|
Procrastination
Summit Surgery Center Breaks Ground Development of the Summit Surgery Center (SSC) is underway following a groundbreaking ceremony on at the Inverness Center, located at Illinois and Hadley roads. The center is Foundation Surgery Affiliates' 21st surgical facility nationwide. According to SSC president Dr. Ramesh Bhat, "It is designed to be a convenient, patient-friendly facility that provides excellent quality in a cost-effective, affordable manner.This center will be the first free-standing, multi-specialty surgical center on the southwest side for Fort Wayne." The 13,000-square-foot facility will house two operating rooms and one procedure room. The center will support 15 surgeon partners performing various outpatient procedures in podiatry, pediatric gastroenterology, gynecology, fertility, colon and rectal, general surgery and pain management. The facility also will have ample room for future expansion of services, including medical imaging services. For more information, visit the web site at www.foundationsurgery.com. Sprint Opens New High Visibility Store The southwest Sprint Store has moved to a new high visibility location at 4832 Illinois Road in Illinois Pointe across from Preferred Auto. Steve Piekarski, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, whose territory extends from Chicago to New York and Buffalo down to Knoxville TN., tells the Aboite Independent, "We're very anxious and excited about the opening of the store here. We have long been in Fort Wayne. We have sought of late to get in a position for greater awareness. We think this store gives us much more visibility, and we think we're in a better position to service the customers as a result of that access." Sprint has partnered with Sanyo to take advantage of all the latest high-tech gadgetry including videophones. Click here for audio of Steve Piekarski. (:20, 47KB) According to Piekarski, "We have a promotion that you will see published over the course of the month. We have a very attractive Sanyo offering. Sanyo is one of the best-performing phones, in fact, acknowledged by J.D.Power as such, and it's really a new endeavor in terms of wireless handsets, in the fact that there's five designer colors and that's very unique." Piekarski says, "We're looking forward to a great Grand Opening of our Illinois Pointe store. Our offers are out there for the whole of the month, and I encourage people to stop by and take advantage. They won't find a more attractive offer in terms of product or price anywhere else in the market over the course of the next 30 days. The Manager of the Illinois Pointe Store is William Madden. Store hours are M-F 10am to 7pm, Sa 11am to 6pm, closed Sunday. Graduate Retention Program Gets Good Marks The Graduate Retention Program of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce will soon mark its first anniversary. According to Chamber President and CEO Phil Laux, "In my estimation we made great progress in less than a year. Given the fact that we account for about one-third of all the activity in the state. We've taken a different approach, which I think is paying dividends for us. We are making great strides given the fact that we have the financial support of many of our partners providing us with the amount of money to get this off the ground. We have a lot of diverse financial support, and are very lucky." Vice President of Workforce Development Mike Landram says after reviewing statewide statistics the need for the program was obvious, and it began under the auspices of the Chamber in July of last year. Click here for audio of Mike Landram. (:57, 125KB) Dan Howe, the Chamber's Program Manager for Graduate Retention says "The mission of the Graduate Retention Program is to attract and retain the best and the brightest college students to live and work in northeast Indiana. Our program creates or formalizes internship opportunities with employers throughout the region that focus on quality meaningful experiences. The program is unique because we are the only region in the state that has a group of people that markets internship programs directly to employers. To match the students in the internships we use a website called indianaintern.net. Of the new employers that have registered we account for one-third. Of new internships that are posted we account for one-third of those. And when it comes to new students registering on the site our region now accounts for 15-percent of the activity statewide. We have registered 525 new students. Our program representatives have met with 176 employers throughout the region to identify and help explore internship opportunities. For the past academic school year 144 internships have been posted by 71 employers in our region in a variety of fields including engineering, IT, computers, finance, insurance, non-profit, advance manufacturing, and others. These postings have resulted in 26 filled internship positions." According to Howe, "At this point a lot of students forecast themselves as not knowing where they're going to end up. The important thing to them is that they have the opportunity that they want to be able to do the type of work that they're looking for. The greatest percentage of college students are simply looking for opportunity. And that's what we can do with internships. We can create opportunities for the college student to get experience, get their foot in the door, and position themselves for a fulltime job offer." "The program will continue to work to create more opportunity in the region that leads our best and brightest college students to decide to live and work in northeast Indiana, and position our region for future economic growth." - Dan Howe Low Carb Zone Cuts Ribbon  The
ribbon has been cut at a new store near Jefferson Pointe that is
catering to customers who seek a healthy diet and lifestyle. Co-owners
Kim Stanley and Bethany Harrison opened Low Carb Zone, Inc. in Illinois
Plaza in January, as a single source for those pursuing a lower-carbohydrate
and reduced-sugar lifestyle. According to Harrison, the business
has seen “steady growth”. Kim Stanley tells the Aboite
Independent, “Being in close proximity to Jefferson Pointe
definitely gives us a traffic flow. We’re also not too far
from the 69 exit, so it’s the best of this area. Parking is
good; some other locations we looked at had parking issues, but
you can almost always find somewhere to park in this location.”
While the store is focused on healthy menus, customers will still
find lots of tasty ‘goodies’.
Low Carb Zone is an alternative to large discount superstores. Stanley says, “There you’ll have to go to 6,7,8 locations in the store to find what you’re looking for. They don’t have a very good selection, and the items that do taste good they’re generally out of. They also have a lot of items that don’t taste good. We have gone through our inventory, and when we find something like that we do not reorder it.” In addition she says, “You couldn’t go to any of those stores and ask them how does this taste or how to prepare this, whereas here we know all of our inventory, we’ve all tried it.” The staff offers customers hints and ideas as well as preparation tips, and there’s a recipe area where customers can contribute recipes, which the store makes available to everyone. Stanley says, “Our stock is also based on customer input, so we’re interested in what our customers like and what they don’t like. A lot of times they get used to a particular product in their diet, and stores will just stop carrying it because they’re only interested in volume. Whereas we’re interested in keeping our customers happy, so we’ll go out of our way to go out and find it and carry it for them.” Low Carb Zone is located at 4715 Illinois Road, Suite 116. Bethany Harrison says the easiest way to find the store is to use the Thomas Road entrance to Jefferson Pointe. The store is located close to the ‘Laser Wash’. You can also visit online at www.lowcarbzoneinc.com. Advantage Cartridge Cuts Ribbon On Expanded Operation  (Wednesday,
May 11, 2005) – Advantage Cartridge Sales & Recycling
has moved into a new and larger facility on the Fort Wayne west side.
