Toledo Free Press - May 4, 2005 by Toledo Free Press

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Toledo’s Katie Holmes has Cruise control, page 23

The dawn of a Toledo tradition www.toledofreepress.com

May 4, 2005

FREE

DRAWN TO SUCCESS

Toledo native Nick Anderson reﬂects on winning journalism’s highest honor, the Pulitzer Prize, for his editorial cartoons, page 13 ■ Community

Most wanted Two local men make Ohio’s most wanted list for owing child support, page 10

■ Food & Dining: Brining your way to a tasty grilling season, page 20

TOLEDO’S EPIDEMIC Our obese CHILDREN are suffering from:

■ Community

PAC men

Local Democrats form an action committee, but exclude some familiar names, page 14

• Hypertension • Sleep apnea • Diabetes • Depression • Coronary disease • High cholesterol

■ Sports

For love of the game Deﬁance’s Jon Niese pitches his way to glory, page 16

National Institutes of Health data

he growing number of overweight children and the associated problems have been labeled an epidemic. The blame shifts. Some say it’s an over-consumption of processed foods; others claim it’s young couch potatoes. Still others cite the fast food industry. But the bottom line is heavier and lesshealthy children with a less than optimistic chance at a healthy adulthood. page 8

OPINION

May 4, 2005

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LIGHTING THE FUSE A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC Established 2005 Thomas F. Pounds President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com 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 Myndi M. Milliken Managing Editor mmilliken@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 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.

Sparklegams brings God’s smile home

is nickname in 1950 was “Flash” and that moniker still applies, nearly 60 years later. I met Henry Williams on April 22 at the 12th annual Libbey High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Brandywine Country Club was decked in blue and gold; Williams was decked in purple, clothed in a magniﬁcent suit with style and ﬂair to spare. He approached, read my name tag and extended his hand. “I’m Henry Williams,” he said, with a smile as genuine as it was wide, and a handshake as warm. His name tag denoted him as an inductee, so I offered my congratulations. He is a man of great dignity, the kind of man you recognize as a natural leader, one of those people who leave wide legends in their wake. After a few pleasantries, he shook my hand again and said, “I want you to remember something. Every time you look into the face of someone you love, and see a smile, you are looking into the face of God, and He is smiling back at you.” With that, Williams moved to the next group of old friends.

Michael S. Miller In the late 40s, as he ran track and played football for Libbey, Williams was given another nickname: “Sparklegams.” He set city records in the 100- and 200-yard dashes, records that stood until his younger brother broke them. He made the varsity football squad as a freshman and became one of the team’s top scorers, behind the blocking prowess of Dick Szymanski, Dick Penrod, Orris Tabner, Simmie Harris, Freddie Gilmore and George Jacoby. After a freshman season at UT, Williams joined the Air Force, where he became the leading scorer on the ﬁrst all-European Air Force team. Later, as head football coach at 3rd Air Force Headquarters outside London, he inspired his team to a 26-0 record.

He was the first black American to play in Wembly Stadium, and the first American to receive the Coronation Medal from the Queen of England. He finished his schooling at the University of Kansas, playing alongside Wilt Chamberlain. He now owns Quinnell Enterprises in Los Angeles, a real estate and security services firm. When Williams’ turn came for induction, emcee Tabner made his standard joke that if the acceptance speech ran too long, he would ring a small bell to chase Williams from the podium. Without missing a beat, Williams took the microphone and said, “Orris is threatening me with that bell, but back in our football days, he missed so many blocks that led to me being hit and tackled, I’ve been hearing bells for 50 years.” Williams spoke of his days at Libbey, of inheriting caretaker responsibility after the death of his father. “I’d do anything to make money for my family,” he said. “I shined shoes. I would go to the football players’ houses and gath-

TO THE EDITOR; In response to William Carroll’s letter in the April 27 issue, it’s the manipulation from the mayor’s office that eats at the integrity of the city political process. I also read the article concerning Rod Kagy and with the tense environment within the city government’s inner sanctum, I’d rather believe the employees’ concerns of political intervention and retaliation to manhandle this steam plant endeavour from a fair process to a focused agenda of doing the mayor’s bidding. Mr. Carroll, your failure to reveal the entire story just enables those that continue to rob the city for their own personal agendas. I find it quite unfair that you discount Mr. Kagy’s attempts and thwart his proposal by claiming you’ve received his proposal “piecemeal.” The facts state otherwise, and unfortunately the facts are not in your favor. Amusing as it was watching you politicians plug up the clock denying the taxpaying public ability to address council, you wasted Toledo taxpayers’ time, three hours to be exact, of needless backslapping and accolades. Only two members of the public (that didn’t have to leave after waiting patiently for three hours) addressed council, and both had valid points to hold off the vote. I truly wonder if that was the goal, to drag the meeting out until the taxpayers get tired and leave. I’d also be interested in hearing why after the meeting ended, Jack Ford delegated someone to get more information on a subcontractor involved in the process. I was under the impression the mayor read over and followed up on the proposal and was aware and familiar with all aspects of the bid. It sure doesn’t seem like it. Like other public officials that have used the “Letters to the Editor” to distract the facts;, you’ve put yourself in the dire position to back your statements up. Unless you are capable to reveal the entire story, facts included, I think your position

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.

BLOG TALK

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Carroll? Oh, conner

er their laundry to clean.” Think about the dignity and sense of worth Williams possessed, to play like a champion with a group of men on the field, then be their laundry cleaner off the field. Williams’ accomplishments stand tall. That he achieved them in the face of such incongruity make them twice as impressive and inspiring. Williams thanked his former teammates, remembered the wife and two sons he lost, then told the audience what he told me: “I want you to remember something. Every time you look into the face of someone you love, and see a smile, you are looking into the face of God, and He is smiling back at you.” I may not have taken those words seriously the first time I heard them. But watching Williams smile as the applause rolled over him, and knowing how much it cost him to earn that smile, I believe.

should be more focused in keeping jobs in Toledo instead of being Mayor Ford’s mouthpiece. If you are sincerely expecting a follow up article on the positive aspects of the people awarded this gift, I’d hope you’re able to open the books on the entire bidding process, notarized and chronologicalized, to prove they’re deserving. As a public ofﬁcial, I’d expect you to do the taxpayer’s bidding. I’d also like to say it’s nice to see a Toledo politician reading a real newspaper. BRIAN MAXSON, Vero Beach, Florida

Liberalism defined TO THE EDITOR; I would like to respond to the letter in the April 13 issue, titled “Liberal Concerns.” “Liberals”, as the author dubbed those individuals who oppose the death penalty, do have sympathy for all human beings whose life is terminated, whether naturally or otherwise, but there is another issue surrounding terminating a life supported by artificial means. “Liberals” respect another individual’s choice to terminate his own life when supported by artificial support. “Liberals” respect another individual’s right to privacy when making that choice. And as for the author’s views on why “liberals” oppose the death penalty, “liberals” oppose the death penalty because it does not serve the main purposes of punishment, rehabilitation and deterrence and so it is cruel and unusual as it is used only for retaliation. MADI VARTENUK, Toledo Letters to the Editor are accepted through e-mail at letters@toledofreepress.com. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, with exceptions at the discretion of the Editor.

Selected quotes from Toledo-area blogs: On Carty Finkbeiner Last Saturday, Finkbeiner held another one of his exploratory meetings with grass roots supporters at the Teamsters Local 20 hall on the Anthony Wayne Trail. Dozens of people milled around the room, signing up to be a campaign “captain” in this neighborhood or that. It looked just like a meeting at Ford’s campaign headquarters down on Adams Street, except that Finkbeiner has yet to formalize his candidacy … These Carty meetings are driving the Ford folks crazy, because they have failed to force Finkbeiner out openly into the race, despite their open derision spilled his way. They are angry because his discipline in staying officially neutral has allowed him to stay on television, hosting his “Carty and Company” television program … But in a way, this is their own fault, because A-team Democrats had a huge hand in drawing up the city’s charter when it was dramatically amended in 1992. They had every chance back then to write such political “rope-a-dope” campaigns out of city campaigns by prescribing earlier candidate filing deadlines, but they did not do it … Not that Carty’s successful play of his mayoral exploration means he will breeze into office … Like the editorial writers at The Blade had enjoyed pointing out during the years of the Carty mayoralty, he has two sides to his personality. So far this year we have seen only the Good Carty. Like tulips rising from the earth each spring, it’s only a matter of time before we once again meet the Bad Carty. – Fritz Wenzel, www.heartlandpolitics.com

OPINION

ONE DEMOCRAT’S VIEW

GOP using blue chips to change the rules

ne afternoon more than 30 years ago, I learned a valuable lesson in civics class at Woodward High School. Our teacher taught us a game using dozens of red poker chips and one blue chip. Each player started the game with an equal number of red chips, and the object of the game was to acquire as many red chips as possible from the other players. The blue chip rotated from player to player, and the lucky person holding that chip could establish any rule for the game. At first, the player with the blue chip called out rules giving that player a slight edge over the others. After a while, however, one player realized what it meant to be able to unilaterally make the rules of the game, and so he implemented the ultimate rule: the other players had to give him all of their red chips. Game over. He won. Little did I realize at the time, but three decades later that red chip/blue chip player would become a Republican Member of Congress, or so it seems. Republicans have controlled Congress for over a decade, but only recently have they exercised raw power and unilaterally changed Congressional rules to ensure that they “win” every issue. After the bi-partisan House Ethics Committee three times admonished House Speaker Tom DeLay for ethics violations, House Republicans simply changed the rules to prohibit any more investigations of DeLay. Now, Senate Republicans are threatening to alter one of the most basic rules of the Senate in order to ram-rod through a handful of Bush’s radical, right-wing judicial nominees. For more than 200 years, the United States Senate has operated under a rule allowing for unlimited debate, including the option for a filibuster, unless a supermajority (at least 60 of 100 Senators) votes to end the debate. Democrats worked under those long-standing rules, even when a coalition of Republicans and Southern Democrats used the filibuster to block civil rights legislation in the 1940s and 1950s. But even the filibuster could not stop the enactment of civil rights laws when Senators like Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey argued, cajoled, arm-twisted and compromised to move the country in the direction of civil rights for all people. They defeated the filibuster

May 4, 2005

MOTHER’S DAY

How mothers’ memories become family legends

Keith Wilkowski because their cause was just, and the nation agreed. Today, however, Republicans are unable to garner broad, bi-partisan support to end a ﬁlibuster of a handful of Bush’s most extreme judicial nominees. Having failed under the existing rules, the Republican solution is to change the rules to eliminate ﬁlibusters. Former GOP Majority Leader Trent Lott threatened Democrats with this “nuclear” option, but those who were in civics class with me at Woodward High School would recognize it as the “blue chip” rule. Game over. Republicans win. But even in high school we

up and put you back in the seats, just others’ memories of as the elephants reached our secmischief, mishaps tion. Whew!” and misspoken words She always ended the story often keep families laughing for with “Whew!” generations. Another generation, my girls. “Macklehorse,” “baboos,” They were, and are, very thought“kewul,” “pedlow” — these are the ful and giving, especially at holiwinners in our family (Translations: day time. applesauce, slippers, careful and An example: At bedtime one pillow). We still use some of these Barbara John Christmas Eve, Daughter #l (age 6; malapropisms today. Daughter #2, age 4) wrote Santa a note My mother was a great storyteller, saying, “Our puppy has a stocking, too. Please leave especially about her life in an orphanage where girls her a bone.” were required to learn all the arts of homemaking. That problem had an easy solution. Santa wrote Darning socks was a must-learn, and mom’s teacher back with instructions to see our butcher, who had a was a perfectionist. If the teacher could feel even one knot or lump, mom had to rip it out and start over. The bone for Princess. We kept the faith. Another holiday, another note (ages 7 and 5). punchline: her teacher, a girl her own age, was blind! Again, this didn’t happen until bedtime on Easter Another favorite story was a ritual of spring Eve. This time it was almost impossible because we when the circus came to town. She usually started all know that the Easter Bunny can’t write back. with “All little boys wanted to run away and join the In the note, my daughters asked the Easter Buncircus.” Mom took me to my first circus when I was ny to leave at least a flower for their mom. five, a tiny little girl. Fortunately we lived in an apartment. I knocked on “We had wonderful seats in the fourth row,” she every door, with note in hand, until I found a neighbor I said. “The opening music and parade started; first didn’t even know, who donated an African violet plant. the clowns, then the ponies with their ballerina riders, “Whew!” then the elephants. “I turned to see your excitement.” We’ve kept these notes for almost 50 years, sharShe paused for effect. “You were gone! You had slipped ing great grandma’s and my stories with succeeding down under the bleachers and gone into the ring. “The crowd was roaring with laughter. They thought generations. To me, these are the treasures that exemplify it was part of the show. I stood up and yelled and yelled the joys of motherhood. for someone to stop you. Finally, a clown scooped you

BUSINESS IN FOCUS

REALTY&HOMES LANDSCAPING

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MOTHER’S DAY

Moms say ‘Thanks’ on Mother’s Day By Christine Holliday Special to Toledo Free Press

understood the fatal weakness in the blue chip rule. If one side makes fundamentally unfair rules, the rest of us can refuse to play the game. Democrats had to boycott the House Ethics Committee until Republicans abandoned their rule prohibiting investigations. Now Democrats have no option other than to boycott the entire Senate if Republicans invoke their version of the blue chip rule. Unlike the cause of civil rights, this Republican agenda is devoid of any moral authority. If Republicans invoke their blue chip rule, it will be game over, we all lose. If schoolyard bullies like DeLay insist on cheating, the Democrats will be right to refuse to play the game.

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

Mother’s Day will bring plenty of kudos to moms, grandmas and mother ﬁgures. Cards and commercials will remind us how much moms love us and support us. Florists and jewelers will do the same. Consider this a different look at Mother’s Day. As the mother of two teenagers, I’d like to use Mother’s Day to thank those people who make being a mom easier. Our kids deserve the biggest thanks, not only because their very existence gives us the “Mom” title, but because their very living brings out our best. But there are many others who touch the lives of our children and deserve recognition: ■ Thanks to the grandparents and aunts and uncles who spoil our kids a bit, but reinforce our rules and standards. Thanks to the nana and papa who take the time to know our kids’ likes and dislikes, their favorite dinner foods, their soda pops of choice. ■ Thanks to the teachers who like our kids and let them know it. Thanks for the constructive responses to their work, patience with their immaturity, and faith in their eventually gaining wisdom. ■ Thanks to the parents of our

children’s friends. We know our children are safe at your house. ■ Thanks to the coaches who use their positions to teach our kids about competition. ■ Thanks to the police who watch out for new drivers and underage drinkers. ■ Thanks to the social workers and counselors and court ofﬁcials who have to help our kids who have gone astray. Thanks for supporting us and believing in them when it’s difﬁcult for us to have any hope.

