Toledo Free Press – Feb. 26, 2012 by Toledo Free Press

DECISION 2012 I DISTRICT 9

DECISION 2012 I STATE SENATE

The showdown

Candidate forum

Interviews with Marcy Kaptur, Dennis Kucinich and Graham Veysey, Page A10

Hopefuls (Bliss, Dodt, Glisman, Gregory, Pryce, Rupert) explain platforms, aim for Mandel, Page A11

feb.

26, 2012

The

TITANIC Dinner & Ball

Ticket details,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Night to Rememberâ&#x20AC;? Page A21

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What the West doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get about China Analysis: What many think about China couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more wrong Plus, Mayor Mike Bell: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Evaluating international investmentâ&#x20AC;?

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A2 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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OPINION

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

Trashing Dashing

Pacific patience

usinesspeople with experience in real estate development know that large projects take time. They also know that business, like most of life, runs on relationships and the trust that involved parties will conduct themselves ethically and honorably. Of course there are those who try to cheat and steal and break the rules, but business doesn’t run on the exceptions; it runs on the accepted principles so pointedly emphasized by the Better Business Bureau: integrity and performance. “Integrity includes respect, ethics and intent,” according to the BBB. “Performance speaks to a business’s track record of delivering results in accordance with BBB standards and/or addressing customer concerns in a timely, satisfactory manner.” Using these standards, there is no evidence that warrants any suspicion or change in attitude toward the Dashing Pacific investors. The investors have been Thomas F.POUNDS respectful and accommodating. It is far too early to judge performance and results, but everyone involved knows the importance of these investments and knows progress will be closely watched. As Toledo Free Press has stated before, at this point, there are no losers in this transaction. Mayor Mike Bell’s quest to breathe life into Toledo receives a major boost. Dean Monske and the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) have a major deal to tout to other potential investors, at home and abroad. The venerable Northwest Ohio firm Rudolph|Libbe gains a major role in shaping the future of Downtown Toledo. All area residents stand to benefit from the jobs, investment and economic boost that could be the first step toward a new era. “This project would change our riverfront into something it should have been some time ago,” Bell has said. The optimism is warranted, but of course now the work begins. As we have said, there will undoubtedly be mistakes and complications, as there are on any major development project, but it is our hope that former naysayers support the project and facilitate solutions as Dashing Pacific makes its mark. Toledo Free Press supports Dashing Pacific’s presence and Bell and the RGP’s efforts to attract global investment. There is always a risk of disappointment, the risk that something will go wrong or fall short. That is the risk businesspeople take. We urge other local businesses who understand that risk to continue to welcome Dashing Pacific and to work with them as their investment benefits the community. ✯

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

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 Jeff McGinnis, Pop Culture Editor PopGoesJeff@gmail.com

ADVERTISING SALES Renee Bergmooser, Sales Manager rbergmooser@toledofreepress.com Casey Fischer cfischer@toledofreepress.com Betty Jane (BJ) Rahn bjrahn@toledofreepress.com Chick Reid creid@toledofreepress.com

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LIGHTING THE FUSE

PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC, Vol. 8, No. 9. Established 2005.

