We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of Calvin Dale Weener created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories © 2025 Langeland-Sterenberg Yntema Funeral Homes Made with love by funeralOne Weener Plastics is Silgan’s latest major purchase in recent years to grow its dispensing and specialty closures division UPDATE: Oct. 15, 2024: Silgan Holdings announced Tuesday it completed its acquisition of Weener Plastics Holdings The company funded the deal “through term and revolving loan borrowings under its senior secured credit facility including a €700 million incremental term loan.” During a conference call Wednesday about the transaction CEO Adam Greenlee called Weener “a very logical addition” and said it has “all the hallmarks we look for in a franchise business,” including strong margins demonstrated organic growth and long-term customer relationships “We've always said when we have the right opportunity at the right time And I think this is just another example of that,” he said predominantly across Europe and the Americas Its annual sales for the year ended May 31 were 450 million euros; Silgan’s dispensing and specialty closures division did $2.2 billion in sales in 2023 Weener has approximately 4,000 employees versus Silgan’s nearly 15,000 Silgan management did not explicitly answer analysts’ questions about whether Weener management would be kept in place but Greenlee said “we're excited to work with all of them.” Silgan said Weener’s material procurement is similar to its own largely focused on polypropylene and polyethylene the end market breakdown for the business’ products would be 36% in personal care and beauty 23% in food and 21% in beverage; with healthcare and home care Silgan is funding the purchase with a mix of cash on hand and borrowings under its senior secured credit facility. Following its first quarter Silgan estimated free cash flow for the year would be $375 million Sales in the dispensing and specialty closures segment declined 8% year over year in the first quarter which Silgan attributed to customer destocking activities in domestic food and beverage markets depreciation and amortization for the dispensing business as part of Silgan overall are expected to grow from 21% in 2013 to 55% after the acquisition Dispensing and specialty closures represent Silgan’s second-largest business behind metal containers, like food and pet food cans, and ahead of custom containers. In the food can space, competitor Sonoco is in the process of acquiring European metal containers business Eviosys for $3.9 billion Bought WestRock’s dispensing business for $1.025 billion Bought Albéa’s dispensing business for $900 million Bought Gateway Plastics for $485 million and Unicep for $237 million it plays very well for us to continue to look at opportunities such as this to continue to build out parts of the portfolio,” said Greenlee “We'll continue to look for opportunities in this segment itself.” Ahead of next week’s second-quarter earnings call on July 31 Greenlee acknowledged the market remains challenging “I'd love to tell you that the packaging world is great and everything’s rosy on the outlook going forward I'm not quite sure we're there yet,” he said Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts Niche packaging sectors are considered ripe for growth and M&A Analysts also weigh in on the influence of the Trump administration and whether the megadeal trend will continue in 2025 Squared-off designs often are better for densification or waging the “war on air,” according to sources from Smurfit Westrock Geometry grows more important as robots and SIOC proliferate The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Silgan forecasts operational cost synergies of approximately €20m within 18 months post-acquisition a supplier of sustainable rigid packaging solutions Please check your mail inbox to download the buyer's guide you acknowledge that GlobalData UK Limited may share your information with our partners/sponsors who may contact you directly with information on their products and services Tick here to opt out of curated industry news Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address Weener operates a global network of 19 facilities and employs approximately 4,000 people. The company provides proprietary manufacturing technologies including significant clean room capabilities. Weener reported sales of approximately €450m and adjusted earnings before interest Silgan anticipates operational cost synergies of approximately €20m within 18 months post-acquisition The acquisition is expected to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share in 2025. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is set for completion in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024 The purchase price is subject to adjustments as detailed in the sale and purchase agreement. Silgan plans to fund the acquisition with cash on hand and borrowings under its senior secured credit facility. Silgan president and CEO Adam Greenlee said: “The proposed acquisition of Weener represents the continuation of our strategy to expand our global Dispensing and Specialty Closures franchise and a clear example of the effectiveness of our disciplined capital allocation model to create value for our shareholders. “The combination of Weener’s innovative product offering advanced manufacturing technologies and efficient operating footprint strong customer relationships and presence in growing consumer markets complements our existing dispensing business well.” He also emphasised Silgan’s commitment to being the dispensing partner of choice in the market. Morgan Securities are providing financial advisory services to Silgan for this transaction In May this year, Silgan Holdings reported a 7% decrease in net sales for Q1 of financial year 2024 (FY24) amounting to $1.317bn compared with $1.418bn in the same period in FY23 Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Los Angeles-based designer Tinka Weener, who previously worked at Alexander McQueen, debuted her shimmering garments and triangular bags at London Fashion Week. "Even though I'd only launched my brand two months before that I have to do this,'" she tells Fashionista Before founding her clothing and accessories label Songs of Siren in late 2024, Weener stacked her résumé with various roles in the fashion industry spanning retail, lookbook and backstage photography, working with Dutch designer Marlies Dekkers, freelance styling for Alexander McQueen and freelancing for a fashion public relations agency in Los Angeles Though she initially obtained an economics degree in pursuit of a "safer career path," Weener couldn't shake her lifelong love of fashion and earned degrees at Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in L.A Weener's early career moves also took her to various global fashion hubs: She moved from Amsterdam to London, then to Tokyo (specifically Harajuku, home to the famously maximalist uber-colorful street style) "I think it's the Dutch in me," Weener jokes Though Weener used to design and customize her clothing while growing up her motivation to officially launch her own label came from working alongside fashion designers on the PR side I was always a little bit jealous of them because I felt like I'm helping them grow brands but what they're doing is actually what I would like to be doing," she says "I think eventually after speaking with so many designers 'You should just do it.' I was like I'm just going to start designing a couple of dresses Photo: Dion Bal/Courtesy of Songs of Siren Regardless of which translation you're reading and it's very inspired by power and allure." Songs of Siren's eye-catching garments feature intricate hand beading and sculptural silhouettes. For the label's debut collection, Weener designed five mini dress silhouettes, one matching set and three triangular bags which spotlight various astrological and aquatic motifs. Songs of Siren's luxury garments range in price from $895 to $1,250 Photo: Courtesy of Songs of SirenPhoto: Dion Bal/Courtesy of Songs of Siren "A lot of the dresses have the sun in it, which I'm very heavily influenced [by] because back in the days, also in religion, the sun is of course the start of life, so I