WAYNE PRESTON, BJ'S REQUISITION MAN, PASSES AWAY

 

Wayne Preston, the go-to-guy if you needed supplies at the BJ, passed away Thursday, February 24.

Thanks to Advertising retiree Mike Williams, Johnny Grimm’s right-man (Mike called himself Grimms Reaper), who dumped a truckload of tower topics articles and photos on me.

Wayne and wife Betty toured central Europe with Glen McCaulley and wife Joan for two weeks. Betty was born and grew up in Germany and they visited relatives in Germany every 3 years or so.

They rented a VW stationwagon and drove through Germany, Austria and northern Italy (where my mother and grandparents were born) and stayed at Bed & Breakfasts.

Wayne and Betty’s son, Eric Preston, is a Bowling Green graduate in computer science and a DJ on the campus FM radio station WBGU with an eye toward software systems analysis career.

Wayne was the BJ Requisition Man, including the time he had to get a rush order to print the spanking new Channels that I gave birth to with Jim Nolan, the man who never used a vowel in his memos, riding herd on me.

Wayne also had a hand in BJ’s mezzanine construction, which was between the first and second floors at 44 E. Exchange Street.

His title was Purchasing Manager but he reminded me of a movie character I can’t place at the moment who found anything his ship commander wanted.

The BJ almost lost Wayne and Mike Williams, Ron Clark, Don Baker and Bob Lewis permanently when their raft tossed them into the Gauley River, the meanest, toughest, roughest whitewater east of the Mississippi River, which is in West Virginia.

On another trip, Ken Wright wound up upside-down in The Gauley. As everyone who has experienced it, including me, knows, when you are underwater and can’t see anything you don’t know which way is up or down so you don’t know which way to swim. I damn near downed at Coal Hole, a fishing spot near Monongah, West Virginia, which I did a backflip and wound up UNDER a ledge. Not knowing, of course, which way was out from under the ledge or deeper into it. Obviously I guessed right because I’m still alive, but it’s one scary moment.

It cured Ken Wright, who sat alongside me for years while we coordinated computer problems for Composing and the Newsroom. He never went whitewater rafting again.

Probably had recurring nightmares of almost drowning while being tossed around under water like a rag doll till the day Ken passed away.

Wayne’s obituary:

 

Wayne Edward Preston

Wayne Edward Preston passed away on February 24th, 2022. He was 88.

He was born and grew up in Akron, Ohio and later served 20 plus years in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of Technical Sergeant before his retirement in 1970 while stationed at Plattsburgh AF Base in upstate NY. Prior to that, he was stationed at US AF Bases in Turkey and Germany while also doing a tour of duty in South Vietnam.

He met his future wife, Elisabeth Trautner (1926 - 2009), while stationed at Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany. They were married in 1953 and raised four children: Bruce (1954 1968), Bernadette (Cleveland), Roger (Massachusetts, wife Sara, one son), and Eric (Cleveland, wife Marjorie, two children). After retiring from the Air Force in 1970, Wayne went to work at the Akron Beacon Journal as Purchasing Manager until his second retirement in 1995. He graduated from the University of Akron in 1979 with a degree in Industrial Management.

Funeral service will take place on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. at the Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel, 85 N. Miller Rd., Fairlawn, OH 44333. Friends may call from 11:30 a.m. until the time of service. Interment immediately following in Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery.

To Share a Memory, Leave a Condolence, or Light a Candle, please visit the Tribute Wall at www.billowfuneralhomes.com  (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)

BJ MAILROOM RETIREE TED KANTER PASSES AWAY AT AGE OF 90

 

BJ mailing room retiree Ted Kanter passed away Thursday, February 10. His wife, Jean Figel Kanter, passed away in 2011.

Ted retired from the BJ mailroom in 1989.

Jean was Goodyear executive secretary for 44 years when she retired in 1991. Jean and Ted were born in Akron and spent their entire lives in The Rubber City.