This Mother’s Day, my boys may give me ﬂowers, or jewelry, maybe breakfast in bed. And, as I eat that breakfast or smell those ﬂowers, I’ll be thinking of all the people I will never know who support my kids when I can’t be there. There’s no real way to recognize them all, except to be equally supportive of their parenting efforts when I come in contact with their children. If all of us acted like that, every mom could have a Happy Mother’s Day every day.

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A concrete and ﬁberglass mixture is used to create these light weight and durable “rocks,” which feature a genuine texture and appearance.

Toledo Free Press photo by Scott McKimmy

Rock-It designs challenge Mother Nature By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Mother Nature is facing a little friendly competition — at least when it comes to locally made, 50- to 500-pound rocks. While boulders take eons to form, those manufactured by Richard Horvath, owner of Rock-It of Ohio

in Sylvania, take shape in less than a day. Horvath uses a concrete and ﬁberglass mixture to develop a comparatively lightweight and durable product along with a genuine texture and appearance. “They’re actually rock on all sides so that you can turn the rock upside-down or around,” Horvath said. “You can take one rock and get a lot of different looks because

there’s no ﬂat bottom to it.” Horvath installs the rocks in ponds or pool designs and connects to an existing pump to create a waterfall. He also makes self-contained units for indoor locations or settings without an existing water reservoir. New designs roll out every year, modeled after real rocks. The products Horvath uses represent

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a small cross section of the roughly 500 designs by Dave Wienert, owner of Touchstone Leasing, in Tucson, Ariz. Horvath presently represents the Touchstone market for the Toledo area; he became an authorized dealer after attending special classes to learn the manufacturing process. Please see ROCK, page 6

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REALTY&HOMES

ON THE HOUSE

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The debate over licensing Associated Press

Q: I subscribe to Milton Friedman’s postulate that licensing is for the protection of those licensed not the public. Do you agree? My 60-year-old house has ﬁnally developed a squeak in the ﬂoor and a sagging door. My grandfather built this house, along with my Uncle Charlie. No permits and no inspectors. The pump house is over 100 years old! All redwood, never painted! — Roberto A: We aren’t big on government either, but we do believe that uniform regulations need to be in place to protect consumers. It’s obvious that your grandfather and your uncle were handy. But, the building code and contractor licensing are in place to ensure that health and safety codes and building laws are carefully monitored before, during and after construction. At the turn of the century folks did business with a handshake. And that’s still the way business is done in many parts of the country. But, when you’re dealing with strangers, there is a chance that you might be duped. That’s why licensing laws have been enacted in many states. Building permits help to pro-

Rock Continued from page 5 The rocks are available in three sizes as well as in packages with apt names such as the two-piece Huron Falls, threepiece Erie Springs, ﬁve-piece Superior Falls and seven-piece Grand Rapids-an effort to complement exist- HORVATH ing stones in the Ohio region in terms of color, patterns and texture. “People want to see similar stone to what they already have, what’s common in the area,” noted Wienert. “If you take that across the country, there are many different climates. It’s important that they’re developed for each area.” For those seeking a break on price with the same visual impact, half-rocks lay ﬂat on the ground, allowing easy installation and landscaping around the perimeter. Full rocks are buried slightly to maintain a more authentic look, and thin sections, which Horvath calls wall plaques, are available to hang on a fence or exterior. “You like to bury a rock somewhat in the ground so it looks

Morris & James Carey tect consumers. There are products on the market that are sold over the counter that either don’t meet modern health and safety standards or are not energy efficient or that, when improperly installed, can be a real danger. To a lay person, a recessed light fixture is a recessed light fixture. But today the law requires such a fixture to have an integral heat thermocouple. This turns the light fixture off automatically when it overheats, a superb fireprevention feature. We’re glad your house has held together so well. But we don’t agree that there are too many regulations. We hope your home is as safe as the ones we build with our contractors’ license, using the building code and building permits. Q: About five weeks ago the grout in my shower cracked as a result of normal new-house more natural,” he continued. “Mother Nature doesn’t usually leave a boulder sitting up in the grass. It gives it a little bit more of an authentic look.” Rock-It landscape features cost a little more than natural rocks, but Horvath said customers save on delivery because of lighter weight. “People who have existing landscape, where maybe they can’t get heavy equipment in their backyard and they want to put in

settlement. A mildew odor followed. I called the builder, who sent a man to repair the cracks. The builder advised me that as a result of the repair the mildew would disintegrate and the odor would disappear as well. Several weeks have passed since the repair and the odor remains. — Gina A: Mildew thrives in damp areas, and can be removed with chemical treatment (bleach) and/or heat. Ventilation is another method of exhausting moist air and stunting mildew growth. Once killed, mildew odor 50179.indd 1 disappears. If the mildew odor does not disappear the mildew has not been done away with. Solution: You probably won’t need the builder to solve your problem. A small portable space heater should do the trick. You must not use the shower at all during this process. The idea is to kill the unwanted fungus with hot dry air. Simply place the heater in the shower (facing the problem area), turn it on, and leave it there for about three days. Regular (monthly) bleaching of your tile grout will help prevent mildew from returning. Contact the Carey brothers at www.onthehouse.com.

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Becky Moores Co-Owner

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DEVELOPMENT

By Renachantel McClain Special to Toledo Free Press

5/2/05

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Robert W. LaClair has been named President/CEO of Fifth Third Bank, Northwestern Ohio. He succeeds Bruce K. Lee, named to lead commercial banking for Fifth Third. LaClair has 22 years of bank management experience including mortgage, credit card, corporate facilities and bank protection. He serves on the board of directors of United Way of Greater Toledo, the advisory board of Local Initiative Support Corporation and is a past board member of Junior Achievement. — Staff Reports

Clinic offers relief for workplace pain

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LaClair named president of Fifth Third Bank

ERGONOMICS

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water features, these can easily be installed,” he said. Man-made rocks can be customized as well, perhaps tilting the scales once again against Mother Nature. All the features are pre-stained, while some receive an extra coat in red, black or green, preserving the appearance of a natural grain found in granite and sandstone - the two most common rock types used in landscaping.

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BUSINESS

May 4, 2005

Business people are familiar with work being a pain in the neck, but what happens when 4:48:34 PMpain spreads to the hands or back? Summit Physical Therapy, a division of Heartland Rehabilitation Services, is a downtown clinic that offers physical and hand therapy. Many of Summit’s patients are downtown office workers suffering from neck and back pain. Tom Easman, physical therapist and clinic director at Summit, said this is due mostly to improper posture and sitting in front of a computer monitor too long. “A lot of neck problems are related to looking down all day long and bending at the neck,” he said. According to Easman, there are a number of ways to make one’s working environment more comfortable and “ergonomic.” A suggestion made by Easman is to follow the 90/90/90 rule. With this rule, elbows should be bent at approximately 90 degrees while working at a desktop and hips and knees should form a 90 degree angle with the back supported. In a statement published by The American Occupational Therapy Toledo Free Press photo by Nate VanNatta Association, one way to accomplish this is by either using a Licensed hand therapist Nancy Hock works with Tom Myers at Summit Physical Therapy. stool for the feet, keeping them prevent bending forward to look the hand and upper extremities. out warning signs that may flat, and maintaining good posat the screen, which contributes Hock said carpal tunnel synneed to be addressed by a ture by sitting upright and not to neck and back problems. drome is a continuing problem, therapist if they persist. Some slouching. Crossing and tucking Neck and back problems even though claims from workare neck pain with the pain ralegs underneath the chair also aren’t the only physical prober’s compensation have fallen. diating down the back or arm, alleviates problems. lems that are treated in this “People are obviously more the inability to turn the neck Another key in keeping the downtown office. Nancy Hock, aware of it,” she said. “If they from side to side, and any pain working environment ergonomia licensed hand therapist, is have any problems with their radiating from the back. cally friendly is adjusting the available for treatment of handEasman stressed that before hands, the first thing they think is chair or computer so the top related injuries. being seen by a therapist, it is that it is carpal tunnel, and that’s of the terminal is at eye level A hand therapist is an ocimportant to first see a primary often not the case. The advantage and the center of the screen is ten-15 degrees below eye level. cupational or physical therapist care physician who will then of this is that having symptoms If the monitor is still too low, who, through advanced study, will often lead then to see a doctor identify the problem and decides books can be used to prop it up specializes in rehabilitating paif a physical or occupational to be treated.” for proper height. This will also tients with conditions affecting therapist is needed. Easman and Hock pointed

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Susan Ford

Cluster approach explored Cluster-based economic development is much different from the traditional way of doing economic development, said Michael Carroll, assistant professor of economics at Bowling Green State University and soon to be director of the university’s Center for Regional Development. “It’s not incentive based, where you go out and try to attract a firm to come to Toledo.” Carroll and Neil Reid, associate professor in the department of geography and planning at the University of Toledo, co-authored a white paper in September 2004, titled Cluster Based Economic Development: A Comprehensive Strategy to Secure NW Ohio’s Economic Future. “Clusters,” they wrote, “are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies who work closely with each other, local suppliers, infrastructure providers [and] educational institutions” to become more competitive. Cluster-based development encourages companies to partner with each other to solve problems they can’t solve as isolated entities. It provides a platform for long-term, sustained economic growth. And it maximizes returns on public sector investment. The white paper identified eight clusters. Four industrial clusters whose absolute output qualifies them as primary Please see CLUSTER, page 9

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COMMUNITY ■

Cluster Continued from page 7

Missionary work

Several Toledo High School students are traveling to Guatemala to observe life at the dump, page 12

COVER STORY

CHILD SUPPORT

Programs combat childhood obesity

Mandatory deposit for payments may begin By Myndi Milliken Toledo Free Press Managing Editor mmilliken@toledofreepress.com

By Julianne Jardine Special to Toledo Free Press

Cookie Monster has changed his tune. The overindulgent, cookie-inhaling puppet now sings, “Cookies are a sometime food.” It’s a subtle sign of the serious approach many organizations and individuals have embraced to deal with the burgeoning problem of childhood obesity. The growing number of overweight children and the associated problems has been labeled an epidemic. The blame shifts. Some say it’s an over-consumption of processed foods; others claim it’s young couch potatoes. Still others cite the fast food industry. But the bottom line is heavier and less-healthy children with a less than optimistic chance at a healthy adulthood. “The problem of overweight children has been with us for the past 20 years, but not everyone was recognizing the seriousness of the problem,” said Ann Baker, PhD, professor of graduate studies at MCO and a nurse practitioner with Toledo Peds. Dr. Baker, who has been conducting research on the problem of overweight children for the past ﬁve years, said many people are still in denial. “This is an insidious problem that crept up on us,” she said. “I think many people have become desensitized to the issue.” Is the problem really an epidemic? Nationally, statistics point to “yes.” According to the National Institutes of Health, nine million children over six years of age are considered obese. In the last 30 years, obesity among six to 11 year-olds has tripled. More and more children

Toledo Free Press photo by DM Stanﬁeld

Mary Jean Ohns discusses menu options with Brooke Birdsell, 11, during a “Way To Go” meeting. are diagnosed with obesity-related health problems previously associated with adults, such as hypertension, sleep apnea, Type II diabetes and coronary artery disease. Many local health care ofﬁcials agree the problem has reached epidemic proportions. “When Americans were faced with the threat of anthrax, they obsessed about it becoming an epidemic and began taking immediate precautions,” Dr. Baker said. “Childhood obesity

is a real epidemic today.” “It was unheard of 20 years ago to check the lipid levels of children,” she said. “Today, we have to do it.”

How did we get here?

“Type II diabetes used to be a disease of the middle aged population,” said Mary Jean Ohns, a pediatric nurse practitioner and director of Toledo Children’s Hospital’s “Way to Go!” program. “Now we’re seeing more and

more teenagers diagnosed with Type II diabetes.” According to Dr. Baker, 60 percent of overweight children have at least one cardiovascular issue and 25 percent have two or more risks. In addition to the physical problems, overweight children are often burdened with psychosocial problems, such as isolation, negative self-esteem, depression, eating disorders, and

Please see OBESITY, page 14

COMMUNITY

May 4, 2005

Toledo Free Press ABLE Squad ﬁnds its ﬁrst abandoned property, page 15

Child support checks delivered this month will have a supplement urging payees to have their money electronically deposited — another step toward scrapping paper checks. The insert features two ways to help payees get their child support faster: Ohio e-QuickPay Debit MasterCard or by direct deposit. Introducing payees to the concept of direct deposit has become increasingly important to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services Child Support Enforcement Office (CSEA), as the office considers making electronic deposit mandatory. Jobs and Family Services spokesman Jon Allen said while no formal action has been taken, CSEA has discussed this option with Ohio’s county agencies. Allen cited popularity, ease of use and cost savings as convincing attributes to going to a mandatory electronic deposit program. “If 60 percent of those who currently receive paper checks converted to electronic deposit, it would save $2.5 million per year in administration and postage costs alone,” Allen said. Currently, the cost to send out each paper check is 55 cents; electronic transfer, 34 cents. Having payees go electronic will save the state money in more subtle ways as well — it takes care of expensive issues such as change of address investigations and reissues of returned checks. But the state is not the only beneficiary, according to Allen.

economic drivers in the region: automotive, plastics, glass and specialized agriculture. And four cross-cutting clusters that support Northwest Ohio’s entire economy: information technology, advanced engineering, transportation logistics and alternative energies. Where do these eight clusters stand nine months later? “Automotive we’re beginning,” said Carroll. Alternative energies is a loose consortium. Transportation logistics is up and running, with Jim Hartung as cluster champion and UT’s Intermodal Transportation Institute acting as advisory board. IT is deﬁnitely up and running. Bill McCreary, CIO of Pilkington, is the IT cluster champion. “He contacted [the RGP] and said that this was something he would be interested in,” said Carroll. Right now, thanks in part to a USDA grant to study the economics of the greenhouse industry in Ohio, Reid and Carroll are concentrating on that segment of the specialized agriculture cluster. They recently visited Leamington, Ontario, home to the largest concentration of greenhouse production in North America. “With the incentive-based approach”, said Carroll, “you go to

Leamington and ask one of the big growers to open a branch in Northwest Ohio. They make tax breaks a condition for putting in a 100-acre facility. Does that help the industry? It would get the numbers up, but it would be very destructive to the existing community. It certainly doesn’t help all the rest of the growers. The cluster approach does.” Something the growers are currently interested in is marketing, branding the greenhouse industry in Northwest Ohio, said Reid. “If there was common pot color,” said Carroll, “then when you go to Loew’s or Home Depot ... you’ll know is this a local plant or not. So if there is any local pride, you take advantage of that.” But is cluster-based economic development the framework that’s been adopted by Northwest Ohio stakeholders or is it a framework? For about two years, said Carroll, economic practitioners meetings have been taking place every Friday at the Port Authority. In the 5-year initiative for growth in Northwest Ohio that was announced jointly last month by the Chamber and the Regional Growth Partnership, cluster industry strategy is listed as a vehicle in two of the four strategic initiatives. “I would say that to truly answer that question, you need to ask Jim Hartung and ask Eileen Granata,” Reid said.

