Dave Barton, journalist was 53 *

The copy editor on the national desk at the Times died this morning, Assistant Managing Editor Melissa McCoy announced to the staff. Barton had been hospitalized for several weeks with heart problems.

* There's a tribute page up now at The Wayback Machine, a Herald Examiner memories site. Also, friends of Dave Barton at the Times are gathering Friday at 10 p.m. (the hour when many newspaper copy editors start to get off work) at Pete's downtown in the Old Bank District.