Back in the day the news folks from various outlets congregated quite frequently at one of the many haunts that played home to the press club. Being journalists, we had no money - and the club had no money - so every so often we'd move in the dark of night (chuckle chuckle) to another location.
My first visit to the club was when it was in the basement of what then the Hilton Hotel (now it's the Hotel Andaluz)...then the "club" moved to the hotel at 8th & Central - where we stayed for many years until purchasing the current site in the park near Central and I-25.
Somehow or another I got elected President of the club on two occasions. The first time in the early 1970's, and this news clipping about the second time around.
The biggest function of the year was to host the Gridiron - which we did for many years. It was the place to be seen - politicians and newstypes - all having a good time - in the same room at the same time. Oh for those days, again.
Here Paula Maes (now Executive Director of the New Mexico Broadcaster's Association) and I prepare to hand out the "Apes" - the press club version of those golden statues that are given away to movie actors each year. The Apes were for excellence in a number of categories involving covering the news.
It was a revered statue in the days - a couple of them missing the cigar and a couple toes remain in my home office to this day - and there must be other winners whose statues are collecting dust in the garage, or in the dark deep corners of storage sheds.
I'm not sure such a local journalism competition exists today.
I have no comment about the general quality of news coverage today, or if any of it would win awards (to all rules there are exceptions)!
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