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COMMUNITY

Support Continued from page 8 “The direct advantage is, as soon as we receive that payment from the payor, that money becomes immediately available,” he said. The direct deposit option will allow checks to become automatically added via electronic transfer to the payee’s bank savings or checking account. The Ohio e-QuickPay Debit Card works just like any debit card and is usable wherever any MasterCard brand mark is accepted. There is a series of charges associated with the debit card, but Allen said the program is targeted to help payees save money.

“This is targeted speciﬁcally at people who don’t have traditional bank or savings accounts. Many of these people are paying ﬁve or more dollars in check cashing fees, and this saves them that trouble,” he said. The fees, which include 75-cent transaction charges for all ATM withdrawals and a 40-cent charge per ATM balance inquiry, can be avoided by using the teller booth inside the bank during bank business hours, Allen said. “There is also a toll-free number people can use to get their balance data by phone for free,” he said. Voluntary electronic pay seems to be gaining popularity. As of April 22, more than 168,000 Ohio payees received direct deposit, and more than 59,000 have enrolled in the Ohio e-QuickPay program.

May 4, 2005

KHALFANI

payment options or to fulﬁll a bench warrant. Anyone recognizing a person on the wanted poster can call 800-686-1556.

FEED YOUR NEIGHBOR MONTH

Cinco de Mayo events scheduled

Area program collects food for needy

Cinco de Mayo marks a historical event from 1862, when Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army on the ﬁfth of May. Many people incorrectly equate it with Mexican Independence, which was nearly 50 years later. Hot spots for Cinco de Mayo ﬁestas: ■ The Docks on the Waterfront, May 5. Party starts at 3 p.m. at Tango’s and Gumbo’s. Entertainment includes The Bridges, DJ Delicious, Tres Gringos, and Wayne Clifton and The Waldo Project. ■ East Toledo Family Center, 1020 Varland Ave., May 5. Free family fun from 1 to 3 p.m. Activities: moonwalk, crafts, agency booths, DJ-Puro Tejano Sounds, traditional dancers, clowns. Food available. Call (419) 691-1429. ■ Westgate Village Shopping Center, May 6. Party starts at 4 p.m. and entertainment includes Hugh Rock, Josh Boyd and The VIPs, and Jady Kurrent.

Each box contains 16 items: 2 cans of meat, vegetables, fruit and soup; 2 boxes of macaroni and cheese or rice; a pound of dried beans or baked beans; a box of hot cereal; a can of evaporated milk or In 2001, the Lucas County Health Department surveyed local residents, asking, “In the past 30 days, a package of powdered milk; a jar of peanut butter; a jar of spaghetti sauce; and a pound of spaghetti. have you been concerned about having enough food Wonderful stories have come to light. A Bowlfor you and your family?” People with household ining Green State University student donated $3,000 comes under $25,000, 23 percent answered, “Yes.” worth of non-refundable vouchers she had for the “We know it’s more now because the economy is campus grocery store. Harris made two trips to worse and demand is up,” said Reverend Larry Clark, Bowling Green to pick up 95 cases of food. “This executive director of Toledo Metropolitan Ministries, morning we finished filling 100 boxes,” she said. an ecumenical organization with 125 member churchIt costs between $11.60 and $26 to buy the 16 items es representing six denominations. One of the group’s that go into a box, depending on which items are ministries is the Feed Your Neighbor Program. On April 19, Toledo City Council adopted a resolu- chosen and where they’re bought. Older parishioners brag they filled their box for $12, using their senior tion recognizing May as Feed Your Neighbor Month citizen discount. “It’s really caught on,” Harris said. and the thirtieth anniversary of the program. City When Ministries surveyed folks receiving food at employees also donated food and money. all the food pantries and soup kitchens in the area, The program has 13 feeding sites throughout the Clark said they found many people eligible for food county and serves more than 30,000 people a year. stamps but were not getting them. Some were afraid Anyone who needs food is eligible. Families can or embarrassed, and many working people found it come once a month for a three-day supply of food. hard to get where they needed to go to sign up. Pastor Kevin Perrine is volunteer coordinator of the �� Demand at the ministry’s feeding sites continues ministry and each site is run entirely by volunteers. �� to rise. “So far this year we’ve spent more on food Last year $80,000 came in to Ministries. Lo�� than we’ve taken in cash,” Clark said. But, he added, cal churches such as Epworth United Methodist �� “we’ve never run out of food.” Church have huge drives, Clark said. “They’re reMinistries has written a grant that would train ally bringing in a lot of money and food.”�� volunteers to talk about food stamp eligibility with Janice Harris is volunteer coordinator for the �� the people who come to the feeding sites. “In the Epworth program they call “Feed 5,000.” Between �� long run, we think that will be more secure for April 3 and May 8, Epworth’s goal is to fill 1,250 box�� es with food for a family of four for two days. them,” Clark said. By Susan Ford Toledo Free Press Contributing Editor sford@toledofreepress.com

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The new sports arena: Where should it go? By Edward Slack Special to Toledo Free Press

FLAYTER

COMMUNITY

COMMENTARY

Local agencies post to Ohio’s most wanted Lucas and Wood counties have bolstered their searches for two outlaws who are thousands of dollars behind in child support. Randall Flayter and Akil Khalfani were listed among Ohio’s 10 Most Wanted posted by the Ohio Job and Family Services Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). The CSEA opens the most-wanted search to all Ohio agencies twice a year, and while how much money owed is taken into consideration, it isn’t always the top priority. “We don’t want to give the perception that it’s not as bad if you don’t owe a certain amount,” said Jon Allen, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, said any amount owed for the responsibility of a child’s care is serious. The CSEA posts parents who are behind in support in an effort to collect support, work out

May 4, 2005

Toledo City Councilman Robert McCloskey (D. 3rd District) asked to respond to my commentary of April 27, which presented President/CEO James Donnelly’s statements about the roles the GTCVB and SeaGate Centre play in our community. Councilman McCloskey has served in city government for over twelve years, and is seeking McCLOSKEY the citywide council seat in the November 2005 election. Edward Slack: What are your thoughts on Mr. Donnelly’s comments? Robert McCloskey: I want to speciﬁcally address the location of the new sports arena, and the political maneuverings involved. I read your article and wanted to let you know that the GTCVB and SeaGate Convention Centre is no longer being funded by the city, but is subsidized by a hotel/motel tax, yet it is still not able to bring in sufﬁcient numbers of conventions and trade shows to replenish city and county treasuries. The convention center is owned by Lucas County, and the only way that the GTCVB could pay for itself would be to make it into low-income housing or a casino. There have been hundreds of visions to revitalize the downtown, such as Portside,

rebuilding Summit Street, and building COSI. Some folks, including Carty Finkbeiner, spoke up about building Fifth Third Field and creating an entertainment district. The convention center hasn’t helped the downtown at all because delegates don’t want to come to a city where there’s nothing to do, i.e., shopping. We don’t have the amenities to support successful conventions. The Mud Hens stadium has helped to some extent, but what happens during the other seven months? ES: What is the background of the drive for a new arena? RM: We have been talking about a new sports arena for years, but still nothing has happened. Then when Rossford announced its intention to build an amphitheater, Tim Gladieux stated that he would remodel the Sports Arena, but he soon realized that the cost was prohibitive. Section 79 of the City Charter forbid using city money to build an arena, but for the very ﬁrst time, Toledoans approved to change the charter by a 70 percent majority to make building a new arena site-speciﬁc, i.e., along the east bank of the Maumee River. The voters allowed $8.5 million dollars for a new arena. Now, if the City is going to be involved in building an arena downtown, then the charter has to be changed again by the voters. The people who conducted the 20/20 study chose not to tear down historic downtown buildings. They opposed big-box buildings and what would an arena be but an-

other big box smack in the center of downtown? The 20/20 plan was a model to help preserve old buildings citywide, and keep neighborhoods intact. We already own the land for the Marina District, free of charge. Another problem is that the east side site is polluted, being the site of the old Toledo Edison facility with its fly ash and other contaminants. The Clean Ohio Grant was created and voters passed it. The first recipient of this grant was the City of Toledo. Under this grant, the maximum amount of money that any project could receive was $3 million dollars. A total of $6 million was necessary in order to clean up the site, so the Clean Ohio Grant allowed Toledo to put in two requests, one for the Marina District, and the other for an arena on the east side, again, this location being site-specific. We have received $6 million dollars from the state to clean up the east side location and are spending that money right now for that purpose. If we don’t build the arena there, how are we going to pay that Grant money back to the State, and wouldn’t we look foolish to Columbus if the arena doesn’t go in that location?

ES: How do you pay for an arena? RM: There are several different methods that have to come together. The first thing is that part of the money would come from parking revenues, part from ticket sales; part from concession revenues; part from selling private boxes in the arena to individuals; and naming rights to the arena. If we build the arena in downtown Toledo, the City would not get the parking revenues. It would go to the parking lot owners. That’s why a lot of retail establishments, parking lot owners, bars and restaurant owners would prefer a downtown arena, because the revenues would go into their pockets. This would result in the City’s General Fund having to pay the deficit, and that means that the voters in Toledo would be stuck for the bill. There is a deficit right now in the convention center, so by having a downtown arena, it will help plug that hole. Another thing to consider is that it would cost up to an additional $12-15 million dollars to build an arena downtown, and would take a minimum of five years. It makes no sense to return to discussions about arena site location when the voters have already decided the issue. There are government officials who continue to feel that they are smarter than the people who elected them to office and who pay the City’s bills. Local government officials need to understand that Toledo needs an arena now, not five years from now, but now!

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COMMUNITY

May 4, 2005

VOLUNTEERISM

Guatemalans living in a refurbished garbage dump will receive hands-on aid this summer from Toledo high school volunteers. Through Central American Ministries (CAM), students from St. John’s Jesuit High School and Notre Dame Academy will each spend two weeks at the Guatemala City Colonia San Juan housing project. The students will assist at a nursery school and paint the new wing of an elementary school. Direct contact with povertystricken residents is priceless to the students, said Beth Laux, CAM program coordinator. “The students are choosing to test the waters and serve God’s community.” Notre Dame students will travel to Guatemala City June 1224; St. John’s students will follow

July 10-23. They will also travel brieﬂy to help at Precious Angels Nursery and Community Center in Santa Ana, El Salvador. In its tenth year, CAM also sponsors service-oriented trips to Mexico and for college students and adults. Brian Pelcin, CAM international director, said volunteer work in El Salvador offers “an opportunity for our students to see another dimension of poverty.” He said the students keep daily journals of their volunteer experience and meet to share them. Laux said the 220-home Colonia San Juan housing project and connected infrastructure were built by Guatemala City from a section of an active landﬁll. The main source of income — scavenging the garbage for recyclables — brings each forager less than $10 daily. Thousands of residents also live in shantytowns abutting the dump, where shacks are con-

By Dan Bumpus Special to Toledo Free Press

Identity thieves have targeted another local victim.The victim is 76-years-old, she’s got a bad heart and she recently suffered a stroke. Somebody decided that makes her an easy target, so they scammed her and cleaned out her bank account. “I can’t describe what it makes me feel like to know that it’s happened to me. I was

MEDIA

Toledoan reﬂects on Pulitzer win

Students to learn about life at dump By David J. Coehrs Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

COMMUNITY

May 4, 2005

Nick Anderson’s work will appear in Toledo Free Press beginning May 18.

■

By David J. Coehrs Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Photo courtesy Central American Ministries

Many people build shacks for homes on the dump site in Guatemala city. structed of plywood, plastic, and other salvaged materials. Many of the residents are illiterate and have difﬁculty ﬁnding jobs. In a country where only a sixth-grade education is required, “the need for money is so high there that many do not have the opportunity

to ﬁnish school,” Laux said. Staffed with a doctor and nurse, the nursery school provides 400 children refuge from the dump. “If they did not go to the nursery they’d be in the dump with their parents, foraging,” Laux said. St. John’s senior Mark Durst,

that stupid,” Doris Baughman said. A caller told Baughman they needed to verify her bank information, for security purposes. And they had her convinced it was legitimate. “I gave them the information they wanted,” she said. Including her bank number. A week later, a letter showed up from the bank, saying her account was empty and she was out hundreds of dollars. “I thought, how am I gonna pay my bills,” she said. When she started investigating, Baughman realized she had been scammed. “They’re the lowest of the low, especially when they get

who made the trip last year, said, “There’s really nothing to compare it to in the United States. They get lucky when the truck from McDonald’s comes and dumps the scraps from lunch. They have no experience with wanting something more.”

people like me,” she said. Her bank is reimbursing her. But Baughman said she knows next time, she or someone else could lose everything. “I just want to let everybody know, what they will stoop to, to get your numbers,” she said. If you get a call asking for your personal information, just hang up. It’s the only way to avoid trouble. No one legitimate will ever call you asking for banking information; they aren’t allowed. If they do call, you know it’s a scam.

Dan Bumpus is the consumer investigative reporter at WTOL News 11. He can be reached by e-mail at dbumpus@wtol.com.

