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n Michael S. Miller and Bob Frantz on election results, page 3
The dawn of a Toledo tradition November 9, 2005
BACK TO THE FUTURE
www.toledofreepress.com
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Columns were written with 25 percent of the votes counted, when Finkbeiner had a 45-percent lead. LIGHTING THE FUSE A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC Vol. 1, No. 35, Established 2005
Thomas F. Pounds President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com Michael S. Miller Editor in Chief mmiller@toledofreepress.com Kay T. Pounds Vice President of Operations kpounds@toledofreepress.com Stacie L. Klewer Art Director sklewer@toledofreepress.com Myndi M. Milliken Managing Editor mmilliken@toledofreepress.com Barbara Goodman Shovers Contributing Editor bshovers@toledofreepress.com Edward Shimborske III Entertainment Editor es3@toledofreepress.com Adam Mahler Food/Dining Editor amahler@toledofreepress.com DM Stanfield Photo Editor dmstanfield@toledofreepress.com STAFF WRITERS news@toledofreepress.com Keith Bergman • Michael Brooks Scott Calhoun • Lauri Donahue John Dorsey • John Johnson Chris Kozak • Vicki Kroll Scott McKimmy • Michael Punsalan Mark Tinta • Deanna Woolf Dave Woolford • Russ Zimmer Shannon Wisbon Copy Editor Katie McCoy Graphic Designer Ryan Hufford Photographer Miranda Everitt Editorial Intern ADVERTISING SALES Renee Bergmooser rbergmooser@toledofreepress.com Casey Fischer cfischer@toledofreepress.com Lauren Parris lparris@toledofreepress.com Toledo Free Press is published every Wednesday by Toledo Free Press, LLC, 300 Madison Avenue Suite 1300, Toledo, OH 43604 www.toledofreepress.com Phone: (419) 241-1700 Fax: (419) 241-8828 Subscription rate: $52/year. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2005 with all rights reserved. Publication of advertisements does not imply endorsement of advertisers’ goods or services.
Carty must focus on economy
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f the earth had cracked open and swallowed the Toledo Museum of Art last Wednesday, Toledo’s business community would have plunged into a multi-generational paralysis. A reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of Rudolph|Libbe was an überwho’s who of Toledo’s business leaders. Venerable families such as Savage, Anderson and of course Rudolph and Libbe mingled with bank presidents, university presidents, senators, board members, county commissioners, real estate developers and enough power players to fill an opera house. Food and drink flowed around a copious torrent of handshakes, backslaps and hugs. The amazing story of Rudolph|Libbe’s formation and success served as the catalyst for a buzz of conversation about entrepreneurialism, local investment and Toledo’s future. That night, less than one week away from Carty Finkbeiner’s juggernaut return to office, a great deal of conversation focused on
Michael S. Miller Carty’s legacy, reputation and role in sparking Toledo’s economy. While many people predicted and welcomed Carty’s victory, there were equal amounts who expressed less enthusiastic views. Descriptions such as “bully,” “liar” and “the end justifies the means” peppered conversations. I wasn’t shocked by the expressions of dislike for Carty — everyone knows he’s as flawed as any other person — but I was taken aback by the depth of the dislike. Toledo Free Press endorsed Carty, primarily because he offers a stronger hope for revitalizing Toledo’s economic development. He’s back in office because people want active, energetic results, not
quiet lethargy. While many people laud him for his passion, some see that as hot-headedness and have long memories of his oft-bruising management style. The pressure on Carty is twofold. He must meet high expectations for development, job creation and economic action. He must also work to win the trust of those who are not fans of his take-no-prisoners style. I first met Carty when he was campaigning for the vote to change Toledo’s government from a city-manager model to a strongmayor model. He was eloquent when he spoke, but he simultaneously projected an air of “I dare you to disagree with me” that did not foster open communication. If he is going to heal some of the rifts that keep our city from moving forward, Carty is going to have to demonstrate he has aged gracefully and can facilitate a united development front. This morning, Carty and his supporters can celebrate and relish their victory. By the time he takes office, he is going to need
to be prepared to focus the city and its business community on a vibrant, active future. Congratulations, Carty. Now, the real work begins. Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press. He may be contacted at (419) 241-1700 or by e-mail at
mmiller@toledofreepress.com.
COMMON SENSE
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Carty got his results
ere are five simple words to summarize what the people of Toledo did on Tuesday: Deaf folks, pack your bags. OK, that was harsh. But you have to admit, by voting to move Carlton S. Finkbeiner back into One Government Center, Toledo residents decided the best course for this city to take was to go back to the future. Not in a flying DeLorean, mind you, but in a flying coffee mug. OK, that was harsh too. Truth of the matter is, Toledo voters were left with no alternative but to give Carty another shot at righting this sinking ship because the current captain has been asleep at the wheel for three-and-a-half years. Well, groggy at least. What were the voters actually saying by calling on Finkbeiner to save the day? Were they voting with the supreme confidence that comes with the knowledge their candidate will do all the miraculous things he said he could do? Or, were they voting out of desperation, clinging to the hope that this guy will do, well ... something? My bet is on the latter. You see, it would be virtually impossible for Carty to accomplish everything he promised in his five-month campaign. He swore he’d overhaul the education system at Toledo Public Schools, even though he has no direct authority over the district. He vowed to level dilapidated neighborhoods and build new houses in their places without any suggestion of how to pay for it. He promised new jobs by the boatload, new businesses flocking to Downtown, more cops to protect those businesses, a modernized sports arena ... somewhere, and renovated shopping centers at Westgate and Southwyck.
Bob Frantz The only thing missing from his grand plan was healing the sick, giving sight to the blind and comfort to the deaf. Oops. Tried that one already. No, the people of Toledo don’t really believe Carty will be the elixir to all that ails them, but they know he’ll at least perform an examination and prescribe something. He’ll at least take the city’s temperature and check its pulse. Hell, he’ll at least have a pulse. Ultimately, that’s what Tuesday’s vote was really all about. In this titanic clash of polaropposite styles, Toledoans announced they’d rather embrace someone who screams loudly than someone who snores loudly. Good stuff, bad stuff, big stuff, small stuff. Just do some stuff, the voters begged. But for God’s sake, don’t just sit there while Toledo lags behind every other major Midwestern city and try to tell us how effective quiet leadership really is. Quiet is certainly something Carty will not be in his third term as mayor. Yes, he was a perfect gentleman in the months preceding the election, despite some personally vicious attacks by a desperate Ford campaign. But don’t you dare believe that the same passion-
ate fire that propelled Jeep deals and coffee cups is gone. Carty did what he had to do to convince voters the short-fused powder keg was gone, replaced by a postoperative, eventempered peacenik. Don’t you believe it. The desire still burns deep inside this guy, and if someone crosses him in a way that harms his agenda for this city, those flames will reach the surface once again. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The mayor-elect confided in me several weeks ago he was really just a football coach masquerading as a mayor. Though he never asked me to keep that remark “off the record,” he did lean in and whisper it, as if to keep it quiet. I bring it up now not to betray his trust, but to tell the old coach he has nothing to worry about. People like football coaches. They like guys who demand excellence in every endeavor, from himself and every one of his players. Finger-in-the-chest discipline? Shouting? Tirades? Doesn’t matter. As long as we win the damn game. The well-known story of Carty catching City garbage men sleeping in their trucks on the City clock sums up the voters’ choice perfectly. Toledo voters made it clear they want a guy who will smack the lazy workers in the back of the head and scream, “Get back to work!” instead of the guy who nudges them in the ribs and says, “Move over.” Smack and scream and shout all you want, Coach. Just win the damn game. Bob Frantz hosts “Bob Frantz and the Morning News” each weekday on WSPD 1370 AM. He may be contacted by e-mail at letters@toledofreepress.com.
OPINION
4 n Toledo Free Press
November 9, 2005
Consider This
Can you handle some ideological truths?
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here is an intelligent, fair-minded person supposed to go these days to find some reasonable facsimile of the truth about current affairs, or anything else for that matter? Talk radio, TV and print media can all be good ways to get some quick overviews, insights, ideas and references. You can also go pretty deep on the Internet if you know how. But if you’re serious about being well informed, it’s hard to beat a good nonfiction book. There are two reasons for this. When you read someone’s book, you are almost certainly benefiting from their best intellectual effort. Also, you, the reader, can take the time to carefully read and think about what is being presented. You can also verify the author’s sources and/or do further selected reading until you are reasonably satisfied that you understand and either agree or disagree with the author’s major premises and supporting evidence. Of course, knowing how to choose a truly good book by a reliable author that is well written, well researched and at least reasonably truthful and unbiased is an art form in itself. Just because it’s a bestseller is no guarantee it’s worth your time. There is a lot of BS out there. Reader beware! (Hint: Avoid the “metaphysical” section of the bookstore). One of the very best ways to find great book titles and expand your mind is to know a recognized genius who can steer you in the right direction. Ahem ... in the interest of some fair and balanced inquiries into the truth, here is a short suggested reading list for liberals and conservatives. The recommended readings are designed to allow you to experience some personal growth by reading intelligent, albeit at times scathing, critiques of your own political ideology. If you consider yourself an independent, good for you. You get to read them all!
Conservatives read:
n “How We Believe: Science, Skepticism and the Search for God” (second edition, 2003) by Michael Shermer. Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, is a hardnosed scientist and skeptic, but he nonetheless provides a thoughtful,
Reid Ahlbeck balanced and extremely well-researched analysis of how and why Americans believe. n “Where the Right Went Wrong: How Neoconservatives Subverted the Reagan Revolution and Hijacked the Bush Presidency” (2004) by Patrick Buchanan. Hear what a staunch conservative and former presidential candidate has to say about what has gone wrong with the right under George W. Bush.
Liberals read:
n “The Death of Right and Wrong: Exposing the Left’s Assault on Our Culture and Values,” (2003) by lesbian political activist and former head of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women (turned vehement critic of liberalism) Tammy Bruce. Warning: If you are a hardcore liberal, be prepared to do some serious soul searching. n “Hoodwinked: How Intellectual Hucksters Have Hijacked American Culture” (2005) by Jack Cashill. Is Mumia Abu-Jamal as guilty as sin? Is Marxism a veritable social and cultural plague? Are people like Alex Haley, Michael Moore, Edward Said, Margaret Mead, Rigoberta Menchu, Noam Chomsky, Margaret Sanger, Rachael Carson, Susan Sontag, Lillian Hellman, Alfred Kinsey, Ward Churchill, et al. really intellectual frauds and fabricators? Read and find out — if you dare!
Both groups read:
n “The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature” (2002) by Harvard cognitive scientist Steven Pinker. Find out why conservatives are wrong about evolution and liberals are wrong about human nature. E-mail columnist Reid Ahlbeck at letters@toledofreepress.com.
A LOT LIKE LIFE
Smoking burns hole in arts scene By Barbara Goodman Shovers Toledo Free Press Contributing Editors bshovers@toledofreepress.com
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hen I was in first grade, the connection was made between smoking and lung cancer. A doctor from a local hospital came to our classroom with a cage of rats and injected them with nicotine. After they died, he cut them up to show us their blackened innards. Around that same time, I was introduced to music. Back in the 1960s, schools had budgets for arts education, and my class was taken to a performance of “Peter and the Wolf.” Immediately, I was hooked, and not just on that, but also on the jazz piano of the supper club where my uncle worked, and the rock that echoed from the next-door-neighbor’s basement. By my sixth year of life, two facts were clear: I hated tobacco and I loved music. Forty years later, I feel the same way. If you’re listening to a symphony in a gilded hall, or a concert in a recital studio, it’s likely you’re some distance from Marlboro Country. But when you seek out the jazz or “new” scenes, things get dicey. New music mostly starts in bars and clubs, and in Toledo, that means fogs of smoke. Not long ago, I lived in Germany where smoking is a given; not just in drinking and dancing places, but also in kitchens, schools, offices and even on certain modes of public transportation. The music in Europe is great, but the air is toxic. Shortly before I returned, Toledo passed a progressive no-smoking ordinance, similar to that in place throughout New York, America’s arts capital. But because our ordinance was applicable only in city establishments, smokers fled to the ’burbs. Restaurant and bar owners complained about business losses and within months, Toledo’s no-smoking ordinance wafted on- and upward I understand the proprietors’ concerns. Tobacco
is legal in America, so gerrymandering districts in which cigs can be lit is duplicitous. New York has been successful because its restrictions apply statewide. What’s law in Manhattan is law on Long Island is law in Buffalo. Until Ohio does something similar — there’s a rumor such an initiative might be on the 2006 ballot — business guys have a legitimate beef. But so do I. I’m an advocate for the local arts scene. But there’s a huge part of it I don’t participate in because I can’t enjoy the acts while my eyes and throat are burning. There’s one specific place in town that brings in terrific bands and is welcoming to guests of all ages. I’d like to frequent it more, but I can’t take the smell. In theory, the performance area, away from the bar, is off-limits for smoking — signs say so — but the reality is different. The last time I was there, a waitperson was asked to relocate smokers nearer the beer taps, but she said she couldn’t. Later, when I asked the proprietor what his policy was, he said, (I’m paraphrasing), “No smoking, but:” “but” being if it means the loss of a customer, “butt” wins. “It’s mostly kids,” he said confidentially of those who light up. Again, I understand his philosophy, but the health and arts advocacy parts of me are warring about it. To get any kind of arts scene going, a community needs the support of its younger members, but it’s mostly younger people who smoke. Reconciliation of this seems impossible unless a state — or better yet, nationwide — smoking ban is passed. But as this country was founded on tobacco (as well as alcohol and slavery, but that’s another column), that’s gonna be a while. So for the most part, I’ll have to contain my listening to more classical (and expensive) venues. That’s too bad, because as much as I like Prokofiev, I also like JT and The Clouds. Music may soothe the savage beast, but cancer kills it.
OPINION
November 9, 2005
Toledo Free Press n 5
GUEST OPINION
Judiciary independence must be preserved
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resident George W. Bush’s nominees to the Supreme Court, and the public debate that followed and continues, brought to the public eye an issue legislators and policy makers have been whining about lately. “Judicial activism” is now a hot term on the Internet and conservative talk radio. A Google search turns up nearly a million hits, and most of them express an outrage that activist judges make fraudulent decisions and legislate from the bench. However you feel about the argument, it represents a fundamental misunderstanding of our judicial system and how it works. First of all, why is there a misunderstanding? Tom DeLay, who has been so popular with some Texas law enforcement folks lately, said judicial activism is now a crisis because judges routinely “overrule the will of the people, invent new rights, and ignore traditional morality.” The far right loves this kind of rhetoric. It makes the God-fearing base of the Republican Party pick up the banner on morals and call every conservative talk radio show they can to complain about these renegade judges. What those people miss, however, is the fact that no court in this country was created to follow the will of the people or base its decisions on morality,
Steve Hartman traditional or otherwise. Does the Supreme Court create policy? No. It decides cases and controversies that come before it just as the Constitution reads. When the Supreme Court strikes down some law as being unconstitutional, does that have an effect on policy? Sure it does, but that is what the Supreme Court has done since 1803, when its responsibility to review and interpret the law was cemented in a decision in a case called Marbury v. Madison. In declaring laws unconstitutional, the High Court serves its purpose as a check and balance of the other two branches of government. The fact that the Court creates legal precedent that is to be followed by lower courts is how the common law developed and is what allows the whole
system to work. In 1956, the Supreme Court rendered a decision in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education that desegregated public schools because the Court ruled the old “separate but equal” doctrine unconstitutional in the schools. Was that legislating from the bench? Was that judicial activism? The only people who would argue yes are the neo-nazi idiots who recently tried to march through our streets. The people who rant about judicial activism only do so because they don’t like the way a particular case came out. Whether it is Roe v. Wade or the Terry Schiavo case, some percentage of America is going to be very unhappy with the outcome, but that does not mean a court that renders the decision did not do so based upon its interpretation of the laws under which the cases were brought. Every court decision, from the Supreme Court on down, is going to leave one party very unhappy. The fact that federal courts have the responsibility to deal with major Constitutional issues means that the party that is unhappy about a decision is sometimes going to include a portion of the public who reviles the legal decision because of their own political views. Federal judges make decisions based
on the law rather than public opinion or Tom DeLay’s moral code. State judges are elected in 39 states, including Ohio, and therefore have political pressures to deal with, but they still follow the law. If they don’t, there are courts of appeals to change their decisions. It is hardly surprising that the claims of judicial activism are coming from the farright side of the ideological spectrum, for those are the people who want the government involved in your life and their image of God in your children’s schools, so they have an agenda to push. What they fail to realize is that Supreme Court under William Rehnquist, a decidedly conservative justice, struck down some 150 federal laws, more than any other Court in history. Do not be fooled by DeLay and those of similar ilk who say judges are legislating from the bench and something needs to change. We must protect the independence of our judiciary because the judiciary is the greatest protection we have against an intrusive and powerful government that, were it allowed to run free, would jail or deport anyone who did not live by DeLay’s “traditional morality.”
