Dawidziak narrates KSU’s ‘Unlucky’ movie

PD and former BJ entertainment critic Mark Dawidziak is the narrator for “Unlucky,” the Kent State Independent Films comedy that will premiere at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28 at Cartwright Hall.

The location shooting took place over 44 days last summer.

The red carpet event will begin at 7 p.m. with food and drinks, a photo booth and a “step and repeat” banner and walkway.

“Unlucky” is a romantic comedy of love at first sight.  Without learning her name, Sam faces the unluckiest of situations in his quest to reunite with his love before it’s too late.

The student-run production company has grown to more than 100 members with Kent State graduate student Buddy Candela as its president.

Buddy and Kent State alumnus Keegan Larwin, ’15, co-directed the film, and former Kent State student Nathan Mitchell wrote the script.

Traci Easley Williams, associate lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is the group’s faculty advisor.

Tickets for the “Unlucky” premiere are $12 at the door.

Gloria Irwin (front), Barb & Bob Springer (back)

Worldwide ‘neighborhood,’ right, Gloria?

Social media is a great informer.

Just ask Gloria Irwin, who wrote most of the articles about the breakup of Knight Ridder, but this time wrote about a reunion – 4,566 miles away in Hawaii!

Gloria explains:

“It was a magical dinner, thanks to Facebook. Friends Bob Springer and Barbara J. Hipsman Springer live 20 miles from us but are NEVER home.

“Through a recent post, we learned they came to Hawaii the day before we did. Katie Byard and Anne Reid: Eat your heart out.”

So the four of them got together for dinner in the Pacific, far from Ohio.

This reminds me of the time that Paula and I learned via Facebook that former BJ photographer Don Roese and wife Maryann would be visiting former State Desk reporter Cathy Strong in New Zealand.

We already had set up OUR trip to New Zealand and Australia, so we contacted Cathy and Don via emails. Don greeted us when we landed at the Auckland airport, where Don and Maryann were waiting to take off for their return to America after spending a week at Cathy’s beach home on the North Island.

Later, Cathy flew from her Wellington home to Auckland for a reunion, spending the day with us and showing us around the town.

It was a BJ reunion 8,458 miles from home, thanks to the social media.

But, then, Gloria and Bob, who retired from Kent State after Bob’s sojourn at Ol’ Blue Walls, know how that works.

Giffels covering GOP convention, but not for BJ

Former BJ columnist David Giffels will be one of four The Belt fellows covering the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

The Belt’s goal is to have writers who may pursue different angles than the traditional convention media.

Giffels also authors books on Akron, Devo and the rubber exodus from the city.

Other $1,000 grant fellows are Wheeling, West Virginia native Sarah Brumble, a writer/photographer equally at home in Africa or Cambridge; Anna Limontas-Salisbury, a City University of New York graduate who focuses on women and poverty; and Drew Philp, who’s working on a memoir of Detroit, where he built a home he purchased for $500 with his own hands.

 

2 Ohio Bob Evans closed

Bob Evans Farms closed restaurants in Toledo and Riverside, a Dayton suburb, last weekend. It’s among 27 stores closing, which Bob Evans says will bring $20 million when it sells the properties.

It will cost Bob Evans $8 million to close the stores.

Bob Evans is an Albany, Ohio company that has more than 500 restaurants in 18 states across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast U.S.

Albany is in the shadow of Athens and Ohio University and once was a stop on the Underground Railroad for slaves. A school for African-Americans was established in Albany, which today has a population of 878.

With Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in the movies, all you needed was for someone to say “Let’s put on a show,” and – presto! – they put on a show.

With BJ folks, you just need someone to post “Let’s have a party!” and – presto! – there they were Saturday at the Nauti Vine Winery.

It was Ladies Only, though.

And the location is understandable, too, since it’s the Portage Lakes restaurant started by Erica Antoniotti, who must be related to Kathy Antoniotti, one of the BJ participants, and Joe Walthey.

