Anthony McCune, The Lives and Times...

Stan Bunting, Jackson Township, Ohio, 330-495-9525

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:40:00 +0000

I was a reporter for The Observer-Reporter newspaper in Jackson Township, Ohio where I worked for Stan Bunting.

Stan Bunting closed the business with no warning and no notice on July 30th, 2008. He is under a court order to pay the wages he owes me.

More than a dozen people worked for Stan Bunting at The Observer-Reporter, in fact, and he has refused to pay everyone.

As of today, October 30th, 2009, I am owed $1,356.61, including costs he has been ordered by the court to pay.

I ask for your support in spreading the word that Stan Bunting has refused to pay his former employees. Considering "six degrees of separation" perhaps someone who knows you may know someone who knows him. Stan Bunting needs to know that people are aware of his dirty little secret.

1-5-1 Jet Set Makes Moves

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:24:00 +0000

My fantasy football team, The Jet Set, got off to a slow start and lost the first two games of the season. After 2 weeks The Jet Set was ranked 10th among 12 teams in the Sig Tau's league.

I cut three players including RB LenDale White, Tennessee Titans, who was a starter.

Five weeks later only one of the players I picked up after week two remains, WR Steve Smith, New York Giants, who has turned out to be one of the top performing receivers in the league this season.

Over the past five weeks I've gone 1-3-1 and The Jet Set now ranks 11th.

I suspect The Jet Set ranks number on in fantasy league cheerleaders, but there's no official ranking. Thank you for your support ladies.

Prior to a week seven loss I pulled off my first trade of the season, last night word came that it has gone through and the changes will be reflected in my week 8 roster.

I traded away WR Larry Fitzgerald, Phoenix Cardinals, who was a starter, TE Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens, and RB Correll Buckhalter, Dallas Cowboys. In return I picked up WR Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars, and RB Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans.

The running back position has been a glaring weakness through seven weeks, no matter what moves I've made from the waiver wire hasn't had a meaningful impact. I'm looking for Johnson to help turn things around.

Johnson comes in with 100 points this season making him the top scoring running back on the team. He joins Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers, in the starting backfield. Sproles is another player I picked up off the waiver wire.

With Fitzgerald and Buckhalter I traded players who've scored 154 points to get players who've scored 183 points in Johnson and Sims-Walker. I threw in Heap, who was on the bench, and his 60 points as an incentive to get the deal done.

I've made a number of other moves over the past five weeks that I didn't feel were worthy of blog posts.

Along the line I picked up K Steven Hauschka, Baltimore Ravens, who I've now dropped in favor of TE Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos, who came via the waiver wire.

My week 8 lineup looks like this...

QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
WR Steve Smith, New York Giants
WR Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers
RB Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers
RB Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
TE Tony Scheffler, Denver Broncos*
W/R Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars
K Jay Feely, New York Jets
Defense Arizona Cardinals*

Regular starters TE Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Defense Pittsburgh Steelers our out this week due to a bye in the schedule.

Pittsburgh, The City I Love, On Google Earth

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:55:00 +0000

It was about a year ago that I ran a post titled A Drive Through Pittsburgh, The City I Love which featured street views from Google Maps.

This time I've moved on to Google Earth to provide a better view of The City of Bridges.

Pittsburgh is the world record holder for bridges with piers and stands contained entirely within city limits, beating out Venice, Italy, the previous record holder, by 8 bridges.

There are many more bridges in Pittsburgh that are not counted toward the world record as they lack piers. A 2006 study determined that Pittsburgh has 455 bridges.

30 years ago I was a student at Point Park College (now known as Point Park University); that's the tall (21 story), wide building on the right side of the picture below. The bridge that runs across Wood Street connects Academic Hall and Lawrence Hall.

There are two windows you can see on the right side of the building, just over the building in the foreground, and I lived in the second room from the right during that fall semester!

It wasn't unusual to hear people joking about going across campus, and they were jokes because at that time Point Park College was made up of three buildings and two were connected so it looked like two.

In reality, though, downtown Pittsburgh, aka The Golden Triangle, was our campus.

While I was going to school I frequently attended concerts at the Civic Arena; which is known now, of course, as Mellon Arena, home of the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

I've had a long relationship with the Civic Arena, as a kid that was the venue where we attended big events, like the Ice Capades and the circus.

Point Park College, as you can see, is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle and it was at the center of the action when what was known as Renaissance II took hold beginning in 1979.

Four of the most prominent buildings in the Pittsburgh skyline went up and a subway system was added, beginning in 1979 and running into the mid-80s.

One of those buildings is to the right of Point Park College; I was living in a room on that side of the building one semester and had a front row seat to witness its construction.

While I was living downtown the Pittsburgh Steelers won two Super Bowls (played in January, 1979 and January, 1980) and the Pittsburgh Pirates won a World Series (in 1979).

Three Rivers Stadium, where the Pirates and Steelers played, is long gone, replaced by Heinz Field, home of the six-time Super Bowl Champion Steelers, and PNC Park, commonly known as one of the most beautiful ballparks in major league baseball, home of the Pirates.

Heinz Field and PNC Park are on the South Side, across the Allegheny River from downtown. Across the Monongahela River, which Point Park College faces, is a retail complex known as Station Square.

Over the years Station Square has been through good time and bad times. While I was in school, it was a great place to be and I had a lot of fun going there with my friends.

We would walk across the Smithfield Street Bridge to get to Station Square. A bit of trivia here for you, the Smithfield Street Bridge is the oldest steel bridge in the United States. It was built between 1881-1883.

One of Pittsburgh's two inclines has a station at Station Square, the other is a short drive farther own the Monongahela River.

I always recommend that first time visitors stay at the Pittsburgh Hilton. It's right across the street from Point State Park and close to all the downtown attractions.

Look For MAPS And Christina On PBS

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:03:00 +0000

Late last month I received a call from a filmmaker. (Adam White, Hemlock Films)

I learned that he had been shooting footage at MAPS Air Museum for what he hopes to be a television series that will run on PBS.

How it could be that I'd been working as the museum's Public Relations person for two months and nobody mentioned this project to me, given it's high profile, I have no idea.

That's the sort of thing that happens every now and then, though, symptomatic of the need to improve internal communication and an example of people not yet being accustomed to having what amounts to a formal Public Relations Department.

