Toledo Free Press - Apr. 20, 2005 by Toledo Free Press

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Erie Street Market to unveil new civic center, page 7

The dawn of a Toledo tradition

www.toledofreepress.com

April 20, 2005

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STEAM PLANT CONTROVERSY

Developer Rod Kagy: “I want to work with Toledo but I don’t trust the current administration,” page 5 ■ Realty & Homes: James and Morris Carey offer home improvement tips, page 8

Taking off

Toledoans spend $87.5 million on air travel each year. $82 million of that is spent at Detroit Metro Airport. How will Toledo Express get you to ﬂy from Toledo?

page 14

■ Arts & Life

■ Community

■ Sports

Orchestral maneuvers

Yell and Tell rally scheduled

UT’s Mike O’Brien: The TFP interview

Conductor Chelsea Tipton brings eclectic charisma to symphony, page 21

Event’s goal is to educate and protect children from abuse, page 12

The athletic director on the MAC’s future, football player academics, and keeping sports on campus, page 17

OPINION

April 20, 2005

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LIGHTING THE FUSE A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC Established 2005

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Thomas F. Pounds President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com

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Michael S. Miller Editor in Chief mmiller@toledofreepress.com

Joshua E. Trust Vice President of Sales & Marketing jtrust@toledofreepress.com Kay T. Pounds Vice President of Operations kpounds@toledofreepress.com Stacie L. Klewer Art Director sklewer@toledofreepress.com Susan Ford Contributing Editor sford@toledofreepress.com Barbara Goodman Shovers Contributing Editor bshovers@toledofreepress.com DM Stanﬁeld Photo Editor dmstanﬁeld@toledofreepress.com Edward Shimborske III Entertainment Editor es3@toledofreepress.com Adam Mahler Food/Dining Editor amahler@toledofreepress.com Nate VanNatta Intern - Photographer STAFF WRITERS news@toledofreepress.com Joe Bellfy • Keith Bergman Michael Brooks • David Coehrs Scott Calhoun • John K. Hartman Barbara John • Chris Kozak Vicki Kroll • Scott McKimmy Heather Nash • Mike Roth Mark Tinta • David Wasinger Dave Woolford ADVERTISING SALES Renee Bergmooser rbergmooser@toledofreepress.com Mike W. Bush mbush@toledofreepress.com Josh T. Lawrence jlawrence@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: $35/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.

FHM spotlights Toledo gal, local attractions

oledo was featured in this month’s FHM Magazine, in a way that sorely tests the “any publicity is good publicity” theory. The men’s magazine sponsors a monthly “Hometown Honeys” contest in which women submit photos of themselves (not nude, but thisclose) and write about their hometown. FHM readers, when they’re not busy drafting philosophical essays for the MENSA newsletter, vote for their favorite between two competing women. As FHM puts it, “Women and Democracy are the two things America does best.” In March, Toledoan Rachel Boggs defeated Lindsay Messina of Washingtonville, N.Y., who bragged that her townfolks “go to the high school football game on Friday night, then head to a kegger. If it’s an away game, we go to the Dunkin’ Donuts.” According to an FHM spokeswoman, our little Rachel squeaked by Lindsay, with 52 percent of the vote. But Rachel lost her April matchup to Kaylee McClary of Newnan, Ga., attracting only

Michael S. Miller 33 percent of the vote. And how did Rachel represent the Glass City during her short reign? “Everybody in my hometown marries their high school sweetheart and buys a house down the street from their parents,” she is quoted at www.fhmus.com. To which FHM responds, “But there’s more to do in Toledo than watch your dreams die.” Ouch. So, which locations does Rachel point to with pride? ■ Tony Packo’s: “Klinger from M*A*S*H was from Toledo, and he was always talking about Tony Packo’s,” she says. “They’ve got framed buns signed by celebrities on the walls. When I go, I get a chili dog.”

■ Haunted Hydro: “This is a hydroelectric-power plant that turns into a haunted house every Halloween,” she says. “Guys with chainsaws jump out at you, but the main draw is their double amputee on a skateboard.” ■ Public places: “My hometown is perfect for having sneaky sex,” she says. “I’ve done it in doctor’s ofﬁces, elevators, the art museum and the zoo. The zoo was my favorite. I totally felt like a tigress.” I wish I could spell that growling noise Austin Powers makes. That’s what I’d put here. We love our simple, sweet, innocent Lucas County gals, don’t we, fellas? We all know the museum and zoo are major local attractions, but Rachel gives new meaning to the phrase “opening exhibit.” In FHM, Rachel also talks about her encounter with some ﬁne-feathered friends. “When my family moved into the area, our house came with two peacocks,” she says. “Once, I was in my bedroom changing and one of them tapped on the window with its beak and looked straight at me. His tail feath-

ers were sticking up, too. That’s creepy, right?” I wonder if the peacocks recognized her from the zoo. I left my business phone number with the FHM spokeswoman and asked her to have Rachel call, but as of Tuesday morning I had not heard from her. I also left my cell phone number, home, work and secret e-mail addresses, home address, business address, work schedule, lunch times, when I’m on the elevator, my schedule of doctor appointments and when I next plan to visit the museum, zoo and Tony Packo’s. You know, Rachel, there’s a mayoral race this year. With your intimate knowledge of Toledo, you might be able to give Jack Ford, Carty Finkbeiner and Rob Ludeman a real dressing-down. Or maybe not. We have enough image problems as it is. 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.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Bring back the blogs TO THE EDITOR; The Toledo Free Press is off and running! And, it’s doing well since it gets thicker with each new issue. However, I wish you would bring back the column on what’s going on in the blogs. Blogs are relatively new, and some people don’t know much about them. They provide current and choice information, and also provide good feedback as to what the “man in the street” is thinking. www.toledotalk.com is a good example. It can be a source for commentary that could be published in future issues. JERRY JAKES Toledo

At the zoo TO THE EDITOR; I just read the opinion article by Michael S. Miller in the April 13 issue of the Toledo Free Press. I think it was a great article describing the terrible situation we have at the Toledo Zoo. I hope more of the loyal taxpayers and current Zoo supporters have an opportunity to read this great article. It was really an eye-opener for me on what the situation is like at the Toledo Zoo at this point in time. It’s too bad that we have this current ﬁasco of problems and bad morale at the Toledo Zoo. But what would you expect, when you have this type of management at the Toledo Zoo? It’s too bad that this current zoo management team and the Toledo Zoo Board of Directors are letting a few “bullies” run and ruin this great crown jewel of Toledo and Lucas County. Maybe it’s time for both the removal and replacement of the current zoo management. We need to put someone in there at the Toledo Zoo who will clean house and get the Toledo Zoo back on track. If necessary, we may need to change the current Toledo Zoo Board of

Directors, too. Because this Board must have their heads in the sand and do not have a clue as to what is going on at the Toledo Zoo. I am grateful for your independent voice on this subject and that we have someone like you that will give us the “real truth” on this ongoing subject. Keep up the good work. You have a great paper there. I look forward to the next issues. JAMES STRUBLE Toledo

Arena facts TO THE EDITOR; I feel compelled to weigh in on the subject of the location of a new sports arena! Fact: In and of itself, a sports arena does not generate outside dollars into the economy. It “re-circulates” existing local dollars — redistributing money, not introducing net new dollars into the economy unlike our convention center does. Fact: There are a limited number of days that an arena would be “in use” during the year, even though there would be 365 days of expense. Fact: If it were located on the “East Side” in the proposed Marina District, there would be no opportunity for use by the convention center to use it for expanded conventions and tradeshows. There would be no “synergy” as there would be if it were located downtown, adjacent to the SeaGate Convention Centre. Fact: Placing a windowless facility (Sports Arena) on prime waterfront real estate would be a major mistake, especially if upscale condominiums are part of the plans. Arenas and condos together simply do not mix. Additionally, surface parking that would generate oil and grease from parked vehicles would run “toward” the Maumee River, polluting it. Fact: A downtown site, adjacent to the existing SeaGate Convention Centre could be used to attract larger conventions and trade-

shows to Toledo, especially since there are three convention hotels in place. Fact: Typical arena events occur during the evening hours where conventions and tradeshows occur during the daylight hours, thereby eliminating the need to build additional parking facilities dedicated to support the arena. Fact: An arena located anywhere other than adjacent to the SeaGate Convention Centre will require huge annual local government subsidy. Fact: There may be a “price war” between the new sports arena and SeaGate Convention Centre regarding family shows and concerts now held at SeaGate. Fact: By locating the arena adjacent to SeaGate Convention Centre, the community will beneﬁt (economically) because we will be able to attract larger conventions and tradeshows that will utilize both facilities. The facilities must be complimentary to one another. Fact: There are inherent economies of scale by being able to cross utilize personnel and equipment, including marketing, booking, accounting, HR, set up and cleaning — just to mention a few. Fact: Lucas County will own the SeaGate Convention Centre in 2016 and has an existing obligation to maintain it as a community asset; therefore, it will most likely not be able to help “fund” operating shortfalls of a competing facility. JAMES DONNELLY President and CEO, Greater Toledo Convention and Visitors Bureau and SeaGate Convention Centre Sylvania Letters to the Editor are accepted through e-mail at letters@toledofreepress.com. Submissions should not exceed 400 words.

OPINION

ONE DEMOCRAT’S VIEW

GOP, DeLay crack up over judges, ﬁnances “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “who is the master — that is all.” — “Alice in Wonderland,” by Lewis Carroll. was reminded of Humpty Dumpty’s insightful retort about language and power when I read that Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay had called for retribution against certain “activist” federal judges. By “activist,” DeLay meant those judges who had refused to buckle under to Republican politicians in Washington and intervene in the private, family affairs of Terri Schiavo. (Our own Democratic Representative, Marcy Kaptur, courageously rejected the Republican demagoguery and voted against the Schiavo bill.) As Humpty Dumpty well understands, converting judicial restraint into judicial activism is simple alchemy when you are the master with the power to make words mean whatever you want them to mean. And make no mistake, Tom DeLay and his wealthy, special interests are the masters in Washington right now. DeLay has called for an investigation, and possibly even impeachment proceedings, for those “activist” judges who refused to take unprecedented federal judicial action in the Schaivo case. Historically, of course, family guardianship matters like those in the Schiavo case were under the exclusive jurisdiction of state laws and state courts. On the other side of this Republican looking glass, however, a judge who shows restraint is transformed into the much-loathed judicial activist. It follows logically then, that DeLay’s investigations and impeachments will help foster an “independent” judiciary, by which DeLay means judges who will do the bidding of right-wing Republicans in Congress. Humpty Dumpty would heartily agree. Similarly, Republicans are employing some of their best Lewis Carroll language when they promote their plan to “save” Social Security. Their plan is to reduce beneﬁts and divert money that would have gone to our nation’s greatest social welfare program to the stock market to create “I’ve-got-mine-

Keith Wilkowski you’re-on-your-own” individual retirement accounts. Put aside for the moment the unhelpful detail that the stock market does not only go up. DeLay and his cohorts are surely no financial dummies. They know the risks, but are willing to gamble the retirement incomes of millions of working families because that fosters their view of the proper social order. Sorry your retirement plan tanked, Gramps, but you should have had the foresight to be a CEO with a golden parachute. Dismantling this nation’s premier social program, whose fundamental premise is that we have a collective responsibility for the welfare of one another, is a large part of the motivation for the Republican effort to “save” Social Security. The windfall for big Wall Street investment firms is merely an incidental benefit of that scheme. Again, Humpty Dumpty would be proud. All the while, calls for a House Ethics Investigation into DeLay’s questionable support from lobbyists go nowhere because DeLay’s Republican majority has “reformed” the committee. The Ethics Committee is the only House committee evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. Before DeLay’s reform, it commenced investigations whenever onehalf of the committee requested. But now, the rules prohibit investigations unless an absolute majority of the committee members concurs. Is that really reform? Wrong question, silly citizens. Who’s the master? That’s the question. And unfortunately, for now at least, the answer is Tom DeLay. But when Americans take a hard look at “reforms,” the way the GOP proposes to “save Social Security,” and the ludicrous attacks on “activist judges,” all of King Tom’s horses and all his men won’t be able to put a GOP majority together again.

Keith Wilkowski is former chairman of the Lucas County Democratic Party. He may be contacted at letters@toledofreepress.com.