The Ladies Lineup included Katie Nix and newsroom types Betsy Lammerding and Jewell Cardell, my fellow conspirators on the Features Desk till my 1996 retirement, Kathy Antoniotti, Gloria Irwin and Katie Byard, whose stepson is a Black Keys drummer, and Lynn Sherwin, deputy Features editor when she wasn’t winning money on TV’s “Jeopardy!”

Gloria left the BJ in 2006 to handle media relations for Timken.

For reporter Katie, it was a lot more fun than waiting in Europe for a plane that took forever and a day to pick them up when their other plane was turned back over the Atlantic, or having a tree fall and knocking out power to the house she shares with husband Jim Carney.

Betsy wrote consumer articles during my time. Jewell, of course, stepped into Fran Murphey’s giant bib overalls as a BJ columnist.

Kathy joked:

“John, I worked with you for four days the week you retired. I took over production of the daily television page and the movie listings in Features.

“The editors made me promise not to be off on Wednesdays when the movie listings had to be done. They hated doing that. And they weren't up for learning Quark to produce the TV page, either.

“I retired in September.

“Obviously, I wasn't all that memorable. Lol.”

Kathy, I can’t remember what I did yesterday, let alone 20 years ago. And I was so overwhelmed by my impending retirement I probably wouldn’t have recognized JSK if Gene had chauffeured him up to my desk.

But I do remember that it took two people to do my job when I went on vacation, and unhappy faces before I left and when I returned. The Channels technology then, crude by today's standards, was something that only a crazy man could do. That made me a perfect fit.

Katie Byard explained the mystery woman next to her, who is not identified in the photo because the BJ folks I checked with couldn't provide a name for me:

“I brought a ringer: friend Deb Sanborn -- a former planner for Barberton City who is consulting with Cuyahoga Falls, just BTW.

“She and I had planned to do a nursery crawl of sorts Saturday, and she graciously let me twist her arm into meeting some lovely people and drinking wine slushies!”

After all, Katie, what are friends for? And you could hardly have had Jim show up in a dress instead.

It sounds to me like the Ladies of the Knight, as the BJ softball team was once called, had a great time without any of the guys around.

Have we become obsolete?

As my long-time Blue Room lunch companion Bob Dyer writes again and again: Just kidding.

More honors for Ed Suba

Ed Suba

BJ photographer Ed Suba Jr. was given the Robert S. Carson Award, the Ohio News Photographers Association’s highest honor, at the organization’s 65th annual Contest Judging and Seminar over the weekend.

Suba also won first place in the sports action category for his Browns photo entitled “Eye on the Ball” and an Award of Excellence in the pictorial category in the contest.

Suba, who retired after 33 years at Ol’ Blue Walls, has been ONPA Photographer of the Year three times. He also is a four-time winner of the ONPA Ohio Understanding Award for in-depth photojournalism, an ONPA Clip Photographer of the Year winner.

Suba served as president for the organization for nearly 20 years. He has retired as the ONPA president.

BJ’s Karen Schiely took second place in the feature category with her photo from the nursing home calendar shoot.

Co-worker Bob DeMay took second in the sports feature category for his photo of an Ohio State University cheerleader avoiding getting trampled by the team as players entered the field.

The paper took first place in Picture Usage in the large market category.

Carrie Cochran from the Cincinnati Enquirer (large market) and Jessica Phelps from the Newark Advocate (small market) were chosen Ohio News Photographers of the Year for 2015.

Scott Doelling of WBNS-TV in Columbus was named the 2015 ONPA Television Photographer of the Year.

From wedding day to 65th anniversary for Tom and Dot Moore

65^th wedding anniversary for Tom Moore

Goddammit, Tom and Dot Moore will celebrate their 65^th wedding anniversary on Thursday, April 14.

Explains BJ newsroom retiree Tom:

“John:

"We were married in the naval communications chapel in Washington, D.C.

Dot is from Minnesota. I was in the Air Force at Bolling Air Force Base

in D.C. -- editor of the base newspaper.

