Eastern Iowan declined Cronkite interview request

Saturday, July 18, 2009

It's amazing that Walter Cronkite died the weekend the nation celebrates the first lunar landing's 40th anniversary. He was so much a part of that historical experience.

Here's an Eastern Iowa story about Cronkite, culled from all of The Gazette's stories about Apollo 11:

Cronkite wanted to interview Cedar Rapids' Arthur Collins on television when humans first walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. That's because Collins Radio Co. produced the communications gear used on that historic mission. But Collins declined. People who knew him say he wanted his workers to get the attention rather than him.

The Gazette has a special report in today's paper about Collins Radio's contribution to the moon walk. Here's an online link to even more neat information. On Sunday and Monday we'll have more, too, and I'll have in my Sunday Gazette column an interesting anecdote about the Apollo 11 mission. I'll post the anecdote on my blog later Sunday or early Monday. 

Final neighborhood gathering is Thursday in Czech Village

   Where: Sokol Park, Cedar Rapids

   When: Thursday, July 23, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The Gazette hosts its final "In the Neighborhood" gathering of the summer in Czech Village from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The event will be at Sokol Park, in the northeast corner of 16th Avenue and A Avenue SW.

Join us if you are in the neighborhood.

This week's event follows similar events we've held in the Rompot/Cedar Valley and Time Check neighborhoods. As was the case for those events, city officials have agreed to be there for informal discussions with residents. Gazette reporters, photographers and editors will be there, too, to talk about what's on your mind.

These have been good events. I've heard from residents who appreciate that we've not forgotten them and their continued efforts to recover from last year's flood, and that city staffers and council members have attended to talk with people.

We'd never want to repeat the circumstances leading to these events, given that we chose the three neighborhoods hit hard by the 2008 flood. But meeting with residents in their neighborhoods and seeing city officials spend time with them in an informal setting has been gratifying a gratifying experience for those of us at The Gazette.