Sports Journalists loses one of their own

[#52 Psycho T]

Psycho, I was the one who posted it earlier. And remembering what Dave said about the two remaining full-timers in the "I got fired" thread, I wondered which one we were reading.

Nah, strike that. Think I already had a pretty good idea.

Full-timer he helped get started in the business was Genet; full-timer he got out of the sticky situation was Baker.

I really don't want this to turn into a pissing match about the A-T but just rather let people know how that newspaper and the employees treated him.

I meant to post earlier, his roommate called and all they knew was Dave died in his sleep. I was told by someone else last night, that his roommates came home from their Honeymoon Sunday and found him dead in his bed.

 

[I Digress]

The obit said something about donations to the American Diabetes Association... if Dave had that, perhaps he died of complications? Exacerbated by lack of medical/cash?

 

[KYSportsWriter]

The obit said something about donations to the American Diabetes Association... if Dave had that, perhaps he died of complications? Exacerbated by lack of medical/cash?

I sincerely hope that is not the case.

Hopefully it's just an organization near to his heart for other reasons.

 

[TheTrain]

I had the pleasure of working with Dave from 1995 until 2001 in the sports department and we have been friends ever since....we had a great time and yes, he was one stubborn dude. But so was I. I loved talking about high school sports with him, talking Indians, giving him **** about the Browns and Ohio State. There was nothing better than a Foos, Hoo, Train, Dice sports department! I talked to Dave right after he was fired (and by the way, there was nothing one sided about Dave - he told about the entire incident 100% truthful) and I have never heard the life taken out of anyone like the way it was that night. As sleezy as the A-T was, it was Dave's home. He worked for pennies but he didn't care. He truly just loved what he was doing. He would have done what he did for any paper in the world as long as he was doing it. Dave was the more unmaterialistic person I have ever met. I remember asking him what faith denomination he was and his response was "I just believe in being an all around good person to everyone, all the time." That was Dave. I remember going to the All-Star game FanFest in Cleveland with him one day. I remember him picking me up early one Saturday morning to go to Ashland for the Old Fort-Loudonville state championship softball game - I was so hung over from the night before and he laughed at me the whole way there. He loved his Columbian Tornados. He loved every athlete in the area. I suppose I will have to dress up for his funural on Friday, just he can look down and call me the "best dressed pimp" one last time. I'd give anything for him to call me that in person. I love ya Hoo. I'll dance and extra dance for you when they fire Wedge. Please watch over all of us.

 

[Killick]

By the way, Dave's mom got my voicemail and called me back tonight. I spoke with her and Dave's stepdad for a while, and they wanted me to thank everyone for their thoughts.

I ended up emailing them a link to this thread, so they could read your thoughts and prayers for themselves (and, yes, I apologized in advance for the salty language directed at the A-T). They, too, have no love for the rag.

Anyway, Mrs. Weinhardt said it was so nice to get my message earlier, and to know that Dave had a whole other community grieving his loss.

Good on ya, SportsJournalists.com. Love you guys and gals.

 

[21]

By the way, Dave's mom got my voicemail and called me back tonight. I spoke with her and Dave's stepdad for a while, and they wanted me to thank everyone for their thoughts.

I ended up emailing them a link to this thread, so they could read your thoughts and prayers for themselves (and, yes, I apologized in advance for the salty language directed at the A-T). They, too, have no love for the rag.

Anyway, Mrs. Weinhardt said it was so nice to get my message earlier, and to know that Dave had a whole other community grieving his loss.

Good on ya, SportsJournalists.com. Love you guys and gals.

That's incredible, Killick.

Maybe you got some of the missing information....I'm really still wondering whether they believe the lack of insurance/employment somehow contributed to this, as many here believe, or if he really did just simply die unnaturally young.

Either way, you did a beautiful thing by contacting his parents.

