Toledo Free Press – Jan. 8, 2012 by Toledo Free Press

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Make the change Dr. Oz offers tips for Toledoans looking to live a healthier life. Interview by Sarah Ottney, Page A13

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JANUARY 8, 2012

OPINION

JANUARY 8, 2012

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LIGHTING THE FUSE

PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

Licked

President McNamara T T

living people, it is, in a decision that illustrates the wisdom guiding the organization, asking the public to help choose who could be honored. Get your portrait ready, Larry the Cable Guy! hanks to the U.S. Postal Service, 22 years after MacAccording to a news release, “The Postal Service is Donald sang that lyric on the Timbuk3 song “Standropping a rule that currently requires an individual to dard White Jesus,” you no longer have to. Of all the honors American society and culture can be- have been deceased at least five years before being honored stow — hosting “Saturday Night Live,” being parodied by on a stamp. Under the new guidelines, living or recently deceased individuals will be eligible for com“Weird Al” Yankovic, providing a voice for a memoration on postage stamps.” “Simpsons” character, being mentioned in a Can’t wait to see the many costumes of David Letterman Top 10 list, marrying a KarLady Gaga immortalized! dashian — having one’s image on a postage “This change will enable us to pay tribute stamp is the greatest; but until now, it could to individuals for their achievements while only happen after one assumed room temthey are still alive to enjoy the honor,” said perature and could not enjoy it. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in a The policy does make sense. Imagine if news release. “These remarkable individuals there had been an early 2011 unveiling of — through their transformative achieve“The Coaches of Penn State” stamp series, ments in their respective fields — have made featuring Joe Paterno, Jerry Sandusky and Mike McQueary. Those stamps would not Michael S. MILLER enduring contributions to America. Honhave graced many Christmas cards by year’s end. The Big oring living individuals expands the interest in stamp topics Ten Football Conference, which encompasses 12 teams, and keeps our program timely, relevant and contemporary.” Remember when the public voted on which image learned that lesson this year when it had to strip Paterno’s of Elvis Presley should be on a stamp? There was young, name from its inaugural championship trophy. By waiting until people are long dead before placing them healthy, sexy, skinny Elvis, and older, unskinny Elvis. Could on a stamp or money, you have a reasonable shot at making a similar choice soon face Oprah fans? Stephen Kearney, executive director of stamp services for sure you know enough about them to avoid such an embarrassing scenario. That doesn’t mean the occasional revela- the postal service, was quoted as saying, “Engaging the public tion won’t surface, but we tend to forgive the dead when we to offer their ideas is an innovative way to expand interest in discover they endorsed documents espousing equality while stamps and the popular hobby of collecting them. We are inviting our customers to submit the top five living individuals owning slaves and fathering children with those slaves. William Porter recently wrote in The Denver Post that, they would like to see on stamps through Facebook.” Some of the suggestions people have posted include “When Arapahoe County’s former sheriff was recently arrested and charged with dealing methamphetamine, much Michael Jackson, who would qualify in a few years anyway was made of the fact that he was jailed, orange prisoner jump- (ditto Steve Jobs and Elizabeth Taylor); peace-loving Billy suit and all, in a building named in his honor. This was not Graham (who was nominated by the same person who only humiliating for a man once named national Sheriff of nominated violence-loving Clint Eastwood); Dolly Parton, the Year. It also posed a serious public-relations problem for who would require two stamps to illustrate the bounty of the county he once served: What do you do when the Patrick her wigs; Ellen DeGeneres, who would have a field day with J. Sullivan Jr. Detention Facility houses Patrick J. Sullivan Jr.?” tongue and licking jokes; Bill Clinton, who would have a field day with tongue and licking jokes; Harrison Ford, who Ouch. Death and time also provide context for notoriety and has technically been on a stamp with the Han Solo portrait achievement. Fame can rise, burn bright and disappear faster in the “Star Wars” stamps; Bill Cosby; Madonna; Barack than you can say “Yahoo Serious.” Or “Crocodile Dundee.” Obama; Bob Dylan; Stephen Hawking; and Jesus Christ (the nominating person wrote on Facebook, “I really want Or “Mark Fidrych.” Or “Snooki.” Or “Carty Finkbeiner.” Still, imagine the fun to be had if you could be on a stamp to be able to send letters with Jesus Christ stamps. He even while still alive! You could carry a postage stamp in your fits both profiles of being deceased, yet is still alive!”) As no human being is perfect, no human being is bewallet as ID to impress snooty maitre d’s, and being on a yond making a legacy-shattering mistake. Changing the stamp would be one of the greatest pickup lines ever. There must be a thousand variations on “signed, sealed, USPS policy to allow living human beings on stamps is delivered,” “return to sender,” “you send me” and “I bet risky, but the conundrum of human nature in all its falyou’ve licked me before” a person could smoothly invoke libility is an issue that will most likely never be licked. ✯ while brandishing a stamp with his or her face on it. Someone on high must agree, because starting this year, Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Tothe U.S. Postal Service is not only opening its stamps to ledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com. “Everyone wants to be on a postage stamp, but nobody wants to die.” — Pat MacDonald

oledo City Council rang in the new year on Jan. 3 with a unanimous vote naming Joe McNamara as Council president. While the vote may reflect how hard McNamara pushed for the job as much as it does the trust and support of his colleagues, it is nonetheless a welcome decision and another small step in turning around Toledo’s fortunes. In my limited interactions with McNamara, I have found him to be thoughtful, moderate, sincere and a big-picture thinker in his concerns for Thomas F. POUNDS Toledo and its citizens. While he will guide Council through an era of exciting growth, thanks to investments by Chrysler, Penn National Gaming and the promising, albeit untested, Dashing Pacific, McNamara and his elected peers also face great challenges: the city budget, the administration of Mayor Mike Bell seeking additional water rate increases, factfinding reports and union contracts, the deteriorating roads and city infrastructure, dwindling numbers of safety forces and the effort to pass the “temporary” 3/4 percent income tax. McNamara shows potential for great bridge-building and leadership, but there are questions. Can he work with the mayor when necessary but also say “no” when he needs to? And can he encourage a majority of Council to follow his lead? Will he be able to keep in mind that the needs of district Council members are different than those of at-large members; at times, the atlarge members see the bigger picture but do not always take into consideration the additional challenges district members face. When previous Council President Wilma Brown was a district Council member, she had insight into that because she handled constituent issues on a daily basis. While the mixture of at-large and district Council members was designed to create balance, how balanced Council is depends in large part on the leadership of its president and how the different priorities are addressed. ✯ Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC, Vol. 8, No. 2. Established 2005. EDITORIAL Mary Ann Stearns, Design Editor mastearns@toledofreepress.com James A. Molnar, Lead Designer jmolnar@toledofreepress.com Sarah Ottney, Special Sections Editor sottney@toledofreepress.com