E-mail columnist Steve Hartman at letters@toledofreepress.com.
GUEST OPINION
Commentary article misses racial profiling ‘facts’ By David A. Harris Special to Toledo Free Press
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpted version of Mr. Harris’ comments. In his Oct. 19 column, “How racial profiling ‘myth’ harms “minorities,” Reid Ahlbeck claims the “myth” of racial profiling hampers effective police work. My work has proven exactly the
opposite: racial profiling is a fact in many (not all) American cities, and police officers who use this tactic measurably reduce their chances of catching crooks. Profiling isn’t about who commits crime. It’s about how police catch criminals. That’s what profiling is supposed to do: help police catch more criminals. But here are the facts. Fact: African Americans are, in-
deed, over-represented among the perpetrators of many types of crime, including many of the most serious types of crime. I have always said so in my writing and speaking; no responsible person should run from this disturbing truth. Fact: Proponents of profiling use this disproportionate involvement of blacks in crime to justify the use of race in profiles. Using race as a clue, they say, will definitely help police catch more bad guys. Most Important Fact: Using race as one factor in a profile does not help police catch more criminals. The evidence on this point is indisputable: on any percentage basis, police who use race this way actually apprehend fewer criminals. This pattern has been demonstrated in study after study using data from the police themselves in large and small police departments from New York to Califor-
nia, in urban and rural areas, and across law enforcement agencies with very different missions — from U.S. Customs to the N.Y.P.D. to highway patrol agencies in many states. The reason for this is simple, but important. When seeking unknown criminals committing offenses police have not yet detected — say, carrying illegal drugs or an illegal weapon — only one set of clues works: behavior. Good cops — the real professionals, who I’m glad to say outnumber racial profilers in all of the many police departments I’ve visited and studied — understand this, and they watch behavior exclusively and carefully. Race doesn’t predict criminal behavior, which is what we’re actually interested in; only close observation of suspicious behavior actually results in effective police work.
David A. Harris is the author of “Profiles in Injustice: Why Racial Profiling Cannot Work” (The New Press, 2002), and “Good Cops: The Case for Preventive Policing” (The New Press, 2005). He is E.N. Balk Professor of Law and Values at the UT College of Law.
Election 2005 Finkbeiner defeats Ford
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By Myndi Milliken Toledo Free Press Managing Editor news@toledofreepress.com
At midnight, with 30 percent of the vote counted, Carty Finkbeiner took the stage at his campaign celebration at Gumbo’s and told the crowd, “I’m sorry to have kept you all waiting. We would like to speak as if 100 percent of the vote had been counted. We are taking nothing for granted, as we took nothing for granted for the last five months. There are votes yet to be counted, but we like our chances at this point.” Mayor Jack Ford made a concession speech just before 1 a.m. Tuesday. “I have no regrets from my public service. It’s been a real privilege,” Ford said. “I am not going to get into the political scene. I am going to sit down, I think that is what the voters told me to do.” Finkbeiner thanked the voters who turned out to vote for him, as well as Jack Ford and other candidates. He took an opportunity to also thank those who worked on his campaign and his family. “God bless you for caring about our community,” he said. The crowd, which had been awaiting Finkbeiner’s arrival for hours, was loud and often chanted “Carty” during Finkbeiner’s speech. Finkbeiner hushed the crowd sternly. “I’m talking,” he said. “Let me get three words out without everyone jumping up and down.” Finkbeiner addressed many campaign
issues while he was on stage. “I can tell you, we have a lot of very bright dedicated young men and women who have not left Toledo,” he said. “We need to establish a clear vision. Toledo and Northwest Ohio, we are all in this boat together. We are all from Northwestern Ohio,” he said. “In order to be successful we need to put aside our differences. There’s no exception to that. If one part of the boat begins to tip, the rest of the boat will eventually follow. I challenge all of Northwest Ohio ... to come together to create a vision and agenda that will lift up this Great Lakes region.” He told business leaders to contact him by letter or phone in the next 60 days. “Write to me and tell me how the city can help support and grow your business,” Finkbeiner said. “Businessmen and women, you have to lead the renaissance of this community. “We don’t talk positively about our city enough. As I walked the streets of this city, I was struck by the warmth and the genuineness of Toledo’s citizens,” he said. “[A vote for me] is a vote for progress; it is a vote to get this city moving forward. The Ford camp set up shop at UAW Local 12 hall on Ashland Avenue. There were but a handful of campaign workers in the facility at midnight. The crowd began to pile in at 7:30 p.m. after the polls closed. As many as 500 Ford supporters packed the hall waiting for the results. The demeanor of the campaign staff in
Toledo Free Press photo by DM Stanfield
Finkbeiner addresses supporters at Gumbos on the docks late Tuesday evening. the hall seemed neither upbeat nor downcast. Nonetheless, the event was as much for the people who believed in Ford, worked for the campaign, and held out hope until the last possible moment that their candidate could pull out a miracle. Don Czerniak, president of Local 7, said he has been working on Finkbeiner’s campaign for two years and with Toledo administration for 14 years. “We tried to cooperate with the admin-
istration we had before. We got no cooperation. We went in with cost-saving ideas, ideas on how to hire policemen and firemen and they would not meet with us. As long as I’ve worked with the city, this has been the most uncooperative administration I’ve ever dealt with. Gregg Harris, president of Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association, said “I want to see it a done deal. I think Jack drew the lines in the sand when he wanted to lay off police officers and firemen.”
Voting results delayed by collection methods By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com
Despite a new electronic system, voting results through the county lagged behind the pace of previous elections. By 11:30 p.m., election officials reported the result from 98 precincts out of a total of 495, which represents almost 20 percent of the votes cast. Gary Johnson, spokesman for the Lucas County Board of Elections, told reporters he would rather be accurate than wrong and could not explain the delays, which included a new computer program intended to displays results on a larger screen in
the pressroom at One Government Center. Technicians could not run the program after repeated attempts in front of print and broadcast reporters. Stan Odesky, covering the results for WSPD AM 1370, said he thought the delays were linked to the method of collecting ballots from each precinct. Previously, deliveries arrived individually; however, this year ballots were collected along a route of precincts. “Apparently in an earlier briefing, they told people that they were going to bring stuff from each precinct Downtown. Instead of doing that they picked them up from a variety of precincts,” he said.
The slowdown affected both candidates in the mayoral race as well as those for city council and Toledo board of education. At Mayor Jack Ford’s headquarters, former county commissioner Sandy Isenberg addressed the crowd about 10 p.m. “We have had paper ballots that came in quicker than these new computers,” she said. “As soon as we know some results we’ll let everyone know.” As results began to slowly trickle in, local politicians expressed frustration with the speed of returns. Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken called the technical problems “disappointing,” and vowed to investigate what caused the delays.
Toledo Free Press photo by Ryan Hufford
Mayor Ford speaks at the UAW 12 Hall. Toledo Free Press Staff Writer Michael Brooks contributed to these reports.
COMMUNITY
8 n Toledo Free Press
November 9, 2005
CRIME
Taft delays execution of killer professing innocence The Associated Press
COLUMBUS — Gov. Bob Taft on Monday delayed the execution of a condemned killer who says he’s innocent, the second time in two months Taft ordered a delay in a case nagged by questions over evidence. Taft granted John Spirko a 60-day reprieve at the request of Attorney General Jim Petro, who says he needs that long to test several items that Spirko’s attorneys want reviewed. Petro informed Taft and Spirko’s attorneys in letters Monday about his willingness to conduct the testing and his request for the 60-day reprieve. “I am a proponent of DNA technology,’’ Petro said in the two-page letter to Thomas Hill, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney representing Spirko. “It is important to accommodate the use of DNA testing where practical and feasible.’’ Petro, a Republican running for governor next year, said he does not believe the testing will be able to prove either Spirko’s innocence or his guilt. “Notwithstanding, I believe that to the extent possible, all information should be made available for the parties, courts, and the governor to use for what purpose they feel necessary,’’ Petro said. Spirko was scheduled to die by injection Nov. 15 for the 1982
COMMUNITY BRIEFS Flu shots available at Westfield Westfield Franklin Park will offer flu vaccinations to people age 9 and older from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 18. Cost is $30 per flu vaccination and $40 per pneumonia vaccination. Flu shots to be administered by an experienced professional staff licensed by the nursing association and state medical board. The vaccinations are available next to the escalator to the Franklin Park 16 Cinema entrance.
MUO to conduct cancer study The University Medical Center at the Medical University of Ohio announced it is the first cancer center in Northwest Ohio to participate in a 3,000-patient National Cancer Institute breast cancer study comparing the benefits of partial breast irradiation to whole breast radiation to treat early stage breast cancer. University Medical Center will enroll one to two patients per month for the study, and it will last approximately two-and-a-half years. Patients interested in more information about the study can call University Medical Center at (419) 383-4541.
killing of Betty Jane Mottinger, 48, the postmistress in Elgin in Northwest Ohio. She was abducted and repeatedly stabbed, then wrapped in a tarp and dumped in a field. Her body was found three weeks later. Spirko, 59, was convicted on the basis of witness’ statements and his own comments to investigators. No physical evidence linked him to the crime. Authorities say he described details only someone at the scene of the crime could know. Spirko says he got the details from media reports and used the information to make a deal with authorities to gain the release of a girlfriend, who was held on an unrelated crime. Spirko sued in federal court last Wednesday to require the testing of the tarp, a cement block found near Mottinger’s body and duct tape wrapped around her, among other items. On Sept. 8, Taft delayed Spirko’s scheduled Sept. 20 execution to look into whether prosecutors presented inaccurate information at a clemency hearing in August. In response, the Ohio Parole Board granted an unprecedented second clemency hearing for Spirko, and on Oct. 19 voted 6-3 to recommend that Taft allow the execution to proceed. The majority said the claims of new evidence weren’t enough to
merit clemency. The delay is encouraging, said Alvin Dunn, an attorney also representing Spirko. “We’re looking forward to having this completed and believe it will demonstrate that our client had nothing to do with this crime,’’ Dunn said Monday. The tarp is important to Spirko’s case because of a house painter who maintains his former boss on a painting crew is the real killer. The house painter, John Willier, passed a lie detector test last month as he repeated a 1997 statement accusing his boss, who is now in a Louisiana prison. Spirko’s attorneys say Willier told investigators in 1984 that the paint-splattered tarp Mottinger’s body was wrapped in was the one his crew was using. Chemical tests matched the paint to houses the crew worked on. In past court filings, Spirko’s attorneys also questioned prosecutors’ attempt to link Spirko to the crime through a friend. Prosecutors alleged the friend, Delaney Gibson, was seen near the post office the day Mottinger was abducted. Spirko’s attorneys say photographs and other evidence place Gibson with a full beard in North Carolina the day before. Witnesses say the man they saw at the post office was clean shaven.
Photo of John Spirko from www.johnspirko.com
Last year, prosecutors dropped death penalty charges against Gibson in connection with Mottinger’s death, saying the case against Gibson was too old. Ohio has put 18 men to death since the state resumed executions in 1999 after a 36-year gap. In 2003, Taft set aside the death sentence of Jerome Campbell over concerns about evidence presented to jurors.
COMMUNITY
November 9, 2005
Toledo Free Press n 9
HEALTH CARE
Essential information for a trauma-free recovery
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or any woman choosing to undergo elective surgery, sensible planning is only one aspect of overall readiness. To be most effectively prepared, the decisions a woman makes subsequent to her surgery date, and in the days immediately following, will profoundly affect the quality of her recovery. According to Dr. Christopher A. Foetisch, an orthopedic surgeon who performs more than 500 surgeries each year at Flower Hospital, one of the first missteps some women make post-surgery is they resist taking essential pain medications by wrongly accepting a self-imposed stigma equating medication with weakness. This compounds unnecessary pain upon an already stressed and impaired body. Women also frequently attempt to maintain their usual frenetic pace as caregivers and multiple role-players within and
Michele Howe outside of the home during those early days and weeks post-surgery. Dr. Foetisch said women would fare better and heal faster if they factored in outside assistance to lessen their workload. Yet another consideration is the mental and emotional investment required in committing oneself to daily exercise to regain strength and full mobility. Perhaps the most defining characteristic between a patient who recovers successfully and one who does not is, “their determination to get well,” Dr. Foetisch said.
Some patients approach the surgery experience without the drive to do their part. “I do two hours of work, but they must work for three months ...” Dr. Foetisch said. Every woman contemplating a reparative medical procedure would do well to take an exhaustive and realistic pro-active look at just how involved even the most minor elective surgeries can be. Surgeries don’t have to temporarily cripple women emotionally or physically, and with good prior planning they won’t. Restorative measures: n Set aside non-essentials and make practical preparations. Organize your life today by anticipating your needs and that of your family’s during those first post-surgery weeks. n Plan on extended downtime. Every woman is unique in strength, health, and resilience; accept a reasonable time frame given
your particular level of health. n Factor in pain as a partner to eventual physical wholeness. Purpose to view pain as productive ... expect it, work with it, and understand its function in your body. n Understand that emotions will fluctuate day-by-day, sometimes hour-by-hour. If you’ve never undergone surgery before, there is no accurate way to gauge how your body will respond to anesthesia or to pain medications. n Take the medication prescribed faithfully and seek special help for ongoing struggles. Remember, the body heals most effectively when it is not fighting against raging pain. n Realize that lack of sleep can precipitate short-term depressionlike symptoms. If you experience weepiness, emotional highs/lows, lack of energy, or hopelessness, consider yourself normal ... for a sleep-deprived individual.
n Cultivate a “being” rather than “doing” mentality. Redefine purposeful activity and achievement as the ability to rest productively, knowing that the body has undergone tremendous stress and needs time to rejuvenate. Area resident Michele Howe is a reviewer for Publishers Weekly, CBA Marketplace and BookReporter.com. She is the author of eight books for women. Contact her at jhowe@toast.net.
Weather
November tornado not rare, but intensity was The Associated Press
The deadly tornado that obliterated homes across a swath of southwestern Indiana was unusually intense and fast, packing winds that topped 200 mph as it roared through the night at up to 75 mph, meteorologists said Monday. The storm’s strength, its 41mile path of destruction and the
fact that it struck in the middle of the night in November are all unusual, said Dan McCarthy, warning coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. Sunday’s twister, which killed 22 people, was at its peak a strong F3 on the Fujita scale, with
winds that reached or exceeded 200 mph, according to National Weather Service estimates. That makes it the strongest, and deadliest, November tornado since an F4 twister with winds of 207 mph to 260 mph killed two people in Van Wert, Ohio, on Nov. 10, 2002, McCarthy said. Pushed by a rapid shift in the
jet stream along a strong cold front, the tornado raced along at 70 to 75 mph and stayed on the ground for about 35 minutes, said David Blanchard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. “It was just booking along during the greatest punch of the jet stream. You don’t see speeds like that very often,’’ Blanchard said. Weather service meteorologists who surveyed the damage and path of the tornado Sunday and Monday estimated that its winds reached between 170 and 180 mph as it plowed through the Eastbrook Mobile Home Park, killing 18 people, he said. A few miles to the northeast, its winds peaked at 200 mph or greater near the Warrick County town of Paradise, with the path of destruction about a quarter-mile wide, Blanchard said. Although most people think of tornadoes as a spring event, the nation actually experiences a “second season’’ of tornadoes from mid-October through November, when shifting weather conditions resemble those in the spring, said McCarthy of NOAA. “That’s what makes tornadoes so dangerous this time of the year. People just don’t expect them. They expect them to happen in the spring and in the afternoon or evening, not at two in the morning in November,’’ he said. “About 75 percent of twisters occur in the March to June period, but another 10 to 12 percent occur during late October and November,” McCarthy said.