April 20, 2005

The view of the zoo from here

had an awful dream last night. I dreamt that I was back in Toledo to visit the zoo ... and the place was completely demolished except for a lone exhibit depicting strange people in party masks beating a dead horse. Please tell me it ain’t so. Because, in reality, the view from here in Sacramento isn’t pretty. Every morning, I take a little time to check out what’s going on back in my hometown, but lately the only story I see day after day after day after day after day after day after day is about what a horrible “mess” my Toledo Zoo has become. A veritable den of incompetence (which is right next to the veritable den of lions ... ) If you didn’t know better, you’d think the place was one step away from becoming one of those sad, seedy petting zoos, where you don’t know which to pity most — the animals or the customers. But you do know better. You know that the Toledo Zoo is recognized as one of the best in the world. It’s also been named one of the ten best zoos for children in America, according to Child.com. It’s the most complete zoo I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen most of the big ones (I now live in a city three times the size of Toledo, and the zoo here pales in comparison — that’s why I’m still a proud member of my hometown zoo). The Toledo Zoo doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment. I’m sure mistakes have been made. A couple of real humdingers. But to turn a few preventable situations — animal as well as personnel — into some kind of tabloid jungle feast is so self-destructive it’s

almost comical. Lions and Volvos and vets, oh my... A legacy is in danger of slowly seeping away. If this crisis isn’t handled cleanly and clearly, the resulting press will be irreparably demoralizing for the community at large. Try an Internet search and mixed in with the official Web sites are such eye-catching titles as “Toledo Zoo concerns,” “Task force named,” “Elephant given wrong injection,” and my personal favorite, “Internal battles plunge zoo into cauldron of discontent.” Isn’t that the sound of a levy defeat I hear? Consider the other financial ramifications that a long, protracted “scandal” can have on the local economy. You don’t imagine a potential developer or corporate transfer notices the negatives when they’re researching a move to Toledo? Or a convention planner looking for “fun things to do in the Glass City”? According to a BGSU study, for every tax dollar the Toledo Zoo receives, it generates about eight dollars in activity — which means the zoo’s annual impact on the local economy is estimated at around 70 million dollars. Evisceration is expensive. I don’t think you’ll let it happen, though. I truly believe that this will be the one time Toledo won’t let the cracks sink the ship. And as a show of faith ... and hope ... as soon as I submit this column, my wife and I will send Bill Dennler our membership renewal. We look forward to visiting the Toledo Zoo when it’s back on top. To quote an appropriately titled film, “The Lion In Winter,” “What family doesn’t have its ups and downs?” Mark Standriff is program director and on-air personality at 105.5 FM in Sacramento, Calif.

PASSIONATE DISSENTIONS

The dangers of P. C. mimicry

hall we tame this beast known as the politically correct? Shall we subdue this vicious creature that devours truth and wisdom, then regurgitates its venom into the mouths and minds of the intellectually enfeebled and ethically destitute? Or shall we continue to feed on the putrefying fruit of its perversions of truth? Martin Our nation has entered a modern version of the Dark Ages as the Politically Correct movement spreads its malignancy throughout our society. Essentially this amounts to thought control, an attempt to suppress the source of our temporal freedom and liberty: thought. The Politically “Correct” movement is based on the manipulation of language. Through this manipulation one can effectively control discourse. By exercising control of the discourse one can control thoughts and behaviors. This is not a new ploy by any stretch of the imagination. For millennia the manipulation of language has been used to establish and maintain power structures. Starting around the 3rd century A.D., Christians utilized the term “heresy” to curb reformist movements within their corrupt power structures. Knowledge was suppressed where truth contradicted biblical passages. The wisdom of the ancient Greeks, much of which our nation and Western Civilization is based on, was destroyed or kept from the masses. The atrocities committed by Christians continued with the Inquisition. Multitudes who thought contrary to the Church were tortured and murdered at the hands of these “pious” hypocrites. This effectively squelched the progress of civilization for centuries. This despicable behavior reared its ugly head in Nazi Germany. The deportation, imprisonment, or execution of “radical” teachers and professors quelled thought that deviated from the state

DEVELOPMENT

GUEST COLUMN

By Mark Standriff Special to Toledo Free Press

BREAKING NEWS

April 20, 2005

approved position. The Nazi manipulation of the language used towards the Jews brought about a systematic de-humanization of that population. This allowed the Nazis to enact increasingly harsh and punitive laws against the Jews. Various examples permeate societies all over the modern world. In Canada, “Hate Speech” is punishable with imprisonment. Forbush In most of Europe the practice of political correctness (which stiﬂes dissent and criticism of “minorities” even when true) has created and ampliﬁed the divisions between ethnic groups. Because of this, Islamic Fundamentalists in Europe have been empowered to change their governments. The use of hateful language should not be encouraged; yet freedom of speech is precious and a founding concept of our nation. It is disturbing how citizens hand over the freedoms that so many brave Americans died for. If these citizens desire to be ruled perhaps they should move to Canada or Europe and stop salting the Land of the Free. Herein lies the genius of this attack upon freedom. By manipulating the heartstrings many happily relinquish their freedoms. Once this is achieved the remaining strings will be manipulated, as the puppeteer that has been empowered takes control of every aspect of life. Damn those who desecrate the memory of those who fought for our freedom. Unfortunately this often speaks of those elected to all levels of our government — on both sides of the aisle. In the end, not only is it your right to speak your mind, but your duty as a human being. For as long as your speech is tempered with the often-unpopular nature of truth, your voice need not tremble among your intellectual adversaries. Contact columnist Martin R. Forbush at letters@toledofreepress.com.

Hearing addresses steam plant controversy By Susan Ford Toledo Free Press Contributing Editor sford@toledofreepress.com

Toledo City Council’s Economic Development Committee held an informational hearing on Monday regarding the development agreement for the former Toledo Edison Steam Plant. An ordinance authorizing appropriation of $300,000 for capital improvements associated with the project was on council’s agenda for Tuesday. In August 2004, the city selected Water Street Development Co., LLC, the David Ball/Jimmy Jackson partnership, to plan and develop market rate condominiums and townhouses on the project site. To be eligible for historic tax credits, said Ball, the development company has to rent the apartments for 60 months before they can be sold; the townhouses, which will be in a new addition, can be sold immediately. Councilman Wade Kapszukiewicz said there had been a lot of talk in the past week about how a second developer, Rod Kagy of KG&R Development Corp. of Tifﬁn, had offered to share proﬁts in the venture with the city and had not been interested in the $300,000 the city was offering. According to Commissioner of Business Workforce and Technology Robert Gilchrist, a proposal from KG&R was not received by the 8/16/04 deadline. Councilman Rob Ludeman said his staff contacted Kagy after council’s April 12 agenda meeting.

“I understand that the $300,000 was offered,” he said. “However, Mr. Kagy also mentioned in the conversation the other day that he had a conversation with Mr. Gilchrist and Jay Black in August prior to the choosing of the Jackson/Ball proposal in which he stated to FORD you [Commissioner Gilchrist] that he was not interested in the $300,000 from the city and that ... he would make an agreement to pay back $500,000 to the city when a certain number — I think it was 50 percent — of the ... units were completed. Do you remember that conversation?” “I don’t remember having that conversation with Mr. Kagy regarding compensating the city after those milestones were met. I received that information in writing when it was brought to my attention,” Gilchrist said. “Apparently there’s a disagreement with what he’s told us and what you’re telling us, from what you’re telling me right now, is that correct?” Ludeman asked. “That’s correct,” said Gilchrist. “I guess it’s one of those [situations] where you believe one or the other or you say there was a misunderstanding,” Ludeman said. “I guess what I would say,

councilman, is if that was his intention of compensating the city ... and he was also aware that he had an August 16 date, then I would question why it wasn’t in that response which we asked for,” Gilchrist responded. “The $300,000, do you remember his saying he was no longer interested in the $300,000?” Ludeman asked. “No,” Gilchrist said. “I remember him asking me what incentives were there and I laid out the incentives that we have available to any developer. ... But again, I would challenge him to say that that’s something he wasn’t interested in.” Relative to the incentive, Mayor Jack Ford said, “both proposals anticipated the $300,000.” He said the KG&R proposal had come in piecemeal. “It began to dawn on me that these folks were just trying to put whatever they could into the mix to strike a chord.” “The other thing is that, from the standpoint of our normal process, it did not come to our economic development department,” he said. “We must retain the integrity of the bidding process.” “At a certain point, you have to make a decision,” the Mayor continued. “I made a decision based on the merits and it was the right decision.” Councilman Bob McCloskey said that when former Councilman Pete Gerken brought Kagy into his ofﬁce, Kagy did indicate in conversation that he didn’t

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want the $300,000. Dwight Smith, director of the Northwest Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters, said a colleague of his had just been at a meeting of the Associated General Contractors of Akron, where no one had ever heard of Jera Contractors, the construction manager on the project, or its president, Dana Noel. Smith expressed concern about Jera’s ability to handle a project of this size, referring to Noel as “a construction manager who’s doing a pretty good job of staying under the radar.” In response, Noel said he has worked on historic rehab projects for the four years he’s been in business for himself, doing jobs for private developers. He says he doesn’t solicit business. “Why is there a rush to vote on this tomorrow?” asked Smith. Mayor Ford said that if Smith’s concern couldn’t be answered to his satisfaction by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the administration would “entertain some kind of delay” on the vote. On the issue of union labor’s role in the project, Ball said, “It’s our desire, Jimmy’s and mine, to have union labor very much involved in this project.” “Nobody has better expertise of the market or knowledge than the people who live here,” said Noel, whose role it would be to solicit lump sum bids from subcontractors. But those assurances weren’t enough for Councilman Frank Szolosi. He reiterated Toledo’s commitment to unionized labor and capacity-building for minority contractors and said the city may want to change the project’s labor language. He considered it “an outstanding question as we go forward” and said he wanted “something in writing that protects our local workforce,” perhaps a memorandum of agreement. “We will work on this tonight,” Ball said. Councilwoman Betty Shultz asked Noel to submit a list of the subcontractors he used when he did work in Toledo prior to starting his own company. “I’m four times burned and five times cautious,” she said. She warned Ball, “If you get this project and it doesn’t go, be advised that I know where to find you.” Councilman McCloskey wondered how the project would be hurt by waiting another two weeks to get some of the remaining questions answered. “I’m trying to figure out what the total cost is going to be for the city of Toledo,” he said. A two percent contribution for infrastructure will come before council separately, he noted, but “once you have the agreement it’s hard to turn it down.”

ROD KAGY: “I can’t trust the city” By Michael S. Miller Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief mmiller@toledofreepress.com

Developer Rod Kagy said he believes he has been treated unfairly by city of Toledo officials working on the development of the downtown steam plant. Kagy, owner of Tiffinbased KG&R Development, spoke to Toledo Free Press on Friday. “I had an anonymous caller who said they work for the city of Toledo, who said they are scared to death, but wanted to get the news out there that the Ford Administration killed our deal prior to our proposal being turned in,” Kagy said. That information corroborates a separate city hall source who spoke to Toledo Free Press nearly a month ago, making the same allegations. The source, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, said they witnessed Robert Gilchrist, commissioner, Toledo Division of Business, Workforce and Technology, order the Kagy proposal “scuttled” in favor of the proposal by developers David Ball and Jimmy Jackson. Gilchrist did not return a call seeking comment, but when asked about the two sources’ claims at Monday’s City Council meetings, said, “I ordered the Kagy deal scuttled? What does that mean in layman’s terms, that I personally stopped it? The answer to that is, I didn’t.” Kagy said two things were brought to his attention last week. “First was when City Council was told I wanted $300,000 for the project, which is not true. My final draft declined that money, offered to pay $500,000 for the building and offered money to the city as the condominiums sold out,” Kagy said. “Now, it sounds like some people at city hall have information that I wasn’t aware of before.” Kagy said he does not know the name of the person who called him. “They sounded very nervous for their job,” he said. “We’d like to talk to them, but to be honest, we accept that the city has awarded the building to the other crew, back in August, and though I would still like to do the building, it’s gotten messy.” Kagy denies statements made by city officials that his proposal “came in piecemeal.” “Absolutely not. I sent in drafts early on to get feedback, but the final proposal was very cogent,” he said. “We spent $20,000 to get the rendering of the plant done, and nearly $60,000 total. We included a master plan, a financial pro forma for the retail, fitness center and ice skating rink, and a sales pro forma for the condominium sales. It was very well done.” Kagy said despite the frustrations, he would still be interested in the development. “I love the project. I don’t love the politics, but I love the project,” he said. “There’s no sour grapes on losing the deal, but when you find out you didn’t get a fair shot ... I have no interest in working with the city of Toledo’s current administration. I can’t spend time and energy on people I can’t trust.”

BUSINESS ■

Morris and James Carey answer questions about home repair, page 8

Erie Street Market to unveil Civic Center Promenade 6

DEVELOPMENT

Soft touch

Please see TMACOG, page 10

cobblestone streets and period lighting to reﬂect historic Toledo. The former market bay will also feature a stage, a fountain, 15-by10-foot artist renderings of paintings of city landmarks and life in northwest Ohio, and photos of the city dating from the 1940s. It will be managed by Erie Street Market. Nowak said the space accommodates a standing crowd of 2,500 or approximately 1,000 seated at tables. An upstairs area for smaller gatherings will seat 200. Non-proﬁt organizations can rent the area for $350. Other rentals start at $500. First use of the promenade following its opening will be the YMCA annual meeting April 27. The promenade may spark memories of the former Civic Auditorium, which was housed in the market building and hosted speakers, Golden Gloves tournaments, conventions, and concerts — including Elvis Presley and The Temptations — in Toledo for decades until its demise in the 1960s.

“It’s a shot in the arm,” Robert Seyfang, an architect and city consultant, said of the promenade. “It’s more adaptable for people to create their own event. That’s part of the charm. The market can stay open during events there and people can come and shop and poke around. “The whole facility needs new activities and venues to bring people in there. It’s that new attraction that provides the stimulus to go back. That is what Pat is trying to do — bring in new concepts, new things. We’re looking to get people down there where they can spend a day. It’s a way to generate business.” Submitted Graphic Julie Champa, executive director of Citifest, said with few indoor An artistʼs picture of Civic Center Promenade at Erie Street Market. spaces available in the city, the guests of the promenade will also promenade is “a venue that’s go“We definitely have seen benfunnel dollars to other downtown ing to add significant economic efits,” she added. impact to the warehouse district businesses. She said people who atTickets for the gala can be in downtown Toledo. It’s just a tended a St. Patrick’s Day party held purchased for $40 in advance or perfect fit for Citifest.” there before its completion later at the door. For information, call Champa said she is confident crowded area bars and restaurants. (419) 936-2096.