 

[Killick]

Thanks, 21. I was just going to post hoo's parents' addresses, so people could send a card or something (which, btw, is LaVonne Weinhardt, 321 E. Adams St., Sandusky, Ohio 44870... couldn't find his dad...), but once I saw the phone number I just had to call. Even though I'd never met Dave, or few of us had.

I didn't ask about the circumstances - just didn't feel it was my place, as a complete stranger.

 

[21]

I didn't ask about the circumstances - just didn't feel it was my place, as a complete stranger.

Understood, and agree. I was just wondering.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I posted a quick RIP on this thread way back in the early pages, and hadn't read anything in a couple of days. I've spent the last 30 minutes reading through every post, and it's 30 minutes of my life that I'm glad I've had. I've never been more proud to be on this site than I am now by reading the wonderful tributes of my fellow SportsJournalists.commers.

I didn't know Dave at all, and rereading through his posts, I'm not even sure if we ever discussed anything, although I do remember his thread when he got fired.

And playing the role of Santino Marella in my avatar is an elephant. Once again, RIP Dave, and my condolences to his family and friends.

 

[Mooninite]

One thing about this whole situation....
When the A-T fired Feltner they moved the the other two full-timers up and called them the newspaper's associate sports editors. But they never hired another fulltime person to replace Dave. In a way it sounds like kind of a cost-cutting move when they fired him. Which makes the newspaper look worse than it already does.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Yeah ...
Just because you are fired, you don't lose health insurnace.
I beleive companies are required to keep you on or provide COBRA for some time. Here, it is six months.
Yes it is more expensive, but it is still better than out-of-pockey health insurance.

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan.

COBRA generally requires that group health plans sponsored by employers with 20 or more employees in the prior year offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health coverage (called continuation coverage) in certain instances where coverage under the plan would otherwise end.

COBRA outlines how employees and family members may elect continuation coverage. It also requires employers and plans to provide notice.

 

[Dyno]

Yeah ...
Just because you are fired, you don't lose health insurnace.
I beleive companies are required to keep you on or provide COBRA for some time. Here, it is six months.
Yes it is more expensive, but it is still better than out-of-pockey health insurance.

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan.

COBRA generally requires that group health plans sponsored by employers with 20 or more employees in the prior year offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health coverage (called continuation coverage) in certain instances where coverage under the plan would otherwise end.

COBRA outlines how employees and family members may elect continuation coverage. It also requires employers and plans to provide notice.

Yeah, but COBRA coverage can be really expensive - $200-300 for a single person and upwards of $700 for a family (at my company, at least).

 

[Magic In The Night]

COBRA coverage is way more expensive than that. You're better off just buying a policy.

 

[Fudgie the Whale]

That's what I did. It was a crappy ass policy, but it was still cheaper than buying the medicine I needed at non-insurance price. Not by much, but it was cheaper.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

COBRA coverage is way more expensive than that. You're better off just buying a policy.

... unless you have a pre-existing condition. Then good luck with that.

 

[forever_town]

Yeah, but COBRA coverage can be really expensive - $200-300 for a single person and upwards of $700 for a family (at my company, at least).

COBRA is usually PROHIBITIVELY expensive for those who either are left with what savings they have or with unemployment benefit "income." It's why a lot of people who are offered that as an option decline it.

And if you're counting on unemployment and the company contests it and later denies you, you're really up a creek. Again, as Sam Mills 51 said, if you have a pre-existing condition, good luck getting any kind of health insurance. How do I know all that? Until last Friday, that was me.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

COBRA is a lot cheaper if you lost your job in the last year or so thanks to the stimulus package. At $400/month to cover myself, I couldn't justify it. Now at $150 or whatever it ends up being, I can at least consider it (I have till June 12 to opt in)

 

[forever_town]

COBRA is a lot cheaper if you lost your job in the last year or so thanks to the stimulus package. At $400/month to cover myself, I couldn't justify it. Now at $150 or whatever it ends up being, I can at least consider it (I have till June 12 to opt in)

If you're not drawing unemployment income, even the less expensive COBRA options are often prohibitively expensive, especially if you had no savings when you lost your job.