COMMUNITY
November 9, 2005
Toledo Free Press n 11
ANNIVERSARY
Ballad keeps memory of Edmund Fitzgerald alive By Mike Householder The Associated Press
It has been described in many ways: Haunting. Comforting. Powerful. Educational. But one thing is certain. Gordon Lightfoot’s song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,’’ has kept alive the memory of 29 men who lost their lives on Nov. 10, 1975 when the ore carrier plunged to the bottom of Lake SuLIGHTFOOT perior during a nasty storm. “In large measure, his song is the reason we remember the Edmund Fitzgerald,’’ said maritime historian Frederick Stonehouse. “That single ballad has made such a powerful contribution to the legend of the Great Lakes.’’ Three decades after the tragedy, the Fitzgerald remains the most famous of the 6,000 ships that have gone down on the Great Lakes. Many owe their awareness of the Fitzgerald’s fate to Lightfoot, whose own initial knowledge of the sinking came from a magazine. Lightfoot read about the Fitzgerald in a Newsweek article and used it as the inspiration to pen what would become one of his signature songs. Clocking in at 6-1/2 minutes, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’’ appeared on the 1976
album Summertime Dream and eventually made it to No. 2 on the pop charts. The song remained on the charts for 21 weeks and has never really gone away. Lightfoot still performs it at concerts, including a show at Detroit’s Fox Theatre during the summer. Meeting him backstage that day was Ruth Hudson, whose son Bruce was working as a deckhand on the Fitzgerald when it went down. Lightfoot and Hudson have become friends over the years. Hudson, who lives in North Ridgeville and saw Lightfoot perform near Cleveland the year the song was released, said the song has been therapeutic to the families of the crew. “It’s meant a lot. It’s kept the men and the memorial to the men alive,’’ she said. “I think it’s been good for the families. They have felt comfort in it. I have talked to just about all of them, and I haven’t talked to anyone who didn’t like the song.’’ Lightfoot declined to be interviewed for this story, but he told The Associated Press in 2000 that “Wreck’’ is “a song you can’t walk away from.’’ “You can’t walk away from the people (victims), either,’’ he said. “The song has a sound and total feel all of its own.’’ The structure of the song is simple: 14 verses, each four lines long, and the 450-plus words are carefully chosen and accompanied by a haunting melody. The song tells the story of the Fitzgerald’s fatal voyage, which
began Nov. 9 in Superior, Wis., where it was loaded with 26,116 tons of iron ore and ready to set sail for Detroit. A day later it was being pounded by 90-mph wind gusts and 30foot waves. Ernest McSorley, the ship’s captain, radioed a trailing freighter, the Arthur M. Anderson, and said the Fitzgerald had sustained topside damage and was listing. At 7:10 p.m., he told the Anderson: “We are holding our own.’’ A short time later, the ship disappeared from radar without issuing an SOS. After a few days, a vessel with sonar was able to locate the Fitzgerald only 15 miles from the safe haven of Whitefish Bay. But Lightfoot’s song does more than tell the story; it transports the listener on board the Fitzgerald that fateful night: “The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait/When the gales of November came slashing/When afternoon came it was freezing rain/In the face of a hurricane west wind.’’ And then the crescendo: “The captain wired in he had water coming in/And the good ship and crew was in peril/And later that night when his lights went out of sight/Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.’’ Several memorial events are planned to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the sinking, including a ceremony at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point and a service at
Local event to honor crew A memorial ceremony will be held aboard the S.S. Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship to honor the 29 sailors who were lost aboard the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald 30 years ago during a storm on Lake Superior. The ceremony will include a performance of a play about the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald by students of Wayne State University’s Department of Theatre. Keynote Speaker will be Thomas Walton, editor at The Blade. Walton served
the Mariners’ Church of Detroit. And undoubtedly “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’’ will be heard and discussed. “Any bit of literature, prose or poetry that magnifies the loss of loved ones is so dramatic. That is comforting to those people. That means that someone else is
on the Fitzgerald in 1963. His uncle, Ralph Walton, was aboard the Fitzgerald when it sank. Gangways open at 5:03 p.m. for those interested in touring the historic Museum Ship. The official ceremony begins at 7 p.m. A heated tent on the deck of the ship will cover the audience and the performers. Following the ceremony, wine and cheese will be served. Ticket prices are $20. For more information, call (419) 936-3070.
sharing your grief. We bear one another’s burdens, so that helps,’’ said Bishop Richard W. Ingalls of the Mariners’ Church. Ingalls tolled the church bell 29 times the morning after the sinking. “Gordon Lightfoot’s song definitely has given it a life that seems not to end.’’
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November 9, 2005
EDUCATION
Committee to address issues of Libbey High School By Myndi Milliken Toledo Free Press Managing Editor mmilliken@toledofreepress.com
A handful of alumni from historic Libbey High School are working to address community-based issues, a projected decline in enrollment and a poor public image. “The culture, heritage and history of Libbey is at stake and needs to preserved,” said Jimmy Gaines, a 1967 Libbey graduate and member of Libbey’s Hall of Fame. Gaines, director of Public Service for the City of Toledo, is cochairing the SANDERS Libbey for the Future Committee, a grassroots effort to keep Libbey open. According to Jan Kilbride, assistant superintendent for high schools to TPS, there are many issues that must be dealt with to preserve Libbey. “After we looked at demographics of live births and elementary school enrollment, we are concerned LaCLAIR about several years down the road,” Kilbride said. “It’s about whether we would have the same numbers of students to warrant keeping the doors open.” According to Dr. Eugene Sanders, superintendent and CEO of TPS, Libbey must deal with internal and external issues, such as getting the word out about its educational programs and cleaning up area neighborhoods. “These are solvable issues,” he said. “From a civic point of view, we haven’t had the community engagement. We need to ensure new housing starts and a viable community where young people can learn and grow.” Bob LaClair, a 1977 Libbey graduate and president of Fifth Third Bank, is also chairing the Libbey for the Future Committee. “A boarded-up house is the first thing you see outside Libbey’s doors,” he said. “Abandoned homes can create dangerous problems for a community. Until these types of issues are addressed, you won’t get people moving into the district, improving their homes or moving their businesses into the neighborhood.” The group has formed several subcommittees to research and address goals for areas such as safety, community development, enrollment, and spreading the
word about Libbey’s successes. We’ve identified a number of committees,” Kilbride said. “Some have to do with parent involvement and academics, some community linkages. We’ve also established partners with area agencies and community-development corporations.” Kilbride said the committee and the school need to do a better job in educating students and parents at elementary and middle schools of the positives Libbey offers. This could persuade students to choose Libbey High School over options such as charter schools. “We are looking at various programs Libbey has that we feel are positive and how do we let people know,” she said. “We doubled the graduation rate last year. We received a Knowledge Works grant, largely funded by Bill Gates.” Libbey was built in the 1920s to support nearly 3,000 students. This year’s enrollment numbers stand at less than 1,000. Projections put enrollment at 550 in 2013. “Clearly, the facility is much more than what is needed to support 550 students,” LaClair said. “We need to get the population up in this community.” Michael S. Miller, Toledo Free Press editor in chief, is a 1985 Libbey graduate and a member of the Libbey Hall of Fame. He said more than just nostalgia is motivating the people who want to save the school. “Preserving Libbey as a community resource is about more than our collective good feelings for our time there,” he said.
Toledo Free Press photo by Myndi Milliken
Toledo Libbey High School opened its doors in 1923. Last year, the school doubled its graduation rate. “There are vocational, social and mentoring programs unique to Libbey that help the direct neighborhood. It would be a waste and a shame to lose the school and its contributions.” Gaines said success requires a community-based commitment. “The neighborhood-school concept is getting lost,” Gaines said. “We take for granted that everyone has two cars. We forget some don’t have transportation or even money for bus fare. I want to make sure another Jimmy Gaines doesn’t miss the opportunity to go to college.”
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November 9, 2005
Toledo Free Press n 13
EDUCATION
Education study favorable to Toledo Public Schools By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com
Toledo Public Schools anticipates a positive grade card based on the preliminary release of a study by the Council of the Great City Schools. The council will submit its full report, “Foundations of Success in the Toledo Public Schools” in two to three weeks, according to Michael Casserly, CGCS executive director. He held a press conference Nov. 4 and attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new Leverette Middle School on Manhattan Boulevard. “We’ve done hundreds of these in the past five years. This one compares well to other school districts,” he said. Based in Washington, D.C., CGCS promotes the improvement of urban school districts by analyzing educational practices and recommending changes to create a more stable and effective sys-
tem. The organization draws from a coalition of 66 of the country’s largest school systems to share practices that have worked or are showing promise. It also participates in research, media relations and legislative efforts to help schools develop better learning environments. A team of CGCS instructional leaders from various urban school systems arrived for a four-day assessment on April 17. Team members conducted personal interviews and reviewed TPS documents before analyzing the data. The preliminary release highlights 30 points of action for TPS to increase the quality of education throughout the district. Casserly emphasized the objectivity of the council in critiquing school systems while avoiding the temptation to serve as “cheerleaders.” “The last thing we want is to be apologists because the kids’ education is at stake, and
we don’t want to condone bad practice,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of these reviews in school districts where the instructional practices needed to be completely overhauled.” Among the 30 points, the council recommended a simplified mission statement; an intervention strategy for students falling behind; a new reading program for grades four through six; expanded programs for gifted students; and tougher core high school courses. Casserly said other urban school districts following previous CGCS recommendations have benefited. “We’re glad to see that districts that were not getting gains at all, after they followed a lot of our recommendations have now started to accelerate their progress,” he said. “And with this school district, the community may not know that it really does know what it’s doing. They’re making a lot of headway.”
The preliminary report credited TPS for its relationship with city and business leaders. It also acknowledged the quality of its staff; viability of its goals; method of accountability; alignment with state curriculum standards; professional development; and assessment of data in the decision-making process. Jane Bruss, TPS executive communications director, described the purpose of the study as a way to create discussion about improving the school district. The report will be extensive, with specific detail on every point highlighted in the four-page preliminary report. TPS officials met with Casserly for a briefing where he summarized the findings and emphasized the goal of the study. “The report is not anything other than a frank analysis of your strengths and where they spot weaknesses on where you can improve,” Bruss said. “Some
MICHAEL CASSERLY of the reports are very tough indeed. They found many things to compliment Toledo on, practices they believe districts around the country could implement with good results.” Casserly said he expects the next major urban school district scheduled for the study to fare much worse than TPS, but declined to name the district.
COMMUNITY BRIEFS Load limits enforced on MLK Bridge
The City of Toledo announced increased enforcement of the current load limit of 10,000 pounds per vehicle on the Martin Luther King Bridge. The City reported, because of the I-280 closure, truck traffic has increased on the MLK Bridge, and the City has increased enforcement of the present loads limit in order to ensure safety of those using the MLK Bridge during reconstruction.
Sessions address Medicare changes
With the start of the new Medicare Prescription Drug Program beginning Jan. 1, Giant Eagle pharmacies will offer the public free Medicare informational events to educate customers about the new federal initiative. Counseling sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 11 at Crossroads Giant Eagle, 9880 Olde U.S. 20, and from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 11 at Central Percentum Giant Eagle, 6930 W. Central Ave., Rossford.
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November 9, 2005
Hurricane aftermath
Local SBC techs on overtime in New Orleans By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com
Under normal circumstances, SBC Communications technicians Bob Langlois and Bob Przybysz might be enjoying 70-degree weather in the Big Easy. But more than two months after Hurricane Katrina wreaked PRZYBYSZ havoc on the city of New Orleans, their itineraries are limited to working, eating and sleeping. Langlois arrived Sept. 21 and Przybysz Oct. 27. Both will remain until Dec. 17 and work at least 12 hours per day for 13 consecutive days, followed by one day off. Long after they leave, however, cleanup and restoration will continue, perhaps for years, according to Langlois. “It is a mess. There’s still power down, and stuff ’s hot,” he said. “There are boats on roofs. Almost everything down here is either on a slab or on blocks.” Langlois described the turmoil throughout St. Bernard Parish, a section of the city close enough for him to “throw a rock in the Mississippi River.” He shares a room with a fellow technician from Youngstown with no television or land phone — just a king-size bed and a sleeper sofa. During the day, crews work while surrounded by National Guardsmen armed with M-16 machine guns. He said the destruction was like no other he has seen in his 37 years as an SBC technician. “I’ve seen a lot of stuff like this — a house burnt down when you go in and do fire jobs. But this, you drive around with your mouth open. The worst area we’ve seen is St. Bernard; it’s just unbelievable,” Langlois said. “I worked after a tornado in Detroit for three and a half to four months. It was about as bad. It was bigger than 100 feet; it was like 100 yards wide right through the city, and it looked like somebody took a rototiller, and everything was just gone. Down here it’s just one massive area.” Przybysz related similar events in Kenner, a suburb about eight miles west of New Orleans. He said he volunteered for philanthropic reasons as well as satisfying a curiosity of the hurricane’s actual devastation. Water levels remain as high as two to three feet in places, and telephone poles are strewn across houses and roads. Workdays begin at 5 a.m. and last until nearly dusk, leaving him tired, he said, and missing his three sons and friends.
“I try to keep in contact with them at least every other day,” he said. “I let them know what’s going on and how things are happening. So far it’s worked out fine.” Shortly after Katrina made landfall, BellSouth Corp. requested assistance from SBC, according to Dan Wiley, director of installation and repair services, SBC Ohio. His company responded, implementing emergency contingency plans prepared for such a disaster. SBC “mined out” resources from several cities throughout the country, asking for technicians to volunteer to relocate to New Orleans for a specified period of time. In addition to Langlois and Przybysz, the company commissioned 17 technicians from Findlay, Dayton, Akron, Springfield, Youngstown and Columbus. Pay scales remain the same as straight-time and overtime rates under the union’s contract, plus
lodging and meals. At some point, corporate heads from both organizations will hammer out arrangements to pay technicians’ salaries and living expenses, as well as supplies, fuel and other repair costs. “They assessed their damage and realized fairly early on that they did not have the resources they needed,” Wiley said. “What they did was, through a corporate contact, their CEO called our CEO and said, ‘What kind of help can you give me?’ “To the best of my knowledge, there were no advance financial plans worked out. Our employees are being paid by SBC. I’m certain that those financial details are being worked out later on. I would assume there would be some kind of monetary transfer.” SBC’s foundation has also provided financial support by matching employee donations to the American Red Cross, which so far totals about $1.4 million.
Photo courtesy SBC
Bob Langlois has been in New Orleans since Sept. 21.
November 9, 2005
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Toledo Free Press n 15
COMMUNITY BRIEFS Public hearing on Stericycle expansion The public may comment on a draft permit for the expansion of the Stericycle infectious waste treatment facility, 1301 East Alexis Rd., during a public meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at Friendship Park Senior Center, 2930 131st St.
Empowerment day to benefit shelter Women to Women in Covenant will present “Unveling the Womb-Man,” featuring health screenings, lunch, entertainment, and fashion consultants, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 2-3 at Hilton Toledo. Registration is due by Nov. 11; $20 per person. The proceeds will go toward rebuilding the YWCA Women’s Shelter. Call (419) 212-3191.
Maumee Bay bacteria study hearing set A three-year study on the bacteria issues that have resulted in unsafe use at Maumee Bay State Park’s beaches will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at the University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center, 6200 Bayshore Rd., Oregon. In 2002, Oregon and Toledo agreed to work through TMACOG and with scientists from UT and the U.S. Geological Survey to find out why bacteria levels are regularly reported as unsafe for swimming and wading. “This was a very, very important study,” said Marge Brown, mayor of the City of Oregon. “It was just vital that we find out where the bacteria are coming from, how they move, and what we can do about it.”
Holiday events at Erie Street Market The Erie Street Market will host Children’s Wonderland displays, holiday decorations and a variety of winter services beginning Nov. 12. The first Holiday Art Extravaganza will take place at 10 a.m. Nov. 18 in the Civic Center Promenade, featuring local artisans with unique art, jewelry, sculpture and designs. The Epilepsy Center will sponsor a pre-parade breakfast with Santa in the Civic Center Promenade beginning at 8 a.m. Nov. 26. Santa will be available for pictures from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 26 and every weekend through Dec. 18. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Epilepsy Center presents a “Home for the Holidays” festival Dec. 2-4 with Christmas tree and wreath sales in the Farmer’s Market, entertainment, children’s activities and a craft bazaar A special Secret Santa shop will be available for children to purchase holiday treasures. The Erie Street Market has changed its hours for the winter months to Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Market is closed on Mondays, but Libbey Glass and Superior Antique Mall are open Mondays 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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November 9, 2005
FORUM
Community Voices forum scheduled Nov. 10 at Socrates Café It’s a way to be heard — whether to get something off your chest or to say something positive. Toledo Free Press and ToledoTalk.com will sponsor the third Community Voices forum from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Socrates Café, 38 S. St. Clair St. “I believe communication is key and critical to people interaction,” said Joe McCaffery, owner of Socrates Café. “A means of positively sharing ideas, such as Community Voices, is important.”
Toledo Free Press initiated the Community Voices forums two months ago, holding the inaugural forum at Dave’s Homecooked Foods. Last month, the forum took place at Owens Community College, where staff, students and visitors offered opinions on everything from the mayoral election to the war in Iraq to hiphop music. This week, the community is invited to Socrates Café for free coffee and an inviting atmosphere for conversation.