have a lot of symbolism towards that," Weener says. "And then we have The Zodiac Dress which has a lot of astrology beaded into it I just try to approach a lot of different religions everything combined in one brand so there's something that everybody can find themselves in." Weener starts by drawing the designs and producing the patterns before sending them off to the atelier she works with in India each garment is handcrafted and hand-beaded by local artisans and then sent back to Weener to conduct fittings for any precise alterations Weener first experienced this level of high-end couture craftsmanship while working with Alexander McQueen and she describes wanting to recreate that expertise as one of her inspirations for Songs of Siren "Every piece takes so long to make, so I think that definitely makes [Songs of Siren] stand out, that the quality is just incredibly high," she notes. "In addition, I try to use designs and patterns that are quite timeless. I don't follow direct fashion trends because if somebody buys a Songs of Siren dress they can still wear it in three or four or five years and still feel as happy and glamorous in it and still get as many compliments hopefully as they would when they initially bought it." Tinka Weener (right) at the Fashion Crossover London Presents: The Rising Stars Shortly after launching in December 2024, Songs of Siren debuted its first collection during London Fashion Week at the Fashion Crossover London Presents: The Rising Stars event The brand was only two months old when Weener got the call about showing and she had a month to arrange everything for the event "I used to be just a backstage photographer and now I can go back [to London Fashion Week] having my own show," Weener reflects "That just seemed overwhelmingly exciting." "Of course fashion is a serious business but I also want to approach things in a funny way [and] in a humorous way to not be too serious and also to draw attention online which is why most of my campaigns have some kind of funny but Weener notes she is exploring partnering with specialty boutiques Entering a larger department store is also a future goal for the Dutch-American designer Weener has her sights set on participating in another fashion week she's focused on thoughtfully expanding her product range with new shapes corsets and tights all while continuing to explore the brand's Greek mythology and religious motifs "I want to bring in that super detailed level of a piece that you can wear for many "that if you wear it in three years or four years it's still going to be beautiful." Tune into the Fashionista Network to join the conversation with fashion and beauty industry leaders. Sign up here. Catie is a contributing writer at Fashionista. working with small boutiques and why her clothes make people want to dance and move Unilever GlobalChange location We are a global consumer goods business with strong fundamentals and differentiated capabilities Our strategy begins with a purpose that places consumers at the heart of everything we do: Brighten everyday life for all Our international leadership team drives our company Innovation is at the heart of everything we do within R&D at Unilever. See the very latest from our press desk Be the first to hear about our press releases, features and articles. our brands are meeting consumers’ daily needs from household staples to premium indulgence Discover the ingredients in our home, beauty and personal care products. We’re committed to contributing to the protection and regeneration of nature Given the size of the plastics challenge we’re using our innovation capabilities to find new We’re working to improve the livelihoods of people in our global value chain Our progress and reporting on issues such as human rights, equity, diversity and inclusion and safety. Our Partner to Win programme is taking our partnerships to a whole new level Together with our partners we’re helping to provide decent livelihoods and supporting inclusive economic growth We're collaborating with key suppliers to reduce emissions from raw materials, ingredients and packaging by 2030, which will help us progress towards our net zero ambition. We’re helping a growing number of key suppliers to build their capacity to reduce emissions share their experiences of our Supplier Climate Programme We aim to have around 300 suppliers in our Supplier Climate Programme by the end of 2024 Partners will have shared their Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data points with Unilever by the end of September ingredients and packaging contributed approximately 63% of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023 Three years after the launch of our Supplier Climate Programme a growing number of businesses within our supply chain are accelerating their climate action as well as collaborative manufacturers who produce some Unilever products on our behalf Our updated Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP) estimates that our Supplier Climate Programme could deliver the biggest step towards reaching our new science-based targets for reducing our Scope 3 GHG emissions by 2030 With 63% of our total emissions within scope of our net zero ambition estimated to come from our raw materials, ingredients and packaging,[b] helping suppliers to calculate and share the footprint of the materials they’re selling to us is key – we each need it to better understand our climate impact collaborate over effective action and track progress over the next few years Our Supplier Climate Programme in actionWeener Plastics and Ball Corporation are among the companies taking part in our Supplier Climate Programme Both supply Unilever with packaging solutions we provided guidance and tools to Weener Plastics to start calculating PCF data for the first time Ball Corporation also shared its PCF data via a joint decarbonisation workshop we have engaged both companies again to share their updated PCF data enabling us to track the progress they are making with reducing the climate impact of their materials they explain how taking part in the Programme and recognising the business case for climate action is helping them to accelerate efforts in their own supply chains “Sustainability was already high on our agenda when we joined the Programme but we didn’t have much experience of making footprint calculations ourselves so being offered a pre-selected tool to use was helpful Now we’re training our teams using the PCF calculations we’ve made It helps our developers design products in the best way and enables our operational teams to focus on the most relevant emission-reduction plans We know some changes will require more time or larger investments because the biggest reductions can often only be achieved by redesigning the entire product and its processes we’ve already made operational savings since the start of the Supplier Climate Programme from reducing scrap rates to optimising our cooling systems and processes We’ve also used the Programme as leverage to engage our own suppliers regarding missing emissions data Large customers wanting to see progress on emissions helps to emphasise the importance of data availability.” Director of Sustainability at Weener Plastics Ball Corporation “Ball is happy to be collaborating with Unilever on decarbonisation efforts and jointly driving action to reduce the environmental impact of our packaging Working together with other businesses is paramount in addressing this challenge alignment and joint action across shared value chains It’s essential to explore and explain the business case for climate action Understanding the costs of action versus inaction is imperative Embracing an ambitious climate approach now will safeguard all our businesses in the long run.” Sustainability Director at Ball Corporation This year and beyond: where we go from hereIn recent months Unilever has equipped our Procurement team with knowledge of how to interpret and meaningfully integrate emissions reduction into their commercial strategies our focus will be on the development of partnerships coming out of workshops we’re holding with select suppliers as well as shaping roadmaps for priority materials with the biggest GHG reduction opportunities “We’re seeing more suppliers accelerating their