Boys & Girls Clubs “Day
for Kids” set for September 20
Date released: August 15, 2008
Join the Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter
County on September 20 at Zao Island, 1050
Horse Prairie Avenue, Valparaiso from 10:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to celebrate “Boys & Girls
Clubs Day for Kids,” a national annual
family event highlighting the value of
meaningful time spent between caring adults
and children.
The first 450 people can purchase a
discounted family fun activity ticket for
$3.00 per person compliments of the Tobacco
Education and Prevention Coalition for
Porter County. (After 450 tickets are
$6.50).
Each ticket is good for one round of
mini-golf, 20 arcade/ batting cage tokens,
and their choice of one additional
attraction, i.e. go-karts, bumper cars, or
the giant slide.
Day for Kids will be held rain or shine. Due
to the support of the Tobacco Education and
Prevention Coalition for Porter County, Day
for Kids will be a tobacco and smoke free
event.
All fun loving boys and girls, Club members
and non-members, and their families are
welcome to attend. Tickets are now on-sale
at your local Club or by calling 464-7282
extension 235.
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Mortgage
Professional Group, Inc. welcomes new loan
officers
Adding credit experts means more clients
will own homes, see lower interest rates
Date released: August 11, 2008
Mortgage Professional Group, Inc. has
recently welcomed two new loan officers to
their staff. Scott Swinford and Dianna
Nannenga, both experienced loan officers,
have joined the company and have hit the
ground running.
Nannenga, of Hobart, is a 15 year veteran in
the real estate profession and former
operations manager for Admiral Mortgage. She
is also the current owner of Fresh Start
Credit Repair. Her philosophy of helping
others led her to become an instructor of
Credit Repair and Investment Opportunities
at the career centers for both US Steel and
ArcellorMittel. "Due to recent market
conditions it just made sense to join a
larger company, Mortgage Professional Group.
They share the same values that I do when it
comes to customer care and service." said
Nannenga recently.
Swinford, a resident of Hebron and a
Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist,
joined the ranks at MPG. "As a CMPS, I do
more than just help someone buy a house. I
help them make what is probably the largest
financial decision of their lives and show
them how to use their mortgage as part of a
comprehensive financial plan that includes
college, retirement and other "life events"
such emergencies and their children's
weddings." said Swinford. He is also a
Senior Executive Consultant for US Consumer
Credit Restoration Association, a nationwide
membership based association that provides
attorney facilitated credit restoration as
one of its many benefits. "With an estimated
79% of credit reports containing errors and
the average credit score falling due to the
economy as well as illness and injury, it's
important to have a professional in your
corner." states Swinford.
Mortgage Professional Group is a privately
held corporation whose owners, Joseph
Wiszowaty and Paul Denesuk, have a combined
45 years experience in the mortgage
industry. Mortgage Professional Group now
had two CMPS Institute certified mortgage
planners, a designation help by less than 1%
of all loan officers in the US. In addition
to conventional loan products, they also
offer low interest rate Government products
by FHA, VA, USDA and a variety of other
programs to fit their client's specific
needs. For more information, you can contact
them at 219-548-9994 or visit them at 209
East US Highway 30, Suite 3 in Valparaiso.
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Joe Ubben Receives
Certification for Attribute Index Assessment
Date released: August 8, 2008
Joe Ubben, President of BreakAway
Performance Group, recently received
certification for an innovative business
assessment tool that provides information as
to how a person makes decisions:
intrinsically (personal), extrinsically
(practical), or systematically (analytical).
Ubben commented, “By understanding the way
in which we think, it becomes possible to
leverage that knowledge to make better
decisions, maximize strengths, minimize
weaknesses, and achieve greater success in
whatever we do.” Unlike other personality
assessments tools, the Attribute Index was
developed for business and is an excellent
hiring tool, team development tool, and
management tool.
The Attribute Index is the first assessment
tool of its kind because, unlike other
instruments, it has a direct relationship
with mathematics, and this is the secret
behind its ability to accurately measure the
core dimensions of how we think and make
decisions. Ubben continued, “The result is
an accurate ranking of personal attributes
describing individual potential for
workplace performance.”