Formerly at 6110 Bluffton Road, Advantage has relocated to a 28,000
square foot building at 3236 Illinois Road just off Jefferson and
Lindenwood. Owner Greg Eshelman tells the Aboite Independent,
the start of the business back in 1997 was “an act of God”.
He was on a trip to North Carolina tending to his Espresso business
where he saw a very successful recycling company being operated out
of a man’s home.Click here for audio of Greg Eschelman. (:27, 68 KB) Eshelman says, “I didn’t make a lot of money for about the first six years, I did it kind of for fun, but now the hard work has paid off, the volume has increased, and I’m starting to make money.”
According to Eshelman, “Everything is inspected, cleaned up and sent all around the world to be rebuilt and resold as a remanufactured product and kept out of landfills. All this stuff may not help us out, but it’s helping our children out someday, because it won’t be in the landfills”. The company provides shipping boxes, pays all postage, and even offers free pick up within an hour radius of Fort Wayne. You can learn more about Advantage and its programs by visiting www.advantagecartridge.com. Lutheran Air Celebrates Anniversary (Tuesday, May 10, 2005) – This week, Fort Wayne’s Lutheran Hospital celebrates the first anniversary of its helicopter service. CEO Tom Miller tells the Aboite Independent, “We’ve been very ecstatic over the helicopter service. Through the first 90 days this year we did 72 flights. You start annualizing that, we’re going to do close to 300 flights this year, which is well ahead of what we thought we would do.”
Click here for audio of Tom Miller. (:36, 84 KB) Miller says the helicopter team has a very demanding job. “It’s tough sometimes, flying around. Although it may sound good, for healthcare it’s tough. Taking care of those patients, and these are the sickest of the sick patients, is difficult in a helicopter.” Military Moms Honored (Friday, May 6, 2005) – This Mother’s Day the Fort Wayne Hilton Garden Inn is honoring moms with sons or daughters in the military, especially those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Hilton is offering a complimentary buffet this Sunday, May 8th, from 11am to 3pm. In addition, a free phone card is being provided to the moms so they can call military sons or daughters who have been away from home for a long time. Anyone who would like to make reservations should call the Hilton Garden Inn at (260) 435-1777. Continuing Coliseum Kudos (Wednesday, May 4, 2005) – The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum continues to be a major player when it comes to attracting events and selling tickets. POLLSTAR Magazine announced that the Coliseum is ranked 34th out of the top 50 Arena Venues Worldwide in 1st Quarter Ticket Sales. According to the publication, “All figures are for tickets sold WORLDWIDE as reported to POLLSTAR for shows played between 1/1/05 and 3/31/05”. The Memorial Coliseum’s ranking is above arena venues comparable in both building size and marketplace including Mark of the Quad Cities in Moline, IL (#37) but also ranked higher than arena venues that are larger in both building size and marketplace including Gund Arena in Cleveland, OH (#38), Rose Garden Arena in Portland, OR (#42), Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA (#44), MCI Center in Washington, DC (#48) and Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (not in top 50)! According to Coliseum Manager Randy Brown, “Now the World knows that Fort Wayne is a great place to do business. This recognition will help us to attract bigger events.” Not only does the Coliseum boost the local economy, it also helps a lot of local organizations. In 2004, the Coliseum contributed over $81,000 to various, local organizations through its Not-For-Profit Organization Payouts. 23 different not-for-profit organizations lent a helping hand at various Coliseum events while raising money for their individual groups. These organizations worked concession and novelty stands during various concerts, athletic events and family shows. Each organization member volunteered time and effort ultimately donating their earnings to their respective groups. The $81,000+ and 23 different organizations surpassed the 2003 totals of $60,000+ and 16 different organizations. Professional Federal Credit Union Cuts Ribbon
Click here for audio of Barbara Berghoff. (:26, 62 KB) Branch Manager Amy Beaman says, “We’re always looking for new sponsors. We have much more room and we’re going to be able to better service our members. We’ve added an ATM at this location, which is something the members were wanting at the old (Illinois Road) location, so that again helps. It’s much more convenient.” The new facility offers more than 3,200 square feet of office space, and contains many additional features such as a large lobby with children’s area, five teller stations, a conference room, a much larger parking lot with easy access, and a four-lane drive-up including the ATM.
You can easily get to the new office by turning west off Getz Road at the fire station, or by turning south on Magnavox Way from Illinois Road. Black Is Platinum
 Questionnaires
are sent to every client following the closing of the transaction,
and clients are asked to evaluate the agent on many different standards.
The questionnaire is sent directly to the client, bypassing the agent.
Results are not known to the agent until the rating is released by
QSC. For 2004, both buyers and sellers rated Rena Black a 5.0, which
is the highest possible rating.Rena Black is an employee of Real Estate By Referral/GMAC, located at 220 Insurance Drive, Suite E, in Fort Wayne. (260) 484-9191. Office Depot Remodels  (Monday,
April 4, 2005) – Office Depot at Covington Plaza has remodeled
to offer improved customer service in a smaller space. Store Manager
Sandy Mishler tells the Aboite Independent, “It’s more customer
friendly.”Click here for audio of Sandy Mishler. (:11, 30 KB) According to Mishler, “We actually lost 5000 square feet to our new neighbors next door [an upscale grocery] which we’re very happy to have on board, and we had a new prototype that Office Depot wanted to go with anyway, so it was a great opportunity to do it.”
