Chronicle Shop Notes

Shopnotes Fun Fact!  The exciting new Hearst employee online fitness plan is being rolled out at the same time that the company is seeking to take away employee sick-leave banks. If that makes your blood pressure go up, you could have gotten it checked for free on enrollment day in Jeff Johnson’s office

Everyone showed up at Dr. Dave Perlman’s 99th birthday party except Dr. Dave, whose own doc (the kind who actually went to med school) advised him to stay home and rest up for the next one.  So Dave was obliged to sit through a group performance of Happy Birthday by telephone. 

It was Joe Garofoli who, while the applause for the departing C.W. Nevius was still resounding in the office and before Chuck had even reached the elevator, called out, “OK, who’s got his desk?”

After four decades, C.W. Nevius has departed to, as he says, sit on the sofa and empty the dishwasher.

Congrats to Steven Boyle, the big winner in the Videolicious contest, for the unique “Cooking with Steve”; and to Reid Sams for his poignant entry lamenting that everyone thinks he’s Shay Quillen. Well done, Shay!…

We dedicate this edition of Shopnotes to the memory of our friend and colleague Jillian Sullivan, who brightened the newsroom every day.

Legendary former Chronicle news editor Jack Breibart paid a surprise visit to the newsroom, where he had not set foot since the day he retired in 1994.

For some reason, the Secret Service decided that the northeast men’s room on the third floor was a security risk during Bernie Sanders’ visit with the editorial board and declared it off limits for 2 1/2 hours.

We hear that part of the deal that wooed the inimitable Jaxon Van Derbeken off to TV-land was an honest-to-God personal wardrobe budget, a New York fashion makeover and free tuition to TV charm school in Texas (good luck with all that, TV people).

Shopnotes are back! If about the Chronicle, bring scoops and all the gossip that’s fit to print to Curiouser and Curiouser in the newsroom.