Reflections on His Unlikely Journalistic Career

By Kurt Steele

Little would Dr. Robert Bumcrot, retired professor and chair of the mathematics department at Hofstra University, have believed it when he moved here in 2002, that he would become a reporter and editor for this volunteer-staffed newspaper and would write some 155 articles for it. Sadly, now he and his wife Francesca Turchiano are moving to Boston.

Being a math professor and a news reporter on the small-town beat could not have been more different. “While I authored a number of mathematics articles and books extending some 1,000 pages, it took a while to get into newspaper story writing,” Bumcrot says.

“Like everyone else at Norfolk Now,” he adds, “I was tackled, tutored and uplifted by the amazing Lloyd Garrison, aided by his faithful colleague Rosanna Trestman. I needed all the help I could get! Lloyd will indeed be missed.”

Over the years, Bumcrot’s stories ranged from his first about No Opposition to Cell Tower to his happiest about Greenwoods Sold at Auction. He had no trouble identifying his saddest as Remembering the Boys of Summer Who Didn’t Come Home. The hardest story he wrote involved ferreting out the details of Susan Godding’s embezzlement at National Iron Bank.

Bumcrot says he also loved writing profiles of locals. He particularly remembers those of Phyllis Byrne, Ted Veling, Mike Sconyers, Molly Ackerley and Bridgette and Harry Rallo.

After being a reporter for some years, he was “promoted” to News Editor. “I think it was really just honorific for my steady reporting,” Bumcrot says. “No one told me what this meant and it had no job description. I took it seriously, however, and tried to find and pass along good story ideas.”

In fact, Bumcrot put to very good use his extroverted affability and hung out at the Corner Store, Farmer’s Market, Town Hall, Town Committee meetings and the Lions Club, looking for story ideas. But Bumcrot also singles out his wife as one of his best sources. “Francesca has a wide-ranging network of people she talks to in town and was constantly hearing about local things that had news appeal. She also regularly scoured the local press and Facebook for many story ideas.”

“A number of people in town have asked me why we are leaving,” Bumcrot volunteered. “We’re addicted to large doses of cultural activity year around and that’s why we used to have a series of sublets in New York City while living in Norfolk. We’ve decided that now is time to downsize, and the lure of a big city won out. But since NYC is so expensive, we’re moving to Back Bay Boston near one of our two sons. Boston indeed is a great center of artistic culture.”

Norfolk has special, personal charms that Bumcrot will remember with fond nostalgia: the Saturday Morning Men’s Breakfast at the Norfolk Church of Christ, the Romeos, the Lions, and the “Drugstore Cowboys.”

Fortunately, it seems Francesca and Bob will visit Norfolk from time to time. Bumcrot cheerfully explains, “We look to the Pams (Dorothy and Robert) as a good model: stay for a few days with old friends.”

The Norfolk Now board and staff bid Bob and Francesca a sad good-bye and very best wishes for the future.

Photo by Bruce Frisch.