COMMUNITY BRIEFS BG wins enrollment grant BGSU has received a second grant for GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), a federally funded program aimed at increasing the number of at-risk students attending college. A new federal grant gives Bowling Green more than $4 million over six years, starting with current sixth- and seventh-graders on Toledo’s east side. The grant is aiding with the transition to middle schools for grades 6-8, said Dr. William Armaline, co-director of the program at BGSU. The first East Toledo seventh-graders who were part of GEAR UP, in 2000, are now seniors at Waite. A new group of seventh-graders has been added each year, funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant of about $6.2 million to BGSU in conjunction with the schools, parents, community agencies and businesses. That grant was part of a larger award of roughly $19.2 million to the Midwest Educational Reform Consortium, which, in addition to BGSU, included Western Michigan University and the University of Illinois-Chicago. BGSU officials say the GEAR UP program has been instrumental in improving Waite High School’s district ranking score and in the high marks earned by East Toledo Junior High. “We can’t claim GEAR UP was the only factor, but it certainly was a major factor,” Armaline said. Armaline said the program has aimed to restructure the East Toledo schools as smaller, more intimate learning communities where students can interact more meaningfully with adults. Implementing the strategies has made a difference at Waite, agreed Principal David Yenrick and Becky Schardt, teacher coordinator of the program. “It’s forced us to look at what we’ve been doing,” said David Yenrick, Waite principal.
Share A Ride free to area commuters The Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments offers Share A Ride, a carpool-matching service free of charge to area commuters. To find a carpool partner, Share A Ride will match your schedule with that of other people in the system who may live or work near you. Then you work together with your carpool match to set up a commute. Share A Ride also offers programs, such as the Guaranteed Ride Home for working out issues that may come up, such as a member of the carpool having to work overtime. Share A Ride also helps parents form carpools to get children to schools that are not served by buses. For employers, Share A Ride can suggest tax advantages to having employees form vanpools or use public transit. For more information, call (800) 241-1919.
“There will be a lot to discuss this week,” said Michael S. Miller, Toledo Free Press editor in chief. “The election results for mayor, city council and school board are just some of the topics I expect people will want to talk about. We’re always surprised and pleased by the spectrum of themes that are on our readers’ minds.” For more information about Toledo Free Press Community Voices forums, or to host one in your business, call (419) 241-1700.
JOE McCAFFERY
COMMUNITY
November 9, 2005
Toledo Free Press n 17
CALL 11 FOR ACTION
Toledo man says City knocked down his building too soon
A
North Toledo man says the City took away his dream by demolishing his business. It happened on 912 Lagrange St., near the Greenbelt Parkway. He said the City jumped the gun, claiming his deadline on the building’s future was Oct. 29. But City crews came out several days early, and knocked the place down when he wasn’t around. Now, the owner is stuck with a pile of debris and a mountain of questions. Adrian Williams said he feels betrayed after the city knocked down his North Toledo building. “You have a man that wants to rehab his property and be an asset to his community. They just come and bulldoze your dream like you’re a peon, nothing,” he said. “I’m frustrated, angry, disappointed in the system,” he said. Williams owns the hair salon next door, and he wanted to turn the nearby property into a bait and tackle shop.
Dan Bumpus “I wanted the building to be open by spring,” he said. The City told him the place was too dangerous, and ordered it torn down. Williams said he was given a deadline of Oct. 29 to appeal, verbally and in a written notice. Four days before his time was up, the City destroyed the structure. William said he still had belongings worth thousands of dollars inside the building, from golf equipment to shoes to a baby’s crib. “They tore it down, left it. Now they want to charge me, or fine me if I don’t pick it up,” he said.
Toledo Free Press photo by Ryan Hufford
Adrian Williams said he feels betrayed after the City knocked down his North Toledo building. City officials said an inspector stopped by the place before the deadline and issued an emergen-
cy order to speed up the demolition process, after he determined it was in danger of collapsing. The City claims that emergency order trumps the appeal deadline, because it’s a public safety issue. But after our call, the City’s law department did say it would
investigate to see if any coverage could be provided for the contents inside the building. Dan Bumpus is the consumer investigative reporter at WTOL News 11. He can be reached by e-mail at dbumpus@wtol.com.
LITERARY
Sandusky Library presents author Stuart Abrams Sandusky resident Stuart Abrams, author of “More Than Conquerors” and the recently published “The Rose from Sharon” will appear at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Sandusky Library Program Room. His newest novel has been described as an “intense, fiercely written social drama that focuses on startling realities and heartbroken souls amidst the backdrop of a small northern town.” Abrams will share his personal insights on the writing process and discuss how to get published. Participants will have an opportunity to purchase an autographed copy of “The Rose from Sharon” for $13 or both books for $20. Registration is requested. To register, call the Library at (419) 625-3834 and press option 6.
18 n Toledo Free Press
REMEMBERING ROSA PARKS
November 9, 2005
Parks funeral inspires feelings of community, awe By Brett Collins Special to Toledo Free Press
When I first heard that Rosa Parks’ final tour would culminate with services in Detroit, it was a no-brainer; I had to be there. I figured if she could make the posthumous trek to Montgomery, Ala. and Washington, D.C., then back to Detroit, I could travel a few miles up I-75. I’m so glad I did. My friend and I arrived at around 11 a.m. The scene in the vicinity of the Charles H. Wright Museum was calm but busy with organizers, police, media and fleets of buses. Despite warnings of limited parking, we found a space a block away from the museum and joined the line of thousands. The weather was lovely, a gentle breeze enhancing the warmth of a like-minded crowd gathered to pay homage to a true American heroine — someone everyone can agree made a huge difference in the direction of the country. We waited for an hour and 15 minutes but the
line flowed steadily and quickly, helped along by the camaraderie of the crowd. As the line wrapped and wound, zigged and zagged, we encountered spontaneous bursts of singing, laughter, reminiscing and reflections from people of all ages, religions and ethnic backgrounds. Most everyone I spoke with said they felt they had a duty to be there, that it was an honor to be able to observe and participate in such an historic event. A group of white women in power suits discussed how the civil rights movement benefited them. Several young black men, college students, saluted Mother Parks as a soldier. The organizers made a number of very thoughtful gestures. Seniors were directed to a shortcut route so their wait in line would be much shorter. Also, kiosks were set up where waiters prepared cups of hot chocolate and Starbucks coffee, then delivered them to the appreciative people in line. A welcome surprise: the pres-
Remembering Ms. Parks By Renachantel McClain Special to Toledo Free Press
Growing up, I would spend every Sunday going to church with my family. After church, we would visit my great-grandmother in Centennial Towers in Detroit. That’s where I met Ms. Rosa Parks. I remember how quiet she seemed. It was almost like she was more than a woman. She exhibited an air of greatness and humility. On the ride home, my father explained to me who she was. “Years ago, “he said, “Ms. Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus.” As a 5-year-old, I couldn’t understand what the big deal was. He went on to explain to me that back then, blacks had designated seating in the back of the bus. My father told me she sat down in the fifth row, the first row designated for blacks. With the white section full, she was told to give up her seat to the white passengers. Ms. Parks refused and was arrested. Her refusing to give up her seat began the Montgomery bus boycott, which helped to end segregation. A few years later, we moved to a suburb of Detroit. At the beginning of my first year, I had to write a paragraph about myself. I knew I would tell how I met Rosa Parks. The day came and I stood in front of my fourth-grade class and told them about myself. With a big smile on my face, I told my class how I met Rosa Parks and how we would talk every time I visited my grandmother. My class, including my teacher, had no real knowledge of Rosa Parks Back then, black history was not as celebrated as it is today. It would be two years before
ROSA PARKS Martin Luther King Jr. Day was observed for the first time. Until I was in high school, most of what I learned about black history came from my parents. Those short talks I had with Ms. Parks catapulted me in to doing my own research as I got older. In high school, I started the Black Awareness Club. My sister also became active, having been one of the students involved in the sit-in at Wayne State University, protesting the non-observance of the King holiday on campus. Four years later, I became vice president of the Wayne State University Chapter of the NAACP. I am still active in the black community, doing all I can to bring equality. Without the work of individuals such as the kind-hearted, soft-spoken Rosa Parks, would I, a recent graduate of UT, be writing this now? Being black, would I have been allowed to even attend UT? I was proud to stand in front of my class 20 years ago, and I am even prouder today, for Ms. Parks has contributed to my life and the lives of many.
ence of the original Montgomery City bus where Mother Parks made her stand. The restored icon, on loan from the Henry Ford Museum, was displayed in front of the museum, next to the classic 1940 LaSalle hearse that carried Mother Parks’ body. Inside the rotunda, we had to keep moving, but we could linger by the bus and let the significance of Mother Parks’ simple act permeate our collective conscience. Many faces registered excitement and nervousness. The seriousness of the moment was apparent. Soft classical music soothed us as we gazed at the big, dramatic portraits of Mother Parks lining the entryway leading to the rotunda. I don’t think most people were prepared for an open casket — I sure wasn’t — and the impact was clear. The reverence and somberness were palpable. There she lay, angelic, small and beautiful in her deaconess uniform — an elaborate, white,
Photo by Brett Collins
The inside of the bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. lace-embroidered garment that sparkled in an ethereal way. Her creamy skin was highlighted by the museum’s mix of soft and natural lighting and Mother Parks
seemed to float in the fabric. We were definitely floating. People muttered prayers and mouthed “thank you” as they passed. The feeling was genuine awe.
COMMUNITY
November 9, 2005
Toledo Free Press n 19
FITNESS COLUMN
Exercise, physical fitness can serve as flu prevention
O
Gregg Schwartz
ne of the best ways to prevent the flu or any other type of sickness is to exercise and be physically fit. With low supplies of the flu vaccines and the threat of new strains coming to the United States, it is imperative people live healthy lifestyles. Studies show people who workout on a regular basis, have
good nutrition and get plenty of sleep are less likely to get sick. Cardiovascular exercise and strength training are two key components to a healthy body. Studies suggest exercise can reduce the number of days a person suffers from colds and flu by half. Exercising stimulates the white bloods cells in your body
to move from the organs into your blood stream, which helps fight illness. Even people who have received flu shots, especially the elderly, are still vulnerable to getting sick. Exercise is another weapon in the fight against illness. It is recommended you workout at a moderate level three days per week for at least 30 minutes to build your immune system enough to prevent you from getting the cold and flu this season. This is a minimal amount compared to the recommended
exercise per week to become physically fit. One hour most days is recommended to get results that change your body. Do not leave yourself out in the cold and at risk of getting the flu. Start a cardiovascular and strength routine that will not only help prevent yourself from getting sick but will also get you on your way to a healthier lifestyle. Gregg Schwartz is a personal trainer at Wildwood Athletic Club. Contact him at GreggSchwartzPT@yahoo.com.
BUSINESS
20
HEALTH CARE
St. Vincent celebrates 150 years By Myndi Milliken Toledo Free Press Managing Editor mmilliken@toledofreepress.com
It was 150 years ago that Rev. Augustine S. Campion, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church, enlisted the help of four Grey Nuns for Sisters to care for the sick, homeless, orphaned and destitute. These Grey Nuns and one lay woman volunteer opened St. Vincent Asylum, now known as St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center. “The Grey Nuns took care of the orphans and the sick,” said Sister June Ketterer, a Grey Nun who serves as vice president for Mission and Values Integration. “At that time, there was no health care here, and the area was full of illness and infections.” Today, the Grey Nuns still work to uphold the mission formed for St. Vs, to “extend the healing ministry of Jesus by improving the health of our communities with emphasis on people who are poor and under-served.” St. Vs, located on Cherry Street Downtown, holds the distinction of being Toledo’s only Downtown hospital — a commitment the center is dedicated to. “It was a commitment we made when we first came here, and was renewed in the 1960s when there was a movement to take hospitals out of the city,” Ketterer said. “We are dedicated to helping the poor, and there are a lot of poor people in the inner city.” “We are committed to stay here,” said Bill Sutton, vice president of operations for Mercy Health Partners. “Three times in my 38-year tenure here, the board has evaluated if St. Vs should move to the suburbs, and three times there was overwhelming unanimous affirmation that we should stay. It reflects the original mission of the founders. We are the sole remaining hospital in central-city Toledo — We will not abandon our mission.”
Humble roots
While the mission remains unchanged, the hospital has grown from its original and humble roots. “The original building was a big, old brick house on Cherry Street, probably 8,000 square feet, max,” Sutton said. “Now, not counting the new Heart Center, it’s about 1,200,000 square feet on 44 acres.” St. Vs has four Life Flight air ambulances, is a Level 1 trauma center, and is
an accredited Chest Pain Center. In 2004, the hospital had more than 17,000 inpatient admissions, 560 open heart surgeries, 1,218 births, and nearly 60,000 emergency room visits. The hospital has approximately 3,500 employees, 998 physicians on staff and nearly 500 volunteers. Sutton said the center not only serves patients, but the community, its employers and its employees. “We formed an umbrella organization, the Cherry-Bancroft-Summit Street Coalition,” Sutton said. “The concept was those were the three major corridors that intersect all the neighborhoods we serve. We felt it was very important that we address the needs of those corridors, such as housing safety, infrastructure, streets and lighting.” Sutton said the first major success of the coalition was working in cooperation with the City of Toledo to replace the street lights from Collingwood Boulevard and Manhattan to the Green Belt Parkway. Sutton said the coalition has grown since its inception in the early 1990s, and a lot of good work has resulted. “It’s a true coalition,” he said, noting businesses, the City, and volunteers have all played a role. “The strategic plan we put together really was the backbone that the City of Toledo used when they applied for the All-America City Award and received it. I think [the work of the coalition] helped lead to that award.” He said St. Vs has an impressive list of community-based activities — from building a playground at Cherry School to providing matching funds for the Lagrange community policing program — it has performed with the help of local businesses, volunteers and staff. “We’re part of this community,” Sutton said. “We’re not just in medical business, we are in the health care business. That means health, appropriate food, good housing and safety. We do this because it is part of our mission.” “I love my job,” Ketterer said. “I truly believe in our mission. It’s not just something on the wall; we live what it says.”
Homestead grant
To help employees with their jobs and to encourage them to participate in the St. Vs community, Sutton said the center offers a homestead grant to employees buying homes in the immediate area. This grant
Photos courtesy St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center
The old exterior of St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, founded by the Grey Nuns. gives employees $5,000 to use toward their homes, and for each year lived in those homes, $1,000 is forgiven. “We are trying to make this a growing, vibrant community that people will want to move into and stay in,” Sutton said. He said every department takes on a project, whether it is to adopt a school
program, mow lawns or provide healthclinic services. “What we’re trying to do here is change behavior so health care costs will be lower,” Sutton said. “We have obesity problems, high incidences of smoking and fairly high incidences of alcohol consumption.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 21
November 9, 2005
BUSINESS
Toledo Free Press n 21
HEALTH CARE
St. Vs 150th celebration cancelled St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center officials announced the community-wide birthday celebration for the hospital has been cancelled. The initial celebration was scheduled for October, but was postponed due to a riot that broke
out in North Toledo Oct. 15. The celebration took a year to plan, according to Sarah Bednarski, spokeswoman for St. Vs. An internal celebration was held for staff and volunteers, she said.
The nursery at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, circa 1922. Continued from page 20 Sutton said the center is committed that 67 percent of its gross expenses have to be given to community-care programs. “We deliberately budget and fund programs like this,” he said. “A lot of these patients end up in the hospital for long periods of time, under charity care or low reimbursement. In the long run,
prevention is less expensive.” Sarah Bednarski, spokeswoman for St. Vs, said the center gave more than $44 million in community benefits last year. “I think all Catholic hospitals have specific missions,” Ketterer said. “This job has a ministry and a mission. I’ve worked with the poor all of my life, and they teach me. I’ll be 70 this year, and I’m still learning.”
November 9, 2005
BUSINESS BRIEFS DTI elects board of directors After an initial meeting of the Downtown Toledo Improvement District, the following members were voted onto the board of directors: David Ball of STS Management, John Eberly of Kwik Parking, Inc. and The Manhattan Building Co., Jim Eckert of Owens Corning, Michael Moriarty of Moriarty Real Estate & Construction Services, James Murray of Toledo Edison, Gary Resnick of LaSalle Cleaners, Willie Williams of JAJ Development Co., and Daryl Yourist of Leo’s Book Shop.
IAAP to hold November meeting The Glass City Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals will hold its monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Inverness Club. Melanie Meyer will discuss living organ donation information about kidney disease. The Glass City chapter of IAAP is one of over 600 chapters with more than 40,000 members and affiliates worldwide associated with the IAAP. Dinner reservations are necessary and can be made by calling (419) 530-7967 no later than Nov. 11.