climate actions,” says Stella Constantatos Unilever’s Supplier Climate Programme Lead “By collaborating with us in the Programme our partners are not only better equipped to reduce emissions they are also helping us build a more accurate picture of the climate impact in our supply chain This allows us to focus on the best emission-reduction opportunities and paves the way for our future partnership.” To find out about the suppliers who have gone public with their climate leadership through the Unilever Climate Promise, click here To read more about our updated commitments on climate, nature, plastics and livelihoods, visit our Sustainability Hub https://www.unilever.com/sustainability/climate/our-climate-transition-action-plan/ Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2023 (PDF 14.76 MB) Why we’ve updated our Climate Transition Action Plan16 May 2024 Our updated Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP) sets out Unilever’s ambitious new climate targets Discover how we’re focusing our efforts so we can deepen our impact by 2030 and why we believe taking urgent climate action now is good for our business in the long term How powerful partnerships are helping grow resilient agricultural supply chains22 April 2024 It’s set to be a year of acceleration for our projects that implement regenerative agriculture practices explains why partnerships with both farmers and tech experts will be key to scaling up the programme World-first partnership to pilot near-zero emissions laundry ingredient14 November 2023 Working with partners, our India business is piloting the production of synthetic soda ash – a key ingredient in laundry powder – with a near-zero greenhouse gas footprint. If proved at scale, this innovation could help unlock faster emissions reductions in our supply chain. We're always looking to connect with those who share an interest in a sustainable future. Get in touch with Unilever PLC and specialist teams in our headquarters, or find contacts around the world. AbilityNet (()=>{var e=async t=>{await(await t())()};(self.Astro||(self.Astro={})).load=e;window.dispatchEvent(new Event("astro:load"));})(); Have you got a few minutes to complete a survey We would love to hear about your experience using Unilever.com The global law firm has appointed its first chief marketing and business development officer Global law firm Linklaters has appointed Tricia Weener as its first chief marketing and business development officer business development and client engagement and according to the business will play a pivotal role in driving the firm’s strategic direction Weener was fractional chief marketing and communications officer at tech scale-up Globacap where she supported the launch of Globacap in the US she was CMO and executive vice-president of marketing corporate comms and brand of global elevator and escalator company Kone She also has extensive marketing experience at HSBC where she spent almost 12 years before moving to Hong Kong and leading marketing in Asia She was then promoted to global CMO of commercial banking Linklaters firmwide managing partner Paul Lewis says the company is “excited” to welcome Weener to the team “Tricia’s vast experience driving client-centricity in financial services and large-scale corporate marketing and sales will be a crucial enabler of [our] commitment” to putting clients’s needs first Weener said she was “really looking forward to leading the BDM [business development management] function and working together to build the brand grow the business and deliver exceptional client experiences” is a brand blessed with a “treasure chest” of distinctive assets His job is to deploy these in relevant way to drive demand for the brand The UK-based travel company is the latest to appoint a chief marketing officer for the first time The hotel chain is the latest brand to announce it’s appointing a chief marketing officer for the first time After winning the Premier League last Sunday Liverpool FC’s senior vice-president of digital says the work for marketing is building up to an “even bigger crescendo” offering our view on what they mean for you and the industry From Motorway’s CMO and CFO making their relationship a strategic partnership to Coca-Cola highlighting its “localness” in light of geopolitical tensions The travel industry often finds it easier to “default to visual” but Expedia says the majority of households it reaches via audio are not reached by any other channel CEO Brian Chesky says a paid membership scheme like Amazon Prime would be more “compelling” for the travel brand than a points-based programme Silgan believes operational cost synergies from the deal to reach approximately €20m within the next 18 months a US-based sustainable rigid packaging solutions supplier has completed its acquisition of Weener Plastics. The acquisition, valued at €838m ($908m), was initially agreed upon in July this year. is known for offering dispensing solutions to the personal care The company boasts a network of 19 facilities across Europe and the Americas employing around 4,000 people. Its proprietary manufacturing technologies include clean room capabilities. To finance the acquisition and related costs and expenses Silgan utilised borrowings under its senior secured credit facility which included a €700m incremental-term loan Silgan anticipates operational cost synergies from the acquisition to reach approximately €20m within the next 18 months The transaction is projected to have a positive impact on Silgan’s financial performance. It is expected to be slightly accretive to adjusted earnings per share in 2024 and could lead to approximately 10% accretion when fully integrated with synergies realised. Silgan supplies dispensing and speciality closures and custom containers for a variety of consumer goods The company is said to be one of the leading suppliers of custom containers for shelf-stable food and personal care products in North America It operates 124 manufacturing facilities spread across North and South America In the first quarter of fiscal year 2024 (FY24), Silgan reported a 7% decrease in net sales amounting to $1.31bn compared with $1.41bn in the same period in FY23 THE SONGS OF SIREN brand launch certainly caught attention when its first campaign featured models dressed in Louboutin heels and beautiful beaded haute couture cocktail dresses jumping backwards into a shimmering pool and gliding through the dappled waves The campaign boldly proclaimed the essence of the brand’s inspiration The models in their hand-beaded dresses could easily be mistaken for a modern version of the sirens of ancient times who were renowned for their “captivating allure.” Merging Hollywood glamour with an edge of Dutch avant-garde Songs of Siren is the first fashion brand by Tinka Weener Though the striking visuals of the first campaign certainly garnered attention it is the dresses themselves that draw the eye with their intricate beadwork Weener is not only influenced by the singing bird-women of Greek Mythology but the concept of blending fluid fashion with craftmanship The designer describes her upbringing as “progressive” and is the root of her desire to explore fashion beyond “gender norms.” Fashion has also been a passion for Weener all her life she used theatrical self-made clothes to express herself and believed that fashion is an “emotional experience.” “There is no way I can feel sad if I’m wearing a beautiful The fashion designer is also dedicated to sustainability and slow fashion, which many fashion brands have also embraced in Australia. Currently, Australia is the highest consumer of textiles per person in the world The intricately beaded dresses are all hand-sewn and can take up to a week to create Weener is committed to not only making a bold statement with her designs but also using eco-friendly construction for her garments The wearers of her stunning dresses are not only indulging in the beauty of the dresses and purses but also supporting quality craftsmanship The Songs of Siren captivated the attention of American model and racing driver Lindsay Brewer who wore the brand’s Eternal Sunshine dress at the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Weener has also been invited to showcase her first collection at London