Third Coast Surf - Sept 29

Much calmer day wind wise and waves were of the five foot variety.

Surfin Safari: Day One

Crazy sort of day with waves forecasted above 10 feet and winds blowing over 35 knots. Sadly the waves were sloppy and a lot of surfers went to Michigan. I didn't follow, i stayed in Michigan City and met up with some kite-boarders took some pictures of my favorite lighthouse. Tuesday should be a better day.....














And no trip to Michigan City is complete without a trip to Shoreline Brewery.

Hog Wrestling at the Porter County Fair

I love the county fairs.
No seriously.

Somewhere between the rather odd combination of food vendors( "Hot Wisconsin Cheese!", Dippin Dots and deep-fried vegetables all within 10 feet of one another, Sweet!), 4-H kids running amok during the day and events like Demolition Derby and Hog Wrestling at night.


Hog Wrestling brought 4-H'rs, farm boys, city slickers and former County Fair Pageant Queen Moms into a pit of 8-10 inch deep water with one goal in mind: Get the hog on the tire.

I left covered in mud, but because of proper precautions, my gear escaped with minimal mud.
However, I think my old Converse will never quite recover.

















Thanks for looking

Gary Air Show

Another Summer

Another Gary Air Show

The air show was a bit smaller this year in planes and in crowd-size

No big acts, but the normal stable of acts like the US Army Golden Knights, the Lima Lima Air Aerobatic Squad and F-16 and F-18 Demonstration teams were there.

I was lucky to have time to go up with the US Army Golden Knights for their jump Saturday morning. The ceiling was low so they made their main jump from about 6,500 feet, not the 12,000 they hoped. It was a interesting experience to go from 85 degrees at the ground to around 50 degrees at 6,500 feet up. On average you lose 3-4 degrees for every thousand feet up.

Crowds wait for the US Army Golden Knights to make their appearance during the 10th Annual Gary Air Show at Marquette Park Saturday in Gary.

US Army Golden Knight SSG Brandon Valle jumps out of the C-31 aircraft during a demonstration at the 10th Annual Gary Air Show at Marquette Park Saturday in Gary.

Bill Stein flies over Gary in formation with the US Army Golden Knights before the start of the Knights demonstration during the 10th Annual Gary Air Show at Marquette Park Saturday in Gary. Stein would circle the first Golden Knight to jump in his Edge 540 plane.

The Lima Lima flight team performs an aerial maneuver during the 10th annual Gary Air Show Sunday afternoon at Marquette Park in Gary.

Adam Witt,14, watches the planes fly by buried in the sand while his brother Mitchell, 8, tries to dig a hole for himself during the 10th annual Gary Air Show Sunday afternoon at Marquette Park in Gary.

A member of the US Army Golden Knights parachute team circles over the crowd before landing on the beach during the 10th annual Gary Air Show Sunday afternoon at Marquette Park in Gary.

Just another day flying over Gary.....

the long strange holiday weekend

A roller coaster is a wonderful thing.  The anxiety of the lift hill and the thrill of the drops and various gravitational forces.  Up-and-down we go on the tracks until we reach the station.  

However, the roller coaster, in our case, is only a over-simplified metaphor for a complex series of events that occur over one holiday weekend. Ask any photojournalist about the roller coaster of emotions and energy that certain days or weeks can bring us and they will tell you that there is a certain thrill to the experience as we work through the difficult times and the good times. After the twists, dips and curves of the events, there is no feeling better then pulling back into the station, wherever and whenever we find ourselves.

July 3

The first assignment was sent out earlier in the week before my days off leading to the holiday.  Staring at me was the funeral for slain toddler Jada Justice.  I've been working her abduction/murder story since it broke in June and I was saddened but not surprised to find out of her unfortunate death.  

For those not up to speed on the Jada Justice story - go here to read Jon Seidel's encompassing story on it that appeared in the Post-Tribune on June 27. 