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DECISION 2012

OPINION

JANUARY 8, 2012

DON LEE

After Iowa

he 2012 presidential cam- Tea Party Caucus. Her campaign looked prompaign season officially kicked off Jan. 3 with the ising last summer, as she was contested Iowa caucus. This year’s able to win the Ames Straw Poll, caucus was the closest for the Re- but candidates like Newt Gingrich quickly began publicans in its histo overshadow her tory. Former Massain the polls. In late chusetts governor and December, her Iowa alleged front-runner state chairman Kent Mitt Romney beat Sorenson resigned former Pennsylvania from her campaign Sen. Rick Santorum to join Ron Paul’s, by the incredibly slim a move she claimed margin of eight votes. was for monetary Both Romney and Sanpurposes. Ultimately, torum were able to get Ben OSBURN Bachmann was not 25 percent of the vote, but Romney’s 30,015 vote count able to rebound and finished with 5 percent of the Iowa vote. She sustopped Santorum’s 30,007. There were many surprises pended her campaign the next day. throughout the night. Perhaps the Texas governor Rick Perry and biggest surprise was Santorum’s former Speaker of the House Newt surge in the polls. The final Des Gingrich also ended up with disMoines Register poll taken in late De- appointing results, finishing with cember put him at 15 percent, with a two delegates each. One large question is whether 5-point margin of error. Romney’s narrow win can even Santorum be considered spent the most a success for time of any his campaign; of the candithe answer dates in Iowa, contains elevisiting all 99 ments of both counties at least yes and no. once. He was Romney finable to almost ished with win with the ROMNEY SANTORUM the same perleast amount centage of the of money in his campaign chest, a little over $1 mil- votes in Iowa that he did in 2008; lion. He scored very well with both 25 percent. In a race in which the tea party conservatives and evangeli- GOP field seems weak to many, cals, which together represent a large Romney should have fared much portion of the electorate in Iowa. better, especially given his frontThirty-two percent of Iowan evan- runner status. His weak performance could gelicals voted for Santorum, almost mean that conservatives just do not double than voted for Ron Paul. Many politicos relate Santo- view him as conservative enough, rum’s 2012 finish to that of Mike and they still want their “antiHuckabee’s in 2008. True followers Romney” candidate. However, the might want to shy away from this, fact that Romney spent little time however, as Huckabee was not able in Iowa compared to the other to finish in the top two in the last candidates and was still able to cycle. Santorum’s win equates to win could mean that he has a solid seven delegates for him going into Republican base. According to enNew Hampshire. It remains to be trance polls, what Iowans agreed on seen how well he will do there, is that Romney is the best candidate where Romney is winning with 40 to beat Obama and the best one to fix the economy. Above all, this percent of the vote. Perhaps the most surprising dis- statistic should give the Romney appointment of the night was the campaign peace of mind going into performance of Michele Bachmann. New Hampshire. ✯ Bachmann, a Minnesota congresswoman, was born and raised in Columnist Benjamin Osburn is a Waterloo, Iowa. Bachmann is a one graduate student in political science of the central voices of the tea party at the University of Toledo. Email him movement and even co-founded the at letters@toledofreepress.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Berry column offered distortions, not facts TO THE EDITOR, In the Jan. 1 opinion column by Thomas Berry (“Defeat eliminated cost-cutting tool”), I found several discrepancies with the interpretation of Senate Bill 5 and its implications for public employees. However, these were inconsequential in comparison to his premises, which appear as facts but in actuality are inaccurate and extremely deceptive. I refer specifically to “That’s what happened following the Bush tax cut of 2003 — tax rates were reduced and taxable income grew such that the federal deficit was cut in half from 2004 through 2007.” Reporting “the federal deficit was cut in half from 2004 through 2007” continues to hide the facts behind deceptive rhetoric. In actuality, it is a gross distortion of the facts. Even though there were reports from the White House of decreased federal deficits, these reports did not represent the entire picture of our economy and debt. These “deficit facts” referred only to domestic debt. The decrease in domestic spending was due to allocated funds not being distributed and presidential signing statements that subverted the intent of legislation. These included decreased distributions to approved programs for education, infrastructure investments, national parks, the Justice Department, the FDA, welfare, Medicaid and the EPA, just to numerate a few. These debt reductions claims did not include foreign debt or the costs of our two wars in the Middle East. If Berry’s “facts” were accepted as printed, it would mean we added more than $5.2 trillion to our debt in

2008. The reading public deserves the facts about our “total” national debt. When G.W. Bush took office in 2000, we had a national debt of $5.6 trillion with projected decreases of more than $400 billion a year. The day he left office, the “total” national debt was $10.8 trillion on its way to adding more than $1 trillion of debt a year for years to come. This additional debt is due to the modern depression that we are just beginning to come out of today. The facts show that we added between $200 and $850 billion in debt annually during G.W. Bush’s eight years, with an average of $650 billion per year. These figures do not include the total debt through his 2008 budget year that expired on September 30, 2009; $11.9 trillion according to the debt clock. Out citizens deserve the facts about our accumulated debt, not reiterated deceptive distortions. TIM PORTER, Sylvania Author of “The Façade Presidency

Submit a letter Letters to the editor are welcome and encouraged. Letters should generally be fewer than 400 words and may be edited for length and content. To submit a letter to the editor, email your text to letters@toledofreepress.com, fax it to (419) 241-8828 or mail it to Letters to the Editor, Toledo Free Press, 605 Monroe St., Toledo, OH 43604.

OPINION

JANUARY 8, 2012

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COMMUNITY

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POLITICS

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TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY JAN. 3 TO INSTALL JOE MCNAMARA AS PRESIDENT. IT WILL BE HIS SECOND TIME HOLDING THE OFFICE.

City Council President McNamara reflects on politics, father’s legacy By Caitlin McGlade TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

A black binder, a couple of inches thick, is a mainstay on Councilman Joe McNamara’s desk at home. But this is no ordinary binder. Graying campaign literature, yellowed newspaper clippings and typewritten campaign advice are bound together between its worn flaps. The pages stack atop each other like the thinning guts of a library book that has lived through decades of use. This is a relic of 1978. A handbook Dan McNamara — Joe’s father — relied on during his campaign for county auditor. And it is the foundation upon which the recently elected president of City Council has grown. McNamara was 6 years old when his father died. The then county auditor was driving Joe to see the movie “The Golden Seal” when another car’s tire was flung off its axle, soared through the

McNamara’s windshield and killed him. That was 1983. But Dan McNamara is still guiding his son today, whether through the pages in that binder, through campaign trail memories or simply through Joe’s visions of playing in leaf piles alongside his father. His father was a Republican. Joe is a Democrat. But he senses a parallel set of core beliefs and love of public service that has lasted through the decades. Becoming more transparent to taxpayers was a major goal for both of them. In the 1980s for Dan, that meant getting better copy machines and having public records more easily available. Today, that means leading the effort to post City Council meetings on an Internet server, for which McNamara can take credit. “When I read [the 1978 campaign manual] for the first time, I felt a very strong connection to my dad and what he believes,” McNamara said. “The desire to serve the public to the best of your ability is universal and is apolitical.”

That desire pulled McNamara into politics in 2006, dragged him through a devastating recession, lured him to run for an Ohio Senate position and planted him in the Council president seat twice. He has now been on Council longer than most other members. McNamara’s career began as an attorney with a heavy emphasis on election law, having graduated from the University of Michigan and the New York University School of Law. He served as trustee of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library and as a board member of the Greater Toledo Urban League before he joined City Council. He said he always had an inkling that he wanted to follow his father’s lead into politics. Council unanimously elected McNamara president during Tuesday’s meeting. This means a pressing schedule of bridging communication between the mayor’s office and Council members, setting the agenda for meetings, maintaining office hours and representing the city if the mayor is unable. ■ McNAMARA CONTINUES ON A7

COMMUNITY

■ McNAMARA CONTINUED FROM A6 And, of course, guiding Council members into a majority decision — a task that can feel like “herding cats,” as Councilman Rob Ludeman, (R) fondly described it. Ludeman was council president from January 2006 to August 2007. He said the unanimous vote in favor of McNamara is a testament to the Council’s trust that McNamara has and will continue to work across party lines.

Bipartisanship McNamara has learned the meaning of bipartisanship during his six-year experience on Council, he said. The economic downturn only made that more crucial. Income tax collections were at their highest in 2007, totaling about $169 million. But just a year later — when the economy soured — collections dropped by more than 10 percent, only to continue sinking by almost another 10 percent in 2009. A “necessary evil” step that he led was to propose that budget allocations be made more fluid in times of deep economic strife. The original formula is that one third of city income taxes goes toward police and fire, another third goes toward the general fund and the last third goes toward capital improvements such as maintaining roads. In the past, voters

have approved moving money from the capital improvement fund to the general fund. McNamara said he knows this is not a permanent solution because it means less infrastructure maintenance, but that he’s pushing for voters to approve the measure again in March. Income tax collection numbers have started to pick up since 2010, and the city projects about $154 million in revenue from city income taxes for 2012. McNamara said he thinks there will soon be money to fill the gap. But there is an inescapable challenge looming. “The bottom line is that the gains we’ve made in income tax were taken away because of Gov. Kasich’s decision to cut local government funding,” he said. Local government funding from the state has shrunk to $12.9 million compared to $17.9 million in 2008. Balancing the budget is probably Toledo’s biggest hurdle, McNamara said. Doing so is forcing him to compromise — a balanced budget won’t be possible without union concessions in the near future, he said. “That’s a hard thing to say being a pro-labor Democrat.” Wilma Brown, the most recent Council president, said those compromises are the toughest part of the president’s role. She said she herself presided over a decision she didn’t

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TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY CAITLIN MCGLADE

JANUARY 8, 2012

■

JOE MCNAMARA WITH THE BINDER OF MATERIALS FROM HIS FATHER’S DAYS AS LUCAS COUNTY AUDITOR.

want to make, but was necessary given the budget. Under Brown, Council voted to decrease benefits and pay to union employees in unilateral conces-

sions for the 2010 budget. McNamara voted against that. “No matter what you do, people are not going to understand,” Brown

said. “You have to do the best job that you can but you do have to come home and go to sleep at night.” ■ McNAMARA CONTINUES ON A8

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A8 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS ■ McNAMARA CONTINUED FROM A9 McNamara said he wants Toledo to understand one of his most passionate goals: sustainable energy. One of his proudest accomplishments is authoring legislation to set up a solar field to partially fuel the water treatment plant. The field was completed about a year ago.

Energy policy McNamara also started the Toledo Energy Policy Committee to push for renewable energy sources, which recommended that the city hire staff for Toledo Public Power — an alternative energy-focused committee of utility department employees. Toledo Public Power has one client right now but the goal is to support multiple businesses, not only advocating for clean resources but keeping energy costs low. Holding the presidential seat will have its drawbacks because he has to let go of some of his autonomy in the interest of communicating with Council members and gaining a majority decision, McNamara said. However, his new position gives him more leverage in policy making. “I think honestly it’s going to be good for Mayor [Mike] Bell,” he said. “The mayor has made mistakes. What this job allows me to do is steer us away from making needless mistakes.”