Fashion Week in February of 2025 and her journey to the fashion world started at an unlikely starting point Weener originally earned a degree in economics but later returned to study and received two degrees in fashion (summa cum laude) she worked for small European brands before landing at major houses such as the legendary Alexander McQueen where she worked for dedicated fashion PR agencies she gained knowledge about the industry’s business side as Weener had to work hard to balance the design and production of the garments Breaking into the fashion industry is not for the faint of heart Weener concentrated on promoting her unique brand identity through the brand launch video which she collaborated on with Creative Director Indiana Vos and Photographer Dion Bal with almost ten million views across Instagram and TikTok The future for Songs of Siren is bright as she plans to expand the line of the pyramid-shaped bags that are a signature design of future collections and new pieces that will have a modern twist to their classic design Songs of Siren’s avant-garde yet playful designs are sure to catch the eye of fashionistas “Songs of Siren is dopamine sewn into a dress,” the designer explains Harper’s BAZAAR participates in various affiliate marketing programs which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites We respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The board room on the third floor of Rauch Administration Center has been named for former trustee David Weener ’72 and his wife Weener's board service and the couple’s longtime philanthropic support of the university important decisions to guide the future of Bentley University will be made in the Weener Board Room,” says President Alison Davis-Blake “I can't think of a more appropriate way to honor the legacy that David leaves behind.” The alumnus began helping to guide and govern Bentley as a trustee in 1996. He served on numerous committees and as vice chair, working to ensure that the university was financially stable and ethically run. During that time, he and his wife established an endowed scholarship in their name and became Great Benefactors — a designation for those whose support of Bentley totals $1 million or more. “For so long, David and Elayne's contributions have made certain that others would have the opportunity to receive a Bentley education,” adds Davis-Blake. “Their generosity has opened doors for so many deserving students.” Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Michael Lee Dudley seemed like a typical Washington homeowner – until three teenagers stumbled across a suitcase of horrors on a beach I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice One glistening day, three teenagers stumbled across a suitcase along the rocky shores of Seattle’s Alki Beach The inquisitive trio hoped to find something of value as they eagerly unzipped the black bag before setting cameras rolling for a TikTok video. As they hauled the bag from the body of water, instead of treasure, they found the case was stuffed full of rotting human remains Last week saw the return of Netflix’s hit true crime series Worst Roommate Ever viewers were introduced to Michael Lee Dudley The warm-humoured, unassuming looking 66-year-old looked, by all appearances, a committed Washington Airbnb owner He’d previously volunteered to drive one renter to a job interview and cared for another’s pets – he himself was smitten with his dog But Dudley, who has since earned the sobriquet “The Lethal Landlord“ a neighbor said they heard a man’s voice pleading for his life as gunshots rang out The couple had gotten into a spat with the landlord over unpaid rent The tenants were dismembered and their body parts squeezed into the suitcase The gruesome video was posted on TikTok and went viral quickly garnering more than 30 million views police obtained a search warrant at Dudley’s property where Lewis and Weener had been staying authorities discovered freshly covered bullet holes and traces of blood Dudley was arrested on August 19 2020 on suspicion of murder His ex-girlfriend of 14-years Marlys Gordon spoke out alleging that he once ricocheted her head off a patio floor with a gun in his hand Lewis’ aunt Gina Jaschke also claimed on Worst Roommate Ever that Dudley had previously held her niece at gunpoint killed animals as threats and placed a tracker on her car On April 7 2023, Dudley was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder. He will now likely spend the rest of his days behind bars, after he was sentenced to 46 years in prison. He is currently serving his time at Washington State Penitentiary and will not be eligible for parole until the age of 104. Austin Weener and Jessica Lewis were murdered in June 2020 by Michael Lee Dudley What they found was key to catching the ‘lethal landlord’","description":"Michael Lee Dudley seemed like a typical Washington homeowner – until three teenagers stumbled across a suitcase of horrors on a beach Howard K. Weener left his earthly home to be with his Lord and Savior at the age of 93 on August 26, 2022. Howard passed away peacefully at home in Zeeland under the care of his family and Emmanuel Hospice. He will be greatly missed by... View Obituary & Service Information Weener created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Weener left his earthly home to be with h.. Sunday, March 23, 2014 2:00 PM EDT Christ Memorial Church 595 Graafschap Road Holland, MI 49423 (616) 396-2305 At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice Western Theological Seminary 101 East 13th Street Holland, MI 49423 (800) 392-8554 under the care of Hospice and surrounded by her family Jean was born in Holland to Henry and Marie Wiersma on March 22 and in that same year married her elementary-school classmate and high school boyfriend While Jay attended seminary Jean began her teaching at Waukazoo Elementary School and for the next 40 years she faithfully served alongside her husband in pastoral ministry then Third Reformed Church in Grand Rapids During their 17 years in Kalamazoo Jean taught in the Kalamazoo Public Schools In 1989 Jay was called to teach at Western Theological Seminary and in moving back to Holland they became members of Christ Memorial Church where they both sang in the choir Jean continued to focus on the church and her family She is remembered for her gracious hospitality and James and Debbie Wayner of Holland; grandchildren Angela Carter of Ann Arbor Morrocco; great-grandchildren Caleb VanDop and Emmett Gray; brothers and sisters Glenn and Alice Wiersma of Holland Memorial services will be 2 pm Sunday at Christ Memorial Church (entrance C) Visitation will follow the service in the gathering area memorial contributions may be made to Western Theological Seminary Arrangements are by the Dykstra Funeral Home-Mulder Chapel JavaScript is disabled. In order to use all of the features on dykstrafuneralhome.com, enable JavaScript.Close The board room on the third floor of the Rauch Administration Building has officially been dedicated to Trustee David Weener ’72 and his wife Elayne in recognition of David’s years of service to the board of trustees and David and Elayne’s longtime generous philanthropic support of the university serving on numerous important committees and as vice chairman and helping to ensure the university was a financially stable In addition to his help in governing and guiding the university, David and Elayne have been longtime generous donors to Bentley. During his time on the board, David helped to establish an endowed scholarship in his and Elayne’s name, and they are noted as Great Benefactors of the university a designation given to those who have donated over $1 million to Bentley David will retire as a trustee in June after 23 years of service “For so long, David and Elayne’s contributions have ensured that others would have the opportunity to earn a Bentley education,” said President Alison Davis-Blake “Their generosity has opened doors for so many deserving students important decisions that will guide the future of Bentley University will be made in the Weener Board Room,” President Davis-Blake said “I can’t think of a more appropriate way to honor the legacy that David has left behind.” Kenzie Weener went into the final season of her