It was a win, to be honest, that someone referred him to me to ask about coming to the museum to shoot promotional photographs that can use as part of his pitch.

It wasn't the museum he wanted to shoot or any of the planes, exactly, it was his narrator, Christina Capadona, sitting in the one of the planes he wished to photograph.

In this case it was good to have a Public Relations person on staff, I contact the owner of the airplane he wanted to use and was able to facilitate the shoot.

It was unusual shooting a person who is being photographed by someone else, the only other time that's happened has been at events such as weddings.

I did get some good shots Christina, you can see them in the MAPS Air Museum blog.

My intention was to run this blog post shortly after the photo shoot, which was at the end of September, but I have yet to receive answers to the questions I emailed. I finally had to conclude that he's operating on his schedule, based on whatever his priorities are, and it's necessary for me to the same thing.

I had to close with this shot simply because it seems to be impossible to shoot very many photographs of a person and not end up with one, or some, where they have their eyes closed.

Welcome Back, To The McCune Collage Gallery

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:16:00 +0000

I was reminded by my buddy Kilroy_60 that I have a blogiversary coming up.

He's throwing a Blogiversary Bash to celebrate his four-year blogiversary October 29th. Mine, also four years, comes about a month later, November 23rd. What can I say? When I saw how much fun he was having I wanted to get in on it.

I don't know yet how I'll be celebrating my blogiversary. By the time the major holidays roll around blog carnivals are a lot more difficult to pull off with any degree of success.

Speaking of blogiversaries, it was brought to my attention that I haven't posted any of my old collages for nearly two years, since my two-year blogiversary.

Now that I've posted these I think I might have to take some new pictures.

There was a time when putting collages together was an important part of my life.

Looking back and the pieces and parts of what I called collagus maximus, it's hard to believe in some ways that it's been about 14-years since I worked on them. In other ways, based on the content, I'd think it's been longer.

I worked on collagus maximus for 12 years and turned out 450 completed pieces. One day I took pictures of about 140 of them.

I didn't look back through my previous posts to see which ones I included in previous editions of The McCune Collage Gallery series, excuse me if you've seen any of these before.

Receiving comments is, of course, one of the things about blogging that's fun. I'd welcome any feedback you may have.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:38:00 +0000

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

0-2 Jet Set Make Six Moves, Change Starting Lineup

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:23:00 +0000

My fantasy football league team, The Jet Set, is 0-2 in the Sig Tau's league and I made six moves today to try and right the ship.

My team ranked 8th in a field of 12 after week one. Week two final results have not yet been posted, in light of the team's performance in week two I don't expect the outcome to be positive.

Today I cut one of my starters and two players off the bench.

Gone are RB LenDale White, Tennessee Titans, who was a starter, RB Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots, and WR Domenik Hixon, New York Giants.

The new players I picked up to replace this trio are RB Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys, RB Fred Taylor, New England Patriots, and WR Steve Smith, New York Giants

RB Correll Buckhalter, Denver Broncos, has been moved from the bench to replace LenDale White, who was cut, and newly acquired Steve Smith, New York Giants, is replacing Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers, as a starting WR.

Update...The Jet Set fell in the standings with the completion of week 2 from 8th of 12 to 10th.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland, Ohio

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:51:00 +0000

On a Friday afternoon last month, when my mate had a day off from work, we went to Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

If I recall correctly it was the sixth time we've visited the Rock Hall since it opened in 1995; the first time since February, 2006 when we were there the day before the Steelers won Super Bowl XL.

Previously we've gone to check out featured exhibits paying tribute to Elvis Presley and John Lennon. The artist that's been featured, again in an exhibit that fills two floors and a portion of a third, is Bruce Springsteen.

From Asbury Park To The Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen will run through Spring, 2010.

The historical marker outside the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum reads:

BIRTHPLACE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL

When radio station WJW disc jockey Alan Freed (1921-1965) used the term rock and roll to describe the uptempo black rhythm and blues records he played beginning in 1951, he named a new genre of popular music that appealed to audiences on both sides of 1950s American racial boundaries -- and dominated American culture for the rest of the 20th century. The popularity of Freed's nightly "Moon Dog House Rock and Roll Party" radio show encouraged him to organize the Moondog Coronation Ball -- the first rock concert. Held at the Cleveland Arena on March 21, 1952, the oversold show was beset by a riot during the first set. Freed, a charter inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, moved to WINS in New York City in 1954 and continued to promote rock music through radio, television, movies, and live performances.

The Ohio Bicentennial Commission The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Ohio Historical Society 2003 (48-18)

There are no advantages to being out of work, especially when it's dragged on for more than a year, but it was nice to be able to make the trip on a Friday when there wasn't a huge crowd streaming in.

I've you've ever been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum you know there is no photography allowed inside; it's necessary for you to leave your camera at the coat check.

At least that's what I understood, but it's not entirely true and some things have changed due largely to advances in technology.

Actually, you are allowed to shoot in the first floor lobby, inside the main entrance, as well as in the lower level lobby.

Once I handed over my camera to the coat check girl I learned a lesson that, to me, was rather distasteful. You are able to shoot photos inside the museum, if you don't mind taking the chance of getting handled, as long as you have a cell phone camera.

Yes, I saw a half dozen people shooting pictures with their iPhones as they walked through the museum. I asked one of the ticket takers about it later. That's not a battle we always win, they said, we really can't take their phone.

Take from that what you will.

It's always a treat to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

They do a great job of maintaining some exhibits which serve as a well thought introduction, both to the history of rock and as a way of welcoming new visitors, while at the same time updating exhibits which have been there from the beginning.

There's a large area of the museum where stage costumes are on display; I've seen them put out new costumes for artists who've been there for a long time and they also rotate in costumes from new artists who've never been on display before.

They have an interesting exhibit on display now that I'd never seen before; Johnny Cash's tour bus is parked outside.

That was neat to see, along with a purple Cadillac that belonged to Elvis Presley and a Harley Davidson that belonged to Bruce Springsteen. Once when we visited they had a convertible, an MG I think, that Roy Orbison drove during the final years of his life.

I'm no huge fan of traveling to Cleveland and in that vein we cut out visit short in order to get ahead of some of the traffic heading out of town.

I'd like to go back in the spring -- hoping, of course, that I'll have to take a day off from work -- and be able to spend more time shooting outside the Rock Hall and in the surrounding area.