When Toledo native Nick Anderson was ordered into his editorial director’s ofﬁce, he entered sheepishly, knowing something either really good or really bad had happened. Anderson need not have worried. He was ANDERSON being congratulated as the 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial cartooning. Stunned by the news, Anderson plopped into a chair. Within minutes, he was inundated with notes from organizations and media outlets requesting return calls. The 38-year-old cartoonist for the Louisville Courier-Journal edged out “Doonesbury” creator Garry Trudeau and Palm Beach (Fla.) Post cartoonist Don Wright

for the prestigious $10,000 prize. His Pulitzer is the ninth in the Courier-Journal’s history. “It was surreal,” Anderson said of his win. “My gut reaction was sort of shock and terror, because I didn’t have time to absorb it. I just wanted to lock myself in my ofﬁce and get a handle on it.” He will receive the prize at a May 23 ceremony at Columbia University in New York City. A graduate of St. John’s Jesuit High School and Ohio State University, Anderson said his interest in cartooning dates to his early teens. While earning a political science degree at OSU, he won the Charles M. Schulz Award for his cartoon work at the college newspaper. Anderson was also awarded coveted internships at the Columbus Dispatch and the Courier-Journal, where he’s worked since 1991. He won the Pulitzer Prize with a portfolio of 20 editorial cartoons selected from more than 100 entries by a panel of ﬁve judges. David Hawpe, the CourierJournal editorial director, saw

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Anderson listed as the winner on the Pulitzer Web site early April 4. Fearing the site might be incorrect, Hawpe waited until midday to tell him. An excited secretary yelled an earthy order to Anderson to report to Hawpe immediately. “I had never heard anyone in our ofﬁce scream like that,” Anderson recalled. He said he must have registered shock at the news, because Hawpe “grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to his computer and said, ‘Look for yourself.’ ” Anderson said his cartoons may have been noticed because

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he worked with color the past year and spent more time on his artwork. “I use color in a very stylized way,” he said. “I try to make color look unique.” He said it’s humorous to win a Pulitzer Prize for liberal subject matter when his family members are mostly Republicans. Dick Anderson, chairman of the board of The Andersons in Maumee and Nick’s uncle, said he remembers a mural of a human roadrunner the cartoonist painted on a family member’s car in high school. The elder

Anderson said although he’s not surprised by the Pulitzer Prize, “it’s a pretty rariﬁed place to be. We are absolutely delighted. He’s really incredibly talented.” Anderson has been overwhelmed by hundreds of e-mails congratulating him, requesting interviews and offering speaking engagements. He said he has no intention of using the prize to seek greener pastures. “I love it when my work gets attention, but when it translates into attention toward me, I feel a little awkward in the spotlight.”

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COVER STORY

May 4, 2005

POLITICS

PAC increases divide between ‘A and B’ teams By Myndi Milliken Toledo Free Press Managing Editor mmilliken@toledofreepress.com

Jim Ruvolo says he doesn’t see the divide in Lucas County’s Democratic party as an A-team/B-team thing. “This is the winning team,” he said of the newly announced Political Action Committee (PAC) formed by several Democratic elected ofﬁcials. “These are the elected ofﬁcials that most people relate to. It’s clear that many who have been sanctioned feel they don’t have a home. We’re giving them a home.” While not by law a political party, the PAC will engage in candidate recruitment,

Obesity

endorsement, grass root politics and advocacy. The organization is also lawfully restricted as to how much money can be raised or given to candidates. Mayor Jack Ford and County Commissioners Tina Skeldon Wozniak and Pete Gerken will have the power of selecting the governing board, and members will be chosen by a selection committee headed by Toledo Councilman Wade Kapszukiewicz. Still in the process of formation, the PAC boasts nearly 20 well- known ofﬁcials, including Michael Ashford, Teresa Fedor, Francine Lawrence and Peter Ujvagi. The PAC dismisses other Dems, including Carty

“My son had gained a lot of

Continued from page 8 behavioral and learning problems. Perhaps most unsettling is that many overweight children become overweight adults. “If a child is 12 to 13 years old and is overweight, it’s almost a given that the child will remain overweight as an adult,” said Julie Mojo, a registered nurse and coordinator of Child Health Advocacy at Mercy Children’s Hospital. Studies indicate that 26 to 41 percent of overweight preschoolchildren will become overweight as adults. So how did we get here? “We’re eating more processed and high fat foods today,” Dr. Baker said. “Children have also become much more sedentary.” “Most parents are unaware of how much time their children actually spend in front of the television or computer,” Mojo said. “And many parents today don’t realize how often they are using fast food for their primary meals.” “We also have a lot of misinformation today about weight,” Ohns said. “Many people think baby fat is cute, but when that child is 14 years old and weighs 200 pounds, that ‘baby fat’ isn’t cute.” Overweight parents, as a whole, tend to have overweight children. “This is a learned behavior,” Dr. Baker said. While the problem of overweight children is overwhelming, one of the bright spots is the combined effort of many area groups to develop solutions. Locally, the YMCA/JCC, area hospitals, the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, and the City of Toledo, among others, have created programs to deal with the problems associated with childhood obesity. Dr. Adiba Hamad, a Toledo Children’s Hospital pediatrician, and her nine-year old son, Hussein, recently took advantage of one of those programs, Toledo Children’s Hospital’s Way to Go! Program. The eight-week program for 9 to 12 year olds combines exercise and nutrition for parents and their children.

Finkbeiner, Harry Barlos, and Jack Wilson. Former Mayor and B-team Democrat Carty Finkbeiner said the PAC is “not in the spirit of being a true Democratic player.” He said the actions of the A-team have hurt the party. “We never felt we had to create a PAC to support only our friends,” he said. “It’s as ‘if we can’t have it our way, so we’ll try to do it another way’ - that’s selﬁsh and self-centered.” Republicans hope the divide will help open positions for minority candidates. “The more disagreement or options, the better it is for the Republicans,” said Lucas County Commissioner and Republican

Maggie Thurber. “As much as they do go back and forth, they usually tend to unite at election time. I can only hope, for the sake of the Republican Party, that things will change now.” According to Kapszukiewicz, the PAC is interested in incumbents and those entering politics. The ﬁrst screening for PAC members will be May 9. “The PAC is intending to ﬁeld a slate of candidates who believe in the values of the party,” he said. For more information on the PAC, visit its Web site, lucascountydemocrats. org. For local commentary, visit www.heartlandpolitics.com.

now maintaining his weight and exercising more regularly: “He feels like he has more control over his situation.”

Not on a diet

weight over a short period of time and I felt guilty about how I was handling the situation,” Dr. Hamad said. “I felt like I was losing control of the situation and that all I was doing was punishing him. The Way to Go! Program presented information in a way that made Hussein understand that this was not his fault.” “The classes were a lot of fun,” she said. “Hussein was always ready to go each week.” “We take a baseline BMI (body mass index) of the children and parents when they begin the program,” Ohns said. “We focus on the child’s health and not his or her size. We use incentives, like Frisbees, pedometers, and bike helmets to encourage the children to maintain regular exercise.” Weekly “homework” ranges from increasing water intake to counting the number of television commercials focused on food. One of the class ﬁeld trips is an excursion to McDonald’s, where the children learn to make healthier selections. “We can’t expect children not go to McDonalds or attend a pizza party, but we can help them make smart choices,” Ohms said. Dr. Hamad said Hussein is

What may surprise some is that throughout the entire eight weeks, the word “diet” is never used. But area health officials agree that unless a child is morbidly obese, he or she should not be dieting. “Children should not be on diets,” Dr. Baker said. “We want them to make dietary modifications and maintain their weight as they grow into it.” “We have to develop moderation,” she said. “Children should not be grazing all day. “ “There are no quick fixes,” Dr. Baker said, “but there are easy ways to make changes.” One of those ways is exercise. The YMCA/JCC started two programs with the help of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department called “Kids in Motion,” and “Families in Motion.” The free exercise and nutrition program, geared to at-risk 6 to 12 year olds, combines 30 minutes of team-oriented, fun exercise with 15 to 20 minutes of easy-to-understand nutrition lessons. The YMCA/JCC collaborated with the Toledo Public Schools to offer the “Kids in Motion” program after school in seven TPS schools. The programs are also offered at all YMCA/JCC sites. This summer, Toledo area children will also have a new exercise opportunity available through the City of Toledo’s Youth Commission. “Verb Summer Scorecard,” based on a national U.S. Department of Health initiative, features a postcard with 20 squares featuring a variety of activities. The goal is to get kids exercising for 60 minutes a day. Thirty-two Toledo area businesses, including dance studies, judo and karate facilities and local bowling alleys, are offering free and discounted activities at their sites to encourage children to exercise daily. “Children choose an activity to do at the participating businesses and have their squares stamped

COMMUNITY

May 4, 2005

ABLE SQUAD

Empty house said to be ‘victim’ of area’s crime By Michael Brooks Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Editor’s Note: The ABLE (Abandoned Buildings Lacking Entrepreneurs) Squad hopes to highlight commercial, industrial and residential buildings in need of renovation or demolition. Cars whisk along Prospect Avenue, off Detroit Avenue between Bancroft and Dorr streets, and slow down about halfway down the block. Young men in matching ball caps hang out and appear to make exchanges with several drivers; the entrepreneurial spirit is evident, but the merchandise is likely illicit. I had to knock on several doors to ﬁnd someone who would talk about the boarded-up house at 1238 Prospect. A pleasant older woman who answered a door glanced warily at her neighbors before politely declining to give her name. “That house has been vacant for a couple of years now,” she said, gesturing toward the trashstrewn front yard of the red bungalow. “These empty houses attract nothing but trouble.” She pointed to another boarded-up house. “The foundation on that house is crumbling, but people are living there,” she said. “These places are destroying the value of my property.” Neighbor Steve Coker said home ownership is

the key to revitalizing neighborhoods. “When people have no stake in their community, they don’t learn what it means to be a good citizen,” he said. “You can’t rehabilitate people who have never been habilitated in the ﬁrst place.” The 3-bedroom house at 1238 Prospect, which was built in 1912, showed no signs of recent inhabitation. The owner of the property is Lynette Miller, a local real estate agent and property manager. Miller said she sold the house on land contract in 2004, but the owner is in default. The house, though, is a symptom of the neighborhood’s struggles, she said. “My last tenants were burglarized three times, and the furnace and the hot water tank were stolen,” she said. “Dealers sell drugs right out in the open, but the police say there is nothing they can do.” Miller said she believes nothing will improve on Prospect until the city can get crime under control. “I have lost thousands on that property,” she said. “As soon as I foreclose on it, I am selling it for taxes. There’s no point in investing any more with crime the way it is over there.” If you know of any buildings that might make good subjects, send suggestions to: news@toledofreepress.com.

BUSINESS

Toledo Free Press photo by Michael Brooks

This house, at 1238 Prospect Ave., is said to be a symptom of its neighborhoodʼs struggles.

HEALTH

MyPyramid offers an individual method to diet and lifestyle By Susan Zies Special to Toledo Free Press

Photo courtesy Jim Rees

Toledo Free Press photo by DM Stanﬁeld

Noor Hassan, 10, of Toledo, opts for a healthy salad. after they complete the activity,” said Traci Jadlos, executive director of the City of Toledo’s Youth Commission. “When they fill in their card, they turn it in. In September we will have a big finale and give away bikes, Cedar Point passes and other items.” The Youth Commission is also planning an after-school exercise program geared to tweens for the next school year with the Toledo Public Schools. “There are a number of task forces in this area devoted to childhood obesity and we come together quarterly to find ways to work together,” said Barbara Gunning, PhD, director of health services for the Toledo-Lucas

County Health Department. “It’s a matter of putting best practices into action.” The Health Department has worked on a number of obesityrelated programs, including an after-school physical activities program targeted to African American and Latino youth. Nearly everyone agrees the problem of overweight children will take years to undo. “The problems of childhood obesity will not be solved by going on diets or taking a few trips to the gym,” Dr. Baker said. “These have to be lifestyle changes. We have an ethical responsibility to our children to make these changes.”

Cla-Zel Theater drops movies By Joel Sensenig Special to Toledo Free Press

After 79 years of running feature films, the end credits are about to roll on Bowling Green’s historic Cla-Zel Theater. A victim of mounting revenue losses and declining ticket sales, the Main Street single-screen movie house will show its final first-run film Thursday evening. “It was a business decision,” said Paul Yon, who has spent the last year serving as a volunteer director of development for the Cla-Zel, working with the theater’s board of trustees in an attempt to find a solution to the cinema’s financial difficulties. “The trustees got to the point

where they realized they couldn’t continue to cover the losses themselves.” Yon said the theater, a 501(c)3 corporation, has lost $25,000-$30,000 annually for the past several years. Since opening with the silent ﬁlm “Irene” the night of April 21, 1926, the Cla-Zel (the name stems from the combination of its original owners’ names, Clark and Hazel Young) has been in continuous operation. Theater staff proudly touts it as Ohio’s oldest continuously running single-screen movie house. Nearly eight decades after its opening night, the theater will close the curtain on ﬁrst-run pictures Thursday with 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. viewings of “Steamboy,” which features the latest in Japa-

nese animation. Throughout the day and evening Friday and Saturday, the theater will show public domain fare, including “Three Stooges” and “Our Gang.” At midnight Saturday, the Cla-Zel will host one last “Rocky Horror Picture Show” accompanied with a live cast, a ritual the theater routinely hosts the ﬁrst Saturday of each month. As for its future beyond this weekend, Yon said the trustees, along with the city and various community arts groups, plan to continue using the venue’s stage for performance arts theater. The Cla-Zel Theater is located at 127 N. Main St., Bowling Green. For information, call (419) 353-1361.

On April 19, USDA unveiled MyPyramid, a new interactive food guidance system. MyPyramid replaces the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid Ameicans have grown to recognize in text books and on food packages. MyPyramid is geared to offer an individualized approach to improving diet and lifestyle habits. MyPyramid food groups are represented by six colors, with the width of the color band indicating the amount of food needed from each group. While the former food guide pyramid used serving sizes, Mypyramid uses cups, ounces, and teaspoons, offering greater guidance on portion sizes. The MyPyramid.gov website contains activities that make it easy for individuals to key in their age, gender, and physical activity level so that they can get a personalized recommendation on their daily calo-

rie level. It also can provide a quick estimate of what and how much food an individual should eat, and detailed information on diet quality and physical activity status by comparing a day’s worth of foods eaten with current nutrition guidance.

Susan Zies is Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences Ohio State University Extension, Lucas County.

COMMUNITY BRIEFS By Staff Reports

Toledo

Bike blessing

Motorcyclists are invited to the Blessing of the Bikes at International Park at 11 a.m. on May 7. Guest speaker is Marty Binion of the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Contact the Christian Cruisers’ Tom Calloway for information at (734) 847-3592.

Bedford

‘Godspell’ production

The Bedford Community Players production of “Godspell” is scheduled for performances on May 12-15 at the Bedford High School Auditorium in Temperance, Mich. For information, call (734) 850-1212.

SPORTS ■

Competing events force coach comparison 16

Weekly Grounds Tickets can be purchased at Toledo-area Kroger Stores. Show your Kroger Plus Card and receive two tickets for the price of one.