 

“Tom”  

After his retirement from Ol’ Blue Walls, Tom didn’t go off the rails. He went on them, as a conductor for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Dot often made treats for the passengers that she handed to Tom for special delivery.,

Since 2004, Tom heads for Fort Myers, Florida in October to publish a daily newspaper for the Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series for older players run by former BJ sports editor Tom Giffen, who took that show to Fort Myers 28 years ago. Hundreds of guys of various ages take part from all over the world.

Richmond, Virginia native Tom -- who was adopted by Spotswood and Virgina Moore in Tazewell, Virginia and once worked in Bluefield, West Virginia, where John S. Knight was born and lived for 3 years -- and wife Dot have four children, including three daughters who were copygirls at the BJ.

Amy Moore, Tom and Dot's youngest daughter; Caroline Jean Krack, their oldest daughter, who lives in Minnesota and retired as a teacher's aide; Katherine Ann Moore, who lives in Cuyahoga Falls, after retiring from the Environmental Protection Agency after 34 years with the government; and Tom's son, also named Tom, who with wife Sabrina Naylor are the parents of Amanda Jean.

Tom's 41-year newspaper career was on the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Zanesville News (now defunct), Lorain Journal, Columbus Citizen-Columbus Citizen Journal (both defunct) and the BJ. Plus four years part-time in the Ohio State Patrol headquarters in Columbus, editing the patrol's magazine,The Flying Wheel.

"I got my journalist 'degree' from the Air Force via GED and correspondence courses," Tom reports.

For those who don’t know the inside joke about the first word of this article, you could tell how things were going in the BJ Composing Room when Tom was makeup man. Seven Goddammits meant it was a really bad day. Most days had at least a few of the expletives.

If you want to congratulate Tom, his phone number is (330) 762-6669. If you’re too lazy to use your Smartphone, he has a Facebook page.

Ed Suba ready for action

Suba retiring from BJ

Ed Suba, Jr. who came from the Charleston Gazette, West Virginia’s #1 newspaper, for literally a fiery baptism in 1984, will retire from the BJ on Friday, April 29.

‎Paula Schleis‎ writes:

Ed Suba, Jr.

“Another farewell coming up folks. Photographer Ed Suba Jr. is retiring. Instead of the traditional newsroom cake and ceremony, photo will have an "open house" in its department from 2-5 p.m. on that day for anyone who would like to come in and wish Ed well. There will be some food and coffee and, of course, one of those legendary cards to sign.”

Award-winning 'Alice' photo

Ed was enjoying his first BJ Christmas party when he left to cover the Akron Recycle Energy System plant explosions on December 20, 1984.

Ed recalls:

“We had just started eating when one of our reporters heard about the explosion at the Akron Recycle Energy plant and called the newsroom with the news. The odd thing was that exactly one week prior, at the same exact time, I had been in the plant for a media tour. So my first thought when I heard about it was, man, I was just there.

“Everyone on the whole staff dropped their food and took off -- we all ran out to the site and went in different directions. We were in constant communication with the newsroom and each other by radio, but I remember spending the whole day out there.

“It was definitely an interesting introduction to the Beacon Journal.”

Two were killed and seven injured by the two explosions and fire. Ohio EPA tests confirmed that waste containing three volatile paint-related chemicals – xylene, toluene and methyl ethyl ketone – was dumped at the plant the day of the explosions.

Ed kept busy enough for 31 years to rack up a boatload of awards for his photos.

His most memorable picture was a simple face shot of homeless and mentally ill Alice smoking a cigarette outside a Merriman Road apartment. Eric Sandstom wrote the story.

Now Ed is homeless, too – well, as far as his Ol’ Blue Walls days are concerned.

Mike Ayers hanging out at Canal Park, between murals

Meet Murals Master Mike

Former BJ Advertising graphics designer Mike Ayers, who did that work for 27 years before Ol’ Blue Walls eliminated the entire marketing department in 2007, is the subject of an article in The Devil Strip, an Akron magazine, which dubs him Akron’s Master of Murals.