Hummingbird Lane

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 04:26:00 +0000

It's rare that anyone forwards something to my Inbox which I feel is worth reading. Typically, those FWD, FWD, FWD emails are nothing more than an aggravation.

Every now and then I get something that I like, but still don't consider passing it on to anyone else.

Taking all that into consideration, if something is forwarded to me it has to be extraordinary for me to consider posting it in my blog.

That brings me to this (exactly as I received it)...

HUMMINGBIRD LANE

This is something I have never seen before, or ever even heard of. This woman lives in a Hummingbird fly zone. As they migrated, about 20 of them were in her yard. She took the little red dish, filled it with sugar water and this is the result.

The woman is Abagail Alfano of Pine, Louisiana - she has been studying them daily and one morning put the cup from the feeder, with water in it, in her hand; as they had gotten used to her standing by the feeder they came over to her hand. She says in touching they are as light as a feather. Abagail also said, 'if she had known her husband was taking pictures she would have put on makeup!

Consider it forwarded and, of course, feel free to pass on the link.

Joseph Vincent Vigiano - A True American Hero, Lost In The 9-11 Attack On The World Trade Center

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:46:00 +0000

The Vigiano family is legendary in New York.

The patriarch of the family, John, is a retired New York City firefighter captain. Twice in his career he was read his last rights, and survived.

His twin sons (born on April 5th) Joseph Vincent Vigiano, a detective with the New York City Police Department, and John, a New York City firefighter, were both lost on September 11, 2001 in the attack on the World Trade Center.

They were 34-years-old.

Both the brothers were Eagle Scouts. Their father described Joseph as the funny one and John as the serious one.

John had this to say about his sons, "They never embarrassed me. They were good fathers, good husbands and they were good men."

I'm proud to pay tribute to...
Joseph Vincent Vigiano.
One of the heroes that went into the World Trade Center to save lives on 9-11.

His body was found one month later and removed with a full honor guard. Joseph's brother's remains were never recovered.

Joseph was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department's Medal of Honor.

In addition to his wife Kathy, who was also a police officer, Joseph left behind three sons.

The two oldest boys are pictured at 6 and 8-years-old. The youngest one was three-months-old. The family lived in Medford, New York.

Joseph was assigned to Emergency Services Squad 3 in Harlem.

He had a 14-year career and was one of the NYPD's most decorated officers. Three different times he was shot in the line of duty; each time he returned to work.

Sources of information used for this tribute included a Legacy.com page and the Officer Down Memorial Page dedicated to Joseph.

Of everything I found when conducting research on the life of Joseph Vincent Vigiano nothing was more touching than this from his son...

Kicking Off My First Fantasy Football Leage Season

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:47:00 +0000

I'm trying something new this year. I have a team in a fantasy football league for the first time and the season kicks off tonight.

The league I'm playing in is comprised of brothers from the (California University of Pennsylvania) Beta Iota chapter of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity.

It's a 12-team league; my team is The Jet Set.

In week one The Jet Set is up against Steel Curtain.

This is the starting team I'm putting on the field...

QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
WR Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers
RB Clinton Portis, Washington Redskins
RB LenDale White, Tennessee Titans
TE Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
W/R Devin Hester, Chicago Bears
K David Akers, Philadelphia Eagles
DEFENSE Pittsburgh Steelers

On the bench I have...

QB Eli Manning, New York Giants
RB Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots
RB Correll Buckhalter, Denver Broncos
WR Joey Galloway, New England Patriots
WR Domenik Hixon, New York Giants
TE Todd Heap, Baltimore Ravens

Kickoff time!

A Trubute to Thomas Richard Kelly - An American Hero Lost On September 11, 2001

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 04:01:00 +0000

I ask that you remember one of the heroes of 9-11...

Thomas Richard Kelly

a New York City firefighter who lost his life at the World Trade Center. He was last seen going into the South Tower; a short time later it collapsed.

Tommy Kelly, as he was known, lived in Riverhead, New York. Born February 13, 1963, he was the son of Emmett and Sue Kelly.

Tommy was a a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department assigned to Ladder 105.

The Grateful Dead and the New York Mets were two of his passions. He was an avid bike rider and scuba diver.

Reading comments written by family, friends and co-workers, in various online tributes, it's clear that he made the most of his 38 years.

It's touching to read the entries in his Legacy. come Guest Book.

Bob Kelly wrote, "February 13th, Tommy you would be 41. We think about you all the time. I visit the various memorials that so many kind people have made. Many of these folks never met you buddy. These are all outstanding tributes to a great fireman, true friend, a super uncle,a loving son and a brother who could make me laugh, and smile like only you could. The memorial on Coney Island is awsome . The stone and flag in Riverhead are as close to having you home as we can do. I just wish you were here ,happy birthday Tom save a seat for me up there in the bar.Look out for us all down here as things start to get tough. . I love you bro,
Bobby "

Joan Petrere wrote, "I think of you every day, Tommy and miss you very much. I remember all our fun and family parties. We all miss you greatly. It's not fair this happend to you. We know that you are with Kathleen.
Love you and God Bless."

Jeanne Farrell wrote, "Tommy, I think about you constantly. I can feel that you are here with all of us as we go through this horrible time together. I miss our late night phone calls. I miss the long talks. I miss your guidance and how you always helped me to keep life in perspective. I miss your laugh and your silliness.The kids miss you tremendously. Kate Loves You and misses you. We are all so proud of you and all the brave men and women who lost their lives that day. Please continue to be our strength and our guiding light. Thank you for all the lessons you gave me, Bobby, Jimmy,and mom and dad. WE ALL WISH YOU WERE HERE to celebrate your 40TH. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR HERO AND OUR ANGEL."

Sandra Eve Knoll wrote: "Dear Tom,

Kate had asked me to speak at your memorial...but I couldn't. I wanted to speak today about you at a ceremony they had here today a year later at work..but I couldn't again. Sorry. I'm a lousy public speaker.

I think I see your face in every passing bike rider. Funny how one's mind can play tricks. I couldn't get back on my bike at all this year. It isn't the same. I will always miss your smiling face riding back down whatever hill you had just conquered, in order to encourage me (and made me laugh hard enough to fall off the bike on more than one occasion), as I struggled my way up.
You treated me like your oldest friend from the day we met. You opened your house and life to me like we had known each other forever. I'll never forget the rides, or the talks, or the laughs.