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“W

e estimate that basically, in the next 25 years or so, there will be $5 billion spent on transportation in this region,” said David Dysard, vice president of transportation with the Toledo Metropolitan Council of Governments (TMACOG). “The only question is, will we do it right? Will we do it in a coordinated way that drives the goals of our community?” “That’s what this plan is about,” Dysard continued, referring to a document titled “Year 2025 Regional Transportation Plan.” “Every [city] in the United States with more than 50,000 people is required under federal transportation law to have a group designated the ‘metropolitan planning organization,’ or MPO,” he said. There are 17 such groups in Ohio. Ours is TMACOG. The MPO is required under federal regulations to have three main focus areas. One is a long-range plan at least 20 years out that shows the major transportation projects the region wants to accomplish. “Because of some of the excesses of the past, when we just kind of blew highways through cities and things like that, there’s been a pretty intense process required to get a project done and that can take upwards of 10 to 15 years,” Dysard said. “The new bridge that’s being built across the Maumee River started in our plans 15 years ago.” So, from Washington’s point of view, the purpose of a longrange plan is to use federal

By David J. Coehrs Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com A new entertainment and community center designed to infuse added life into a city landmark will be unveiled Thursday. The Civic Center Promenade, a 114,000 square-foot venue at Erie Street Market that served previously as a vendor area, will debut with food, drink, music and an auction from 6-11 p.m. According to Executive Director Pat Nowak, the promenade will inexpensively host concerts, city-sponsored events, business meetings, and private parties. “There’s really no place to go for a community event that’s available for minimal cost,” Nowak said. “In my opinion, it’s long overdue. To bring people downtown you have to be a hub, a destination.” Renovated for $150,000 through the Capital Improvement Program and private funding, the city-owned promenade will feature

House design with transom creates an inviting entryway, page 8

TMACOG drives to its goals

RENOVATION

In Focus: Realty & Homes

Susan Ford

BUSINESS

April 20, 2005

growth.

Ahava nail technician Lisa Reed administers a pedicure.

Toledo Free Press photo by DM Stanﬁeld

Ahava Spa treats cancer patients to special day By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Imagine a dim room with lighted candles, soothing aromas and strong hands massaging tired muscles, while streams of warm water cover the skin from head to toe. Now imagine the relief the experience provides to clients — not just any clients, but “cherished guests” afﬂicted by any of the

wide range of cancers that require invasive surgery or procedures such as radiation treatment and chemotherapy. The scene unfolds regularly at Ahava Spa and Wellness Center in downtown Toledo, where cancer patients undergoing treatment or those newly diagnosed receive a complimentary spa day to help them cope with the ravages of their diseases. “Ahava” means “cherished one” in Hebrew, and owner Katie Morgan-Lousky said

she chose the name from a baby book to express her desire to help cancer patients in need. It also memorializes Ester Lousky, late sister of her husband and partner, Ted Lousky, who lost her ﬁght to lung cancer in December. The couple opened the spa in September 2004. Morgan-Lousky emphasized that the business end of the center ﬁnancially Please see AHAVA, page 10

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REALTY&HOMES HOME DESIGN OF THE MONTH

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Home design with transom creates an inviting entryway An arched transom and sleek sidelights framing the inviting entry give this home a distinguished appeal. Plan M-70, by the Homestore Plans and Publications Designers’ Network, covers 2,067 square feet of living space. Sunlight streams from the home’s two-story foyer into its vaulted family room, where a three-sided fireplace is shared with the nearby bayed breakfast nook. The spacious kitchen features a handy pantry and a casual snack bar. A window above the sink brightens daily chores. For formal meals, the dining room is adorned with an elegant boxedout window. A vaulted ceiling graces the secluded master suite, which enjoys a private bath with a whirlpool tub. Upstairs are two secondary bedrooms, one with a vaulted ceiling and the other featuring a walk-in closet. They share a full hall bath and a versatile future area that would make a great playroom or studio.

that while the home is less drafty, the crawlspace is also less drafty, permitting a build-up of moisture and condensation. The fact that you have an abundance of moisture and condensation is evidence that there is a lack of ventilation in the sub-area or crawlspace of your home. It sounds like you have already employed step one of our recommendations ------ the installation of additional foundation vents at the perimeter of the home. If this doesn’t work, and it sounds as if it hasn’t, then we suggest you install a layer of six-mil (that’s the thickness) polyethylene right on top of the ground in the crawlspace. You’ll want to be sure to carefully cut around any interior piers, leaving enough excess material so you can tape a “collar” around these piers to minimize the transfer of air. All seams should be lapped a minimum of six inches and taped with an industrial-strength tape. Duct tape like that used by heating contractors will do just ﬁne. Most major hardware stores will have just what you need. Contact the Carey brothers at www.onthehouse.com.

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M-70 DETAILS: Bedrooms: 3+ Baths: 2 1/2 Upper floor: 573 sq. ft. Main floor: 1,494 sq. ft. Total living area: 2,067 sq. ft. Future area: 441 sq. ft. Upper-floor storage: 75 sq. ft. Basement: 1,494 sq. ft. Garage and storage: 770 sq. ft. Exterior wall framing: 2x6

Acura RL: A Stunning Display Of Passion And Performance

ON THE HOUSE

Morris & James Carey

Special to Toledo Free Press

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A downloadable study plan of this house, including general information on building costs and ﬁnancing, is available at www.houseoftheweek.com. To receive a study plan by mail, send $10 to House of the Week, P.O. Box 75488, St. Paul, MN 55175-0488, or call (866) 7721013. Be sure to reference the plan number. To view hundreds of home designs, visit www.houseoftheweek.

Q: I built my home four years ago in accordance with strict county and state energy requirements. My problem is condensation in the crawlspace, along the foundation wall on the north side of the house during the winter months. The moisture is wetting my rim joist, ﬂoor joists, insulation, and mud sill. I installed more foundation vents, but this hasn’t helped. Any suggestions? A: The good news is that the energy-efﬁcient techniques that were employed in the construction of your home have helped to create living space that is less drafty and more comfortable. The bad news is

The 2005 Acura RL is not just an all-new, class-leading performance sedan. It’s the quintessential luxury sedan. Upon first glance, its dramatic styling beckons. On closer inspection, its countless technological feats are overtly apparent. Case in point: a 300horsepower, V-6, VTEC engine and the revolutionary Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) — the groundbreaking all-wheel drive platform that distributes torque between the front and rear wheels and can send up to 100% of the rear-wheel torque to either the left or right rear wheel. There’s even a real-time traffic feature that displays traffic updates 24-hours a day in select metropolitan areas. Its list of industr y firsts continue with Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) — the most innovative safety technology from Acura to date. In fact, out of 18 competitive vehicles tested, the 2005 RL was the only one awarded the maximum “five stars” in all three categories of frontal, side crash and rollover tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). With its wealth of lavish offerings, the new RL far surpasses the old notions of luxury and performance. It’s an elegant revolutionary, fervently leading the way.

Comfort & Convenience The all-new 2005 RL is not just a serious performer. It’s a sumptuous provider. Elegance and technology have spawned an abundant array of features created for your unabashed comfort. This year, the RL offers AcuraLink satellite communication system--a new, stateof-the-art service that provides you with the latest car-related and diagnostic information via satellite. It also introduces North America’s first real-time traffic feature that brings you traffic, accident and construction updates, weather issues and any other information that’s pertinent to your journey in select metropolitan areas. The RL also has luxurious, spacious seats for fatigue reduction during long hours on the road. HandsFreeLink enables you to use your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone completely hands free while you drive. And the Keyless Access System allows you to unlock your RL and start the engine without ever touching a key. With such an inspired combination of luxur y and functionality, you’ll have the world at your finger tips. A ver y cushy world.

Safety & Security Acura’s commitment to safety is no more strikingly apparent than with the RL. Not only does it offer

the most advanced engineering and up-to-the-minute technologies to help ensure the safekeeping of its occupants, it looks out for other vehicles on the road. In fact, the RL is the first Acura to offer the next revolution in safety design: Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE). An example of ACE in the allnew RL includes an innovative, new front-end frame structure that reduces the potential force of an impact for the RL, as well as the other vehicle. During night driving, the new Active Front Lighting System (AFS), with its highly focused beam, helps you see dramatically better in the direction you’re turning. And with the groundbreaking Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), cornering performance, stability and traction control are significantly increased. With Acura’s unflinching standards and plethora of standard safety features, it’s no surprise that out of 18 vehicles tested, the 2005 RL was the only one awarded the maximum “five stars” in all three categories of frontal, side crash and rollover tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It’s only the third vehicle in history to receive such high honors.

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CAR AND DRIVER: “The RL provided an exceptionally quiet, refined ride through the rolling West Virginia hills where we sampled a pre-production model. Accelerating with throttle-by-wire, shifting with buttons, and being simply dazzled by an entertainment system that makes our home stereo seem quaint.” AUTOWEEK: “Acura’s newest RL flagship redefines performance and sophistication. It’s worth making a fuss over this Acura’s demonstrations of prowess; because for 2005, this re-engineered sedan is arguably the most technologically sophisticated near-luxury sedan available.” DETROIT NEWS: “The latest incarnation of Acura’s flagship is one of the most impressive cars we’ve driven; in some ways it even rivaled a $160,000 Bentley Continental GT coupe.”

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TMACOG Continued from page 6 funds more wisely? “Correct.” The last thing the feds want, Dysard said, is to have one city working against another city on a project they’re funding. The 2025 plan ranks 50 projects in ﬁve modes: air, bike, highway, rail and transit. It also outlines policies the public and private stakeholders have agreed to. Policies such as preserving linear rights of way on abandoned rail lines. As an MPO, TMACOG’s second focus is the Transportation Improvement Program or TIP, the four-year capital budget for projects in the Toledo Metropolitan Area. On April 13, TMACOG held a meeting to solicit public comment on the 2006-2009 TIP. In response to input last year, phase four of the Monroe Street repaving project was moved up from FY ’08 to FY ’06. Now the section between Detroit Avenue and Collingwood Boulevard will be ﬁnished in time for the opening of the new glass museum next summer.

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The third emphasis of TMACOG’s transportation department is research it does for its members — computer modeling, special studies. “We also have a document that we call our transportation legislative agenda, which gives the position of our members,” Dysard said. He read down the list on the inside cover, “TMACOG, Port Authority, Chamber of Commerce, TARTA, TAGNO, Trucking Association, Ohio Contractors, Northwest Ohio Mayors and Managers, Wood County, Lucas County, City of Toledo, NORED, Regional Growth Partnership — all have approved and signed off on this list of priorities for legislative action in transportation.” “We work hard to keep people working together,” he said. “I see that as one of the primary roles of TMACOG, to build that consensus and to keep people singing off the same song sheet.” Susan Ford is Contributing Editor for Toledo Free Press. She may be contacted at sford@toledofreepress.com.

Ahava Continued from page 6 supports the philanthropic

services, which have beneﬁted more than 35 clients.

“What I’m trying to do is support them in fighting back, fighting for their life, fighting for the right to be who they want to be and to appear the way they want to appear and to feel the way they want to feel,” she said. “We’re just a support system in doing that.” The support system, in large part, focuses on conditions that physicians often have difﬁculty addressing because of time constraints and the nonmedical nature of the problems cancer patients face. Doctors train to heal; hairdressers and estheticians (skin specialists) train to beautify and massage therapists train to alleviate stress and pain. “For a lot of cancer patients, there’s a lot of other nonmedi-

cal issues that come up like skin and hair and nails,” Morgan-Lousky said. “Self-esteem; there’s a lot of issues that women deal with. They feel they’re not feminine anymore, or they’re not attractive.” Guests apply to the program, obtain a doctor’s release and schedule for the special day, which begins with a stimulating bath or Vichy shower, named after a city in France known for its mineral spa. An exfoliating facial and body polish follows the water treatment, and then guests usually meet with Morgan-Lousky personally for lunch. “Because their skin is so dry, [the exfoliate scrub] helps to get that top layer of skin — that dryness — out just to be able to rejuvenate it,” she said. “We put moisturizers back on, and it just really helps their skin. We even have a special soap that we use for radiation burns.” After lunch, guests enjoy a

manicure and pedicure, then proceed to the hairdresser for styling or fashioning a wig, which is donated to the spa and included in the treatment. Later, an esthetician applies makeup, which may include eyebrows and eyelashes lost to the effects of radiation. The entire process serves to enhance medical treatments by physicians and other specialists, according to Morgan-Lousky. She said she views it as a natural link to the efforts of the medical community and refuses to accept any payment for the services provided during a guest’s visit on one special day at Ahava. “Not that we are medical people at all, but we’re the missing link to a lot of things,” she said. We know about skin; we know about hair; we know about nails.”

