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Alumni of the Daily News (and its predecessor, the Valley News and Green Sheet) are organizing a Real-Life Reunion and Bitchfest to be held at the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas on Saturday, June 9. It sounds like longtime entertainment reporter Ray Richmond is taking the lead on that — and taking reservations. I'm told the reunion grew out of a Facebook group started recently by publicist Beth Laski that quickly swelled to over 500 members. They are actively reconnecting online and posting photos.
The above photo, posted by former reporter Erwin Washington (now executive director of the Lula Washington Dance Theater), shows actor Ed Asner — during his years portraying newspaper city editor Lou Grant on TV — visiting in the old Daily News' newsroom in Van Nuys. Former staffers in the foreground include Arnie Friedman, the late Geoff Kelly, Jeff Snyder, Rip Rense, Ruth Croft, Washington, Ali Sar and Tony Lobo.
Frightening programming note: "Lou Grant," set at the fictional Los Angeles Tribune, went off the air 30 years ago.
