to the sports website page a minor before. When I was a senior in high faculty and experienced no notion what to study in faculty, my mom proposed that I blend my love of sports and my knack for English classes to turn into a sports activities author.
In the course of my to start with week on the Northern Illinois campus, I joined the staff members of the college student newspaper, The Northern Star. I put in four a long time — and numerous prolonged nights — doing the job as a athletics reporter, athletics editor and, at some point, the taking care of editor. In that makeshift newsroom, I learned so several journalistic classes that I nonetheless utilize now.
What I like very best about my task
I know it is cliche, but what I really like most about this occupation is the men and women — meeting folks, discovering about their life and relaying their stories to the general public. The Erie location has so lots of appealing men and women with so a lot of fascinating stories to convey to. It really is a complicated but satisfying position to generate about region inhabitants and their influence on their neighbors, their educational facilities and their communities.
Regrettably, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered several of us to forego close make contact with with our fellow citizens. I glance forward to engaging with them in the same way we did just before the pandemic.
A tale I worked on that has had a lasting impact on me
It truly is not a single story, but numerous tales. A person of my most loved items about my job over the earlier 27 years has been telling the stories of men and women who overcome adversity. I am so impressed by an individual who is equipped to endure cancer and other significant sicknesses or tragedies and transfer ahead. Megan Mingarelle, James Conner and Ian Malesiewski are a number of unforgettable types.
We have informed several tales about athletes and other individuals who confronted dark times with their overall health but persevered and continued to make an influence on their groups and communities.
What is the greatest problem I facial area?
A sports activities editor’s career is seemingly under no circumstances performed, so time management and everyday living stability can turn into tricky troubles. Weekends are constantly the busiest instances for sports, so journalists normally give up weekend time with their spouses and youngsters. That has been the largest obstacle for me all over my three decades of journalism.
What I like to do when I’m not operating
I love to spend to time with Patty, my spouse of 27 many years, and our four little ones, Mary, Jacob, Grace and Paula. Game evenings, motion picture nights or time in the outside are usually our most memorable moments. When I’m not with my loved ones, I like to fish, hunt and go to sporting activities of all sorts. When I retire, I hope to expend a good deal of time coaching long term grandkids’ sports teams.
Most loved party or Erie-location tradition
I am not certain if I would characterize it as an occasion or custom, but the complete Presque Isle space is a genuine treasure. I adore bass fishing in the a lot of bays and coves of Presque Isle Condition Park, and my children cherish any vacation to the beach front, particularly on Father’s Working day with their grandfather.
At the entrance of Presque Isle, Waldameer Park was a frequent for our young children whilst they were growing up, from the kiddie rides to Wacky Shack and inevitably the Ravine Flyer. Of study course, the kids’ faces lit up and they cheered any time we would announce a journey to Sara’s Restaurant for a hotdog or a peanut butter shake.
Why journalism issues
Communities need nearby newspapers to document their histories, maintain men and women in ability accountable and tell the inspiring stories of the people who are living there. I have been proud to be ready to enable in that energy for practically 3 many years with the Situations-News and GoErie.com.
Your membership plays a crucial purpose in supporting community journalism that the Erie neighborhood can believe in. Thank you to present Erie Periods-News all-entry and GoErie.com electronic subscribers. Obtain the most current subscription delivers.
Get in touch with Jeff Kirik at jkirik@timesnews.com. Observe him on Twitter @ETNkirik.
David Bruce | Tim Hahn | Josh Reilly | Valerie Myers | Matthew Rink | Mike Copper | Jennie Geisler | Ed Palattella | Greg Wohlford | Jim Martin | Tom Reisenweber | Kevin Flowers | Jim Martin | Baylee Demuth | A.J. Rao | Lisa Thompson Sayers | Dana Massing | Benjamin Chambers | Tony Battaglia
This report initially appeared on Erie Instances-Information: Fulfill Jeff Kirik of the Erie Situations-News and GoErie.com