Theodore R. Kanter (Americanized version of his parents’ surname of Kantorowski) was among 773 names in the 1981 BJ employee directory (yes, I counted every name carefully).

The 1959 BJ mailroom list included Kanter, Theodore, 1625 Highvlew, PR-3-2537. You’ll notice they still were using letters at the beginning instead of the current all numbers for phone numbers.

Ted’s obituary:

Theodore A Kanter, 90, passed away Thursday, February 10, 2022. He was born on Monday, December 14, 1931 in Akron, Ohio to the late Stephen and Clara Kusiak Kantorowski.

 

Along with his parents, Ted was preceded in death by his wife and dancing partner, Jean Kanter.

 

His family wishes to express thanks to his visiting angel, Yolonda Ideen, for the special care given to Ted for the past 10 years.

 

You are invited to mooreffh.com to view Ted’s tribute wall and offer condolences and share memories.

 

Jean’s obituary:

GREEN -- Jean F. Kanter, 81, passed away May 27, 2011.

Jean was born June 14, 1929 in Akron to John and Mary Figel. She had worked as an executive secretary for Goodyear Tire and Rubber retiring in 1991 with 44 years service.

Jean was preceded in death by her brothers, Johnny and Pete; sisters, Stella and Ann.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Ted; brother, George Figel; and many nieces and nephews.

At Jean's request, private services and cremation has taken place.

BJ EDITOR MICHAEL SHEARER WEIGHS IN ON CURRENT SITUATION

 

 

Michael Shearer

I realize many of you fondly recall the ABJ’s glory days. Life in a virtual 2022 newsroom is much different as we seek to preserve local journalism and build a sustainable digital subscription base. I hope everyone will support that cause one way or another.

I was asked to review some of the recent comments here and to see if I could provide some clarifications.

·         We’ve added local reporters to the newsroom in the last 3 years and have reporters in key suburbs breaking important stories. Gannett is doing its best to preserve journalists by making other difficult decisions on print and production. We’ve refined beats and are investing more time in enterprise reporting for 2022.

·         We benefit from coverage from our sister sites in the ABJ’s traditional 5-county region since the 2018 GateHouse deal. It made the ABJ and other papers better overnight.

·         Since the Gannett merger, we’re also benefitting from a strong Statehouse bureau with six employees and a statewide digital team pushing our content on all platforms. And reporters from our 21 Ohio sites collaborate daily on a wide range of important content. We also benefit from OSU sports coverage. Gannett has more Ohio journalists than any company.

·         We decide what’s on page one. Remote page design is done where the employee lives and normally works well. It’s no different than reporters working from home during the pandemic.

·         The Tuesday 1A error resulted from our request to improve an accurate headline. Somehow “quits” became “quites.”

·         The change to 6-day print is inevitable. PD has been 4 days for years. Blade now 3. Youngstown essentially closed. We’re better off at 6.

·         Yes, delivery is challenging right now and customers are very frustrated. We can’t keep carriers and 20 percent of routes are down. Delivery managers are filling routes and try to get time off when they can.

·         Premium editions are a challenging concept for many of us but they produce revenue essential to our mission.

·         Yes, the letter was hard to follow. All I can say is we do not currently plan to publish two premium editions each month. Customers may opt out of premium charges, although they will likely still receive the insert.

·         Premiums have appeared periodically for years and have included Browns preview magazines, puzzle books, and special historical inserts which generally receive positive reviews. The next premium is on Black History Month on Feb. 20.

·         TV Guides cost money that can be better spent on local journalism.

·         Yes, we’re now printed in Detroit due to the closure of the Wooster printing plan Jan. 31. They also print Columbus and others. This does mean earlier deadlines, but our primary focus is digital.

·         Digital-only subscriptions are on sale now. www.beaconjournal.com/subscribe.

Thanks for reading this and supporting local journalism. Your successors take their roles and duties of moving the ABJ forward seriously every day.