You will never be forgotten. You were my hero.
Sandi"

Sources include The New York Times. (This is a great read)

I pray that the family and friends of Tommy Kelly find peace. I'm proud to do my small part to have his memory carry on.

A Worldwide Moment

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:09:00 +0000

I am one of nearly 2,000 people from 100 countries who made a pledge to shoot a photograph and capture a worldwide moment: 09.09.09+09GMT@09:09.

+09GMT@09:09 translates to 9:09 AM in Greenwich, England and 8:09 PM here in Canton, Ohio.

WorldwideMoment.org describes 09.09.09+09GMT@09:09 as, "a simultaneous photography project to encourage international peace, human rights, and artistic collaboration!"

This is my contribution (Reference #267581267581)...

Worldwide Moment - 09.09.09+09GMT@09:09

Canton, Ohio, United States of America

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum is one of the most prominent places in Stark County and, some would say, the State of Ohio. It closes at 5 PM, though, so at 8:09 it’s the most peaceful place you can imagine.

Take The Long Way Home

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:29:00 +0000

It's not often enough that I get to take a trip when I have a chance to get off the highway and simply enjoy traveling, instead of focusing on reaching a destination as soon as possible.

I had the good fortune to do exactly that, though, last week when I spent five days visiting my family and friends.

Over the years I've taken four different routes from Canton to my parents' house in Fayette County, Pennsylvania; about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. The shortest, with no stops, takes about three hours; what's become my favorite, when I have the opportunity to take it, is a five-hour trip if I stop a few times.

The first leg of the trip from Canton takes you south on Ohio State Route 800...

Next comes Ohio Route 416, which takes you through the town of New Philadelphia...

Ohio 416 is a connecting route that leads to Ohio Route 250...

Ohio Route 250 takes you all the way to Wheeling, West Virginia. Along the way you pass through the Tappan Lake Reservoir area.

It's not whether you want to stop and take pictures at Tappan, if you have the time, but, simply, how often you'll stop...

You also pass through Clark Gable's hometown, the Village of Cadiz, on Route 250...

In Wheeling, West Virgina you pick up U.S. Route 40 and that takes you into Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

Just outside of Wheeling, in Triadelphia, you'll see something unique.

I've seen a lot of barns painted with a Mail Pouch Tobacco advertisement over the years. Since they're no longer being painted, at least to the best of my knowledge, the number of these barns is rapidly decreasing and those that still exist are, all too often, deteriorated.

It wasn't until I passed through Triadelphia, though, that I saw a garage painted with a Mail Pouch ad...

This portion of U.S. Route 40 runs, more or less, along the route of The National Road.

The National Road was created by an act of Congress in 1806; it was the first federally funded highway construction project. Route 40 connects Cumberland, Maryland, with Vandalia, Illinois.

I passed two of these statues, known as Madonna of the Trail, along this portion of The National Road...

This one, as I recall, was in the Scenery Hill area, between Washington and Brownsville.

The last "landmark" I have to share is important solely through my eyes.

As a kid I used to go with my grandparents to an Italian grocery store. Through a child's eye it was a big trip, going somewhere that I didn't see more than a few times a year, and it seemed to be far away from where we lived. The store, in fact, was only about a half hour drive.

Last week I stopped at the store and was surprised to find it is still open. The last two times it had been closed.

It didn't come as a surprise that the store looked a lot smaller to me than I remembered it. What made an impact, though, was it smelled exactly the same.

It turns out the brother of the man my grandparents knew runs the store on a day-to-day basis and their old friend still comes in on occasion. I wanted to take his picture, but he didn't want it to appear on the intenet.

In any case, it was a visit I won't forget any time soon.

I don't know if you've ever asked someone (in the United States) how to reach a destination "without driving on the highway", but it's not unusual for the response to basically be, You can't get there from here.

It may take a bit of extra effort, studying a map and/or pushing the AAA agent do work a little harder, but the payoff is well worth it. There's no better way to see America than getting off the highway.

The Steelers Nation Is Alive And Well In Stark County, Ohio

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:41:00 +0000

I originally published this back in February, in the Stark County News and Views... blog I'm phasing out.

Earlier today I was at Wendy's and saw the Browns fan I wrote about in the post. I told him if I knew he was going to be there I would have worn my Steelers cap and he said, again, that he'd have to charge me double. That left no doubt I had to preserve this post...

The Steelers Nation is alive and well in Stark County, Ohio.

Yes, being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan living in Northeast Ohio can be a difficult proposition because Cleveland Browns fans are bitter and desperate.

Browns fans, generally, are an interesting lot; they talk about how much better the Browns are than the Steelers 50 weeks a year. The two weeks they don't have anything to say are the weeks after Pittsburgh beats Cleveland.

The saving grace is that there are a relatively high number of Steelers fans here.

The last time I was home, in November, I made a point of looking for people wearing brown and orange. There wasn't one to be seen for three days.

I shop for groceries most of the time at Giant Eagle in the 30th Street Plaza or at Fisher Foods on Cleveland Avenue. It's not unusual to see someone wearing black and gold; that is someone in addition to me. When I went to Giant Eagle on Super Bowl Sunday I saw six other people wearing Steelers gear, but I'm not sure if I saw anyone wearing Browns colors.

I bring this up because when I went to Wendy's today, wearing a Super Bowl XL sweatshirt and a Super Bowl XLIII hat, the manager asked if he'd charged me double for wearing Steelers stuff. I laughed and told him I thought he'd given me a discount for that exact reason.

I saw him behind the counter when I was leaving (with nobody in line) and told him we should talk again after the Browns win a Super Bowl. I heard him mumbling something as I was walking out so I stopped and popped my head back in. When I told him I didn't hear what he said he responded, ahhhhhhh, go Browns.

I was a Steelers fan long before Steel town was known as Sixburgh. In fact I've been a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers for 40 years.

It wouldn't be difficult to say that the Steelers-Ravens rivalry has eclipsed the Steelers-Brown rivalry when it comes to intensity. One reason, of course, is that the Baltimore Ravens are the old Cleveland Browns. Also because the Ravens won a Super Bowl not too many years ago.

