COLDNews Editor Transfers to Epworth

[XLFD]

Patti Klevorn, the managing editor of the City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) for almost the last two years is laterally transferring over to Epworth according to the recently noticed article Managing Editor to Take on New Career.

An unspecified interim managing editor has yet to be named following the decision by Klevorn to become director of communications and marketing for the small vacation community of Epworth after retiring from the editor job on April 13, just a day short of the decision by the COLDNews to hire her for the managing editor job in 2016, after working in some capacity for the newspaper for 23 years.

COLDNews Publisher Ray McGrew, Patti Klevorn, and former Managing Editor Steve Begnoche in 2016

COLDNews publisher Ray McGrew, managing editor of Shoreline Media since 2015 had kind words for the departing Klevorn, as did others in the article, and Klevorn expressed a bittersweet regret in the career move. 

We at the Ludington Torch are hopeful that Klevorn's replacement will be a step upward from the general direction the newspaper has taken over the last decade, where the previous managing editor led it into being known more as a progressively leaning propaganda mill for the area's elites rather than a source of useful and factual information geared to the interests of the locals.  In our estimation, Klevorn made some progress, but not nearly enough to bring the newspaper back into the relevancy it should have as the area's lone newspaper.  We wish her good luck and happiness in her decision.

We cannot help but believe that the recent elite-sponsored hit-piece on the owners and residents of Carr Manor, which led to a strange follow-up story this weekend (see Carr Manor has history as rooming house ) may have been contributory to the move.  

[Willy]

When Patti became part of management she sold her soul in exchange for a career. She also diminished her integrity. This one question will answer all that needs to be known about her commitment to the community and her loyalty to a biased, leftist propaganda news agency. Only X can answer the question. Since most of the dirt about City Hall was revealed by X due to his relentless search for the truth, for which he was publicly humiliated, "Did Patti Klevorn ever personally contact X to get the other side of the story [the truth]?

[AQUAMAN]

Good question Willy, and the answer is NO! She is NOT a Journalist, but is a Libtard, Snowflake, like Begnoche is, and that is why she became the Editor. Question: how does the LDN come up with it's editorials and comments on news? It's a consensus vote of the reporters/editors that makes that all happen, not the FACTS!!! That's exactly what Begnoche told me personally on several, like 10, occasions to my face.

s'

[XLFD]

Thanks, Willy, but I do not have a monopoly on the truth, and if I somehow do, chances are it's only undeveloped Mediterranean and Baltic Avenues.  I have come to learn that many make their living on peddling and promoting false narratives in order to advance themselves and their clique of associates.  This generally comes at the expense of others, and definitely at the expense of what is reality.  These at the people in positions of power in our community, and they only get more elitist as time progresses.

I have been spending the last couple of days mulling over two lawsuits, one that I just served on the City of Manistee involving a FOIA fee scheme, and the one involving the way overpriced Baby Kate disappearance records of Ludington that will likely be settled by the end of the month.  The assertions of officials of the two cities and their attorneys  funded by your tax dollars go contrary to the letter and the spirit of the law.  They want only to charge the public an arm and a leg for records and black out the important stuff.

That goes without saying; but how can you get local courts, who charge $2 to copy one page of a mundane court record, to not view the matter of unlawful FOIA fees with an already addled perspective? 

[XLFD]

But to answer your question, I have never been contacted by Patti to learn my side of any story.  At the 2016 COLDNews candidates forum, she and Kathy MacLean did not choose their questions in order to get my refreshingly unique perspectives on how to make Ludington better or even differentiate me from my opponent.  Just before that, she was at the specially choreographed conference held by Chief Barnett to publicly shame two people on this website who made comments Shay and Councilor Krauch took issue with, and alternatively shame the creator of the website who was running for office against a sitting councilor.  The piece that Patti would later write did reflect what took place, but allowed Shay's libel against me go uncorroborated.  

Shay has said this twice at two council meetings (among other things) and it has never happened.  I will go before any polygraph administrator,  swear on any amount of holy books, that I have never took a picture of John Shay's house or ever watched his kids go to school or any of the other creepy things he ascribes to me in his attempts at discrediting and defaming me.  Had I made unfounded claims about John Shay would she have printed it on her front page story?  I don't think so, but I won't sink to Shay's level to ever find out, he has enough real and documented reasons to send him packing as an inept and corrupt city official. 