It may look different, but the fundamentals of journalism are unchanged.

 

Shearer, an Ohio journalist for more than 30 years, is editor and market leader for the Akron Beacon Journal/BeaconJournal.com and regional editor for 11 other northern Ohio newsrooms in the USA TODAY Network.

 

FORMER NATIONAL LAMPOON EDITOR PJ O'ROURKE PASSES AWAY

 

Former National Lampoon editor Patrick BJ O’Rourke passed away at the age of 74.

He authored 30 books including his two #1 New York Times Bestsellers, “Parliament of Whores” and “Give War a Chance.”

O'Rourke was co-host with Peter Sagal, on the National Public Radio game show, “Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!”

O'Rourke was a regular correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator and The Weekly Standard and columnist at The Daily Beast.

The Toledo Ohio native graduated from Miami University in 1969 and earned an M.A. in English at Johns Hopkins University a year later.

He joined the National Lampoon in 1973 advanced to editor-in-chief.

Among his books is “Holidays in Hell,” which contains his articles as a freelance foreign correspondent.

O'Rourke is survived by his wife Tina, daughters Elizabeth and Olivia and son Clifford.

FRANK FELBER PASSES AWAY 5 MONTHS AFTER WIFE ANITA DIED

 

Frank Felber, who transitioned from printer (1957-1972) to Data Processing (1973-1999) as a computer programmer, passed away Saturday, February 5.

He was the widower of North High graduate Anita Felber, who passed away in 2021 after 60 years of marriage. They were married in 1961.

During his BJ printer days Frank was elected to the executive committee of the Akron Typographical Local 182 in 1961.

His son, Vince Felber, also deceased, got in hot water with the Akron Police Department, where he was a detective, for the “Perfect Beauty” book he authored on the Cindy George case that published after the case was closed. One of Cindy’s lovers killed another of her lovers.

FOP Lodge 7 President Paul Hlynsky, who appealed Vince’s suspension, called him "one of the best detectives in the bureau" and said the action violated Vince’s First Amendment rights.

Felber's book, "Perfect Beauty" details his investigation of the Cindy George, Jeff Zack and John Zaffino love triangle firsthand.

Frank’s obituary:

Francis "Frank" E. Felber, age 85, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2022. Frank was born in Akron, Ohio on January 1, 1937. He grew up with his sister and five brothers in the Firestone Park area of Akron and graduated from Garfield High School in 1954.

Frank's main passion was following sports, mainly the Browns, Indians, Buckeyes and the  Fighting Irish. He enjoyed socializing with his friends, many of them whom he knew over decades.

Although he didn't attend college, he taught himself while working as a printer at the Beacon Journal to become a computer programmer and continued working there until he retired.

He is survived by his daughters, Dina, and Teri (Dave) Kozy; grandchildren, David Kozy and Rachel (Mike) Murawski.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Anita, and his son, Vince.

Although he struggled with dementia in his later years, his loving family's fond memories will never fade.

Cremation has already taken place. There will be no calling hours. Private interment will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery.

Anita’s obituary:

Anita Felber, age 81, passed away peacefully on September 23rd, 2021.

Anita was born in Akron, Ohio on May 5, 1940. She spent much of her childhood in California but eventually returned to Akron and graduated from North High School.

Anita had many passions, one being a champion for the blind and those with disabilities fostered through caring for her beloved daughter Dina, departed sister Lisa  and her work at the Akron Blind Center.

Her greatest passion was spending time with her family. Whether gardening, cooking, or having spirited debates, she enjoyed it most when she did it with family.

Anita was known for her candor and sense of humor. She was an incredibly loving person which could be seen through her devotion to honesty and fairness.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Frank; her daughters Dina, and Teri (Dave) Kozy; grandchildren David Kozy and Rachel (Mike) Murawski.

She was preceded in death by her son, Vince.

Cremation has already taken place. There will be no calling hours. Private interment will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery.