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t’s long, disjointed and boring in parts. It’s poorly written, he did not order his staff to investigate them in the same awkwardly edited and collapses under the weight of its way former Toledo mayors have scrutinized other potential miscarried ambition. It fails to deliver what it promises developers of the Marina District ... ” The key is the phrase, “in the same way former Toledo and it is unintentionally hilarious in many places. mayors have scrutinized … ” which can be Yes, “Star Wars: Episode I — Th e Phantom translated as “in the same way former Toledo Menace” is back in theaters, but that’s not mayors who were more inclined to kowtowto the saga in question. The Feb. 19-21 “special The Blade have scrutinized … ” report” in The Blade , “Toledo’s China Con✯ “The Blade decided to take on that nection,” is a menace to journalism, Toledo’s task, hiring an investigative firm with offices global outreach efforts and the development in China.” of Downtown property. The Blade , self-appointed moral compass The three-day series, primarily attribof Toledo that it is, has every right and duty uted to Blade staff writer Ignazio Messina, to ask questions, research the important isis an epic misfire riddled with assumptions, sues of the day and to hold elected officials speculation, editorializing and an arrogant Michael S. MILLER accountable for public transactions. It is the amount of unverifiable information. method of research and reporting that unBut the most striking thing is, all that effort, may not — should not — make an iota of difference. dermine the execution of that right and duty. In other words, they have a job to do, but do they have Attack of the drones to be such jerks about it? ✯ “The investigative fi rm — which the newspaper has On Feb. 22, 1784, the Empress of China became the first American ship to sail from the United States to China agreed not to name because of concern about possible reseeking commerce. Nearly 228 years later to the day, the To- prisals against its owners and employees by the Chinese ledo business community finds itself wondering if another government ... ” So, a series based on a desk-pounding demand for ship to China has sailed. The thesis and execution of The Blade’s “Toledo’s China transparency is based on the work of a foreign “investigaConnection” series are equally suspect. The name of the tive fi rm” whose name is kept a secret? That’s not irony, that’s an act of hypocrisy and arrogance. The shield of series evokes the ’70s novel and film “The French Connection,” which implies crime, drug trafficking and unsavory anonymity is an invitation for questionable reporting and behavior. Such a title demolishes any pretense of objectivity, reprisal-free action. Not to mention that The Blade is apbut that’s a minor concern as the logic behind the series parently more concerned about the health and welfare of the “investigative fi rm” it invested in than it is with the strains credibility. “With the mayor deciding to sell some of Toledo’s most health and welfare of the Dashing Pacific people who have important real estate and the city’s most valuable assets invested in the city. ✯ “The investigative fi rm … uncovered a long and sucwithout researching the backgrounds of the buyers,The Blade decided to take on that task, hiring an investigative firm with cessful history of business development by the two invesoffices in China to provide background information on Wu tors in China.” Well, that’s good news, right? Whew! Bell’s instincts Kin Hung, 55, and Yuan Xiaohong, age unknown — the two were correct, right? Or is there a “but?” behind Dashing Pacific Group Ltd,” Messina wrote. “Th e in✯ “This success appeared to have been garnered within vestigative fi rm — which the newspaper has agreed not to name because of concern about possible reprisals against its a system that does not align with American norms and owners and employees by the Chinese government — un- business practices.” Uh-oh! It doesn’t align with “American norms”! Is that covered a long and successful history of business developxenophobia? Or jingoism? And what, exactly, are “Amerment by the two investors in China. This success appeared to have been garnered within a system that does not align with ican norms and business practices”? Why doesn’tThe Blade defi ne that? If The Blade’s ideas of “American norms and American norms and business practices.” It is important to examine the questionable statements business practices” are the way it does business, Toledoans have a right to question exactly what kinds of thuggery are that form the foundation of this series. ✯ “With the mayor deciding to sell some of Toledo’s being attributed to the good ol’ USA. Is it an American most important real estate and the city’s most valuable as- norm to disrupt a competitor’s delivery system? Is it an American norm to garner business through threats and sets without researching the backgrounds of the buyers.” Says who? In the same story, Messina reports, “While subterfuge? If so, what could the Chinese add to the mix [Bell] dined with [the investors], attended the wedding of that would be out of alignment with The Blade’s norm? one of their children, and traveled [sic] China with them, ■ MILLER CONTINUES ON A4 Thomas F. Pounds, President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com

ADMINISTRATION Pam Burson, Business Manager pburson@toledofreepress.com DISTRIBUTION (419) 241-1700, Ext. 234 tpounds@toledofreepress.com Joseph Herr, Photographer

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STAFF WRITERS news@toledofreepress.com Brandi Barhite • Mike Bauman • Jeremy Baumhower • Jim Beard Brigitta Burks • Zach Davis • John Dorsey • Vicki L. Kroll • Jason Mack Caitlin McGlade • Duane Ramsey Chris Kozak, Staff Writer Emeritus • Lisa Renee Ward, Staff Writer Emeritus COPY EDITORS/PROOFREADERS Darcy Irons, Brigitta Burks, Marisha Pietrowski, Gary Varney

Toledo Free Press is published every Sunday by Toledo Free Press, LLC, 605 Monroe St., Toledo, OH 43604 Phone: (419) 241-1700 Fax: (419) 241-8828 www.toledofreepress.com. Subscription rate: $100 /year. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2012 with all rights reserved.Publication of advertisements does not imply endorsement of advertisers’ goods or services.