Fort Wayne Physical Therapy Moves Into Coventry Office  (Thursday,
March 31, 2005) - Fort Wayne Physical Therapy has moved into the
offices of Fort Wayne Physical Medicine at 5750 Coventry Lane. Director
of Physical Therapy Jamey Gordon tells the Aboite Independent,
long time associate Dr. Mark Reecer’s office was established
here, and he now owns the building. “The space we had available
here was outstanding, and being as close as possible to him in that
part of the practice was ideal.” Gordon says, “We draw from
all over, but a lot of our additional services outside of physical
therapy will be geared mostly to residents of this area.”
According to Gordon, “We offer the full range of orthopedic physical therapy services in addition to the things that aren’t traditional physical therapy, such as the athletic enhancement and golf fitness. It’s from a medical perspective, so it’s not from personal training, it’s from a scientific, bio-mechanical and medical perspective.” The Fort Wayne Physical Therapy office is located in the lower level of the Fort Wayne Physical Medicine building at 5750 Coventry Lane, across the street from Scott’s and right next to Star Bank. You can learn more about the services by visiting www.fortwaynephysicaltherapy.com, or by phoning (260) 969-0396. Western-Southern Combines Fun With Child Safety  (Thursday,
March 24, 2005) - This Friday, for the first time, the Fort Wayne
office of Western-Southern Financial Group is participating in the
annual Easter egg hunt at Miller’s Merry Manor on east State.
Western-Southern specializes in helping families and businesses put
together financial plans, but tomorrow the focus will be on child
safety.Sales Manager Harmony Ake tells the Aboite Independent, “There’s going to be an Easter egg hunt where all the families can bring their children and hunt Easter eggs. We encourage all families to come, and as an added service Western-Southern is going to be providing fingerprinting and [State Police approved] identification kits for all the children.” According to Ake, “We’ll see kids from newborn to age 16. We’ll be taking their pictures, as well as their fingerprints or footprints depending on their age.”
The Easter egg hunt begins at 2pm. Miller’s Merry Manor is located at 5544 East State Boulevard. To learn more about Western-Southern Financial Group visit www.wslife.com, or phone (260) 432-8060. “This is the first year Western-Southern has been able to participate in this event. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re excited to go out there and fingerprint those kids and meet the community.” – Harmony Ake Whitley Manufacturing Award Winning Products (Tuesday, March 22, 2005) – Whitley Manufacturing continues to produce award-winning products. Most recently the company has received two first-place awards at the modular industry national trade show in Las Vegas in early March. The South Whitley-based company won top awards for a classroom complex of over 10,000 square feet, which was located in Southfield, Michigan, and for a health care facility of over 5,000 square feet, which was located in Connecticut. Modular construction is engineered to allow buildings to be either permanent or temporary. Buildings are frequently leased for a period of years and then disassembled, moved to another site and reassembled for a different use. Other Whitley buildings are permanently located such as the Yergens-Rogers Hall student housing facility located at Indiana Tech's East Washington Boulevard campus. Whitley Manufacturing has factories in South Whitley, Rochester, Indiana and near Seattle, Washington. Company headquarters are in South Whitley. The Modular building Institute based in Charlottesville, Virginia, manages the competition and welcomes entries from all across the country. Whitley consistently has won awards for excellence in innovation, design and construction at the modular industry national trade show. For more information about Whitley Manufacturing visit www.whitleyman.com. Coliseum Exceeds Expectations  (Friday,
March 19, 2005) – More good economic news for the area, sparked
by events at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. General Manager
Randy Brown says a new study of economic impact numbers from Custom
Research, a branch of ‘Tradeshow Week’, shows the Coliseum
to have exceeded its projected impact. According to Brown, “In
the past we had calculated our numbers in the range of in the high
40’s to about 50-million dollars per year, that clearly was significantly
low, and just for 2004 the revised economic impact numbers based on
1,326,733 guests for the year, the economic impact is just over $100-million.”
Brown says that means jobs for this community.Click here for audio of Randy Brown. (:26, 62 KB) According to Brown, “In excess of 40-percent of Coliseum attendees are from outside Allen County, and that’s pretty much for all events across the board, and it is clearly the just the variety of events taking place at the property that gives the benefit to the community.” The complete report is available at www.memorialcoliseum.com. “We’re very pleased, and I think this again states the benefit to the community of the Memorial Coliseum.” – Randy Brown Chamber Offers Networking Opportunity
(Monday,
February 14, 2005) - The third Thursday of every month, the
Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce offers an opportunity for
business people to network.