McNamara disagreed with Bell’s outspoken approach to Senate Bill 5, which would have restricted union rights. McNamara said he thought Bell’s public support of the bill was not a good use of the administration’s time and resources given the dire financial problems in the budget and the heavy union influence in Toledo. Mayor Bell said that while the two have disagreed, he thinks the new president will do well because McNamara has always tried to be balanced. “From what I’ve seen he’s always attempted to be fair,” Bell said. Brown and Ludeman both said they think McNamara will fill the position wisely. Brown, who started on City Council in 1997, was re-elected twice and recently stepped down due to term limits, said she has watched McNamara grow. “At one time, he thought he knew the way out of everything,” she said. “He’s mellowed and I think now he understands that there are things we have to do that we might not always want to do.” McNamara had a humbling career experience in 2010, when he ran against and lost to Edna Brown in the primaries for the Ohio Senate District 11 seat. He was City Council president at the time but stepped down to campaign. “I tried it and it didn’t work, so that’s life,” he said. “I think I learned a lot from

that loss. It’s important to take time to learn and be the best you can at the job you’re doing and show the voters you are working hard for them and not just jumping from office to office.” As McNamara prepares for his second term as president, he wills his father’s memory to guide him. Ludeman was friends with McNama-

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shaking hands with women — usually grandmothers or middle-aged voters — and introducing himself. Joe’s job was then to interject and tell them who his dad was and that he hoped he had their support. “Most of the time the women would laugh, pinch my cheek and probably vote for my dad.” ✯

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ra’s father and said he viewed Dan as a “tremendous” auditor. “I think Joe exhibits a lot of the common sense that I remember in his dad,” Ludeman said. Perhaps it all started when McNamara’s father took him on the campaign trail. He said he remembers his father

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LUCAS COUNTY

Former BOE director logged questionable hours By Caitlin McGlade TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

Ben Roberts, the former director of the Lucas County Board of Elections, recorded that he worked eight hours the weekend of Aug. 6 and eight hours the next weekend. He recorded that he worked four hours the weekend of Sept. 17 and two on Sept. 25. A few hours one weekend, a few the next. By the time he resigned in early December, the weekend total from July to December added up to 66 hours. That’s $3,103.98 worth of work on an $85,594 annual salary for 35hour workweeks. But he wasn’t in the office.

Mark Hillard, MD

Building officials confirmed that One Government Center security policy requires everyone who enters the building on weekends to sign in. Toledo Free Press examined the sign-in logs but could not find Roberts’ name recorded on any Saturday or Sunday he reported working. “The reality is that he was not here much,” Deputy Director Dan DeAngelis said. “I got tired of playing the game ‘find the missing director’ because it was a game I had to play often and rarely won.” Roberts told Toledo Free Press that he worked tirelessly — sometimes 80 hours a week — communicating with board members, communicating with the secretary of state’s office, compiling

Victor Ricker, MD

Dennis DeLapp, MD

research, studying the best practices of election law and meeting with media. “With that job, I got up early and I stayed up late,” he said. “There are a lot of things I do on the weekends in which I could be working but not at that building.” DeAngelis said he does a little work at home — such as making a few phone calls or reading over documents — but that he only claims his hours when he is at the office. A Toledo Free Press review showed DeAngelis recorded working four weekend days and signed the building security logs for all of those days. Two logs recorded by two board employees suggest there might have been more hours Roberts was absent.

Tom Billings, MD

Bruce Hillard, MD

Trust the expert, caring hands of Mercy physicians. 4041 Sylvania Avenue Suite 100 Toledo, Ohio 43623 419.472.1124

Welcome! Mercy is pleased to welcome the doctors of West Park Family Physicians to our team. Drs. Billings, DeLapp, Hillard, Hillard and Ricker have joined Mercy Medical Partners, Mercy’s physician group. Learn more about the doctors by visiting mercyweb.org/doctors.

Rita Clark, who resigned this summer after six years on the board, asked employees to document Roberts’ hours. She had stopped in to meet with the director in the mornings only to find him absent. The two employee logs are not comprehensive, but the dates in which both tracked Roberts’ activity correspond with each other. On Sept. 30, for example, both employees recorded that Roberts did not show up in the office at all. His time sheets indicate that he worked seven hours that day. DeAngelis and Clark both said that there is little work to be done outside the office, particularly as the director. Working from home is mostly abnormal, if not impossible, given the duties, Clark said. “I would be surprised,” DeAngelis said. “I am interested to know what his work product was if he was spending all that time at home doing research for this office.” There is no policy about working from home in either the secretary of state’s office or the county’s employee manual. However, many portions of the job description involve working together with the deputy director and managing the staff, assuring that employees are meeting responsibilities. Clark questioned how Roberts could fulfill any of these duties if he wasn’t in the office every day from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or later. “It’s not a typical job,” Roberts said. “I put in many 80-hour weeks that aren’t even recorded on the time sheets.” The Lucas County Commissioners allocate election board member and employee salaries from the general fund. Generally speaking, the commissioners would not investigate such cases because the jurisdiction falls within the Board of Elections, said the Commissioners’ Chief of Staff Bridgette Kabat.

BEN ROBERTS’ BOE ID PHOTO Democratic Board Member Jim Ruvolo said that if he sees substantial evidence that the time sheets were inaccurate, he would seek the prosecutor’s advice on how to proceed. Ron Rothenbuhler, a Democratic board member, said he could not comment on Roberts’ hours. Republican board member Tony DeGidio referred comments to board member Jon Stainbrook, who did not return a call for comment. Kabat said there would be no comment from the commissioners’ office regarding Roberts’ hours. Roberts resigned Dec. 9, writing that rigid partisanship kept him from making positive changes and running an efficient elections board. Clark resigned about a month after Roberts joined the board. She said the office warped from what was once like a big family to a hostile work environment. She had joined the board in June of 2005 and put voter trust at the forefront, she said. “You’re working for the people and at the board of elections, you want everything to go smoothly to make those people proud and give them the confidence that yes, their votes are counted,” Clark said. “It’s the taxpayers’ money that is paying your bills and your payroll and you have to live up to that standard.” ✯

2)6 ( X U

Accepting most health insurance plans.

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To schedule an appointment, call 419.472.1124. Member of Mercy Medical Partners

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COMMUNITY

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JANUARY 8, 2012

Remodelers contribute to economy, housing market By Duane Ramsey TOLEDO FREE PRESS SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER dramsey@toledofreepress.com

Remodeling contractors contribute to the local economy and housing market in addition to the home building and real estate businesses. “Although the housing market is important, I feel that another indicator is the remodeling industry. While new starts are good, so is improving present structures,” said Rick Morel, executive director of the Professional Remodelers Organization (PRO). The organization wants the public to know that the remodeling industry helps the economy and housing market as much as the builders and realtors, Morel said. PRO estimates its 200 members spend about $100 million annually purchasing equipment and supplies from businesses in the community for their projects. “Our membership as a group indicates an increase in activity and inquiries. There has been steady growth in the remodeling business in Northwest Ohio for the past few years. When people are putting money into their homes, they are investing in the future,” Morel said. The organization cited the findings of the BuildFax Remodeling Index for July 2011, which reported that remodeling activity had reached a record high during that month nationwide. The report showed an increase in sales of building materials and number of renovations costing more than $10,000. The Midwest experienced nearly a 5-percent gain month over month, which contributed to an overall increase of 24 percent year

over previous year with steady growth for 21 straight months. David Rumpf is president of PRO organization for 2012 in his second term as president. He is president of David C. Rumpf Remodeling with 30 years of experience as a remodeling contractor. Rumpf said his company remains busy working on a variety of remodeling projects including garages and room additions with foundations, new roofs, patio decks, kitchens and bathrooms. “I believe in this organization. It gave me the opportunity to boost my business. The key is the integrity of the contractor and associate members,” Rumpf said. The remodeling industry gives to the community by providing volunteers to work with Habitat for Humanity, building homes for needy people. Its members also undertake an annual remodeling project called the President’s Project, for someone in need. In 2011, PRO members built a 24by-24 foot addition, valued at $60,000 on the home of Bob and Melanie Garcia of Toledo. It included handicap accessible entries and bathroom for the Garcias’ triplets, two of whom are restricted to wheelchairs. Jason Arnold, owner of Arnold’s Home Improvement, began organizing the project for his neighbors in 2007 when they raised $2,500 for the Garcia family with a golf outing. More than 100 volunteers helped to build the addition and patio deck on the back of their home. Fifty different companies donated food, materials and supplies for the project. PRO supplied the expertise and labor of its members, who volunteered their time for the project. Rumpf ’s com-

pany provided the roof for the addition. The President’s Project for 2012 will involve building a large room addition for a mother, father and daughter with cerebral palsy. Details have not been confirmed so Morel declined to indentify the family. Arnold, who served as president of PRO in 2011, said his company has av-

eraged 10 percent growth in business during each of the past seven years. PRO won the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for small business, while Arnold’s Home Improvements won the award for larger businesses in 2011. Seven other PRO members have won Torch Awards in the past. “We’re continuing to grow in

membership. Each member must be bonded, insured and licensed by the City of Toledo. Homeowners should call us to verify a contractor’s credentials before hiring one,” Morel said. People can contact the Professional Remodelers Organization at (419) 471-0101 or visit the web site www.hireaprotoday.com. ✯