tennis career with no goals After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out her junior season at Spring Arbor Weener just wanted a clear finish to her career “My last season was about being an end to the era It was all about memories and fighting the last fight,” Weener said She had to take that approach since everything was so uncertain “I honestly did not think we were going to have a season so to be able to have it and finish off strong was huge,” she said “You spend however many years playing tennis so to have an ending and get that last season is a huge thing You get to experience things that not a lot of people finish.” Weener was on the first doubles flight with Abby Ducharme She has been a doubles specialist her entire tennis career she and partner Lauren Balder made the state semifinals two years in a row at No Weener then took that plan of attack to Spring Arbor where she majored in business marketing you get a huge opportunity to help the team in other ways One of my roles was being a leader and being there for the girls understanding and talking about it,” she said “Even though I didn’t play singles I made a huge impact and I was super happy for that role I was blessed to be able to do that.” Having that fight for the team and outlook on the sport was something that developed over her career “Just the overall growth of the girls on the team and learning to better yourself I have learned so many things about myself focusing on the person not just the sport,” she said Subscribe: Check out our offers and read the local news that matters to you But the sport has been a passion of Weener’s for more than a decade “Tennis is more than just a sport to me Tennis has brought me a lot of things in life Finding friendships and finding who you are It is not just hitting a ball back and forth I am thankful for all of my experiences through tennis,” she said “My parents put me through a lot of sports Both of my brothers were big on tennis and when I was little I started to have a love for tennis.Then I started coaching tennis (in high school) and started being more active in the sport “It is really cool to see how far I have come.” — Contact Sports Editor Dan D'Addona at Dan.D'Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports Home / RCA appoints Jill Ver Steeg and Randy Weener to new roles The RCA is pleased to announce the filling of two executive leadership positions this summer Jill Ver Steeg stepped into her role as chief ministry officer in mid-July and Randy Weener will begin his responsibilities as director of Church Multiplication on September 1 formerly the director of transformational engagement will now oversee the work of Transformed & Transforming working closely with all initiative leaders “Transformed & Transforming is the church’s vision the emerging reality of where we believe God is taking us I’m eager to get after the work of stewarding all of those initiatives,” she says “I’m thrilled to help our team discover their core contribution and to lean into that—to flourish in their calling Ver Steeg brings much leadership experience to this role previously serving as a chaplain at Hope College and a teaching pastor at Meredith Drive Reformed Church in Des Moines In addition to receiving her master of divinity from Western Theological Seminary in 2003 she completed her doctorate of ministry in adaptive leadership and spiritual formation at Fuller Theological Seminary in 2017 But it’s not just leadership and experience that Ver Steeg carries so I see it now as Transformed & Transforming 2.0—imagining new strategies and inviting congregations into a story larger than themselves,” she says “I’m excited to engage new RCA congregations Weener’s part-time role as coordinator of Church Multiplication is expanding to that of director of Church Multiplication This larger role is the result of a vision of the RCA: plant 1,000 churches in the coming 20 years “That’s one church plant every week for the next 20 years,” Weener says “We’re doubling a denomination that is 400 years old.” The aim is to establish 500 stand-alone church plants in Canada and the United States 200 micro churches (led by a volunteer or bi-vocational pastor to reach a specific subgroup of the community) and other countries where the denomination already has partners “I’m excited to learn from the global church,” Weener says “We have to be at the feet of where things are happening and then see what we can learn.” Weener holds a bachelor of music education from Hope College a master of divinity from Western Theological Seminary and a doctorate of ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School he served as the senior pastor at Standale Reformed Church in Grand Rapids and planted Spring Valley Church (RCA) in Allendale He has also been the classis leader for the Great Lakes City Classis since 2008 His focus on church multiplication began in 2000 “It’s a calling to bring people who don’t know God into relationship with him My greatest joy and vitality in ministry is when I’m in a position over my head “We plant churches to introduce people to Christ and to expand the kingdom of God,” Weener says “If we can reach 100 people with one church It’s less about the 1,000 churches and more about the 100,000 disciples.” Contact us at hello@rca.org Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission If I had guess the order of things that Louis Huang loves most in this world I’d put Halloween near the top of the list Halloween is his absolute favorite holiday which is great for him but unfortunate for us Halloween episodes serve only to showcase a costume department’s myriad talents Pete Sampras’s bloodsucking cousin from Transylvania despite the fact that Halloween is nothing but a waste of money and a means for people insecure in their everyday looks to try on something new for a day Alas, trouble brews in the Huang household. Evan and Emery are at loggerheads about what to do with their costume. “I fear we may have peaked too soon,” Evan says. Honestly, he’s right: Nothing will top their Silence of the Lambs outfit absolutely nothing in the pantheon of television costumes ever It just seems that they can’t get it right If Evan doesn’t want to be the Barney the dinosaur to Emery’s Dr he most certainly doesn’t want to be the Short Round to Emery’s Indiana Jones Evan picks the costumes this year and Emery has to be Kato Kaelin — complete with McDonald’s bag and terrible wig — while Evan makes the cutest Lance Ito I have ever seen and Marvin the Martian — leave to pursue their dreams of diabetic coma Eddie’s Sidney Deane from White Man Can’t Jump and Nicole’s Sporty Spice are left to contend with the lamest party in the world But if Eddie has learned anything from repeat viewings of the “Gin and Juice” video all you need to do is play loud music and dance a bunch and the party will come to you There’s no way Jessica would let Eddie attend a party in a house bereft of adults, you’re surely thinking to yourself. You’re correct. She didn’t. She’s been getting a head start on NaNoWriMo using the downtime of Halloween to peck away at her horror novel Since she’s absolved herself of Halloween duties Louis is trying everything he can to get her in the spirit The old “I smell gas do you smell gas oh look there’s a head in the oven” trick doesn’t work Neither does Reba’s ghost of a Polish girl who murdered her parents with a shovel Same with the story Louis tells about hitting someone with his car; Jessica merely uses her excellent fact-checking skills to discuss how to properly dispose of the body You’d also think the phone call from the police station about Eddie is fake Turns out somebody filed a noise complaint about the “party” he and Nicole threw cue the heartwarming sitcom-y bit: Louis is sad because Jessica doesn’t love Halloween as much as he does and he just wants her to participate Halloween is his Christmas — a fun holiday you spend with your family — and her refusal to participate hurts I think it’s perfectly fine and normal to just not want to participate in a holiday that bores you so you know something heartwarming is on its way and takes them trick-or-treating in the harsh morning light of November like some sort of weird reverse walk of shame Authenticity Index: N/AThis week’s episode hews closely to a traditional American sitcom, and as I mentioned last week, we might be past the need for this index. Time will tell. For now, I’ve got nothing. Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. There was an error processing the request. Please try again later. former congressman Anthony Weiner has provided another round of giggle-worthy news coverage playing on the connotations of his name through its association with a type of sausage from Vienna prounounced “veener.” In the same way people say “Polish” for Polish sausage people started calling the wiener wurst a “weener,” and the word then traveled over to the domain of other sausage-like objects With his latest scandalous revelations It is spelled with “ei” rather than “ie,” and in German “ei” is pronounced “eye,” as it would be in “whiner.” So why doesn’t he use that pronunciation his name would indeed have the “eye” pronunciation but in the United States both the “eye” and “ee” pronunciations show up for this name There is a German name Weiner that comes from a dialectal pronunciation of Wagner and according to dictionaries of Jewish surnames his name probably originates from the Yiddish name Vayner and Vayner is related to the German word Wein for “wine,” and pronounced with the “eye” vowel But there is another less common but also predominately Jewish surname Wiener So there have long been two surnames with two pronunciations and two different but very close spellings floating about in the same American community and in the process of Americanization things were likely to get mixed up Probably adding to the confusion was influence from the inconsistent “ie” “ei” spelling rules in English and a slew of common American Scottish names where “ei” stood for the “ee” sound (MacLeish it’s up to each family to decide how they want to spell and pronounce their name If Anthony Weiner wants to reinvent himself again © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Plasteurope.com is a business information platform for the European plastics industry It is part of KI Kunststoff Information and PIE Plastics Information Europe one of the leading content providers for the European plastics industry We offer daily updated business news and reports polymer prices and other services for the international plastics industry News | Polymer Prices | Suppliers Guide | Jobs | Register | Advertising Abigail Denise Schubkegel and Kyle Robert Weener were united in marriage on June 28 and the scripture reading was by Aaron Schubkegel The couple’s parents are Fred and Denise Schubkegel of Portage The maid of honor was Elizabeth Schubkegel The flower girls were Julia Bowron and Olivia Bowron The ring bearers were Ethan Schubkegel and Daniel Schubkegel Josiah Schubkegel and Nate Schubkegel were ushers A reception followed at the Haworth Center The couple honeymooned in California and Oregon The bride was home schooled and graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University She is employed by Crescendo Music Academy and Southwest Symphony Orchestra The groom graduated from Holland Christian High School and Indiana Wesleyan University He is employed by Kalamazoo Christian Schools and Omni Brokerage At Camp Yavneh in the woods of New Hampshire they were known as the “Ezras” – Ezra Schwartz and Ezra Weener close friends who shared the same height and name and spent summers together playing benign practical jokes and sharing a laugh the pair who had been bunkmates since they were nine-years-old had grown up to become counselors When they parted ways at the end of camp Weener said to Schwartz who was on his way to spend a year in Israel “I went to Israel for the year last year and had an amazing time I was just wishing him the same,” said Weener But Thursday he was absorbing the news that Schwartz had been gunned down and killed at a West Bank junction According to friends he had deferred beginning his studies at Rutgers University so he could attend a gap year studying at a yeshiva in Israel He and friends from his Beit Shemesh yeshiva had been distributing food to soldiers stationed in the Gush Etzion area when the van they were traveling in came under fire The news rippled across not just the Boston area where Schwartz grew up in the town of Sharon but through a vast network of the outgoing teenager’s camp and school friends throughout the United States and Israel “He was that happy go lucky kid who did not have a care in the world always the life of the party,” said Weener who spoke slowly and deliberately still clearly absorbing the shock of his friend’s loss When he learned of Schwartz’s killing he headed straight to University of Maryland’s Hillel for anyone who wanted them and an evening prayer service was dedicated to his memory “There are so many people (affected) between Israel school and Sharon where he lived,” he said referring to fellow students at Maryland where Shwartz’s sister is also a student He said at least ten people from the university were flying up to the Boston area for the funeral scheduled for Sunday “He was a kind loving person who everyone loved.” a modern Orthodox Jewish day school in Brookline He was a football fan who liked to wear the jersey of his beloved New England Patriots had trouble speaking of Schwartz in the past tense He had been such a vital presence in her life since they met at the camp dining hall years ago when they were assigned to the same table She laughed recalling the funny faces he used to make to make her laugh and the time he snuck out of his bunk in middle of night and drove a golf cart into middle of field and left it there “He is very affectionate person,” she said of Schwartz “His face would light up when he sees me or any of his friends Salinger described his close relationship with his siblings which aside from his older sister included three younger brothers whom he taught to play football and whiffle ball recalled how instantly he took to his duties as camp counselor this past summer “The kids would hang on him and he loved it,” she said noting he had recently sent in his forms from Israel to return to camp as a counselor for next summer For Sussman and so many others of Schwartz’s friends and contacts his death was the first time they had lost someone they knew to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “Every day we hear of knife attacks and shootings and it’s a tragedy and overwhelming But this is the first time I knew someone,” she said This innocent young man was shot for no reason.” Schwartz spent the summer of 2014 when Israel was at war with Gaza touring the country as part of an organized program Salinger was with him and she recalls how much he loved hiking in Israel and how even though they had lived through a tense summer In a video she took of him on one of their tour bus rides joking that he feels pressure speaking on camera The recording shuts off just after he concludes with a cheerful go to Haaretz.com or to subscribe to Haaretz click here and use the following promotional code for Forward readers: FWD13 I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association HOLLAND — Friends can come and go That's exactly what members of Holland Christian's basketball team have learned No members of the Maroons basketball class of 1957 were related by blood but over the last 65 years they've formed a special brotherhood. winning district and regional titles in 1957 making it all the way to the state quarterfinal game before falling by a point the group was a part of something much more historic than any wins or losses They were a part of the first team to play the first basketball games in the Holland Civic Center which is where the Maroons still play today. Rev Gord and Ned Joldersma were all sophomores on that squad and seniors when the Maroons made it so close to a state title game but the five others still get together once a week or so to meet for breakfast and talk about life vacations and anything else you can think of. But the thing they do more than anything is reminisce about their days on the hardwood Mulder and the other four still go back to the Civic today to watch a couple games here and there when they can but it still brings an overwhelming sense of gratification knowing that the floor they played on is still such