Formed in 1935, Three Rivers Federal Credit Union (www.3riversfcu.org) serves more than 68,000 members in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio. The credit union has over $400 million in assets and is among the largest credit unions in Indiana -- operating 19 branches and over 25 ATM locations. Anyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Wells or Whitley County is eligible for membership. Three Rivers Federal Credit Union was the first Indiana credit union to locate branches inside area grocery stores, when it simultaneously opened seven in April 1999. Currently there are ten full-service Three Rivers FCU branches located inside area Scott’s Food and Pharmacy Stores. All are open 7 days a week with extended evening hours during the week. Whitley Manufacturing Lands More Projects (Wednesday, February 9, 2005) - South Whitley-based Whitley Manufacturing, the firm that constructed Homestead High School’s new press box, has been awarded three additional modular school construction projects nationally. They comprise over 75-thousand square feet of space. A project for Rutgers University will result in two separate modular buildings, using a total of 34 modules. The buildings will be constructed in South Whitley, Indiana, and transported to the New Jersey Ivy League School for use as musical education classrooms. Construction of modules will begin in March, delivery will be made in May and the buildings will be finished in time for classes on August 1st. The finished modular structure will comprise over 24,000 square feet of space. Whitley has also been contracted by a private school in the Springfield, New Jersey area to build a two-story 20,000 square foot addition to their existing campus. This project also must be completed prior to start of the 2005/2006 school year. The third project is for a charter school in Detroit. Named to honor migrant labor leader Cesar Chavez, a combination of 28 modular units will provide a total of 30,000 square feet of classrooms and offices. The two-story building must be completed for the beginning of classes in mid-August 2005. Whitley, a member of the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, is headquartered in South Whitley, Indiana, with additional factories in Rochester, Indiana, and Seattle, Washington. The company manufactures custom modular commercial structures for education, business, religion and health care companies, among others. Whitley has been in continuous operation since 1946. Modular buildings are factory built, shipped in modules to their destination, assembled and finished on site. The construction technique is noted for shortening construction time by thirty to fifty percent. The three projects will create 30 to 40 additional manufacturing positions at the South Whitley and Rochester plants, as well as providing work for area sub-contractors. More information about Whitley is available at www.whitleyman.com. New Men’s Store At JP  (Tuesday,
February 8, 2005) - A new men’s store has just opened up
at Jefferson Pointe. Ben Geise, Store Manager at Jos. A. Bank tells
the Aboite Independent, “We are an upscale men’s
retailer. We sell sportswear, as well as men’s suits, sport coats,
dress pants, ties, everything for the well-appointed man.” Geise
concedes there are a number of men’s stores in the area, but
says, “We really feel like we have a niche in the market here
that isn’t being well served in Fort Wayne.”Click here for audio of Ben Geise. (1:44, 272 KB) Geise is pleased to be at Jefferson Pointe. He says, “We think Jefferson Pointe’s a fabulous mall and a fabulous area, and it’s just an outstanding opportunity to be part of a great growing area in Fort Wayne. We’re just thrilled to be here and actively involved in the community. And we just look forward to a long tenure here at this location in town.” For more information visit www.josbank.com. [In price]“We’re somewhere in between Wal-Mart and Neiman-Marcus.” - Ben Geise Brighton Collectibles  (Monday,
February 7, 2005) - Brighton Collectibles is in the midst of another
bracelet benefit sale. It was just a few weeks ago that the Jefferson
Pointe store made a contribution of $2750 to The Women’s Cancer
Center, and now Brighton Collectibles is selling bracelets to benefit
the American Heart Association. Store Managing Partner Michelle Hanselmann
tells the Aboite Independent, “We’re a company
owned by a husband and wife out of California; they’ve been in
business over 30 years. It’s relatively new to this area. We
don’t advertise, so word of mouth is how we get our name out
into the public. Anything we can do to let more people be aware of
our company is helpful for our business growth.” Hanselmann says,
“We’ve been [at Jefferson Pointe] almost three years, and
sell mostly accessories.”
Click
here for audio of Michelle Hanselmann.
(1:44, 272 KB)
Click here for audio of Travis Holdman. (1:44, 272 KB) The MarkleBank drive up is open 7am until 6pm; the lobby hours are 9am to 5pm, and Saturday hours are from 8:30 until noon. There’s also 24-hour ATM access. The new Fort Wayne MarkleBank offers a full range of financial services, including personal and commercial banking, financial planning, and insurance products and services. MarkleBank was founded in 1947 and currently has five other branch locations. You can visit the Marklebank website at www.marklebank.com. “We’re happy to be here, and have been very welcomed by the Fort Wayne community.” - Travis Holdman Brighton Collectibles Brightens Women’s Cancer Center
Linda Jordan, Executive Director of Oncology Services at Lutheran Hospital, who accepted the check, says “It is wonderful to get funding so that we can expand our educational resources that we have available to give to our patients, and it’s an honor to be associated with Brighton Collectibles.” According to Jordan, “We are an educational center and also support service center for not just breast cancer patients, but all cancer patients. The Women’s Cancer Center doesn’t charge for any of its services.” Click here for audio of Linda Jordan. (30, 86 KB) “This is very important. Breast cancer I think touches almost everyone in one way or another.” - Linda Jordan Dorko Gets Surprise Award  (Wednesday,
January 26, 2005) - Lutheran Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer
Joe Dorko accepted a surprise ‘Distinguished Hospital’ award
at a Division Director’s meeting Tuesday. Lutheran CEO Tom Miller
made the presentation and tells the Aboite Independent,
“We learned this past week that we are recognized as one of the
top 5% hospitals in the country on clinical excellence.”Click here for audio of Tom Miller. (30, 86 KB) The award is based on performance through the years 2001, 2002, and 2003. (See the exclusive article on the Aboite Independent Business page Monday, January 24, 2005).  “We have great bricks and mortar, but the strengths of our hospital are our nurses, our health care professionals and our doctors, and that always has been the case.” - Tom Miller Maid In Aboite  (Tuesday,
January 25, 2005) - For those who have neither the time nor appetite
for housecleaning, it’s ‘Maid In Aboite’ to the rescue.
Owned by Galen Gibbons, the housecleaning business has enjoyed a loyal
following for about three years now. Gibbons tells the Aboite
Independent, “‘Maid In Aboite’ started basically
out of a need. I myself was looking for a housekeeper, and I couldn’t
find one that suited my taste or qualifications. I like to think of
myself as quite picky when it comes to housecleaning, and I was thoroughly
dissatisfied with the other services, which are broken down from franchises.”
