As a cub reporter in 1969, I left my Kentucky roots to seek fame and fortune in what I considered The West. After watching a matinee showing of “True Grit” at the Towne Cinema and then watching the beautiful women pour out of downtown office buildings at 4:30 p.m. on a fine September afternoon, I decided that Kansas City was the place for me.
Donald D. (Casey) Jones, night editor at The Kansas City Times (morning edition of The Kansas City Star) agreed, and thus began a nearly 37-year engagement at 18th and Grand.
As a general assignment reporter, I interviewed Janis Joplin four months before she died of a heroin overdose in Hollywood; tried to interview Sly and the Family Stone, but they were too stoned; and tried to interview Stephen Stills, but he was too busy accepting audiences with groupies..one at a time.
After leaving the exciting life of g.a. reporting, I got “serious minded” about journalism and became a political and government reporter. In 1995, I was promoted to assistant city editor, which gave me insight into middle-to-upper level decision-making at The Star. (It was that experience, in part, that enabled me to correctly predict that Jason Whitlock was not “on vacation” and that Jason’s career at The Star was over.)
I retired in June 2006, the same month that McClatchy finalized its purchase of The Star from Knight Ridder. I now work part time as a substitute teacher in the Shawnee Mission School District. For fun, I play golf, follow women’s college basketball and write.
My wife Patty and I live in KCMO, to which we are fiercely loyal. We have a 21-year-old son, Charlie, who attends the University of Tulsa, and a 23-year-old daughter, Brooks, who graduated in 2010 from Knox College in Galesburg, IL.
Just discovered your blog, Fitz. Looks good. Keep at it.
Mike H
Thanks, Mike. Your column has long been a KC Star cornerstone. Jim
A few months ago, my daughter, who attends Trailridge Middle School, said that a substitute teacher named Mr. Fitzsomething asked if her dad used to work at the newspaper. I am delighted to know you are still in town and, also, that you’re smart enough to realize that Perlmutter is still a pretty rare name in these parts. But I didn’t realize you had a blog until I received a link today from former KC Times/Star biz reporter Julius Karash. This is great! I am enjoying this. Keep writing!
Jim,
Just found your site through a link on Romenesko. Just bookmarked it, too. I’ll keep reading.
Thanks, Mike. I hope you find it substantive and interesting. That’s what I’m shooting for.
Good to see my friend doing what he does best. Keep up the good work. Bill
I’ve read all the posts, and you have truly found a home. The story about Dylan Meier struck home. I know his dad, Dennis, through my cousin Randy and the guys from Rolla, who I played football/softball with. The world spins smaller and smaller. I look forward to my ongoing travels through your posts.
Thanks, Gus. I didn’t know that you knew Dylan Meier. I feel so sorry for his family. And what a loss for his friends, fellow players and K-State fans. Jim
Yikes! A quick read and I feel like I’ve come home to roost! As long as you keep it pithy I’ll subscribe. Go gettum!!! Cruised the bio. So can you still make mean mint julep? Regards, Jayson
PPS You have a lot of street cred w/me ’cause you carry a pad-o-paper to take notes. Let me know what I can do to help the cause.
Jim, I just discovered your blog after someone sent us a link to your very gracious comments on Rick becoming Chief. Good to hear your “voice” again. I look forward to following your blog. I was happy to see that you are a substitute teacher; I have been teaching high school for 6 years and love it. Our best to you and your family and thank you for the kind words.
-allison
Hey, Fitz! I wondered what you were up to. Glad to see your cool blog.
Thanks, Kate. Good to hear from you. I hope you’re doing well.
You seem to be hitting both substantive and interesting on a regular basis. This has become one of my favorite blogs.
I’m going to adopt that as my mission statement, John: “Substantive and interesting.” (Might not always get there, but that’s the goal.)
It’s good to have you as a reader. Your comments are always top notch.
Jim
Thank you, you’re very kind.
