The Times wins huge honor

The TIMES of Northwest Indiana deserves congratulations after winning  Lee Enterprises Inc. prestigious company "Enterprise of the Year" award announced last Friday.

You may think this is not a big deal, but it is. Take it from a former insider of The TIMES. This honor is coveted by every publisher and staff of all of the company's 50+ media companies around the country.

Now I'd like to take some credit, but I can't. I retired from The TIMES last year. But I am still proud to have spent 13 or 14 years at The Times.

Publisher Bill Masterson came to The TIMES from Rapid City, SD four or five years ago where he was also publisher. He deserves much -- if not most -- of the credit, even though he will give it to his staff.

Granted I'm deciding what he's likely to say before he says it. I have that right because I'm the one with the keyboard.

But he would be correct. While he built his team, he is the leader so all employees of The TIMES -- with Bill at the helm -- deserve to celebrate this great accomplishment.

So my hat is off to Bill and all those at The Times. Bravo!

Election is over, time to reconnect

Wow, the election is over and the people have spoken. No -- they shouted, which in my mind is different than speaking.

Be that as it may, while I don't agree with some of the outcomes, others were dead on. For example, it was time for a major change at the Porter County (Indiana) commissioner level. 

It was a huge accomplishment that Nancy Adams defeated Bob Harper. While I thought Nancy would make a good showing -- and county commissioner -- I actually thought Harper was unbeatable. Hats off to her and her campaign staff, led by my friend Deb Butterfield.

It was great to see Dave Lain get re-elected as sheriff; Chuck Conover as well.

But now that all the hoopla and voting is done, my hope is to reconnect with a couple of folks I hold in high regard -- Deb Butterfield in Valparaiso being one of them, and Reba Kennedy in San Antonio, Texas. 

Deb of course has been busy for what seems like an eternity with the Adams campaign, and now her appointment to the Valparaiso City Council.

And my friend Reba, an attorney/writer in San Antonio also has been "out of pocket" -- as she likes to say -- for too long involved in a campaign down there.

I miss them both, although I saw Deb election day and we promised to get our little group together soon.

Candidly I haven't been very accessible myself, although it has nothing to do with the election. It seems everywhere I turn family and friends are getting caught up in some type of drama, some good, some bad -- mostly bad.

On the good side I'm going to be a grandfather again soon -- Nov. 17, if not earlier. Aubrey Addison will be born to my son Tony, and his wife Lindsey here in Valparaiso.

I won't go into the dark side.

And there are other friends who I haven't seen, or heard from. Those have nothing to do with the election.

Jim Fitzer,  NIPSCO's Porter County  rep, retired last fall. For a while I saw him fairly often. An avid fly fisherman I guess he's busy traveling to wherever the fish are biting. He did stop by my office a month or so ago to say hi. Not a word since.

If anyone sees, or hears from him, please tell me. Otherwise, he'll remain on the missing list.

Mark Maassel, Mike Bucko, Bill Alexa, are others. I know they're around. I guess maybe I need to get off my *** and do some reaching out. 

My outreach has pretty much been limited to the Liar's Club Boys Breakfast at Mike's Premiere Grill on Saturday mornings. That meeting is a blast every week. 

Why is it called "The Liar's Club?"  Renata Pniak, wife of member Artur Pniak gave it that name. The membership list might be a clue. Cicco, McNulty, Frataccia, Rose ....

Anyway, qualifications to join "The Liar's Club" you ask? None. Just show up.

BTW Renata and Art are undoubtedly the best Physical Therapists in Valpo, Northwest Indiana and probably all of Chicagoland, at least in my experience. And I have had a lot of PT.