According to Gibbons, ‘Maid In Aboite’ will tackle anything
that has to do with housekeeping, and a few services that aren’t.Click here for audio of Galen Gibbons. (1:12, 190 KB) Gibbons has well-trained teams, bonded and insured that will work weekdays, weekends, and evenings to provide business cleaning as well as residential services. Gibbons says, “We like to put a personal touch on things, and we love a challenge so if anyone has been unhappy with another franchise, I’d give them 5-percent off of any of the services that we have just to prove that we can make them happy. We offer senior citizen’s discounts. We know our seniors need their homes cleaned; they can’t handle a lot of things anymore, and a lot of people are not allowed to be around cleaning products as far as the fumes are concerned. We really like the challenge of Aboite’s hard water markings on the showers. Everybody has a problem with the build-up of that, and we’ve come up with a solution that really can take that off.” According to Gibbons, “I’m constantly mobile, and ready to make an appointment. I can be reached at (206) 402-6575. I’m constantly being asked by a few of our customers who have moved out of the area up to north Fort Wayne. They really would like for me to go up there, but I am really strict with my boundaries. I definitely go no further into Fort Wayne than the Jefferson Pointe Mall, and I stay below Bass Road.” To learn more about ‘Maid In Aboite’, visit www.maidinaboite.com. Lutheran Tops, Again!  (Monday,
January 24, 2005) - HealthGrades, an independent healthcare quality
organization has again given Lutheran Hospital of Fort Wayne high
marks. In a survey released today, Lutheran is one of 229 hospitals
out of nearly 5000 ranked at the top of a list based on the death
and complication rates of Medicare patients in 28 common procedures
and diagnoses, from hip replacement to bypass surgery, over the years
2001, 2002 and 2003. Lutheran Hospital is named in the top 5-percent
of hospitals nationwide in terms of clinical excellence, as measured
by mortality and complications rates. This puts Lutheran in a class
of ‘Distinguished Hospitals’.Medicare patients going to these hospitals had a 12 to 20 percent better chance of surviving common procedures and diagnoses when compared with an average hospital, according to the study, officially titled the third annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study. According to Samantha Collier, MD, HealthGrades’ Vice President of Medical Affairs, “These in-hospital survival differences are significant -- they cannot and should not be ignored. Our research of the actual outcomes of patients checking into the nation’s hospitals shows that a select group of hospitals have found the key to lowering mortality and complication rates not just in one specialty, but across the board. Because of the variation in quality from one hospital to the next, which HealthGrades has been documenting for eight years now, patients need to do their research before choosing a local hospital.” Other findings from the study include: --If all patients went to a Distinguished Hospital for four of the highest-volume procedures and diagnoses - coronary bypass, angioplasty, stroke and community acquired pneumonia - 52,949 lives could have been saved from 2001 to 2003 - about the average attendance of an NFL football game. --A Medicare patient who underwent heart bypass surgery at a Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence™ had, on average, a 15.3 percent better chance of surviving than a patient who received treatment at an average hospital. --The improved survival rates at Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence were 15.4 percent for stroke, 12.62 percent for heart attack (in hospitals where angioplasty and stent treatments were available), and 19.55 percent for community-acquired pneumonia. The Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence had better patient outcomes despite the fact that they treated more and sicker patients. Individuals can access the list at no cost at www.healthgrades.com. C&T Music Supports Lance Armstrong Foundation  (Friday,
January 21, 2005) - Crash & Twang Music, located in the Villages
at Time Corners at 6429 W. Jefferson, has what owner Doug Edwards
calls, “A real exciting charitable event.” Edwards tells
the Aboite Independent, “What we’re going
to be doing is we’ve got a $3200 hand-made collectable Hamer
guitar, and we’re going to be donating it by selling 200 tickets
at $25 each with all proceeds going to support the Lance Armstrong
Foundation. Edwards, who lost his wife to cancer says, “The charity
is deep into my heart.”Click here for audio of Doug Edwards. (:48, 137 KB) Edwards says, “The winning chance will be pulled on Valentines Day, February 14th. “I’m motivated by those that I may be able to help, and unfortunately, by the one I could not.” - Doug Edwards Computer Classes Available
Geist says, “Anybody can learn with us, it doesn’t have to be something where you’ve worked with computers all your life and you know a lot about them. Certainly it’s going to help you depending on what you’re doing, but if you’ve never looked at a computer before, we can still take care of you.” All applicants are placed in classes according to their computer skill levels. Click here for audio of Sarah Geist. (:48, 137 KB) According to Geist, “When we do on-site training we provide all the computer equipment, and they’re not laptops so you’re not learning on anything that’s a little bit different than what your used to back at your desk. The only thing we need is basically a room and tables and chairs, and that’s about it. We bring a projector in, we bring training manuals, and we bring pens, so you don’t really have to have anything.” The classes start at $150, and that’s actually the most you would ever pay for a class during the week, even if it’s on-site. The cost drops as the enrollment or number of classes increase. In addition to the classes, Geist says, “The newest and most exciting thing we have going on right now is our clinics. We’re going to kind of call them mini-clinics. Some of them are one-hour, some of them are two-hours, and they just vary as to what topics are covered and what program is covered. The cost for that is going to be 25 dollars for a one-hour clinic, and 40-dollars for a two-hour clinic, so it’s a little more cost-effective for those people who may have a tight budget, or if their employer’s not going to help them pay for their training. Maybe they just can’t get away from the office for a whole day like our regular classes are. This way they can pick and choose what times work for them and what they need to focus on.” The clinics begin January 18th. Geist says, “We’re going to leave the enrollment open until either classes are full or the clinics are full, because we’re only going to allow room for five people in each clinic. And the 16th would be the last day to enroll. For a complete schedule, or to learn more about the classes, visit www.summitcts.com. Zoom Technology To Aid Motorists  (Monday,
January 10, 2005) - A local technology firm takes its innovative
products to Washington D.C. tomorrow. A new wireless information system
that will aid motorists and transportation officials alike will be
unveiled. Mike Fritsch, President of Fort Wayne based Zoom Information
Systems tells the Aboite Independent, “We are having
an hour and 45 minute time slot at the Transportation Research Board
annual meeting in Washington D.C. on January 11th. This presentation
is going to be about our product, which is titled a real-time transportation
infrastructure information system. What we’re talking about at
that meeting is just who all the partners are, what research we’re
doing, and what the status of our product is.” According to Fritsch,
“We create systems in the realm of what we call transportation
informatics. And that’s a term that we invented, but what it
means is systems that deal with all the data that is coming out of
the new vehicles that are being created today, including trucks, vans
and even passenger vehicles.”Click here for audio of Mike Fritsch. (:44, 124 KB) Fritsch says, “The communication we’re using could be satellite, but it also could be just a cell phone system or Wifi, which is the same kind of communication path that your laptop might use. But any of those mechanisms would use that data from the car and transmit to the back end system. In upcoming years, cars are not only going to transmit to some data center somewhere, but they’re also going to transmit from car to car. In other words, if something happens on the highway ahead of you, the cars in front of you will be transmitting back to the cars behind them in a direct connection. You can also envision cars transmitting information and talking to the roadside. If you’re going too fast for the curve ahead of you, your car is talking to the curve up there, and the curve says hey you’re going too fast you better slow down. This kind of talking from the vehicle to the roadside directly is another big part of the communication system that’s going to be coming up here before the end of the decade.” Fritsch expects to see the Zoom system in place much sooner however. He says, “Our goal is to have some working systems out in the field by the end of this year. Some of the fancier operations really depend on the system being in all cars. In other words in order to really determine what the traffic is you have to have at least 4 percent of the cars in a given metropolitan area have the system in it. That requires the automotive manufacturers to put some systems in their cars. Those will be several years down the road yet, but the systems we can put in fleet vehicles to gather information, road condition information and so on, and traffic information, those kind of things we hope to see by the end of the year.” For more information visit www.zoominfosystems.com. Galecki Moves To A New Office (Thursday, January 6, 2005) - Galecki Financial Management Company has moved into a beautiful new office building at 7743 West Jefferson. Relationship Manager Albert Kohout tells the Aboite Independent, “We moved primarily for growth of our clients. We’ve grown quite a bit over the last several years and we wanted to accommodate that growth. We are a fee only financial planning firm.”