BreakAway Performance Group is focused on
providing results-oriented development
processes for both individuals and
organizations. BreakAway Performance Group
is a member of the Success Trek Team, a
collaboration among like-minded business
coaches and development professionals.
For more information, contact: Joe Ubben,
219-508-8418, or
joe@breakawayperformance.net.
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Porter County Aging
& Community Services Adult day care
presentation
Date released: August 7, 2008
Porter County Aging & Community Services
will host a 60 minute presentation on “Adult
Day Care” by Barbara Kubiszak, Director of
Saint Agnes Adult Day Service Center, at the
Friendship Center (1005 Campbell Street,
Valparaiso) on Thursday, September 11 at
10:30 a.m. This program will explain what
adult day care is, who uses it, the
benefits, and the cost and funding for adult
day care.
There is no charge for this presentation and
it is open to the public. If interested,
please RSVP to Melissa Benefiel at Porter
County Aging & Community Services at (219)
263-8300.
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Doug Hadley takes on
Executive Coach role at Success Trek
Date released: August 6, 2008
Theresa Valade, CEO of Success Trek Inc. dba
The Growth Coach®, welcomes Doug Hadley as
her partner and Executive Coach. Hadley
brings 25 years of speaking experience to
the Success Trek team.
Hadley earned his coaching certification in
2005 from Coach Training Alliance and he
will be providing life and business coaching
to Success Trek clients. But he is most at
ease in front of an audience. With his years
of professional speaking experience, he has
the reputation to spur audiences to explore
their potential and expand their
possibilities. “I am so excited to have Doug
on board,” Valade said. “His speaking
ability is an important asset to the Success
Trek team.”
Doug feels being successful has little to do
with techniques, formulas or tactics. His
philosophy is centered on mindset and
beliefs. “Everyone wants answers. It’s more
about living the questions,” Hadley said.
“Coaching is all about asking the right
questions.”
Hadley earned a degree from Taylor
University and Master of Divinity from
Christian Theological Seminary in
Indianapolis. He currently serves as
president on the Board of Directors for
Healthy Communities in LaPorte County.
Success Trek team members are business
coaches who work with individuals and
companies to think differently on how to
realize their potential and redirect their
outcomes. They guide individuals and
companies down a trek to success in a more
comprehensive, energetic, fun and efficient
manner.
Beyond coaching and speaking services, the
Success Trek team provides many other
business tools that take people and
companies to a place where they can gain a
new perspective and make better decisions.
Some of these tools include Strategic and
Business Planning, Training, Education,
Human Resource services, Team Building,
Conflict Management, Virtual Assistance and
Time Management Strategies.
For more information, visit
www.success-trek.com or email
t.valade@success-trek.com. Success Trek
Inc. is located at 410 E. Lincolnway,
downtown Valparaiso.
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Livemercial to
hold Digital Cocktail Hour to Kick off
Alliance of Valparaiso-Based Digital
Companies
Date released: August 5, 2008
Livemercial invites the Valparaiso business
community to learn more about plans for an
alliance of digital companies in the
Valparaiso area, as well as its own recent
technology innovations and plans for the
Livemercial Technology Center, during a
Digital Cocktail Hour on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
The event will take place from 5-7 p.m. at
Livemercial’s corporate headquarters, 3001
Leonard Drive, Suite 301, Valparaiso, Ind.,
and will feature live music and
refreshments. In addition to providing tours
of the company’s newly renovated corporate
offices, Livemercial executives will be on
hand to discuss the company’s interest in
forming an alliance of digital companies and
its plans for the Technology Center, which
will be housed in the former Natural Ovens
bakery dome.
“We know first-hand the struggles start-up
and even established technology ventures
face. By bringing together like-minded
companies from across the Valparaiso region,
an alliance of digital companies will plant
the seeds for success and help grow our
community into a technology powerhouse,”
said Johnny Mathis, Jr., CEO, Livemercial.
“That is also why Livemercial intends to use
a portion of the Livemercial Technology
Center as an incubator to help other
companies achieve the growth that we have
enjoyed thanks to the support of the
Valparaiso community.”
The Digital Cocktail Hour is open to any
interested member of the Valparaiso business
community. To RSVP, email
events@livemercial.com or call (219)
477-3900 ext. 2320.