 

[JoelHammond]

Had been keeping up with this thread until a couple days ago when I lost touch, but was pointed back to it today.

I've worked with and known Zach Baker for about 10 years now. And while I absolutely do not want to muddy up this thread, for Mr. Feltner's sake, allow me to defend Zach, who is a hell of a writer and a respectful, intelligent person. I don't know Psycho T or anyone who's ever worked at the A-T except for a news reporter many years ago; for full disclosure, I work at a business paper in Cleveland. But Zach not approaching Mr. Feltner at a game is evidence of undermining him or not helping him, or whatever Psycho T implies? Sorry, that doesn't pass the test, for me at least.

While paying homage to the deceased, let's not lose sight of what someone said on Page 6 or so, about realizing there are two sides to every story. Mr. Feltner's story is tragic, and no doubt could have been handled differently. If, for instance, the details are what Dave posted in November, then it's a horrible decision by the paper's management. But to turn this into a Zach-bash -- after a column I felt was awfully touching -- is the wrong direction to take.

Just my $.02.

 

[oscaroscaroscar]

Joel, I appreciate your points.

This is obviously a very difficult situation that stirs many emotions.
I was among the folks on here so frustrated and angered that I quickly moved to curse the people at Dave's paper. My instincts from what I read on Dave's thread on getting fired and the experiences we all know too well in this industry still lead me to think that, yes, Dave was treated unfairly and this adds to the terrible shame of the tragedy.
I just don't want to add more pain to it.
As Joel said, I'd again offer caution in judgment and choice of words aimed at Dave's paper and former co-workers.
We really don't know everything and there may be people there hurting more than we really understand. For one thing, I know I was upset with someone who didn't reach out to me after I lost my job. Finally, only much later did he acknowledge how badly he felt and admitted he just didn't know what to say.
I'd hate to see him get skewered on here because I died before he had a chance to find the right words.
Again, I was one of the biggest offenders in judging without first-hand knowledge, so I'm putting myself in that category as well.

The bottom line is, if folks at that paper were callous and scheming, they know who they are and they have to live with this situation. You can only hope they learn from it.

If there is a more complicated story, they know that too. We all seem to feel this story, but we do have to remember no matter what we feel, we're trained enough as journalists to recognize our biases and lack of complete information.

Even if things went exactly as we seem to think, we all have treated someone poorly at different times in our lives -- we don't usually expect them to then die.

To any managers reading this, at the A-T or anywhere else, please try to learn from this horrible situation: Remember the human beings who are giving you their heart and soul. Remember how quickly you can ruin their lives. If nothing else, show them the compassion you may need yourself one day -- possibly this one as you think about a former colleague who died way too young.

To the folks working for those who never will heed this lesson: Remember to care more about yourself than the folks you work for, no matter how much passion you have for your job. Take care of yourself.

I love the idea of remembering Dave and his passion for this industry, and making sure the readers he served for so long have a shot at remembering him. In that way, I'm glad people got those comments out there to avoid Dave's story just being hidden or not told fully. I know the paper's seeming lack of desire to honor a longtime employee inspired the degree of passion.
But with all due respect to the good intentions and horrible emotions of the moment that took over many of us ... we don't know the full truth -- we only have a good amount of information that seems to add up, but wouldn't be strong enough to go with in print.

I'm again struck by one of the tributes on here talking about Dave editing the crap out of a story and kicking it back to make sure the reporter got the other side, tough as it may have been to do so.
That's what we do.
And when we don't have all the information, we don't just run wild with something. We choose our words carefully to offer as much responsibility as information.

As for the Dave Feltner Memorial Assistance Program, I think that is one damn good way to honor the man's memory. I was initially going to suggest a scholarship fund at one of the local schools, but when Lindsey mentioned the resource I thought it was a good idea to start some kind of Dave Feltner thing on here. I think jps' idea is excellent.