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TFP MEDIA NOTES

EDUCATION

Noe to host Fox show; Myndi Milliken named TFP Managing Editor From Staff Reports

Submitted photo

Rossford schools plan for record growth By Myndi Milliken Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

you couldn’t find a home for sale in Rossford, but now we are seeing this metamorphosis, where older citizens are selling their homes and younger families are moving in.” Hersch credits a good school system and affordable housing as the attraction. How is a school district to grow when its citizens have already turned down three improvement levies within a year’s time? “We have not discussed another levy at this time,” Hersch said, noting the school district will determine its moves based on findings from focus groups. “We are near the process of disseminating the results of recent surveys and applying those findings to our master plan. We will then take those higher points to the board to determine our course of action.” In the meantime, Hersch admits to an obvious crunch of space, particularly at the lower grade levels. “What we are seeing is not happening at the junior high and high school levels. We are seeing the most growth with our youngest students.” Hersch said that the district’s attention was grabbed when kindergar-

ten enrollment went from 120 to 138 two years ago, and then spiked to 220 this past year. “I think it just backs up the ﬁndings that these are young families moving into the district,” she said. In the summer of 2004, the district renovated the former All Saints Church facility, but quickly found they did not have the classroom space needed to house the growing kindergarten population. “Instead we turned those four classrooms into preschool and transitional kindergarten classes,” Hersch said. “I don’t see how we can avoid a new structure somewhere down the road.” The Rossford school board met March 21 and discussed the enrollment project data. “We know we need more space,” said district Superintendent Luci Gernot. “Where, when, and how is still very much in the air.” Gernot said the former failed levies were capital improvement levies and she hopes the community will support a new levy, if it is presented. “If our community understands that there is a need, then I believe that they will be supportive,” she said.

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Rossford School officials were stunned recently when local educational consulting firm Pak-Con predicted the school district would grow by 1,000 students during the next five years. “This news came as a shock to us,” said Diana Hersch, communications liaison for Rossford Exempted Village Schools. “We have traditionally held at about 2,000 total students for nearly a decade. We knew growth was coming, just not this fast.” The district sought opinion from a second firm, which echoed the findings. “MKC Associates, Inc. of Mansfield projected 750 students over the same period, but admitted they failed to include data from a new development, which would account for Pak-Con’s findings,” Hersch said. In a follow-up study, the numbers confirmed PakCon’s prediction. Retail and booming economic development is one factor in the growth. “We know once retail moves in, residential growth is not far behind,” Hersch said, but there is another factor to take into account. “At one time,

• Admissions John Cook

Yell and Tell rally aims to protect children, page 12

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April 20, 2005

Bernadette Noe, former chairwoman of the Lucas County Republican Party and a Toledo Free Press columnist, will host a public affairs program on FOX Toledo 36, beginning May 1. According to a press release, the program, “Your Right to Know,” will air from 10-10:30 a.m. Sundays. The broadcast will feature studio guests discussing issues affecting NW Ohio and national dignitaries talking about national issues. “My ﬁrst guest is going to be Paula Ross, someone NOE everyone thinks I hate,” Noe said. “People are going to expect us to be wrestling in the mud, and that’s the kind of event buzz my show will produce.” ■ Myndi Milliken has been named Managing Editor of Toledo Free Press. Milliken’s newspaper career spans nearly 20 years. She began as a stringer covering local sports for The Little Miami Express in southern Ohio. In high school and college, she served in editor positions for school newspapers and as news director/disc jockey at a local radio station. At age 19, she worked for Ohio’s oldest weekly, The Western Star, owned by Brown Publishing. Through her tenure with Brown, she became assistant editor at The Star Free Press, and then managing editor at Today’s Express. When Milliken married Kevin Milliken, news reporter for WNWO TV 24, she moved to Toledo and worked as a freelance reporter for several publications, as well as a copywriter for many global companies. She has worked for area nonproﬁts, including the American Heart Association, in media relations and marketing. Milliken lives in Berkey, Ohio with her husband and two children, Ashley and Jonathan. “Ms. Milliken knows Toledo, knows newspapers and will have an immediate impact on our news-gathering ability,” said Michael S. Miller, TFP Editor in Chief. “Her experience bolsters our growing staff and further elevates us over other local weeklies.” ■ TFP Publisher and President Tom Pounds was featured in a recent article in Editor & Publisher magazine. In the March 24 story, “Blade vet launches free Toledo weekly,” Pounds talks about the origins and aims of TFP. The story is archived at www.editorandpublisher.com. ■ TFP columnist John K. Hartman was featured in a recent article in the April/May issue of American Journalism Review. The story, “Hip and Happening,” discusses weekly tabloid newspaper trends. The article is archived at www.ajr.org.

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COMMUNITY

April 20, 2005

COMMUNITY

April 20, 2005

HEALTH CARE

Colleges to provide enhanced EMT training By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Undergraduates in health care fields at Owens Community College will have opportunities in the fall to learn from medical experts at facilities formerly available only to graduate students at the Medical College of Ohio at Toledo (MCO). Under the Emergency Medical Services Certificate Program, Owens students will receive paramedic credentials after 28 credit hours that can be applied to an associate’s degree within the newly established Emergency Medical Management Program. Approval by the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) for the certificate and the program remains pending until the OBR April meeting tomorrow in Columbus. Officials at both institutions said that they expect the board to approve, however, because no negative issues emerged during the March meeting. The project is funded through the Great Lakes Educational Consortium for Homeland Security, a regional partnership that includes Owens; MCO; University of Toledo (UT); Bowling

Green State University (BGSU); University of Findlay; and other institutions of higher education throughout northwest Ohio. Paul Unger, Ph.D., provost at Owens, explained that the relationships among consortium members prevent duplication of curricula for coursework at area schools and ultimately beneﬁt the community by raising the qualUNGER ity of education for emergency medical technicians. Owens students who receive certiﬁcation and an associate’s degree can “ladder up” to fouryear programs at area universities such as UT and BGSU and eventually to graduate programs at MCO. “I don’t know of any other community colleges that have this type of working relationship with a medical college,” Unger said. “It’s very unique. They offer all graduate degrees; we offer all associate degrees, and there’s a big gap between there.” Owens broke ground in 2004 to con-

struct a $25 million fire and police training center on campus, where students and certified first responders will undergo emergency simulations to better prepare for disaster situations resulting from terrorist activities and natural catastrophes. The college has scheduled two phases of construction on 40 acres that will end by spring BORK 2006, while additional phases remain in the planning stage. Infrastructure such as a driving pad, security fencing, fiber-optic cable, and water and gas lines — Phase I of the project — nears completion. Phase II involves erecting a burn building, a vehicle-fire prop and a reconstructed gas station. During subsequent phases, Owens will add facilities including an emergency operations center; command and simulation center; mock city; fuel-spill prop; fire-behavior lab; and rail and truck hazardous-materials props. Facilities already exist at MCO, where

students experience real-life situations, for example, through clinical rotations at MCO Hospital and a cadaver lab for training in physical therapy. The program provides more ﬂexibility for Owens students to pursue several health care career tracks, according to Christopher Bork, Ph.D., physical therapist and MCO dean of the School of Allied Health. He recently completed emergency medical technician certiﬁcation, adding to his credentials to demonstrate the need for cross training of emergency medical personnel. He said that it provides “another pair of hands” during actual attacks and disaster situations. “Even if we never have bioterrorism, or another attack on the United States, we have potential weather disasters and other problems that we should be prepared for,” Bork said. The program also extends longstanding partnerships with area emergency entities, including Toledo Fire and Rescue and Toledo Police. Bork said he hopes the program will serve as a model for medium-sized cities and rural communities in terms of disaster preparedness.

ABUSE AWARENESS

Yell and Tell rally aims to protect, inform area children By Sue MacPhee-Gray Special to Toledo Free Press

On April 24, the 2nd annual Yell and Tell: Stop Child Abuse Now rally will be held at Wildwood MetroPark to highlight April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Springﬁeld Township resident Pamela Crabtree is the force behind the rally, which begins at noon. Crabtree is an adult survivor of sexual abuse. At the age of 9, she said she and a friend slipped away to play in Ottawa Park, where she was sexually assaulted by a stranger. Instead of telling anyone, Crabtree said she kept her feelings inside, as many children do. She recalls being confused and frightened that an adult would hurt her. “The 50s were a different time, a perceived trusting time,” she said. “We left our doors open even if we would leave the house.” The idea for a rally against child abuse took hold when Crabtree

began posting on the Lifetime TV Web site’s Adult Abuse Survivor Board. There she and other survivors shared painful memories and ways to cope with the trauma. “There were several of us who frequented the board, and we became appalled at some of the other postings on the board from 13 and 14 year olds!” she said. The group decided to take action and the ﬁrst Yell and Tell rally was held in Washington, D.C. on April 18, 2004. This year’s rally features MC Cliff Smithers of K-100 FM and includes local Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Ohio Senator Teresa Fedor and Sgt. George Kral of the Toledo Police Department’s Special Victims Unit. Lucas County Commissioner Tina Wozniak will give the opening remarks. Kral will talk about Internet crime against children, now the fastest-growing area of sex crime. “We could easily have a whole unit that does nothing except on-

COMMUNITY BRIEF From Staff Reports

TOLEDO

Water restoration The Toledo Waterways Initiative is requesting that the city participate in Ohio’s Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP). Participation would involve sponsoring a Metroparks/Nature Conservancy project to purchase property in the Oak Openings area for watershed protection. Under the program, the state of Ohio advances interest payments from its Water Pollution Control Loan Fund to land trusts, park districts and other groups to protect or restore water resources. To encourage participation in the program, the interest rate on the loan is reduced by 0.1 percent. The Metroparks/Nature Conservancy would receive $1.5 million towards purchase of the land and the city of Toledo’s obligation on its Wet Weather Treatment Facility project loan would be reduced by $600,000 over 20 years.

line investigations,” he said. He advises that parents “need to be vigilant when kids are online. The computer should be in a common space in the home. Parents should trust but verify. That is, they need to be sure that if their children are going to a soccer practice, that is truly the activity taking place.” The goal of Yell and Tell is to

educate parents, caregivers, and citizens on the importance of protecting children, especially young children that cannot “Yell and Tell,” when touched inappropriately. The idea that children also need to be educated is crucial. Crabtree emphasizes “even 3 is not too young.” Underscoring this is the fact that many “disclosures”

(as Kral calls them) are made long after the abuse has occurred. In addition to the child protection and abuse prevention agencies taking part in the rally, a petition asking that harsher sentences be given to convicted child abusers and child murderers will be circulated for signatures for presentation to Lucas County judges.

By Dan Bumpus Special to Toledo Free Press

Crooks are targeting college students in our area, dangling free money as the bait. They’re posing as government workers, promising college grants adding up to thousands of dollars. But to claim the money, students are told to give up personal banking information. One student almost fell for the scam. Now, he wants to warn the public. The crooks contacted Chris McKenzie in his University of Toledo dorm room. “The representative told me I received a $5,000 grant

based on my tax returns,” he said. They claimed to be from the American Grant Processing Center. But they wanted McKenzie’s bank and checking account number, to deposit the money. When he started asking questions, they got more aggressive. McKenzie hung up before the scam went any further. Folks at the University of Toledo are worried some students will be fooled by the prospects of big bucks. “There’s just all kinds of exposure they could set themselves up for, and it could cost them a lot of money,” said Betty Robe, who works in UT’s Finance Department. She

says at least a half dozen students have complained about the scam, and she confirms it’s not legit. “That’s just too good to be true. Nobody is out there wanting to give away free money,” she said. There are plenty of government grants to help students pay the bills. To qualify, you have to make the first move, by filling out an application at the Financial Aid Office. Nobody is going to just call out of the blue and offer free money. If they do, and especially if they start asking for your personal information, hang up. Dan Bumpus is the consumer investigative reporter at WTOL News 11. He leads the Call 11 for Action Team in solving consumer problems. He can be reached by e-mail at dbumpus@wtol.com.

RELIGION

SNAP founder Blaine featured in new book Keeping your heart healthy is easier than you might think. The cardiologists at CardioCare Consultants offer these simple prevention tips to help guide you on your road to better health.

• Laughter really is good

medicine. A recent study found that laughter significantly increased blood flow to the heart during activities as simple as watching funny movies.

• You don’t have to run a

marathon to increase exercise. Simple things like standing while talking on the phone or taking the stairs can help. Even vacuuming the carpet counts as exercise if you do it briskly.

• Another simple way to increase

A new book about women’s roles in the Catholic Church mentions a Toledo native who is active in ﬁghting for the rights of abuse victims. Angela Bonavoglia’s “Good Catholic Girls: How Women are Leading the Fight to Change the Church,” features Toledo native Barbara Blaine, the founder and president of SNAP, the Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests, which Bonavoglia calls “the most powerful voice for victims.” Blaine made headlines last week when wire services and a Toledo TV station erroneously reported she was arrested by Italian police for protesting Cardinal Bernard Law’s elevated role in mourning the Pope. Media outlets later documented the story correctly, noting Blaine wasn’t arrested.

According to SNAP’s Web site, Blaine remains in Rome hoping to ensure the next Pope is “receptive to helping victims of clergy sexual abuse.” Bonavoglia said the death of the pope has brought her book major media attention. The Washington Times and CBS news have tapped her to share what she calls her “progressive agenda” for Church reform. “I tried to feature women on the edge of the progressive movement in the Catholic church — women working to end the politics of sexual repression,” Bonavoglia said from her home near New York City. As a contributor to Ms., Chicago Tribune, The Nation and other publications, Bonavoglia has written often about women’s issues and Church reform. She previously authored the book “The Choices We Made: Twenty-ﬁve Women and Men Speak About Abortion.”

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physical activity? Instead of e-mailing a memo to your colleague – walk down the hall for physical activity and personal interaction.

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• Instead of butter or margarine on your bread (whole wheat, of course), try olive oil. Dipping bread in olive oil is an Italian restaurant treat that you can easily try at home.

