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"It's been 40 years since I took a vow of poverty and became a newspaperman," Dennis McCarthy writes in his column announcing he will retire from the Daily News on January 31. McCarthy avoids the hot issue of the moment and always focused his columns on ordinary people, mostly in the Valley. "I've met more interesting, important people in American Legion and VFW halls - from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan - than I ever did at City Hall," he writes. "I saw more heroes in police and fire stations, hospitals, schools, foster care homes, and our special needs community than I ever did at Staples Center or Dodger Stadium."
He explains his departure:
Print journalism is going digital at warp speed and I'm an old ink and paper guy. I look around the city room today and feel like Grandpa Walton.Anyone need an old Royal typewriter, Rolodex, 2004 copy of the San Fernando Valley white pages, and a well thumbed Webster's?
I'm joking but the truth is that after more than 5,000 columns this is the toughest one to write.
Nice kicker to the column too.
Photo: John McCoy/Daily News