Tim Grobaty is a columnist and opinions editor for the Long Beach Post. A fan of local history, he’s seen a lot of it himself, having grown up in post-war Long Beach. When he was young, Grobaty and his friends re-enacted World War II battles in homes abandoned to make way for the new 405 freeway. He began his career at the Press-Telegram in 1976 as a copy boy and became a feature writer, music critic, TV critic, copy editor and daily columnist. After a hedge fund decimated the newspaper, he joined the Post in 2018. Grobaty may be nearing the Medicare years, but he sees no reason to hang up his laptop. “Most people have boring jobs. They love Fridays and hate Mondays. I don’t have a boring job. I hate Fridays and love Mondays.” Pretty apt that he’s the author of the newspaper memoir, I'm Dyin' Here, as well as three books on local history. He and his wife have two kids, two dogs and live in Long Beach.

My First Job: Former Mayor Bob Foster

“When people ask me how I became successful in my life, I tell them that I was always able to take risks that other people might not take,” says Foster. “Because if push came to shove, I could always go back to flooring to support my family. I could make a good living at it.”