TAKE ON MICHAEL HOLLEY AND YOU ARE BEGGING TO BE JINXED

 

Bengals lost, 23-20, in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Did Akron native and Pittsburgh Point Park University graduate (think Three Rivers) Michael Holley jinx them? He seems to do that for people who take him on.

The 51-year-old former BJ reporter enraged Bengals fans by pooh-poohing their record, even took at poke at the airport being across the Ohio River in Kentucky.

It’s named Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport now but was Greater Cincinnati Airport when the wooden terminal went up in 1946 after the federal government handed out $2 million to Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Kentucky to build four fields in 1944 as part of the World War II defense effort.

Cincinnati Municipal Airport’s Lunken Field existed before 1944 IN Cincinnati but it was too close to the Ohio River and potential flooding for federal officials so Kentucky authorities intercepted the ball and got the $2 million to the airport 16 miles from Cincinnati but only 4 miles from the Ohio River.

Did federal authorities think that river only flooded north and not south?

But maybe Michael did the math. The Bengals were 5-14 in playoffs and NEVER won the NFL title, even with the legendary Paul Brown, who started up the team after King Arthur (as BJ sports columnist called him) Modell canned one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.

And 10-7 this season, which is barely keeping your head above .500 waters.

The lead on an article I read about the Holley dustup has this lede:

Holley’s co-host on NBC TV’s “Brother From Another” sports talk show, Michael Smith,  showed up with receipts (and a cigar) after the Bengals pull off the upset to advance to the Super Bowl and all Michael Holley can do is eat crow.

Michael Holley did a pre-Super Bowl show for NBC.

Holley and controversy are unstrange bedfellows.

Michael’s book, “War Room,” which he wrote after shadowing New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff and Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli for a year, for example.

Regarding the Chiefs playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens, some readers interpreted what Michael wrote as intimated that GM Scott Pioli got involved in the playcalling decision or told head coach Todd Haley that offensive coordinator Charley Weis, not Haley, has to call the plays. 

Michael went on the radio to be interviewed and said “it was flat-out fabrication. I never said Pioli told Haley to make Weis call the plays.

Weis called the plays, Michael said, because while working under Belichick he developed a great reputation as a playcaller that brought the Pats THREE Super Bowl titles!

But in May 2011 Weis was booted by the Chiefs and became new University of Florida head coach Will Muschamp’s playcaller.

Musschamp lasted four years with the Gators, going 7-6, 11-2, 4-8 and 6-5.

Weis got head coaching job at Kansas, bottom-feeder in the Big 12 forever (Jayhawks are a power in basketball; football is a boring pastime for Kansas fans), in 2012. After one year at Florida.

He went 1-11, 3-9, par for the course in Kansas football, and was fired 4 games into the 2014 season even though he ended Kansas’ Big 12 conference losing streak at 27 games by beating my alma mater, West Virginia, in November 2013.

Michael-Michael (co-hosts Holley and Smith) rowed the controversy boat ashore, maybe to the tune of the African-American slaves referring to Michael the Archangel trying to escape Union Navy during the Civil War on St. Helena Island in South Carolina after being abandoned by their plantation owners.

But the two Michaels didn’t create the controversy. They just interviewed former Bengals QB Carson Palmer who took cheap whacks of his paddles at Bengals QB Joe Burrows and his Bengals.

Palmer said Burrows would be waving goodbye to the Bengals soon because Burrows doesn’t think the Bengals give him a long-term chance at a Super Bowl ring.

Burrows would have had his Super Bowl ring Sunday but the game ran 85 seconds too long and Rams QB Matthew Stafford’s 1-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp turned a 20-16 Cincinnati lead into a heart-wrenching 23-20 loss.

Maybe Michael-Michael should get Burrows on their TV show and ask him patient he’ll be with Bengals management. After all, Paul Brown is only a legend up in the Heaven Hall of Fame.