[AQUAMAN]

Thanks X, that's exactly what I've been referring to. The LDN people do NOT want to interview nor talk to you by phone at all. Or many others that take any alternate view of city officials. It might make them feel like true journalists if they did, and that's a no-no for them. If Patti was so interested in being a real good local person at the LDN, then why did she stay there for 25 years? And sell her soul out to outsiders running the operation? I can also now include, since over a year ago, WMOM's Steve Miller, whom also won't interview X or anyone else that disagrees with city officials, regardless of proofs, and the record to check on it. So, now SM has his own apptmt. to some group, in prep. for running for some office, like he did when a recent CC seat opened up. His excuse?: well, Mr. Shay said X does not have any credibility. I told SM that was incorrect, and he should make up his own mind after an interview, but, he takes false rumor more seriously than finding out facts for himself.

[Freedom Seeker]

That seems to be the unfortunate mentality of cliques and gangs, be they political, editorial, or local thugs ... To bond behind a bully leader(s) without individual reasoning when people don't have the capacity or are afraid to think for themselves.  In Ludington's isolated case it seems many except those on this forum are afraid to speak up because it is such a small town with big repercussions for going against the grain.  It seems that the city manager, council and chief of police are making an example out of XLFD, just so that no one else thinks otherwise or questions John Shay's authority.

However, there are many readers who may be learning to think for themselves, and that probably scares city hall.

[AQUAMAN]

Very well said Freedom Seeker. And to think, about 50%+ of this current society can't think for themselves, that's pretty pathetic, but all too true. Just believe someone or a firm that has the power to convincingly sway others with falsehoods, and you get to your empty goal of brainwashing the masses. I just wonder how many people at the LDN in the information group has any real credentials of a Journalism Degree?

[XLFD]

As Shoreline Media braces for potential civil lawsuits from the denizens of Carr Manor, another City of Ludington crony bites the dust.

Today's COLDNews front page sidebar relates that Kevin Brasiczewski, the author of the Carr Manor articles, is retiring after being with the local newspaper for 22 years.  Big surprise about his bio:  He was hired by former editor Steve Begnoche just after he took over the COLDNews helm in 1996.  

I will recall Brasiczewski from his subservience to the current city management and his willingness to run with any of their propaganda without reservation.  Steve Begnoche has a different perspective according to the article:  "Not only does [Kevin] dig for background, he thinks through what he's doing and has the story researched and written well in a surprisingly short period of time."   He used "Kevin B." and "research" in the same sentence without blushing?  That's incredible.

What is amazingly missing in the article, which spans about 40 column inches as it continues onto page 5 and has various testimonials from COLDNews co-workers, school principals, and township officials?  Anything from the city hall beat that he has been covering since City Manager Shay has been here.  These are the people that now need some other so-called journalist at their loyal propaganda mill on Rath and Court Street to step up and cover for them.  Sorry, Patti's retiring too.

[Willy]

From what Begnoche said about Brasiczewski, Steve must be writing fiction novels in his retirement years because anyone who has been paying attention to what is printed in the LDN and what is actually happening, thanks to X, knows the truth and "the rest of the story". Begnoche just made himself out to be a liar, propagandist and a devious anti truth seeker to the people of Ludington. All in his own words. Brasiczewski may have been digging for background as Begnoche states but it certainly hasn't been the truth about what is actually taking place in Ludington. Just think, every time a copy of LDN is sold, some of that money is helping to pay for the retirement of 3 leftist liars who couldln't care less about it's readership.

What is Shay going to do now since his anti citizen agenda has lost it's mouthpieces. The LDN should hire Shay to write up his own lies. This would save a lot of money for the paper.

[AQUAMAN]

I challenge anyone to just pick up the phone and call Begnoche and tell him what you want to talk about. You want a 5 minute pc, and instead you will get about a 30 min. pc. And you as the inquirer might be lucky enough to get in a few short sentences in that time, no where's near equal time. Reason:? A legend in his own mind, no one else's either. As for Kevin B., cut from the same cloth, just like Klevorn and any others that will be picked to replace the retirees. Most likely McGraw wants people of his own caliber, with the same mindset, which isn't exactly fair and balanced types that understand freedom of the press.

[XLFD]

In Begnoche's defense, when anybody retires after a long career and their career story is made into a newspaper article (which seems to happen inordinately often with retiring editors and reporters) it would be telling if his fellow workers and bosses actually told the truth about Kevin's lackluster reportage and research throughout the years.  Such honesty would reflect badly on them by the public, and earn them contempt among their peers.  

It's a paradox.  Honesty and honor, virtues many of us value, are vices in a corrupted system, be it the media or a public body.  In such a system, the virtuous are defined by how well they practice dishonest and dishonorable behavior; the villains are those who tell the truth.

[Wonder Woman]

I'm always suspicious when someone "retires" with little to no notice. The same day LDN announced Kevin's "retirement" also happened to be his last day at the paper. Sounds like his retirement may have been forced.