Paige Beck:
The Face and Voice of News in the Heart of Florida…and Much More
By David Greenberg
Photography by David Johnston, Johnston Photography
If you have lived in North Central Florida for the last two decades, and you don’t know who Paige Beck is, you have been living under a rock. She is without question the voice and face of news in this community.
Celebrating 20 years as the co-anchor of the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news on WCJB-TV20, Beck has been the assuring voice during North Central Florida’s most difficult times, and has led the cheering during some of the area’s biggest celebrations.
She is also much more than that. An accomplished chef and interior designer, she is one of the most caring and generous people in the heart of Florida – especially when it comes to those who most often need help – children and pets.
But if not for a visit to West Virginia by a former WCJB general manager and some strong, encouraging words from Beck’s mother and brother, she would have either never come here, or would have been long gone by now.
Beck was anchoring the news at a station in her native West Virginia, when the WCJB station manager saw her on the air.
“I got this call from a news director in Florida, Steve Hunsinger,” she said. “He wanted to talk about me coming to his station. I told him I had a 5 p.m. deadline, and if he wanted to talk about this, we would have to do it at another time. He told me later that he was impressed by my response.”
HUNSINGER FLEW HER DOWN, AND GAVE HER THE TOUR.
“I remember going to Lake Alice, and seeing my first alligator,” she said. “He brought me to the station, and I sat down at someone’s desk. John Lucas (Beck’s first co-anchor) walked over. I asked him if I could help him, and he told me I was sitting at his desk. I laughed, and someone suggested that I had already taken over. John and I did an air check together, and the next day I signed a contract. It seems like yesterday, although John was the first of four co-anchors.”
Beck’s first contract was for three years, but she almost didn’t make it for three weeks.
“I had never been to Florida,” she said. “I had no idea there were so many bugs. I never saw a roach until I came here. The first few weeks I cried every day. I talked to my mom, and told her I was ready to come home. I grew up in the mountains around Bluefield, West Virginia. I talked to my brother and parents, and they told me to stick it out. So after that contract, I did another two-year contract, and before you can turn around, it has become 20 years.”
BARBARA BECK REMEMBERS EXACTLY WHAT SHE TOLD HER DAUGHTER 20 YEARS AGO.
“I told her the same thing I always used to say to her; that the world was her oyster,” she said. “Then I told her to cut it out, and get moving.”
So the TV20 career started with Lucas at her side, and the pair became friends very quickly. That friendship proved to be very helpful as the two found themselves only a few years later reporting on the biggest and most tragic story in Gainesville history – the student murders.
“There is obviously no question that the student murders was the biggest story we ever covered,” said Beck. “Years later, on the day of (Danny) Rolling’s execution, I told everyone that this newscast needs to be about the students that died and this community. We used home videos of each of the five students that night. We won an Edward R. Murrow award for that broadcast. I was so proud of what we did that day.”
But back in 1990, Beck, like much of the media, spent late nights at work, and did her best to do her job despite the fear that gripped much of the community.
Spencer Mann, who at the time was the public information officer for the Alachua County Sheriff, and now serves in the same role for the State Attorney’s Office, remembers that it was not easy for Beck or the rest of the media.
“Paige and I have had a wonderful professional and personal friendship for almost two decades,” said Mann. “We knew each other prior to the murders. I have cows, horses and other critters on my farm, and she has a great interest in animals. We always talked about horses extensively. This is one of those cases where you spend time with people on stories, and you get to know them more personally. You get to know their families, and they get to know yours. For Paige and the rest of the local media who covered the student murders, it was much more than just another story. The local media lived here, and had a different connection. When you watch Paige report on the murders, you can clearly see that she felt a responsibility and a connection with the community.”
A DIFFICULT JOB AT A DIFFICULT TIME
Nevertheless, doing the job at that time was not easy.
“John Lucas and I made a pact,” she said. “One of us had a contract coming up, but we agreed that neither of us would leave until the killer was caught. John and I would share a ride home every night during the murders to make sure we stayed as safe as possible.”
Lucas left a few years later, and Beck is now working with her fourth co-anchor, David Snyder.
Concern during the period of the student murders reached all the way to West Virginia. Beck had instructions to call her mother every day to let her know she was OK. One day she was busy, and forgot to call. Her father called her to scold her about it. He said that no matter how busy she was, she could not miss any days.
But for Beck, the need to be cautious did not stop with Rolling’s arrest. Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, who at the time was the Gainesville Police Department’s PIO, once told Beck that if Rolling were to escape, she needed to be very cautious.
“Rolling had mentioned her by name,” Darnell said. “He watched the news on TV, and knew who she was. It was an obligation to let her know. She needed to be concerned, and take precautions in case anything happened.”
On the day the warrant for Rolling’s execution was signed Mann knew exactly where he needed to be.
“That was a difficult day for her, and many people in the community,” he said. “I went up to TV20, and she and I relived a lot of what occurred in our community at the time. We just sat there, and talked about it for a while. We talked about the impact it had on her personally, and we ended up getting into a discussion with the rest of the staff in the newsroom.”
When asked about other stories on which she has reported, Beck almost expresses an unwillingness to discuss them, in part because no other story – good or bad – can compare to it.
She did say however that on the positive side, the first Gator national championship in 1998 stands out.
But there was another story that she remembers, and for a short period felt concerned about her own safety.