July 4 -10 Highland Meadows Golf Club For information, call (419) 531-3277 Or visit www.jamiefarrowenscorning.com

KOZ’S CORNER

Deﬁance phenom is dedicated to diamond By Chris Kozak Toledo Free Press Staff Writer ckozak@toledofreepress.com

here’s love, and love. There’s talent, and talent. And then there’s Jon Niese, and baseball. The kid loves the game. He skipped his senior prom to go to a Detroit Tigers game. That’s what makes his talent so deserving, his approach so refreshing. Ever since he played T-ball as a 5-year-old, Niese, last year’s Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year, has loved the game. “It’s fun,” he said while watching a Yankees-Angels game on ESPN. “I just like to play.” To hear someone with enough heat in his left arm to warm Anchorage talk of loving the game, of skipping prom to see a game in person, is beyond refreshing. It’s almost like there’s something wrong with the kid. Doesn’t Niese know this, his senior year at Deﬁance High School, is the glory season? Hasn’t he seen “Varsity Blues?” At least you’re charging for your autograph already, right, Jon? He has an arm that consistently unleashes the cheese at 90 miles and a hook that’s so nasty, boys hit the dirt like they were thrown out of a 10-story building. Last summer was like a Johnny Cash song: he’s been to Florida, California, Oregon, Missouri and South Carolina. He’s played baseball everywhere, man. He qualiﬁed for the USA Baseball National Junior Team and pitched in Taiwan. Teamonebaseball.com says he’s the 13th best left-handed pitcher in America. Please tell me you’re not using that left hand to sign autographs for free. “I’ve signed so many things” he sheepishly admitted. “But it’s fun. My friends at school joke with me about it.”

By Chris Kozak Toledo Free Press Staff Writer ckozak@toledofreepress.com

Lou Holtz and Jim Tressel have hall of fame pedigrees, national championship hardware, and the hearts of local residents as coaches of Notre Dame and Ohio State. A chance to share rubber chicken, soak up

Prep baseball, softball teams roar into tournaments, page 19

Toledo Free Press by DM Stanﬁeld

GUEST SPEAKERS

Swinging for the fences

For love of the game

SPORTS

May 4, 2005

MAC spring football report; UT aims to defend conference title, page 18

Chris Kozak It’d be easy to assume in this era of hype without substance, Niese had potential without production. Let’s end that thought right here: He’s given up seven hits this year. Seven hits in seven games for a 6-0 record with a 0.24 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 29 innings. He struck out the first nine batters he saw this year in the season opener against Wayne Trace. Least you think he’s one dimensional, he’s batting .578, was an all-state forward in soccer, is on the honor roll and played Lt. Adams in the school production of “South Pacific.” The scouts don’t care if he dresses in grass skirts and eats coconuts in the dugouts. But if he did, they’d know about it, for every game he takes the mound, there are “at least” 15 majorleague scouts (the college scouts quit coming when he signed with the University of Cincinnati earlier this year) behind the backstop. Each armed with a Jugs radar gun; each projecting his future. “I’m just a regular 18-year old that loves baseball and loves to play,” he said. “As for everybody else, they can say I’m good. I’ll just play the game.” Though he won’t be taking the mound, the Defiance High School Web site says Jon Niese and his Defiance Bulldogs will roll into Toledo on May 9, for a game at Fifth-Third Field against the St. John’s Jesuit Titans. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Come see defending champ Meg Mallon defend her 2004 title.

words of inspiration and snag an autograph from a coach of this caliber is rare. Two in one week? That’s like winning a national championship and dating a cheerleader! Unless you run a 4.2 40, throw a frozen rope on a 20-yard out or chase down running backs in the backﬁeld like a cheetah from a National Geographic special, you aren’t usually going to

see this quality of coaches in your backyard. But times are tight and schedules are packed. What if (gasp) you could only attend one appearance? Who to pick? More accurate and factually correct then a Mitch Album column from the Final Four, Toledo Free Press presents a tale-of-the-tape to help you decide:

Coach Career Record Record Against Michigan Claim to Fame Charity Date Tickets Words of Inspiration

Lou Holtz 249-132-2 5-5-1 Notre Dame National Champions, 1988 Central City Ministries of Toledo Monday, May 9 $150 per person “No one has ever drowned in sweat.”

Jim Tressel 175-28-2 3-1 Ohio State National Champions, 2002 Cedar Creek Young Life Beneﬁt Dinner Friday, May 13 $100 per person “It’s far greater to earn our way to God’s hall of fame.”

Crossed Paths

January 1, 2002 Outback Bowl - Holtz led his SC Game Cocks to a 31-28 victory over Tressel’s Buckeyes

When he was an assistant at Ohio State, Tressel traveled to Arkansas to study Holtz’s Razorbacks team.

Quote from the other coach

“The one thing about Lou Holtz’s teams are that they play hard, and they play low and they play fast.” Jim Tressel Lost 1970 Tangerine Bowl to Toledo in 1970

“They play hard and they play tough and that’s why he’s been so successful.” – Lou Holtz Has never coached against Toledo

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PAINTBALL

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

Derek Whitaker loves paintball. Last year, with business partner Andy Thomas, Whitaker took that love to a business level, initiating a project to open up a multi-level, 140,000 square-foot indoor paintball facility on Toledo’s East Side, set to open later this year. “There a lot of people who are really excited about us doing this,” Whitaker said. Funded by property investor Frank Ticas, the Toledo Paintball Coliseum, set inside an unassuming corner building on Fourth Street, will give Toledo’s growing population of paintball enthusiasts an urban refuge divided into two open-space battlefields set on carpeted concrete. The Coliseum will include a pro shop for purchasing gear, a repair shop, a pre-battle prep area, and a tournament-judging booth. Whitaker and Thomas have colored the facility in green, blue and yellow paint. The battlefield layouts will consist of padded pillar supports and inflatable bunker variations for players to hide behind during battle. Black protective netting will catch the paintball ammo during battles, protecting the walls and windows. But Whitaker said a number of the would-be customers have grown impatient with the delayed opening of the Coliseum. He and Thomas had wanted to get the facility open this past winter. The process hasn’t been easy. “Going through the city to get everything approved, and issues with contractors hired to perform the necessary structural and electrical modifications have delayed us,” Whitaker said. “Once the city approval process gets completed, we’ll be set to open.” Carpeting is a key to success for Whitaker and Thomas. “The previous indoor paintball here in Toledo failed, I think, because they used dirt floors instead of carpeted floors,” Whitaker said. “People quit going there because they were tired of leaving an indoor place covered in mud.” Whitaker said that paintball’s growing popularity is going to help the Coliseum succeed. “ESPN2 and Fox Sports are already airing national paintball tournaments and championships, and paintball is now the fastest growing sport, growing by 200300 percent each year,” Whitaker said. Paintballers are required to wear full body protective gear, complete with goggled helmets to protect eyes and heads. For more information, visit www.toledopaintballcoliseum.com.

SPORTS

May 4, 2005

FOOTBALL

MAC spring football report, Part I: MAC West By Nick Gerogosian Special to Toledo Free Press

Division I

NIU

Finding a starting quarterback is a must since three-year starter Josh Haldi has graduated. Haldi produced a 25-8 career record and led the Huskies to a Silicon Valley Football Bowl victory. Phil Horvath, Britt Davis and Zach Ullrich are the front-runners. A starter may not be announced until just before he season opener at Michigan. Defensively, the Huskies need to replace ﬁve key starters. Ken West excelled at defense end with Jason Hutton emerging at middle linebacker.

Eastern Michigan

Eastern made some signiﬁcant position changes during spring ball, notably Jason Jones moving from tight end to defensive tackle, Ken Bohnet from quarterback to tight end and

SPORTS BRIEF Toledo

Libbey basketball camp scheduled By Staff Reports

The Libbey High School basketball program has announced its annual co-ed basketball camp has been scheduled. The camp, at Libbey’s Jeffrey Fieldhouse, will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, May 9 through Thursday, May 12. The camp will include fundamentals, team play and individual competition. A T-shirt, camp certiﬁcate and player evaluation will be included for every camper. Camp cost is $40 per player. The maximum enrollment is 60 participants. Register before May 4. For information, contact Leroy Bates at (419) 535-9544.

Prep baseball, softball teams hit for tournament fences For some high school students, spring brings thoughts of proms and summertime activities. But for many, it brings dreams of high school district, regional and state championships. Several local teams are entertaining dreams of a possible state title and, barring untimely injuries or upsets, it would be a surprise if at least one of the local favorites is not involved in a state semi-ﬁnal contest.

UT will ﬁeld one of the deepest running-back units anywhere with the emergence of Jalen Parmele and Richard Davis. Toss in seniors Trinity Dawson and Quinton Broussard with 235-pound Scooter McDougle and the Rockets are loaded with rushing options. A secret weapon may be wideout David Washington, who is listed at 6’-5”, 220-pounds, but is closer to 6’-7”. New defensive coordinator Tim Rose will change the scheme to a 3-4 alignment. Linemen Tyree Pollard and JP Bekasiak ﬂourished during spring drills.

Photo courtesy University of Toledo

Darren Matthews from running back to linebacker. EMU returns record-setting quarterback Matt Bohnet and star wideout Eric Deslauriers. Tailback Anthony Sherrell is expected to gain another season of eligibility. Defensively, Eastern still needs to make great strides.

Central Michigan

Kent Smith, a Toledo Start grad,

looked very sharp in the Chippewas’ spring game, passing for 276-yards and three TDs. Justin Harper and Damien Linson have become a dynamic duo as receivers. All-MAC running back Jerry Seymour was found guilty of lying to a grand jury earlier this month; his status for the 2005 season is unknown. Return specialist Asante White, also a Toledo Start grad, has transferred to Toledo and will be

available for the 2006 season.

including four games over 50.

Western Michigan

Ball State

New coach Bill Cubit is looking to his son to lead the offense. Ryan Cubit passed 314 yards in the spring game. Western also has one of the best receivers in the country in Greg Jennings. Cubit’s challenge will be shoring up a defense that gave up nearly 40 points per game last season,

Joey Lynch won the battle as the starting quarterback. Charles Wynn, from Sylvania Northview, is the starting running back since Adell Givens was dismissed from the team. The Cardinals play a ridiculous schedule this season, with road trips to Iowa, Auburn and Boston College.

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all their players healthy at the same time they might be able to put together a drive but they must still ﬁnd an offense. The Notre Dame Eagles have a large contingency of senior athletes who undoubtedly realize that this is their last chance; such realization often provides that extra impetus. If Kelsey Brickman can work her magic one more time, who knows? The boys’ side of the Division I ledger is wide open. The Start Spartans enter the tournament again as the number one seed and, although they are undefeated, they are not considered invincible. So far, the Spartans have defeated all comers, including convincing victories over league rivals St. Francis and St. John’s Jesuit, but the much-awaited regular season contest with Central Catholic was rained out and will not be played until after the state tournament has started. Until someone beats them, the Spartans must be considered the favorite; but there are plenty of teams with playoff hopes. Of the 15 teams in the Toledo District, only four are clear longshots. These four teams, Libbey, Scott, Woodward and Rogers, have suffered through difﬁcult seasons and will all make early exits. Only two teams, Central Catholic and St. Francis, have more than two quality starting pitchers. They must be seen as the most likely teams to challenge Start for district bragging rights.

Division II

At the Division II level, the Lady Blue Devils from Springﬁeld have been the surprise team of the year. They were expected to be at the top of the NLL and have established themselves as the league’s best. Coach Gwozdz has done a great job of utilizing his team’s strengths, defense and speed. Springﬁeld’s biggest test will come from the Wauseon Indians but expect to see the Blue Devil’s advancing to Bucyrus for the regional tournament. On the boys’ side, the immediate Toledo area is represented by only one team: the Rossford

Toledo Free Press photo by David Gatwood

Hayley Weimerʼs overpowering pitching drives the St. Ursula Arrows. Bulldogs. The Bulldogs find themselves at the bottom of the NLL and some might count them out of the tournament based on their regular season record. But the state tournament brings the Bulldogs the opportunity to compete with schools more their own size and they have historically benefited from this experience. The district’s top seed, Defiance, would be the Bulldog’s second-round opponent and the likelihood of an upset by Rossford is minimal.

Division III

Like the Rossford boys in Division II, the ladies from Cardinal Stritch are the only Toledo-area team in the tournament. Unlike the Bulldogs, however, the Lady Cardinals are a strong contender in the race for the District title. This is the last hurrah for a strong Stritch senior class that has brought many other honors to their school. A district title is an almost certainty. Beyond that, who knows? This will be an exciting team to watch.

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On the girls’ side, the prohibitive favorite is the St. Ursula Arrows. The Arrows enjoy the distinction of being the defending Division I softball champions and they have played most of this season like they plan to repeat. St. Ursula, under the direction of ﬁrst year coach Steve Parrill, returned a strong slate of players from last year’s squad. This slate, including the over-powering pitching of senior Hayley Weimer, has moved effortlessly through its regular season schedule. The only blemish has been a hotly contested game with archrival Notre Dame. Notre Dame, behind the pitching of Kelsey Brickman, has been the only local team during the past two years to enjoy any success against the Arrows and St. Ursula will have to be careful to make sure the Eagles do not do it again. Although the Arrows are strong, there are other teams waiting to demonstrate that they too have state title potential. Of these, the most likely candidates are the Southview Cougars and aforementioned Notre Dame Eagles. Both teams have shown championship potential throughout the year but both have failed to establish any consistency. In the case of the Cougars, the story has been a series of injuries, illnesses and poor hitting. At one point or another this season the Cougars have been without the services of several key performers due to health issues and this has taken its toll. If they can get

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Division IV

In Division IV, it is an all-TAAC affair, at least in the early rounds. In baseball, Northwood and Ottawa Hills are seeded as the top two teams and, based on the regular season, the expected tournament meeting between these two teams should provide plenty of excitement. These two teams split their league contests (7-3 Northwood; 4-1 Ottawa Hills) and the pitching line-up will likely be the key to the deciding contest. Ottawa Hills has history and tradition on their side but the Northwood Rangers are in unfamiliar territory and recognize that this might be their year. On the girls’ side of the ledger it is a mini TAAC affair. The winner of these contests is likely to be Toledo Christian but they face the ominous task of having to play state power Gibsonburg in the district ﬁnals. Do not expect Toledo Christian to pull off a big upset against one of the state’s best teams, but watch this team in the future. E-mail David Gatwood at prepsports@buckeye-express.com.

ARTS & LIFE IN FOCUS

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FOOD&DINING

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French varietals trump U.S. best A

Grillin’, chillin’ and brinin’ freezer Ziploc bag large enough to hold the quantity of meat you are preparing. Don’t have kosher salt? Table salt will sufﬁce.