The rivalry is as strong as it's ever been though between Steelers fans and Browns fans. That's another reason I enjoy seeing Steelers colors here in Stark County.

Remembering Ted Kennedy

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:40:00 +0000

Many people I admire have passed away during the time I've been publishing this blog.

Normally I don't run posts when that happens, but today I'm going to make an exception in recognition of United States Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy, (D) Massachusetts, who lost his battle with cancer yesterday.

Yes, Ted Kennedy was far from perfect. He had personal flaws and memorable failings. At the same time "The Lion of the Senate" fought for people like me and I admire him for that.

Remembering Ted Kennedy...

A Tribute At The 2008 Democratic National Convention

The Dream Shall Never Die...

Health Care Is A Right Not A Privilege (1978)...

Blasting The GOP For Blocking A Minimum Wage Increase...

Blasting The GOP On Healthcare...

Address To The Alaska State Democratic Party Convention 1968...

Memorial Service - John Culver (Part 1)

Memorial Service - John Culver (Part 2)

Autumn Colors In Canton, Ohio

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Summer has been disappointing this year for anyone in Stark County, Ohio who enjoys sunshine, hot days and all the things that traditionally go with them.

It's rained frequently and the temperatures have been cooler than normal. The weather in August all too often has resembled Autumn more than Summer.

I'm not a student of meteorology and don't know how the colors of autumn are impacted by the Summer weather that comes before. It will be interesting to see and the answer will come sooner than some of us like.

I snapped shots around Canton last Autumn following, if I recall correctly, a Summer season that was filled with hot days and not a whole lot of rain.

Wings Of Freedom Tour Lands At Akron-Canton

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:05:00 +0000

Covering this event (for The Observer-Reporter) back in 2007, including shooting the photos, is what started me on the path to become the PR person at MAPS...

Wings of Freedom Tour Lands At Akron-Canton

Glenn Smith served as a bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator. He flew 27 missions before being shot down over Munich, Germany and becoming a Prisoner of War through the last year of World War II.

Smith, who now lives at Danbury in North Canton, visited the MAPS Air Museum on Sunday to see the last authentic combat B-24 in the world that is still flying.

The Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom Tour brought a B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator and a B-25 Mitchell to the MAPS Museum, at Akron-Canton Airport, for a four-day visit that ran through Monday.

Tours of the planes were offered as well as flights, which cost as much as $425 for a 25-minute ride.

James Mosley, Director of the MAPS Museum, called the Wings of Freedom Tour stop “history on exhibit.” Mosley said “It’s good for the World War II veterans who flew these planes.”

Wings of Freedom was a significant for the museum according to Mosley. “The Collings visits are the only one of this type with this number of vintage aircraft,” he said.

This is the fourth time The Collings Foundation has been to Akron-Canton. Prior to last year’s visit they had not been to the area since 1998.

Bruce Hegdahl served as Collings’ Crew Chief during the MAPS visit. He said that there are eight to ten B-17’s flying and 30 to 40 B-25’s. The B-24 that lifted off from the Akron-Canton Airport runway is the last authentic combat B-24 that still flies according to Hegdahl.

Hegdahl said that the B-25 represents Dolittle’s Raiders. “It was the first invasion of any kind on Tokyo after Pearl Harbor,” he pointed out. He said that 16 of the planes took off from an aircraft carrier. “It was amazing,” Hegdahl added, “because they’re bombers not fighters. They weren’t built to do that.”

The Crew Chief quoted the operational cost of the bombers to be $4,000 per hour.

One of the passengers who made a $425 tax deductible donation to ride aboard the B-17 was Hugh Harrington, a historian from Milledgeville, Georgia.

The Massillon native was in town with his wife to visit his mother-in-law. “My choice was to visit my mother-in-law or fly in a B-17. Here I am,” said Harrington.

The historian said that his father was in the 8th Air Force. “When I was a kid he’d tell me stories about seeing aircraft come back all shot up,” said Harrington who called the flight “a fantastic experience.”

What was it like to fly aboard the B-17 Flying Fortress? “It’s very loud and the plane vibrates,” Harrington said. “It exudes power.”

Harrington said the flight was “worth every penny” of the $425 donation and that he would “do it again in a minute.”

Hegdahl said that flights were done within a 25-mile radius of the airport and that the planes flew at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 feet. The B-17 carried nine passengers, eight flew aboard the B-24 and the seating capacity on the B-25 was six.

According to a MAPS tour guide one visitor flew aboard all three of the bombers on Saturday.

Mac McCauley piloted the Flying Fortress. Eight years ago, McCauley said, he met people from the Collings Foundation at an air show and he has been flying with them ever since then.

“This is a four-engine, World War II bomber. It’s very heavy on the controls. It’s not difficult to fly, it’s very stable,” said McCauley who flies the B-17 about 700 times a year. “This is not like a modern day aircraft at all,” he emphasized. “You actually have to fly this airplane. It’s something you have to be in and learn to fly it.”

McCauley called it “an honor to be able to fly a piece of history.”

Collings’ Crew Chief Hegdahl said he flies on the airplanes occasionally. “When you’re flying you’re trying to picture what it was like when those guys to fly during the way. Except you’re not getting shot at.”

Glenn Smith, who is 86-years old, pointed out that there were 16.5 million Americans in uniform during World War II. Every day 1,000 to 1,500 of those veterans die.

Before coming to MAPS on Saturday it had been “a couple years” since Smith had seen a B-24, he said.

The one-time bombardier recounted his experience being assigned to one of the last original bomber groups formed in the Untied States; a group he flew with while assigned to Torretta Airfield in Cerignola, Italy until he was shot down on his 28th mission.

When the B-24 approached and left a target it would be attacked by fighter planes, Smith said. “It sure was a long 15 minutes.”

Asked what it was like to see one of airplanes that he flew on, Smith said, “It’s amazing to see. Even sitting here, look, it hardly seems real. Looking at it you think, ‘How the heck did I do it?’”

“This visit has made a significant difference in the number of people we’ve had come through the door,” said Mosley. “It increases awareness of the facility we offer for events such as meetings and parties.”

There were at five flights Tuesday before the 130-city Wings of Freedom Tour moved on to Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Vote For The View Of The Month

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:11:00 +0000

I was delayed in posting the winner of the July What I See Out My Window View of the Month poll (Port Orchard, Washington) as well as the choices for August.