Carrying the coffin of Jada Justice, Lamont Joyce, left, of Michigan City, and Michael Valdez of East Chicago, bother uncles of Justice lead the crowd from the memorial to the grave site during the funeral for Justice Friday afternoon at the Heritage Cemetery in Portage. About 300 people showed up to the funeral Justice whose body was recovered June 25 after being reported missing June 16.  

Clarence Justice, father of Jada Justice, prays over the lowered coffin of Jada's after the funeral for Jada Justice Friday afternoon at the Heritage Cemetery in Portage. About 300 people showed up to the funeral Justice whose body was recovered June 25 after being reported missing June 16.  

It's a hard thing to document funerals in general and especially tough for a child.  It's important to keep a level of professionalism but you would be stupid to not have it effect your psyche at some level.  I made peace with this horrendous incident and story before getting to the funeral. I knew what I was walking into and was prepared physically and mentally for the experience, but 18 months ago, I'm unsure how I would have reacted. 

As people drop flowers onto Jada Justice's lowered coffin, mother Melissa Swiontek comforts her son Julian Justice, 5, during the funeral for two-year-old Jada Justice Friday afternoon at the Heritage Cemetery in Portage. About 300 people showed up to the funeral Justice whose body was recovered June 25 after being reported missing June 16.  

One of the oddest things about this job is the 180 degree turns we have to make as we work through our day.  I filed the pictures of Jada's funeral and drove hastily to Hobart for the Pet Parade. 

Mekenzie Keilman, 4, hugs her Yorkie named "Bella" during the Hobart Kiwanis Pet Parade at Festival Park Friday afternoon in Hobart. About 30 dogs competed in categories like biggest or smallest dog and best trick.

It hit me while taking pictures of happy kids and their dogs at the lakefront park in the setting sun.  Why did a family bury their two-year-old and 10 miles and 2 hours later these parents watched as their two-year-olds played with the tails of their family mutt.  I much as i felt disconnected from the experience of Jada's burial, I also felt a certain disconnect from the happy families.  As I walked back to the car, all I could do is shake my head and mutter incoherent words about the things photojournalists see everyday. 

Finished the night with some minor league baseball which served as a nice mellow point.  

A cool breeze was coming off the lake as the air begun to get downright cool as the day faded away with my view of the field from the foul pole in right field. 

Gary RailCats catcher Anthony Esquer looks for the ball after trying to tag out Winnipeg's Josh Asanovich without it at the Steel Yard Friday night in Gary.  Winnipeg defeated Gary 10-1. 

July 4

A morning of chores and rest before two easy assignments.  A July 4th parade in Crown Point and an Naturalization Ceremony in Hammond.  Calm and happy events that were finished and filed before my deadline.  I sat in my chair in my living room as I waited for my shift to finally end at 10pm.  

Crown Point Community Foundation Inc. members roll shopping cart down Main Street to collect food during the Crown Point July 4 Parade Saturday in Crown Point. 

Kristie Tong, 20 months, stands before her mother Tran Nguyen of Hammond after Nguyen was sworn-in as a new U.S. citizen during the closing of the Naturalization Ceremony at the Harrison Park Bandshell Saturday afternoon in Hammond. 51 people became new citizens of the United States of America on Independence Day. 

A little after 10 i was just getting up for a Goose Island 312 before leaving for a colleague's house to blow off fireworks when my phone rang. I don't remember much of the call from my asst. photo editor...

but what i do remember: bridge collapse, Hidden Lake Park, GO! 

I could see the disappointment in my wife's eyes as i left. No fireworks tonight. 

I sped off into the night as fog and lingering smoke from fireworks continued to build.

Parking outside the park, i saw a masses of humanity making their way out, some wrapped in white linen after getting out of the lake.  We run to the danger with only cameras and notepads while others get away. I mean we can''t hold to a candle to the cops and firefighters who run into it, but we still do what we can. 

