Fort Wayne Observed

Convergence: FortWayne.com Revamps and Retools

FortWayne.com is the website and internet jumping off point readers of the News-Sentinel and the Journal Gazette. The Fort Wayne Newspapers, Inc. website has always marked a clear division of the two newspapers' products on its website.

Well, today marks the debut of a revamped, retooled and redesigned FortWayne.com.  The graphics are fresher, the site is clean, and ... it merges the news, sports and other contents of the two contributing dailies without making much of a distinction regarding the origin of the content. 

That is, the local news content could come from Bob Caylor or Ben Lanka and you wouldn't really be able to discern from the FortWayne.com front page which reporter worked for which newspaper. To be sure, the new FortWayne.com site lets you go to the websites of the respective dailies and the arrangement of those sites is much as it has been.

But it is clear, FortWayne.com is very different from its former look.  And the way in which the site aggregates contents of both newspapers means the Joint Operating Agreement venture of Fort Wayne Newspapers, Inc. is venturing pretty close to an electronic publication that marks a merger of the news product in a way that the JOA enabling legislation did not intend on the newsprint side.

We'll leave it to others to remark on the legal implications for the Joint Operating Agreement.  However, the new look might just set off speculation as to whether the new way content is being presented online might presage a telescoping of the two papers on the print side that would result in a single dead tree edition.

The new look is so fresh, that a reporter who had called the FWOb on another matter was quite surprised when we mentioned the site and he had a chance to pull it up on his own computer.

The FortWayne.com website states:

Welcome to the new and improved FortWayne.com! We're glad you're here. As you look around the site, you'll see we've revamped things from top to bottom -- including enhanced news coverage and many added user-friendly and interactive features. We've even changed our logo to better reflect the Three Rivers community where we live, work and play.

From local news to how to plan your weekend, the new site offers even more content and information than ever before.

[ ... ]

We hope you are as excited about our improvements and updates as we are to provide them just for you!

Valedictory: Tom Kromkowski, the 'Happy Warrior'

Former State Representative Tom Kromkowski of South Bend died last week at age 69 after having fought prostate cancer.  He served from 1980 to 2006 in the Indiana House of Representatives representing the west side of South Bend.

I was privileged to have served with during his first ten years in the House. It was a different time, then. There was much more of a time when legislators of different parties did not let policy differences on one issue get in the way of personal respect and friendliness. 

Tom Kromkowski was laid to rest yesterday in South Bend.

He struck as being like the description of Hubert H. Humphrey as "The Happy Warrior."

Doug Masson noted Tom Kromkowski's death on Masson's Blog last week.  I wrote this as a comment:

He took great pride in his service in the legislature. He served with good humor and the grace of laughter.
He could disagree and voice strong opinions but without losing sight of the individual good nature of those with whom he served. He expressed that by kidding, cajoling and quips that kept the process moving.
He worked hard and took his responsibilities seriously.

A journalist wrote after seeing my comment on Masson's Blog:

I always liked Tom; there was zero pretense to him, he always shot straight with me

And I replied back:

Tom had extremely strong Democratic and union loyalties.  But when he knew folks on the other side had the votes he didn't get angry he just knew the wheel would come around at some point on the issues that mattered to him.  Might take a couple years but he knew things were in cycles.

However,  when he was in the minority he knew that he wouldn't be shut out on other issues important to his district and constituents.  In fact, he had a way of playing on your sympathy that just because you had voted against his position on some issue that he could approach you on some transportation issue, for example, that had an impact on his district.  And then you would find him in support of something in your district that wouldn't normally draw the attention of a legislator from four counties away.

And when the cycle did turn, he honored the role reversal.

Others would have done well to have learned from his example.

Flag Tour of Whitley County

What does your community look like to those outside of it?

Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes can help you see things that perhaps you had missed or took for granted.  Sometimes, a visitor's view shows you the sense of place, the sense of meaning, that your community has to others.

That is the case with Columbia City and Whitley County.  The 3rd Annual Veterans Marathon will be held November 12th in Columbia City. The start and finish are right on Courthouse Square.

Recently, runners from the FlagDesk Company of Wilmette, Illinois, traveled to Whitley County to scope out the marathon course and record a video tour.  In the course of doing so, they demonstrate why this small community in Indiana - in the heart of the Midwest - is a very appropriate place to pay tribute to the service of American servicemen and women.

The runners from FlagDesk will be back on November 11th and 12th for the running of the race. They recorded this a few weeks ago unbeknownst to race organizers.  When Wes Alexander of FlagDesk emailed Race Director Gary Bird with a link to what they had done, Mr. Bird replied : "I guess after seeing I was speechless."

 

You Can Be One Against Prostate Cancer on October 2nd

The first annual 5K Great Prostate Cancer Challenge will take place on Sunday, October 2nd.  The race is in support of prostate cancer research, services to support prostate cancer patients and the efforts to promote early detection.

Northeast Indiana Urology has teamed with Project Zero to bring the challenge to Fort Wayne.

All funds raised through the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge will go to Project Zero to be used for research, free prostate cancer screenings and advocacy. Half of the proceeds from the Fort Wayne run/walk will remain in the community.

The 2011 Great Prostate Cancer Challenge 5K run/walk will begin at 8:30 a.m.just east of Portage Middle School at the Lindley Elementary parking lot entrance on Taylor. The entry fee is $20 through September 20 and $23 after September 20 and through race day October 2. The entry fee includes a timing chip, long-sleeve t-shirt and pancake breakfast following the race. Visit www.VeepRaces.com to learn more and to register as an individual or as a team.

