By Dave Begel Contributing Writer Published May 26, 2015 at 1:51 PM

The debate about whether to kill the Green Sheet from the pages of the Milwaukee Journal lasted more than a decade.

I was working there in 1982 when I first heard about the discussion and will forever remember a crusty editor named Tom Lubenow standing in the middle of the newsroom.

"Only stupid people read this crap (he didn’t use the word crap; I'm paraphrasing)," he shouted. "Let’s dump this thing."

Lubenow was probably motivated by the fact that he had only so much newsprint available every day and hated the idea that four pages had to be devoted to this sheet that featured an advice column by Ione Quinby Griggs. Mrs. Griggs was ancient when I was there.

She always wore a hat, a frilly white blouse and a dark skirt. She’d hold her purse in front of her as she minced across the newsroom to her desk. She never said anything to anyone, as far as I could tell.

But now, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, "It’s baaaack!"

I have no idea why. The only people who might possibly be interested in this thing are closer to dying than they are to working. People wonder why the paper would do this.

Actually, I do know why.

They have given up trying to get the people under 60 to read the paper. Nobody I know needs the paper to see what’s on TV or to find out what movies are playing or even to play a crossword puzzle. All of that is available in easier and more complete formats online.

The paper is saying "We give up."

Most people I know under 60 have long maintained that the newspaper is drastically out of touch and is totally lost on the information highway. They've got a ponderous and hard to use website and a smaller and smaller staff to generate unique copy.

I also think it’s interesting that the day the Green Sheet premiered is also the day I cancelled my subscription to the print edition of the paper.

I love a newspaper. I read it. I like the way the ink stains my hands and the way it smells. But even I, as old and crotchety as I am, realize that I can live without the newspaper, and especially the Green Sheet.

Dave Begel Contributing Writer

With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.

He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.

This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.

Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.