OPINION

A4 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS ■ MILLER CONTINUED FROM A3

The empire strikes out The series devotes a lot of words to defending itself and trying to anticipate and deflect criticism. “More than a year ago, Toledo Mayor Mike Bell enticed two Chinese investors to buy The Docks restaurant complex and the Marina District,” reads a summary box at the top of each day’s stories (“enticed,” as if Bell were showing his leg like Mae West in a saloon). “The backgrounds of the investors were not a concern for the mayor, but The Blade decided to look deeper and hired an investigative firm based in China.” That defense is repeated on each front page, in each lead story, in a Feb. 19 Page One “Message from the publisher and editor-in-chief ” and in a Feb. 19 unsigned editorial, “Due Diligence.” That’s a lot of energy devoted to justifying and rationalizing the series, as opposed to letting the series stand on its own merit. In his “Message,” John Robinson Block compares the “Connection” series to his newspaper’s “legacy … and experience handling coverage from abroad,” which includes Blade editor Grover Patterson “interviewing Prime Minister Winston Churchill in blacked-out London during World War II.” I defer to Block’s expertise in this area, but I am not sure how the honorable process of sitting across from a man and interviewing him equates to hiring and reporting the work of an anonymous “investigative firm,” but that’s the evolution of journalism, Blade-style. Again, why are we supposed to trust the unverified reports from this anonymous “investigative firm?” Because, according to the Feb. 19 unsigned editorial, “Its credibility and expertise are evident in the reports emerged from its review.” How’s that for circular logic? “We won’t name the people who gave us the info but you can trust us when we say they are credible because we say their report (which we paid for but you can’t see) is credible!” Even the few remaining Toledoans who defend The Blade (how’s it hangin’, Carty?) should recognize how far The Blade is dropping the standards of journalistic integrity. The new rules, according to The Blade: If you refuse to cooperate on its terms, a newspaper can hire an investigative firm to check your background, accept that firm’s findings as truth and report them without telling you who did the digging. Does that meet any definition of “ethical”? The most amusing defense of the indefensible is a Feb. 19 story by Blade staff writer Tony Cook, “Many foreign firms in area opt for transparency.” With that headline, one should expect a story about relevant examples that bolster the case for the series’ existence, right? OK, let’s read what Cook has to report. ✯ “When English glass manufacturer Pilkington Brothers PLC took over Toledo’s homegrown Libbey-Owens-Ford in 1986, a spokesman for the new owner explained the terms of the deal. Within a year, Pilkington’s chairman, Sir Antony Pilkington, had addressed 800 members of the Chamber of Commerce and sat down with The Blade for a Q&A.” How does a pre-Internet-era, English spokesperson’s actions 26 years ago compare to the choices of modern-day Chinese-speaking business owners? Surely there must be better modern examples to bolster The Blade’s case, right? ✯ “In 1980, when French automaker Renault

S.A. took a 46.4 percent interest in American Motors Corp., Renault executive Jose Dedeurwaerder was an occasional visitor to Toledo and AMC’s flagship Jeep plant. Mr. Dedeurwaerder met with reporters and state officials ...” That’s going even further back in history. Again, how is that relevant? ✯ “The closest comparison to Dashing Pacific’s ventures here might be Mazda Motor Manufacturing Corp.’s $450 million investment in a new assembly plant to build Mazda and Ford Motor Co. vehicles in nearby Flat Rock, Mich. … The president of the Japanese automaker, Osamu Nobuto, had a fairly open relationship with the media, providing The Blade with job projections and an update on union negotiations during a religious groundbreaking ceremony in May, 1985.” Cook’s closest comparison is a 27-year-old “fairly open relationship”? Is providing business projections the same thing as being asked about one’s parents’ political affiliations? I wonder if Blade reporters ever asked German DaimlerChrysler executives to expound on speculated family connections to the Nazi Party.