Mike, brother of another artistic guy, Chuck Ayers, also a former BJ artist, has become something of a murals artist. He did the Lock 4 mural of jazz greats outside the Civic Theatre.

Akron Rubber Ducks owner Ken Babby hired Ayers to do several interior murals at Canal Park, the minor league team’s baseball home.

He did his first mural while the Quaker Steak and Lube Restaurant in North Canton was being constructed.

Michael and Patricia Ayers have a daughter, Allison Michelle Ayers.

Check it out online by clicking on http://www.thedevilstrip.com/home/a-day-in-the-life-of-michael-ayers/

Mike's jazz mural at Lock 4, adjacent to Lock 3

Former Cleveland TV reporter Paul Rae passes away

Paul Rae, former WEWS-TV reporter and WKYC-TV Akron bureau chief, died Friday in Akron’s Hospice Care Center. Akron. He was 57.

When the space shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, he was the only news person Marvin and Betty Resnik, the parents of astronaut Judith Resnik, an Akron native, would talk to in detail was Paul.



Paul Rae

They trusted him.

Paul began his career on Toledo radio alongside retired BJ reporter Jim Carney in 1972.

Eventually, Paul founded and ran a video production company.

The Toledo native and Hiram College graduate was in radio, television and video production in Akron, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Albany, New York, Washington and Richmond, Virginia.

Paul’s obituary:

Paul E. Rae

Paul Rae passed away April 7, 2006 at age 57 with his loving family at his side.

Born July 11, 1948 in Toledo, Ohio, he was preceded in death by parents, Margaret (Campbell) and Edward James.

Jim Carney photo of former co-worker Rae

Paul was a communications major at Hiram College. He worked in radio, television, and video production in Toledo, Detroit, Albany, New York, Washington D.C., and Richmond, Va.

Paul was an Emmy award winning producer for WDHO-TV in Toledo, Ohio, before his position at WKYC-TV in Cleveland, then Channel 3 Akron Bureau Chief from 1985 to 1991.

Following his years in television he proudly owned his own video consulting and production company.

Paul is survived by wife, Victoria; daughter, Joanna Rae; step-son, Noel Frazer; Maria Lukinac; and four children, Riley, Kimble, and Sweetie.

Services will be held 11 a.m. TUESDAY at the Bokas Funeral Home Rose Hill Chapel, 3653 W. Market St., Fairlawn. Interment at Rose Hill Burial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4 to 8 p.m. TODAY.

Should friends desire, donations may be made to the Summit County Humane Society, 4904 Quick Rd., Peninsula, 44264 or to a charity of ones choice. Tributes to the life of Paul may be made at www.mem.com .

BJ 3: John Olesky, Bob Page, Hugh Downing
Photo taken before 80s temperature, switch to shorts

Triumpant triumvirate

Every Thursday since January, retired BJ printer Hugh Downing lined up tee times for the threesome of Hugh, former State Desk reporter Bob Page and former BJ editor John Olesky at one of the 49 golf courses in The Villages, Florida.

Today was the farewell outing for the BJ 3 because John is heading back to Tallmadge, Ohio, after his son and grandson visit; Hugh has family visiting; and Bob is busy with his church’s activities where he is associate pastor.

In a fitting farewell, the three combined for the best threesome total of the year.

Hugh, whose putter was smoking hot, shot a 36. I think that’s his best 2016 score with the BJ 3.

Bob shot a 37. So did John, despite four 3-putt greens.

This will have to do till next winter in the funnest housing development in America where 119,000 people make every day a playday.

Bob’s church putting golf carts into plans

The Villages, Florida church where former State Desk reporter Bob Page is an associate pastor knows how to appeal to its audience.

Golfing associate pastor Bob Page

In a housing development of 119,000 people in mostly unincorporated areas, there are 50,000 golf carts.