a big part of the community around them. they held district and regional championships there every year," Mulder said "Most of the schools back then had their dinky little gyms but at that time we were pretty proud." status on the floor didn't matter to them once they stepped foot off of it Weener is a bit happy he wasn't on the floor as much as some of his classmates It gave him a chance to really take in the high school basketball atmosphere the sounds of the sneakers squeaking on the hardwood floor. There was one other thing about high school basketball Weener got excited about too his wandering eyes helped him catch a glimpse of something that would change his life forever. and a friend of mine made an arrangement for me to meet her." he married his wife Yvonne Weener and they've been together ever since. Mulder went on to Hope College and became a chemist The others all stuck around Holland as well becoming accountants, salesmen and mechanics. Weener eventually came back after his service time was up and took a job with the city of Holland Public Works Department They saw each other around town every now and then but had their own lives and own families to raise. Klaver approached the four others about getting together again They met one time at a diner in Holland and just to catch up Every other Wednesday morning the group sits "[It's] like we've been friends all along," —Contact Assistant Sports Editor Will Kennedy at Will.Kennedy@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByWillKennedy and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports. After helping the Holland Christian girls tennis team finish fourth at the Division 3 state tournament for the second consecutive season Mackenzie Weener is taking her tennis to the next level The Holland Christian senior signed national letter of intent to accept a tennis scholarship at Spring Arbor University on Tuesday I could really tell it was an awesome community the Christian aspect of everything was amazing Everything seemed a perfect fit," Weener said "I didn't really think I was going to play in college in my faith walk and also finding the opportunity to play college tennis something that most people don't experience It is such a blessing and I wouldn't have been able to get here without the people in my life 2 doubles partner Lauren Balder went 24-5 last spring winning the OK Green Conference and Division 3 regional titles along the way before advancing to the state semifinals Posted by Louise Prance-Miles | Apr 27, 2018 | Europe, Packaging, South America | Weener Plastics (WP) has announced the acquisition of Proenfar from parent company Altra Investments The acquisition will push WP forward in Latin America while developing Proenfar in Europe where WP is headquartered Proenfar also has a strong export business where it employs more than 1,600 people and has four production plants in Colombia “The acquisition of Proenfar marks an important milestone in our successful international expansion I am convinced that our customers will benefit from this transaction as Proenfar shares our strong focus on innovation and customer service We look forward to working together with Proenfar’s experienced management team and welcome all their employees to the WP group.” With the deal having been signed this week the new acquisition is hoped to expand WP’s international presence by strengthening and developing its relationship with multinational and Latin American companies Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed with the deal being subject to ‘customary closing conditions’ Contact Us Subscribe Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms & Conditions Copyright © 2025 Global Cosmetics Media Limited If you're watching this man on television Earl Weener is one of three active pilots on the National Transportation Safety Board which currently has four members and one vacancy The NTSB’s origins date back to the Air Commerce Act of 1926 agency charged with investigating all major aviation It also coordinates federal assistance to victims of select accidents the NTSB has investigated approximately 132,000 aviation accidents and issued more than 13,000 safety recommendations It has set the gold standard for transportation accident investigation worldwide; many countries have modeled their accident investigative bureaus after it and continue to seek its assistance Yet it operates with comparatively modest resources for a federal agency—an annual budget of $104 million and 400 employees. Weener possesses impressive qualifications He has been a flight instructor for 48 years and a commercial pilot and he continues to fly his own Beechcraft Bonanza in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and was the 2005 recipient of the Honeywell Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety While a fellow at the Flight Safety Foundation he led international industry teams focused on reducing accidents during aircraft ground operations. where he held senior engineering positions and played key roles in the development of first-generation glass cockpits for the 757 and 767 airliners He also served as Boeing’s manager of engineering and technical government affairs in Washington whose term on the NTSB expires at the end of 2015 maintains that corporate aviation safety is “very good and getting better.” However While he believes that new technology continues to make flying safer he laments that “the airplanes are a whole lot safer than the pilots are We have more autopilot drivers than flyers When automation fails or doesn’t do the job often hand flying is done without a lot of proficiency.” “Overdependence on automation leads to accidents but it needs to be used properly.” Increasingly airliners and corporate jets have the same or similar cockpit technology I asked Weener about the limits of technology about aviation safety but we began by discussing his first experiences with airplanes My dad was in the Army Air Corps [in World War II] I’ve always been interested in airplanes so as soon as I could afford it I got my private license when I was 21 When you don’t have them you tend to pat yourself on the back and when you do have them you start to look for root causes Overall we saw a 10 percent reduction in general aviation accident rates in 2013 Look at Asiana 214 [a Boeing 777 that crashed on approach to San Francisco in 2013 If the pilot had had more information about how that automation [in the cockpit] worked that would have been a factor in preventing the accident. there was a trail of mistakes during that whole approach: they were too high and too fast and later too slow and the automation was only peripherally involved in that The pilot was hand-flying the airplane when he got too slow You also had a new instructor teaching a pilot new to the airplane on that flight—what we call “green on green.” This isn’t the first time that’s been a problem. Here you had an airplane that stayed together the landing gear fused off just like it was supposed to the engines were designed to come off through fuse links Because the landing gear came off and didn’t punch through the fuel tanks [in the wings] the fire they did have was from an oil reservoir There was plenty of survival time and plenty of survival space That says to me that the industry really did a lot of things right. And that’s a 1995 design. The design philosophy on the 757 and 767 is that the pilot should always be in control of the airplane [and should use] automation in a way he wants it to be used you can tell the airplane to do just specific tasks—turn to a certain heading climb to a certain altitude at a certain speed—or you can program the computer to fly the airplane just after takeoff all the way to an auto land The pilot is responsible for choosing the level of automation that he wants and the automation does not restrict the pilot from doing anything to the airplane that the airplane is capable of doing. you still have to have a well-qualified and proficient pilot The hazard of an automated system that works right almost all the time is that the pilot is not ready to either detect or take over when the system doesn’t work properly You are assuming that it is always going to work properly You’re also assuming that the designer of the system