Not the droids you’re looking for The Blade series makes it a point to tie the Dashing Pacific investors to the Chinese Communist Party, which is like endeavoring to link a “Jersey Shore” cast member to alcohol and tanning salons. The Feb. 20 story focusing on Wu Kin Hung is summed up in the headline, “Connections in China help pave way to wealth.” What? Those cheatin’ Chinese use family and political connections to make money? Who do they think they are, newspaper publishers? There are other mundane details, such as Mr. Wu’s affinity for poetry and the fact that he made “massive profits.” Note: One of the ads on The Blade’s website that often popped up on the pages for the Dashing Pacific series was for “Dating Asian Women.” Classy way to make massive profits, Blade! The Feb. 21 story, “Dashing Pacific’s Yuan succeeded in tech field,” contained the teaser sentence, “A China-based company hired by The Blade to look into the investors’ backgrounds discovered intriguing information about Ms. Yuan and Mr. Wu.” Intriguing, eh? ✯ “Investigators said Ms. Yuan, like many successful business leaders in China, used her connections with government officials to win contracts for the information technology company she runs.” ✯ “Over the past year, Ms. Yuan, an Inner Mongolia native and Shenzhen business executive, developed close ties with Mr. Bell.” ✯ “Ms. Yuan has a harsher reputation — more like that of an ‘Iron Lady,’ as one of her employees called her.” An anonymous employee, of course.

Revenge of the Sith Was The Blade’s attack series aimed more at Bell, who is increasingly vocal about not being willing to bow and scrape to an antiquated media company? If Bell had crawled to Pittsburgh to ask permission for his deal and invited Blade owners along for the ride, would he and the investors be facing this spiteful opposition? For the first time under the strong mayor form of government, Toledo has a strong mayor who isn’t subservient. How much of this has to do with Blade lead-

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FEBRUARY 26, 2012

A FEB. 2O SCREENSHOT FROM WWW.TOLEDOBLADE.COM.

ership looking around and sensing a changing Toledo landscape in which The Blade is no longer a necessary fixture? The media technology revolution and decreasing circulation have slashed The Blade’s dominance. There is also the looming ascent of Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino Toledo, which will unquestionably be one of the city’s major cultural and philanthropic forces by the time it opens, rendering The Blade even less relevant. A wounded dog will howl, won’t it?

Back to ‘Phantom Menace’ Not all of Toledo resembles the barren wastelands of the “Star Wars” desert planet Tatooine, but it’s not a stretch to picture the undeveloped Downtown riverfront as a place desperate for capital and life. Along comes Dashing Pacific, our stoic Jedi, to take a look around, help the locals and maybe make some money along the way. Do the locals accept that help or do they say, “We’ll take your money, but we demand to know everything about Jedi culture and what you believe in and how you got your money and what your future plans are after you help us. And if you won’t tell us, we’ll pay for some unnamed snoops to collect information, which, verified or not, we will spread throughout the galaxy to make you look bad.” Who would blame the Jedi for saying, “Forget this,” and jumping in their space cruisers to help people somewhere with an atmosphere friendlier to business and less xenophobic? There has been no indication that Dashing Pacific should be held to any different standard than an investor group from, say, Milwaukee. If anything, there should be an effort to understand and respect their culture as we would like them to understand and respect ours, without delusional notions of “American norms and business practices.” Remember, this is no longer public property. As of May 31 last year, the formerly city-owned land became the private property of Dashing Pacific. All this investigative fervor might have been a public service before the sale, but we’re nine months down the road. What’s the point now? Why couldn’t The Blade seek a balance between doing its journalistic duty and showing some civility? Does being a good journalist mean being a bad neighbor? The questions The Blade admits to having

asked Mr. Wu and Ms. Yuan were telling in their emphasis on personal information rather than business accomplishments. Would those questions have been asked if The Blade were interviewing even a Toledo business leader? Can you imagine the response if Blade reporters (who fancy themselves as Darth Maul but come across more like Jar Jar Binks) asked the president of Fiat such personal questions rather than queries about Fiat’s business and plans for Toledo and Chrysler?

A new hope So here we are, with another opportunity for Toledo growth jeopardized by what amounts to a Blade hissy fit for not being included in an effort it had no business being included in during the negotiation stage. The attack veiled as a “news series” did not reveal anything that should change anyone’s mind about Dashing Pacific. It’s worth noting that seven stories, an editorial and a few cartoons, eating up nearly seven full pages of newsprint and roughly 17,000 words, will be remembered — if at all — not for anything it actually revealed, but for the spitefulness of its inception and the shoddiness of its execution. Nearly two dozen Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce members sent letters of support to Dashing Pacific after the series ran. There is hope in the fact that some of the people in the city’s highest government and development roles will continue to welcome these accomplished investors to our region and hope to learn from their expansive view of our future. How odd — the view of Toledo, from people on the other side of the planet, is more optimistic and positive than the view fomented by those at yesterday’s newspaper. Unlike the phantom menace phoning it in from Pittsburgh, Dashing Pacific investors are coming here to invest and plant the seeds of growth. In the long run, the harvest of those seeds will mean more to Toledo than 17 million more words from The Blade. As far as more and more Toledoans are concerned, those who run The Blade can catch a slow boat to China. But that “gift” wouldn’t be a very neighborly gesture on our part, would it? ✯ Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