By Bill Frogameni Special to Toledo Free Press

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Aaron / Richards - Flory Insurance Agency The physicians of CardioCare Consultants are available for immediate consultation and maintain staff privileges at all area hospitals. They are a member of ProMedica Physician Group, a network of more than 165 primary care physicians and specialists dedicated to quality and compassionate care for patients in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.

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COVER STORY

April 20, 2005

By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Toledo or Detroit? The question arises when area travelers plan a flight, whether to a faraway exotic location or a business conference across the country. U.S. Department of Transportation statistics reported in 2003 almost 16,000 airline passengers per day originated from the Toledo area, generating annual revenues of $87.5 million. Unfortunately for the Glass City, 70 percent of that traffic “leaks” to Detroit Metro Airport, which translates into about $82 million annually above and beyond tickets sales, according to a study by the Boyd Group, an aviation consulting firm in Evergreen, Colo. The leakage can be attributed to factors such as the availability of nonstop flights, lower fares, airline loyalty by passengers and corporate contracts committing many business travelers to a specific airport. The economic loss, according to Paul Toth Jr., director of airports for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, stems from a general public misconception that Detroit Metro may offer greater savings and convenience. He said most would-be passengers fail to realize the true competitiveness of airfares through carriers at Toledo Express, TOTH JR. especially in the past five years. In 2000, the Port Authority hired a director of air-service development and marketing in an effort to help its carriers stay in line with competitive fares and plug the leak of passengers flowing to the Motor City. Besides the obvious loss of income in terms of carrier fees, parking and concessions, the indirect impact strikes 30 companies and their 2,750 employees with operations at Toledo Express and its sibling airport, Metcalf Field near Walbridge. Also affected are rental car businesses, hotels, restaurants and other tourist-related industries. “I always love to liken that to, if a company came to us — the Port Authority or another development agency in town — and said, ‘We want to invest $82 million in Toledo,’ we would be tripping over ourselves to accommodate it. Yet every day, the cars that are driving up I-75 to Detroit Metro have the same effect as a company coming to us every year wanting to invest $82 million to our community,” Toth said.

Turbulence

To further complicate matters, the airlines themselves have struggled ﬁnancially since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. At the time, most carriers had planned to send regional jets — smaller, 28- to 110-seat planes intended to replace outdated turboprops — to airports with market sizes comparable to Toledo, Toth said. Instead, airports in larger markets witnessed an increase in regional jets,

while wide bodies such as the Boeing 737 landed in remote desert locations for storage. The move reflected an acrossthe-board scramble by carriers to brace for the economic fallout of Sept. 11. “There’s a lot of pressure on the airlines, and they’ve cut back the number of aircraft deliveries,” Toth said. “They’re being much more cautious on how much risk they’re willing to take. “We’re going to continue to ride it out and let the airline industry figure out what it wants to be when it grows up.” The trend is reversing slowly; however, a steady rise in fuel prices and a lingering fear of future terrorism may continue to curtail profits for airlines. Delta Airlines reported a net loss of $7.73 million in 2003, down from $1.272 billion in 2002 and $1.216 billion in 2001. Northwest Airlines announced pre-tax losses of $696 million in 2004 and $585 million in 2003. Virtually every other airline also has suffered economic turbulence since September 2001, and the overwhelming response by industry players has created intensely fierce fare wars. Michael Conway, director of public affairs and environment for Detroit Metro Airport, attributed the leakage from Fulton, Lucas and Ottawa counties to some simple reasons: price and convenience. Airports try to improve services for faster, smoother boarding processes, and airlines entice travelers to fly by offering rates that often undercut their profits. “I would say that, primarily — and I’m making an educated guess — that it’s just irrational pricing by the airlines,” Conway said. “In real dollars, these fares are incredible. They are just extremely reasonable compared to the costs the airlines incur.”

Wing ﬂaps

Unlike the competition among airlines, known as “fare pressure,” rivalries between “feeder” airports and nearby hub airports within a regional service area tend to run one-way. Conway illustrated the point by citing leakage years ago from southern Wisconsin to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Executives at General Mitchell International Airport, in Milwaukee, adopted a massive ad campaign to draw passengers north, where many of them connected through the hub at O’Hare anyway. Hub cities such as Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta beneﬁt economically whether passengers ﬂy or drive to their locations. Despite the fact that regional airports “are very aggressive about marketing themselves against a hub,” Conway emphasized that most hub airports harbor nothing but good will for their smaller regional counterparts. “People who run airports are typically aviation folks — you know, propeller heads,” he related. “We like airports, and we like growth at airports. Nobody here would ever celebrate because one of the regional airports in our area lost business. That’s not the way it is.”

14-15

Detroit Metro has experienced a boom recently, reporting that in 2004 it nearly matched its record year of 35.5 million passengers in 2000. By comparison, Toledo Express released its ﬁgure of almost 80,000 passengers between January and February of 2005, on track for an annual total of 500,000, but down 17 percent from the same period in 2004.

Firm landing

Quick calculations may show clearly the extent of economic impact represented by the 70 percent leakage from the Toledo area. Recovering the roughly 350,000 passengers who migrate to Detroit each year promises much more than the $82 million in nonticket revenues for the local economy, according to Toth. Toledo’s future development may depend on it. “It’s easy to say we’ve got Detroit right up the road,” he said. “But if a company comes into the Midwest looking for a place to build their headquarters, if everybody is driving to Detroit and building in Detroit, and the airport in Toledo has nothing, they’re not going to consider Toledo for economic development.” Toth also cited the direct relationship between an airport’s passenger trafﬁc and its eligibility for federal development grants. The Port Authority received $9.5 million from the feds last year and has averaged $8 million per year during the past decade. The money has been reinvested into improvements such as a new $6.5 million runway apron — pavement leading from hangars and terminals to the runway — and a new perimeter fence costing $2.5 million. Currently, airport ofﬁcials are completing the design phase of a $24 million renovation project. “An airport drives an economy,” he continued. “Having access to the world is absolutely critical when you’re trying to build economic development in the city.” Yet the question remains, “Will Toledoarea travelers stand up and take notice?”

Now boarding

C.J. Troup, travel agent and owner of Travel Bazaar, in Toledo, said customers have sought her advice for more than 20 years, and all invariably ask whether they should fly out of Toledo or Detroit. “We price both and let the people make their decisions as to what they want to do and how they want to spend their time — changing planes or driving to Detroit,” Troup added. “A lot of people would just prefer to drive to Detroit in the winter time knowing they can get on a nonstop rather than miss their flight because of delays.” While airports themselves have little or no control over on-time performance by carriers, they may bear the brunt of complaints by passengers, according to Troup. “Toledo is a nice little airport, and I appreciate the fact that we have it,” she said. “But with the loss of service we’ve had, it hurts. I’ve pushed people out of Toledo. It’s always the first place I check, but you’re dealing with availability differences.”

January-February Passenger Total

2004

2005

96,000

80,000

Decrease

-17

January-February Passenger Total

2004

7,106,326

2005

7,727,614

Increase

9.25

Toledo Airports: The economic impact ■ Toledo Express and Metcalf Field have 30 companies with business operations at the airports. ■ These 30 companies collectively provide over 2,750 jobs at the airports generating an estimated annual total (direct, indirect and induced) payroll of approximately $196.1 million and expenditures in excess of $70 million. ■ According to DOT 2003 statistics, Toledo generated an average of 1,594 passengers per day, generating annual airline revenue of $87.5 million. ■ Taking leakage into account, the Toledo market actually generated over $291 million in travel in 2003. ■ A study completed by The Boyd Group in 2003 found that it costs our community about $82 million annually in economic impact from people driving to Detroit for their air service needs — This does not include the cost of the ticket.

Source: Toledo Express Airport

Cleared for take-off

At Detroit Metro Airport this week, a quick survey of several people being dropped off in cars with Ohio license plates revealed some blunt motives for people not flying from Toledo. “I don’t even check the prices,” said one man, who gave his name as Greg. He said he was flying to Atlanta on a business trip. “I can drive here and be on my plane faster than I can go through the airport and transfer planes from Toledo.” Back at Toledo Express, a man entering the airport Tuesday afternoon said he chooses Toledo because he can avoid large crowds. “Flying from here is a lot easier,” he said. “I do not like the traffic on the road or in the lines.” A business traveler flying to Detroit to change planes said he “feels safer leaving my car here than in Detroit, and when I step off the plane, I’m only 20 minutes from home, not an hour. “My business depends on Toledoans,” he said. “I try to make sure my dollars stay here.” Toledo Free Press photos by DM Stanfield

American Eagle adds service from Toledo to Dallas/Fort Worth From Staff Reports

American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, will add nonstop service between Toledo Express Airport and Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport beginning June 9. According to a press release, American Eagle will operate daily round-trip flights between the two cities using 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 jets. “Our new service between Toledo and DFW is timed to provide business travelers the opportunity to make easy connections to cities in Texas and the neighboring Gulf and Western states,” said American Eagle President Peter Bowler. “Toledo customers also can make easy connections to international flights bound for the beaches and business centers of Mexico and South America once they arrive at American’s largest hub.” “We’ve been working with American for a long time to bring this about, so we’re ver y excited about its potential,” said Paul L. Toth, Jr., Airports Director for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. The new service is in addition to the carrier’s four daily nonstop flights to Chicago O’Hare.

94.indd 1

SPORTS ■

Sixth-grade wrestler goes undefeated at championships, page 18

Waiting in the wings

Notre Dame junior Kelsey Brickman makes a name for herself on the softball diamond, page 20

KOZ’S CORNER

Chris Kozak

50113.indd 1

t’s a long way from teaching 6th graders at Calhoun Elementary in Missouri to athletic director for the University of Toledo, but Mike O’Brien has been on the job for just over three years. During his term, the UT athletic program has reached unprecedented heights, on and off the field. Toledo Free Press: You’ve been here for three years now. How do you describe Toledo? O’Brien: It is a terrific city and the thing from day one that my wife and I noticed is the people. I tell any prospect that comes in that every city, every university has nice facilities, has nice buildings. However, at Toledo, it’s about its people. TFP: Is there one accomplishment you are most proud of? O’Brien: I don’t know if there’s one, I mean, it’s a variety of things. Why we’re here is to improve the everyday environment for our student athletes, and we’ve done that. TFP: What do you have planned for the capital improvements for Savage Hall? O’Brien: We are going to hire a firm to complete a study on the deferred maintenance of this building. Our thoughts now for this facility would be additional suites, some special seating, different offices, renovating the weight and strength training room area, etc. TFP: What kind of time frame are you considering? O’Brien: Well, this study, that has not begun as of yet, will take anywhere from six to eight weeks, and then there’s the bidding process for the architect. So I hate to give you a time frame. But it’s moving along fine. TFP: One of your other goals is to create an indoor football practice facility. O’Brien: We expect that, we plan for that to be part of this. What we are looking at is an indoor athletic facility that a

4/18/05 5:53:22 PM

Please see O’BRIEN, page 19 4/8/05 9:42:18 AM

O’Brien’s song UT Athletic Director Mike O’Brien talks about football, academics, Stan Joplin — and the future of the MAC

Toledo Free Press photos by DM Stanﬁeld

“We have a terriﬁc campus here, and our goal is to attract as many people as possible to it. I’ve always been very up front with the fact that I want our events on campus.”

“I like the BCS. The BCS is not going away. We can keep the BCS, and not have it affect the number of bowl games. No matter what the bowl is, football players enjoy that experience.”

“We have an action plan, as a department, as to how we can improve [academic ratings for] football, but at the same time, let’s increase some of the other scores. It will improve.”

“Some time ago we were approached by a consultant, working on behalf of Conference USA. There’s going to be more reshufﬂing out there in the next, let’s say, three to ﬁve years.”

SPORTS

April 20, 2005

WRESTLING

By Scott Calhoun Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

D.J. Recknagel appears as harmless as any other twelve-year-old boy. Although a little bit taller than many of his peers, the young man still presents no visible tenacity to the common eye. But try telling that to the opponents he made mincemeat out of at the Ohio State Elementary Wrestling Championships held recently at Bowling Green State University. Recknagel, a sixth grader from Glenwood Elementary in Rossford, pinned every wrestler he faced in the 140-pound weight class, while remarkably not surrendering a single point throughout the tournament, on his way to a first-place finish. “I was seeded first out of 18 wrestlers (in the weight class), so I had a first-round bye,” the young grappler said. “I had to beat four wrestlers.” Recknagel said he was amazed after winning the championship. On his total domination, he said, “I couldn’t believe it.” His father, Ron, coaches high school wrestling at Rossford. He got D.J. onto the mat at the young age of three. D.J., a self-proclaimed cartoon artist, also plays football and baseball and is a Glenwood School peer mediator and is a member of the Glenwood News Team and Safety Patrol. But when asked which is his

Boys’ Track Leader’s Board

Photo by David Gatwood

Rossfordʼs D.J. Recknagel.

favorite sport, he said, “probably wrestling because I’ve been doing it the longest.” He plans to carry on his already successful wrestling career into junior high and high school.

