20131118-NEWS--1-NAT-CCI-CL_-- 11/15/2013 2:06 PM Page 1 $2.00/NOVEMBER 18 - 24, 2013 THE JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATON: 50 YEARS LATER The day everything stopped Cleveland icons recall the ‘intangible sadness’ they felt when they first heard the grim news By JAY MILLER “I was on the air, as a matter of fact, and all [email protected] of the sudden the teletype went crazy,” re- called Bob Conrad, who was a co-owner of ot long after 1:20 p.m. on Nov. 22, WCLV-FM, then and now Cleveland’s classical 1963, workers at the May Co.’s music radio station. He went to the Associated downtown Cleveland store moved Press wire machine and ripped the story from a television set wired to an out- its roll. He rushed back to the booth and told Ndoor loudspeaker into a display window fac- listeners that the president had been shot. ing Public Square. Passersby soon were clus- “We continued what we were (playing) tered around the black-and-white glow. until we got confirmation Kennedy was Minutes earlier, President John F. dead,” Mr. Conrad said. “Then we put the Kennedy had been fatally wounded as his Mozart’s Requiem (the haunting ‘Requiem motorcade was carrying him to a speaking Mass in D Minor’) on the air.” engagement in downtown Dallas. He then canceled all commercials. For as long as the workday continued, ra- “We did that because I remembered lis- dios and televisions were turned on in of- tening to the radio when (President Franklin fices, schools and factories in Northeast D.) Roosevelt died,” he said. “And that’s Ohio and across the nation. Many business- what they did.” es cut short the workday. See STOPPED Page 37 JFK buffs still doubt Oswald’s role in death By DANIEL J. McGRAW studied this for many years and from many [email protected] different angles, and I have come to only one conclusion: (Lee Harvey) Oswald did not, When former FBI agent Don Adams gets and could not, have killed the president.” called a conspiracy theorist, he gets taken Mr. Adams, 82, who served for 20 years aback a bit. as an FBI agent and for 10 years as chief of The Akron resident, who was involved in police in Fairlawn, has written a book, pub- the investigation of President John F. lished in 2012, about his experiences and Kennedy’s assassination 50 years ago, theories regarding the JFK assassination. doesn’t like being lumped in with some of The book, “From an Office Building with a the crackpots who have surfaced and who High-Powered Rifle: One FBI Agent’s View seem to grow in number as the years go by. of the JFK Assassination,” details how he “I was an FBI agent who investigated repeatedly was restricted from investigat- some threats to the president before the as- ing any possible suspects who were not sassination in Dallas, and worked on the Oswald. case afterwards,” Mr. Adams said. “So I have See OSWALD Page 36 The Nov. 22, 1963, edition of The Cleveland Press. Meet the Class of 2013: Pages F-1 to F-19 46 FOOD 7 WANTED: GM NEWSPAPER Restaurants frequently need help Entire contents © 2013 74470 83781 for ‘front of the house’ ■ Page 3 by Crain Communications Inc. Vol. 34, No. 46 0 PLUS: FAMILIES ARE DIRECT WHEN INVESTING 20131118-NEWS--2-NAT-CCI-CL_-- 11/15/2013 1:18 PM Page 1 We’re proud to help drive growth for Ohio businesses. baml.com/growth The power of global connections “Bank of America Merrill Lynch” is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, derivatives and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., member FDIC. Securities, strategic advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed globally by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“Investment Banking Affiliates”), including, in the United States, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp., both of which are registered as broker-dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, by locally registered entities. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp. are registered as futures commission merchants with the CFTC and are members of the NFA. Investment MOLAR@QPLCCBOBA?V&KSBPQJBKQ>KHFKDCCFIF>QBPOB+LQ#!