I had a great seat for the demolition of the RCA Dome on Saturday.  The same seat I had for the implosion of MSA.  The back seat of Chopper 8.

We get a spectacular view up there.  But, we miss the sound and the sensation of the blast.  All we hear is the sound of the helicopter and whatever is in our headphones.  And, at several hundred feet in the air, we don’t feel the vibration felt by our crew on the ground.

During our Daybreak coverage, we had extra time to reminisce, since the blast was later than planners intended.  Turns out we missed something.  Viewer Rick Van Ness sent an e-mail saying “one notable event occurred in 1984 when a Baseball Old Timers game was held there.”  Rick’s memory is better than mine.  I had forgotten about that game.

My favorite moment in the Dome came after the Colts’ Super Bowl victory.  We were on the field as fans filled the stadium to cheer the champions.  It’s a day I’ll never forget.

Today, I’ve heard people reminiscing about their favorite moments at the RCA Dome.  Some of the memories come from big, public events.  Some are more private and personal.  They’re all thinking about the building because, tomorrow, it will be a pile of rubble.

We’ve been watching it come down, piece by piece, for awhile.  It’s far from the “bold silhouette on the city skyline” as described in a state historical guide, many years ago.  But, in its glory days, the building fulfilled its mission.

Mayor William Hudnut, who presided over the dome’s construction, promoted the project as a way to “draw people downtown and reinforce the core” of the city.  Any drive around downtown today proves that it worked.  In one of his books, Hudnut described the dome as “a symbol for the resourcefulness, creativity, self reliance, and entrepreneurial spirit of an American city…”

Tonight, before the ribbon-cutting at a new store, Deputy Mayor Olgen Williams offered some advice to the president of the company.

Williams was at the new Shoppers World in Lafayette Square Mall.  He was talking to Abe Dushey, the president of Shoppers World.

Williams said he loves having the huge department store on the west side of Indianapolis.  He hopes it brings families back to shop — without bringing back the teenagers who’ve hung-out at the mall in the past.

Williams told Dushey, if the teens are a problem, “you’ve gotta get on it quickly.  You gotta be tough.  You gotta lay the rules down: this is what we’re gonna accept.  This is what we’re not gonna accept.”

With that in mind, Williams predicted the future is great for the new store.

With their heavenly connections, maybe there’s no need to be nervous.  Members of the local Salvation Army entered the holiday season with economy-induced anxiety.  They weren’t sure how the public would respond to this year’s requests for donations.

Well, it turns out the fear was unfounded.  The Radiothon on WIBC drew more than $220,000.  That’s more than the Salvation Army projected.  Our WISH Tree Toy Drive attracted more toys than last year — thousands more. 

The Salvation Army’s Mike Rowland has heard this before.  He sees it as a modern day example of the Bible’s loaves and fishes story.

More generosity will still be needed, though.  The Salvation Army is only about halfway to its total fundraising goal for the year.  So, please don’t ignore the red kettles during your holiday shopping.

It’s amazing to imagine how one assumption can cause turmoil.

On Monday night, a woman knew her son wasn’t home.  That led to a fear that he might have fallen through the ice in a retention pond.  After all, there were footprints on the ice.  It was clear that other people had walked across the pond without incident.  Firefighters said, if they saw a hole in the ice, it wasn’t large enough to have been produced by a teenager.

But they had to search anyway.  Just to be sure.  That isn’t as easy as it sounds.  A Pike Township Fire Department division chief says, when a drown rescue is called, they mobilize two full teams of people.  That’s not just the divers.  That’s other personnel that, together, may add up to as many as 30 people. 

The firefighters say they don’t mind it.  That’s their job and they’re happy to be there, if their services are needed.  But this time their services really weren’t required.  The teenager they were trying to find wasn’t missing.  He just wasn’t home.  The fire department said he called his mom to assure her that he was fine. 

I write this because, while I saw all of the different department trucks at the scene, I didn’t realize how many people would be involved in such a search.  And, it’s a preventable mistake — if people would not walk on icy ponds in the winter and if people would make sure they call their moms.

Today, a prominent local businessman predicted the automakers will get their bailout.  Bill Mays of Mays Chemical said he believes there’s no choice but to support the auto industry — to ensure its continued survival.

Mays and his company’s controller, Eric Gillespie, spoke to me as corporate leaders who once had a strong tie to the industry.  Now, their shipments to the automakers represent less than ten percent of Mays Chemical operations.

Mays and Gillespie said, about three years ago, they reduced their ties to the auto industry.  The car companies “did not treat their suppliers in the most positive way,” Bill Mays said.  So, the company decided to devote more attention to other industries that are “more appreciative” of the company’s service and prices.

Both men said they recognize the economic importance of the auto industry — especially in our part of the country.  That’s why they believe the government will help the car makers.  But, Bill Mays wondered what that would mean to the foreign car companies which employ American workers in American plants.

Mays also shared his concern about the businesses that still serve the auto industry.  He said the ripple effect on those suppliers would be devastating and would drive small, minority businesses into bankruptcy.

Tonight’s story about expanding the smoking ban has some familiar elements.  Supporters of the ban want to make the anti-smoking law even tougher in Indianapolis.  They took their case to a committee of the City-County Council.

Their campaign presented arguments about the dangers of second-hand smoke and other concerns we heard before the council approved a smoking ban, a few years ago.  But, the SmokeFree Indy coalition says more than half of the current council was not in office then.  So those councilors haven’t heard the coalition’s anti-smoking arguments.

Tim Filler, a representative of the coalition, said he would like to see every worker in Indiana covered by a ban on smoking in the workplace — and if it happens in Indianapolis, that would be an example for other cities around the state.

Between now and Sunday, you’ll hear reminders about our toy drive to help the Salvation Army serve needy families.  I just received a note from the Salvation Army’s media director.  He says only 636 toys have been donated, so far.  So, if you’re going to the Colts game on Sunday, please remember to bring a new, unwrapped toy — or two.  You can also donate toys at a variety of locations around the area. 

Your support is especially important this year because, based on the requests for assistance, the Salvation Army says the need has never been greater.

My story tonight at 10 and 11 will address the idea of what we can do to try to preserve our jobs in a time when lay-offs are common.

I adapted my report from information compiled in a Harvard Business Review article and podcast.  The advice ranges from convincing people you’re indispensable to accepting more work and being fun to be around.

The review editor who discussed the advice in an HBR podcast admitted it’s sometimes difficult for people to make sure their efforts are noticed by their bosses.  But, she said if someone realizes a problem has disappeared, that’s getting noticed.

The editor also admitted that people might lose their jobs — even if they follow the HBR advice.  So, she said it’s still a good idea to have a Plan B.