And eight months ago sportswriter Grayson Freestone who covers the Atlanta Falcons ripped into Michael Holley for saying Julio Jones is “terrible.” And that there’s friction between Arthur Blank and Jones and that Julio thinks Matt Ryan has lost a little “zing” on the ball.

Freestone called Holley’s comments “awkward and laughable” and “it almost looks like he is making it up on the spot.”

Last September Julio Jones was traded to the Tennessee Titans after 10 years with the Falcons.

Michael is no one to mess with. He was part of the crew that won the BJ another Pulitzer with his contributin to “A Question of Color” in 1994.

His book, “Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion” made the New York Times best-seller list. 

And his reported net worth of $4 million didn’t happen by accident.

Surely by now most intelligent people in the NFL would know that it’s not wise to risk the Holley-gram Jinx by taking on Michael.

Or he’ll row their boat offshore and sink it!

CHUCK'S KLUSTERFUN LIFE CONTINUES WITH "THE NINETIES" BOOK

 Former BJ pop culture critic Chuck Klosterman (1998-2002), was interviewed by the New York Times about his book, “The Nineties.”

Minnesota native and University of North Dakota graduate Charles John Closterman, who will hit 50 on June 5, grew up on a farm near Wyndmere, North Dakota.

 

He came to the BJ after beginning his newspaper career in Fargo, North Dakota.  Like another former BJ pop culture critic, David Bianculli, Chuck left 44 E. Exchange Street for New York City.

That led to senior writer at Spin magazine,  Esquire, GQ, New York Times Magazine (as ethicist, whatever the hell that is), The Believer, The Washington Post and guest professor for literature in Germany at the University of Leipzig's Institute for American Studies in Leipzig.

 

His other books include “Killing the Dinosaur,” "Downtown Owl," "Chuck Klosterman IV," "Killing Yourself to Live," "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs,"  “Fargo Rock City,” “The Visible Man” and “But What If We’re Wrong?: Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past.”

Chuck played himself on a 2007 "E:60" episode on ESPN, in 2007's "Britney: Off the Rails," a 2006 episode of "Amazon Fishbowl With Bill Maher," in the 2005 "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" and the 2004 "Spinal Tap Goes to 20."

He was executive producer for the 2009 movie, "Killing Yourself to Live," based  on Chuck's book.

 

Paula Stone Tucker, former BJ State Desk reporter who got her assignments from me and rescued me for 17 years after My Mona Lisa wife for 48 years passed away in 2004, tipped me off about Klosterman in 2010 while Paula was in New York City taking in Broadway shows and visiting her son, Patrick Tucker, who plays a mean saxophone when he’s not at his day job making sure the paperwork for major corporation mergers isn’t screwed up.

 

Seems Chuck was in Brooklyn helping friend Jason Hartley promote Hartley's book, "The Advanced Genius Theory."

 

Authoring books is as natural as breathing for those who have worked at the BJ (in alphabetical order so I don’t slight anyone):

Chuck Ayers
John Backderf
David Bianculli
Lary Bloom
Regina Brett
Mark Dawidziak
Phil Dietrich
Bob Dyer
Hal Fry
David Giffels
Glenn Guzzo
Jim Jackson
Chuck Klosterman
Andrea Louie
Steve Love
Dick McBane
David L. Morgan Jr.
Russ Musarra
Jack Patterson
Melanie Payne
Terry Pluto
Mark Price 

Donald Rosenberg
Roger Snell
Jane Snow
Paula Stone Tucker

Jabe Tartar
Phil Trexler
Thrity Umrigar
Stuart Warner
Michael Weinreb
B.J. Widick
Brian Windhorst
Abe Zaidan

 

Hell, you could open a library with nothing but literary works by people who once earned a living at 44 E. Exchange Street. 

And if Klosterman, Pluto and Dawidziak decided to do a 3-man book tour and brought samples of all their literary works with them, they would need a moving van -- nah, a 16-wheeler semi -- to contain all the books.