Lucy Morgan honored

While there are many good people in this business, there are few great ones like Lucy Morgan. So it was fitting that the Florida Senate has named its press gallery in honor of the retiring St. Pete Times capital bureau chief. That it was able to keep the information from her until the unveiling may be nothing short of a miracle.

I've had the chance to make her acquaintance several times in my years in the business. Morgan is a journalist's journalist: a no-nonsense bulldog who nontheless has a wonderful sense of humor, as shown in November as she regaled a roomful of what may be the toughest crowd in the world -- state government reporters -- at the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors in Columbia. The videotape of her describing how to work sources once put out by Stateline.org ("Lucy Morgan's Greatest Hits") should be required viewing for every reporter. (Sadly, the only listing I see on the Internet for it anymore is two copies in the University of North Carolina's library. Stateline doesn't have any link to it, so it's probably out of "print.")

Morgan retires this coming November. The journalistic world will be a poorer place for that, as will all of Florida.

How about this idea -- let's just rename the state Morgantania. Kinda has a nice ring, dontcha think?