thought of everything There are always going to be things that nobody anticipated and the pilot is going to have to take over and do what needs to be done in that situation. An airplane in flight makes a lousy classroom There used to be a lot of flight-training accidents You can do things in simulators you can’t do safely in flight I’m a big fan of training devices and simulators I started using Microsoft Flight Simulator on my desktop computer to practice approaches and get ready for check rides there are still things that simulators can’t replicate such as the impact of G-forces on the pilot. My opinion is that we are putting a lot of reliance on satellite systems—particularly the global positioning system But GPS is a weak signal and can be interfered with So we do need a backup mode for navigation Keeping the ground-based VOR [very high-frequency omnidirectional range] transmitters is important. You try to choose what you are going to learn the most from PAST POSITIONS: Spent 24 years in senior positions at Boeing PERSONAL: Lives in northern Virginia with wife Weener is an accomplished mariner who spent four years living aboard a specially built steel-hull trawler cruising the coastline and inland waterways of the U.S This interview has been edited and condensed Since 2003, Business Jet Traveler has been providing subscribers in more than 150 countries with aviation and lifestyle news, reviews, and features. More > Business Jet Traveler is a publication of AIN Media Group Seth Weener assessed before the cross country race started that he had to start fast Qualifying for the NCAA Division III national championships isn’t solely about physical ability Weener joined an elite group at Hope College when he finished 15th in a field of 240 runners at the regional Saturday in Westerville “When I ran at nationals a couple of years ago I knew before the race even started I needed to get out no matter how fast the start was.” The top seven runners at the regional beyond the runners on the qualifying teams advanced to nationals Regional champion Jed Christiansen of Calvin College finished in 24:44.03 Weener is the fifth male Hope runner to qualify for nationals as an individual more than once The national championships are Saturday in Hanover Weener joined a fellow Hope club that includes Lindsey Dood (1984-85-86) Aaron Bruininks (1991-93) and Joe Veldman (1999-2000) you have to be able to go out strong,” Northuis said He knows what it’s going to take to be able to run at that level and do what he needed to do to qualify.” Weener is looking to improve on his 205th place finish at the 2006 Division II national championships Northuis said Weener is a top-40 runner heading into the meet and capable of earning one of the All-American honors given to the top 35 finishers “It’s a rolling course that leaves room to make group in the middle and the end The family of Calvin Lewis Van Ommen created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Amanda Lyn Weener and Brian Lee Vande Streek were united in marriage on January 3 Vande Streek officiated the ceremony and music was provided by the Bogart String Quartet Parents of the couple are Mitch and Lyn Weener of Holland and Kevin and Vicki Vande Streek of Jenison Ron Sivonda was the best man and Andy Van Manen and Matthew Vande Streek were the groomsmen Tim Stoeffler and Kyle Snoeyink served as ushers A reception followed at The Bob with Carolyn Cooper as the attendant The bride is a graduate of Holland Christian High School and Chic University of Cosmetology The groom graduated from Unity Christian High School and Calvin College Fred and Denise Schubkegel of Portage announce the engagement of their daughter graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University and is employed by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and Crescendo Music Academy The groom-elect graduated from Holland Christian High School and Indiana Wesleyan University He is employed by Oakwood Intermediate Schools Holland Christian four-time all-state swimmer Kelsey Weener signed a national letter-of-intent to accept a swim scholarship at Olivet Nazarene Weener was all-state in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles as well as helping the Maroons win the 200 freestyle relay state title in Division 3 Weener also earned all-conference honors all four years at Holland Christian The couple documented their hot dog-themed meal with their wiener dog Earl and Marcia Weener of Holland are marking 65 years of marriage 13 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren A family celebration will take place in Holland and at Crooked Lake engineer watched Nevada Amtrak crash unfold - Two truck drivers and a train engineer watched helplessly as a semitrailer skidded the length of a football field before it smashed through crossing gates and into two double-decker cars of an Amtrak train at a highway crossing The drivers were part of a three-truck convoy that saw the gates come down and the warning lights go off as the California Zephyr approached National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener said Saturday but the driver of the big rig in the lead did not Investigators on Sunday planned to look over the scene for any clues as to why the truck driver plowed through the railroad crossing It's expected to take up to a year to pinpoint the cause of the crash The Churchill County Sheriff's office said Saturday that six people had died in the crash The truck driver and train conductor were among the dead 68-year-old Laurette Lee of South Lake Tahoe Her great-grandfather and grandfather worked for railroad companies her brother is an Amtrak dispatcher and her nephew is an Amtrak conductor Lee's friends and family told the San Jose Mercury News Weener said 28 people were unaccounted for in the crash but that the figure was "spongy" because some passengers may have gotten off the train before the crash or walked away from the scene without checking with officials "This is not quite like you are used to when you get on an airplane you can get off without necessarily being tracked." and the United Transportation Union said the train's assistant conductor was among those seriously hurt Weener said a passenger manifest counted 210 on board but Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds said 204 passengers and 14 crew members were on the train at the time "We are going to be working in the next several days to get more of that (unaccounted) number down the best we can," Weener said Weener said visibility was excellent and the crossing gates and warning lights were working The train's engineer saw the truck approaching the crossing about 70 miles east of Reno and realized the collision was inevitable The engineer slammed on the emergency brakes which was going about 78 mph in an 80-mph zone traveled a half mile more before it finally stopped The engineer watched the truck smash into two of the train's 10 cars through the rearview mirror He saw the truck approaching the train," Weener said watched the collision in a rearview mirror He was hoping the train was not going to derail." NTSB investigators were returning to the crash site on Sunday to search for more possible victims and try to rectify discrepancies in the passenger manifest The California Zephyr from Chicago was about 300 miles east of its destination in Emeryville Earlier witness accounts said the truck driver didn't attempt to stop before it drove through the crossing but Weener said the driver did try to stop because the truck skidded about 320 feet before it crashed The speed of the truck hasn't been determined but Weener said it was going "at a considerable speed" because the impact left the tractor embedded in one of the train cars The truck driver who died was a Nevada man in his mid-40s Churchill County authorities said they were working to confirm other victims' identities and notify family members Weener said a team of 18 NTSB investigators were expected to remain at the scene for at least a week NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said they hadn't finished combing the wreckage and Weener said they had yet to review video data taken from the train "We will not be determining a probable cause of this accident while we are here," Weener said.