So the new building for the Live Oaks Community Church, which just had its groundbreaking, will set aside a special area to attend services in golf carts. It will take till summer 2017 to complete the new worship structure and an adjacent facility for seniors who need assistance.

Bob and Lee Solomon are associate pastors under senior pastor Chris Houlk.

Bob, retired BJ printer Hugh Downing and one-time State Desk assistant editor John Olesky meet for a round of golf every Thursday.

Bob came to Live Oaks in January 2013 after 20 years at the Evangelical Free Church in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Several years after Bob’s first wife, Linda, passed away, he married Vicky.

Bob was Evangelical’s district superintendent in Kansas and Nebraska for five years.

Kim Hone-McMahan's BJ farewell column

Kim Hone-McMahan, who retired April 5 after 35 years with the BJ, wrote a magnificent farewell column.

It doesn’t need any embellishment by me.

Columnist is proud to have worked with fine journalists

I retired Tuesday. Whoopee! Yahoo! Cool beans! … I’m nervous.

It’s understandable after 35 years in one profession to feel uneasy about hanging up my hat — especially a career that I loved so much. A job that allowed me to see the best, and of course the worst, in people.

It was a privilege, though regretfully so, to bring you stories about things like a riot at the Lucasville prison; Hurricane Katrina; serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and Thomas Dillon; domestic violence allegations against a police chief; and the turbulent tenure of former Akron School Superintendent Terry Grier.

But in the end, it is those who have done so much — and have been through so much — that inspired me the most. People like a woman who was sprayed with nitric acid by her former husband; a little girl whose spine was severed by her first adoptive family after arriving here from Russia; and dozens of families who have lost loved ones to heroin and narcotic painkillers.

They have taught me about compassion and perseverance at times when it would have been easy to believe there was no hope.

I was fortunate to report on the World Series in 1995. Remember those days when Cleveland came oh, so close? And I was thrilled to tell you about many of the extraordinary folks in our area who give of themselves to help others.

You lifted me up during my darkest hour following the sudden death of my 23-yearold daughter, Brooke, who died in her sleep during a seizure. For this and so many other reasons — thank you. It’s not enough, I know, but sometimes there are just no words grand enough.

Keep reading

It’s popular to beat up on the media these days. Journalists are often targets for those looking to blame someone for the ills of humanity. But that’s silly — and they don’t know the folks that bring you the news like I do.

Newspapers across the nation have suffered because of the popularity of the Internet. As a result, there are fewer working newspaper journalists to bring you the news. Frankly, there is not enough money in the coffers to replace my column, though your stories will continue to be told as only your daily paper can tell them.

While there are countless websites touting the news, most are not mainstream news organizations. Their reports are often biased, made up, or simply wrong. So, while newspapers continue to cut back and reporters pick up jobs doing something other than what they were trained to do, it’s open season for folks like some politicians and others who need to be watched. Watchdog journalism is getting less and less affordable — and, ultimately, that is very bad for all of us.

What I can tell you — and please keep in mind that I am no longer employed by the Beacon Journal — is the journalists there are among the most talented in the United States. All you have to do is pick up a newspaper while you are traveling and that will become quickly apparent.

While other organizations profess to be your best source of news locally, no other organization can tell you what is happening in your neighborhood better. Even with cuts in the newsroom, the paper has more reporters than any local radio or television station.

That, folks, is the reason to continue to support the Beacon Journal. It is with great pride that I have been permitted to work for an organization with such fine journalists. Saying that, please visit my Facebook page (Kim Hone-McMahan).

There, I will share stories written by my talented former colleagues and will continue to encourage you to engage in lively discussions.

Again, thank you for the privilege of coming into your homes. It has been an honor.

 

Patrick Carney tosses first pitch in Indians opener

Patrick Carney tosses baseball to Sandy Alomar

Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney tossed out the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday in the Cleveland Indians' 2016 opening game. He missed the strike zone, but the baseball reached Sandy Alomar's glove on a 34-degree day.

This was the second time Carney has attended the Tribe's home opener. He took his father, Jim, in 2014.