Kelly Digby I was recently asked, “isn’t brining out of season?” The answer is a resounding no! Brining is not just for your holiday turkey. Brining has come into its own and is advocated by some of the finest professional chefs in the industry; it is tailor-made for grilling season, especially with the advent of the healthconscious use of skinless, boneless chicken breasts and leaner cuts of pork on the grill. Anyone who tastes your grilling masterpieces will proclaim you a genius. This brine recipe is good for 1 lb. of meat; for a higher quantity you will have to mix another batch and put into another container. I do not recommend putting more that 1 lb. into a single container due to the difficulty in handling it and storing it in the refrigerator. Use a container with a tight fitting lid or a

1 quart of cold water 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup Diamond Kosher salt (Or 1/4 cup +2 Tablespoons Morton Kosher salt or 1/4 cup table salt) The reason for the differing amounts for the various brands of salt is the denseness of the individual salt crystals of each brand. Mix cold water, salt and sugar in your brining vessel or Ziploc bag and stir to completely dissolve the sugar and salt. Immerse your meat of choice into the brine, seal and refrigerate for the appropriate amount of time: Skinless, boneless chicken breasts and shrimp: 30 minutes Whole chicken: 3 to 12 hours Chicken parts: 1-1/2 hours Cornish game hens: 2 hours Pork chops (1” thick): 4 to 6 hours Pork chops (1-1/4” to 1-1/2” thick): 5 to 8 hours Pork tenderloin: 6 to 12 hours After the allotted brining time, remove the meat from the brining liquid, pat it dry and grill. You should time things so your meat comes out of the brine and straight to the grill. Please see BRINING, page 22

re you finished with your Freedom Fries? Good, because it’s time to revisit French wines. Regardless of your politics, it is essential to understand and appreciate French wines. Now, I know the French can be infuriating. I worked for French chefs for nearly seven years. Some I hated — curl up in a fetal position sobbing myself to sleep hated — and some were inspiring (Michel Richard — not to name drop, but I have to give credit to where credit is due). The French culture has such an acute understanding of wine and food. It is in their blood. They make the absolute best examples of most of your favorite varietals. California stands on the shoulders of wine giants in most cases. Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and many more grapes that we think of as inherently Californian, are actually French. I love California; I lived there very happily for many years. But it’s not quite the same as in France. The birthplace of all of the aforementioned grapes has learned where to grow these grapes through hundreds, and in some cases, thousands, of years of successes and failures. What that means is that most vineyards in France have the perfect varietal for that location. In the U.S. we only have the benefit of the 20th century. In California, vintners are constantly pulling up vines and replanting, in hopes of finding the right grapes for the right place. Furthermore, there are varietals that have great names in France, but, in theory, may not be the best grapes for the job in California. But because of varietal name recognition, we continue to buy subpar versions of many of these grapes. The best example of the difference between French and American winegrowing (it’s really about the growing, not the making) is in Chardonnay. Chardonnay is a very divisive varietal. But many people are only familiar with California versions. The best Chardonnay in the world (this is a widely held belief), is from Burgundy. Chardonnay is great in Burgundy because of its long, cool, growing season, which does the same thing

Adam Mahler for grapes that slow cooking does for meat, in bringing out subtle characteristics. This also helps the grapes attain natural acidity, which is a vital structural component. Another reason is the soil composition. The soils in Burgundy are wrought with fossilized sea shells. This affects the drainage of the soil, as well as contributing to the PH of the wine. Again, acidity. Generalization Alert! Drink a California Chardonnay side by side with an equally priced French wine. You will ﬁnd that the California Chardonnay tastes like tropical fruit, with accents of vanilla, oak and butter (depending on the winemaking style). It can be very tasty, but is sometimes difﬁcult to pair with food because it is missing structural components. That French Chardonnay from Burgundy will show more subtle fruit, most likely, sweet melon, maybe peaches, ripe citrus fruits, a real sense of minerality, and a mouthwatering acidity, which makes it perfect for food pairing. The winemaking can often be similar; the difference is soil and climate. Technology will never replace this. I do drink California wines and I truly enjoy them, and sometimes it is a question of which wine I am in the mood for. I am simply trying to illustrate a sense of diversity. Wine should not be a political football. It should be something for the people from all wine-growing regions of the world to share. Boycotting French wines didn’t affect governments, but it put many family-owned wineries and vineyards out of business. Not rich multinational companies, but working class farmers. The real tragedy (Instant Karma?) was that Americans stopped experiencing great wines from the greatest winegrowing country in the world. Contact Food and Wine Editor Adam Mahler at amahler@toledofreepress.com.

After Shock Productions sets date for Shockfest, page 23

Cruise controlled

UNTANGLED VINE

CHEF KELLY

“Brines supercharge meats with flavor and moisture” — Alton Brown, “I’m Just Here for the Food” ’m already grillin’ and chillin.’ Chillin’ is an apt description if, like me, you have chosen to get a jump start on barbecue season. I went in search of the perfect grilled, health-conscious surf and turf (seafood and chicken or pork). I found it on my new hi-tech grill (which cost more than the births of both of my kids combined) using a technique called brining. Don’t panic if all you have is your old charcoal or gas grill; this technique is not dependent on the wow factor of your equipment. Brining is a technique that takes three simple kitchen staples — water, kosher salt and sugar — and turns your lean meats and seafood into the most delectable-tasting grilled confections imaginable. Instead of seasoning the outside, brining puts the flavor inside. It’s a great and easy way to improve the texture and flavor of pork chops, skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pork tenderloins, firm-fleshed fish and especially shrimp. I wouldn’t recommend it for salmon fillets — they can get mushy — but it is very good for whole sides of salmon.

ARTS&LIFE

Guide to local cooking and food events, page 22

Will Toledo’s own Katie Holmes bring new boyfriend Tom Cruise to the Glass City? page 23

IN CONCERT

Aslyn makes sweet ‘Lemon Love’ By Michael S. Miller Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief mmiller@toledofreepress.com

Barbara Goodman Shovers

On the day her first CD was released, singer/songwriter Aslyn walked into a New York City Virgin Music store to buy a copy. “I just wanted to make sure it was all true and really happening,” she said. She picked up the CD, stood in line and handed the disc to the cashier. “$16.32,” he said. Aslyn started counting her money, and found herself $3 short. “So I start digging in the bottom of my purse to find change!” she said. “I’m finding, little by little, dimes, nickels, quarters, chewing gum, cough drops, counting cents and continuing to dig. How embarrassing!” It is safe to assume that incident was a very minor blip on an otherwise stellar month. Aslyn’s CD “Lemon Love” has been greeted with enthusiastic reviews, a VH-1 home for her video “Be the Girl” and appearances on late night’s “Jimmy Kimmel Show.” The CD is a compelling collection of sophisticated storytelling and hooky, Beatles-flavored pop that recalls the literary lyrics of David + David’s “Welcome to the Boomtown” and some of Elvis Costello’s best relationship songs. “Lemon Love” equates relationships with cars in a funny, funky way. “Wally” is an aching, gorgeous song that tells the story of Aslyn’s grandparents’ 55-year marriage. Plus, all that talent comes in a curly-haired, doe-eyed package, graced with a smile that could eclipse the sun in her hometown of Atlanta. During an interview with Toledo Free Press this week, Aslyn, who was snowbound in Colorado, talked about the publicity whirl-

Live local, think global

Photo courtesy Capitol Records

Please see ASLYN, page 24

he template on which this paper is based is something called “community journalism.” Broadly defined this means we — Toledo Free Press — seek out local news that’s either not reported or underreported by other sources. It’s a good concept; we should know what’s going on around us. And since there are at least two sides to every story, even if you think you’ve got the facts on something, it never hurts to take another look. So I commend our publisher for introducing this concept to Toledo. As “the news” becomes more pared-down and corporate, it’s important to have an advocate for independent voices. (And if you have or are one, let us know. To paraphrase the Zen, if news is made and no one hears it, is it still news?) But as much as I want you to make this paper a must-read, it’s not enough to simply stay informed locally. It’s a big world out there and while you may not think events halfway across the globe have much to do with Jeep or Packo’s, you’re probably mistaken. A scientific koan to complement the Zen states that a butterfly flaps its wings and the world changes. But we Toledoans are woefully unaware of what goes on beyond I-75. I conducted a totally unscientific pop poll of people in the Westgate area. The question Please see GOODMAN, page 22

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ARTS&LIFE

Brining

Food & Dining Events

Continued from page 21 Discard the brine; never reuse it. Now what? You’ve brined your meat, patted it dry and can’t wait to get it on the grill. You can apply the rub recipe that follows, or grill it naked and serve it with a flavored butter or a tasty homemade or good quality bottled sauce for succulent, moist, tender meat. Be creative; be adventuresome; before long your friends and family will be crowning you King or Queen of the grill! Kelly’s Basic Barbecue Rub Makes 1 cup 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/4 cup Hungarian sweet paprika 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper optional 3 Tablespoons Telecherry peppercorns 4 tablespoons coarse sea salt 1 tablespoon garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons ground thyme 2 teaspoons ground oregano Mix all ingredients together and rub on ribs or chicken Lemon-Herb Rub Makes 12 teaspoons 1 tablespoon dried tarragon 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 4 dried bay leaves, crumbled 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper 3 teaspoons olive oil In a small bowl, mix all ingredients. This zesty rub is ideal for leaner foods such as turkey or chicken breasts and flaky white fish (such as halibut, cod or snapper).

Chef Kelly may be contacted at chef@inspiredkitchen.com.

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MAY CALENDAR Gourmet Curiosities All classes are 7-9 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Call (419) 882-2323 for reservations. 5700 Monroe Street in The Starlite Plaza. 5/4 Asian Flavor Seafood with Chef Mike Rosendaul 5/10 Easy Summer with Chef Geoff Harman 5/12 Summer Pastries with Chef Jim Macdonald 5/18 That’s Italian with Chef Rob Campbell 5/20 Memories of La Varenne/ Wine. with Bruce & Geneva Williams, Janet George & Tim Kemper 5/25 Shrimp, Shrimp, and more Shrimp! with Tom Chipps 5/26 Fire up the Grill! with Chef Kelly Johnson Walt Churchill’s Market 3320 Briarfield, Maumee. (419) 794-4000. Every Saturday 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Costs vary. Please contact the wine department to learn about specific lineups. The Vineyard (419) 535-7301. 3301 W. Central Ave in Westgate Shopping Ctr. 5/5 “Wines to Celebrate National Salsa Month” 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. $15 5/12 Sauvignon Blanc & Goat Cheese 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. $15 5/19 Chardonnays: U.S vs. The World 5/21, Pinot (Blanc, Noir, Gris) Wine Dinner 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. $20 5/21 All inclusive 7 - 10:30 p.m. $70 5/26 Barbecue Wines 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. $15 The Andersons Wine Shops All three Andersons offer consumer tastings every Thursday 6-8 p.m. in the wine departments costs vary. Please contact the individual wine departments to learn about specific lineups. Andersons Talmadge Corner of Talmadge & Monroe St. (419) 473-3232

RECIPE OF THE MONTH: MUFFLETA 1 cup finely chopped brinecured green olives 1 cup finely chopped brinecured black olives 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 2-3 cloves minced garlic 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped (you may purchase these in a jar already roasted) juice of 1/2 lemon Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. Use as a spread on crackers or on Italian sandwiches. Great with soft salami, provolone, fresh mozzarella or on French or Italian bread. — www.essential-gourmet.com Andersons Maumee 530 Illinois Ave (419) 891-2700 Andersons Woodville Woodville Mall (419) 698-8400 Diva 329 N. Huron St (419) 324-0000 Mancy’s Italian Grille 5453 Monroe St. (419) 882-9229 May 11-Pinot Noir Wine Dinner $85/per person, all inclusive Seating is limited Essential Gourmet 5650 Mayberry St. (419) 885-7600. Each class is $30 per person, starts at 7 p.m. and generally ends at 9 p.m. 5/12 Liz Sofo 5/17 A taste of Lebanon with Ann Deeb 5/19 Tappas, Tappas and more Tappas 5/21 Can you say … Oompah! 5/26 Picnics and Parties

To include your event in Toledo Free Press Food & Dining Calendar, e-mail the information to Toledo Free Press Food/ Dining Editor Adam Mahler at amahler@toledofreepress.com.

May 4, 2005

Goodman Continued from page 21 asked was: What international news stories are you following? Granted, it’s surprising to be accosted by a no-prompts-offered stranger. Sample members may not have had time to access all their brain cells. But it was as much of a surprise to me to ﬁnd out what limited awareness so many of us have re: out-of-towners. By far, the most frequently repeated response was “the pope.” Several others replied “the war.” A man who identiﬁed himself as a pastor said “tsunami relief’s still important, isn’t it?” and a law student recounted the then-breaking news of the train derailment in Japan. Other than that, I got mostly embarrassed grins. “The economy?” a restaurant server asked. “Domestic or international?” I pressed. “How it affects the dollar,” he replied. “Do you know what the euro’s at today?” “Uhm, no,” he smiled, weakly. Not to be picky, but “the war” is really not an international story, either. It’s taking place in Iraq, but it’s an American red-whiteand-blue horror. The fact that not one person mentioned North Korea or Dafur, Angola, China, Gaza or any of the rest of the world’s current hot spots is disheartening. Just for the current-events record — and I’m hugely oversimplifying, I know — Korea is probably making nuclear materials and has a leader reportedly dozens of times more dangerous than Saddam. Dafur (Sudan) is experiencing horrendous ethnic genocide. A deadly Ebola-like disease is ravaging Angola. Chinese students recently staged violent anti-Japan protests and the ruling Communist Party let them. The Gaza Strip is about to vacated of Israeli settlers and “given back” to the Palestinians. And that’s just a nibble of what’s happening today on Planet Earth. Should any of this matter to Toledoans? Isn’t it enough for us to fret about what cars the Zoo’s renting or who develops the steam plant?

Probably no. We are all in this life together and if we don’t pay attention to its non-Toledo, non-America parts, it’s gonna kick us in the back when we least expect. Trade, environment, security, et al — these are interrelated global concerns. In August 2001 most people couldn’t pin the tail on Afghanistan or Iraq. Now we know them too well. Not that it’s easy to follow the world’s goings-on. One national news program arrogantly boasts of giving viewers “The World In a Minute.” If only. So ﬁnish this issue of the TFP. Read every line. Support our advertisers. Contact city/county/ state ofﬁcials about things that bother you. Then go online, see what’s happening in the rest of the world and think about the connections to your/our life in Toledo. I don’t have space to list my fave sites but e-mail me and I’ll suggest URLs. Live locally, think globally. Community extends beyond one’s city or even country. Claim your membership.