Firefighters and police officers from Merrillville and Ross Township search the water after a pedestrian bridge collapsed into Hidden Lake after the fireworks show Saturday at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville. 

I watched a father go from total despair to total joy after losing and finding his daughter after the bridge collapsed. 

Great story detailing what happened from the Post. 

Michael Moses of Griffith squeezes his daughter Myia, 5, in joy after hearing his other daughter Brittney, 9, was found on the other shore after a pedestrian bridge collapsed into Hidden Lake after the fireworks show Saturday at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville. Moses was holding the hands of his daughters when the bridge collapsed and became separated from Brittney. 

Brittney Moses, 9, cries after being reunited with her father Michael Moses of Griffith and sister Myia, 5, and after being reunited with Brittney after a pedestrian bridge collapsed into Hidden Lake after the fireworks show Saturday at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville. Moses was holding the hands of his daughters when the bridge collapsed and became separated from Brittney. 

Michael Moses of Griffith holds onto his daughters Myia, 5, left, and Brittney, 9, after being reunited with Brittney after a pedestrian bridge collapsed into Hidden Lake after the fireworks show Saturday at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville. Moses was holding the hands of his daughters when the bridge collapsed and became separated from Brittney. 

Firefighter Kelly Jania from Merrillville and Ross Township walks across the partially submerged bridge after completing a search for people after a pedestrian bridge collapsed into Hidden Lake after the fireworks show Saturday at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville. 

July 5

I didn't get to bed until well after 3am and was up at 845 the next day to shoot a few assignments and continue to followup on the bridge story.  

The collapsed pedestrian bridge remains in the water Sunday, July 5, 2009, after it collapsed Saturday night after a fireworks show at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville, Ind.  Over 20 people were taken to area hospitals for injuries sustained during the accident.

Merrillville Police officer Stephen Claussen takes a picture of what little remains of a ground anchor that broke Saturday night when the  pedestrian bridge collapsed into Hidden Lake during an investigation into the collapse Sunday, July 5, 2009, at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville, Ind. 

This really was just a long, strange and emotional weekend......

I'm glad it's over, but I'm staring down a whole new weekend with a whole new set of issues.  Michael Jackson and the Gary Air Show are up next.

Welcome Home

A total of 166 people from 36 countries came together at Radisson Star Plaza in Merrillville on Friday for one common goal: to officially become an American. As relatives waved American flags, rocked babies or captured the moment on camera, residents from throughout Northwest Indiana took the oath of allegiance administered by Stephen R. Ludwig, clerk of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Indiana.



A new U.S. citizen hold a book as others hold small American flags during a Naturalization Ceremony held by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Friday morning at the Radisson Star Plaza in Merillville.

Nothing says welcome to being an American citizen like 20% off your meal in an "irish-style pub" and $1.75 Budweisers

and you get a car.....

Unlike Oprah, all Crown Point High School students did not win a car. One sophomore did though. When sophomore Holly Schoenbeck, 16, called her mom Friday afternoon to say she'd be late picking her up from work because she'd won a new car, Sheri Schoenbeck didn't believe her. "I thought she was joking," Sheri Schoenbeck said by phone, minutes after Holly's ticket was drawn from a pool of more than 10,000 in the Crown Point High School football stadium. Holly was the winner of the 2009 Chevy Cobalt in Crown Point High School's Ticket 2 Ride, an incentive program to get students involved.


Crown Point sophomore Holly Schoenbeck gets into her new 2009 Chevy Cobalt that she won in the "Ticket-2-Ride" program at Crown Point High School Friday afternoon in Crown Point. Schoenbeck had nine tickets out of the 10,223 tickets in the drawing.

Crown Point sophomore Holly Schoenbeck stands near her new 2009 Chevy Cobalt that she won in the "Ticket-2-Ride" program at Crown Point High School Friday afternoon in Crown Point

Crown Point sophomore Holly Schoenbeck calls her Mom after winning a new 2009 Chevy Cobalt that she won in the "Ticket-2-Ride" program at Crown Point High School Friday afternoon in Crown Point. Her mom did not believe her at first until a school administrator spoke with her to confirm that Schoenbeck won the vehicle.

