Saturday, January 26, 2008

Brian says bye-bye

From: Brian
Sent: Jan 24, 2008 10:23 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: My Next Chapter

I will be leaving my Managing Editor post at the Queens Tribune effective Jan. 31 to become the Associate Publisher of the Long-Islander Newspaper Group, an affiliate the Tribune purchased two years ago, started by Walt Whitman in 1838. My role will be to expand the business of the four newspapers, to prepare the group for growth, to oversee the editorial content and to increase the market and circulation of our papers.

Brad Groznik, our Assistant Editor, will take over as Managing Editor effective Feb. 1. Any Queens-specific information, stories, pitches and suggestions can be made to him. He will receive all e-mails sent to editor@queenstribune.com.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working in Queens for the last seven years, and I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future. Until I get settled in the new office, in beautiful Huntington, NY, along the Long Island's North Shore, which will not be until Feb. 5, please direct any e-mail and correspondence to my personal Gmail account. After Feb. 5 you should be able to reach me at brafferty@longislandernews.com.

Thanks so much for working with me over the past few years, and I look forward to continue working with you on many upcoming projects.

Brian--

Brian M. Rafferty
Managing Editor
Queens Tribune
PRESS Of Southeast Queens
174-15 Horace Harding Expressway
Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
(718) 357-7400, Ext. 121
(718) 357-9417 fax
brafferty@queenstribune.com

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Anonymous said...

Thank God. Anyone who says "Go fuck yourselves" to his readership in a disguised comment should head for LI.

Anonymous said...

Maybe he'll learn how to cut the grass out there.

Anonymous said...

Do they slobber over and defend lame pols in LI too? Or is that something he'll bring with him?

Anonymous said...

Hey now, let's not insult the guy. He has developed some fine reporters under his watch.

Anonymous said...

I like the Tribune but for some reason they deliver "Elmhurst/Jackson Heights" edition here and I live in Glendale.

Anonymous said...

Schenkler must be bawling his eyes out.

Anonymous said...

too bad it wasn't the publisher who was leaving. He's the one who's basically responisble for all the content in the Tribune. Brian was just a subordinate, who probably got feed up with being told what to do and having his legs twisted.

georgetheatheist said...

Did Skankler at least give you a gift certificate from one of the whores in the classifieds?

Anonymous said...

Hey Brian, at one time (not sure if it still holds true) Huntington had the highest number of bars per capita in the USA, and was in the Guinness Book of World Records because of it. It is also Queens Crap free.

Anonymous said...

Even though Brian once told me I overhyped the history of Maspeth and said he thought St. Saviour's should be torn down, I wish him all the best.

Anonymous said...

Huntington, LI: Their loss is our gain.

Anonymous said...

I bet the Long-Islander Newspaper Group takes a different slant on historic preservation than the Queens Tribune. The towns out there still look inhabitable.

Anonymous said...

I moved from Queens to LI a couple of years ago. Worst mistake of my life. I can't wait to get out of here and back to the old neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

The mock front page with the ripe pictures of Queens.

The Queens Spittune

We Are the World's ... Garbage.

Anonymous said...

Didn't he hear the Tribune Co has Newsday rag and other LI properties on the block - can't find buyers? Good luck with the grave dancer buddy.

Anonymous said...

You know what always bothered me about the Trib? Other than the whore ads, I mean. The font looks like it belongs in a 2nd grade phonics book. In fact, I think it was used in my son's.

Anonymous said...

That font is Souvenir

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bitstream/itc-souvenir/

It does find its way into textbooks...

www.forgotten-ny.com

Anonymous said...

They haven't updated their Letters to the editor in months. Hopefully the next editor will see to it that this gets corrected.

Anonymous said...

Jeez....
when I first read "Brian says bye-bye"
I thought you meant Mc Laughlin's
long awaited trip "up the river" !

That aside....
Rafferty never had the inside coop on Queens' issues
(unless Ackerman didn't want him to publish them)
and it's just as well that he moved out to "The Island".