“It was during Hurricane Francis in 2004,” she said. Bill (Quinlan) and I were on the set live and seriously thought we might die in the storm. The entire roof was visibly shaking and groaning and the lights started swinging. During a taped piece, we just looked at each other – one of those looks I will never forget. We were scared for ourselves, and worrying about what was happening to our own families and homes. But in the middle of it all, it appeared to calm, and we remembered we were there to help others.”
NEWS ONLY PART OF THE STORY
That’s a lot for 20 years, but that’s only half of the Paige Beck story.
Coming from a family of law enforcement, with a father who was an ATF special agent and a brother who is part of the Virginia State Police, Beck married a Gainesville police officer 12 years ago.
“He brings great joy to my life,” she said.
The couple lives in a beautiful Gainesville home with two dogs, but that could be an ever-changing number for Beck.
Luca Brasi – yes, named after the character in The Godfather – is a Miniature Bull Terrier. She describes him as a clown in a dog suit. The other dog, called Kissable Faye, Beck found at the station, and brought home.
“Faye actually saved the life of one of my other dogs, including one who has since passed away,” she said. I had a Jack Russell named Doctor. Somehow, he got into the deep end of our pool. He was diabetic, and struggled. Faye’s barking let us know there was a problem, and my husband raced downstairs to get Doctor. Faye also barked one day when the lawn caught fire, alerting us to the danger. She is like Lassie.”
While there may only be two dogs at home, Beck’s love of animals extends beyond that. She is very involved with Gainesville Pet Rescue, where she cooks as a fundraiser for the agency. That could range from her bringing a dinner party to your house, to hosting the event at her home.
COOKING FOR CHARITY
A great cook, she also donates time and food – especially cakes. One of the recipients of her giving is the Retirement Home for Horses in Alachua.
“I worked with the culinary school at Eastside High School,” she said. “We made and sold more than 100 bags of horse treats, and sold them for $5 each. The thing about me is anyone can call and ask, and I will donate.”
Those donations include some great culinary treats, said someone who can be considered an expert – Chef Bert Gill, of Mildred’s Big City Food in Gainesville.
Beck and Gill share a food and cooking segment every Friday during the news at 5:30 p.m. North Central Florida Flavor showcases local foods, demonstrating how to cook them, and where to find them.
“Paige is a Gainesville icon, but more than that, she is a great friend,” said Gill. “She is down to earth, and loves food. Our relationship is based on cooking. When you think about relationships, that’s about as fundamental as it gets in my book. We love taking about wine and food. When she comes in here, she’s part of the team. We all kid and have fun. Sometimes I think about her just as a newscaster, and forget she’s a down-to-earth human being who loves good company. We love that in the kitchen when she is here.”
Being an award-winning newscaster, community minded and a great cook may be enough for most people, but not for Beck. She has another hidden talent – art. That talent is most often exhibited by decorating and design work. Her efforts can be seen in one of the dressing rooms at the Performing Arts Center, which she helped redecorate, Haven Hospice and the new GPD headquarters.
“I love the garage,” she said. “People think it is the domain of men, but I am always in there refinishing furniture, or working on some other project. (Local builder) Barry Rutenberg let me paint the walls of one of his parade homes. He lets me do the craziest stuff on his walls. I painted giant tulips. I know he thought I was crazy.”
For his part, Rutenberg is delighted with Beck’s contributions to his homes.
“We give Paige some latitude,” he said. “She adds a lot of zip to the house. The tulips were from 1995. She demonstrated quite an artistic flair. In our current model there are two rooms that she has done, and they are really quite nice. Paige is a delight to work with. We’d love to use her again."
RECOGNIZING HER COMPASSION
Darnell, who first met Beck on another homicide story prior to the student murders, was immediately impressed by the anchor’s compassion, and especially her concern about crime victims.
“There was a third victim, who only escaped by faking her own death,” said Darnell. She was in the hospital being guarded by our SWAT team. Paige heard about her situation. She wanted to send her some of her now-famous baked goods and a teddy bear. As the PIO, I helped arrange that. It was so nice of her. But I will never forget the image of our SWAT officers walking down the hall in the hospital, carrying some Paige Beck chocolate chip cookies and teddy bear.”
Darnell describes Beck as “just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She is so concerned about our community. She is so ethical, and has tremendous integrity and professionalism. She is absolutely delightful.”
Bob Williams was doing the morning and noon news when Beck arrived.
“At first, I thought it was going to be a tough sell,” he said. “It was a new and different environment for her. She quickly warmed to everyone on the staff, and they to her. And so did the community. She was following a very popular anchor. There were a lot of built-up expectations. It turned out she was her own person. She was certainly good enough for us, and very good for the market.”
THERE ARE TIMES THAT WILLIAMS IS SURPRISED SHE IS STILL HERE.
“Given her level of talent, and the fact that she had quite a bit of experience in West Virginia before she got here, I fully expected a major market would sweep in, and take her away after her first contract. But she got here, the community fell in love with her, and she fell in love with the community. The rest is history, and it’s been a long and good history.”
Beck says that is exactly what happened.
“First of all, I love my home,” she said. “Coming home at night, walking up that sidewalk, and having the dogs waiting is great. Everyone needs a safe place, and mine is my home. But the idea of going someplace else has never been important to me. My sense of self satisfaction comes from my life and the many ways I hope to continue to make a difference in the lives of others. My biggest goal is to be happy. I don’t want to mess with that.”
And Barbara Beck says Gainesville should feel blessed about that.
“No mother anywhere in the world could have a better daughter than I have,” she said, “She may be an icon to the people in Gainesville, but to me she’s just my daughter.”