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Howard. T Moriarty Co. Yourr Locally Owned and Operated Source for Contractor Equipment Rental Sales and Service since 1949! We Have Homeowner Friendly Rental Equipment For You “Weekend Warrior’s/Do It Your Selfer’s” Such As Generators, Trenchers, Skid Steers, Mini-Excavators, Pressure Washers, Drain Cleaners, And Small Gas Engine And Electric Dewatering Pumps. We Are A Full Line Servicing Dealer For Stihl Outdoor Power Equipment Such As Chain Saws, Weedeaters, And Leaf Blowers! We Sell A Full Line Of Quality Contractor Supplies, Stop On In And Buy At Contractor Prices!

We are located in Downtown Toledo At the base of the High Level Bridge {The Big Blue Bridge} on the Downtown side!

Safety Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Respritory Protection, Hi-Viz Vests And Clothing, H.D. Rain Gear, And Much, Much More We Offer 24 Hour Emergency Service As Well!

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Open House Sunday, January 22, 1-3 pm 419-381-1313 www.mvcds.org

JANUARY 8, 2012

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COMMUNITY OMBUDSMAN

EAT HEALTHY, SLEEP MORE AND GET MOVING!

Screen Time W What does watching TV or playing video games have to pl do with your child’s health? d Children are spending more time in front o of a screen (screen time) and less time g getting e the 60 minutes of daily exercise the th they need to stay fit and healthy. D o Doctors suggest limiting the time children spe spend watching TV, playing video games or u using computers for reasons other than sch schoolwork to no more than 2 hours per day. Par Parents find themselves so busy these day days, it’s sometimes tempting to use the TV or computer as a babysitter. • Ask a friend or relative to play with the kids while you get your work done. • Team up with family or adult neighbors to spend one day a week supervising play activities for the kids.

And remember: Mercy Children’s Hospital and Kohl’s Department Stores believe that fostering positive behaviors in health and nutrition will help children be healthier and happier. We’ve teamedup to offer parents and other caregivers’ practical advice on raising healthy children. Kohl’s Kids in Action is focused on four valuable steps that are important to better health: good nutrition, increased physical activity, proper water intake and good habits. aan nd go g od ssleep leep le ph abit ab itss. it s.

• No snacks, sugary drinks and fast food during screen time. • Turn off the TV during meals and use that time to discuss the events of the day. • Keep TV sets, DVD players, video games and computers out of children’s bedrooms. • Channel surfing is a sure sign of boredom. It’s time to turn off the TV and get active!

For more information, call Kohl’s Kids in Action at 419-251-1246 or visit us online at kohlskidsinaction.org.

LEARN MORE @

kohlskidsinaction.org

Brandi BARHITE

Tornado victims get surprise gift It has been 19 months since a deadly tornado hit Northwest Ohio. It has been seven months since I talked with the Blank family, who were the focus of a yearlong Toledo Free Press series about the rebuilding process. It has only been a few weeks since I was asked, “How are the Blanks?” The short answer is good. The longer answer is this amazing story. When the Blanks lost their home to the June 5, 2010, tornado, they lost nearly everything inside: furniture, clothes, memorabilia and photos. One of the irreplaceable photos was a framed picture of Ed and Julie Blank from when they got married nearly 18 years ago. The photo was mounted on the wall of their second-floor bedroom, which was blown away in the tornado. But for Christmas, Ed’s son, Eddie, gave them a new photo — and the original. When Eddie and his wife, Michelle, went to get photos taken of her pregnant belly (she’s due any day now), the photographer, Tammy Palmer of Eternity of Memories, had the damaged photo. She had found it in her studio’s yard in Oregon and had kept it since the tornado, Eddie said. It was ripped in half and stuck to Styrofoam; its journey had left it tattered. Eddie took the original photo and put it together the best he could to make a copy. He included that and the original photo in a box for Christmas. “When I opened it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, how did you find this?’ Now we have it sitting on a shelf in our living room,” Julie said. This isn’t the first time their belongings have been found outside of their Millbury neighborhood. In July, their son’s bag with his name in permanent marker was found in Genoa. The best gift, though, has been their new home. Built on the same property where the old one was leveled, the family just celebrated their one-year anniversary of moving in. “Oh yeah, it feels like home. I sometimes forget what the old house looked like,” Julie said. Now it feels even more like home with the photo of their wedding day. ✯

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JANUARY 8, 2012

Memory People offers online dementia support group By Sarah Ottney TOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR sottney@toledofreepress.com

When Ohio resident Rick Phelps was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease at age 57, he was relieved to finally have a name for the frustrating memory lapses he’d been experiencing for several years. “It didn’t surprise me at all,” Phelps said via telephone from his Coshocton County home. “I was relieved actually. It was a weight off my shoulders. At least now I had a diagnosis and something to fight.” Soon after, Phelps turned to online forums for more information, but, because of his short-term memory loss, found message boards with multiple strands of conversation confusing to PHELPS follow. Sometimes he forgot he had posted a question before anyone posted a response. On Thanksgiving 2010, about six months after he was diagnosed, he launched his own site, Memory People. The private Facebook site was designed to offer a space for patients, caregivers, family members, advocates and others affected by dementiarelated diseases to share information, offer support and raise awareness. The group started with four members and now has more than 1,460 members from across the United States and around the world. “It’s just amazing. It just caught on,” Phelps said. “I can’t believe it’s worked out as well as it has.” The original page has since

grown to include a number of spinoff pages, where members can post prayer requests, recipes, crafts, jokes, music, resources, issues specific to women and memorials to loved ones who have died. “Memory People is a godsend!” a member from Oklahoma wrote to Phelps, giving him permission to share the note. “There is always someone on here anytime you want to talk, whether you want to talk about good or bad. Everyone on here understands what we are going thru, and it is a safe site! Thanks again, Rick!” The support of an online community helps because family and friends often don’t understand dementia or are in denial about it, especially when those diagnosed, like Phelps, look young and healthy. “A lot of people think Alzheimer’s means you’re in your 80s, sitting in a nursing home in a wheelchair, and that’s not the case at all,” Phelps said. “I tell people it’s nothing to be ashamed of; it’s a disease that just happens to be a disease of the brain. But so many people — caregivers included — don’t want to talk about it, don’t want to discuss it. It’s this elephant in the room. That doesn’t do any good.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., with someone diagnosed every 69 seconds. There are an estimated 5.4 million people in the U.S., including more than 230,000 Ohioans, living with Alzheimer’s. There are also an estimated 14.9 million unpaid caregivers nationally, including more than 585,000 in Ohio. Although the diagnosis forced Phelps into early retirement from his 24-year law enforcement and EMT career, he has stayed busy. “Time, when you have this dis-

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ease, is your enemy and you have to do things as soon as you can,” Phelps said, who is helped by his wife and a personal assistant. Phelps recently launched a website, www.whileistillcan.net, where he offers a $100 annual subscription to his daily video journals. The video series offers

Nashville, Tenn., singer/songwriter and producer, to record a tribute song, “While I Still Can …,” for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. The song is available on iTunes. To join the Memory People Facebook group, search for “Memory People” and click “Ask To Join Group.” ✯

12 videos per month to provide caregivers, students and others a candid, unscripted look at the day-to-day effects of dementia from a patient’s perspective. Money raised from the videos is put back into Memory People. Phelps has also worked with his longtime friend Dan Mitchell, a

Science AND Faith? Does science support our religious beliefs? Scientists in Congregations Speaker Series

Sylvania UCC’s solar panels

This five-part series will follow the church’s monthly drop-in dinners from January to May 2012. All are welcome to come to the dinners beforehand starting at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. A free-will offering for the dinners will be taken, with proceeds supporting the church’s outreach. The speakers will begin at 7 p.m.

Series dates and topics: January 16:

April 16:

Reading Scripture: The scholarly view, modern criticisms and how the canon came to be.

What does it mean to be a human person? What the Bible says and what modern medicine tells us.

February 20:

May 21:

Our faith, our scriptures and the big bang, stellar evolution and the geological record.

