Times are so tough that the Daily Rag terminated/laid off Mr. Frank Gillis, a 48 year long employee of the Daily Rag.
I'm told that a kid, (Editor) told him it was either him or you and you need to pack your things and leave, after 48 years!
Folks, Frank Gillis ran the Real Estate Showcase for a million years with the Daily Times and quite frankly, I think every Real Estate Company, Sales Person, Banker, Inspector and the list goes on, should contact the Daily Times and tear them a new one!
This is yet another VERY clear sign things are truly falling apart down there and making the move to relocate, purchase a $3,000,000.00 Press, the lack of delivery of the daily paper and the massive volume of customers dropping their subscriptions should tell you, businesses are fed up with their rates and lack of delivery as well.
As you travel throughout Salisbury, businesses are closing down left and right and commercial space is available anywhere you so desire. That means less advertisers and when you're a start up business like Salisbury News is with very low overhead, it will kill the competition, (the Daily Times) because they can't afford to drop their rates and compete.
I told you, I'm doing it Italian Style, a very slow and painful hurting/death. Mr. Gillis, thank you for all that you have done for the Eastern Shore. Some may tell you to enjoy your retirement but it should have been done with class and not termination. F/U Daily Times, that sucks! The Mayor of Salisbury certainly rubbed off on Greg Bassett!
Who knows, maybe Mr. Gillis can come to work with us?
36 comments:
It 's time for that old fart to get out of the way anyway.
Under normal circumstances I wouldn't allow such a comment but you know what, let's see what the readers think of this Daily Times/Tilghman Administration mentality?
I have known Mr. Gillis for many years. He handled all my advertising in the paper and even gave me some great ideas to use on the radio. Though I am no longer in the retail trade, I would encourage other retail business and advertisers to seek the wisdom of Mr. Gillis. I wish him well in any endevor he choses.
On a side note which has nothing to do with Mr. Gillis but with the quality of service from Daily LATE Times. I am canceling my subscribtion. I feel for all the people who are being hurt by the mismanagment at this rag of a paper. I can get the Washington Post or the Baltimore Sun delivered daily and before the Times. The Baltimore paper has more information about the Eastern Shore or I should say less biased information.
It would be my guess that the first comment came from upper management at the Daily Slime. We all know they follow your blog closely Joe. That would explain their being first to make such a immature remark. Where else are they going to get the news from?
They must have fired there delivery people also. I don't subscribe but know for a fact people have not been getting deliveries in the Crisfield area for the past several days.
Frank Gillis is a super gentleman and we have known him for many years. Our business wishes him the best. Just remember Frank, you are not the first "great employee" they let go, but I doubt there are many left at this point. We have not gotten the Daily Rag since they fired Mel Toadvine. He saw the writing on the wall back then and we knew at that point which way the Daily Rag was headed.. Spice
its no different than every other buisness screwing the long time employs out of everything they can, pention, medical benefits, etc.... this is the new american way folks, no loyalty to anything but profit. the daily times has just let everyone know where their standards and ethics are. i may just go to new zealand and stop giving a shit.
Hi Joe! I wanted to email this to you in case you would like to pass it along to your readers. Several months ago I discontinued my subscription to the Daily Times because their service sucked, and I could get all the news faster and better on your site for free! I was still buying the Sunday edition for the coupons until I recently discovered a website called The Coupon Clippers. www.thecouponclippers.com It is run by a small group of ladies and you can by coupons there for usually around 10 cents -- and to me, its much better because not only can I find more coupons, I can get more of them for the items I buy alot. For example, I buy 2 boxes of Special K bars every week and pack them in our lunches. Recently the site had $1 off coupons for $1 off per box. I paid $3 for a total of 20 of them, but since this is something I buy 2 per week of and the coupons do not expire until the end of Sept, that $3 will wind up saving me $17. ($20 total coupons savings minus $3 to purchase them) Sorry if I have rambled here -- just wanted to pass this along to you. Keep up the great work!!!
Frank Gillis is a gem of a man, and he is a sales professional. Our business, too, has counted on him over the years with the ongoing turnover and lack of effective leadership in the display sales department. He truly understands customer service and accountability, and he will be an asset to any organization.
Best wishes Mr. Gillis!
Anon 248 is right-there havent been any Daily Times anywhere in Crisfield-Funny how the Balt Sun made the trip bright and early to the newstands but a local paper couldnt.
Last Sunday there were no local grocery store ads. Maybe if we all complained to Walmart that their ad flyer was not in the Daily Times things would change quickly. Walmart has a way of making them an offer they can't refuse. I haven't received todays paper so I don't know if the ads are in there this week or not.