You can vote now (in the sidebar here) to select the August View of the Month. I'd appreciate you taking a minute to vote as well as any help in passing word along to others who will give a hand.

Entries in the August View of the Month poll include...

Vote for Seattle in the sidebar here

Vote for Phoenix in the sidebar here

Vote for Cancun in the sidebar here

Vote for Dallas in the sidebar here

Vote for Tylertown in the sidebar here

Vote for Oakland in the sidebar here

Vote for Memphis in the sidebar here

Vote for Wabikoba Lake in the sidebar here

Vote for Brisbane in the sidebar here

Vote for Pittsburgh in the sidebar here

MAPS Air Museum's Public Relations Effort Going Forward

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:31:00 +0000

Over the weekend I had an excellent meeting with the MAPS Air Museum's webmaster/newsletter editor, laying the groundwork to move forward with the goals of...

Attracting new members
Bringing more visitors to the museum
Generating donations

In an email to the Board of Directors, following the meeting, I pointed out that it's going to be necessary for all of us to work together, as a team, to achieve these goals.

I sought to provide the Board of Directors with an overview of a strategic plan to address both immediate needs and long-term objectives.

In the short time I've been involved with MAPS Air Museum, I told them, it's become clear that there's a need to...

Improve the quality of internal communication
Do a better job of connecting with the people who are aware of MAPS
Raise MAPS' profile in the community
Make it easier for people to find MAPS accidentally who do not know it exists and would not be purposefully looking for it

I said that a multi-faceted approach will be necessary to address this spectrum of needs including...

Use of the Members Newsletter to provide news and facilitate interaction
Converting the Website to serve, basically, as a Brochure for the organization
Actively Engaging the Media
Doing Community Outreach both to get MAPS out into the community and to bring the community to MAPS
Advertising which is both Cost Effective and Productive

The importance of New Media and utilization of Social Media to achieve the goals stated initially, I told the Board of Directors, can not be over emphasized.

In the email I touched on the various social media platforms I intend to utilize....

A weblog (or blog), I explained to the Board, is essentially an online diary or, if you prefer, a magazine which can have entries added as often as you want...be it weekly, daily or multiple times a day.
Expanding MAPS' presence on Facebook
Utilizing Twitter (which, I told them, I've already started doing)
Setting up a Flickr (photo sharing) page

I concluded the emails by saying I would like to attend monthly Board of Directors meetings, in addition to Members meetings, in order to stay as informed as possible about what's going on from a Directors' perspective and to keep you informed about what I've been doing, how things are working out and what I want to do.

Vote For The Plate Of The Month

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I was delayed in posting the winner of the July The Vanity Of It All Vanity License Plate of the Month poll as well as the choices for August.

You can vote now (in the sidebar here) to select the August Vanity License Plate of the Month. I'd appreciate you taking a minute to vote as well as any help in passing word along to others who will give a hand.

In the running so far for 2009 Vanity License Plate of the Year, as selected by The Vanity Of It All visitors, are...

HRSTORY
PEACE 65
HOO ME
THIS B ME
I TREK 2
INTMID8
LV WKNDS

McCunications Weekend Mashup

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:39:00 +0000

Welcome to the seventh edition of McCunications Weekend Mashup.

1-800-4McCune

What People See Out Their Window - Vote for August View of the Month

#FollowFriday

Tweets

@TheGreenHome I'm happy to participate in promoting your 2010 Earth Day Campaign. I'm very interested in green topics. http://bit.ly/368Xwa
RT @NancyCSwisher Id love to have my Tweethearts share Facebook too! http://bit.ly/4s9hh6
RT @smashadv My wife is Italian. My mother in-law is just Catholic.
With each search at Forestle you save 0.1 yd² of rainforest for free: http://us.forestle.org/en/
"If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else." - Booker T. Washington #quotes
@bcuban I'd have to say the current health insurance system is exactly that, Passsive Euthanasia.
RT @1txsage1957 Palin Lies About Health Care http://short.to/ma6l
RT @rdille My Purpose Of Writing Blogs - Hope You Give Me A Chance To Explain http://cli.gs/1Y9Pj
Re: Health Insurance Reform Debate, is it helpful to bring back the same arguments that were losers in '08 POTUS Campaign?
When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree. - Vietnamese saying #quotes
RT @SEOAly If your avatar is a girl committing some act Jenna Jamison has been paid for, you're a dirty whore...and I'm blocking you. Ick.Stumbler Shout-Outs

Stumbletron Standouts

Police Ride Along A Once In A Lifetime Adventure

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:57:00 +0000

Two of the things I enjoy most about being a writer are...

Telling a person's story who would not have a voice otherwise.
Having the opportunity to experience what life is like in another person's shoes.

With that in mind, it's easy to understand why doing a ride along withPatrol Officer Ty Beeching of the Jackson Township Police Department was one of my favorite assignments while I was working for The Observer-Reporter....

Police Chase, A Real "Adrenaline Rush"

The Jackson Township Police Department handles about 30,000 calls for service a year, according to Chief Harley Neftzer.

I spent a shift riding with Patrol Officer Ty Beeching, an officer who joined the Jackson Twp. Police Department last August after serving 12 years with the Stark County Sheriff’s Department.

Officer Ty Beeching

Beeching is assigned to zone two, in the SW part of the township, which includes Hills & Dales, Glenmoor Country Club and the Nobles Pond complex where Buehler’s is located.

Since he has been with the department for less than one year Beeching is required to rotate through all five zones in the township. That, he told me, allows the new officers to become better acquainted with the entire area.

We covered what is known as zone four which includes the residential neighborhoods on Frank Avenue, Strausser and the Lake Cable area.

While there is a different officer assigned to the zone four business district, we also helped cover Belden Village.

Patrol Officer Anthony Crookston, who coincidentally started with the department the same day as Beeching, was assigned to the business district that day. We would encounter Crookston more than once during the shift.

Officer Crookston, right

One of the things I spoke to Beeching about is how television influences peoples’ perceptions of the police.

“I think the news has a great influence on peoples’ perception of how we do our job,” Beeching said.

“I don’t think it’s accurate all the time because the news shows what sells.”

Next the conversation turned to entertainment programs.

“I think television definitely influences peoples’ opinions on law enforcement, right or wrong,” said Beeching. “Those are actors; they’re not under the real stress we deal with daily.”

