January 1, 2004


Retiring again, but it’s full, albeit creaky, speed ahead

By Karl Laucher
Retired Sports Editor

I became a granddad again, our grandson Sawyer was born on Dec. 5, two and half years after the birth of our granddaughter, Coya. He lives in Petaluma; she lives in Santa Cruz. That’s reason enough to cut back on the workload.

I’m also a creaky old rugby player, cyclist, hiker and wanna-be ocean rower. Somehow, at age 63, I have not yet had enough of those activities. But after 45 years as a folk journalist, I’m ready to retire—again.

I retired from the “San Jose Mercury News” in 1988 after 24 years as a sports writer. I retired after nearly six years as executive editor of Times Media, Inc., which publishes the “Almaden Times Weekly” and seven other monthly publications, in 2000. I am also the former editor and/or publisher of “SmorgaSports” magazine, “Sports Beat” magazine, “Flash” literary magazine, “The Rugger,” a rugby magazine, “The Northern California Pelican,” a rugby newsletter, “Speed City,” an auto racing magazine, and “RaceTime,” also an auto racing magazine.
Now, I’m retiring after three months as sports editor of the “Almaden Times Weekly.”

I like journalism. It’s a great job for people who like achievers, and those who strive to be achievers.
But I also like true-life adventures—especially my own. I was lucky enough to play on championship football teams at Camden High (1956), Los Gatos High (1958) and San Jose City College (1959), and toured the world playing rugby with the San Jose Seahawks. But I’m not done yet. I’ve got to get going. If I can get my finances together in time, I will be competing in the European Golden Oldies Rugby Festival in Spain in the spring, and in the Limerick, Ireland Vintage Rugby Festival in the fall. For sure, I will be attending the World 7-Aside Rugby Championships in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, on Feb. 14-15 and another World Golden Oldies in San Diego in spring 2005. I also will be seeking some more challenging cycling adventures with the Almaden Cycle Touring Club, having earned my 1,000-mile award participating in some 42 local rides in 2003.

I expect my wife, Kathy, a dedicated homebody, will be as supportive of my grandiose plans as she has been the first 37 years of our marriage. She is reservoir of sweetness for our family and the mental muscle behind our family property management business.

“The Almaden Times Weekly” sports will be in the good hands of Miranda Schultz, a former softball player who is on the front end of her journalism career. I’m sure she will enjoy covering the highly motivated Almaden Valley sports scene as much as I have. I will stay on in a part-time capacity to share as many old writer tales as Miranda can handle.