Hey Nicole, I read your post and did some searching. I found www.savingadvice.com, and they have something called a coupon train. People in a geographic area sign up and someone sends a big pack of coupons around to the members. They take out some and add the same number. Best of all, all you spend is the money for the postage. Go to the site and learn more.
KGroves
Loyalty to employees. When you see a company that is loyal to good employees you know that they are providing another valuable service to the community, in addition to the good they produce or the service they provide. Frequently, I will do business with a company just because they give back to a community by taking care of its employee. I will never, ever place another advertisement with the D/T. Not a help wanted ad or to advertise my business. They are too expensive anyway. The Guide gets me many more responses. And now we have the Saturday Classifieds here. Free!
You know, 2:24, you are a poor angry SOB who needs some sensitivity training.
K Groves
Don't worry, 2:24 will be an ole fart someday "maybe" and they are the ones that cry the government isn't doing enough.
I concur with you K Groves. If Mr. Gillis had wrote in here ragging people, an anonymous childish insult might have been expected.
But a detestable cheap shot was hurled. No criticisms were offered, just crude bigoted remarks.
I will jump to my own conclusions that it came from a Daily Times staffer.
This incident comes from a paper with a warm human interest weekly feature entitled " Random Acts Of Kindness".
bpinto
4:22 p.m., I'll agree with the first half of your statement, but not the second.
The "old farts" are not the loudest to complain, but you know what? THEY are the ones who if anyone has a right to complain, it's them.
They lived through depression, war, and rebuilt prosperity. Many in that hard-working generation are passing way. They gave 'til it hurt.
The generation they beget (just before and front end of the baby boomers) also know/knew the meaning of WORK!
Even now, seniors CAN'T retire and often keep working into their "golden years."
So, to anyone knocking your elders, just remember you punks will be old one day and you better hope there are young people around who are more compassionate than your sorry butts.
To Mr. Gillis, I hope this is a blessing in disguise for you and that only the best will now come your way rather than working in that hell hole.
I don't know how many times I requested to be put on the Editorial Board of The Daily Times because I felt that they were not reflective of what was transpiring in our Community. I had hoped my participation would have changed things.
I offered to perform the services for free. . . no compensation.
And not once was I allowed to participate on anything. . not allowed to give my opinion on the Board of Education spending. . . not allowed to give my opinion on the County Budgets. . . not allowed to give my opinion on Gilchrest's performance or lack thereof. . . not allowed to give an opinion on the astronomical business exodus. . .not allowed to give an opinion on detrimental Legislative Action.
Now that things have turned South on this MSM institution, they are grasping at straws targeting anything and everything to salvage a sinking ship.
Don't feel bad Mr. Gillis. . .I've seen this coming for quite some time. 'Where one door closes another one opens'
Good luck and may God Bless You.
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I like the fact that I haven't paid for a daily times in about 1 year.. I cancelled my subscription, but they said... no problem... we will continue to deliver...
Probably to keep their numbers up.. I am happy to take their money!!!
Otherwise.... the paper completely sucks
Damn, spend a lifetime working at one place instead of a gold watch they give their employee's the boot. WTF? You people that are employed there now have to know you could be next, any day if they would treat someone that worked there a lifetime like that, you aren't worth your weight in pig shit there.
Mr. Gillis I wish you all the best, you deserve to retire and forget that place, after giving a lifetime I know that it will always hurt. If you hadn't been good at what you do, you would have never been there that long. They don't deserve someone like you. Take care, enjoy your retirement, many never even get to live to see it.
Moral at the times is very low. Writers are overworked and underpaid while unappreciated as well. None of them can say a word about any of it of they will be as gone as Mr. Gillis. The fact that this town is growing and the paper is shrinking say it all. This is how the big boys run a small town news paper...into the ground. Soon Gannett will can it and all we'll have left is JOE.
While I may not alway's agree, I think I have learned a lot more on this blog than I ever learned from the daily times
My goodness!! , could this be an age discrimination case? I think so!
As I see it, the Daily Times is getting rid of quality help in favor of something else, what that is, I can't quite see.
Obviously, the quality of the paper being distributed has only gotten worse over the past six or seven months, as this new phase has been brought about.
It is so sad when big business looks only at profit, and not at good work, and dedication. Was that book "1984"?, we are all just numbers now, not individuals, our value is not based on the work we do, we are an expense to the company.
Anyone can see that the wrong people are being kept on, the wrong people are in charge, and the good people are moving on. I certainly hope that this latest loss will find a suitable place that he can take pride in calling his place to work.
We all know that those left working there can no longer speak with pride of working there, and job security must be a joke.
I don't subscribe. I do pick up the Worcester Times, but am very displeased that it is mostly an Ocean City paper now, with little news about the rest of Worcester
County.