Founded in 2002, Livemercial pioneered and
is the largest provider of “instant on”
streaming video for email, pop-ups, banners
and direct response websites. The company
also leads the direct response industry in
single product sales and recently became the
first to offer secure mobile ordering
technology with the launch of its Txt2Buy
product, and specializes in the marketing of
direct response products online, as well as
in real estate seminar, branding,
pharmaceutical and political verticals.
Headquartered in Valparaiso, Ind., with an
office in West Palm Beach, Fla., Livemercial
(www.livemercial.com)
clientele includes Fortune 500 companies and
many of the top direct response firms in the
nation.
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Lakeshore Public
Television Seeks Volunteers for First Annual
Lakeshore Kids Immunization Fair
Date released: August 5, 2008
Lakeshore Public Television is seeking
volunteers to help prepare for the
first-ever Lakeshore Kids Immunization Fair,
to be held Saturday, August 16, 2008 from
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Home of the
Gary RailCats, U.S. Steel Yard.
The Lakeshore Kids Immunization Fair
committee is looking for 50 volunteers to
assist in distributing school bags,
registering attendees, handing out lunches
and monitoring activity lines from 12:30 to
4 p.m. Interested parties should contact
Melissa Meyer, by August 11, 2008 at
219-756-5656, extension 326 or mmeyer@lakeshoreptv.com.
Lakeshore Public Television is more than
just TV! We want our Lakeshore Kids strong
and healthy as they enter into a new school
year with busy routines and new demands.
Preschool through grade school children will
attend this activity-packed day. The kids
will receive free vaccinations, lunch and
school supplies (while supplies last).
The Lakeshore Kids Immunization Fair is
presented locally by the Lake County
Sheriff’s Department, Managed Health
Services, Methodist Hospitals, BP, The
Times, Strack & Van Til and Fair Oaks Farms,
with contributions from several other local
businesses and civic organizations. To learn
more about the Lakeshore Kids Immunization
Fair, visit us on the web at
www.LakeshorePTV.com, under Special
Events.
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CCA Names New Leader
Date released: July 30, 2008
Christian Community Action’s Board of
Directors has appointed RG Skadberg as the
new CCA Executive Director. He moves from
CCA Director of Resource Development, a
position he has held since December, 2006
and one which he will immediately be looking
to fill.
Board President, Tracy Ruiz, is pleased to
have the process completed with a leader who
will help set the new vision for CCA. “There
have been substantial changes at CCA this
past year. We have new program needs, new
personnel and an increase in the number of
people seeking help. RG has been working
with our staff and Board to develop the
vision to move the agency forward to serve
our community and those seeking assistance.”
“This is a wonderful organization and I am
honored to have the opportunity to work with
the team that is committed to the mission
and vision of CCA,” expressed Skadberg. “We
face new challenges – as do the individuals,
families and communities we serve – and we
are setting a new vision and role for CCA in
Porter County and The Region as a whole.
During the last several months, we have
developed a new brand, image and direction
for CCA. We have a great team, and we are
focusing upon exciting ways to serve our
clients and our stakeholders.”
Christian Community Action administers three
programs in Porter County. It began its
service with Greenwich House in 1964,
assisting chronically mentally ill women in
a group home setting, helping them to
develop the tools to live more
independently. Spring Valley has served the
homeless since 1990. Spring Valley provides
counseling and education as well as a safe
place to stay while building a foundation
for a better future. Emergency Assistance
provides short-term help for people who face
unforeseen financial difficulties.
RG and his family have lived in Valparaiso
since 1999. Prior to joining CCA, he was
employed at Purdue University’s West
Lafayette, North Central and Calumet
campuses. He and Ann have two children,
Allison and Lauren. He is a member of the
Valparaiso Club of Rotary International,
First Presbyterian Church and volunteers
with WVLP and the Popcorn Festival Advisory
Committee.
“All of our programs have new opportunities
to serve. We are committed to developing new
partnerships, new programs and redefining
our role in the community as well as
positively impacting our local economy.”
CCA will unveil a new corporate brand, logo
and vision on August 19. It is the result of
the input of our community, donors, Board
and staff. For more information about CCA,
including information about programs, how to
participate and job openings, visit
www.ccaportercounty.org.