Carney said his father – retired BJ reporter Jim Carney -- is "obsessed with baseball" and is ever the optimist.

"I feel good about it," Carney said. "As my dad says, this is the year. Every year."

Carney said he played youth baseball for four years before he turned to music at the age of 13. His team won a title.

In 1997, a teenage Carney accompanied his father to the World Series between the Indians and Florida Marlins at Jacobs Field.

"When they lost that series, my dad was so upset," Carney said. "I was 17 and I was like, 'You know what? I don't know if I really want to invest.' My dad was 50 and bummed out. By the time I was 30, I started coming around, getting back into baseball."

 

Kim Hone-McMahon with farewell card

For earlier story on Kim's retirement, click on http://bjretirees.blogspot.com/search?q=Kim+Hone-McMahan+retiring+from+BJ

Jewell’s brother passes away

Retired BJ columnist Jewell Cardwell’s brother, Joseph Cardwell, passed away Thursday, March 31.

Jewell’s BJ farewell came with the 2014 buyout binge, when Kim Hone-McMahan succeeded her. Kim retired from the BJ herself on Monday, April 4, 2016.

Jewell and I have a common thread: Her relatives once lived in the Sycamore Coal Company camp of Cinderella, West Virginia, which is adjacent to Williamson.

I met my late wife, Monnie Elizabeth Turkette Olesky, when Monnie was living in Cinderella. She was one of the Cinderella Girls (“We put our hair in curls,” part of that song goes).

Monnie passed away Feb. 4, 2004. In September of that year, Paula Stone Tucker returned to my life. She was away in California for more than two decades but had returned to Akron to be with her then-ailing parents, Paul and Jane Stone, who has since passed away.

I was assistant State Desk editor and Paula was one of my reporters who had the privilege of covering Medina and Wayne counties.

Joseph’s obituary:

Joseph H. Cardwell, Jr.

Joseph H. Cardwell Jr., 67, Airforce Chief Master Sgt., retired, transitioned from his earthly journey March 31, 2016 from Maison Aine/Arbors of Stow. He was the dear brother, of Jewell Cardwell.

He also is survived by a son, Joseph, with the U.S. Army; aunt, Marie Hairston of Akron; Frances Stone who was like a surrogate mother throughout his illness; his buddies in Tucson and other family and friends.

Visitation will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, followed by Words of Comfort at 11:30 a.m. at Stewart and Calhoun Funeral Home, 529 W. Thornton St., Akron, Ohio. In lieu of flowers , monetary donations should be made to Haven of Rest Ministries.

 

Published in Akron Beacon Journal on Apr. 5, 2016

Another Navajo code talker dies

Gilbert Horn Sr., among 300 Navajo code talkers the Japanese were never able to de-code during World War II, died Sunday at the age of 92 at Northern Montana Care Center in Havre, Montana. There are about 30 code talkers still alive, but Chester Nez, who died in 2014, was the last of the original 29 code talkers.

Gilbert Horn

Horn’s Indian name is "Shunk Ta Oba Kni," or "Returns With Prisoner Horse."

The code talkers used the Navajo words for birds and animals for each letter. The Japanese, who had broken American codes almost as fast as they were changed, never figured it out.

They devised a two-part code. The first part, a 26-letter phonetic alphabet, used Navajo names for 18 animals or birds, plus the words ice for I, nut for N, quiver for Q, Ute for U, victor for V, cross for X, yucca for Y and zinc for Z. The second part consisted of a 211-word English vocabulary and the Navajo equivalents.

Navajo code talkers served with all six Marine divisions in the Pacific and with Marine Raider and parachute units.

Horn spend decades serving the Fort Belknap Assiniboine Tribe as a judge and council member.

In May 2014, he was named the chief of the Fort Belknap Assiniboine Tribe, the first tribal chief in more than 125 years.

Horn is survived by 10 of his 11 children, 37 grandchildren, 71 great-grandchildren and 18 great-great-grandchildren.