What does it mean to be a member of human society?

March 19:

Marcus Borg, bestselling author and theologian

Our faith, the scriptures and what Darwin and our DNA tell us.

September 28-30:

Please join us for one or all of these informative sessions. The speaker series is made possible by a Scientists in Congregations grant. The grant program, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, calls for a sustained creative collaboration between scientists, science educators and pastors. For more information, contact Sylvania United Church of Christ at 419.882.0048

7240 Erie Street, Sylvania • www.sylvaniaucc.org

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PHOTO AND COVER PHOTO COURTESY SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

JANUARY 8, 2012

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DR. MEHMET OZ, HOST OF “THE DR. OZ SHOW,” DISCUSSES HIS “TRANSFORMATION NATION: MILLION DOLLAR YOU” HEALTH CHALLENGE WITH DR. TOM FRIEDEN, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.

Dr. Oz: New year is opportunity for transformation By Sarah Ottney TOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR sottney@toledofreepress.com

Just as a GPS does not berate your driving mistake but simply advises a U-turn at the next opportunity, Dr. Oz suggests those who overindulged in food or drink over the holidays or let their workout routines lapse simply resolve to do better going forward. “That’s how I think people need to deal with Jan. 1,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Emmy Award-winning host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” during a conference call in December. “It’s not about beating yourself up for making foolish mistakes during the holidays. It’s a time of reinvention, revisiting the things you want to do in your life and then committing to them.” Each January, millions of people set health goals for the new year and are motivated to make major changes, Oz said. To help viewers achieve their goals,

Oz recently launched a new health initiative, “Dr. Oz’s Transformation Nation: Million Dollar You.” The free, seven-part customizable program is designed to provide people with organizational tools to help them work through goals like losing weight, eating healthier, sleeping better or managing anxiety. More than half a million people have signed up so far, Oz said. The seven steps, which can be completed in any order, are: ✯ Tell a friend ✯ Official weigh-in ✯ Official body-mass index ✯ Learn your family’s health history ✯ Get more sleep ✯ Assess your stress ✯ Start new fitness habits Oz, a practicing surgeon, said he is interested in the psychology of change and what holds people back from doing what they want to do. “As a physician, I spend a lot of my time giving you the facts, but the facts

don’t change the way people act,” Oz said. “People never change based on what they know by themselves. They change based on how they feel. TV gets you to feel differently about a process. Now you have confidence you can make it happen. You partner that up with specific plans, which is what we tried to do. Then you’ll have a recipe for successful change, including weight loss.” To participate in “Transformation Nation,” visit sharecare.doctoroz.com and create a free account. A free initial weigh-in is available through Feb. 26 from Weight Watchers, a partner in the initiative. Participants 18 or older who complete all seven steps and also meet the specific health goals outlined on the website will be eligible to win $1 million and be featured on “The Dr. Oz Show” in May. The winner will be the contestant voted by the public to be most transformed and inspirational. Oz said two mistakes people make when making New Year’s resolutions

are not being specific enough and not holding themselves accountable. That’s why telling a friend about your goal is one of the required steps. “Set a goal that is unambiguous. I’m going to lose 7 pounds by this month or by my birthday,” Oz said. “And tell people publicly you’re doing it. Better yet, if you partner with one or two of them so they can help you in your darker times, that will allow you to succeed at a much greater rate than people who don’t do those two things.”

Starting small Starting small is a great strategy, said Brenda Bal, a nurse educator with Mercy Health Partners’ Mercy Weight Management Center. Multiple, short bouts of exercise can be just as effective as one long session, Bal said. “It can seem overwhelming to block out 30 minutes, but you can do three, 10-minute sessions throughout the day and it’s just as effective and can fit into your ev-

eryday routine,” Bal said. Oz’s website includes workout videos as short as seven minutes. Keeping an exercise or nutrition journal is also helpful, Bal said. “Any behavior you track with records, you are going to improve upon,” Bal said. “It adds an extra layer of accountability and also serves as a road map so you can evaluate how you’ve been doing.” At first, it’s better to focus on behavioral changes than physical improvements, Oz said. “I think a lot of people get very caught up on numbers when they make their New Year’s resolutions,” Oz said. “I don’t think you should listen to your heartbeat as much as you should listen to your heart. Find the places where you need to grow emotionally. Find the places that will take you to a new height and so you’re proud of what you’re engaged in doing.” ■ DR. OZ CONTINUES ON A14

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“

The biggest choices have to be done at the supermarket, not at home. Once the food gets home, you’re done. It’s going to get eaten.” — Dr. Oz ■ DR. OZ CONTINUED FROM A13 Goals should be realistic, said Kerry Weipert, director of fitness and wellness for ProMedica’s Wildwood Athletic Club. “If you’re not a morning person, don’t set your goal to get up at 5 a.m. and work out daily,” Weipert said. “Set yourself up for success.” The key to changing behavior is to make healthy choices easier than unhealthy choices, Oz said. “The human brain is not designed to continually think through new ways of figuring out how to live your life. That’s

food option is available, you are going to avoid it or eat smaller portions.” Those who are most successful at maintaining long-term weight loss eat breakfast, eat frequently to stay ahead of hunger, watch less than 10 hours of TV per week, and weigh themselves regularly, Bal said. “To manage weight in our (American) culture is really a skill and we help people acquire those skills they can take with them and use for the rest

JANUARY 8, 2012 of their lives,” Bal said. “Whether you have 10 pounds to over 200 pounds to lose, we can help.” It’s good to remember transformative change doesn’t happen overnight, Weipert said. “We recommend to think yearround and not just New Year’s, to set up goals and to gradually work into it,” Weipert said. “Nothing really gets accomplished in one day. We like to see people set up lifestyle changes, not just

January or February resolutions.” For more information about “Transformation Nation,” visit www. doctoroz.com. To schedule a free information session with the Mercy Weight Management Center, call (419) 407-3990 or visit mercyweightloss.com. For more information about ProMedica’s Wildwood Athletic Club, call (419) 578-7070 or visit promedica. org/wildwoodathleticclub. ✯

one of the reasons we slip into bad habits,” Oz said. “The biggest choices have to be done at the supermarket, not at home. Once the food gets home, you’re done. It’s going to get eaten.” The Mercy Weight Management Center advises filling up on highvolume, low-caloric density foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low-fat cottage cheese and protein shakes, Bal said. “We want to avoid that sense of deprivation,” Bal said. “Willpower might work some of the time, but one of the key things is feeling full and satisfied. That way if a higher-calorie

Town Center at Levis Commons hosts toy drive The Town Center at Levis Commons is seeking donations of gently used toys for the third annual “Play It Forward Toy Drive.” All donations should be clean, working and have fresh batteries when required. In 2011, the “Play It Forward Toy Drive” collected three box trucks full of toys and distributed them to hundreds of children in the area. “Play It Forward is a simple concept with an extraordinary impact,” said marketing director Casey Pogan. “When functioning and useable toys are thrown out, POGAN they become waste in a landfill, take up a lot of space and do not biodegrade. Adding to this is the fact that many children in our area go without toys, which are instrumental in creativity and imagination development.” Donations can be made in front of the Levis Commons Rave movie theater from noon-5 p.m. Jan. 6 and 7. The Town Center at Levis Commons is located at 3201 Levis Commons Blvd. in Perrysburg. ✯ — Jason Mack

Browning

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Dementia Care

at Swan Creek Retirement Village Providing a safe and supportive environment for your loved one.

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JANUARY 8, 2012

BUSINESS LINK

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TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY JOSEPH HERR

OPINION: THE RETIREMENT GUYS

A tax-free retirement strategy

■

PAT ALTVATER LAUNCHED BIZCONNECT TV IN OCTOBER. THE SERVICE BOASTS 12 HOSTS WHO OFFER BUSINESS TIPS.