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PATH to hold Crazy
Ei8hts Rally on 08-08-08
Date released: July 29, 2008
PATH (A Positive Approach to Teen Health)
announces the Crazy Ei8hts Rally to be held
on Friday, August 8th from 5:30 – 10:00pm at
the Portage YMCA located at 3100 Willowcreek
Road in Portage, Indiana. This event is FREE
of charge and open to teens 12-18. For more
information or to register your group visit
www.pathblazer.org or call 219 LIV TRUE
- 219.548.8783
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Groundbreaking for
the new Taltree Arboretum and Gardens Garden
Railway to be held on August 4, 2008
Date released: July 23, 2008
Groundbreaking for the new 2.5-acre Taltree
Arboretum and Gardens Garden Railway will
take place on August 4 at 2:30 PM at the new
garden’s site located in Union Township at
450 West County Road 100 North.
Construction of the Garden Railway’s depot
building will begin on August 4 and is
slated for completion by early summer of
2009. The completed garden and model
railway will be opened to the public in June
2010. Taltree Garden Railway Task Force
developed the overall concept design of the
project. Richard Hitz, Principal of Hitz
Design, Petoskey, MI, is the landscape
architect for the garden. Design
Organization of Valparaiso designed the
depot building, which will be built by
Dennis and Sons Builders, Valparaiso.
The Depot will be the front door to the
Garden-Scale Model Railway and will
orientate visitors to their experience in
the garden. Architecturally, the depot will
recall an early 20th century small town
railway station. On the main level, the
typically furnished Waiting Room will
welcome visitors with exhibits of Indiana
railway history, a ticket booth and gift
shop, in addition to restrooms and a small
food vending area. Visitors will move from
the depot and into the garden’s dramatic
panorama. The lower level of the depot
building will house the train shops, grounds
crew tool and break area, storage racks, and
storage space for the gift shop.
Horticulturally, the garden will be the
largest and most intensively developed of
the gardens at Taltree. Opportunities to
greatly increase the diversity of plants in
the Taltree collections will present
themselves because of the microclimates that
will be created by the hills, valleys, rocky
banks, and watercourses.
The railroad-related exhibition themes will
begin with the revolution in transportation
and the ways railroads changed America and
its people at breakneck speed while solving
the challenge of moving goods and people
across a vast territory. A Civil War exhibit
will show how the railroads played a major
role in the outcome of a war for the first
time in history. The railroads transformed
life in small town America by broadening the
lives of ordinary people across the country.
Exhibits will demonstrate the prosperous
urban hubs and the wealth and luxury that
surrounded the transportation network of a
growing economy. Working scenes will depict
how railroad companies consumed and
transported vast quantities of natural
resources, changed the natural environment
and created powerful national markets.
Visual narratives detailing the end of the
steam era and the beginning of the diesel
age will tell the story behind the
disappearance of most interurban lines in
America. A final exhibit portrays the
future of the railroad industry in the
American landscape.
Taltree’s Garden Railroad will be set within
an astonishing display garden representing
the unique diversity of plants in Taltree’s
collection. The garden scale (1:24) model
trains will pass through an intricate
landscape of prairies, mountains,
battlefields, cities, small towns, work
camps and more. The exhibits, stories, and
activities will bring American railroading
history and culture to life and visitors
will be able to wander through the garden’s
walkways to enjoy this beautiful and
engaging outdoor experience.
The goal of the Taltree Garden Railroad
exhibitions is to integrate trains,
vignettes, gardens and activities into an
engaging, aesthetic and well-paced
experience that also delivers a meaningful
story about railroad history in America,
particularly in Indiana.
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Weather Safety
Presentation
Date released: July 24, 2008
Porter County Aging & Community Services
will host a presentation on “Weather Safety”
by Phil Griffith, the Porter County
Emergency Management Director, at the
Friendship Center (1005 Campbell Street,
Valparaiso) on Tuesday, August 12 at 10
a.m. This program will discuss information
about thunderstorms, lightening, tornadoes
and how to stay safe during inclement
weather. Two All Hazards Alert Radios and
more will be given away.
There is no charge for this presentation and
it is open to the public. If interested,
please RSVP to Melissa Benefiel at Porter
County Aging & Community Services at (219)
263-8300.