OPINION

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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CITY OF TOLEDO

Evaluating international investment P

art of a mayor’s job is to attract jobs and economic development to the community he or she represents. He or she must attempt to be a visionary in order to set the course for a successful city. To do so requires that you step outside your comfort zone in order to create the synergy necessary to complete the vision. In the first two years of my administration I have attempted to do just that: create a vision for Toledo and Northwest Ohio. Toledo has historically been an unbelievably successful manufacturing town, with such great industries as Libbey Glass, Willys-Overland Jeep, GM Powertrain, Owens Illinois, LOF/Pilkington, Dana Corp. and a host of other Fortune 500 corporations that anchored our economy. But what the most recent recession has shown us as a city and a region is that we must diversify our local market if we are to be a successful community in the future. This means embracing the knowledge derived from our area colleges and universities; promoting the research and development of new

technologies that come from their campuses; encouraging skilled trades among young people to ensure that we continue the tradition of skilled craftsmen and women; and recruiting new capital investment to Toledo and the surrounding area through foreign direct investment. As our national economy struggles to regain its losses, domestic investors continue to strictly evaluate new development Michael potential and are hesitant to take chances. We must infuse new money into our city if we are to see large-scale capital development. As mayor, I have worked to recruit international investment to Toledo. And it is working. Investors are now reaching out to Toledo and Northwest Ohio as a source of untapped potential and growth for their companies. The type of excitement that they are showing about Toledo and the surrounding area is unprec-

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

edented. We as a community must come to grips with how to capitalize on this excitement. I believe it is natural to be curious about the process that is being utilized to create this energy. It’s a new and somewhat unorthodox approach to economic development in Toledo. But I am certain that if we continue to do things the way we have in the past, we will be unsuccessful as a city in P. BELL the future. My administration has attempted to be as transparent as governmentally possible without jeopardizing the confidentiality that is normally extended to private businesses that want to invest in Toledo. We have entertained the media in news conferences as well as trips abroad to try to familiarize our community to a level of comfort in our international initiative without compromising the specific intentions of our new investors. In fact, we’ve

DON LEE

Stop red light cameras TO THE EDITOR, The Toledo Police Department’s latest attempt to hijack taxpayers’ money from the capital improvements budget for yet more surveillance cameras should be stopped dead in its tracks. The original plan for cameras has now doubled to 150, with $700,000 of the added cost slated to come from funds intended to fix our streets and infrastructure. It seems that before the ink has dried on any “projected” surplus revenue in the city’s budget plan, City Council and the police and fire departments have managed to spend it on “special urgent needs” that we have managed to do without for all these many years. If the police want these cameras, let them pay for them out of the Law Enforcement Trust Fund as was the original proposal. Taxpayer money should only be spent on hiring more policemen, not new technology that taxpayers never had a say in. It should come as no surprise that former policeman, former TPD union head and mayor want-to-be, D. Michael Collins, is all in favor of this wasteful use of taxpayer money. Never mind that there would not be enough policeman to monitor the cameras. Only a policeman on the street can make an arrest. This amounts to shirking the police department’s responsibility to protect and serve the citizens that provide them their considerable wage and benefits for the critical job they elected to take on. Mayor Bell should be urged to tamp down this irresponsible urge to spend us back into the debt hole that we are just now managing to crawl out of. With the “temporary” 3/4 percent tax renewal coming up for a vote soon, this is not the time to risk its defeat by further kowtowing to the police and fire department’s unreasonable requests. MIKE McMAHON TOLEDO

probably gone overboard trying to establish this comfort level compared to previous efforts to recruit business partners. We as an administration understand that curiosity is natural and we have attempted to address that. As we move forward in pursuit of international development, we should not confuse curiosity and “due diligence” with overzealous investigation of those who are different from us. While we ask questions of international investors, there are three questions we should also ask ourselves: ✯ Do we treat investors from abroad in the same manner that we treat domestic investors? ✯ Do we treat international investors from one country in the same manner we treat international investors from another country? ✯ Could we ourselves stand up to the scrutiny under which we place those who are the subject of our “due diligence?” I believe at this point in time, the answer to each of those questions is

