When Radio Hosts Sound Stupid

It's been an interesting week and a half for Akron City Hall observers, especially those who apparently don't recognize the truth versus rumor even when it's right in front of their own faces. That includes folks who post what they heard versus what they know, and the people who talk about it.

I hesitated to even write this post. On one hand, it can legitimize a rumor without merit. On the other hand, maybe it can help put a lid on at least one story that deserves to be put to rest. It's one thing to go after public officials on the issues, quite another to continue to perpetuate rumors that have no basis in fact.

We haven't -- nor have other Akron-based news organizations with honest-to-God reporters -- even reported this. In fact, we've removed comments on our pages suggested the story since it is unattributed and as far as we can tell just plain false. But local talkers on WNIR, in particular the night-time host, have made reference to what you'll read below.

This is the case of the continuing rumor of a fist-fight involving one high-profile public official and reportedly a retired police officer.

As the unsubstantiated story goes, a disagreement on the evening of Thursday, September 21, 2010 outside a downtown steakhouse led to a trip to the parking lot where one side supposedly starting whalin' on the other. The unsubstantiated story (seeing a trend here?) then speculated that's why the public official didn't make any public appearances -- because he was nursing his injuries.

Nice, lurid tale and the kind of story scandal-lovers scoop up with a spoon. It's peppered the comments sections on the Akron Beacon Journal and our comment sections on AkronNewsNow. It made Howie Chizek's midday show, where he pretty much debunked it. Later Thursday night, late night host Tom Erickson acted as though he was "in the know" but refused to tell all that he knew.

Here's the problem with the unsubstantiated story: on the date is supposedly happened, the public official wasn't even in town. He was in Washington, D.C. attending a conference. In fact, here's a photo taken during a reception that period:

No shiner. No scrapes, no cuts, no abrasions. Looks like all the teeth are in place. In matter of fact, he looks pretty healthy and even happy. The photo was taken in a meeting room; I've cropped out the photo of another individual also in the shot, since they are not material to this story or the point I'm about to make.

At the time Don Plusquellic was supposedly involved in a fistfight he was 355.23 driving miles from downtown Akron to downtown Washington, D.C.

Even with a lead foot pounding the pedal, that's still a good six hours plus drive from one place to the other.

If he had booked a commercial flight from Reagan National Airport (DCA) into Akron-Canton Airport, it would have him in the air for one hour and ten minutes -- assuming he flew non-stop on U.S. Air.

Do your own search on here on CAK's site!

If he flew another airline he would have a one-stop through either Philadelphia (two hours and 52 minutes) or Orlando (eight hours and seven minutes) or Raleigh-Durham (five hours, 35 minutes) and that isn't taking into account going through the security and pre-board hour-plus at Washington and the drive from CAK to the steakhouse.

The reason the smiling face (seen above) didn't attend the Akron Roadrunner Marathon Mayor's Reception on that Thursday? Don Plusquellic was attending a U.S. Conference of Mayors event in Washington, D.C. He was listed in the USCM news release, which included details of more than 40 others mayors chatting up issues with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Don't believe it yet?
















That would be LaHood in the middle, the Mayor of Los Angeles to the left, and peering out over his reading glasses?

Both photos come, at my request, from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Bottom line: this entire rumor is just dumb. There's no police report of two old guys duking it out in the parking lot; even if the sluggers decided to keep it personal, the day it supposedly happened is a day one of the boxers was more than 350 miles away. Under direct questioning, the office of the one person clearly identified in the rumor say it absolutely didn't happen. The photo above speaks for itself; so did our reporters who spotted the Mayor at City Council and even earlier this week the Firefighters Memorial Service.

I've certainly had my own run-ins with the Mayor; that doesn't surprise anyone who knows either of us. My observations and line of questions have generally kept on track of particular issues, and most of his criticisms of me have been disagreement over my interpretation.

Sometimes those disagreements become heated. At no point did he ask me out to the parking lot. On one occasion, when he had reason to be particularly vexed with me, I actually offered him a ride from an event back to City Hall. He accepted and was gracious, or about as gracious as I figure he'd be with me behind the wheel. We've exchanged a harsh word or two but that really isn't unusual between two adults with strong opinion and personality. Frankly, I find the entire story of a fistfight hard to believe.