Toastmasters plan fall conference Toastmasters District 28 will hold its Fall Conference at the Holiday InnFairlane in Detroit. District conferences are an opportunity to network with Toastmasters from Michigan, Ohio and Canada. The Fall Conference starts at 6 p.m. Nov. 18, with an annual Table Topics Contest where members compete by providing impromptu responses to a selected topic. Following the contest, 2001 world champion speaker Darren LaCroix will speak. This event is open to the public. For further information, call (734) 479-0766.
WEN to offer seminars for start-ups The Women’s Entrepreneurial Network, in partnership with the Toledo Lucas County Library, will host a series of seminars, including “Writing a Business Plan” Nov. 15; “Marketing Your Business” Nov. 22; “Financing and Record-Keeping for your Business” Nov. 29. The cost of the seminars are $15 each or $40 for all four. Advance registration for seminars is a must; (419) 536-6732. WEN seminars are open to men and women.
BUSINESS
Toledo Free Press n 23
TOLEDO IN BUSINESS
Nonprofit Web site organizes freelancers for businesses By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com
A new, nonprofit Web site is trying to track down a sometimes rare and often reclusive species in the business world: the freelancer. Á la Carte Marketing, the brainchild of a group of freelance professionals, connects business clients to advertising specialists to write copy, design brochures, film and edit video and a host of other projects on an independent contract basis. The concept appeals to regional companies in all industries that require temporary or part-time help, according to Kathy Jex, president of the 501(c) 6 trade organization. She said most freelancers rely on word of mouth rather than mainstream advertising. “You have a marketing department of one: you,” she said. “Some of the small and medium businesses around here are like that where there’s one guy who runs the marketing department, and maybe he needs a brochure. He needs a copywriter and he’d like to hire a freelancer. So where do you go?” Members use the service at no charge; however, beginning January 2006, freelancers will pay an annual $150 fee to cover the cost of overhead. Á la Carte purchased custom proprietary software to operate the Web site, which allows clients to search listings and contact freelancers in categories ranging from Web and print designers to voice talents and multimedia producers. Freelance members must submit references and merit approval by a board before listing to assure only “high-caliber” professionals charging reasonable rates. Jex said the site’s name reflects the smorgasbord of specialties without the cost of hiring an ad firm. “It’s kind of like all the services you can get at
a full-service agency, but you can pick them á la carte,” she said. Startup began about 18 months ago, according to Á la Carte vice president Angela Riddel. She said the concept arose during a luncheon at the Toledo Ad Club, when she and Jex were discussing the possibility of publishing freelancer directory. High print costs and short shelf life led them to kill the idea in favor of a Web site. The two enlisted Leasa Maxx as secretary to direct marketing strategy and Sandy Blaser as treasurer and finance chairman to handle accounting. The group then tested the theory among freelancers to determine its viability. About 40 responded favorably to the idea, including graphic designer Miriam Leeper and voice talent Jody Zink, who both expressed a desire to become board members. Riddel emphasized the organization’s unique approach as a freelance network compared to several existing Web sites that charge a commission for each assignment. Á la Carte takes no responsibility for the freelance rates and remains neutral in the client-freelancer relationship. “There’s nobody doing this as a trade organization,” she said. “They’re all doing it by getting them freelance gigs, but they want a cut of their fees. We ask for a membership fee, but we don’t take a cut of their profit.” The organization intends to retain its nonprofit status, and is currently establishing a medical benefits package for freelancers through Paramount Health Care. Toledo in Business is a feature that spotlights businesses that have been in operation for two years or less. If you are interested in having your new business profiled, e-mail news@toledofreepress.com.
business
24 n Toledo Free Press
November 9, 2005
Course answers questions about networking
T
he Issue: Whether we are new to the business world or old hands at the networking world, most of us still have the same question. “Why would someone want to meet with me? It’s okay to have a casual meeting at an event, but why would they want to take time out of their busy schedule to book an appointment with me?” The Face: America Home Mortgage’s Anita Dotson has been in the mortgage lending business for more than six years. She recently enrolled in a course she hoped would help her gain additional business through the attainment of more qualified referrals; the whole relationship development part of networking had been quite a puzzle to her. A Solution: “I was in the middle of the course,” Dotson said, “and still felt like I just wasn’t getting it. I was very frustrated because I understood the basics of the concepts that were being taught, but I was having trouble applying them to my business. “To me, it seemed like everyone else in the class had it figured out. Then I attended my first monthly lunch where the graduates of this course get together to meet each other and help each other. I sat at a table where I didn’t know anyone, and by the time
or even just a sympathetic ear. When you become the person who wants to help others, others
Debby Peters lunch was over, I knew there was someone at the table that I could probably help and someone at the table who could probably help me. “Let’s just put it this way: it was not a waste of my time and now the concepts make even more sense to me!” The Next Step: “I realized that by listening to what people need, and being able to also share my needs, too, that I can be more successful,” Dotson said. “Wow, it really makes a difference in networking when that happens.” Take Away: In the business world, we tend to think that everyone else already has it all figured out, and doesn’t need anything because he or she doesn’t mention it. But in reality, we all need something, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a sale. It can be information, a connection, the name of someone, a resource of where to get something done,
will want to help you. They will look forward to setting an appointment with you.
Debby Peters is owner and director of training of Certified Networker Program of Ohio.
November 9, 2005
BUSINESS
Toledo Free Press n 25
EDUCATION
Culinary students cook up recipe for success Students learn hands-on by running an actual restaurant each Wednesday. n
By Myndi Milliken Toledo Free Press Managing Editor mmilliken@toledofreepress.com
Leonard Bragg wants to open his own celebrity restaurant in Atlanta. Cooking since he was nine, he’s taking a step toward his dream by attending the culinary arts program at Owens Community College. “It’s the hands-on experience that most people need,” he said. “One thing you learn is to make sure your taste is right. If [the food] is beautiful to you, then it’s going to be beautiful to the people.” Bragg said once he has completed his certificate at Owens, he plans to attend a culinary school in Atlanta. June Lockett, who is also majoring in culinary arts at Owens, said she plans to open her own bakery. “I might open one in Downtown,” she said. “A place to eat and offer different types of coffees. I love to cook and see the results.” Brandon Gyeteai is majoring in food service management and wants to run a restaurant. “I’m looking for a way to get experience in food service and get an education doing it,” he said. The food program at Owens, according to instructor Bill Powell, offers a taste of the real world. The students learn handson by running an actual restaurant each Wednesday.
From preparation to serving, from waiting on diners to cleaning up, the students learn what it takes to work in the food service industry. “We try to replicate, as closely as possible, the environment they’ll find in an actual working restaurant,” Powell said. “This gives us the opportunity to serve the customer, deal with customer services challenges and deal with operational and logistics challenges.” The experimental customers for the food service program are often staff and students at the college, paying $6.95 for a meal worthy of fine dining. Each dinner features a tastefully laid-out setting of salad, bread, a main course, beverages, and a dessert. “The food has always been excellent,” said Laurene Markis, an Owens employee who often takes part in the Wednesday lunches. “They try to come up with creative recipes and we get at least a four-or-fivecourse meal. The students do a great job.” Powell, who has worked all over the country as an executive chef, said students in the program earn a certificate in culinary arts, food service management or hospitality management. “It helps them with the learning curve,” he said. “It allows us to provide the local restaurants and hotels with individuals who have some experience with a real live working operation.”
Ashley Ringenbach, food certificate student.
Toledo Free Press photos by Myndi Milliken
Leonard Bragg, culinary arts student.
BUSINESS IN FOCUS
REALTY&HOMES 26
Home improvement
Simple tips to make homes accessible for people with physical disabilities The Associated Press
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act made it mandatory for public buildings to be accessible for people with disabilities, yet the law did not extend the same guidelines to private homes. So when it comes to making a home’s features more functional for people with disabilities, many homeowners don’t know where to start. However, the need for more accessible housing is expected to grow at a rapid rate in the next 15 years, experts say. “More than 54 million Americans live with a disability,” said James E. Williams Jr., president and chief executive officer of Easter Seals, an organization that helps people with disabilities gain greater independence. “The aging population is expected to reach 70 million by 2030. And, baby boomers are concerned about finding homes they can grow old in as an alternative to nursing homes and retirement communities.” To help homeowners create barrier-free spaces for family and friends with disabilities, Easter Seals and its corporate sponsor, Century 21 Real Estate LLC, have teamed up to provide guidance and a variety of resources through the Web site, www.easterseals.com/easyaccess. They offer the following tips: n Skip the stairs. Entrances should be made of flat, even surfaces that gradually slope toward doors. Consider wide entrance doors that provide enough space for a wheelchair. n Keep it light. Since lighting is a big consideration for people with low vision, make use of large windows and overhead lighting. n Add visuals. Visual devices can be attached to doorbells, telephones and fire alarms to alert people with hearing disabilities. n Recreate the kitchen and bathroom. Lower cabinets, shelves and countertop heights by a few inches and allow for knee room beneath cabinets for better access to the sink and countertops. Look for side-by-side refrigerators and choose appliances with voice-operated or easy-toreach controls. In the bathroom, install non-slip and flat surface flooring, grab bars and removable shower heads.
The Associated Press
Lowering switches and raising electrical outlets are ways to make a home more accessible for wheelchair users. n Adjust heights accordingly. Lower or raise the height of peepholes, mailboxes, electrical controls and outlets to meet the needs of wheelchair-users.
ON THE WEB www.easterseals.com/easy access
Walk-in baths, therapeutic options a boon to those with limited mobility There’s nothing quite like a long, relaxing soak in the bath to ease aches and pains, wash away stress and promote well-being. However, for many individuals, climbing in and out of a conventional tub is too dangerous or physically impossible. But limited mobility doesn’t mean that
such people have to sacrifice the pleasure of bathing. Peggy Archibald, 73, an active senior from Ladner, B.C. credits her morning ritual with getting each day off to a good start. “I love to golf, dance and enjoy dinners out with my friends,” she said. “People would always ask me: ‘Where do
you get your energy?’ Same way I always have, I’d tell them. I start each day with a nice relaxing bath.” One morning in 2001 she found herself without the strength to get out of her bathtub. Her son ordered her a specially designed bathtub, which allowed Archibald to keep enjoying her morning baths.
One walk-in model is 33 inches wide. It features a generous door opening to allow plenty of room to enter and leave the bath. A hydrotherapy option is available.
ON THE WEB www.premier-bathrooms.com
November 9, 2005
REALTY&HOMES
Toledo Free Press n 27
Real Estate Café
Sellers: appraisals are not Gospel
W
hen Realtors meet with a seller to list a home, it’s common for the seller to have a price already in mind. Sometimes that number comes from an appraisal report. But that report that might be out of date, inaccurate or even inflated. Regardless of its purpose, once a homeowner hears a figure for Jody their home, often it’s all they want to hear. Especially if the number is higher than they expected. Appraisals are estimates of value. When pricing a home for sale, the number you want is fair market value. That’s a reasonable price a buyer will pay and a seller will accept on the open market. Comparing prices of other similar sold properties in the neighborhood is one way to arrive at this estimate. The purpose for the appraisal is essential. There are many reasons to get one. Maybe you’re obtaining a loan or refinancing. Perhaps you’re settling an estate or need to find replacement cost for insurance. Or maybe you’ve decided to sell your home and need to determine a price. Different reasons could potentially bring different numbers. I recently went to list a single-family home and the owner insisted on pricing it at $160,000. Why that number? Because an appraisal was done two years ago to refinance. The home was all brick, meticulously maintained, four bedrooms, one bath with a huge yard and garage. It already had been for sale by owner at that price for more than five months. No offers. The seller consulted me. I ran a comparative market analysis. I found nothing on his street that
sold for more than $145,000 in more than a year. Not to mention other comparables: each had additional half baths and other amenities; the market changed since those homes sold 15 months ago; and the owner’s appraisal was outdated. Based on the current market, the location and square footage of this home, I suggested we price the Zink home at $130,000, at the most. This, of course is just my opinion. Do I risk upsetting the homeowner and explain this? A good Realtor would. It’s human nature to want to believe the higher number. After all, it’s right there on the appraisal. Practically written in stone. The owner holds the report in front of him, fiercely pointing to the number with passion. If we could realistically get that price, we both stand to gain! But not all sellers are realistic. The fact a seller needs more money doesn’t affect the value of his home. In this seller’s opinion, he believes his home is worth $160k. It’s just that. An opinion. Some will agree with it — maybe even another Realtor. Let’s not lose sight of the goal: It’s the opinion of the buyer that matters most. My advice: Have a fresh appraisal with homes that actually compare to yours before falling in love with an opinion.
Jody Zink is a licensed Realtor in Ohio and Michigan with the Loss Realty Group. She can be reached at jodyzink@lossrealtygroup.com or (419) 725-1881.
SPORTS
28
GLASS CITY OPEN
Pool player doesn’t let MS stop his game By Myndi Milliken Toledo Free Press Managing Editor mmilliken@toledofreepress.com
Professional pool player David Krolick spoke with Toledo Free Press from his home in Albuquerque, N.M., about coming to The Glass City Open in Toledo, and his battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Toledo Free Press: What did you do before you became a professional pool player? David Krolick: I was a farrier, I shoed horses for 15 years. I took a great deal of pride in my work. I had become well known and was doing high-end work. I had also written a couple of books on the subject. TFP: Why did you retire from a job you enjoyed so much? DK: I felt fatigued. I had muscle cramps and my feet and legs would get numb. I was initially diagnosed with arthritis. I remember I was on vacation in Mexico in 2000, and the balls of my feet would get numb. I threw away these really nice shoes because I thought it was the shoes. When the numbness went to my hips, I went to the doctor. He was brutally frank with me and said it was either an inoperable tumor on my spine or MS.
Photo courtesy David Krolick
Pool player David Krolick was diagnosed with MS in 2000.
TFP: What was your reaction? DK: Honestly, I wished for the tumor. I had a good life and I was okay with that. With the MS, I didn’t know much about it and I figured on a lifetime of handicaps and a wheelchair. TFP: How did you handle the results? DK: I had to adjust. I had anger and depression, but started MS medication right away. That’s when I was playing pool everyday. That was the only time I wasn’t thinking about being sick — money, health, treatment, worries. You don’t forget you’re sick, but when I played pool I just stopped thinking about it. Of course, playing every day, my game came up. I won some local tournaments. I got 97th place out of more than 1,800 players at the Vegas National Championships. It was a blast, it was so much fun. I was giddy, like I was 14 years old. TFP: How did you gain national sponsorship? DK: I saw an ad in a magazine for COPAXONE (a drug used to treat MS) and so I called them. A week later, I got a call back and we started the interview process. We talked for months, and at the
end of 2002, they sponsored me for 12 tournaments. Anytime someone wants to pay me to play pool, I’m there. TFP: Does the sponsorship help you reach out to others with MS? DK: I do. The important things are to start medication right away and to stay on it, so I try to spread that message. Half of the people with MS aren’t taking anything. Medicine has advanced so much, there’s so much that can be controlled with medicine. TFP: Are you enjoying your life now? DK: I’m doing something that I’ve always wanted to do. I started playing pool at 12. Thirty-seven years later, I’m living my dreams. If I could snap my fingers and redo my life, I wouldn’t take that option. When there’s a cure, I’ll get in line. There’s so much I’ve learned as a result of having this disease. Whatever your personal spiritual beliefs are, this is it. I’m here and now, and it’s a gift. I feel obligated to make the most of it. The Glass City Open will be played Nov. 9-13 at Clarion Westgate Hotel, 3536 Secor Rd.
SPORTS
November 9, 2005
Toledo Free Press n 29
BASKETBALL
Owens mens basketball coach announces retirement The Owens Community College mens basketball team bids farewell in March to one of its
most prolific coaches. Jim Welling, who also serves as director of student enrichment
and athletics, announced his retirement as head coach of the mens basketball team after 19
years, saying he wants to spend more time with family. Under Welling, the Express averaged 27 wins per season and tallied an overall record of 525121. His teams have won seven Great Lakes Region XII Championships, nine Ohio Community College Athletic Conference State Tournament Championships and eight OCCAC Conference Championships. They also won National Junior College Athletic Association titles in 1992 and 1993. Fifty-eight players have advanced to NCAA Division I schools during the Welling era, and 90 percent later played at four-year institutions. “The accomplishments that this program has achieved during the last 19 years are not just about victories. They are about helping our student-athletes develop lifelong skills,” Welling said. He became the Express’ basketball coach in 1986 at age 26
and served as one of the youngest coaches in the history of the NJCAA. In his first year, Welling led the team to 22 victories and posted a winning record 18 of 19 seasons. He was named Coach of the Year five times by WELLING the OCCAC, seven times by Region XII and twice by the NJCAA Division II. The Express are 1-1, defeating Kellogg Community College 85-61 at the OCC Tip-off Classic on Nov. 4, then losing to Hillsborough Community College 69-65 in the tournament championship on Nov. 5. Welling will serve as head coach of the Express’ new golf program. — Scott McKimmy
OSU and UM fans get ready to bleed The American Red Cross, Western Lake Erie Region Blood Services, will sponsor its annual Battle Across the Border, a blood drive competition challenging Ohio State University and University of Michigan fans to donate blood. A number of blood drives will be held this week in honor of the competition. n 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 8 at Monroe ARC, 1645 N. Dixie Hwy., Monroe n 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at Senior Center, 7140 Sylvania Ave., Sylvania n 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at New Apostolic Church, Maumee Call (419) 539-1009 or 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543).