Day of registration and the pancake breakfast will take place at Portage Middle School on Taylor Street just west of Ardmore.

Awards will be given to the top three prostate cancer survivors and to the top male and female finishers
in the following age groups: 19 & under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60 & over.

“Many of the cities taking part this year are much larger than Fort Wayne, so this is another feather
in our cap and a plus for area patients who are impacted by prostate cancer,” said Ted Wagner, MD,
Northeast Indiana Urology. “My practice deals largely with diagnosing and treating prostate cancer.
Although NEIU is very skilled in this area, we share the mission of Project Zero to reduce deaths from
prostate cancer to zero and this event helps us continue moving in that direction.”

NEIU sees this as a tremendous opportunity to build awareness regarding early screening and detection,
to provide support for those individuals who have been affected by this disease and to celebrate those
who have been successfully treated.

At the age of 48, Jon Colbert was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer which had metastasized to
the bones. He hopes his decision to serve as a spokesperson and participate in this year’s challenge will
serve as a wakeup call for others who may be able to avoid what he’s gone through battling this disease.

“Fort Wayne’s inclusion in this effort is significant because it shows how important we think it is to
educate people about this type of cancer,” said Colbert. “All it takes is a simple blood test and a quick
physical exam.”

One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Nationally, a man dies from
prostate cancer every 18 minutes. But there is hope; education about prostate cancer risk and access
to screenings can save countless lives. Supporters are being invited to join hundreds of others from the
area who have been impacted in one way or another by prostate cancer.

NEIU is an 11 physician urology group with 12 locations throughout northeastern Indiana and
northwestern Ohio. It excels in the area of prostate cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. NEIU
has the largest urology research program in the area and many of its clinical trials have focused on
medications and devices associated with prostate cancer. NEIU also holds quarterly free prostate cancer
screenings and supports the annual Blue Ball Open golf outing to raise money for prostate cancer.

The Southtown History as Told at Labelscar

Labelscar is a website that catalogues failed retail sites across America. One of the posts at Labelscar is today's FWOb recommended reading.

Last month, Ross Schendel,one of the authors of Labelscar, posted a story of Fort Wayne's Southtown Mall. Mr. Schendel brought some personal history to the task. He wrote:

My very first visit to Fort Wayne, Indiana yielded this mall in June 2001. Gas was just north of a dollar a gallon, and I was a teen with few cares in the world other than driving around and exploring new areas. I had never been to Fort Wayne despite the unlikely kinship that existed between the city and my hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin. Located about five hours apart, both cities were General Motors factory towns, and growing up I remember many families who set off to Fort Wayne in search of better jobs when the plant opened there in the '80's.  In the end, the ties between the two cities dissolved, as General Motors ceased production in my hometown, abandoning it, though the more modern Fort Wayne facility continues to operate.

Mr. Pranger illustrates his post with numerous photos he took that day in June, 2001.

By the way, for those who are wondering about the meaning of the title "Labelscar", the authors describe it this way:

If you’ve ever seen a store go out of business and remove the signage from their old building, then you’ve seen a labelscar. It’s more or less the equivalent of a watch tan – the mark left on a building where the elements didn’t take their toll on the facade. But it’s more than that, too. A labelscar is also a metaphor for the changing world of retailing in general, and a fitting title for this blog.

Photo credit: Ross Schendel (Prange Way) at Labelscar.

 

Philo Farnsworth Credited in Today's Wall Street Journal

Philo Farnsworth was acknowledged - and pictured - in today's edition of America's largest circulation newspaper.

The Wall Street Journal illustrated an article on significant changes in US Patent law with a photograph of Mr. Farnsworth. The photo carried this legend: "Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of the television, is seen focusing an early television prototype, circa 1934."  The photo is next to a sidebar listing three patent 'battles' over the invention of automobiles, FM radio, and television.

That the photo legend is also a frank credit illustrates that, since Mr. Farnsworth's death in April 1971, permanent, public acknowledgement of the credit for inventing television has only grown more secure.

Josh Jennings for Congress in the New York Television Festival

Fort Wayne native Nathan Gotsch will be in New York later this month for the screening of the Josh Jennings for Congress pilot at the New York Television Festival.

 Josh Jennings for Congress has been named an official selection of this year's New York Television Festival, a week-long event featuring industry panels, development meetings and screenings of independently-produced pilots.

The pilot will be screen at Tribeca Cinema in Manhattan on September 20 and September 21. Free tickets may be reserved online here. (There is $4.50 processing fee per block of four tickets.)

Mr. Gotsch created the pilot following the viral hit of Josh Jennings for Congress spoof campaign commercials in the 2006 election cycle.  The ads received mention on MSNBC's Tucker Carlson and 'Countdown' with Keith Olberman and was reviewed by Pat Buchanan on 'Scarborough Country.'

Three new ads were created for the 2010 cycle and are available through this FWOb post.

Mr. Gotsch is a graduate of Concordia High School and the University of Southern California film school. He is the founder of Fort Wayne Observed.

Tokheim for Sale at Estimated $700 million

Former Fort Wayne gasoline pump and equipment manufacturer Tokheim is still in business ... and its latest owners are reported to be shopping the now-Paris based company for sale.

Cognetas LLP of the United Kingdom bought the company from AXA Private Equity in 2005. AXA bought the company out of bankruptcy from Tokheim Corp. of Fort Wayne in 2003.

Bloomberg's Anne-Sylvaine Chassany reports from unnamed sources that the current owner may seek $700 million for the concern.