Students try to catch a t-shirt that was thrown into the crowd before the drawing for a 2009 Chevy Cobalt at Crown Point High School Friday afternoon in Crown Point.

Day at the Beach

Spent a gray and dreary morning cruising Route 12 for beach art. Coming from the east side of Gary, Route 12 brings you past some of the nicest beaches in Porter County while also bringing you past several steel plants......all within a few hundred feet of each other.


Tractor Operator Wayne McAtee drives a sand cleaner at at West Beach Thursday morning in Portage. The sand cleaner can clear West Beach of most of the debris in a little over an hour according to McAtee.

Ashley Furmankiewicz of Chesterton takes a picture of friend Caitlin Tetrev of Littleton, Colorado as she wanders into the cold water of Lake Michigan at the Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton. Tetrev was visiting Furmankiewicz after they finished their junior year together at Purdue.

Mohawks are still distracting?

From our article on the matter:
"Jennifer Costello is seeing red after her 13-year-old son's new hairdo -- a Mohawk with pink spikes -- landed him in alternative classes at school until he goes back to his true hair color.

Costello said her son, Vincen Velez, was given an in-school suspension on Wednesday, when he showed up at Thomas Edison Junior-Senior High School with a shaved head except for the top, which is dyed blond with pink tips. She believes the school is being discriminatory, saying there are other students with Mohawks and female students come with all different hair colors."

Vincen Velez, 13, uses gels to put up his pink and blond mohawk in his home Thursday in Lake Station. The mohawk was deemed distracting and Velez was given an in-school suspension at Edison Junior-Senior High School.

Notre Dame Commencement

Notre Dame invited Pres. Obama to speak and be honored at their 2009 commencement. His pro-choice view riled up some of the conservative alumni, students and locals and NDResponse.com set-up alternative commencement activities.

I covered this alternative portion of commencement for the Catholic News Service. Thankfully only one person detected my lutheran aura, but as I was told - I speak catholic pretty well.


Julie Mauro, center, and Joseph Lehner, both of Indianapolis, Indiana, pray the rosary during Eucharistic Adoration in Alumni Hall at the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana

Worshippers pack the chapel in Alumni Hall during Eucharistic Adoration at the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.

Sunday Mass participants pray during Sunday Mass on the South Quad of the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.

Rev. Kevin Russeau, C.S.C., director of Notre Dame’s Old College undergraduate seminary, blesses the holy sacraments during Sunday Mass on the South Quad of the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.

Richard Mahoney accepts the communion host during Sunday Mass on the South Quad of the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.


I (and a lot of media) shifted over to the Grotto where the "alternative commencement" occured. About 30 students participiated in the commencement by the Grotto.


Students who did not attend graduation talk before the start of the Class Of 2009 Vigil For Life in the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.

As Father Frank Pavone preaches the Scriptural Rosary, students who chose not to attend graduation, including Juris Doctorate John Bales holds his four-month-old son Jack during the Class Of 2009 Vigil For Life in the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.

Nine-month pregnant senior Morgan Caudle sits during the scriptural rosary while being comforted by her husband Joseph during the Class Of 2009 Vigil For Life in the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.

Media members document the closing prayer for the graduating students who chose not to attend graduation during the Class Of 2009 Vigil For Life in the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.

Graduating students who who chose not to attend their graduation toss their caps after "graduating" during the Class Of 2009 Vigil For Life in the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the University of Notre Dame Sunday, May 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana.




I did not have to go over to the gate where the Pro-Life activists were pushing bloody babies in the stroller. Only down side is that I missed them planning and then executing their mission to get arrested. However, while walking around the south quad, I found these little infants scattered on a lawn.




Thanks for looking.