O’Brien

STATS of the week

Wrestling phenom perfect at Elementary State Championships

Long Jump Thompson Diaz Novotany Parry Tisdale Hayes High Jump Heisman Cicak Thompson Pole Vault Pittman Coressel Roan Hill Hermiller Lucius Pittman Discus Burton Orr Sniadecki Tolson Morgan Shot Put Weber St. John Scarborough Sniadecki St. John Orr Meyer Metcalf

Rogers Lakota Genoa MVCDS Perrysburg Springﬁeld

20’ 10” 19’ 8” 19’ 6.5” 19’ 4.5” 19’ 4” 19’ 3.5”

Tol. Christ. Genoa Rogers

6’ 4” 6’ 4” 6’ 4”

Woodmore Wauseon Bryan Port Clinton Findlay Hopewell Woodmore

13’ 12’ 11’ 10’ 6” 10’ 6” 10’ 10’

Wauseon Tol. Christian Anthony Wayne Springﬁeld Springﬁeld

151’ 4” 144’ 8.5” 136’ 6” 134’ 5” 134’ 3.5”

Wauseon Lake St. Francis Anthony Wayne Lake Lakota Lakota BG

54’ 2” 48’ 8” 48’ 0.5” 47’ 8” 47’ 7.5” 47’ 5” 47’ 46’ 3”

Continued from page 17

Compiled by David Gatwood

number of our sports can use.

Girls’ Track Leader’s Board Long Jump McGraw Schulte Gadus LaVigne Matheny Beck Sample Spears High Jump Meister Sutherland Kime Patton Pole Vault Naderer Wallis Geesey Siebenaller Gadus Cabacum Wasserman Discus Pendleton Brazeau Torres Thompson Ward Shot Put Allen Brazeay Long Brazeau Achter

Tol. Christian Eastwood Clay Swanton Liberty Ctr. MVCDS Scott St. Ursula

17’ 16’ 2” 15’ 7” 15’ 10” 15’ 10” 15’ 6” 15’ 2” 15’ 1.5”

MVCDS Maumee Delta Northwood

5’ 5” 5’ 2” 5’ 1” 5’

Lakota Wauseon Bryan Whitmer Clay Springﬁeld Lakota

9’ 6” 9’ 6” 9’ 8’ 9” 8’ 6” 8’ 6” 8’ 6”

Woodmore Swanton Archbold Montpelier Northview

143’ 5” 132’ 6” 116’ 114’ 4” 113’

Southview Swanton Otsego Swanton Clay

39’ 1” 37’ 5” 36’ 10” 35’ 8” 35’ 1”

SPORTS

April 20, 2005

TFP: There was some talk of moving the arena downtown and Toledo playing its basketball games down there. O’Brien: We have a terriﬁc campus here, and our goal is to attract as many people as possible to campus. Thus the concentration on our current facilities. I

like to call it a renaissance as opposed to renovation. I’ve always been very up front with the fact that I want our events on campus. TFP: How has Title IX affected the program? O’Brien: Title IX has generated so many opportunities for female athletes. It’s wonderful. It’s here to stay. It has led to a lot of positives for female athletes. TFP: As one of your ﬁrst acts, you had to eliminate some men’s

sports: men’s track and field and swimming teams. Was that done to be in compliance with Title IX or was that a financial decision? O’Brien: It was done for financial reasons. We had 19 sports at the time. I inherited a substantial deficit. We had to do something about it. Unfortunately the elimination of those sports was a part of it. TFP: A number of people called for (men’s basketball coach) Stan Joplin’s job after this

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19 season. Was it a financial decision to keep him on, so you wouldn’t have to pay two coaches next year? O’Brien: Despite the fact that we didn’t get where we wanted to, as far as post-season play, the NIT or the NCAA, we won the West. We finished first or second six of the past seven years. It’s not as though we haven’t been winning basketball games here. Stan’s our coach and we need to be supportive of him. TFP: Did he come close at all to losing his job, or was it cut and dried in your mind that he was going to come back? O’Brien: He was always going to come back. TFP: Have you sat down with him and set any goals for next season? O’Brien: We set goals, whether it’s for Stan or any coach, and we talk about that past season, the future, the recruitment, needs. The goals for any coach are to be as competitive as we can in the MAC, hopefully to win the MAC, and get into some postseason play. TFP: Are you a fan of the BCS? O’Brien: I like the BCS. The BCS is not going away. We can keep the BCS, and not have it affect the number of bowl games, because the surveys have all indicated that no matter what the bowl is, football players enjoy that experience. I’m hopeful that some day, keeping the same bowl process, there will be some type of a play-off. TFP: Some non-BCS schools, particularly Utah, have recently had some success. Do you see your football team achieving those kinds of levels? O’Brien: That’s what we’re trying to obtain. Rick Chryst, the MAC Commissioner, has always indicated that we will see a MAC team play in a January 1 bowl game. And it might as well be the Rockets. TFP: We’ve had a lot of success on the football field. What does that do for the school, the alumni, the City of Toledo? O’Brien: It’s been terrific exposure. Winning the championship this past season, being on ESPN seven times, I don’t know how many schools can say that. At the same time, it’s a three, three-and-a-half hour commercial for the institution. And win or lose, the University of Toledo is on the national stage, and I think that’s very, very important for our school. TFP: With the success of the football team comes some loss. The team lost two of its greatest assets: The offensive and defensive coordinators. To what level does that concern you? O’Brien: It indicates that the people here are doing a good job. If you’re successful and move on to another opportunity, good for them. Coach [Tom] Amstutz’s take is that he hates to see people go, but at the same time he’s re-

ally pleased, very pleased with the two new hires, as I am. TFP: Are you worried about Coach Amstutz being lured to another school? O’Brien: Tom is very committed to the University of Toledo and to this program and this city. TFP: The football team has recently attracted some bad PR. Academically, it ranked 114th out of 117 Division I schools. O’Brien: The Academic Progress Rating, the APR, is a snapshot, as far as the data from this 03-04 year. Obviously it’s something we’re not pleased about. Fifteen of the other 16 sports are fine. We have an action plan together, as a department, as to how we can improve, obviously the football rankings, but at the same time, let’s increase some of the other scores as well. It will improve. I expect vast improvements. TFP: A couple of football players, in the off season, were arrested for a fight at an offcampus party last fall. Another player was kicked off the team for selling drugs. Are they a couple of bad apples, or is this an example of how as the program grows and attracts the better athletes, they sometimes come with more baggage? O’Brien: Unfortunately we had some young people make some bad decisions. And it is a reflection. At the same time, as you indicated, the players are no longer part of the program. TFP: Do you think the coaches, the university, do a good enough job recruiting athletes out of our own backyard, attracting the top talent in Northwest Ohio? O’Brien: I think so. Our coaches have had conversations about that, and I think our coaches have done what they could on the local level. At the same time, some of those prospects out there simply want to go elsewhere. TFP: With all the recent conference reshuffling, what do you see for the future of the MAC? Has Toledo been approached about leaving the Mid American Conference? O’Brien: Some time ago we were approached by a consultant, just working on behalf of Conference USA. There’s going to be more reshuffling out there in the next, let’s say, three to five years, that’s my prediction. Right now the MAC is our home, we’re pleased to be a part of it. It has grown in stature. TFP: In three to five years, would you consider, jumping to a bigger conference? O’Brien: I’m not going to get into conjecture. However, if there’s interests by another conference, I only think it’s the prudent thing to do to at least listen. ON THE WEB

utrockets.collegesports.com mac-sports.collegesports.com

SPORTS

April 20, 2005

SOFTBALL

Brickman ready for her place in spotlight By David Gatwood Special to Toledo Free Press prepsports@buckeye-express.com

The names Hailey Wiemer, Lindsey Denman, Ali Warren and Amy Mattin are well known among high school softball fans in northwest Ohio. These four young ladies, all seniors, have been dominating pitchers for nearly four years. This June will see their reigns end, but waiting in the wings is another young lady who may already deserve equal consideration, Notre Dame Academy junior Kelsey Brickman. Prior to last year’s Toledo City League Championship semi-ﬁnal game against the heavily favored and eventual state champion St. Ursula Arrows and the Notre Dame Eagles, Brickman was a virtual unknown. She enjoyed a good season with the Eagles but her performance raised few eyebrows. St. Ursula’s Weimer was the talk of the league and the “experts” gave the Eagles little chance of defeating St. Ursula. Brickman and her teammates had other ideas, however, and the Eagles found themselves being crowned City League Champions on a day Brickman describes as one “I won’t forget.” Brickman is not your stereotypical softball pitcher. She is a petite young lady who does not rely on

an overpowering fastball. Instead, she must utilize her ability to know “who can’t hit what and where to pitch it. Work around the outside corners and stuff.” Pitching success did not come easily for the 16-year-old from Sylvania. Although she started playing softball in the third grade, it was not until she reached the sixth grade that she began to entertain the idea of trying to pitch. “It was a struggle at the beginning,” she said. “I began to come around in the 7th or 8th grade. I started with the Sylvania Sharks under [Tom Denman, the father of Niki and Lindi Denman]. He taught me how to pitch. He’s a great guy. Kind of intimidating but he makes you work and he knows what’s best for you.” As Brickman’s pitching improved, she recognized the need for more specialized training. She was able to make connection with the U.S. Olympic team’s pitching coach, Doug Gillis. Gillis, who lives in Wixom, Michigan, helped Brickman develop my pitches more. He taught me more of the advanced stuff where Mr. Denman taught me the basics.” Brickman’s arrival at Notre Dame as an incoming freshman was met with little fanfare. She was not looked upon as a burgeon-

ing superstar and, having come from the Sylvania public school system, she found the experience “a little rough the ﬁrst year. I came from a public school, Timberstone, so I didn’t know a lot of people here. But when the softball season came around it was a lot better because I got to know people that I would be playing with over the next couple of years. There are a lot of great girls who go here.” It is these “great girls” that Brickman feels provide the potential for the Eagles to repeat as City League Champions. The early going this season has been a little slow for the 6-4 Eagles, but Brickman is conﬁdent the team will “come together. I think we are going to do really well and we have the potential to defend that title.” Defending that title will not be easy. Notre Dame’s arch-rival, St. Ursula, returns a strong team which includes their All-State pitcher, Hailey Wiemer. Wiemer is considered the area’s premier pitcher and, so far this season, has been overpowering. But Brickman has already demonstrated that she has the capacity to out-duel Wiemer and the Arrows and there is little chance this charming young lady will shrink from the challenge.

ARTS&LIFE ■

Club and concert news in Toledo Conﬁdential, page 25

Motion City Soundtrack now playing

Minneapolis band to play Headliners, has cut on Police tribute CD, page 23

Mountaintop health news is bad for Toledoans

Barbara Goodman Shovers

f you’ve gotten past the SchiaSvo and steroid stories the past couple weeks you may have seen a news blurb reporting that mountain dwellers live longer lives than those below. This factoid refers to a study conducted by a researcher, one Nicholas Baibas, who explored the heart-healthy lives of peak dwellers and low-liers on the Greek peninsula.

The report heralds bad news for Toledoans. The individuals who fared best in the longevity sweepstakes lived at an altitude of 3,100 feet. The elevation here is less than a ﬁfth that. Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind having a home in a more topographically challenging locale. A cousin in California has a mountain smack dab in front of her bungalow. A friend in Colorado

has a whole range. It must be a different life waking each morning to a scenic vista and not an asphalt horizon. Beauty alone, I suspect, adds years to life, or at least makes the time better spent. Still, I don’t buy the fact that a study done on 1,200 rural Greeks is extrapolatable to the world in general. Its author posits the thesis that the thinner mountain air is what gave his subjects their

edge. But I’m not convinced I want a piece of the peak. A colleague suggests it was high level oxygen deprivation that led Prof. Baibas to hallucinate that his report was worth disseminating. The (I’m guessing) Type Bs who live in remote Aegean villages probably have a whole lot different lifestyle than the readers/ Please see HEALTH, page 22

Orchestral maneuvers Chelsea Tipton brings eclectic charisma to symphony

Photo by David Gatwood

Kelsey Brickman pitched Notre Dame to last yearʼs city title.