Beeching characterized the television program COPS as “good entertainment.”

He said, “How many hours do they have to ride around to get that tape?”

We were in the Belden Village area at about 6:30, on Belden Village Street, when Crookston received a call for service.

He was dispatched to Wal-Mart at The Strip, according to the Stark County Sheriff’s Office Prisoner information Sheet, “for a theft in progress.”

While we were not requested to assist, Beeching headed for Wal-Mart.

“The first thing going through my mind was to locate the vehicle if I could,” Beeching said. “A lot of the time when someone flees the scene they’re gone before we get there.”

While we were driving on Dressler Road the dispatcher advised Crookston that the suspect had fled the scene.

Beeching was able to ascertain from the reports coming over the radio that the suspect was traveling on Dressler Road.

“The number one priority when you’ve located someone or are attempting to stop someone is the safety of everyone involved and the rest of the community,” Beeching said.

He saw the suspect turn onto Whipple from Dressler and the chase was on. When the car’s lights and siren were turned on the video camera in the car started to record.

It was at that point, in Beeching’s mind, that he started chasing the suspect.

“In my mind I was not attempting to stop him until I saw him at Everhard and Whipple,” he told me.

I glanced over to see that we were going about 65 miler per hour on Whipple Avenue, approaching Everhard Road.

“He’s going to get on 77,” Beeching told me.

A moment later Beeching said, “There he is,” and pointed toward a truck traveling at a high rate of speed on Everhard, going toward the entrance ramp to Route 77 North.

By now Crookston was behind us as we turned om Everhard, then onto the highway.

According to the Stark County Sheriff’s Office report, the suspect, “went north onto I-77, causing the vehicle to tip onto two wheels.”

Beeching’s goal was to stop the vehicle from getting in the fast lane. He did just that, pulling to the left of the suspect’s vehicle just as it came up closely behind a car in the center lane. Crookston was behind the suspect.

It was at that point that the suspect slowed, pulled to the right and exited the highway. Crookston followed behind and we moved to the right staying ahead of him.

The chase on I-77 lasted about ¾ of a mile, the Sheriff’s Office report said.

Ronald E. Fusko was detained and questioned by Beeching. A second suspect was questioned by Crookston who was later released without any charges being filed.

Ronald E. Fusko detained by Officer Beeching

A third officer, Daniel Kunkel, arrived on the scene shortly after the pair was taken into custody. He took charge of having the vehicle impounded.

“When it’s my turn they’ll come and help me,” Kunkel said. “It’s a team effort.”

A visual inspection of the vehicle showed it to be unsafe. It had a large C-Clamp and nylon straps holding the leaf spring together on the driver’s side.

Wal-Mart’s Loss Prevention Officer was called to confirm the vehicle was the one that fled the scene, which she did. She also identified a pair of gloves taken from the store.

It was determined that Fusko had two outstanding warrants; both for failure to appear. He was wanted in Canton and in New Philadelphia.

Fusko is placed under arrest by Officer Beeching

Fusko was booked into the Stark County Jail on the following charges: theft, failure to comply, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, no operator’s license and unsafe motor vehicle.

The merchandise Fusko allegedly stole from Wal-Mart included four spark plugs and two sets of gloves valued at $73.40.

DockDogs!

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:37:00 +0000

I wrote this story for The Observer-Reporter in June, 2008. It was, without doubt, a favorite among the assignments I handled at the paper....

Buckeye DockDogs Makes First
Appearance In Stark County

A dog, at the command of its master, races the length of a dock and dives off the edge to compete for distance.

That’s the sport of dock dogs.

Buckeye DockDogs, a club based in Grafton, held a practice session in Stark County yesterday, at Sippo Lake Park in Perry Township.

Two things led to the club staging its first event in this area; access to dock space and an effort to introduce the sport to more people.

“Finding dock space is a challenge,” said Jim Zelasko, of North Royalton, Buckeye DockDogs Vice President.

Friends who are involved in the sport provide access, Zelasko said, and the club approaches parks to ask for permission to use their docks.

Social interaction among members, according to Zelasko, is just as important as competition among the dogs.

He said, “From where I stand, and my dog’s capabilities I find it to be a leisurely competition. I believe it’s an excellent socialization outlet for both the dog and the handler.”

Steve Bacon, of North Canton, agreed.

“I find the sport very enjoyable because it’s a family event,” Bacon said. “I can take my wife and my children and they enjoy it just as much as I do.”

Bacon characterized dock dogs as, “a fun, family, organized event that anybody of any age could do.”

Family involvement is an important element in attracting new members to Buckeye DockDogs.

“We’re trying to make people aware there are things you can do as a family,” said Traci Butler from North Lawrence.

The term family extends to include dogs when used by those involved in the sport.

“Our summer vacations have become dock dogs events,” Zelasko said. “Our entire family, meaning the dogs, along with my wife and I, all go on vacation together while some people have to leave their dogs at home or in a kennel.”

Providing an opportunity for their dogs to have fun is what attracts people.

“I was trying to find something fun to do with water with Ranger,” Butler said of her Labrador retriever. “He was jumping off the dock at Portage Lakes.”

Describing Ranger as, “a totally different dog when hits the dock the dock,” Butler said, “I love it that he loves it.”

Ranger practices every weekend, Butler said, jumping off the dock for about 30 minutes.

“As quick as you can throw it out there, he’s in the water,” she said.

Wanting to participate in the sport guided Bacon in his choice of a dog.

He said, “Being interested in the sport of dock dogs I noticed that the majority of dogs that were jumping were Labrador retrievers and I’ve always been fond of labs all my life.”

Bacon’s dog, Zeus, took to the water immediately.

“When I first took Zeus to the lake (at eight-and-a-half months old) he walked right in and started swimming right away,” Bacon said.

“Then, when I saw that he loved water, I introduced him to the dock and he jumped off the first time. That’s when I knew I had a great dog.”

Bacon said his dog loves the sport.

“My dog goes absolutely crazy when he knows that we’re going to jumping or are near a lake. His enthusiasm is overwhelming,” Bacon said.

Zelasko has two dogs involved in the sport, a chocolate Lab named Cammie and a yellow Lab named Hallie.