The "it happened" crowd is now pitching their version saying the dust-up didn't happen September 21 as first thought, it happened the following Monday. Except our reporters clearly remember seeing the Mayor, with no ill-effects. It's why I've advised those trying to sell me on the scoop to have the real Rocky-in-question give me a call to confirm.

Still waiting for that phone call.

The "in the know" radio talkers, the folks who post comments, the whisper campaigners who insinuate they know more should own up to what they know, whether it's credible, and put it to rest. If there was a rumble, let those come forth and talk about it. In the open.

Otherwise, can we get back to talking about the stuff that really matters?

Something New, Something Mobile

We're pretty excited here at the ol' Radio Ranch over recognition from our peers on the work we do both on-air and online, and excited over a new addition to our "platform" of bringing you Akron's news.

You've likely read on these pages already how the Ohio Associated Press Broadcasters earlier this month awarded the Rubber City Radio Group news team Outstanding Operation Awards both in the news and sports categories, also recognizing the great work individually from Best Reporter Lindsay McCoy and the continued excellent teamwork in covering Akron's political soap-opera in 2009 with the recall and a year the Mayor would likely prefer to forget.

The News and Sports Operation Awards are particularly gratifying, especially in continuing our drive to bring you the most up-to-date and balanced coverage. We've been honored over most of the past six years with these "team" awards, but we've also been blessed to have the individual accomplishments of Lindsay, Larry States (Best Anchor), Joe Jastrzemski (Best Sports Anchor), Tina Kaufmann (Best Reporter) and Pat Kennard (Best Anchor) recognized as well.

Just today, the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced the winners of the 2010 National Edward R. Murrow Awards, and for the third consecutive year AkronNewsNow has been honored as one of the nation's best websites for electronic journalism. Since rolling out ANN in 2007, we've been working hard to make our site easier to navigate, more topical and a source for your news and information you can count on for fair, original and fresh reporting using not only the audio tools our radio journalists are comfortable with but also video and interactive databases to help Akron citizens better understand what's going on in this local world around us.

This week, AkronNewsNow's Apple app for iPhone and iTouch was approved; you'll find it on iTunes under WAKRNews or AkronNewsNow, giving you greater access to listen and read the news on your Apple-powered mobile devices. We're working to extend the app experience to our radio stations, and even the live program and news streams so you can listen anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

The website is truly our greatest team effort, with the content team producing the stories and features you'll read, hear and see here everyday; Ryan Haidet is our web editor in the morning, Tina Kaufmann takes over at midday and Lindsay McCoy brings her considerable talents and video awareness to play so you won't have to depend on editorial decisions made 40 miles up north to determine if you'll get the value of video here at home. Our news team of Marcy Pappafava, Chris Keppler, Larry States, Christi Nichols, Mike Ward and Aaron Coleman complete the hands-on team who work so hard to get it right and get it to you when you need it.

But there are plenty of folks behind the curtain who also work very hard to make our community service to Akron award-winning; our web team of Bryan Siegfried, Andrew Seese and Lyndse Rae Faba put great effort and creative juice behind the look, feel and function of all our websites. None of this would work if it weren't for the folks who engineer how we get there in the first place: Michelle Thomasson, Dave MacKenzie and Al Hruska making up the IT and engineering effort.

Without the wonderful production team of Chuck Collins, James Smith, Chuck Matthews, Teri Jones, Art Greenberg and Terri Kapper -- as well as the sales staff of WAKR-WONE-WQMX -- we would not be able to bring to life Akron's three-time award winning news website. Contributors such as Scott Wynn, Sandra Miller and Sue Wilson also bring a perspective important to making what we do more than just the news.

All of this also comes with the considerable vision of Nick Anthony, our publisher and Senior VP and of course the continued strong support and forward-thinking of our owner and President, Thom Mandel. Their vision in asking "what's the right thing to do?" and keeping us on track and focused on the mission to the Akron market is critical in keeping the "Akron" in AkronNewsNow.

Akron is a community rich in heritage with a wide range of sometimes very passionate and colorful viewpoints. As one who's had the opportunity to work in a variety of cities and towns and the fortune to see how others approach our business, I can think of few places -- including that city to the north -- offering a greater opportunity to help make a difference.

