Newspaper Reflections with Chris Smith
Our guest speaker on Thursday was Chris Smith, Columnist for the Press Democrat newspaper. He is a veteran journalist who shared reflections on his career in local news. He recounted his journey from early inspiration to working with various newspapers, including the Riverside Press Enterprise, the Independent Coast Observer and the Press Democrat. He emphasized the importance of community storytelling, including obituaries, which highlight the impact of local figures.
Chris shared anecdotes about his time as a journalist, including a pivotal moment involving a Pearl Harbor survivor, Dean Garrik, whose story became one of his favorite assignments. He described how the Dean was thrown off the deck of a ship and rescued out of the water. He had a wound on his back that the medics cleaned and patched, then was put back in service on board a ship headed to Midway. He didn’t feel right and eventually could not get out of bed. Upon further examination, they found out he a machine gun bullet lodged against his heart for months before surgery removed it. He was smitten with his nurse, named Alice and before surgery, he asked her if she would go on a date with him after recovery. She did and they eventually were married. They had fifty years together until Dean died in 1991. Alice is 106 years old now and still speaks at engagements and pulls the 7.7millimeter bullet from her pocket.
Additionally, Chris announced the release of his self-published book about Dr. Byck and Paradise Ridge Winery. He invited attendees to an upcoming event commemorating the winery’s founder.
Click HERE to view a limited time recording of Chris Smith's presentation and here the tale.
