Look out Paul, the Galleks are on your trail

My mind works in strange ways sometimes. It was a chilly Sunday afternoon in Vermilion as Jody and I waited for the start of the Woollybear Festival parade. We love parades, especially the one in Vermilion. It is unique in the fact it crosses the railroad tracks twice, so sometimes there are gaps. You just have to sit and wait. When is the parade over? It's over when the Edison High School band makes its way down the street. The Edison band for years has been the grand finale — and this year was no different. I saw a lot of familiar faces in the parade. From the Wakeman Fire Department to royalty from the Strawberry, Melon and Basket festivals — to royalty from the Huron and Erie county fairs, and more. Early in the parade, Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth was walking down the street, shaking hands and talking to the people. At one point he left the parade route, went up to a house, up the stairs to the porch to say hello to somebody he knows. I think he was having more fun than the people watching the parade. As he approached me, I had to laugh. Right behind Sigsworth were Ed and Peggy Gallek of FOX-8 News. The married couple work in the news station's "I-Team." When those two call or knock on your door, it is never just to say hi. You're usually in trouble. I told Paul to "keep walking and don't let the Galleks catch you." That brings up Mike Wallace, a well-known journalist who made 60 Minutes famous back in the day. When Mike Wallace knocked on your door, it was lights out. All of the people my age grew up watching Ed Sullivan, then 60 Minutes on Sunday nights. Here is a piece written about Wallace by Stephanie Stephens: "I am greatly saddened by the passing of 93-year-old Wallace, an idol of mine. For many of 60 Minutes' 44 years, I've hunkered down in front of the TV to watch him "nail" an interview source with probing questions leading to the inevitable "gotcha'" moment. He had panache and he had courage. No one did it better. Usually wearing such an emotionally protective cover, Wallace surprisingly shared his propensity for depression, likely ignited by a lawsuit with Gen. William Westmoreland. The proceedings led him to doubt his own journalistic talents, which as we all know, were solid as a rock. In a business he called "a noble profession," his style broke traditional journalistic rules and established new boundaries. His son Chris told USA Today that right before Mike Wallace died, he never mentioned 60 Minutes. "It's as if it didn't exist. It's as if that part of his memory is completely gone," said the younger Wallace. That may be true and it may be troubling, but memories of Mike Wallace will certainly not fade as quickly. At least now, 60 Minutes story subjects won't live in fear of a knock on the door and a report that "Mike Wallace is outside and wants to talk to you." So keep that in mind, Sheriff Sigsworth. The next time you are walking down the street and Ed and Peggy Gallek are after you, keep on walking, and don't turn back. That knock on your door is never a good one. Joe Centers is Reflector community editor. He can be reached at jcenters@norwalkreflector.com.