The interior of the new building is beautifully designed and tastefully appointed, including a huge salt-water aquarium. There is ample door side parking, and the office is easily seen from Jefferson; just look for the bright amber time and temperature sign. Galecki Financial Management has a staff of ten people, six involved in client meetings and client relationships, the other four as support staff. You can click here and go to the www.galecki.com website, or call 436-8525 to set an appointment and/or receive and informational packet. Three Rivers Federal Credit Union Announces Promotions
Binford, a native of Dallas, holds a B.A. degree in Business from the University of North Texas. Binford has over a quarter century of executive and management experience in the financial services industry, having most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of Andrews Federal Credit Union in the Washington D.C. area. His background also includes experience in the commercial banking, investment, and insurance fields. Michael Hasenkamp was recently introduced as the Three Rivers FCU Commercial Lending Officer. He joins Three Rivers with previous financial institution experience as a credit analyst in charge of analysis and administration of the commercial portfolio. Hasenkamp’s position encompasses all facets of the credit union’s commercial business development activities - from commercial loan to commercial deposit accounts.
Formed in 1935, Three Rivers Federal Credit Union (www.3riversfcu.org) serves more than 68,000 members in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio. The credit union has over $400 million in assets and is among the largest credit unions in Indiana -- operating 19 branches and over 25 ATM locations; with branches located in Auburn, Bluffton, Columbia City, Fort Wayne, Kendallville, New Haven, St Marys (Ohio) and Van Wert (Ohio). Anyone who lives or works Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Wells or Whitley County is eligible for membership. Three Rivers Federal Credit Union was the first Indiana credit union to locate branches inside area grocery stores, when it simultaneously opened seven in April 1999. Currently there are ten full-service Three Rivers FCU branches located inside area Scott’s Stores. All are open 7 days a week with extended evening hours during the week. ATMs, which are free to Three Rivers members, are available in these stores and other Scott’s Food Stores. Almost A Secret  (Tuesday,
January 4, 2005) - There’s a Floral Shop and Espresso Bar
on Homestead Road near US/24, but you might miss it if you don’t
look for it. Owner Michael Abele has beautifully remodeled the interior
of a ranch house at 7120 Homestead Road, but aside from a small yard
sign ‘Indulge’ you’d never suspect what’s going
on inside. Abele tells the Aboite Independent, “We
specialize in parties and wedding work and have been doing this for
like 13 years now.”Click here for audio of Michael Abele. (:27, 78 KB) According to Abele, “You can get things to go, or you can come in and sit down and look at magazines, talk, sit in front of the fireplace, and look around. He says, “Just come by and visit us and we can explain more when you get here.”
Lutheran Looks Back To Move Forward (Friday, December 31, 2004) - Like many of us, the people at Lutheran Hospital are looking ahead into 2005, while not forgetting our past. A wall has been set aside in the new Heart Pavilion which highlights Lutheran’s legacy. CEO Tom Miller tells the Aboite Independent, “We don’t want to forget about the past as we move forward.”
According to Miller, “We’re ending our one hundred year celebration, and we want to make sure that in health care Lutheran Hospital is a great torch-bearer.” Youth Picture Hundred Years Of Caring (Tuesday, December 21, 2004) - Lutheran Hospital has announced the winners of its Century Of Caring art contest. As part of it’s 100th anniversary celebration, area children in grades K through 5 were asked to draw how they thought Lutheran Hospital made a positive difference in their life or the life of the community, or what it means to be a doctor or a nurse. Carmen DeBruce, Executive Director of Lutheran Children’s Hospital, tells the Aboite Independent choosing the winners from 135 entries was “very, very difficult”.
The winning entries were submitted by Kindergartner Cole Lyberger of Churubusco Elementary; 1st Grader Cameron Trevino of Emmaus Lutheran Elementary; 2nd Grader James Chandler of Irwin Elementary; 3rd Grader Eli Ryder of St. Aloysius Catholic School; 4th Grader Kevin Bolton of Benoit Academy; and 5th Grader Michelle Marqueling of St. John the Baptist School. Congratulations to all! The Mill Celebrates 10th Anniversary  (Monday,
December 20, 2004) - The Mill, in the Hollows at 7121 W. Jefferson
is celebrating its 10th anniversary. General Manager Julie Ratliff
tells the Aboite Independent, “We opened a couple
of weeks before Thanksgiving back in 1994 to a huge response. It’s
been ten years now, and we have three locations, the one out at Dupont
Village, and Georgetown Square, and here at the Hollows on West Jefferson.
