feature story / 33 says. “I will also always be proud that I was there at the beginning on Septem- ber 8, 1992 and was part of the team that helped make the station an inte- gral part of life in New York City. Now I am excited about the next chapter.” Mishkin, who grew up about 50 miles north of New York City, recalls his childhood trips to Madison Square Garden. “Coming down for my one Rangers game a year, one Knicks game a year, walking into the Garden…it was magic,” he says. “You could smell it. It’s winter time, the pretzels outside the Garden. The guys yelling, ‘Who’s got tickets? Who’s got tickets?’…It always felt special, and part of that is a connection to growing up with my father – a big sports fan.” Years later, Mishkin reported from the locker room at Madison Square Garden, witnessing the Rangers win- ning the Stanley Cup in 1994 and memorable playoff basketball during the Knicks run in the 90s. “I am sit- ting about two rows behind Pat Riley in deafening Chicago Stadium watch- ing the Knicks and the Bulls – these amazing games,” describes Mishkin. “You can’t even hear yourself think when they announce Michael Jordan’s name. Great theater. There are certain moments of clarity in our careers. I re- member thinking: ‘I think I made the right choice.’” While he’s witnessed many victo- ries, Mishkin speaks about his fascina- tion covering the losing team’s locker room. “More often than not, the emo- tions in a losing locker room are more raw, more unvarnished,” he says. Mishkin’s variety of interests cer- tainly have given him insight into the luminaries he has interviewed. “I play the guitar, I play the piano, so musicians always fascinated me be- cause on some level I knew how to do it,” he says. “Not to the level that they could do it, but I marvel at their dis- cipline.” And while he’s knowledgeable on many topics, Mishkin’s curiosity of the unknown is of immense benefit. “When you interview a writer, if you indicate that you’ve read a book or two of theirs, they’ll spend the whole week- end with you,” he says. “You’ve got to do the work so that you then have the confidence to sit back and have a con- versation.” Fellow journalists are particularly appealing to him. “I’ve been privileged to interview Dan Rather on stage twice,” he says. “I admire that he is still pursuing his passion when he could be kicking back and fishing full time. I’m a history buff and Rather is a veritable walking history book: JFK, Vietnam, Watergate, Afghanistan, 9/11 and so many other important stories.  And Mishkin interviews retired Mets pitcher Ron Darling at Words Bookstore (Courtesy of Words Bookstore). BASS FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC 491B Valley Street, Maplewood • 973-378-BASS (2277) • www.BassFamilyChiro.com DR. WAYNE BASS Treatment and Rehabilitation for Headaches • Neck Pain • Back Pain Sports/Gym-Related Injuries Disc Problems • Pinched Nerves Auto Injuries • Pregnancy-Related Aches MostInsurancePlansAccepted