30 n Toledo Free Press
FOOTBALL SNAPS
SPORTS ART WEBER
November 9, 2005
GUEST COLUMN
Football can survive without cheerleaders
F
From left, senior team co-captains Brock Sherman, TJ Bridges, Thomas Hertzfeld and Andy Whewell spend just a few more minutes in the locker room after the clean-up and gathering the equipment into piles like fallen leaves. Co-captain Dave Zimmerman was not present. WEEK FIFTEEN: After more than 14 frenzied weeks of practices, weight room sessions, meetings, and
games, it’s suddenly over for the Anthony Wayne Generals varsity football team. The spotlight focused on the team by parents, fellow students, and the community is dimmed. Seniors, most of whom will never don the gear again, reflect on their last moments on the field playing a sport that has been part of their lives since grade school. It’s their last time trotting back to the locker room, the last time they pull off their Generals jersey. It’s a rite of passage. They made a commitment and stuck to it. They were part of a team, part of something bigger than themselves. They set an example, and the juniors are already starting to think ahead to next year, when it will be their time to lead. Toledo Free Press has commissioned photographer Art Weber to chronicle the 2005 varsity football season of the Anthony Wayne Generals. His next assignment will be to capture the Generals basketball season. Art Weber may be contacted at aweber331@adelphia.net.
A gallery of all 15 weeks of Football Snaps is posted at www.toledofreepress.com
ootball is a magnificent tradition with the noble cause of providing entertainment via athleticism, sportsmanship and loosely regulated violence. I have been a football fan for so long, I didn’t kick in the womb; I threw stiffarms. Playing football in high school was inevitable for me, and I was good, too. I earned AllConference honors in my senior year, once even racking up four sacks in a single game (Al Bundy, eat your heart out). It was during my senior year of high school that it occurred to me how to drastically improve football: keep cheerleading away from it. There is nothing wrong with cheerleading itself. It just doesn’t fit with football. Cheerleaders are just as much athletes as the football players are. They even take more risks. Think about it like this: despite the fact that they sel-
John Johnson dom leave the ground, the football players wear nearly unbreakable helmets, mouthpieces molded to their teeth and head-to-toe plastic armor by Riddell. The cheerleaders don’t wear a single piece of armor, yet they routinely toss each other 15 feet in the air. On top of their acrobatics, they perform meticulously choreographed dance routines and tumbling runs. (Try to get all the big, CONTINUED ON PAGE 31
SPORTS
November 9, 2005 Continued from page 30 strong football players to do that on the field. I promise you won’t get as much as a single cha-cha.) Football features two impressive activities happening on the same field at the same time, which makes little sense. No one can really pay attention to both at once. You never turn on the TV and see gymnastic bowling. You never circle a listing in the TV Guide for lacrosse tennis. Why do we still have cheerleading football? Each is a complete sport on its own. Cheerleading even has its own venues and competitions, complete with televised national championships every year. Those who like both should be able to go to the football game on Friday night, then go watch the cheerleaders on Saturday. Imagine that! They would be able to give full attention to each sport in its respective time slot and gain a more thorough enjoyment of both. Distraction is a bigger concern with the players than the audience. Think of what you have rushing onto the football field: teenage guys with Screech-brand voices, pumped up full of adrena-
lin and testosterone, trying to focus hard enough to execute an arsenal of complicated plays with perfect precision, all in a competitive, macho environment. Can you think of the worst possible distraction for that group? If you said “teenage girls with ribbons in their hair, shouting, chanting, dancing, flipping and tossing each other into the air,” you’re right. There’s no way those football players can concentrate with that distraction. Even the most focused of all the players is thinking: third down-GIRLSGIRLS-GIRLS-pass-GIRLSGIRLS-GIRLS-tackle-GIRLSGIRLS-GIRLS-fourth downGIRLS-GIRLS-GIRLS!” That’s why football players smack each other on the helmet after a good play. Teenage guys with that going through their heads get an overwhelming urge to show off after a good play. A good smack on the helmet is like defibrillation for the teenage male brain. Maybe each team could send its cheerleaders to the opponent’s sideline: that would be psychological warfare at its finest. Contact John Johnson at letters@toledofreepress.
Toledo Free Press n 31
COLLEGE SPORTS
Toledo Free Press photo by Ryan Hufford
Cross country runner Dagmara Handzlik moved to Toledo from her home in southern Poland.
UT runner sees USA as land of hopes and dreams By Chris Kozak Toledo Free Press Sports Writer news@toledofreepress.com
Forget for a moment, if you can, the just-decided mayoral race that turned into a mudslinging campaign and the recent riots that stretched the fabric of our constitutional rights. Remember that, for many around the world, America is land of hope and drams. That’s how UT freshman psychology major and cross county runner Dagmara Handzlik views the city. Toledo is light-years and half a world away from her home of Bielsho-Biala in southern Poland. Toledo has become her home away from home, because warts and all, it is still America. Three years ago, Handzlik’s daily run would take her through the Carpathian Mountains that grew beside Bielsho-Biala, and along the Biala River that runs through it. The town of 185,000 was founded in the 13th century, but Handzlik looked forward, not back. She had a dream most Americans never acknowledge, or even realize they are fortunate enough to see come to fruition. “My dream was to study at a university in the USA,” she says via e-mail, too shy to talk on the phone; her English hasn’t caught up to her running. “I decided to come to Toledo because [Toledo Track and Cross Country coach Kevin Hadsell] was very interested in me. He visited me in Poland so my family could meet him.” It was worth the trip for Hadsell, for since joining the Women’s Rocket cross-country team, Handzlik has posted career-best times, helping the team excell. She finished 2nd at the UT/BG 5k dual meet with a time of 18:23; 4th at the Central Collegiate Invitational as the team won the meet; an impressive 66th out of nearly 300 at Minnesota’s prestigious Roy Griak Invitational; and most recently finished 2nd at the MAC Championships two as the team finished 2nd to Akron.
This weekend, the Rockets travel to Bloomington, Ind., for the NCAA Regional Championships Nov. 12. Her success has taken Handzlik back a bit. “I am very surprised, especially because last season in Poland wasn’t very good for me,” she said. “Before I came, I was even worried. I am in good shape now because of coach Hadsell and his practices. It is amazing how fast he improved my running.” Despite only running for four years, one at Toledo and three at her high school, Bielsho-Biala Number Four, Handzlik has taken to the to the sport. “I love long-distance running. The longer the distance is, the more I like it,” she said. “I always wanted to go to the Olympics and run the marathon.” Though she misses her mom, Grazyna, and dad, Jozef, she talks with them on the phone weekly and via the Internet daily. But her focus is in Toledo. Handzlik sees Toledo as opportunity, as a dream fulfilled, regardless of what goes on beyond the track and beyond the campus. “I feel very comfortable here,” she said. “It’s not stressful for me live in a new place when I have so many wonderful people around me.”
ARTS&LIFE n
TEAR SHEET: Your guide to the Toledo zeitgeist, page 36
32
William Hootkins, 1948-2005
You may not know his name, but he acted in the biggest films of all time, page 40
FILM
Sylvania native wins film competition
By John Johnson Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com
Lisa Goodman, a 1990 graduate of Sylvania Northview High School, said she moved to New York to pursue a career in musical theatre, but found the lifestyle was not for her. “You’re sort of pounding the pavement constantly and trying to earn enough money to survive, but also put enough time toward acting,” she said. Pounding the pavement is paying off, as she recently produced a winning film at this year’s ProMotion Pictures-branded film competition at New York University. The goal of the competition was to create a 3-to-7-minute short film involving the use of Verizon Broadband in a creative way. Her film, “Back Home,” can be viewed at www.verizonbroadbandfilms.com. Goodman said the film is “about a businessman who follows his high school football team,
and doesn’t get home to watch the games that often,” because he lives in New York, and his high school is in Ohio. “He notices from newsletters that they are on a losing streak [and that] the team doesn’t have enough money to buy new uniforms. He decides to help the team, not only by buying new uniforms for them, but by setting up a Web site to stream the game to broadband.” The end of the film shows the businessman watching the football game at his computer. Goodman said the message intended is: “Broadband brings people together.” According to Jessica Neville, director of communications for the Office of Public Affairs at NYU’s Stern School of Business, the contest seeks to “explore the real-world convergence of content and commerce while providing students valuable hands-on experience with creating an original production, from screenplay
to distribution.” Roughly 30 teams competed this year by submitting a script, treatment, budget and director’s reel, according to Neville. Three winning teams were then selected based on several criteria, including creativity and appropriateness to brand strategy, and given a $40,000 cash prize to produce their film. In 2004, Goodman served as a contributing associate producer for a winning team in the first ProMotion Pictures competition. The film, called “Hoodwink,” depicted a group of spies posing as a typical American family to complete a secret mission. Goodman said it was that experience that led her to serve as producer in this year’s competition. While trying to establish herself as an actress, she and three friends, who also held various day jobs in the live entertainment industry, started a small production company to put on
theatrical showcases. “In the industry you take classes where you pay (up to) $200 a month or more and you do scene work, and at the end of that end of that six-to-eight-week course, the teacher or studio you are working with will invite a couple of industry people to see the showcase. But it gets difficult for actors to keep paying for that just to get exposure,” Goodman said. “So our objective was to provide this avenue for actors, and they would pay maybe $50 instead of $200.” Goodman said the company she and her friends founded only charged enough money to cover overhead. Goodman said her interests eventually diverted to the business side of entertainment. “My experience acting in the city, doing musical theatre and waiting in line for three hours to sing eight bars as No. 162, and missing a whole day of work for that ... made me realize that I didn’t want to do that.”
LISA GOODMAN Goodman said she is thankful for her husband, David Simon, who “has always encouraged me to take risks and do what I want to do instead of taking the traditional route.” Goodman said there is a mantra she keeps in mind: “The journey is the reward.”
ARTS&LIFE
November 9, 2005
Toledo Free Press n 33
IN CONCERT
Former Toledoan to showcase guitar By Vicki L. Kroll Toledo Free Press Staff Writer events@toledofreepress.com
Jeff Daschbach was going to get his nails done last Friday. “I’ve got long acrylic nails. I get a great deal because they’re only on one hand,” said the guitarist/singer/songwriter from his Chicago home. “It’s a freaky thing to have unless it’s Halloween, but it completely changed the dynamics of playing for me.” His explosive, passionate playing style features finger-picking and slap and tap techniques. Flick Flack, the title track of his latest CD, showcases his flying fingers and fine fretwork. The acoustic instrumental received widespread exposure on National Public Radio’s “All Songs Considered Open Mic.” Daschbach recorded the song at Zeta Studios in Toledo. “I was in town for the holidays about a year ago. It was a one-take thing,” he said. “I had lots of musical ideas and just stuck them together on the fly. Initially, it was just meant to be a demo. Surprisingly, it just took off. It’s the song most identified with me.”
He considers “Flick Flack” a generic term for his playing style. “It was kind of inspired by flick and pick, slap and tap, and there’s an homage to Béla Fleck in there.” He was born in Indiana; his family moved to Toledo before he hit his teens. He started taking guitar lessons at Durdel’s Music when he was 11 after listening to Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin. “Led Zeppelin really introduced me to so many types of music. The catalog they have ranged from blues to Eastern Indian music,” he said. “The open tunings throughout Zeppelin’s tunes really opened up the guitar for me.” Daschbach went to Ohio State University and was the lead singer of Antidote. After the college band broke up, he moved to Ann Arbor, where he explored the folk scene and worked at a guitar studio. He learned the new style of playing, complete with acrylic nails. Released four months ago, Flick Flack features original compositions and a cover of “Hollywood Nights.” “Growing up in Toledo listening to 104.7 FM, it seemed like there was a loop of Bob Seger songs on,” Daschbach said. “Seger is the Dylan of Michigan.”
Owens hosts Shakespeare conference
JEFF DASCHBACH He will play a free show at Brewed Awakenings, 2636 W. Central Ave., at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 18.
ON THE WEB www.jeffdaschbach.com
Owens Community College will serve as host to the Ohio Shakespeare Conference, Nov. 10-13, with this year’s theme titled “Shakespeare and the Law.” Literary and legal scholars from around the country will conduct seminars on issues of justice and law in the works of Shakespeare. The conference is highlighted by the Atomic Fission Tour performances of three Shakespearean plays. For information, call (567) 661-7524.
FOOD
Holiday eating topic of hospital lecture series
Staci Freeworth, MFCS, RD, LD, will present the topic, “Holiday Eating” from noon to 1 p.m.
Nov. 14 as part of the 2005 Bay Park Community Hospital Lecture Series.
This lecture will provide tips on eating right during what is typically a challenging time to
eat healthy; especially since most holidays gatherings have food as the centerpiece. Jackie Babcock, social worker with Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, will present the topic, “Hospice Care: how to respond when someone you care for is in need,” from 10 to 11 a.m. Nov. 16. The 2005 Lecture Series is dedicated to bringing health-care
experts and informative topics to an open public forum. All lectures are held in the Great Lakes Conference Center at Bay Park Community Hospital and are free and open to the public. Complimentary food and refreshments are served during every session. For information, call (419) 690-7505.
ARTS&LIFE
34 n Toledo Free Press
FILM
UT festival encourages first-year collegians By John Johnson Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofereepress.com
Jennifer Rockwood, director of the department of First-Year Experience at the UT, is preparing to roll out the red carpet. UT’s FYE department is sponsoring the UncUT Imovie Festival, a competition for first-year students. Carol ROCKWOOD Bresnahan, vice provost of Academic Programs and Policies at UT, said the FYE department, “tries to support programs designed to enhance the first-year experience of our students here. This is the first of what we hope will be an annual film festival in which teams of first-year students document the first [two or three] months of their experience at UT,” Bresnahan said. Though Bresnahan said she assisted in putting together the project, she said she believes the credit for “the genesis of the idea” belongs to Rockwood. “[The contest] is a chance for students to work together in teams, to learn time management skills, to come up with a work of art,” Rockwood said. She said the films will be judged on “creativity, innovative use of technology, editing and videography, story or narrative and the first-year experience content.” Each member of the winning team will receive a new Ipod donated by Apple Computers. The list of judges includes members of the local media, theater and film professionals, UT graduate and undergraduate students, and faculty and staff members at UT. Jeanne Hartig, director of Marketing and Communications at UT, will be one of the judges. “From an institutional point of view and a marketing point of view, I think it’s a fabulous new type of way to get students to look at their surroundings in a completely new way and share that with other folks,” Hartig said. “It’s going to be a fun project and we’re looking forward to it.” Rockwood said the festival will have an “Oscar night” ambiance, complete with red carpet, two MCs and live music by local band Lazer Love Five. The UncUT Imovie Festival will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 19. at Doermann Theatre inside UT’s University Hall.
November 9, 2005
Theater review
‘Homebody’ deserves packed house By Barbara Goodman Shover Toledo Free Press Contributing Editor bshovers@toledofreepress.com
In the kitchen of an upmarket London residence, a middle-aged woman muses on ancient Afghanistan, present-day party hats and the connections, or perhaps dislocations, between herself, her family and the world. “The Homebody” and her husband are both taking “powerful antidepressants”; she’s estranged from her daughter; and though she claims to “love, love, love love the world,” she only knows of it from books. During the course of an hour, our proper British hostess spews a coy stream-of-consciousness monologue that ranges from biblical Cain to present day — 1998 — Bill Clinton. She rants. She raves. She uses words that maybe three people in the world know the meaning of. Is this somebody you’d want to spend an evening with? Yes, especially if you’re the
type who’s turned on by ideas and language. Particularly if you want to see how good Toledo theater could be if audiences supported fare more challenging than another go-round of “Greater Tuna” or “Forever Plaid.” ROWLANDS Sue Ott Rowlands channels the heroine — or maybe anti-heroine — of Tony Kushner’s two-part play “Homebody/Kabul” with astounding brio. Rowlands, a UT professor and dean, is an Equity pro who’s been performing for 25 years. What’s equally impressive is that Elysa Marden, a freelance director, managed to get superior performances out of almost all her other cast members — many of whom had to learn their lines in Pashto, Dari,
MEDIA
Morrison joins FOX From Staff Reports
Mike Morrison has traded the warm gulf breezes of south Texas and Corpus Christi for the variety of seasons in MORRISON Toledo. He has been named Chief Meteorologist for FOX News 36. He brings accreditations from the American
Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association. He has a B.S. degree in Meteorology/Mathematics and a B.A. degree in Speech Communication. Morrison joined weekend meteorologist Katie Miller and the Stormtracker Weather team as Chief Meteorologist on Nov. 7. “Keeping people informed, aware and prepared for whatever the weather brings is important,” Morrison said. Morrison said he intends to continue his youth-mentoring work.