I hope he doesn't dishonor Walt Whitman's heritage!

Anonymous said...

I love it....
"THE QUEENS SPITTUNE" !

Right on !
I wouldn't train a puppy on it !

Maybe the reason that Ackerman
is selling his house
in that "vibrant, colorful mosaic of Jamaica"
is that he's also going to move out to
"Lung-Gisland".

Is Huntington in his district?

Anonymous said...

Wow, thanks for the amusing comments. I was going to write something longer, but changed my mind. I would like to point out a few things, though:
1.) I never said St. Saviour's SHOULD be torn down - I said it would be. I also disputed its ability to be landmarked based on the city's landmark rules.
2.) Whoever you're talking about with that second comment, I can't take credit for that.
3.) I think Oswego, NY has highest number bars per capita, but since I don't drink I don't keep up on these sorts of things.
4.) We are not affiliated with Tribune Company that owns Newsday - different company altogether.
5.) Huntington is not in Gary Ackerman's district - nor, I should point out, does Gary have anything to do with the day-to-day operations at the Tribune.
That said, I would be happy to entertain any direct, non-anonymous comments or questions from the Craposphere. I'm using my name, you can use yours. You can e-mail me at brafferty@queenstribune.com between now and Thursday.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Mr. Rafferty can explain where it says in the landmarks law that St. Saviour's can't be designated. Perhaps he can also explain why someone who is supposed to report the news thinks he can predict the news.

Anonymous said...

Why did you presume to tell the lady that the church would be torn down? I think that paper is a little too friendly with Parkside.

Anonymous said...

For the record, you said this:

"You cite the alleged historic value of a site that has been shown to have no preserved history other than the bones that may or may not lie in the ground - a trait that anybody who builds knows, unless there is significant historic value, is simply documented and moved before construction begins. You are the one who keeps hyping the history of a site that doesn't come close to meeting standards of landmarking on any level, but by attributing to it the history of Queens you hope to increase its importance."

If you're not saying the building should be torn down, then I apologize for misinterpreting your meaning, but it sure seemed like that's what you were saying. As for "landmarking rules", please tell me what those are. As I explained to you earlier, all the law says is the property has to be more than 30 years old and historically, culturally or architecturally significant. There are no "rules" about alterations or condition of the building. That's something the LPC director of research takes upon herself to decide behind closed doors. Maybe the Trib should try FOILing the minutes from the meetings where St. Saviour's was discussed back in 1965, 1970, 1995 and 2006 each time the church was submitted for consideration. You'll find there were no meetings.

Anonymous said...

Hey Anonymous who posted...

" Huntington had the highest number of bars per capita in the USA, and was in the Guinness Book of World Records because of it. "

I grew up here. It's true about the bars. They actually put in place a moratorium on any new bars some years back. LOL

Anonymous said...

If there were slaves buried on the site it would be preserved and Al Sharpton would be at the front gates to make sure.

But alas it's just a bunch of poor white folk that's all. No need to do anything but tear it down.

Anonymous said...

There may be native Americans buried on the site.

Anonymous said...

"There may be native Americans buried on the site."

They don't have an Al Sharpton so they are in the same boat...

georgetheatheist said...

Hey Brian: Why does the Tribune run whore ads? Is there no shame at your publication?

Anonymous said...

Actually.....depending on the time period.....
a lot of Native Americans were married to Blacks....
as can be documented by much of the historical research that's in existence.

So there could very well be
African American/Native Americans buried there !

Maybe it is time to call Al Sharpton .

Anonymous said...

Oh please Brian......
Ackerman is still very involved with the Q. Trib.
(S-s-h-h-h.....let's just say.....behind the scenes maybe) ?

You must have been writing for another paper
if you weren't aware of this .

Anyway.....
if you're not working directly (or indirectly)
for him anymore,
why are you still kissing his ass ?

Anonymous said...

Let's face it, neither of them are real newspapers anyway.