By Vicki L. Kroll Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Chelsea Tipton II knows how to cater to a crowd. The Toledo Symphony Orchestra’s resident conductor served up some eclectic musical entrées to open Kenny Loggins’ recent pops concert at Stranahan Theater. The orchestra played “76 Trombones,” “Fiddle-Faddle,” medleys from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The Sound of Music,” and a salute to big bands that included “Pennsylvania 6-5000.” The charismatic conductor coaxed the audience into participating for the latter and showed off his sense of humor by asking “Can you hear me now?” at the end of the number. “A concert like that is an opportunity for us because there’s a lot of people Please see TIPTON, page 22

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Toledo Free Press photo by DM Stanﬁeld

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ARTS&LIFE

Tipton Continued from page 21 who may have never come to a symphony concert,” Tipton said. “You want them to have a good time. Maybe out of ﬁve pieces, people will really take to three of them. ... I think of it as kind of a musical buffet — take what you want. And who knows? If they like that, maybe they’ll come see another pops concert or a concert with the music of ‘West Side Story.’ We want to expose people to the orchestra and change the perception that it’s not just a stuffy experience. It can be a moving, fun time, and that’s what I try to do with my concerts.” It’s also what Tipton and Merwin Siu, artistic administrator and associate principal second violin, have tried to do with TSO’s Family Matinee Series. “This year we made it strictly for kids ages four through 12. We made the concerts 45 to 50 minutes long, and each concert has an educational theme behind it,” Tipton said. For example, last month’s “Play Ball!” explained teamwork in the orchestra. “We had baseball cards made — that was a big hit, no pun intended. Well, a little pun intended,” said Tipton who is just as affable in person as onstage. “The kids loved those cards! They came up to the stage trying to get autographs.” For the 2004-05 season, the family concerts and the Young People’s Concerts for local stu-

dents were moved from Stranahan Theater to the Peristyle. “I was encountering people in the community who had never been to the Toledo Museum of Art, and I at least want to have the kids say, ‘Oh yeah, I remember when I was in fourth grade and we’d go to the Peristyle,’ ” he said. “After the concerts, they can go over to one of the great museums in the country. We want to have as few barriers between various genres of art as possible, whether it’s visual art, literature, certainly music and so on. “We have to get away from that perception — that classical music is an elitist art form. My feeling is that music should be for everyone,” said Tipton, who joined TSO in 2003. “The days of an orchestra being up on high and expecting the community to come to them are really gone.” That’s why the orchestra and smaller ensembles of musicians hit the road and play neighborhood concerts in churches, schools and parks. “We have to be willing to reach out into the community and share our music with the community in that fashion as well as say, ‘If you like us out here, come see us at the Peristyle, come see us at the Stranahan,’” he said. Tipton’s afﬁnity for music comes naturally. His parents are both music teachers. “When I was in third grade and I was watching my dad practicing the clarinet, I remember seeing his ﬁngers move really fast, and I

April 20, 2005

Health

Toledo Free Press photo by DM Stanﬁeld

Chelsea Tipton.

thought to myself, ‘I want to learn how to make my ﬁngers move that fast,’ ” he said. He did. He earned a bachelor of music degree in clarinet performance from the Eastman School of Music. While there, he was a section clarinetist with ensembles that performed with James Galway and Wynton Marsalis. In 1989, Tipton received the master of music degree in conducting from Northern Illinois University. He hasn’t missed a beat since. Part of that could be thanks to his lucky socks, complete with musical symbols. “I’ve had them for 15 years — they have holes in them and the elastic is barely holding on,” he said. “But for really big concerts, I always wear my lucky socks.”

Continued from page 21 watchers of Health Now! columns and broadcasts. And though I’m picking on this particular brief, let me state my beef is more extended. Almost all causes cancer, sheds pounds or builds bodies stories make my eyes roll. A huge part of me wants to rant about the careless uses of statistics and weasel words by people pushing whatever agendas they’re committed to. Advertisers, journalists, researchers — the whole kaboodle are really good at knowing which words or numbers to leave out of their pieces for maximum impact. The what’s not said of many stories/ads/studies is probably more worth looking at than the verbalized. But no, I’m gonna give it a more high falutin’ literary tone. In his novel “Einstein’s Dreams,” MIT physics and writing professor Alan Lightman posits several alternative realities the young patent clerk may have considered before settling on E=MC2. In one, Einstein ponders a world where time moves less rapidly the farther one goes from Earth’s core. Though the effect is miniscule, people age slower the higher up they live. The problem is when news of this gets out, people rush to be kings of the hill, building homes ever more lofty. Inches count, centimeters. If you can still see your neighbors you’re not high enough.

But it’s work staying on top. In their quest for that penultimate minute of existence Einstein’s imagined villagers give up other things: food, sleep, conversation. And in the doing so they become more like ... well, more like urban Type As who obsess on living longer via oxygen depletion, carbohydrate resistance, power yoga. Or dare I suggest feeding tubes and artificial hormones? Someplace in life, both fictional and non-fiction varieties, quality and quantity are screwing up. Someplace today some kid is modeling Jose Canseco in hope of slugging faster, further, stonger. Someplace today someone is prolonging a brain-dead relative. And in lots of places people are analyzing meaningless data trying to promote the next lifestyle trend. In Lightman’s fable, some of the high-livers begin to question their choices. Tentatively they come down the mountains. They bathe in the warmer lakes below. They enjoy the sunny meadows. They may live a few seconds less, but their aggregate minutes, hours, days, years are better for it. The moral, I suppose is not either/or. A healthy life isn’t about elevation or metabolism. A Mediterranean mountain may be good for one guy, a Midwest community not bad for another. Moderation in all things, as another Greek, Aristotle, is said to have said. When you get right down to it, you’ve just got to find the middle ground.

ARTS&LIFE

April 20, 2005

IN CONCERT

Motion City Soundtrack now playing By Vicki L. Kroll Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

“Commit This to Memory” is the name of Motion City Soundtrack’s second disc, due June 7. It’s the perfect name for the band’s sophomore effort, given its comical, edgy pop. Think Fountains of Wayne on high octane. “We’ve always been known for having random references that are humorous — pop culture, movies, TV shows,” said bass player Matthew Taylor from a tour stop in Philadelphia on Friday. “Sometimes we have really dark lyrics set to a really poppy, catchy melody. It just sort of works for us.” Take the group’s new single, “Everything Is Alright:” “I hate the ocean, theme parks and airplanes, talking to strangers waiting in line/Sick of things I do when I’m nervous like cleaning the oven or checking my tires or counting the number of tiles in the ceiling.” The ode to self-medication about “pills that make you sit

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still” was penned by guitarist and singer Justin Pierre and includes a reference to “The X-Files.” “It’s deﬁnitely more of a positive song, I think, derived from negative things that have happened to Justin,” Taylor said. “That’s just a way of dealing with things. The song says it all; everything will be all right.” Things have been going well for the Minneapolis band, which also features Joshua Cain on guitar and vocals, Tony Thaxton on drums and Jesse Johnson on keyboards and Moog. While promoting its ﬁrst full-length record, “I Am the Movie” (2003), the band toured with Blink-182 and recruited that band’s bass player, Mark Hoppus, to produce its new CD. “There’s never a dull moment with Mark,” Taylor said. “He’s a fun person. As a producer, he was laid-back and relaxed.” “We’re just energetic and try to have fun on stage with our songs,” Taylor said. “We like to think people have fun listening

We Sell

MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK because we have fun playing.” Motion City Soundtrack will be at Headliners, 4500 N. Detroit Ave., April 25, with Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer and Melee. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance from Allied Records, Culture Clash and Freon Beats and $12 at the door.

PAINTBALL

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Review: “¡Policia! A Tribute to The Police”

It’s hard not to like this 51-minute homage to The Police. One might question why “King of Pain” starts the disc, but Brandtson serves up a ﬁne electronic version of the depressing track. Limbeck offers a kinder, gentler “So Lonely,” and Fall Out Boy gives “Roxanne” a harder sound. Most of the bands play straightforward covers, such as Motion City Soundtrack’s “Truth Hits Everybody,” Big Collapse’s “Next to You” and Watashi Wa’s “Message in a Bottle.” No Motive’s singer/guitarist Jeremy Palaszewski even sounds like Sting on “Synchronicity II.” While “Wrapped Around Your Finger” by Underoath sounds like Bob Goldthwait in a metal band, you have to admire their courage to try something completely different.

—Vicki L. Kroll

NEW RELEASES Great Lakes Myth Society Great Lakes Myth Society ✭✭✭ (out of 4) This debut from the Ann Arbor-based band provides a musically mesmerizing experience. A mix of Irish rockers Black 47 and the Cranberries, the Great Lakes Myth Society blends a whirlwind of poetic lyrics, acoustic guitars, violins, and sometimes hauntingly eerie vocals to conjure up an unbelievable variety of folk/rock. Allfrumtha I Larger than Life ✭✭ Pronounced “All from the I,” this Inglewood, California duo’s latest album release, “Larger than Life,” features an aggressive yet somehow monotonous collection of hip hop anthems. Titles such as “Pump Ya Fist,” “Hero” and “Dangerous” crowd the song list, leaving little room for non-club banger rhythms. JT & The Clouds Delilah ✭✭✭ Gram Parsons-style folk combined with an eclectic mix of boogie/country/soul. With his mellow crooning, lead singer Jeremy Lindsay accentuates angelic background vocals and melodic arrangements featuring everything from slide guitars to ﬁddles. Each song is executed with precision. The Umbrellas The Umbrellas ✭ Sounding like a transvestite version of the Sundays, the Umbrellas produce a monotonous sound. “The Black Dress” exists as the sole highlight.

— Michael Punsalan

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April 20, 2005

TOLEDO CONFIDENTIAL

West coast band boasts 3-year-old singer By Keith Bergman Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

He loves singing because “the microphone is round and I get to scream.” He writes ditties about “trains and people and monsters.” And, at age three-and-a-half, young Ezra Lux is already paying the high price of fame. “Being in a band is hard,” he tells his daddy. Ezra is the singer for Rock Jack, a group he invented himself. His father Aesop, an underground musician in the San Francisco band Ludicra (and now Rock Jack’s drummer), exposed the boy to different rock groups after the toddler fell in love with a Ramones song in a TV commercial. “His interest in music was almost instant like all kids,” Dad said, “but he showed an advanced knowledge of it early on, being able to discern... major or minor scales,” which Ezra refers to as “happy music” and “sad music.” “He now will go on about ‘key changes,’ ‘false endings,’ and ‘bridges, verses, and choruses,’” Aesop continues, pointing out that

Ezra’s favorite bands are Motorhead, Devo, and ABBA. The precocious tot also enjoyed inventing band names, complete with imaginary personnel, who later quit the lineup ---- or worse. Asked about the members of one band, Iron Potato, Ezra replies “Iron Potato all the people are dead now. They had a surgery. They got all cut open and went to death.” But from the ashes of Iron Potato, Ezra’s imagination concocted Rock Jack, and this time, he wanted to be a real-life part of the group. To Aesop’s surprise, the boy was a natural, writing lyrics to songs like “Toilet Master,” “Rock Jack” and “Darth Vader,” staying more-or-less in key, and turning in a performance that’s not only disarmingly cute, but surprisingly good. Rock Jack has become a cult hit on the online community MySpace, where fans ---- all old enough to at least be Ezra’s mommy or daddy ---- post encouraging comments (“rock on, little dude!” is the common motif). “Toilet Master” and “Rock Jack” are available there for free download, and a full-length self-released CD, “Belly

Turn up the night

Submitted Photo

Rock Jack rocks the mic.

Bones,” is said to be forthcoming. Unfortunately for the sagging concert industry, Rock Jack’s live career doesn’t show much promise. “He would never perform in front of people ---- he gets shy,” Aesop said. “He is very into doing related things like interviews and merchandise — Rock Jack socks were his idea. But no shows.”

ON THE WEB www.myspace.com/rockjack

Club Bijou 209 N. Superior, Toledo. (419) 531-7625 Fraternity Drag Party 9 p.m. April 22, $5. Fox Theatre 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit. (313) 471-3200 Alison Krauss & Union Station 8 p.m. April 22, $42-$55. Bruce Springsteen 7:30 p.m. April 25, $78-$88. The Happy Badger 1855 S. Reynolds Road. (419) 389-0021 Undermined, Malbec, Ana Ranger, A.M. Error, Clive Staples 7 p.m. April 22, $7. Mad Happy, MC Habitat 7 p.m. April 29, $7. Headliners 4500 N. Detroit Ave. (419) 269-4500 Savoy Brown doors at 8 p.m. April 22, $15 in advance, $19 at door. Jucifer, Dysrhythmia, Quiverlip, Fate of Apollo doors at 9 p.m. April 23, $5 in advance, $7 at door. Bike night 4 p.m. April 27, free. House of Blues 308 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. (216) 523-2583

oes anyone actually like Daylight Savings Time? It’s really messing up my schedule when it comes to going out and rocking. And it makes sleeping in after a long night impossible, unless I nail all my winter blankets up over the windows. Birds are chirping, children are playing, the blossoms of spring are wafting in the breeze — bah! I don’t like still seeing the last tendrils of sunset when I leave the house to go see some rock and roll. There’s a great batch of shows coming to town this weekend, though, so I guess it’s time to pull a Corey Hart, wear my sunglasses at night, and get to the bar.

Get Off the Couch

Thursday, younguns can get dropped off at Headliners for Anberlin, a Florida emo/alternative act, appearing with A Static Lullaby, Bleed the Dream, Black Maria and Chemistry. Doors are at Europe doors at 7 p.m. April 28, $15-$25. Edwin McCain doors at 7:30 p.m. April 29, $17.50. Howard’s Club H 210 N. Main St., Bowling Green. (419) 352-3195 Ekoostik Hookah 10 p.m. April 22 Michigan Tavern 6832 Convent Blvd., Sylvania. (419) 244-8321 MAS FINA, April 22-23 Mickey Finn’s Pub 602 Lagrange St. (419) 246-3466 The Griswolds 9:30 p.m. April 22, $5. 4 on the Floor & Johnny Hooligan 9:30 p.m. April 23, $5. Tryph, Trip 10 p.m. April 28, $4. Glinda’s Bubble, 9:30 p.m. April 29, $5. Murphy’s Place 151 Water St., Toledo. (419) 241-7732 Winard Harper Sextet 8 and 10 p.m. April 22-23, $10-25. Roosevelt Hatcher 9 p.m. April 29, $8.