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Lakeshore Public
Television to Host Free Public Education
Session on Digital TV
Date released: July 21, 2008
On Thursday, August 7, Lakeshore Public
Television will host an education session
entitled “Digital TV & You.” The session
will be held at 6 p.m. at the Lakeshore
Public Television studios, 8625 Indiana
Place, Merrillville, IN 46410.
“Digital TV & You” will focus on the
complete transition to digital, perhaps the
most significant change that will happen in
television since color TV replaced black and
white sets. Topics for discussion will
include: understanding the new technology,
how to apply for the TV Converter Box Coupon
Program (and if you need one) and Lakeshore
PTV’s upcoming multicast expansion.
Attendees will leave this session with an
understanding of the transition that will
take place in February 2009. Handouts and a
TV Converter Box voucher for easy ordering
of the box are included.
This event is free and open to the public.
Space is limited. Please register by
contacting Kathleen Szot at (219) 756-5656,
Ext. 360, no later than August 4, 2008.
Lakeshore PTV can be viewed over the air and
on satellite through DirecTV and Dish
Network on Channel 56, on cable on channel
17 in most Northwest Indiana communities,
and on 17 and 21 in Chicago and its suburbs.
For more information, or for a complete
channel listing, please contact Lakeshore
PTV at (219) 756-5656 or visit
www.LakeshorePTV.com.
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Creekside
Classic Skills Contest and Outing Winners
Date released: July 17, 2008
Thirty junior golfers age 12 and under
participated in the Creekside Classic Skills
competition, to benefit the Valpo Parks
Foundation on July 17. They played at
Creekside Golf Course and Training Center in
Valparaiso. Juniors competed in six skill
areas and the winners were:
Eight and Under: Long drive – Brett Jetmund;
Chip – Reed Smith; Pitch – Reed Smith;
Sand – Brett Jetmund; Putt – Kyle
Nightingale; Three Hole – Brett Jetmund
Nine and Ten Year Olds: Long drive – Gage
Barton; Chip – Jack McQuestion; Pitch – Tim
Cahillane; Sand – Gage Barton; Putt – Eric
Lewis; Three Hole – Mitchell Davis
Eleven and Twelve Year Olds: Long drive –
Tyler Peddle; Chip – Mike Gallinatti; Pitch
– Chase Galipeau; Sand – Chase Galipeau;
Putt – Anthony Stout; Three Hole – Chase
Galipeau
The afternoon 12 hole scramble, which
consists of two adults and two juniors in
each foursome, was won by junior golfers
Michael Gariup and Andrew Gariup, along with
Ed Pishkur and Liz Beckham with a winning
score of 40. The second place win went to
Jacob Scarborough and dad Jim Scarborough,
along with Mitchell Davis and dad Paul Davis
– they also placed second in the 2007
Creekside Classic. Their score was a 41.
Junior golfers Brianna Konrad and Jacob
Moore who were paired with adult players
Jerry Rodenbarger and Andrew Rodenbarger
took third place honors with a score of 42.
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Get Ready for School
with Lakeshore Public Television’s First
Annual Lakeshore Kids Immunization Fair
Date released: July 16, 2008
Lakeshore Public Television is proud to
announce the first annual Lakeshore Kids
Immunization Fair – a new back to school
event for Northwest Indiana offering free
vaccinations, entertainment and health
education. With the help of many local
organizations, Lakeshore Public Television
will produce this fun-filled day on
Saturday, August 16th, 2008 from 10:00 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m. at the Home of the Gary
RailCats, U.S. Steel Yard.
As your trusted resource for local news,
weather, sports and public affairs,
Lakeshore Public Television is committed to
Northwest Indiana, but we are more than just
TV! We want our Lakeshore Kids strong and
healthy as they enter into a new school year
with busy routines and new demands.
Preschool through grade school children and
their families are encouraged attend this
activity-packed day. The kids will receive
free immunizations, free lunch,
fingerprinting, school supplies and more
(while supplies last). Fair attendees will
have the opportunity to meet and greet PBS
favorites Curious George and Clifford the
Big Red Dog. Event entertainment includes
performances by the cast of Star Plaza’s
Regional Theatre Production of High School
Musical, Jesse White Tumbling Team, Draco
Academy of Martial Arts and Beach Front
Dance School.