We are in a market in many ways left to the devices of out-of-towners in determining the flow of information to our neighbors and fellow citizens. Cleveland-based television will always, by necessity, focus on Cleveland issues; our radio stations, WKSU and WNIR fully embrace the "local" part of our mission, but being critically honest most of what passes for local across the board on the dial comes at low cost, low investment and a performance marked more by talk than action. The business decision is understandable; the community service suffers when news and information is relegated to a line item. The troubles faced by newspapers as a whole create great challenges for the Akron Beacon Journal, a community institution that must prosper at the risk of Akron losing it's very identity as more than just another suburb of what regionalism proponents would prefer to think of as simply "northeast Ohio."

That's why this recognition means so much to us; we're local by design and desire and the choices you make in supporting organizations showing a clear commitment to your neighborhoods and hometown does make a difference in keeping those places alive and vibrant. Thanks for your support of what you hear, read and see on your local media -- including us!

Dogs, Cats, Daddy Talk Show Hosts & VISA

The week that keeps on giving. An update on a raid of an animal rescue operation, the reaction from a father and an update on why VISA isn't recognized everywhere.

Cats and dogs first -- more than 100 pulled from 51 Vesper Street in Akron, provoking some pretty harsh comments aimed at the leader of "Heaven Can Wait" and those seeing political payback lurking behind every nook and cranny.

You likely know the story by know, but if not here's the original report and the follow-up with HCW executive director Heather Nagel talking with WAKR's Ray Horner this morning. Both include audio interviews and the Nagel story has photos provided by the City of Akron on conditions inside the home. You can almost catch a whiff (or a gag) from the slideshow.

Right off the bat -- it's easy to condemn those trying to help so many animals. But those casting the first stone should take a breath, a deep breath, and consider just what it takes to mind so many of God's creatures the rest of us have kicked to the curb, or worse. It can't be easy in any scenario to take care of dozens and dozens of cats and dogs, keeping up with the mountains of food needed and what comes later.

I give Nagel and Heaven Can Wait high marks for trying to do the right thing, and following their hearts in helping the animals. I'd give them all the benefit of a doubt and trust their intentions in this endeavor were good, old-fashioned open hearted service.

But it appears the well-spring of caring was just flooded by the reality of so many animals in such a relatively limited space. A few years ago, my NewsNight Akron crony Jody Miller and I toured the Humane Society digs on Quick Road and got a reality check of the cards stacked against those who seek to help the forgotten animals of our community. They do a wonderful job under conditions most of us wouldn't tolerate for a minute much less the days, weeks and months put in by volunteers who lead with love rather than their sense of smell.

That said, the conditions on Vesper appear absolutely out of control. It's a shame the finger-pointing now even includes cries of political subterfuge and payback. Let's be real for a minute: it's a house with over a hundred dogs and cats. It ain't the Ritz, and common sense should suggest it wasn't fit for human or animal. Give Heaven Can Wait props for seeking to serve but let's hope they find a place better suited to pursue their passion.

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The back story on this is more than just the usual political positioning: I was on the receiving end of what I can charitably describe as a "flaming" call from Heather's father, WNIR-FM talk show host Tom Erickson. Needless to say threats of legal action were hurled, harsh words were tossed, and it was unpleasant -- exactly what I would expect from a father after his daughter's trip through the news.

I don't blame Tom for being upset over the coverage. What parent wouldn't be? What surprises me, frankly, is a "shoe on the other foot" syndrome we see and hear so often today. If it had been the child of another prominent figure -- let's say, for example, either Mayor Plusquellic, Warner Mendenhall, or a media figure such as Matt Patrick or the bevy of TV anchors in Cleveland -- don't you think that would be part of the conversation at the water cooler?

Wouldn't it be noted -- especially if proud Papa had included interviews with said child on his show?

I believe it was fair to make note of the family link because it was public, defined not by my definition of celebrity but Tom's decision to include Heather's activities on behalf of her animal rescue group as well as her politics. I must say Heather displayed more reason in her interview with Ray Horner than I heard over the phone Tuesday.

- - -

Finally, an update on my post regarding using your credit card to pay Summit County bills. What about VISA?

You can use Discover, American Express and MasterCard but leave the V-card at home. Jill Skapin of County Executive Russ Pry's office explains it isn't the county's call, but instead is an odd requirement from Visa that the government workers processing payments aren't allowed to swipe the credit card. It has to be done by the consumer, and since it would cost more money to install public card readers outside of security windows than it's worth you should leave the Visa card behind.

If we cannot swipe, we are left to gripe.

VISA -- everywhere you want to be except paying my county tax and service bills.

Priceless.