The Village Idiot

309 Conant St., Maumee. (419) 893-7281 The Ragbirds, Rootstand doors at 9:30 p.m. April 29, $3.

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Keith Bergman 6, so have Mom drop you off right after supper. Us oldsters can head to Mickey Finn’s to hear Gaelic Storm, a hard-working Irish band best known for its appearance in the movie “Titanic.” Friday I’m gonna check out a band I’ve been meaning to see for ages, and I hope you’ll join me. The Dirtbombs, a much-hyped Detroit group featuring two bassists and two drummers, are coming to the Underground. They’ve somehow gotten tagged “garage rock” due to their hometown, but they’re just a loud, messy rock band doing a lot of R&B and soul covers with just the right amount of grit and grease. The Crown Jewels and Drama Club open, as do Deadbeat Moms, a Toledo bar-band supergroup of cranky old men raised on Detroit’s finest (think Iggy and MC5) and weaned on the Repo Man soundtrack. If you wanna keep the punk rock party going Saturday, head to Mickey Finn’s for local working-class heroes Four on the Floor and Johnny Hooligan —- two of the finer proponents of cheap-beer sing-along punk-fueled rock this town has to offer. If you’d rather have your head taken off by a five-foot-nothing rock vixen with a guitar, check out Jucifer at Headliners. Tiny Amber Valentine fronts this duo, blasting power chords through a literal wall of amplifiers while her hubby flails the drums. This hard-touring Athens, Georgia, band sound nothing like their quirky indie-rock albums when they play live — the only mission is to blast the audience out of its shoes with distortion and volume. You’ve been warned. Oddball math-rockers Dysrhythmia open, as do QuiverLip and Fate of Apollo.

Best Kept Secrets

A reader writes: “nice column, but dude, could you mention more than the same three clubs every week?” Well, dude, send me your favorite unsung places to see live music. E-mail kbergman@buckeyeexpress.com and tip me off. Who knows, maybe your mention will help catapult your bar of choice into the limelight, making you the uber-hipster who was there before it was cool. At the very least, the bands and bartenders there will appreciate the PR. Remind them that nothing says “thank you” like a couple free drinks.

ET CETERA

Toledo Free Press Crossword

April 20, 2005

To place your classiﬁed ad, call (419) 241-8500.

weekend weather preview Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Partly sunny HI 58° LOW 41°

Mostly sunny HI 56° LOW 34°

Mostly sunny HI 55° LOW 35°

Increasingly cloudy HI 60° LOW 40°

CONSTRUCTION HANDYMAN SERVICES Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, lawncare, and misc. (419) 244-2135 or (419) 654-1249 IMPACT BUILDERS Additions, pole barns, garages, roofs, siding, decks, etc. 20-years experience. Insured & Licensed. Call (419) 874-4368 SERVICES SIMPLE SOLUTIONS DRIVEWAY SEALING Blacktop Resurfacing. Quality Guaranteed. Starting at $34.99. Call: (419) 260-1417 GIVING YOU THE SHARPEST EDGE Mancillas Sharpening Saws - Scissors - Shears Carbide Blades - Knives-Lawn & Garden Tools Almost anything with an edge! Call Gilbert Mancillas (419) 283-0685 M & M INVESTIGATIONS And SECURITY Residential. Commercial. Industrial. On-site security guards & marked vehicle patrols. Lowest rates in the state! Call Now! (419) 237-2942 www.angelﬁre.com/oh5/ mminvestigations

Forecast by Associated Press

3rd ROCK

April 21 - April 28, 2005

Universal Crossword Astrological events: Lunar Eclipse (full moon) on Sunday the 24th, 6 a.m. EDT. (Editors: For editorial questions, contact Amy Harding, webmaster@upuzzles.com.)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Push hard to wrap up old business and loose ends. An achievement gets recognition on the 22nd, and a welcome invitation on the 23rd proves delightful. Your goals are in sight after the 24th; attend to pesky details that might tarnish your success on the 25-26th.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Personal and family opportunities flower on the 22-23rd, leading to big domestic developments by the 24-25th. Nail down relevant details on the 26-27th. Work to resolve annoying disputes as this period ends — results bring emotional and financial benefits.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18) Future options are clearly illuminated on the 22nd, but check the ﬁne print carefully. Your life path turns a corner over the weekend, so prepare for necessary adjustments. A whirlwind of spring cleaning brings beauty and order on the 26-27th.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) The 22nd brings luck in bargains and good deals – shop till you drop! Your social and romantic prospects are superb over the weekend; the eclipse stirs your passions. Good news from relatives/sibs arrives on the 26-27th; an important prospect is conﬁrmed.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Footloose travels lead you to curious places and unique characters from the 21-24th. Invitations arrive on the 26-27th for May and June. Join forces with female relatives or co-workers on the 27th — your fresh ideas win enthusiastic approval.

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

Call her today! (419) 290-8835

(419) 944-6427

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52 ISSUES ONLY

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Your emotional antennae are waving wildly as eclipse energy builds through the 24th. Expect your loved ones to push buttons and tug heartstrings. Remain focused and on-topic from the 25-28th as you arrange the best solutions for all concerned.

48 49

The fruits of your long labor become highly visible — rewards and kudos on the 22nd. Everything happens at once — you’re a maniac in motion over the weekend trying to keep up. Review commitments on the 27th – don’t take on more than you can handle.

Process left-over ghosts and emotions from your past. The 22-23rd offer ﬁne opportunities for socializing; you gain an unusual new friend. Emotions and health are entwined on the 24-25th — slow down if you’re feeling fragile.

“IN THE MONEY” by Holden Baker

(419) 476-0761

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

51 52

Gemini (May 21-June 21)

Puzzle answers from page 26

E-mail your thoughts to:

News@toledofreepress.com

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) A tidal wave of events rolls over you during this period. Dramatic changes with children and loved ones peak on the 23-24th, and you can lock in your own agenda on the 25-26th. A wise and kindly woman renders timely aid on the 27th.

If you have a news tip or story idea you would like to see covered in the Toledo Free Press, please call 419-241-1700 OR

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Be prepared to accept adjustments in your closest relationships. Activity swells around you as the eclipse approaches, and emotions are hypersensitive. Long-term goals move forward after the 25th; your passions and desires are intense on the 27th.

story ideas?

Libra (September 23-October 22) News or travelers from a distance spotlight future opportunities on the 22nd. Assess what you have and what you need on the 23-24th — a precise summary may elicit needed items or assistance. Financial changes require discussions on the 26-28th.

through Hinny and ninny, e.g. Pig in ___ Ghastly strange Color of a clear sky Dissuade Aviation prefix Primary color in photography Public art show British school

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Aries (March 21-April 19) Clear thinking and straight talking help you surmount obstacles. Partners and friends bring good luck on the 22nd; life-altering decisions change your future or career over the weekend. The 26-27th are great for visits and beautiﬁcation efforts; reconsider ﬁnances.

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

40 D.C. summer setting 41 Souvenir of the past 42 Mrs. Sprat’s choice 46 ER bosses 47 Refuse to accept 49 Above the timberline 50 New Zealand natives 51 Certify 53 Newspaper pieces 55 Crowning glories of some animals 58 Defrost 59 Sound and healthy 60 Wicked 61 Hayworth’s royal hubby 62 WorldCom partner

inventor 11 Like “Lohengrin,’’ e.g. 12 A great deal 13 ___ Arbor 21 Actress Marisa 22 Chess champion Mikhail 26 ___-Wan Kenobi 28 Goofs 30 Ballet follower 31 Jackie’s second 32 Pt. of ILO 35 ___-Ball: amusement park game 37 Medicine container 38 Small mountain slope 39 Word with depression or fish

greatly appreciated. Drop off your donations at St. John’s Jesuit High School 5901 Airport Highway at Holland Sylvania Road SAT. APRIL 30: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. MON-THURS May 2-5: 3 to 7 p.m. SALE DATE: MAY 7 FOR SALE POOL TABLES Olhausen 3.5 x 7 (bar size) Excellent Cond. $1,200. SNOOKER TABLE New Yorker by Victor 5x10 - New cloth & balls $1,800 or best offer. Call (419) 726-7669 Or (419) 882-6478 BEDROOM SET Used 1 year, 2 Full $300 ea. Twin Set $250; Refrig, GE $700 obo; Stove w/microwave, GE elec. like new, $500. Chest freezer $275 obo. Call (419) 870-8647 TANNING BED Wolff, cost $2K, selling $1400/ obo. Heart-shaped interlocking wedding set approx 1/2 carat $600/obo. Franklin Mint Collectors Scrabble in oak/leather w/gold plated tiles $650/obo. Call (419) 662-8302

“DEE-LIGHTFUL” by Orn Halverson

source 52 Hardly enthusiastic 54 Record company 56 Back muscle, briefly 57 Comes into money, in a way 62 Blind trio of song 63 Sanctuary 64 Word that rhymes with its opposite 65 Thing to be as happy as 66 Rock’s Cooper 67 Variety of Spanish liqueur 68 Ailments 69 Seamstress’ seams 70 Branch headquarters? DOWN 1 Birdbrain 2 Tenor Caruso 3 Brownhaired 4 Envisages 5 Hong Kong housemaids 6 Most contemptible 7 Emphatic typeface, for short 8 Intro to space 9 Marginal mark, perhaps 10 Dynamite

(Editors: For editorial questions, c webmaster@upuzzle

ACROSS 1 Anterior elongations of an animal’s head 5 Impostor’s cover 10 Temporary super star 14 Concerning 15 Choral work 16 Frank 17 Able to be proven 18 Au courant 19 Swiss capital 20 Comes into money, in a way 23 Sculpting medium 24 WWII intelligence agency 25 Unforgettable mission 27 Tribal pole 29 Spoor 33 Butter container 34 Legal thing 36 Coffee container 37 Part of Caesar’s boast 38 Comes into money, in a way 42 Conifers 43 Rollins and Harris 44 Meadow, in verse 45 Ruckus 46 Olympic measure 48 Wool

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25 Part of TGIF 27 Take by force 28 Fancy chopped liver 30 Laugh heartily 31 What some plants produce 32 Patron saint of Norway 33 Bag of diamonds? 34 Plow pioneer 35 What some

Almanac By Elizabeth Hazel

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ANSWERS, page Baker 27 “INPlease THE see MONEY” by Holden

Edited by Timothy E. Parker April 17, 2005

ET CETERA

April 20, 2005

3500

activity 57 Needle apertures 58 Sing the praises of 59 In ___ (bored with things) 60 One in a million 61 Wheel brace 62 Desperate 63 Addition column 64 Chromatic nuances 65 Divination practitioner DOWN 1 Bookies’ nightmares 2 Atlas detail, perhaps 3 Hardly a party person 4 Opposite poles 5 On the ball 6 They’re down on the farm 7 Prepare for publication 8 Word with deck or measure 9 Banned NFL

contemptible 7 Emphatic typeface, for short 8 Intro to space 9 Marginal mark, perhaps 10 Dynamite

So there I was, measuring and cutting lumber for a weekend remodeling project, when a common housefly lights on my pencil. It reminded me that spring-time is not all baseball games and flowers’ blooms. I had to admire the audacious vanity of this creature as it waited patiently for me set up my camera and snap its picture. Then, as if satisfied with its portrait, it flew away. The common housefly is faster than a jet. The fly travels 300 times its body length in one second, while the jet, at the speed of sound, moves 100 times its length in one second. The average lead pencil could draw a line 35 miles long. DM Stanfield is Toledo Free Press Photo Editor. He may be contacted at dmsta nfield@toledofreepress.com.

17 “___ It Romantic?’’ 18 Poppycock 19 Fillable bread 20 1978 Best Picture (with “The’’) 22 The “dismal science,’’ for short 23 They make blocks 24 Noise from the farm 26 Vivacious actress West 27 Barbecue rod 29 Bowlike curve 32 ___ d’art 35 Rosary items 36 Arrived lifeless, briefly 37 Plain of Jars locale 38 Prepares to cast 39 Nurture 40 Tough wood 41 It may be grand 42 Round

way 42 Conifers 43 Rollins and Harris 44 Meadow, in 26 verse 45 Ruckus 46 Olympic measure 48 Wool

REAL ESTATE CONDO FOR SALE Unique condo near O-C with view of Warehouse District & Swan Creek. Has master bedroom with bath and loft-style room perfect for ofﬁce, TV, library or an overnight guest. Call (419) 242-1897 DOWNTOWN CONDO FOR SALE 2 BR/2 Bath w/2.5 car garage! Stainless steel appliances. Walk to Farmers’ Market. 7-year tax abatement. 100 S. Huron. Call (419) 345-7782 HOUSE FOR SALE 4 Bedrm/2 1/2 Bath-2 1/2 Garage St. James Woods, Sylvania Schools. Only $224,500! Call (419) 843-6070. After 6 p.m. APARTMENT TO SHARE Lower. Spacious. All utilities. Like new furn. & appliances. Cable ready. Private entrance w/parking. $275 mo/$70 wkly. Prefer retirees. May have dog. Call John (419) 691-4910. FOR RENT Large 2 BR Apartment with washer/dryer hook-ups. Stove & frig included. Water & Security Paid. Accepting Section 8. 619 Cadillac Ct. (419) 340-2418

EMPLOYMENT ENTRY LEVEL POSITION Growing company needs people to ﬁll immediate openings. No experience necessary. Wanted: Tired of being just over broke? Start a career with a 90-yr. old company setting up displays. No experience necessary. Company training. $400$600 per wk. to start. Service — Sales — Management Call Immediately! (419) 776-4012 COMPANY EXPANSION IN PROGRESS Due to increase in product demand, this large electrical ﬁrm has many openings for both men & women. These positions are not temporary, but are permanent and full time. Setup & display service, sales & management positions. Hiring for all departments immediately. No Previous Experience or Degree Required All applicants selected will receive full company training. Applicants will start work with immediate earnings & bonuses. $400/WK to START No Strikes or Layoffs Call for immediate interview! (419) 539-7204

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Technical information: this shot was taken at 1/250 sec, ISO 100, f/9.5 and 200mm with a Minolta Dimage 7Hi.