New baby, new job

My son Kyle Murphy makes a chess move against my friend Felix Lopez.

By John Murphy

This week 20 years ago was memorable, to say the least.

Thursday, Sept. 14 of 2000 my son Kyle Sean Murphy was born at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Fontana. He is now in college — I couldn’t be prouder. The next day was my first at the San Bernardino Sun. Twenty years ago today.

I lived in North San Bernardino and was not that familiar with downtown Berdoo where The Sun formerly was. Also, the Route 66 Rendezvous was that week and the area was choked with vintage cars.  

There was nobody in the sports department when I arrived that afternoon. But eventually Chuck Hickey, the layout guru, appeared. He didn’t say anything for the longest time … Chuck’s serious, but a tremendous journalist. Finally Chuck introduced himself. Then he told me to go home and prepare for that night’s football game, Apple Valley at Cajon.

Game was a snap. I knew Apple Valley coach Frank Pulice from working in the High Desert. And Cajon rolled behind Exnor Cox’s 250 yards rushing, so Cowboy coach Rich Imbriani was happy.

Then the real fun started. Cajon is far from downtown and I didn’t use a laptop computer then. I gunned my blue Oldsmobile toward The Sun. But when I got there a kaleidoscope of vintage cars wound through the streets, blocking my access. I parked at least a mile away, somewhere beyond Secombe Lake.

The clock was ticking. I was on deadline. My pulse raced. I ran toward the Sun building as fast as I could.

Eventually I arrived at The Sun — a huge edifice that encompassed an entire city block. It sat in the spot of a former hotel and the old Fox Theatre. In later years I wandered through the Fox portion and found an old Jimi Hendrix poster tacked to an office door. I still have it.  

Oh, deadline – I made it. Barely. Then I enjoyed a Twinkie compliments of sports editor Paul Oberjuerge who sat next to me. He handed them out on football Fridays.

There was small talk. My new Sun co-workers and the cast of characters who wrote part-time were there. They were: Doug Padilla, Chris Bayee, Cindy Robinson, Chris Wiley, Brian Goff, Suzy Ahn, Mirjam Swanson, Danny Summers, Dan Evans, Louis Amestoy, James Curran, Michelle Pereda, Dennis Pope, Derek Rich, Harvey Cohen, Gregg Patton, Hickey and Oberjuerge. Mark Reinhiller and Michelle Gardner joined the paper later.      

Then it was time to go. I began the march to my car … wherever it was. It was dark. The streets were foreign. I tried to retrace my steps but I COULDN’T FIND MY CAR!

Jeez, what a cluster. Exasperated and tired, I gave up and sought a pay phone. I wound up at a Circle K on Waterman where I called a cab and a woman propositioned me. I took the former, declined the latter.

Finally I arrived home. It was a heck of a two days. I slept well.  The next morning, I called my late father-in-law, Wayne Overstreet, and we scoured the downtown for my car and found it. Whew!

After that, I was hungry. I went to DJ’s Coffee Shop and ordered breakfast. I opened my newspaper. I beamed as as I saw my byline in The Sun for the first time. I perused the section as I sipped coffee and ate.   

Then I left. A newborn baby and the next 20 years awaited.