BizConnect TV helps small businesses By Emily Tucker TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

Pat Altvater, owner of BizConnect, wants to help local business owners through Toledo BizConnect TV. “I have been preparing for this for a long time,” she said. “I wanted to launch the website at the end of August, but I realized that I needed to step back for a minute and put some structure around what I was doing.” Toledo BizConnect TV launched in October. Altvater said it’s a website that is meant to be a resource for owners of small-to-medium-size businesses looking for tips for “growing their businesses and improving quality of life.” Some of the shows are “Business Cents! Making Sense of the Business World” “Etiquette Essentials” and “Knock Your Blocks Off.” Other classes give tips for marketing, social media and other areas of business. A staff member from Owens Community College does a show about business classes at the college. Alvater said the 12 show hosts are a group of experts from Northwest Ohio who provide tips in a bimonthly show format. Each person provides two shows per month, each around three minutes long. Becky Robinson, owner of 12 Minute Social Media, is one of the show hosts. Her business consists of helping businesses get started with social media. She said someone on Twitter referred her to Altvater, who was looking for a

social media expert. “As a show host, I create a plan for the type of content I want to share,” Robinson said. “At the beginning, I gave [Altvater] topics that would be beneficial to local business owners. Then, I create my videos at home, and Pat edits them.” The website videos are free for anyone to watch, and all shows are archived. Each host has his or her own page. “We are getting some great traffic on the website just in this short time,” she said. “I use Google Analytics to see what are the most popular shows and who is visiting. We have an option where people can opt-in with a name and email address so they can get a newsletter,” she said. “I ask people to send information about what types of info to talk about.” Nov. 17 was Tweet Up, an event where the public was invited to chat with the show hosts. Altvater said this type of event won’t be hosted very often, but it was a chance to celebrate the opening of the website. “It was a chance to see Pat’s vision come to life,” Robinson said. “People walked around and shared resources. It was a busy, happy gathering.” About 40-50 people came to Tweet Up, which was at Calvino’s. Altvater said many of the attendees heard about the event through LinkedIn. Altvater said new channels will be opening up in 2012 for Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor and Indianapolis, Ind. View the Toledo BizConnect TV website at www. toledobizconnecttv.com. ✯

More businesses are banking with Key. Shouldn’t you?

ne of the common ways for an investor to save for retirement is through a traditional IRA or a 401(k). These type of plans usually save money in taxes, both when contributions are made and as the money grows taxdeferred. The account owner pays ordinary income taxes when withdrawals are made after the age of 55 or 59 and a half, depending upon the type of tax-deferred savings account. The idea is to get the tax savings now while earned income is higher and pay a lower rate in retirement when income and tax rates are lower. The problem for many families is that this may not be the case, which is why a 2012 Roth IRA triple split conversion strategy may be a great idea early this year. A Roth IRA is not a new type of retirement savings account. It was originally created under the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. Roth IRA contributions can be made on a yearly basis. Roth IRA conversions involve taking current traditional IRAs and moving them to Roth IRAs. The conversion rules changed in 2005 under the Tax Increase and Reconciliation Prevention Act to allow greater flexibility. The primary advantage to a Roth IRA is that deposits can be withdrawn tax-free after five years from the initial investment and earning can be withdrawn tax-free after five years of initial investment and once the account owner is over the age 59 and a half. A second advantage for retirees who do not need the income from their retirement accounts is that there are no required minimum distributions on the funds in a Roth IRA. The potential disadvantage of a Roth IRA is the account Mark CLAIR Nolan BAKER owner pays the taxes now versus later. A 2012 Roth IRA conversion may be a great strategy. The old practice of getting the tax break now while the investor’s income is higher during working years means that the investor expects to have less taxable income in retirement. In our experience of working with many retirees, during the first 10 years after someone retires, it is not uncommon for them to live off the same if not more income than they had when they were working. The beginning retirement years are a time to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and income needs can be higher. It is not normally until much later in life that people tend to slow down and spend less. Having potentially tax-free Roth IRA money to complement Social Security and other income can be a better solution than having only tax-deferred fully taxable accounts. The second potential flaw in the old philosophy is that low current tax rates could rise substantially in the future, making Roth IRA conversion even more appealing this year. The current Bush-era tax extensions are set to expire at the end of 2012 and America has a massive debt problem the government has to deal with. Future tax rates can only be higher, lower, or the same. If an investor feels that tax rates will be higher for their family, they should consider a Roth IRA conversion before the tax rates change. Doing Roth IRA conversion analysis early this year makes even more sense because of the current recharacterization rules. Using these rules, an investor can convert money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA this year and wait and see how the investments perform before deciding to pay the taxes next year. If the investments go up in value, the profits would be considered tax-free if the rules are followed. If the investor waited and left the money in the traditional retirement account and the investments go up in value, the entire value of the account, including the profits, would be taxable later when a conversion or a withdrawal is made. If the conversion is done and the investments go down in value, the recharacterization rules allow the investor to cancel the conversion and avoid paying taxes on a higher starting balance. The deadline for recharacterization this year is Oct. 15; so the sooner the conversion is done the more time an investor has to see if the strategy works out. ✯ For information about The Retirement Guys, visit www.retirementguysradio.com.

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A16 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

JANUARY 8, 2012

OPINION: A VIEW FROM THE GULCH

2012 has got to be better!

hesitate to prognosticate about 2012 if only for the simple reason that those in power are so out of touch that I can’t predict the behavior of irrationality. That being said, I think that there are several things that we can predict with certain level of confidence ... so here goes: The situation in the European Union will only worsen. The central banks are playing a shell game now and eventually Gary L. the game is up. In 2012, at least one and maybe more countries will leave the EU either literally or figuratively. Greece has pretty much left already but will probably make it formal later in the year. The GDP of the United States will be virtually nonexistent for the year. It is almost impossible to have economic growth in an environment where so much money is allocated solely to interest on the national debt. Speaking of national debt, it will be raised a couple of times this year and it will be done very quietly given it is an election year and we don’t want President Obama to look bad. Any increase in the national debt will be deemed Bush’s fault and both parties will let that be the story since neither wants to take responsibility for reducing it. The Federal Reserve will continue to “print” money by the truckload and may be forced to issue debt in a foreign currency. In order for the government to try and maintain its power and control you will see a greater erosion of our rights and liberty in the name of trying to fix the economy. History has shown us that police states, fictitious enemies, a total loss of privacy, capital controls, higher taxes, etc. will all become the normal course of business. More and more human and financial capital will migrate away from these situations and land where they are appreciated and allowed to develop. This will eventually force the entire system to reset and eventually develop properly (Read “Atlas Shrugged”). Changes will take place rather gradually at first and will then accelerate very quickly, and cause radical changes in the pace of decay. History is full of examples of societies that have gone down this path. Rome to the Soviet Union have experienced this decline and what happens is always the same, human and financial

capital leave and don’t come back for a long time. Most recently, Europe has been going through these changes. Look at the speed of decay — for several months all we talked about was Greece, then eventually we started talking about Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain — then we reached a point where we were within RATHBUN hours of a total monetary collapse. Now almost every day something happens in the world that is reported as being a tipping point and an irreversible situation that needs the producers to sacrifice more and more. So, with all of this, one might ask how is it that I am slightly optimistic regarding 2012? I have often said there is nothing I can do about the collective stupidity of government other than figure out how to exploit it to my advantage. The corollary to this is that you can always count on stupid people and organizations to do stupid things. As long as I know what they are going to do, I can take advantage of it. As the situation in Europe gets worse, I can count on the central bankers and the governments to do exactly the wrong thing so I can invest accordingly. I can and will short the euro, I will not buy their bonds, and I will watch where the human and financial capital goes and follow it. The same goes for the United States, as the debt keeps going up along with taxes and increased regulations, I will simply follow the money. There will be economies around the globe that will benefit and that is where I will be. Many American companies are already following this same strategy and we will invest with them. Inflation will start to rear its ugly head and I will look to counteract this with various sectors that benefit: Energy, agriculture and transportation to name a few. Also, precious metals of course, various currencies, and base metals. To fully take advantage of the economic shift that we are in and preserve your capital, you need to be dynamic with your strategies. Buy and hold simply will not work. In 2012 we will need to be very attentive to the movement of the economy to survive and thrive. This is why I am optimistic for 2012. ✯ Gary L. Rathbun is the president and

CEO of Private Wealth Consultants. He can be heard everyday at 4:06 p.m. on After the Bell with Brian Wilson and the

Afternoon Drive, and every Wednesday and Thursday evening at 6 p.m. on Eye on Your Money both on 1370 WSPD.

He can be reached at (419) 8420334 or email him at garyrathbun@ privatewealthconsultants.com.

