Murray B. Light, a key figure in the history of Buffalo journalism who served as editor for 20 of his 50 years at The Buffalo News, has died at age 85.
Murray gave many young reporters their first break at a major newspaper and I am proud to be among them. He was from Brooklyn and never forgot his humble roots. I know this because I had the privilege of staying in touch with him during his retirement and chatting with him. In the warmer months, I'd bring him tomatoes from my garden and he'd call me his "tomato man." His lovely wife, Joan, would make homemade tomato soup, which was Murray's favorite.
During our chats, as recently as a few weeks ago, he never lost interest in the newspaper and always wanted to hear the latest of what was happening, especially in the newsroom. He was a true journalist, curious to the end. May God bless his family.
News Staff Reporter Mark Sommer was joined by Ed Healy, vice president of marketing for Visit Buffalo Niagara, in a preview of next week's National Preservation Conference.
Some of the leading public and private organizations that oversee management of the Great Lakes are meeting in Detroit this week. You can view some of the proceedings live here on the BuffaloNews.com Live blog, as provided by Detroit Public Television.
The programming schedule, including conference sessions, interviews with experts and more, is as follows:
Wednesday: Noon to 6 p.m. Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There will also be a half-hour recap segment each evening.
Among the highlights are: Wednesday afternoon's Great Lakes Town Hall, including online participation with the hashtag #askGLW; and Thursday's keynote address by former Vice President Al Gore.