E-mail Barbara Goodman Shovers at bshovers@toledofreepress.com.

By Mark Tinta Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Toledo’s Own Katie Holmes has a new beau: Tom Cruise! With the kind of intense coverage they usually reserve for factory shootings and four-to-six-inch snowfalls, the local media are in a frenzy over Toledo’s Own Katie Holmes dating Tom Cruise, arguably the biggest movie star in the world. Toledoans are positively giddy over the prospect of Cruise making an appearance here. How soon before lines are formed at Westﬁeld Shoppingtown in the hopes that he’ll be seen there with Toledo’s Own Katie Holmes? How soon before we all embrace Scientology to impress him upon his arrival? It’s not uncommon to see Toledo’s Own Katie Holmes around town, especially during the holidays. During one of her visits home, I once had the opportunity to discuss her career with her in an exclusive, no-holds-barred, one-onone interview, transcribed below.

Mark Tinta: “Will that be credit or debit? Toledo’s Own Katie: “Credit.” She then took her merchandise and went on her way. Don’t get me wrong, I think she’s a fine actress. I never got into “Dawson’s Creek,” but when I saw her in the criminally underappreciated “Wonder Boys,” I knew Toledo’s Own Katie Holmes would have a fine career ahead of her. Why are we acting like a bunch of Green Acres yokels already on Cruise Patrol over a possible sighting? Granted, the most exposure this town has gotten is from Jamie (“Cannonball Run II”) Farr, and no disrespect to Max Klinger, but Tom Cruise is in a higher echelon. Cruise has been all over the world. He’s worked with filmmaking greats such as Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. His list of legendary co-stars is equally stunning: Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson and Gene Hackman to name a scant few. He’s as big a star as the cinema has ever produced. I’ll bet he can’t wait to come to Toledo.

Why, he could maybe check out our state-of-the-art Sports Arena. He could go shopping at any one of the twelve (at press time) stores at Southwyck, he could sample our vibrant downtown nightlife. He could take a leisurely drive around the city and see the way we decorate our front porches with old, tattered couches and La-Z-Boys. He could marvel at Toledo’s dogged insistence on being the Mullet’s Last Stand. He could see the progress we’ve made getting that Marina District thing off the ground. Heck, if he comes here in July, he could even see Whitesnake play in the parking lot of the Central Ave. Harley-Davidson dealership. There’s just so much for Tom Cruise to see and do in T-Town! Sure, he hangs out in Hollywood and New York City and can trot all over globe in a private jet on a whim, but once he gets a whiff of Toledo, it’ll be as much a home to him as it is to Toledo’s Own Katie Holmes. Good luck, you crazy lovebirds. Here’s to many happy weeks together.

Associated Press

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise react to speculation that he may be moving into a rental condominium in the steam plant downtown.

gressive production,” and he’s certainly right. It’s a period piece, set in 1930s Mississippi (filmed in Haskins and Pemberville) about three moonshine-running brothers who have a nasty encounter with some bloodsucking “hussies.” Easily their most professional-looking production (but still retaining tongue-in-cheek Dr. Shock charms like an obvious plastic model toy car being used in a crash scene), “Bloodsucking Hillbillies” is an undeniable step forward from Smith and Agosti’s previous output. After Shock’s films have achieved significant cult status

in the foreign markets, particularly in the U.K. and Canada, where they’ve received raves from horror magazine Rue Morgue, and they recently signed a deal for Asian distribution. In addition to “Bloodsucking Hillbillies,” Shockfest 2005 will feature their recent “The Dead & Breakfast,” and their classic “The Town That Loved Pizza.” Shockfest 2005 takes place on Saturday, May 14 at the Ohio Theater, 3114 Lagrange St. Tickets are $8 at the door. For more information, visit drshock1.tripod.com. — Mark Tinta

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Oh, my god! It’s Tom and Katie!

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CELEBRITIES

The masters of insanity behind Fox 36’s late, great, “Dr. Shock’s X-Ray Chiller Theater” are back with their annual Shockfest to showcase the comedic stylings of Dr. Shock and the work of their own After Shock Productions. The centerpiece of Shockfest 2005 will be the world premiere of “Bloodsucking Hillbillies,” the latest work from the Dr. Shock duo of writer/director Lance Otto Smith and producer/star Douglas G. Agosti. For those of you familiar with the duo’s campy, cheesy, no-budget VHS past, this short ﬁlm will be a revelation. Smith calls it “After Shock’s most pro-

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After Shock Productions’ Shockfest 2005 set to haunt Ohio Theater

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ARTS&LIFE

May 4, 2005

NOW OFFERING FLAVORED CAPPUCCINO!� ��

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ARTS&LIFE

Aslyn

THEATER

TOLEDO CONFIDENTIAL

Stupid band tricks Comedies entertain, enlighten

Continued from page 21 wind, growing live audiences and standing on the shoulders of giants in London and Memphis. Toledo Free Press: You recorded some of your CD at Abbey Road Studios. Did you soak in any creative vibes The Beatles left behind? Aslyn: Oh, absolutely. We recorded the strings for my album there, and I walked in and saw the music for my songs written out, it was pretty surreal, very nostalgic. I also got to play at Sun Studios in Memphis, on the piano that has a hole burned in a key where Jerry Lee Lewis dropped a cigarette. It was amazing. TFP: Your lyrics are short stories, with vivid, personal details. Now that you are singing your songs night after night, are you finding yourself distanced from the feelings that inspired the songs? Aslyn: The songs aren’t old to me yet. I get to tap into those feelings every night. Some of those stories are not resolved, so I still get upset. It helps me focus, to connect with the audience. TFP: Is your writing style drawn from literary influences? Aslyn: I don’t read a lot. My mom is a schoolteacher, and she encouraged me to read, but I like to read and study lyrics. I’m looking for different ways to say things. You’ve heard a million love songs a million times over, but there have to be different ways of saying things. TFP: Whose lyrics do you admire? Aslyn: Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Billy Joel, Coldplay, Del Amitri; there are so many. I’ve played “Movin’ Out” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” in concert. TFP: Tell me about the first time you played “Wally” for your grandfather. Aslyn: I remember that so clearly. He doesn’t hear so well, so he didn’t hear all the words the first time I played it for him on the piano. I wrote the lyrics out and played it again, and he was real quiet. That song was inspired by a photo my Mamaw sent to my Papaw when he was at sea. For Christmas, he gave me that origi-

May 4, 2005

Photo courtesy Capitol Records

Aslyn will appear in Mount Pleasant on May 4.

nal photo as his way of saying thank you. TFP: Your CD has 12 songs, and you released an additional track, “That’s When I Love You,” on the soundtrack to “How to Deal.” Do you have any other unreleased songs you are saving? Aslyn: I’m hanging on to a couple. I had a lot of the songs for the ﬁrst CD done before there was a deal with Capitol. I have enough songs ready for the next album. TFP: Your CD is produced with a lot of pop touches and arrangements, but on this leg of your tour it’s very stripped down, sometimes just you and your piano. Are there any plans to release some of the “Lemon Love” songs “unplugged?” Aslyn: I am asked that a lot by people at the shows, and we are talking about releasing some of the me-and-the-piano versions. TFP: Is there a goal you have where you can say “This is it. I’ve made it.”? Rolling Stone, Saturday Night Live, something you’re dreaming about? Aslyn: It’s exciting being on television, but I get that feeling when we play a show and the people in the audience already know the words and are singing along. That’s my biggest moment. Whether it’s 20 people or 1,200, I get that gut feeling of pride and happiness when I see them sing my songs with me. Aslyn is on tour as the opening act for Gavin McGraw. She is scheduled to perform May 4 at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant.

Music notes Brewed Awakenings 2636 W. Central Ave. (419) 474-5939 Richard Thorne 8 p.m. May 13, free. The Happy Badger 1855 S. Reynolds Road. (419) 389-0021 Suburban Legends, The Code, doors at 6 p.m. May 6, $10. Headliners 4500 N. Detroit Ave. (419) 269-4500 Bradshawsproject, AminoAcids, Paragon doors at 9 p.m. May 6, $6-$7. Mae, The Academy Is..., Days Away, Jameson Parker. Doors at 6 p.m. May 11, $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Smokestack doors at 9 p.m. May 13, $5-$7.

Raising Caine

Chicago’s Ripley Caine (who appeared May 2 at Brewed Awakenings in West Toledo) maintains an independent aesthetic that she applies to her life as well as her music. “I feel that if society wasn’t so ‘vanilla’ more people would be able/allowed to follow dreams that might not be of the ‘norm,’ ” Caine told Toledo Free Press. A typical Ripley Caine song may feature a drum loop, keyboards or trippy vocal effects on top of her worldly wise, Joni Mitchell-esque voice and acoustic guitar. Caine’s rigorous schedule includes live dates plus a second musical outlet as half of the indie-rock duo Goldman. CAINE So what do we call Caine’s music? “Usually, people are unclear on how to categorize it,” she said. “Some people say it’s folk rock, simply because I’m a chick with a guitar. Others say rock, alternative. I just called it ‘indie.’ ”

Get off the couch

Friday is a no-brainer — Pennsylvania’s Pearls and Brass are coming to The Underground! This trio sound like they could have walked out of the early 70s, adding a slightly proggy edge to shaggy grooves that’d be right at home on a Cream, Zep, Blue Cheer or Pentagram record. The locals on the bill are no slouches, either. Four On the Floor bring greaser attitude and an upright bass of their own, and play infectious working-class punk rock. The Zimmerman Twins, I’m told, have added lap steel and organ to their repertoire. Saturday, Mickey Finn’s has a ﬁve-band bill lined up, and while I can’t recommend the whole thing, go early to catch A.M. Error. The four songs they recently posted online (www.amerror.com) are by turns abrasive, melodic, eccentric and full of this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink exuberance that’s pretty exciting.

Howard’s Club H 210 N. Main St., BG. (419) 352-3195 Groovatron doors at 8 p.m. May 7. Mickey Finn’s Pub 602 Lagrange St. (419) 246-3466 The Baptist Accents 9:30 p.m. May 6, $5. Drive!, The Pop Project, Tiny Steps & Schumuck Ba 10 p.m. May 7, $5. Inﬁnite Number of Sounds, Paucity, Utah and Northern Chorus 10 p.m. May 13, $5. Murphy’s Place 151 Water St., Toledo. (419) 241-7732 Roosevelt Hatcher 9 p.m. May 6, $8. Lori Lefevre Johnson 9 p.m. May 7, $8. Roosevelt Hatcher 9 p.m. May 13, $8. Owens Community College (567) 661-2787

Center for Fine and Performing Arts: 2004 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition ﬁnalist Greg Kostraba 8 p.m. May 13, $10-$15. St. Richard Catholic Church 333 Brookside Drive, Toledo. (419) 826-2791, TSO 7:30 p.m. May 7, $6-10. Toledo Museum of Art 2445 Monroe St. (419) 255-8000 Libbey Court: Bernadette Project 6:30 p.m. May 6, free. Ragtime Rick 6:30 p.m. May 13, free. Peristyle: TSO with medalists from the 11th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Stanislav Ioudenitch, Maxim Philippov, Antonio Pompa-Baldi 8 p.m. May 13, $21-$48.

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Toledo Free Press Crossword

Please see ANSWERS, page 27

Robert Shiels

“WATCH YOUR STEP” by Mark Milhet

By Keith Bergman, Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

t’s already difﬁcult to succeed in an original band, but some masochists out there seem determined to make it even harder for themselves. I once witnessed a group get double-booked for their ﬁrst gig. Though they weren’t actually on the bill, the other acts tried to accommodate them as best they could, without messing up the actual show for the paying customers. The band turned down the chance to play at the end of the evening, made fun of the venue as being not cool enough for them and then sat in the parking lot glowering for the next hour, moaning to any stray passerby about how they “got screwed.” For weeks to come, they could be heard, complaining to anyone who’d listen about this minor hiccup in their career as if it was some cataclysmic event. This is a small town. Pissing off other groups and disparaging the few music venues willing to allow original music is a sure way to get a lot of doors closed in your face. I’m not saying you should kiss anyone’s butt or stay quiet when truly being ripped off. But making mountains out of molehills, insulting people who are trying to help you and endlessly whining about your tragic lot are just dumb moves. A wise man (Isaac Newton or Keith Richards, I don’t remember) said that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Remember that before you bitch about a club or insult other bands.

9 Co-renters, slangily 10 Extension 11 Squandered, as a lead 12 Chastity, for one 13 Eagerly studying 18 Prize for a mystery 19 Polite

Robert Shiels’ Weather Tip: The all-time record high temperature for May is 95°. The average is 71°.

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Mostly sunny HI 67° LOW 39°

Mostly sunny HI 70° LOW 44°

Mostly sunny HI 77° LOW 49°

Partly sunny HI 79° LOW 52°

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

A fish-out-of-water tale and two plays set during dark, stormy nights. That’s “North Coast Matters,” which will be performed by North Coast Theatre at 8 p.m. May 6, at the Maumee Indoor Theatre, 601 Conant St. The evening will feature three short comedies: “Frankenfish,” “Pot Luck” and “Black Swamp.” Christine Child, artistic director for North Coast Theatre, wrote the plays. A snakehead fish stars in the musical “Frankenfish.” Native to Asia, the fish can breathe air and wriggle over land for three days while looking for food and moving from one water source to another. Its freakish looks, shark-like teeth and monstrous appetite led to the nickname “Frankenfish.” The aggressive predator eats fish, birds, small mammals, frogs and insects. The Chicago Tribune reported a snakehead was caught in Lake Michigan last year. Nora Warejko designed the 6-foot snakefish costume and plays the role of Franky. She will be joined onstage by fellow North Coast Theatre members Irene Alby, Madge Levinson, Marvin Parker, Irina Zaurov and Matthew Wikander. Local composer David Jex wrote the music for the show. “Pot Luck” and “Black Swamp” are part of the full-length play “Tornado Warning.” The Ohio Arts Council awarded Child a fellowship in 2001 for this project. Tickets are $5 for seniors and students and $7 for others and can be reserved by calling the North Coast Theatre Office at (419) 255-0416. A free performance of “Frankenfish” is slated for 3 p.m. May 7 at the West Toledo Library Branch, 1320 W. Sylvania Ave.