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My social work professors at UT are counting on me to make a big difference. There are so many people who live with depression, who self-medicate with street drugs and alcohol. People who grew up in squalor and took the only path they saw that seemed to bring success, dealing drugs. I know what it takes to break away from addiction and despair and rebuild from rock bottom, which is often homelessness. I know because that was my life before I got help. Today I’m a full-time student. I’ve spoken to audiences of 200-plus to share my story. Treatment does work, and people do recover. My name is Robert Peace. For information about services in Lucas County call the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board:

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WHEELS

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Automakers report growth

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■ A17

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY DUANE RAMSEY

JANUARY 8, 2012

By Duane Ramsey TOLEDO FREE PRESS SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER dramsey@toledofreepress.com

U.S. automakers reported a second straight year of growth in sales and market share in 2011, according to results reported Jan. 4 by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors Co. Automakers expected U.S. sales to reach 12.8 million vehicles, an increase over the 11.5 million sold in 2010 and 10.4 million in 2009, which was a 30-year low for the industry, reported the Associated Press. ■ SALES CONTINUES ON A18

■

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A18 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS ■ SALES CONTINUED FROM A17 Ford, GM and Chrysler saw their combined share of the U.S. market increase from 45.1 percent in 2010 to 47 percent through November 2011. During the same period, Honda’s share dropped 1.6 percentage points to 9 percent and Toyota’s fell 2.5 percentage points to 12.7 percent, AP reported. GM reported sales of more than 2.5 million vehicles in 2011, a 14 percent increase over sales in 2010. December sales accounted for 81 percent of GM sales in 2011, led by a 54 percent increase in Chevrolet Cruze sales. Ford brand sales in the U.S. increased by 17 percent, surpassing the 2 million vehicle mark for the first time since 2007. Ford Fusion had a record year with 248,067 sold in 2011, more than its previous sales since it was introduced in the 2006 model year. The Chrysler Group reported a U.S. sales increase of 26 percent overall in 2011 while its market share grew 1.3 percent, the largest percentage sales and share gains of any automaker, according to the company. Chrysler sales increased 37 percent in December 2011, marking the 21st consecutive month of year-overyear sales gains and seventh consecutive month of sales gains of at least 20 percent. Jeep brand sales increased 41 percent in December 2011, the best sales month since December 2007. The Jeep Wrangler set a new sales record for the month of December, its seventh consecutive monthly sales record in 2011. The demand for Jeep Wranglers is the reason that workers at the Jeep Supplier Park at the Toledo Assembly Complex have been working 10-hour shifts six days a week in 2011, producing an average of 55 vehicles per hour.

Both Jeep production plants worked one 10-hour shift per day Dec. 27-31 when they are usually idle between the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to Chrysler and the UAW. A number of local ChryslerDodge-Jeep dealers also experienced record sales in 2011. It was a record year for the Yark Automotive Group in Toledo. “We actually had the best volume year in our 30-year history and we think it will continue to get better in 2012,” said John Yark, president of Yark Automotive. He reported that Yark Automotive was fourth in the country and first in the Great Lakes business center in Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep sales in 2011. Yark said that the Toledo area has been one of the best markets for Chrysler and Jeep sales in the country for decades, selling as much as three times the national average for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products in Northwest Ohio. “People want to support Chrysler and Jeep here,” Yark said, reporting that Chrysler employee and supplier business is significant for their dealership. “It’s a great story with the expansion and growth of the Jeep plants here and increase in jobs and quality to make it one of the best manufacturing facilities in the world,” he said. “The loyalty to Jeep in Toledo is unbelievable,” said Denny Amrhein, managing partner of Grogan’s Towne Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Toledo and Charlie’s Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in Maumee. About 90 percent of the business at Grogan’s and 75 percent at Charlie’s comes from Chrysler employees, families and friends, Amrhein said. The Grogan dealership expanded its

showroom when it added the Dodge brand in 2009 and Jeep in 2010. “We had a really good year in 2011 with increases in new and used car sales at both stores. We’re expecting a great year in 2012,” Amrhein said. He reported that 60 percent of the business at Grogan’s is from Ohio and 40 percent from Michigan for the dealership that is lo-

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■ A19

TOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR sottney@toledofreepress.com

Executive Chef Tim Childers of Rockwell’s discovered his passion for the kitchen while working his way through art school as a part-time line cook at Sardinis. Chef Joseph Jacobsen of Dégagé Jazz Café traded his pre-med classes for culinary school because it was more creative. Twin brothers Eric and Eddie Park of Spicy Tuna Sushi Bar & Grill moved across the country to work at family restaurants. The three chefs will be among those whose dishes will be featured Jan. 29 through Feb. 4 during Restaurant Week Toledo. Participating restaurants create special menus priced at $10, $20 or $30 (drinks, taxes and gratuities not included) with a portion of those proceeds donated to nonprofit Leadership Toledo to benefit its youth programs. The event is also meant to showcase the variety of local culinary options and promote dining locally.

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY JOSEPH HERR

By Sarah Ottney

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY SARAH OTTNEY

Restaurant Week chefs share drive, passion for food

Dégagé “My mom would say I’ve always gone into the kitchen and made crazy creations out of whatever I can find in the pantry,” said Dégagé’s Jacobsen, a Lake High School graduate. “I’m a very creative person. I never felt like I could fully explore that in the career field I was in.” Jacobsen planned to become a doctor before deciding to enroll at the world-renowned French Culinary Institute in New York City, where he learned from master chefs, including Jacques Pépin, Jacques Torres and the Food Network’s Bobby Flay. “I’m more of a visual learner than from books so I wanted to jump right in wherever I went,” Jacobsen said. “I wanted to go to JACOBSEN the best place I could find and fully immerse myself in it. [New York was] like going to a different country. You’re constantly on the move. It made me appreciate the quiet times. But it was a huge opportunity. I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Jacobsen said his favorite part of being a chef is the creativity. “A lot of times I’ll just lay in bed at night thinking about what I want to do,” Jacobsen said. “I actually keep a notepad by my bed so if I wake up and think of

■

EXECUTIVE CHEF TIM CHILDERS OF ROCKWELL’S.

something or dream about something, I can write it down right away.” Changing people’s perceptions about food is enjoyable, Jacobsen said. “People think French and they think it’s little dainty plates and fancy sauces and lots of butter, but it doesn’t have to be that,” Jacobsen said. “I like to take things and put a little French twist on them, but they are still familiar.” Jacobsen said his ambition and competitive drive set him apart. “That’s how I’ve always been,” Jacobsen said. “I like to push the envelope a little bit, do things you wouldn’t find anywhere around here. … I’ve sacrificed a lot to get where I am and I’m not done. I never plan on stopping the learning process.”

Rockwell’s Like Jacobsen, Childers of Rockwell’s at the Oliver House didn’t originally plan to be a chef. Then he took a college job at Sardinis Restaurant. “I was just a regular chef, cooking burgers and chicken sandwiches as fast as I could. It was meant to be a part-time job to pay for college, but then everything clicked and I haven’t left [the business] since,” Childers said. “That’s when I figured out

cooking was a good fit for me. Just the fast pace and the multitasking of the kitchen suited me.” Although not formally trained, Childers was mentored by a number of premier area chefs, including Cecilio Balmoria at Maumee Bay Brewing Company, Jimmy Schmidt at The Rattlesnake Club in Detroit and his late brother-in-law Dorian Dziad at Diva and The Rattlesnake Club. Childers, a Central Catholic High School graduate, was also chef at his own restaurant, the former Rouge Bistro in Toledo. Childers, who also cooks for the Maumee Bay Brew Pub, said he enjoys the challenge of switching between the two lines. “Sometimes it’s a little jarring trying to switch gears suddenly, because the pub is definitely more fast-paced,” Childers said. “But I’ve got a great team back there and we’re really proficient.” Childers said he tries to keep his dishes simple, straightforward and appealing to as many people as possible. Everything is made from scratch and from his own recipes. His heart is what sets him apart, Childers said. “I just put a lot of heart into what I do,” Childers said. “I don’t like taking

■

ERIC PARK OF SPICY TUNA SUSHI BAR.

shortcuts. I like doing things the hard way, the long way. I sacrifice for what I believe in with food and cooking and I think that really comes through on the dining room side. “What I like people to take away the most is a best-of experience: the best steak of my life, the best night out of my life, the best Rueben of my life — that’s what I’m looking for in compliment. When a server comes back to the kitchen and says so and so had the best pasta they’ve ever had, that’s really what sends it home for me.”

Spicy Tuna Sushi Approaching its one-year business anniversary, the sushi bar at Spicy Tuna Sushi Bar & Grill in Holland was getting so busy, owner Li Yu wished he could clone his sushi chef. Luckily, the chef has a twin brother. Eddie Park recently moved from his native California to Toledo to join his brother, Eric, in the business owned by their brother-in-law Li Yu. Eric was also a chef at the family’s former business, Fu Yi Chinese Restaurant, in the same location. The Parks learned the art of sushimaking in their native California, working under sushi masters in Los Angeles and Sacramento, Calif. One of the most important aspects

is maintaining the proper proportion of ingredients, said Eric, speaking through Yu as a translator. “If you have 10 different ingredients that go into it, if you have too much of something or too little of something, it can alter the flavor,” Park said. Presentation is always important with food, but especially for sushi, which is known as “the edible art,” Park said. What sets him apart is the experience and creativity he gained working for years in large restaurants in large cities, he added. “The more experience you have, the more you pick up from different sources and in turn you become more creative,” Park said. “Creativity does play a large role, both taste-wise and presentation.” Creativity is also used when naming the rolls. Kiss of Fire, Lobster Bomb, Orgasm and Climax attract attention and drive sales, Yu said. Rolls like Tickle Me Elmo and Yum Yum are popular with children, Yu said. “We want people to say, ‘That’s different than what most sushi restaurants serve,’” Park said. “We want people coming back because of the uniqueness and the taste.” For more information, visit www. restaurantweektoledo.com. ✯