“My dog, Cammie, was a little timid to dive off the dock. After a few tries she would plop in,” Zelasko said. “That’s the starting point for any dog, which is a sign you can work from here.”

Cammie started diving as a one-year-old; Hallie at six months. According to the rules of DockDogs, the governing and sanctioning body of the sport, six months is the minimum age at which dogs should participate.

While Hallie hasn’t learned to dive from Cammie, it may have made getting started easier.

Zelasko said, “I don’t believe that Hallie learned anything directly from Cammie except watching her go into the water and thinking, hey that water’s fun, or something like that.”

Having prior experience made it easier for Zelasko to train the second dog.

He said, “I do believe that Hallie’s benefited from my prior experience while Cammie and I were both learning the ropes.”

While friendship among the dog owners (who are known as handlers) is important, competition is the heart of dock dogs.

Due to limited access to dock space, Bacon trains Zeus in his backyard.

“We do what’s called dry practice in the backyard; a simulation of running the 40 feet, retrieving the toy and bringing it back to me,” Bacon said.

“When you do the dry training and are consistent in what you want them to do when you get to the dock it becomes second nature.”

A toy is used, Bacon said, to encourage the dogs to jump farther.

He said, “They’re strictly judged on distance. We use the ball to get them to jump farther.”

It’s important for a handler to know his dog well in order for it to perform well.

“There are a few things you need to do as a handler to encourage further jumps,” Zelasko said, “such as understanding your dog’s timing or gate as it comes down the dock and making sure that your throw, of whatever the toy is, is timed properly. That can be anything that will float that’s not edible.

The handler, he said, also has to be able to perform under pressure.

“Another item that is somewhat important,” he said, “is your confidence in the dog when you’re in front of everyone doing this.”

Buckeye DockDogs will be returning to Sippo Lake this summer. Butler said the team will try to practice in Perry Township once a month.

It is likely that dogs other than Labrador retrievers will participate as the practices continue.

Butler pointed out that members of Buckeye DockDogs have a wide variety of breeds ranging from the Jack Russell Terrier to the Belgian Malinois.

For more information on dock dogs, visit the Buckeye DockDogs website at www.buckeyedockdogs.com.

Remembering Todd Christopher Weaver, Lost September 11, 2001

starkreporter@gmail.com (Anthony) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:49:00 +0000

North Canton Family Lost Son In September 11th Attack

Dennis and Marilyn Weaver, of North Canton, will never forget September 11, 2001.

The couple lost their son, Todd Christopher Weaver, in the attack on the World Trade Center. He was 30-years-old.

Todd, and his wife Amy, had been living in New York City for nine months prior to September 11th. He worked at Fiduciary Trust International where he held the position of International Hedge Fund Department Vice President.

There was a meeting on the west coast that day which all the company’s executives attended, except for Todd. He remained at the firm’s world headquarters, on the 94th floor of the south tower.

A Chartered Financial Analyst, Todd held a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Miami University of Ohio and a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Chicago.

Todd didn’t enter the University of Chicago immediately after earning his Bachelor’s Degree. He and Amy lived for one year in Japan where he taught Conversational English.

Dennis described Todd as, “absolutely brilliant, an inquisitive planner.”

He said, “He always seemed to have command of the situation and what he wanted to do.”

Dennis said, “In all the cards and letters we got, the thing that everyone talked about was how brilliant he was and how he would bring himself to their level to help them personally and professionally.”

Marilyn characterized him as, “a very unusual child.”

She said, “He was a very happy child, very intelligent, gifted.”

Sports was an important part of Todd’s life, according to his parents. He played basketball, football and lacrosse.

“He wasn’t an exceptional athlete, but he wanted to be an exceptional athlete,” said Marilyn.

“I think the thing he loved most about sports was being part of the team. He loved team sports.”

Golf was the topic of the last conversation Dennis had with Todd.

“My last contact was when we arranged for me to go to New York to play golf,” Dennis said. “Golf is my favorite subject and at the time it was his favorite subject.”

Todd collected baseball cards and was a fantasy football fanatic.

“Todd loved it,” Dennis said. “He drank it, ate it, slept it.”

English and economics were strong subjects for Todd, according to Marilyn, and he enjoyed writing poetry.

“He was so ambitious. We just stood back and let him fly because there was no holding him back,” she said. “There was hardly anything he didn’t enjoy.”

Music, she added, was another thing he loved.

Marilyn and Dennis both learned of the attack on the World Trade Center from co-workers. She worked for Republic Steel in Fairlawn; he was at a sale meeting in Buffalo.

“I was in a sales presentation in Buffalo,” Dennis said. “The meeting was interrupted to say building one had been hit.”

By the time he got to a television the building Todd was in had been hit as well.

The Weavers felt like their family was under attack, Dennis said. Their daughter lived about 30 minutes from The Pentagon and Marilyn’s sister lived near Somerset, Pennsylvania.

The Weavers went to New York City the following day. They remained there for four of five days.

Dennis said they were heartbroken when they saw ground zero.

“It was like you couldn’t believe it. It was like a movie,” he said. “The realization we were attacked was devastating.”

On September 29, a memorial service was held for Todd in New York City. It was the date Dennis was to be there to play golf.

The couple has not returned to New York since then. It was once, according to Marilyn, one of their favorite places to visit.

The Weavers understood people wanted to be supportive, but didn’t know what to say or do.

“Usually in a condolence situation people can say, I know how you feel,” Marilyn said. “In this case people can’t.”

Following the September 11th attacks, Dennis and Marilyn were in counseling for six months.

“Our minister told us you can’t get through this without help,” said Marilyn. “If you think you can just sit and let time pass that won’t do it.”

The couple knew what they wanted to achieve through counseling.

“I was angry, but we knew we couldn’t allow this to consume us,” said Dennis.

“The one thing we said we didn’t want to have happen was to come out of this bitter old people. We didn’t want it to take us in the wrong direction.”

The local community embraced the Weavers after September 11th.

“We’ve never felt more loved and supported,” Dennis said. “There was an outpouring (of support).”

He added, “We’re all hit with tragedy. Things come your way. How you deal with it is going to affect your mental health.”

Almost seven years later, Dennis said, the events of September 11th sometimes don’t seem real.

“Sometimes you have to pinch yourself. It doesn’t seem real,” said Dennis. “It’s just like Todd’s on a trip somewhere.”