Jim,
Congrats to you and Patty. You never told me you were married. E-mail when you can. Good-looking cigar.
jim,
damned good-lookin’ lid.
larry
Two vital questions: Where’s the toaster? Is Fitzpatrick Irish or Scottish?
I hear the most reverend Bishop Finn has purchased and charged to the Diocese a $800 Montblanc fountain pen!
Just found your blog, Jim, after going down a trip on memory lane, reading some of the stuff I wrote for you. I really enjoyed working for you and I’m glad to have found your blog so I can read some of YOUR writing. Take care.
Hello! Just wanted to thank you again for shopping at 5B & Company (for candles) and inadvertently bolstering my self-esteem (regarding my letter to the editor). I’m enjoying your blog and hoping you’ll be digging into this whole Bishop Finn subpoena issue. So unclear: has he been subpoenaed or not? ..and if a person is subpoenaed, aren’t they legally bound to comply?
Hi, Kristin. The candle is great. Really keeps the bugs away while I smoke my cigars…On the Finn issue, I just read this afternoon about the possibility of him being subpoenaed. I have no insight into whether that’s accurate. I’ll let the super sleuths figure that out and then I might get back into it.
Thanks for reading!
Jim,
we need to play some golf…you have a family…before it was just you and OJ…you should have been an editor when i was there. i quit smoking the Cubans, but I would smoke one with you…take care my blogging friend. When you get a chance – send me an e-mail.
Larry Luper
Fitz,
I hope you have the safe candles – no house fires…
What a coincidence…
Was having a discussion with my wife Carol regarding the Thanksgiving traditions, and of course my mind went to KCMO and the Plaza. Decided to do some Google-ing and found out it was the 82nd year, or something like that, for the lighting tradition. Then…my mind drifted to BBQ and of course Arthur Bryant’s and the famous “Did you bring the sauce?” KC Star cartoon. At long last, I wondered what Jimmy C was up to. I found out and even saw your bald head. Looks like you are having a great retirement.
JAB
It’s great to hear from you, John, on the Thanksgiving Day, 2011. That cartoon by Lee Judge is his most famous and most enduring; he captured the essence of a KC icon.
…I’ll be in touch.
I have been waiting for you to weigh in on Bill Conlin, the Philadelphia sportswriter who has been accused of sexually molesting young girls. You were so quick to demand that Joe Paterno be fired for not informing police, that a call for Conlin to be dismissed from the Baseball Hall of Fame would seem to be in order. And your admiration for Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett for his entire role in the Sandusky affair? His Grand Jury paraphrased Mike McQueary that he saw a boy being subjected to anal intercourse by Sandusky. But in his December 16 testimony, McQueary said he could not be sure about the raping and that he never used words like “crime”, “sodomy”, or “assault” for what happened in the shower.
Whoops, Governor Corbett.
Whoops, JimmyCSays.
To quote yourself, “there’s an awful lot of high-level lyin’ going on these days.”
Hi JimmyC,
Regarding your article on Orville Fleshman’s horseback ride to Calgary: He never made it. The horse died while he was still in Missouri, so the trip was canceled. Some time later, Orville died too. To say that Orville was “unusual” would be a bit generous :D
Thanks for the update on that 40-year-ago event, C Ellis. I’m sorry to hear that Orville didn’t even make it out of Missouri. He was one funny fellow!
Great movie (True Grit), better since it helped Kansas City land a strong reporter and great friend. If you use my e-mail, I will call and we can get ready for some golf. Fitz, you are one of a kind!
Jimmy-
Two months ago when the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke, you lauded the role of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett in the firing of Joe Paterno. It has now been announced that Corbett is cutting the money available in the state for rape crisis counseling, with programs for children taking a particularly hard hit. Any comments, Jimmy?
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2012/01/13/state_freeze_effects_sex_abuse_funding_.aspx
John Rubisch
Fitz, I was released last week, everyone at Penn State knew of the Sandusky problem and those he victimized. Everyone should be fired!