Bill Kerbin, we miss you.
I've got news for all of you . . . before SBYNEWS I couldn't get any of my opinions published without The Daily Times censoring my thoughts. And then they would include my signature while modifying some of my sentences.
But here at SBYnews. . Joe has published everyone I've submitted to date without changing any of my wording w/ exception of correcting some grammatical errors.
But look at The Daily Times make-up:
Susan Parker - former Wicomico County Board of Education employee
Eric Sahler's wife - Wicomico County Board of Education spokes person
Greg Bassett's wife - Wayne Gilchrest press secretary.
It's no wonder their news is slanted. IT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE BIASED BECAUSE OF THEIR INTERNAL MAKE-UP.
No, Gannett can claim "downsizing" as the cause of his termination. The fact is that Mr. Gillis was probably at the top of the pay scale, and they could hire two worthless reporters for the price of 1 good one. It's sad, but I can assure you that Gannett covered their asses in this mess.
K Groves
7:43 PM
You are right, look at all of the reporters who have quit:
John Vandiver
Joe Cacchiolli
Valentine
Mel Toadvine
The list goes on and on. . .
On reporter informed me that after being privy to investigative reporting that he felt he was underpaid when comparing his job to some of the teacher's salaries and other governmental jobs.
for what its worth, the DT is failing/falling swiftly. my guess is cut losses as much as possible, bonus-up the 'big boys', then close and lock the doors one day...soon.
anyone else's thoughts on this?
billy.c
Response to 9:15
I agree. The Daily Times parent corporation, Gannett, is not in a good position at all. Their stock price has dwindled so low that it's not worth owning.
I don't see how The Daily Times can stay open much longer either. With the way the local economy is going their outlook looks bad.
Joe hit the nail on the head in his post where businesses are closing and their traditional revenue stream is a thing of the past.
Mr. Gillis you will be missed. I wish you the best in this next phase of your life. You did so much good for our community.
K
Advertisers should remember that the cost of ads should reflect the readership. The rates have soared while the readership has dropped over the past 10 years. When will the advertisers learn that they are wasting their money. I worked there for 10 years and still see no improvement. Bad weather stops the paper from arriving and yet the Baltimore sun can get it to my front porch with no delay. That tells it all. I am sorry for Frank, he gave his all to the times over the years. Good Luck Frank. You will be missed by all who count.
They could have had some class and asked Mr. Gillis to retire early, the business is down. Severance pay, bonus and a big retirement party he surely deserved after all those years of service.
I'm pretty sure I have had some interaction with Mr. Gillis in the past with some advertising. The man I'm thinking of would have probably sacrificed to help his long time employer.
Throwing people away shows no class at all.
Let's tell the whole story about my father. He was one if not the best advertising salespersons the Daily Times ever had. He was sent to the underperforming areas to build them up. First, Salisbury, then Ocean City, then Delaware. Then when Thompson Publishing was on its tyrade for getting rid of the older employees, they put him at National Advertising, and told him if he didn't meet their quotas (which were 5 times higher than the previous person} he would be let go. My father met and exceeded those quotas, but most of all never complained one bit. If you look in the dictionary at great employee you'll find my father's picture beside the definition. He has in his lifetime been offered positions with newspapers across the country ( some of which were six figure incomes ), but always elected to stay on the Eastern Shore. Gannett moved him about 6 yrs. ago into the position he was in because they were having problems with the ads. being put in the paper wrong. Apparently, that does not matter anymore. And, as far as being at the top of the pay scale, trust me the Daily Times does not pay well. If somebody makes too much, they will do what they need to cut their income. Believe me, my father is not an old fart, and he deserved the respect to be able to retire on his terms not theirs.
If we go to Yahoo Financial site, you can find the names of Ganett's officers. Gannett is interesting owned by the 2nd largest Media Chain in the UK. Usually with the names you can play around and recreate the unlisted e-mail addresses..Not in this case...it's a secret! The rats avoided my mouse. Another point of openess, Yahoo! doesn't list any of the officers salaries. The space provided for this info says N/A.
Guess they work for free. In Feb. the head cheese bought 13K Gannett stocks, and they're worth about HALF that now($17.53). In the last quarter, Institutional buyers DUMPED 2.3 MILL. stocks.
You guys(businesses too) can sell AND buy on craigslist.org FOR FREE! They have Eastern Shore Exclusive listings...All Free.
I actually worked with Frank during my time at the DT. When things were hectic, morale was bad, or numbers were down, Frank was always upbeat and positive. He genuinely loved what he did. Many of us were there for the paycheck. He was there for the love of the job. Cool Beans and Hot Potaters Frank!
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