The Underground 209 Superior St. (419) 531-7625 Four on the Floor, Pearls & Brass, Shortstack, The Zimmerman Twins, Local Honey doors at 9 p.m. May 6, $6. University of Toledo (419) 530-2448 Center for Performing Arts Recital Hall: “Send the Music Mission Philippines 2005” featuring the LaFontaine Family 7 p.m. May 7, free, donations requested. The Village Idiot 309 Conant St., Maumee. (419) 893-7281 Simplicity 10 p.m. May 6, $4. Roadside Zoo, doors at 9 p.m., $5. ind’grass 10 p.m. May 11, $3.

3rd ROCK

Almanac By Elizabeth Hazel Edited by Timothy E. Parker April 19, 2005

ACROSS 1 She had a “Tootsie’’ role 5 Freeze front 9 One who keeps things kosher 14 “Permit Me Voyage’’ author James 15 Mother of Levi and Judah 16 Sweater synthetic 17 STEP OUT 20 Included afterward 21 He’s number one 22 Pursue with passion 23 Biologist’s medium 26 Lobster serving 28 STEP IN 34 Words with roll or tear 35 Check for letters? 36 Electric surge 38 Entrance for Clementine’s dad 40 Not rinsed, perhaps 43 One type of poll 44 Administered medicine 46 Pistol projectile 48 Hudson Bay prov. 49 STEP UP 53 Luminous topper 54 Warm, in

searches 55 Tour operator 58 Hindu royal 60 Cockatoo’s pride 64 STEP DOWN 68 Bridge bid, briefly 69 Pelvic bones 70 Part of a makeshift swing, perhaps 71 What a witness may take 72 Be dependent 73 Fit to finish? DOWN 1 Festive fete 2 Made cheddar better 3 Librarian’s urging 4 Bring to light 5 Cat fancier from Melmac 6 Word form for “recent’’ 7 Butler’s quarters? 8 “There was no other choice for me!’’ 9 Co-renters, slangily 10 Extension 11 Squandered, as a lead 12 Chastity, for one 13 Eagerly studying 18 Prize for a mystery 19 Polite

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Criminal divide

David Swesey feels safe.

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PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

story ideas? 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 E-mail your thoughts to:

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Beyond the good news of falling numbers, Toledo’s crime stats offer a glimpse of two very different realities, page 14

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SAVING GRACE

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Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Public triumphs counterbalance deep concerns about loved ones. After the 8th you’ll know what can be preserved and healed. Diverse possibilities are available after the 9th — a big picture perspective ensures good picks.

Gemini (May 21-June 21)

Tough choices about work, income and property require inspired thinking on the 5th-6th. The future is uncertain — seek wise counselors over the weekend. Prospects brighten after the 9th. Make necessary sacriﬁces and move forward with conﬁdence.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Major lifestyle and career changes are at hand, delivering fresh landscapes after the new moon. Distant friends share important news on the 910th. Help and sympathy shared during tough times strengthen bonds of love and respect.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Children and friends start new chapters in their lives; progress for you will be found through avid networking on the 5th-6th. Invent new ways to market yourself on the 8th-9th. A unique approach ﬁres interest on the 10th; plum opportunities are ripe for the picking.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Lightning-fast shifts in expectations leave you gasping on the 5th-7th — what is up with these people? Make solid course corrections after the 8th, when a wider spectrum of solutions (and attitudes) is revealed. A good partner makes magic with you on the 10th.

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STEAM PLANT CONTROVERSY

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Libra (September 23-October 22) You’ve arrived at the crossroads of past and future: irrepressible hope and an ironclad will are your winning game plan. Do not yield to confusion or distraction on the 7th, as the 8th-9th solidify your best opportunities. Good news accelerates your pace on the 10th. Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Accept what must be, as inevitable events conﬁrm your predictions on the 5th-6th. Tentative ideas or private projects gain momentum and visibility. The new moon initiates a fresh partnership cycle — you’re drawn to a dedicated achiever with clout on the 10th. Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Realities put the squeeze on pet projects, but buoyant enthusiasm and sheer genius turn a tailspin into a triumph. Take the licks and tweak the knobs over the weekend; your charm and wit massage possibilities into solid offers after the 9th. Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Touchy topics snarl to life on the 5th-6th — you need to be a counselor, diplomat and negotiator to prevent rampant stupidity. Take a rest over the weekend, as a new round of discussions with nearest and dearest start on the 9th. Aquarius (January 20-February 18) Release the good old days; the good news days are at hand! Manage schedule changes with cautious savvy so long-term goals remain intact. Seek lighthearted fun and entertainment after the 9th. Call old friends and arrange a pow-wow & pot luck. Pisces (February 19-March 20) New priorities may clash with the old as the weekend arrives. Stale corners (social life? romance?) will respond to a creative approach on the 7th-8th. Reconnect with family after the 9th — catching up with news overwhelms you with emotional highs and lows from the 9th-11th.

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

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Sally Hampton does not.

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Compiled by Vicki L. Kroll

47 Candied, in cookery 50 Rickman of “Galaxy Quest’’ 51 Nicolas Cage film of ’97 52 Novel flubs 55 Advantages 56 Polite bloke 57 In midvoyage 59 Cruise stopover, perhaps 61 Shorten to fit, perhaps 62 Parched 63 Place for a knot 65 Setting for “Newhart’’ 66 Feel unwell 67 Hen’s task

contraction 24 Ones of a kind? 25 City near Lake Tahoe 27 Bounding gait 28 The recently fired hit it 29 Words with “the line’’ or “an era’’ 30 Rupee part 31 Store secretly 32 Watergate figure 33 Barely making (with “out’’) 37 Kitchen extension? 39 Word in many college names 41 It may be hatched 42 Type of log 45 1996 Greg Kinnear film

Aries (March 21-April 19) Harness skills and talents to surge past obstacles on the 5-6th; safety and security are top priorities. The weekend has a Chinese ﬁre-drill vibe — fast paced confusion until Sunday night. Growing resources and allies transform you into a lean efﬁciency machine on the 9th-10th.

“WATCH YOUR STEP” by Mark Milhet ��

May 5 - May 12, 2005

Notes: Finger of Destiny and T-square conﬁgurations on the 6th; Astrological events: New Moon in Taurus on the 8th. Venus enters Gemini on the 9th.

Universal Crossword

(Editors: For editorial questions, contact Amy Harding, webmaster@upuzzles.com.)

43 One type of poll 44 Administered medicine 46 Pistol May 4, 2005 projectile 48 Hudson Bay prov. 49 STEP UP 53 Luminous topper 54 Warm, in

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May 4, 2005

MUSIC

May 4, 2005 Puzzle answers from page 25

Ramona Collins loves it live on latest CD By Scott Lemerand Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Ramona Collins has been a staple on the Toledo jazz and blues scene for years and now music lovers can listen to her any time with her new CD, “Live and Lovin’ It.” “When you’re playing live it’s spontaneous. The studio tends to be more sterile. In the studio any mistakes you make are going to be erased,” she said. Collins said she loves the inventiveness of playing in front of an audience and prefers to have few restrictions. She said she uses a set list only when playing for a speciﬁc amount of time: “Other than that I wing it. I read the room and I see what the vibe is in the room.”

She adds comedy to her performances to bring a fun vibe to the house. “I learned a long time ago to think quickly on my feet and to roll with whatever, and make a good show no matter what happens,” she said. “We can be creative and spontaneous and improvise and all those elements are on this recording,” she said of her and her band. Collins encourages other local musicians to record their material. “There are some people who, for whatever reason, haven’t recorded. I encourage everybody who can to record because if you don’t when you leave this earth your music leaves with you,” she said. “The technology has made it possible for a lot of us independents to be heard. You just

have to get out there and make it happen.” Collins is positive about the local music scene and said thinking about the future is what has kept her grounded here. “Everybody is local somewhere,” she said. “I’ve met some great musicians here and have great friends.” It is these thoughts that have Collins envisioning a place for musicians and friends. “I see me as being one of those singers that ends up owning a jazz club. That is what I can contribute to the community in terms of where musicians can come and feel at home,” she said. “I believe that if you have a club where the musicians come because they feel comfortable, people will come because they’ll never know who is going to be there.”

Coming next week: Toledo Free Press photo by DM Stanﬁeld

CLASSIFIED ADS

■ Community Drop Back In program offers adult education

To place your classiﬁed ad, call (419) 241-8500. CONSTRUCTION NEW EXTERIOR CHIPBOARD 5’ X 12’ $12.50 White available $13.75 All are 3/4 inch Call Today Tim Striff (419) 957-4555 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 FENCES, DECKS & MORE We install decks, railings, steps, privacy, picket and split rail fences. Deck & fence repair, restoration & power washing. Free estimates. Call (419) 380-9192 AARDVARK Handyman! Baths, carpentry, painting, porches, etc. 36 years experience. References avail. (419) 874-4819 PAINTING CUSTOM COATINGS Interior & exterior painting. Deck cleaning & reﬁnishing. Aluminum siding spray coating. Wall papering & removal. Free estimates. CALL (419) 514-8275 R & H POWERWASH Powerwash & Painting Interior/Exterior. Free Estimates. Call (419) 726-4872 ELECTRICAL REAL BRIGHT ELECTRIC All wiring services avail. Licensed & insured. Free Estimates. Call (419) 870-1730

CLEANING SERVICES MOTHER & DAUGHTER HOME & OFFICE CLEANING SERVICE 15-yrs. experience. Free estimates. Call Debbie (419) 283-0265 Or (419) 242-8227 THE FRENCH MAID Residential cleaning service. 100% high quality. Free estimates. (419) 873-0400 RENT A MAID Affordable cleaning. Free estimates. Call (419) 290-9653 SERVICES SIMPLE SOLUTIONS DRIVEWAY SEALING Blacktop Resurfacing. Quality Guaranteed. Starting at $34.99 Call: (419) 260-1417 SHARPENING SERVICES Mancillas Sharpening Saws - Scissors - Shears Carbide Blades - Knives Lawn & Garden Tools Almost anything with an edge! Call Gilbert Mancillas (419) 283-0685 A ROLL-OFF DUMPSTER Save $$$$ (419) 666-6600 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 cu. yd. Call today!! HAULING SERVICES Hauler available 7 days a wk. Haul anything! Will beat all estimates! Call (419) 699-5645 M & M INVESTIGATIONS And SECURITY Residential. Commercial. Industrial. Onsite security guards & marked vehicle patrols. Lowest rates in the state! Call Now! (419) 237-2942 www.angelﬁre.com/oh5/ mminvestigations

LANDSCAPE SIMPLE SOLUTIONS LAWNCARE Mowing, mulching, landscaping. Professional & affordable. Discounts available. Call (419) 260-1417 VAUGHN’S TREE SERVICE Tree removal by bucket. Tree topping, trimming, pruning. Lot clearing. Licensed & Insured. Free estimates. (419) 466-9632 AUTOMOBILES 1990 HONDA ACCORD 2-dr. LX Sport, Automatic, 4cyl., runs excellent. Good condition. Small dent driver’s door. AM/FM/Cass. 157K mi. $1,600 OBO. Call (419) 691-7817 MISCELLANEOUS MIS TICKETS WANTED MIS Inﬁeld campsite wanted. June &/or August races. Personal usage. (330) 494-6001 douglasautobody@yahoo.com FATHER & SONS FLEA MARKET 5101 Dorr St. (419) 536-0065 Tues - Sat 10-6. Sunday 12-6 Closed Monday. Stop in — we have a little of everything! GARAGE SALE ST. JOHN’S H. S. MOTHERS CLUB SALE 5901 Airport Highway (at Holland Sylvania) MAY 7th 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! REAL ESTATE DOWNTOWN CONDO FOR SALE 2 BR/2 Bath w/2.5 car garage! Stainless steel appliances. Walk to Erie Street Market. 7-year tax abatement. 100 S. Huron Only $149,900. Call: (419) 345-7782

■ Arts & Life Celebrating 40 years of UT theater

■ Sports Prep athletes and league statistics

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. FOR RENT ST. CLAIR VILLAGE Spacious loft apartment 2 bedrm/1.5 bath Walk-in closets, Open ﬂoorplan, exposed brick. Elevator, W/D hook-ups, & common laundry Near St. Clair Village shops, galleries and 5/3 Field. No Pets. Avail now. 1st mo. free with deposit and 12-mo. lease. Refs & Proof of employment required. Call (419) 255-7100 LARGE 2-BR. DUPLEX Sylvania/Jackman area. Updated inside. Basement. Garage. Appliances. $595/month. Call (419) 407-4653 EMPLOYMENT PISANOELLO’S in PEMBERVILLE Hiring drivers and inside help. Must be available on weekends. Apply in person. 165 Bierley Ave. Pemberville, Ohio EXPERIENCE WORKS Job Placement If you are 55 or older, with limited income, we may have the training and employment opportunities that are just right for you. Call Experience Works 1-877-496-6439 or 419-255-7102 A national nonproﬁt organization. EEO/AA COOKS, SERVERS & BARTENDERS Melaina’s Food & Spirits is now accepting applications for cooks, servers & bartenders. Apply in person 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. 1801 N. McCord (In McCord Marketplace) FOR SALE Chocolate Lab, 2 years old, spayed, has all shots, some training, house broken $50 Call Don (419) 697-2233.

ET CETERA

PARTING SHOT

“Be prepared.” That’s the Boy Scout motto, and I suppose it’s scout training that compels me to keep a camera in the seat next to me, ready for action. When the opportunity presented itself last Wednesday along Sylvania Avenue, I was ready. Fortunately, no trafﬁc was present, so it was safe to stop along the road and snap a shot of a wild pheasant. I was somewhat surprised when I viewed the photo to see the contrast between the colorful fowl and the relatively colorless ﬁeld. Technical information: this picture was taken at 640/sec, ISO1600, f/7.1 and 300mm with a Canon Digital Rebel.

DM Stanﬁeld is Toledo Free Press Photo Editor. He may be contacted at dmstanﬁeld@toledofreepress.com.

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Annual Tuition & Fees

Chalk it up to real-world experience. Teaching in an average class size of just 15 students, Owens Community College faculty provide expert instruction and personal attention to help you excel in a wide range of quality programs.

$16,529

Join the more than 44,000 students who earn an affordable, quality education at Northwest Ohio’s #1 Choice.

$7,610 $2,660

Four-Year Private Colleges and Universities*

Doug Cook, Math/Science Professor 30 years of service

Four-Year Public Universities*

*Average Northwest Ohio cost for a full-time, in-state freshman student. Source: Bursar’s and Admission ofﬁces of respective colleges and universities for the 2004-2005 academic year.

Take advantage of all that Owens offers you: • Unmatched affordability • Over 160 program areas • Seamless course transferability • Convenient, on-campus parking Classes begin May 31 and June 6.

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