At the West Jefferson location we recently rolled out a lunch cafe,
which is from 11 to 2 Monday through Saturday. We serve sandwiches
and salads and soups, and we’ve got different combinations of
meals. We call it ‘Fusions’, instead of combos. And we’re
getting ready to roll those out after the first of the year at the
other two stores.” According to Ratliff, “We’re doing
well, and branching off into new things too.”Click here for audio of Julie Ratliff. (:49, 132 KB) The Mill has year-round indoor seating, and outside seating in the summertime. You can learn more about The Mill, and sign up to get the weekly newsletter, ‘BreadTalk’, with money-saving coupons by going to www.themillonline.com. Schmidt Joins Whitley Manufacturing  (Monday,
December 13, 2004) - Jeff Schmidt of Hoagland, Indiana has joined
Whitley Manufacturing in sales. An industry veteran, Schmidt has worked
in modular home sales, as well as other construction businesses. He’ll
be working directly with customers interested in pricing and purchasing
modular structures.
Whitley Manufacturing constructed the beautiful new press box that was installed at Homestead High School’s Spartan Stadium this past summer. Sounds of the Season  (Friday,
December 10, 2004) - Jefferson Pointe Shopping Center offers patrons
Sounds of the Season, a musical gift from local school and church
groups. Carolers will be performing around the shopping center at
various times on the dates as follows.~Dec 10: Summit Middle School & Northrop High School ~Dec 11: South Side Vocal Jazz, Univ. of St. Francis & Elmhurst Show Choir ~Dec 12: Saint John the Baptist Fort Wayne ~Dec 14: Riverview 8th Grade Choir & Summit Choir ~Dec 16: Memorial Park Middle School ~Dec 17: Nebraska Elementary, Lindley Choirs & Covenant Choir ~Dec 18: Saint Therese School If there’s someone on your Christmas list that you don’t know what give, JP suggest a Gift Certificate. Jefferson Pointe Gift Certificates are available at the Management Office and are valid at all JP stores and restaurants, even Rave Motion Pictures, and there’s no service fee. Susan Zartman Honored  (Thursday,
December 2, 2004) - Susan Zartman of Lincoln Life & Annuity’s
Producer Solutions division has been named the 2004 Licensing Administrator
of the Year for the Society of Insurance Licensing Administrators
(SILA) at their annual conference in Atlanta, GA. The following information
was provided to the Aboite Independent by Lincoln Financial
Corporation.‘Zartman, based in Fort Wayne, Ind., “is passionate in her work and it shows in the way she treats and supports her customers, the producers who need to become licensed and other operational departments that request her assistance,” says Janet Sumney, vice president, Compliance, Bank of America, in her nomination letter to SILA’s board. Zartman joined LFG in 1976 and specializes in understanding and applying insurance and annuity licensing regulations from all 50 states. Since 1988, she has been involved in every merger, acquisition and large appointment project at Lincoln. Additionally, Zartman has worked closely with several states including N.Y., Mass., and N.H. to identify problems in their appointment processes and develop innovative solutions. She has also served as a member of SILA since 1991 and a member of the BISYS Opportunities and Development Alliance for several years.’ Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. With headquarters in Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Group has consolidated assets of $110 billion at September 30, 2004, and had annual consolidated revenues of $5.3 billion in 2003. Through its wealth accumulation and protection businesses, the company provides annuities, life insurance, 401(k) and other employer sponsored retirement plans, 529 college savings plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, institutional investment and financial planning and advisory services. S&K Joins JP Merchants  (Tuesday,
November 30, 2004) - S&K Menswear has joined the growing roster
of fine merchants at Jefferson Pointe Shopping Center. General Manager
Paul Schuler tells the Aboite Independent, “We
are a 258-store conglomerate of men’s clothing. We specialize
in men’s furnishings and suits.”Click here for audio of Paul Schuler. (:23, 64 KB) According to Schuler, “We like the mall’s wonderful location, and felt the clientele out here needed another place to choose from.” Schuler says, “While we don’t do any custom tailoring, we do have a nice alterationist on staff who will do anything to the suit as far as what you need to make it fit.” “We have wonderful holiday promotions coming up, and we look forward to meeting everybody from this area and this part of town.” - Paul Schuler Seasons Greetings from JP  (Friday,
November 26, 2004) - Jefferson Pointe Shopping Center is offering
a number of special events and services beginning this Friday. According
to Marketing Manager Molly Jordan, “The day after Thanksgiving
is traditionally a very busy shopping day for many people, and we
also wanted to kick off the holiday season with our tree lighting
ceremony. This year we have a new Christmas tree. It actually is placed
over the Center courtyard fountain and it is 45 feet tall with a topper.
What we want to do is officially light that tree the day after Thanksgiving.
So at 6pm we invite anyone to come and join us in the Center courtyard,
and once those lights are on, the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir
and the Salvation Army Band both perform holiday musical favorites
for about a half an hour to provide some atmosphere and enjoyment
for everyone.” According to Jordan Saturdays and Friday evenings
are the busiest times at JP, and the Shopping Center has made provision
for large crowds with traffic directors and even limousine service.
During peak shopping hours there are three convenient limo pickup locations strategically placed by Starbucks, Puccini’s and the Flat Top Grill. According to Jordan, “If you come to Jefferson Pointe to shop, you can usually find a parking spot very easily if you stick by the Jefferson Boulevard entrance. (That is outside of DeBrand and VonMaur, as well as the opposite side near Starbucks, Old Navy, and over between Bed Bath & Beyond and Biaggi’s.) All of that area you can usually find a spot very easily.” Jordan says, “When you go to the other side of the property you’re combining shoppers and moviegoers and that causes more congestion.” “We’re planning a lot of fun activities along with many more store options for consumers this holiday season.” - Molly Jordan Book Signing Event  (Friday,
November 26, 2004) - Robert P. Lockwood, author of "A Faith
for Grown-Ups: A Midlife Conversation about What Really Matters,"
will be at Mitchell Books, 6360 W. Jefferson Blvd., for a book signing
from 12 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 27th. Parishioners in Northeast
Indiana may recognize Lockwood’s name, since he is former president
and publisher of “Our Sunday Visitor” and writes the award-winning
column “Catholic Journal” in the “Our Sunday Visitor”
newspaper. He is currently the Director for Communications, Diocese
of Pittsburgh.Mitchell Books provides the following commentary to the Aboite Independent: ”With hilarious schoolboy stories and thought-provoking insight into Catholic beliefs, Lockwood entices adult Catholics in his book to move beyond their childhood notions of the Church and discover the truth they seek back home in the Catholic faith. He responds to common doubts on Church teachings with insight into such topics as belief in God, the necessity of the Church, the meaning of the Mass, and the role of prayer in Christian life. With sincerity and wit “A Faith for Grown-Ups” inspires readers to seek the greater life through the Catholic faith, even if the insignia on their old school tie has been colored in with a fountain pen.” For each copy of “A Faith for Grown-Ups” sold, Mitchell Books will donate 15% of the sale to the customer’s church of choice. For more information contact Matt Stuart, Mitchell Books Director of Marketing and Special Projects at (260) 432-2665. Lutheran Celebrates 100
(Wednesday,
November 24, 2004) - Congratulations and Happy Anniversary to
Lutheran Hospital, today celebrating its 100th birthday. It was
November 24th in 1904 that Lutheran began serving the Fort Wayne
community. Thankfully, a second ‘Century of Caring’ has
now begun. At a recent news gathering, CEO Tom Miller said, “It’s
a great day in Fort Wayne. You know the strength of our hospital
isn’t the bricks and mortar that we have, and it isn’t
the facility that we’re in. It truly is the compassion caring
and the quality of care that’s provided.”