The Lakeshore Kids Immunization Fair is
presented locally by the Lake County
Sheriff’s Department, MHS (Managed Health
Services), Methodist Hospitals, BP, The
Times, Strack & Van Til and Fair Oaks Farms,
with contributions from several other local
businesses and civic organizations.
To learn more about the Lakeshore Kids
Immunization Fair, visit us on the web at
www.LakeshorePTV.com, under Special Events.
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Hodges & Davis, PC
offers free seminar on estate planning and
probate
Date released: July 9, 2008
Hodges & Davic, PC, Attorneys at Law, invite
the public to a free seminar entitled
“Essentials of Estate Planning & Probate” on
July 17 at 2:00 p.m. at the Greater
Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, located at
162 W. Lincolnway. Presenters will be Bonnie
C. Coleman and Benjamin T. Ballou.
Reservations can be sent to
bccoleman@hodgesdavis.com or call (800)
641-8702.
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The Growth Coach® CEO
tackles FBI role
Date released: July 8, 2008
Theresa Valade, CEO of The Growth Coach®,
recently got a glimpse of life behind the
badge by participating in the FBI Citizens’
Academy. She joined other area leaders at
the six-week course where she saw first-hand
how the agency works.
“This experience has allowed me to
understand the goals and objectives of the
FBI,” Valade said.
As a participant, Valade learned about the
FBI’s structure and operations, forensics,
technology, training, and policies and
issues, such as ethics, drug enforcement and
criminal trends.
The portion of the academy that left the
biggest impression on Valade was the
firearms simulation training where she took
part in a simulated hostage situation. She
was exposed to the uncertainty of a
dangerous situation and how agents have to
make quick decisions.
“The simulation really helped me to identify
what our police experience when they
encounter life-and-death situations,” Valade
said. “Our law enforcement members have to
make many decisions in the moment in order
to ensure their safety and the safety of
others around them.”
The Growth Coach® works with businesses to
increase profitability and productivity
while helping individuals realize potential
and redirect outcomes. The Strategic
Mindset® process creates synergy and
direction for departments and teams within
an organization to reach a common goal. It
also helps the individual to create an
action plan by focusing on specific issues
and helping them overcome personal
limitations.
The company offers corporate and individual
coaching as well as complimentary business
and individual assessments. The Growth
Coach® is committed to creating a path of
success for your professional and personal
life.
For more information, visit
www.success-trek.com or email
t.valade@success-trek.com.
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Task Force Tips, Inc.
Expands its Corporate Headquarters in
Valparaiso, IN
Date released: July 8, 2008
Task Force Tips will break ground July 10 on
a building expansion project that will
significantly increase its existing space,
adding 98,000 square feet of manufacturing
space and 20,000 square feet of office space
to the Midwest firefighting equipment
manufacturer’s existing 50,000 square feet
Industrial Drive location.
“The main reason for this expansion is to
consolidate TFT operations into one
location,” said TFT CEO Stewart McMillan.
“This decision has been two years in the
making. We originally bought the 25 acres
at our Industrial Drive location with the
idea that we might some day expand. Well,
that day has come.”
Larson-Danielson Construction Company, Inc,
based in LaPorte, Indiana, will bring the
blueprints to life. By its 2009 completion,
the expansion will have created some 170
additional construction related jobs
locally, and bolstered Indiana’s economy by
more than $7 million.
“Considering our current economy, some
people have questioned if this is the right
time to build,” explained Martin Sonnenberg,
TFT Chief Financial Officer. “For us, the
question has never been whether or not we
were going to build – rather, how much are
we going to build and when are we going to
do it?”
Building at the lower end of an economic
recovery cycle is conducive to getting the
most for one’s dollar in construction,
materials, and labor, he continued.
“Historically, even in bad times,
communities still need firefighting
equipment,” Sonnenberg explained. “It’s not
a luxury item. It’s a necessity. We’re not
expecting to see a dramatic downturn.”
The additional space will allow TFT to bring
in house some critical processes that in the
past have been outsourced, McMillan
explained. “Outsourcing, while seemingly
the rage for most businesses, adds time to
the delivery cycle and that is time that we
want to save.”