& &KPROBAe*>V)LPB3>IRBeOB+LQ>KH$R>O>KQBBA s>KHLCJBOF@> LOMLO>QFLK 20131118-NEWS--3-NAT-CCI-CL_-- 11/15/2013 3:50 PM Page 1 NOVEMBER 18 - 24, 2013 WWW.CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS 3 INSIGHT Cities still see state bill as too taxing “Clearly, there is a desire to make Rubber Co. in Cleveland until late Analysis says tax provisions could be costly to municipalities Ohio as business-friendly as possi- 2012, said the bill was a significant ble,” said Mark Engle, a tax attorney improvement from where it began By JAY MILLER that would create a single, statewide pensive and less attractive place to with the Bricker & Eckler firm in during the last legislative session. [email protected] definition of taxable income for mu- locate a business. Columbus. “On the other hand, a That earlier bill would have taken nicipal taxes. It also would set a uni- Cities see the bill, Substitute lot of these legislators used to be lo- tax collection out of the hands of Legislation to streamline munic- form schedule for employers to House Bill 5, as a state assault on cal officials, so I think they’re a lit- cities and moved it to the state tax ipal tax collection in Ohio moved a make withholding payments and the finances of local governments. tle sympathetic to (the cities).” department. step closer to the governor’s desk would move the state toward a con- They won a number of concessions Mr. Engle represents the Ohio “It took a lot of pushing and last week. After more than a year of solidated income tax form. from previous versions of the legis- Manufacturers’ Association, a shoving,” Mayor Summers said. wrangling between business groups A business coalition that pushed lation, but they believe the final bill member of the coalition that “Everybody was in favor of unifor- and Ohio’s cities, the Ohio House of for the changes argued that the still includes too many tax policy pushed the legislation. mity, but the bill morphed into tax Representatives, by a 56-41 party- crazy-quilt of tax policies in the var- changes that will reduce revenues Michael Summers, the mayor of breaks for the rich.” line vote, sent to the Senate a bill ious cities makes Ohio a more ex- for many taxing districts. Lakewood who owned Summers See CITIES Page 38 THE WEEK IN QUOTES “I just got the feeling from the beginning of the investigation that the powers that be … were only focusing on Oswald and were protecting whoever the real shooters were. After 50 years now, there is no consensus as to what really happened.” — Akron resident and former FBI agent Don Adams, author of a 2012 book on the Kennedy assassination. Page One “It’s a gem of a property. The conference center is state of the art. It’s like having a building in the middle of a park, complete with walking trails. However, we’re MARC GOLUB Sean McNeil was promoted from assistant manager at L’Albatros to general manager of Cowell & Hubbard when the latter eatery opened in 2012. not certain of the use yet.” — Adam Fishman, a Fairmount Properties principal. Page 9 EXTERIOR NEEDS HELP, TOO “I think our product speaks for itself.We use The big-name chefs appear on TV, By KATHY AMES CARR the explosion of the local culinary [email protected] scene also is translating into a short- some of the finest age of key restaurant leaders — most but ‘front-of-the-house’ positions ore chef-inspired restau- notably general managers — whose ingredients, which has such as general manager are very rant openings mean performance is expected to harmo- attracted a lot of more choices for Cleve- nize with the caliber of the kitchen. attention to our huge land diners. However, See HELP Page 9 much in demand in Northeast Ohio M menu.” — Sarah Forrer, co-owner, Main Street Cupcakes. Page F-9 “If we are known as a Direct approach can be on the money tech hub, people will move here. My goal Wealthy local families are bypassing private equity firms during those 12 weeks by buying or investing in companies via their own entities (of the accelerator) is to show them this is a By MICHELLE PARK LAZETTE private equity or venture capital Joe Kanfer’s family through KBZ [email protected] funds, but directly through entities Partners out of Akron. damn good place to of their own. Mr. Ahuja founded Transtar In- start and scale a They could have taken the pri- Among the so-called direct in- dustries, a worldwide distributor of Ahuja Kanfer vate equity route. However, a num- vestors on the prowl for the right transmission parts that he sold in business.” ber of wealthy families and private opportunities are two prominent 2005, and Mr. Kanfer is chairman keter of skin health and hygiene — Shannon I. Lyons, chief equity executives are putting their families in Northeast Ohio: Monte and CEO of Gojo Industries Inc., products, including Purell hand business development officer money to work by buying and in- Ahuja’s family through its MURA which was founded by his aunt and sanitizer.