Click
here for audio of Carrie Anspach.
(:59, 159 KB) has designed
an excellent menu to offer to our clients. And then also, basically,
if you come in a 9 o’clock in the morning and get a facial
you can stay the whole day in the spa; wander around, sip tea, relax
in our quiet room, have a seat in our dining room, and just enjoy
your time here.”
Click here for audio of Tom Miller. (:22, 64 KB) According to Miller, “This gives our cardiologists another tool to use to be able to diagnose heart disease.” Scott Mattson, DO, FACC, Director of Noninvasive Imaging for The Heart Center Medical Group says, “No other MRI system in the region has the necessary speed or technology to perform comprehensive cardiovascular examinations. This generation of scanner has the potential to tell us more about the condition of the heart than numerous other tests combined.” Because of the level of detail it provides, the cardiac MRI will make it possible for the earlier diagnosis of a variety of medical conditions. Earlier diagnosis leads to better treatment and better outcomes, which helps reduce overall health care costs. Designed with both patients and physicians in mind, the environment is mindful of personal comfort, especially for those who suffer from claustrophobia, without compromising image quality and clinical performance. The joint venture cardiac MRI will be located in MD Imaging at Lutheran Hospital and is scheduled to be completed in early 2005. “One of the things that we have said within the mission of our hospital is that we want to be innovators in healthcare.” - Tom Miller McDonalds Remodels  (Thursday,
November 4, 2004) - A number of Fort Wayne McDonalds are being
remodeled, and work on the 5703 W. Jefferson restaurant has just been
completed. Assistant Manager Maryjo Ramsey tells the Aboite
Independent, “The remodel is more based on an older generation,”
she says, “we want the mid-20’s to early-30s’ group
to feel comfortable. We also have a new place for the kids, and we
have new games.”Click here for audio of Maryjo Ramsey. (:12, 42 KB) According to Ramsey, “Some of the kids are a little disappointed about the slide that used to be here, but it’s been well accepted by most. It’s very nice, and it makes you feel more at home.” McDonalds has also observed another anniversary in Fort Wayne. This past Saturday the Canterbury restaurant at 3202 St. Joe Center Road celebrated it’s 30th year, and tomorrow McDonalds at 6131 Stellhorn Road will take the wraps off a brand new remodel, highlighted with bookcases, tile and booths for a fresh new setting. McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer, with more than 30,000 restaurants serving nearly 46 million people in more than 100 countries each day. Approximately 80 percent of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent, local businessmen and women. Village Books - Good Reads, Great Price!  (Wednesday,
November 3, 2004) - Village Books at 5723 Coventry Lane is just
completing its first year as a used bookstore at that location. According
to employee Sue Bailey, it’s a very successful business. She
tells the Aboite Independent, the owner has two other
outlets, and has just opened a fourth in northwest Dupont Village.
According to Bailey, used bookstores have taken a big bite out of
the new bookstore business.
According to Bailey, Village Books at Coventry is strictly a used bookstore. She says, “People bring their books in to us, we purchase them outright, or it’s somewhat of an exchange. We either offer store credit or we pay cash. It depends on the type of book that they bring in.” For readers looking for a good buy, Bailey says purchasers can expect to save about 50-percent. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(Friday,
February 4, 2005) - Taylor University Fort Wayne is announcing
its third Master of Business Administration class. Applications
are currently being accepted for the course, which begins August
1, 2005. The third class of the MBA program begins with a 10-day
international business tour to Germany and Switzerland. Students
come to campus eight times during their 16-month program for intensive
three-day seminars.
(Monday,
January 31, 2005) - MarkleBank begins a whole week of events
today for the grand opening of the new West Jefferson office. President
and CEO Travis Holdman tells the Aboite Independent,
“We’re excited to be in that West Jefferson, Time Corners,
Covington Plaza area. We have a whole week of events that are planned.
Every day we have a special emphasis; lots of giveaways: free pizza
one day [Thursday], free coffee one day [Wednesday], we have kids
day [Saturday]. Folks are invited to come in, and if they open an
account or are already a MarkleBank customer, they’ll be allowed
to enter for a drawing at the end of the week for a year’s
lease on a Mini Cooper. So we’re excited about the opportunity
to let somebody drive a brand new Mini Cooper for a whole year.
We do have some restrictions that apply, but we think it’ll
be an exciting time for folks in southwest Allen County.”
(Tuesday,
November 23, 2004) - The Woodhouse Day Spa at 6388 W. Jefferson
in Covington Plaza is now open. Owner Carrie Anspach tells the
Aboite Independent, “We have a 62-hundred square
foot spa, and we offer over 70 different treatments.” The Woodhouse
also offers group as well individual services.
| © 2003-2005 The Aboite Independent. |
| Published by Schweickart & Associates, Inc. |
| Web-Design by Atlas-Image. |