ARTS LIFE

A20 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

JANUARY 8, 2012

By Vicki L. Kroll TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER vkroll@toledofreepress.com

More than four decades later, Felix Cavaliere is still groovin’ and doing anything he likes to do. The Hammond organ-playing singer-songwriter from The Rascals is stoked about 2012. “I’ve got two projects in the fire right now. One of them is working with some young guys who are going to modernize me a little bit. One of the guys just finished an album with Daryl Hall, so I’m real excited about that,” Cavaliere said. “And another request that came for me to do is sort of an unplugged Rascals album — piano and myself. I’m looking forward to that, too.” In 2010, Cavaliere and Steve Cropper, guitarist from Booker T. & The MG’s, released their second disc, “Midnight Flyer.” “It’s a joy to make new music. It’s kind of like having a bunch of new kids,” Cavaliere said and laughed. “And you just hope that other people like it and you try to do your best job.” Lots of folks liked his work with The Rascals. From 1965 to 1969, Cavaliere sang lead on the energetic quartet’s hits: “Good Lovin’,” “Groovin’,” “A Beautiful Morning,” “A Girl Like You,” “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long” and “People Got to be Free.” “The Atlantic label, which was where we did most of those things, was one of the most musical recording companies, and the reason was because they really honestly loved and appreciated their music,” Cavaliere said. “We got onto that label after a period of time where they had John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Miles Davis. We were honored to be there, the idea being, everything they did big, they tried to do to the highest level that they could.” By 1972, the group known for blueeyed soul had officially disbanded. The Rascals — Cavaliere, singer Eddie Brigati, guitarist Gene Cornish and drummer Dino Danelli — were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2005, the band was voted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Four years later, Cavaliere and Brigati became members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. “I’m proud to be part of [the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame],” Cavaliere said during a call from New York City, where he was spending part of the holidays. “But I really enjoy the Songwriters Hall of Fame even more because of the fact that was so uniquely specialized. That was more specific to me.”

PHOTO COURTESY TONY CEE ASSOCIATES

Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals to play in Tiffin

FELIX CAVALIERE

Cavaliere’s Rascals will play a 7:30 p.m. concert Jan. 21 at the Ritz Theatre in Tiffin. Tickets range from $20 to $50. “I’m mostly proud of how our music is lasting,” he said. “When I started playing music, I was a classically trained pianist, and these are composers whose music has been around for hundreds of years. So I’ve got a ways to go, but that was my goal, so to speak, to not just do something and flit it away, but to be remembered musically.” ✯

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■ A21

Shelby Lynne to take ‘Revelation Road’ to Ann Arbor ready. I’m sitting around in my ready place and if that guitar calls me and my pen and paper call me, I’m ready. “That’s definitely what I’ve learned to do in my older years — hell, we’re all getting old — but I guess you learn how to appreciate it and be ready for the song angels when they come.” The 43-year-old talked about her

By Vicki L. Kroll TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR STAFF WRITER vkroll@toledofreepress.com

Shelby Lynne is constantly looking for a melody or a line. “I’m sitting around always ready for a song to come, no matter where I am,” she said. “But when I’m home, I’m

new disc, “Revelation Road,” during a call from her California home. “Basically, the inspiration came from the world we live in,” she said of the title track. “I wanted to write something that kind of means we’re all the same as humans and we’re on the same path; we might take different paths to get there, but it’s the

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same revelation road because we’re going to wind up in the same place, so we might as well be nice to each other on the way.” Lynne wrote, recorded and produced the disc on her label, Everso Records. “This particular album, it was just in my own head and heart, and much easier to do the communication within myself,” the singer, who was raised in Alabama said in her Southern drawl. Critics love Lynne, who released a tribute to Dusty Springfield, “Just a Little Lovin’” in 2008. Her landmark release, “I Am Shelby Lynne,” brought her a Grammy Award for best new artist in 2000 after she’d been in the business more than a decade. “[‘I Am Shelby Lynne’] was a turning point for my career, so it’ll always be special,” she said. “I found my voice on that record as far as

singing goes and songwriting.” She realizes she’s fortunate to be a successful independent artist. “Music is my job, my work, and I’m very LYNNE lucky,” she said. “I’m lucky I have music as my friend, and she’s in my heart and soul.” Her passion is evident when she talks about lyrics: “I love words and how powerful they can be, and I take that seriously when I put words on paper; communication of the universe through music is the greatest gift of all.” Lynne will play a solo show at 8 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Ark in Ann Arbor. Tickets are $25. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. ✯

A22 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

ARTS LIFE

JANUARY 8, 2012

OPINION: FAMILY PRACTICE

bitty triumph, phenomenal cosmic sense of gratitude. ✯

Columnist Shannon Szyperski and her husband Michael are raising

three children in Sylvania. Email her at letters@toledofreepress.com.

Upcoming Events at WCM! THE WCM CHEF’S TABLE PRESENTS:

The Prime Rib Dinner Saturday, January 28th 6-9 p.m. at our Maumee Location

AT THE CHEF’S TABLE

• Potage St. Germaine Per Person/Dinner • Caesar Salad Includes Tax & Tip • Oysters Rockefeller • Prime Rib • Apple Crisp w/Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

emember when the Genie foot-rubbing ritual that once was in Disney’s “Aladdin” said, has faded into a battle for which “Phenomenal cosmic of us could take a turn uncomfortpowers! Itty-bitty living space”? For ably resting our feet awkwardly on some time, I have felt that way about the couch. At one point, I even sugmy family of five. It’s actually not gested switching the couch out for a our entire house that has been an newly-spare twin mattress. At least we would have a place to issue, just our family room couch. We bought a sofa/loveseat combo lay side by side, I argued. Neither of at Goodwill right before we moved us ever lived in a college dorm and into our new house, thinking it probably shouldn’t start now, my husband rebutted. would be a temporary The first day of place marker for what2012 would change ever wonderful new everything (well, evfurniture we would erything as far as be able to afford not the seating options too far down the road. in our family room Four years later, the go). After months, if new carpeting and not years, of the ocfurniture we had encasional “sectional” visioned for our new search on Craighome still await us on Shannon SZYPERSKI slist, the holy grail of a far back burner. family room couches I can’t exactly remember everything that has trans- popped up right as 2011 was on its pired furniture-wise in the past four last hurrah. OK, I might be overyears, but somehow we eventually selling it just a tad, but it is exactly ended up with just the sofa portion what I’ve wanted as far as family of our Goodwill duo attempting to room furniture goes for as long as support the full load of our family I can remember. We did attempt room seating needs. However, five another wide-seated replacement people on what is in reality a two- two or three years back, but we person couch does not elicit the couldn’t get it down the stairs to our family room. With that in my cuddliest of feelings. Add in the fact that the ma- mind, I had minimal hope that the jority of the couch’s back support largest couch we had ever considwas hemorrhaging springs and ered placing in our home would fluff (or whatever the inside of the somehow fit. In short, it did! couch is called), and our supposed After many increasingly lean derriere respite became a bit of a years and a constant yearning to just couch of horrors. Still, I can’t completely blame get ahead of the game, my husband the poor quality of the couch itself and I agreed to instead go into this (and it was no doubt poor quality). new year with just a thankfulness Between our cats nitpicking at it for what we do have and for whatand our toddler going through ever does come our way, no matter an extended “digging-out-couch- how small. In prior years, I may have stuf f ing-and-putting-it-in-my- looked at the fact that I was buying mouth-seems-like-a-fun-and-rea- a $200 used couch at 36 years old as sonable-pastime” phase, I think my some sort of setback. However, when viewing the family has no choice but to accept at same situation through eyes of apleast part of the blame. The discomfort I do place on the preciation, I realized that I am not couch’s part is that it was just too only thankful for the couch itself shallow (physically, not personality- but am also thankful that at 36 wise) and seemed to become shal- years old I was given the opportulower by the day. Even when my nity to literally jump up and down husband and I were alert enough with the excitement of a child over after the children went to sleep to something as simple as a couch attempt to cuddle up and catch a “30 with room for my family. I have this feeling that if I had Rock” repeat, we strained to hear the sounds of Liz Lemon and Jack had the means to buy whichever Donaghy over our couch’s screams furniture I wanted throughout my that we weren’t as slim as we used adult life, I wouldn’t have had that to be. The loving, almost nightly added gift of pure and utter joy. Itty-

• Limited Seating – Reservations Required • Contact Chef Kolhoff for details or reservations: 419-794-4000

Shake off the January Cold!

Chef Bill Kolhoff

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The year of the couch

TV LISTINGS

JANUARY 1, 2012 Sunday Morning 8 am ABC 13 CBS 11 FOX 36 NBC 24 PBS 30 A&E BRAVO COM DISN ESN FAM FOOD HGTV LIF MTV TBS TCM TNT USA WTO5

8:30

January 8, 2012

MOVIES

9 am