Russian and French. Here’s the three-line plot synopsis: After 50 years sitting around her Knightsbridge kitchen, our romantic Homebody decides to venture into the world she claims to love. Without telling anyone, she flies to Kabul, where she’s promptly shot by the Taliban. The second half of the show revolves around her family’s attempts to find her body. Because Kushner, most famous for “Angels in America,” is a playwright who doesn’t shy from controversy or complexity, parts of the play are written in the languages of contemporary Afghanis. Though Kushner is obviously impressed with the sound of his own voice, what he has to say about love, life, (mis)communications and politics is engaging and often funny. He makes connections where you wouldn’t think they exist, and unlike many commentators on Islam and the West (the play was written before 9/11, but lines of dialogue
eerily predict it), he offers synthesis that’s neither multi-culti liberal nor didactically patriotic. The sound, lighting, and costumes are as professional as any I’ve seen on Broadway: God (or Allah) is in the details, and there are many: even the prop people are costumed. According to Marden, cast and crew members were coached by language and cultural consultants and the effort paid off in verisimilitude. The set, designed by Jim Hill, spans multiple levels and is a marvel itself. We don’t often see this caliber of work in Toledo. Unfortunately, the opening-weekend performance Nov. 5 was sparsely attended. When the cast took its bows stage right and left, there was no one in those sections to applaud them. The Homebody learns too late how to experience life. Don’t make the same mistake. The show runs through Nov. 20 at UT’s Center for Performing Arts. Book tickets at (419) 530-2375.
ARTS&LIFE
November 9, 2005
Comedy Corner
Crime shows we’d like to see True crime and made-for-TV crime movies and shows are hitting us from all directions. Here is a “leaked list” of next season’s new TV shows in this genre: The Pathology Channel (TPC): A new approach to learning about the insides of the human body, with trauma exhibited wherever possible. Not for the squeamish, but, it’s great for high school biology class and college pre-med or pre-dent. The Road Kill Show: Three contestants identify dried/flattened road kill to win prizes. At least 25 animals are in the mix, with five shown each week. The winner gets “Mounted Road Kill” for that week and a gift certificate to the “Lizard Restaurant” near Death Valley. Slam Dunk Cases: Ex-NBA stars talk about murder raps that were easy to beat, because of high-priced defense attorneys to spring them with innocent verdicts and cases thrown out, because of poor evidence and/or technicalities. Law & Organ-STU (Special Transplant Unit): The underground market in organ transplants in the
U.S. and overseas makes for exciting catch-’em-in-the-act drama. Hearts, kidneys, livers ... it’s all here in this novel series. Celebrity Deaths Revisited: Did he shoot himself in the mouth or in the temple? Was she decapitated by a semi? Was it really murder? These and other questions are answered with actual photos to stop the rumors and urban legends. Three famous deaths from the last 60 years are revisited each week. Show advisers indicate that viewers should not have not eaten for five hours before airtime. Judge Wapner Jr.: The famous judge’s son turns to the Crime Doesn’t Pay Channel (CDPC) and goes “heavy” against the meanest perps. Trouble In Area 51: A reality show where hidden cameras record “run and catch the little green people” scampering amok and where some injure their captors. Actual infusions of drugs into violent aliens shown. Not recommended for children under three years of age. — Shel Natowski
Toledo Free Press n 35
FILM
Ann Arbor Festival tours Toledo By John Dorsey Toledo Free Press Staff Writer events@toledofreepress.com
In 1963, the world was watching. Even as the death of President John F. Kennedy filled TV screens and radio airwaves, a seemingly tiny rebirth was taking place in the form of the Ann Arbor film festival. Founded by University of Michigan School of Art filmmaker George Manupelli, the festival became independent of the university, receiving status as a non profit organization in 1980. Boasting an advisory board that included such filmmakers as Ken Burns, Ann Arbor has built a long running tradition, each year offering more than $18,000 in cash prizes to winning filmmakers. In addition to its regular calendar, the festival also prides itself on another tradition, taking experimental cinema on the road. Fourteen of the festival’s award winning films and videos will be digitally screened at 8 p.m. Nov. 14 at Toledo’s Lois M. Nelson Theater, 2413 Collingwood Blvd. The program will be a four-hour look at highlighted work of varying themes, including this year’s Burns award winner “Uso Justo,” made by Minneapolis filmmaker Scott Coleman Miller. “Britton S. Dakota”, which using only black and white archive footage, tells the haunting story of a desolate depression era hamlet. This film won the festival’s Gus Van Sant award for Best Experimental Filmmaking. “America the Beautiful” is billed as “a concise, sarcastic, violent, and surreal stop-motion
A scene from “Don’t Call Me Crazy On The 4th Of July,” directed by Richard Pell. history of the United States of America, all in under 5 minutes”. The filmmakers will receive $1.50 per minute each time their creations are shown during the tour. The tour runs through December, and tickets can be reserved by calling (419) 244-2787.
Way Library film series scheduled The Way Public Library continues its monthly art and foreign film series, Reel Art@Way, on Nov. 11. The library will show the British-made 2000 film, “Greenfingers.” This English-language film begins at 7 p.m. in the upper level auditorium of the library. No reservations required. Admission and refreshments are free. The library is located at 101 E. Indiana Ave. in Perrysburg.
On Nov. 17, the Way Public Library will continue Reel Talk, a classic film series with the 1955 film “Night of the Hunter.” The film stars Robert Mitchum as a bogus, psychotic preacher. The film begins at 10 a.m. in the library’s lower level auditorium. Admission and refreshments are free. Phyllis Gallo, area film scholar, will discuss the picture. For information, call (410) 874-3135.
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> NEW ON CD: ‘12 SONGS’ BY NEIL DIAMOND, ‘BODY ACOUSTIC’ BY CYNDI LAUPER, ‘THE ROAD’ BY KENNY CHESNEY
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tear sheet Y O U R W E E K LY T O U R O F T H E T O L E D O Z E I T G E I S T
PARTING
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day 2 DAY Bazaar benefit
The Little Sisters of the Poor will host its holiday bazaar from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 11 - 12 at the Sacred Heart Home, 930 S. Wynn Rd. This event features crafts, floral arrangements, ornaments, and baked goods. Proceeds benefit the Little Sisters of the Poor and their 165-year-old mission of caring for the elderly poor.
Dining Room
Northview Theatre will present its 2005 fall play, The Dining Room, written by A.R. Gurney, November 10-13, in the school’s Little Theater. All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m., except the Nov. 13 afternoon matinee, which begins at 2 p.m. All seats are reserved. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens; (419) 824-8570.
Can You Move It? Prove It!
Can you see it? Under the Douglas Road overpass on Bancroft Street, an image of Jack Ford appeared in the paint Monday. Thus far the site has not been turned into a shrine, but that may change after results from Tuesday’s election become official and final. Technical information: this photo was shot at 1/500 sec., ISO 1600, f/2.8 and 200mm with a Canon EOS 20D.
DM Stanfield is Toledo Free Press photo editor. He may be contacted at dmstanfield@toledofreepress.com.
the AGENDA 1 Golden
postcards
The Main Library’s LocalHistoryandGenealogyDepartmentpresents Vanished Toledo — Postcard Memories of a City’s Past, Nov. 5-30 in the Blade Rare Book Room and the Local History Lobby.The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular library hours.The exhibit features select examples of postcards, mostly from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, regarded as the golden age of postcards. Images ofToledo are featured, including the Downtown cityscape, current events, buildings and bridges; (419) 259-5233.
get MOVING A hunting we will go Especially for senior citizens, Toledo Metroparks offers, “An Afternoon at the Hunting Lodge,” from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Nov. 9 at Oak Openings Preserve, Buehner Center. Sit by a cozy fire and enjoy the smells from the bubbling pot on the hearth. Listen to excerpts from Steve Pollick’s “Star Walking with Sarah” and selected readings by Aldo Leopold. Bring a photo of your favorite dog, hunting buddy or trophy, and a story to share. Reservations; (419) 407-9700.
top of the LIST
Grab your dancing shoes and prepare to sign up for the Kent Branch Library’s dance contest on Nov. 25. This program is free and open to all ages, but registration is limited to the first 64 who sign up the day of the program. Registration begins at noon, dancing begins at 1 p.m. and continues until one person is crowned champion. Using the popular Dance Dance Revolution game and the PlayStation platform, Can You Move It? Prove It! features a one-on-one dance off, with participants advancing until a winner is declared. There will be practice session at Kent Branch Library, Lagrange Branch Library, Main Library, and Mott Branch Library beginning as early as Nov. 9. Call for details, (419) 259-5340.
BORDER BASH The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo is selling tickets for its first-ever Border Bash, a tailgate party fundraiser to celebrate the rivalry game between the Ohio State University and the University of Michigan. The Border Bash will take from 7 to 11 p.m. Nov. at Margarita Rocks, the former Commodore Perry. VIP tickets to the Buckeye/Wolverine Suite are available for $25 each, which will include acoustic performances of Johnny Rodriguez, Tony Papa, Jeff Stewart and more. Proceeds benefit the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo and programs such as Young Artists at Work, Artomatic 419, and the Parkwood Gallery. Tickets can be purchased by calling (419) 254-ARTS.
MUSIC NOTES Fri Nov 11 Agora Theatre, Cleveland
Finch, HIM, Skindred Alvin’s, Detroit
As Cities Burn, Evergreen Terrace, The Chariot, Underminded The Ark, Ann Arbor
Mountain Heart Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, Cleveland
BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet, Fleshtones
Blind Pig, Ann Arbor
Blueprint 76, Mustard Plug
Bowling Green State University Kobacker Hall
“Gli Amori d’Apollo e di Dafne”
Murphy’s Place
Roosevelt Hatcher with The Murphys The Odeon, Cleveland
As Fast As, The Southland, Virginia Coalition
Peabody’s Down Under, Cleveland
Kryoburn
St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit
El Pus, Kottonmouth Kings, Mower, Subnoize Souljaz SeaGate Convention Centre
“Sesame Street Live — Super Grover” The Shelter, Detroit
Tom Vek
State Theatre, Detroit
COMPILED BY VICKI L. KROLL Blind Pig, Ann Arbor
Brandi Carlile, Marc Broussard
Brewed Awakenings
University of Michigan Rackham Auditorium, Ann Arbor
Harry Hazard Bronze Boar
Big Blues Bob & The Thin Ice Band Cleveland Convention Center
Newsboys, Superchick
Darke County Center for the Arts, Greenville
Toledo Symphony Orchestra
Grog Shop, Cleveland
Captured! By Robots
Russel Martin & The Relics Club Bijou
Stranahan Theater
Detroit Orchestra Hall
Toledo Museum of Art Club Music Friday
Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, Trivium
“Hairspray”
Ahmad Jamal
Radio Flyer
Grog Shop, Cleveland
The Underground
Bob Mould, Kristin Hersh Headliners
Nick Motil House of Blues, Cleveland
Butch Walker, DaMone, Paramore, Simple Plan Howard’s Club H, Bowling Green
Oval Opus
Tom Turner and Slow Burn Mickey Finn’s Pub
One Under
Harpo’s, Detroit
Manhattan’s
Pat Lewandowski Mickey Finn’s Pub
Valentine Theatre
Murphy’s Place
The Village Idiot, Maumee
The Nu-Tones
Wilbert’s Food & Music, Cleveland
Jimbo Mathus
Sat Nov 12
Manhattan’s
Hanson, Pat McGee Band, Tom Vek
Easy Action, The Zimmerman Twins, Boogaloosa Prayer “Madama Butterfly”
The Ark, Ann Arbor
La Guitara with Patty Larkin, Kaki King, Mimi Fox, Muriel Anderson
State Theatre, Detroit
Finch, HIM, Skindred
“Late Morning With Early Music”
Anit-Flag, Bad Religion, Murphy’s Law, Pennywise
Regional Superstar Competition
On the Beach
BGSU Bryan Recital Hall
House of Blues, Cleveland
Bronze Boar
Shawn’s Irish Tavern
The Turnstyles, The Wide Awakes Nicole Heitger Quartet Peabody’s Down Under, Cleveland
Amazin’ Blue Fall Concert
University of Toledo Center for Performing Arts Recital Hall
Ohio Music Teachers Association Lucas County Recital The Village Idiot, Maumee
Revision
The Vineyard
Ed Levy, guitar
Sun Nov 13 The Ark, Ann Arbor
Tarbox Ramblers Bowling Green State University Kobacker Hall
“Gli Amori d’Apollo e di Dafne” Grog Shop, Cleveland
Tristeza
House of Blues, Cleveland
Duwayne Burnside, Pennywise, Sick of It All Howard’s Club H, Bowling Green
Cory Zido
Peabody’s Down Under, Cleveland
SeaGate Convention Centre
“Sesame Street Live — Super Grover” University of Toledo Center for Performing Arts Recital Hall
Mu Phi Founder’s Day Concert Valentine Theatre
“Madama Butterfly”
Mon Nov 14 Alvin’s, Detroit
Street Brutality Tour featuring Black My Heart, Donnybrook, Hoods, Shattered Realm The Ark, Ann Arbor
Konono N°1
Bowling Green State University Bryan Recital Hall
Bloodumpster, The Cardinal Sin
Bury Your Dead, Scars of Tomorrow, Terror The Ark, Ann Arbor
John Wesley Harding Bowling Green State University Kobacker Hall
Jazz Lab Band II Bronze Boar
Box of Cats Brewed Awakenings
The Dwarves
Magic Stick, Detroit
Junior Brown Manhattan’s
Kelly Broadway Murphy’s Place
Ryan Erard Trio, The Murphys The Odeon, Cleveland
Manhattan’s
Pirate’s Cove, Cleveland
Ed Levy
Ritz Theatre, Tiffin River Raisin Center for the Arts, Monroe, Mich.
SeaGate Convention Centre
“Sesame Street Live — Super Grover”
Alvin’s, Detroit
Front 242, Grayarea
Tristeza
University of Toledo Faculty and Student Jazz Bands
“Tribute to Benny Goodman” featuring the Dave Bennett Septet
Jamison Parker, June, Roses Are Red, The Juliana Theory
Magic Stick, Detroit
Ritz Theatre, Tiffin
SeaGate Convention Centre
Agora Theatre, Cleveland
Grog Shop, Cleveland
El Pus, Kottonmouth Kings, Mower, Subnoize Souljaz Joan Rivers
Tue Nov 15
House of Blues, Cleveland
Critical Bill, Phunk Junkeez, Tech N9ne Robin and Linda Williams & Their Fine Group
Collegium Musicum Concert
Joshua Marcus & Joy
Howard’s Club H, Bowling Green
Murphy’s Place
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
University of Toledo Center for Performing
Street Brutality Tour featuring Black My Heart, Donnybrook, Hoods, Shattered Realm Wildwood Preserve Metropark Manor House
Bowling Green State University Graduate String Quartet
BE THERE. DO THAT. Benefits Operation Christmas Child: offers ways to give for children around the world. For collection information; (419) 885-8615. Fall Craft Show: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 12 at Saint Anthony Catholic
Church, 4609 Saint Anthony Rd., Temperance, Mich.
Family Dad and I: 1 to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 13
at Swan Creek Preserve, Yager Center. A special time for dads and their children. Discover how
animals prepare for the winter and where they go during the cold season. Dress for the weather. Calling All Scouts: Mammal Study, 2 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at Side Cut, Lamb Center. Boy Scouts ages 11 to 17 work on requirements for the mammal study merit badge. Bring a camera. Reservations; (419) 407-9700.
Fitness Belly dance classes: at The Place for
Dance at Bedford Dance Academy, Temperance and Owens Community College; (419) 280-3674.
Must-see Ohio Shakespeare Conference:
Nov. 10-12 at Owens Community College. Performances by the Shenandoah Blackfriars Stage Co. will begin at 7:30 p.m. each day; (567) 661-2787. Identity Illusionist: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at Toledo Museum of Art. For centuries, stage performers have disguised both their personal identities and their genders — from Japanese Kabuki to Shakespearian theater. Now, Toledo diva Phil Flores transforms into his alter ego, Twila Starr, while
37
Arts Recital Hall
Elizabeth McNutt, flute
Righteous Jam, Far From Finished, Dropkick Murphys, Big D and The Kids Table
TOLEDO CONFIDENTIAL
narrating the process step by step. Once in character, Twila performs musical numbers, and then transforms an audience member with makeup. Beauty and the Beast: Nov.
