A very newsworthy week

It surely hasn’t been very slow news wise in our world lately and last week was more of the same. We had an update on the World Trade Center issue, a major closure, a departure, an addition, and a rumor-fest amongst the everyday goings on. So let’s go ahead and take a look…

-- The World Trade Center issue that I covered last week took another spin when the New York Times advanced the wonderful work done by the folks at Glass Magazine (they’ll have to share the Pulitzer) and revealed that the original plans for the base of the building (where all of the controversy is) was scrapped. 10 Million dollars in glass and who knows how much other capital and resources squandered. I find it funny/sad that the North American supply base all exclaimed worry on the design early in the process (at least that’s what I was told) and that’s one of the reasons the playing field was so limited. Still the shenanigans are continuing there and I’d love to know when or if someone’s head would roll after blowing this one. I guess the Chinese can’t do everything and there are actually some limits.

-- The saddening news of US Aluminum closing was another big story. The depressing part is about the people working there, as this industry continues to head down perilous paths. My heart goes out to the folks caught in the crossfire.

-- A wish of best of luck to Gary Danowski of PPG as he has taken on a new assignment within PPG in Switzerland. Losing Gary on our side of the world is a major blow in my opinion. He was a calm and steady presence in the very bumpy seas. Just a flat out good man. The folks in Europe are lucky to get him. So now in the last 2 years the turnover at the top of the major players in our industry has been very dramatic, and we continue to look for the continuity going forward.

-- And speaking of moving and good guys and good luck… my brother Steve has taken a new step in his life. After being able to work for some of the classiest people out there at a great company with the Balik’s at General Glass, Steven has taken an equity position at W.A. Wilson in West Virginia and is their new Executive VP. This is an awesome move for him, he returns to the region he knows so well and ends up working with yet another tremendous group of people. (Bob and Bobby Hartong are first rate, as are many others there) WA Wilson has always been a respected player in the region and now the sky is the limit.

-- And last from the week that was… the rumors that started mid week that something major and dramatic was going to happen at Trainor Glass on Friday turned out to be a lot less salacious than the masses spreading expected it to be. Trainor tabbed Brian Clark as their new President on starting on June 1. So all of the wild stories didn’t materialize and the interesting thing is it has been so crazy in our world here that even the craziest of rumors are given credence because really anything could happen. Best of luck to Brian and the Trainor family going forward as well.

And that’s it… what a week it was and my guess is we have the potential to have some very fascinating weeks ahead that is for sure.

LINKS of the WEEK

Wow. Being threatened at school over your chicken nuggets. At knifepoint no less. Over school chicken nuggets…. Yeesh.

The coolest dog escape from a Vet ever! It’s like something you would see in a movie.

A tremendous story on the Mayor in a town in Japan that was scoffed at for building a huge sea wall in the 60’s, gets major credit as that wall saved his town from the Tsunami. They should name the town after him.


VIDEO of the WEEK

One of the wildest and craziest baseball brawls you can see. Minor league affiliates of the Red Sox and Yanks go after it.