Few who drive up to the front doors of TFT’s
new building will think of cutting edge
manufacturing. Rather, visitors will
probably be reminded of yesterday’s America
as they take in the two story red-bricked
firehouse façade, complete with 10 foot
double station doors, handcrafted masonry,
regional white limestone, and an ornamental
crest.
The façade will be bordered on its right and
left sides by simple and sleek manufacturing
and production centers, designed to
compliment and frame the traditional
entryway. The outdoor theme of old and the
new will continue as guests step through the
building’s front doors into TFT’s very own
museum and showplace.
“Just like Greenfield Village (in Dearborn,
Michigan) celebrates the life and times of
Henry Ford, our museum is going to celebrate
the history of TFT,” said Rod Carringer,
vice president of TFT marketing and sales.
“What you’ll see when you walk in probably
depends on what day you’ve come and what
friends have sent us for display. I do know
there’s going to be an amazing collection of
firefighter’s patches. Each one of those has
a story to tell. And that’s just one of
many, many items that’ll be in there.”
The receptionist’s desk, located opposite
the entrance, will actually be the front end
of a fire truck (complete with lights and
siren). The giant red fire boots, mint
condition firefighter’s pinball game,
regulation fire pole, and vintage fire truck
are among a few of the items that will
hopefully keep guests talking long after
their visit.
Aside from the regular stream of locals and
firefighting friends, staff members know
that the state-of-the-art training
facilities and spacious meeting rooms to the
right and left of the museum will attract
even more guests – especially considering
that one third of TFT’s business is
international and growing.
This is a far cry from TFT’s beginnings some
three decades ago as a business run by the
McMillan family out of the basement of their
Hobart, Indiana home. The late Clyde
McMillan, founder of Task Force Tips, used a
red felt tipped pen to sketch out the design
for the world’s first automatic nozzle on a
white paper napkin. The new design allowed
the nozzle to automatically open or close to
maintain the same pressure, much like a
person putting his or her thumb on the end
of a garden hose to produce a steady
stream. Until that time, firefighters had
to rely on the ability of the pump operator
to maintain a steady nozzle stream.
Clyde’s automatic did not take the firefighting world by storm
until its membership saw or heard that a
sole engineer/volunteer firefighter had
solved what all had come to believe was an
unsolvable problem. Since then, the
automatic has become an industry standard,
and TFT has grown to produce hundreds of
products designed to meet most every
firefighting water delivery need.
To date, TFT has received 37 patents and has
2 pending. Its first computerized machinery,
installed in 1980, opened the door to an
operation that welcomes computerization when
it allows workers to more efficiently
produce a better product.
The golden shovels used at the event were
initially used to break ground at TFT’s
first 6,000 square foot Cascade Road
facility in April of 1976 (later expanded to
9,000 square foot). The shovels next
appeared in 1985 to make way for the new
37,000 square foot East Evans Avenue plant,
then again in 1993 to add an additional
18,000 square feet to that location.
“We feel fortunate that TFT is seeing growth
that is far and away more than our
competitors,” Sonnenberg said. “To continue
that growth, we had to expand. We’re just
glad that business is allowing us to do it
at a time when our expansion can help
members in our community.”
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Lakeshore Public
Television announces Immunization Fair
Date released: July 7, 2008
Lakeshore Public Television is proud to
announce The Lakeshore Kids Immunization
Fair – a new back to school event for
Northwest Indiana! The first annual
Lakeshore Kids Immunization Fair will be a
day of food, free vaccinations,
entertainment and health education. With
the help of many local organizations,
Lakeshore Public Television will produce
this fun-filled day on Saturday, August
16th, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at
the home of the Gary Railcats, U.S. Steel
Yard.
As your trusted resource for local news,
weather, sports and public affairs,
Lakeshore Public Television is committed to
Northwest Indiana; but we are more than just
TV! We want our Lakeshore Kids strong and
healthy as they enter into a new school year
with busy routines and new demands.
Preschool through grade school children and
their families are encouraged attend this
activity-packed day. The kids will receive
free immunizations, free lunch,
fingerprinting, school supplies and more.
For more information, contact Kathleen Szot
at (219) 756-5656.
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