11-13 at Fassett Auditorium, 3025 Starr Ave.; (419) 691-1398.
MADD Poets Society: 2:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at
Toledo Museum of Art. Through spoken word and poetry, poets perform works that explore the perceptions and realities of their own identities; (419) 246-8000.
Cultural Domestication and Instinctual Desire: exhibition of contemporary
Czech art, through Dec. 31 at UT’s CVA Gallery, 620 Grove Pl.; (419) 530-8300. Night of Cabaret: The Toledo School for the Arts will present an evening of cabaret-style entertainment and grazing, with a chance to win $5,000 in a reverse raffle. More than $10,000 in cash and prizes are up for grabs, and only 200 tickets available. The event will be held at 8 p.m. Nov. 18 at Zenobia Hall, 1511 Madison Ave. Tickets are $100 per couple; (419) 246-8732.
Keith Bergman
Thank a vet
N
ov. 11 is Veteran’s Day, and you shouldn’t need me to tell you to thank someone who’s sacrificed for our country. But what about the rock veterans who’ve been slogging it out since many of you were still wetting your Underoos? John Brannon of Detroit rock combo Easy Action did time in Negative Approach and the Laughing Hyenas, two of those bands that barely made a dent in the mainstream, but will send otherwise sane record collectors in Austria into paroxysms of fanboy adulation. Brannon and Easy Action share time Nov. 11 at the Underground with Boogaloosa Prayer, whose drummer, Todd Swalla, was a member of legendary punks The Necros in the early 1980s. Comparative spring chickens The Zimmerman Twins are led by Kevin Murnen, the following generation’s sacrifice on the altar of rock, who spent a good portion of the 1990s beating his head against the wall in the ragged genius pop band Gone Daddy Finch. I’m importing people in the know from other states to see this show. If they outnumber the native Toledoans who check out this lineup, you all should just shut up and go buy some John Tesh records this weekend, because there’s no hope for you.
Lennon revisited
Speaking of veterans, next month marks the anniversary of the death of one of rock’s fallen heroes. On the evening of Dec. 8, 1980, deranged fan Mark David Chapman murdered John Lennon outside his apartment building in the Upper West Side of New York. The impact of the life and work of Lennon will be remembered by the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library with “Paperback Writer: Lennon at Your Library,” throughout the month of December. The highlight of the program will be a celebration of Lennon’s music on Dec. 8 in the audiovisual department, first floor of the Main Library, 325 Michigan St. Musicians: wanna pay your respects at this free show? Contact Meg Delaney at (419) 259-5333 for details.
The long and winding road
Condolences to the Japanese band DMBQ, who were involved in a van accident on the Jersey Turnpike last weekend. Drummer Mana “China” Nishiura was killed instantly, and booking agent/friend Michelle Cable was seriously injured, suffering a broken back. Please consider visiting the site of their American label, www.estrus.com, and donating a few dollars for Cable’s medical expenses — like many foot soldiers in the rock game, she has no health insurance. And don’t be lazy when a band you’re interested in comes to town. This could happen to anyone, any time. The TV and the Internet will still be there tomorrow, but rock ‘n’ roll offers no such guarantees — you gotta get it while you can.
ARTS&LIFE
38 n Toledo Free Press
November 9, 2005
EDUCATION
School for the Arts sponsors competition By Sandra Whitta Special to Toledo Free Press
To highlight the area’s greatest high school artists, the Toledo School for the Arts is sponsoring Quest for the Best, an arts competition. “In the fall if you turn on the TV, all you ever hear about is high school sports. The artists we have in this community do absolutely wonderful work. We would like to get the whole community involved in that work,” said Jean Poplawski, Quest for the Best chairperson. Students enrolled in grades nine through 12 are eligible to compete in the upcoming preliminary events. The dance preliminary will take place Nov. 19, theater monologues on Dec. 4 and visual arts portfolio on Jan. 7. “The idea for Quest for the Best came from a group of parents that wanted to create a fundraiser that was related to the mission of the school,” said David Gierke, TSA director of development. TSA’s mission is to “support students’ life-long appreciation and competence in the arts. We can raise funds using the talents of the school — give them a taste of real-world activities. That has been a philosophy
since day one.” The top three artists from each preliminary will receive medals and move on to the final, which will take place Jan. 28. At the final, a prize package, including cash and studio time, will be awarded to the top artist or ensemble in each category and a donation will be made to the winner’s school or sponsoring organization. Judging for the preliminaries will be 25 percent audience opinion and 75 percent community professional judges who will work off a point system. The final event will be 100-percent audience scoring. “We didn’t want the contest to be an “American Idol” like competition. We wanted it to have credibility and wanted kids to get constructive feedback. We want these kids to really have an opportunity to see how others would look at their work,” Poplawski said. The vocal preliminary took place Sept. 24, during which Jessica Jambor from Perrysburg High School, Central Catholic High School Gospel Choir and Austen Boone from Perrysburg High School were named the top three artists. Entry fee is $15 for single artists and $30 for ensembles. Each
Photo courtesy Toledo School for the Arts
Toledo School for the Arts In Good Company Dancers, from left: Melissa Kinner, Julie Meehan (standing), Alex Catchings, Whitnee Smith and Loreal Watkins. category is limited to 25 entries and entrants must fill out an application and have the signature
of a sponsor. TSA welcomes additional corporate donations toward the prize packages.
For more information, contact Toledo School for the Arts at (419) 246-8732.
ARTS&LIFE
November 9, 2005
CD REVIEWS BY MICHAEL PUNSALAN
The Briefs, Steal your Heart Breathing life and vitality into Seattle, a town known for bleakness, the Brief’s Steal your Heart echoes the work of the Adverts and the Buzzcocks. The Briefs deliver anthems with humorous and entrenching lyrics.
Last Target, One Shot, One Kill Although Japan is not typically known for female-fronted punk rock bands, Last Target is hoping to change the preconception. Hailing from Tokyo, Last Target’s One Shot, One Kill album contains undeniably entertaining punk rock yammered in Japanese or in English with a subtle hint of an Asian accent. Led by Ryoko of the legendary all-girl punk band Thug Murder, Last Target describes itself as “crazy humans” armed with “chainsaw vocals” and “diesel-fueled guitars.” Audibly striking, Last Target appears prepared for the stage and the battlefield.
The Atomic Bitchwax, 3 Atomic Bitchwax’s 3 possesses all of the wickedly cool guitar riffs modern rock seems to lack. Heavy strutting licks, face melting solos, trance-inducing drum beats and surprisingly entertaining melodies push this band to the front of the School of Rock Class. This three-man group has two guitarists exchanging guitar duties but vocals.
Face to Face, Essential Collection The Essential Collection highlights this southern California band’s recording history since its 1992 debut album. The anthology includes 19 re-mastered Face to Face hits and two previously unreleased songs, “Thick as a Brick” and a live version of “Disconnected.”
Default, One thing remains Default’s third album slyly retraces the steps of producing simple, idyllic rock melodies. Smooth and upbeat, this band manufactures modern radio hits with praiseworthy guitar licks and trendy rock vocals by frontman Dallas Smith. Chad Kroeger helped pen the album’s best track, the peppy single, “Count on Me.”
Toledo Free Press n 39
IN CONCERT
Wide Awakes dream big By Keith Bergman Toledo Free Press Staff Writer events@toledofreepress.com
When drummer-turned-guitarist Tim Bueter asked his friends to help him record some new songs he’d written, he had no intention of starting a band. He recruited Brandon Boltz and Michael Johnson of The Quantum Four and Crazy Daisies, and Gone Daddy Finch drummer Tommy Grzybowski, for the sessions and a few live shows. When Grzybowski and his wife had a baby, the project was shelved, presumably for good. “Out of the blue, Brandon was offered a gig by a friend in Columbus,” Bueter said, “and since at the time he had no band, he asked me if I’d move to the drums, and Liz [Owens], his fiancée, would play rhythm guitar, along with Michael.” The gig went well: The Wide Awakes was born. After two years of sporadic gigs, including opening slots for The Bottle Rockets and The Sights and a set at the Boogie Records farewell party, Bueter decided it was time to get out from behind the kit. Shuttlecock drummer John Hubbell was enlisted to play on Bitter One, the band’s forthcoming CD, and Adam Renchen, a recent transplant from Cincinnati, was tapped to occupy the drum throne permanently. Bueter said, “since Adam has joined the band, with his encouragement, I have started to take it a little more seriously. Truth be told, we were too lazy to actually
push it. [We figured] if you’re good, people will know it and come out — which isn’t always the case! If you have a good band, why be as passive as the other four of us had been? He supplied me with a kick in the ass.” Bueter said the band is “kind of a melting pot.” “People always seem to ask what kind of music we play and ‘ummm ... rock ‘n’ roll’ doesn’t seem to please them. I write the songs and I’ve always been drawn to raucous rockers, ’60s pop, garage rock, reckless energy, great
big hooks and writers who twist the language in interesting directions. “I really couldn’t be happier with the people I am playing with or the way the music is going right now. It just feels like I’m in the right place, doing the right thing.” The Wide Awakes play Mickey Finn’s Pub Nov. 12, with The Turnstyles and The Stapletons.
ON THE WEB www.wideawakes.com
arts&life
40 n Toledo Free Press
November 9, 2005
Pop culture
Actor Bill Hootkins leaves heavy legacy
Robert Shiels
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Mostly cloudy HI 53° LOW 38°
Partly sunny HI 57° LOW 41°
Partly sunny HI 62° LOW 46°
Mostly cloudy HI 60° LOW 45°
By Michael S. Miller Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief mmiller@toledofreepress.com
He appeared in three of the highest-grossing movies of all time, and though you won’t recognize his name, you will recognize the characters he played. William Hootkins, who recently died of pancreatic cancer at age 57, leaves behind some immortal portrayals in films that will be watched as long as the medium survives. Hootkins played Jek Porkins, the hefty Red Six pilot who dies during the assault on the Death Star in “Star Wars”; Lt. Max Eckhardt, the corrupt cop shot by Jack Nicholson’s Joker in Tim Burton’s “Batman”; and Major Eaton, one of the federal agents who sends Indiana Jones chasing the Ark of the Covenant in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” You can’t call them small roles, as each portrayal depends on the weighty Hootkins’ physique for its screen-filling impact. It’s a testament to his acting ability that while most people have seen his three biggest films, few would connect the actor with the memorable characters he created. The doomed and aptly named Porkins is shredded by imperial laser fire as he hollers that he’ll be fine. In “Raiders,” he’s the agent who gets in Indiana’s face to quiet his questions about who is studying the Ark with a curt “Top men.” In “Batman,” he’s the gravelly voiced cop who takes a bullet as Joker yells, “Hey, Eckhardt! Think about the future!” There are dozens of Web sites devoted to Porkins, tongue-incheek tributes that showcase his 30-seconds of fame, the zenith of which was the inevitable creation of a rotund action figure. The Texan also appeared on TV, on “Taxi” and “The West
Third Rock Your Tarotgram
Almanac By Elizabeth Hazel
and Horoscope Nov. 11 - Nov. 17, 2005
AS JEK PORKINS Wing,” and on stage as Alfred Hitchcock in “Hitchcock Blonde.” Last year, he was the featured voice for an unabridged recorded version of “Moby AS ECKHARDT Dick.” He is survived by his wife Carolyn, his mother, a sister and a brother. Donations in Hootkins name may AS EATON be made to The San Ignacio Lagoon Whale Conservation Fund, International Community Foundation, 11300 Sorrento Valley Rd. Ste 115, San Diego, CA 92121. Even in death, Hootkins has super-size associations.
Events: Mercury retrograde on the 13th; Full Moon in Taurus and Uranus direct station on the 15th. Aries (March 21-April 19) A little bird tells you. Happiness returns after tough times. The weekend brings sparks and thrills, and an about-face of attitude. You reach the Full Moon with confidence in your future, and a workable plan firmly in hand. Share joys on the 17th.
Libra (September 23-October 22) Competition tests your mettle. The 10th and 11th are wobbly, but you soar over the weekend; old friends pop up, and people are funny. Adjust your schedule under the Full Moon; commitments temporarily stabilize. Benefits accrue on the 17th.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Love blooms. A variety of situations improves during this period. You’re able to go back and correct financial errors. The Full Moon in your sign awakens your heart and senses; you’re highly receptive to others. Romance and emotional fulfillment are in reach.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21) It all comes together. After past weeks of slippery slopes, you gain traction during this period. The weekend is stimulating; but speak carefully to avoid misunderstandings. The 15th through 17th offers opportunities to find joy in relationships and profound self-discovery.
Gemini (May 21-June 21) Review recent chain of events. Career matters are improving and difficulties recede. The weekend brings unexpected meetings and enlightening conversations. Slow the pace and reflect as the Moon is full. Inner emotional security reflects outward. Cancer (June 22-July 22) Artistic beauty captivates. Heartening improvements in family and friends’ lives eases tensions. Knees/ legs/feet are vulnerable to injury over the weekend, so slow down! Areas of turmoil since August are visibly stabilized from the 15th through 17th.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Clarify misunderstandings quickly. As tensions ease and options flourish, you’re prone to careless mistakes. Too much fun on Saturday requires a morningafter remedy on Sunday. The Full Moon emphasizes health issues. Cherish friends on the 17th. Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Anticipate a warm wind. Your position strengthens. A tough problem is solved on the 11th; children and company bring excitement over the weekend. Sympathy and humor spur romance from the 15 through 17th.
Leo (July 23-August 22) Growth brings strength. Finally, some luck comes your way! Matters take the easiest course after the 13th, but you must persist to complete tasks. Resist going overboard under the Full Moon; keep a tight rein on spending. Tensions ease at work and home.
Aquarius (January 20-February 18) Guarantees provide reassurance. Welcome messages improve finances on the 10-11th. Weekend events introduce you to a foreigner or an unusual person. Improve your dwelling with art and color on the 15th and 16th; sweet secrets bring pleasure on the 17th.
Virgo (August 23-September 22) Totems guard you. Improved harmony with others is noticeable on the 10 and 11th. Guests arrive over the weekend, but perhaps not the ones you expect. You turn a corner in relationships at the Full Moon; phenomenal fortune on the 17th if you seize the moment.
Pisces (February 19-March 20) The silvery moon grants boons. Hopes and wishes can unfold through this period, starting with unexpected treats on the 10th and 11th. Slow career intensity to focus on love and family after the 13th. Expanded awareness and sensual pleasures can be shared on the 17th.
Elizabeth Hazel is a professional tarotist-astrologer and author. She has been giving tarot-astrology readings at Manos Greek Restaurant every Wednesday night since 1990. She may be contacted at ehazel@buckeye-express.com. (c) 2005
November 9, 2005
CLASSIFIEDS
Toledo Free Press n 41
BUSINESS CARD BLAST
TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS, CALL (419)
241-1700
classifieds
42 n Toledo Free Press
November 9, 2005
To place your classified ad, call (419) 241-8500. Automotive TRUCK FOR SALE 2000ChevyS10Pickupw/cap,runningboards, a/c, single disc cd, 63K mi. Asking $8,090. Call (419) 754-3169 or (419) 787-3455
Construction ROUGH CARPENTERS Minimum3yearsexperience,paybasedonexperience.Holidaypay,vacationafter1year,opportunity to advance. Call (419) 346-7123
Wanted To Buy GUITARS WANTED! WillpaythousandsforoldFender,Gibson,Gretsch, Martin,Epiphone,National,Rickenbacherguitars. Also old Fender & Marshal tube amps. For instant cash call (419) 474-0578
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MISC. SERVICES BELLY DANCE FOR FUN & FITNESS Everybelly’swelcome!Daytimebeginnersession Thursdays1p.m.Classesfillquickly!Registerearly for Evening Beginner Sessions. Mondays 6:45p.m.(Perrysburglocation)orTuesday8p.m. (Temperance location). The Place for Dance (419)280-3674. theplacetoledo@yahoo.com www.geocities.com/theplacetoledo/dance.html
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LIVE IN SOUTH TOLEDO
Charming duplex near the Zoo — $625/mo. Sherwood Apartments Great value! River Road area. — $485 - 2 Bedrooms On Rugby — $435 1 Bedroom w/heat paid Call (419) 392-7577
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TheTown Center at Levis Commons, Northwest Ohio’s premiere lifestyle center, has been approved by this nation’s most unique and dynamic franchises.They are actively seeking franchises to open stores and participate in the proven sales success of this existing center. Please contact Alan Marshall at Hill Partners, Inc., at (704) 551-2202 or amarshall@hillpartnersinc.com to discuss these opportunities.