no, and the effort by some to pretend otherwise is true ignorance. Whether a manufacturer is eliminating a shift, the U.S. Postal Service ceases sorting operations in Toledo or a local newspaper outsources preproduction jobs, Toledo has to establish a backstop to protect its citizens from economic devastation. My goal continues to be to develop a sustainable job market to support the needs of our residents. And I believe that foreign direct investment, while nontraditional, is one means to achieve these ends. Toledo needs to know that I trust the intent of the international investors who have moved into our community and chosen to invest in our city. They have made a commitment to our city. So the question I have for Toledo is, What are you prepared to do to make them feel welcome? Now is the time for Toledo to stand up and be heard. ✯ Michael P. Bell is Mayor of the City of Toledo. Call him at (419) 245-1004 or email him at mayor.toledo@toledo.oh.gov.

COMMUNITY

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FEBRUARY 26, 2012

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANALYSIS: GLOBAL COMMERCE

What the West doesn’t get about China By George Stalk and David Michael HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

When many managers think about China, they imagine a container ship whose hold and deck are brimming with cartons of toys, clothing, iPhones and other goods bound for the world’s consumer markets, whose populations power China’s economic engine. That view couldn’t be more wrong. Despite the Chinese government’s well-publicized program to encourage domestic consumption, few Westerners grasp just how much progress the country is making on this front. Although millions of peasants live on subsistence wages, millions more Chinese are moving to urban centers and achieving a recognizably middleclass lifestyle. Consider just a few data points that give evidence of China’s unexpectedly fast-paced move toward a more balanced, consumer-driven economy: ✯ In a variety of consumer categories — including such items as shoes, consumer electronics and jewelry — China already ranks as the No. 1 or No. 2 market in the world. ✯ The combined flow of shipping containers between Asia and North America and Asia and Europe is already less than the flow among Asian nations — with much of the latter consisting of goods imported to China. ✯ Domestic demand accounts

for most sales of Chinese-produced air conditioners, motorcycles, trucks and steel. ✯ Adoption rates of new technologies among the rising middle class exceed those of nearly every other developing country. China has 400 million Internet users, most with broadband access. Mobile telephony is ubiquitous in urban areas, and most of its consumers have leapfrogged landlines. ✯ China’s cities are growing so quickly that the country now has more urban centers than most Western nations do. For instance, China has about 90 cities with a middle-class population of 250,000 or more; the U.S. and Canada together have fewer than 70. According to projections, by 2020 China will have 400 cities with at least 250,000 middle-class inhabitants — and 50 of those cities will have more than 1 million middle-class inhabitants. And by then it is expected to have 800 cities whose residents’ real disposable incomes are greater, on average, than those of Shanghai’s residents today. ✯ Looking beyond consumer markets, we find that Chinese companies are already recognized as among the world leaders in numerous businessto-business technologies, including wind-turbine blades, solar panels, high-speed rail equipment, steam boilers, port terminal cranes and electric-transmission equipment.

Rapid progress

The emerging China

Few Western managers who visit China get a realistic picture of its economic development. They typically go to Beijing or Shanghai. They stay in fivestar hotels — often Hiltons and Hyatts. There’s apt to be a Starbucks in the lobby. The familiar atmosphere leads them to think that China’s market will someday resemble a typical Western economy, full of Western-made products. But in fact, cities far from Beijing and Shanghai are teeming with goods and services from domestic companies — and if Western companies don’t get to those cities soon, they’ll be left out. To be sure, despite its rapid progress China is still far from self-sufficient in a number of areas. It remains dependent on foreign multinationals for market access — many Chinese companies lack the ability to generate significant export trade on their own. The country can provide a college education for a growing share of the population but still relies largely on foreign universities for top-flight graduate education. Its only traditional energy resource is coal, and its demand for imported oil has been a major factor in rising prices over the past decade. China is also a net importer of food. Finally, it lacks the innovative pharmaceutical and health care sectors of Western economies, and as its consumers become increasingly upscale, they will demand more of the pills and procedures that Westerners take for granted.

Although every multinational has a China strategy, most companies aren’t moving quickly enough for their strategies to succeed. To better position themselves, they need to be aware of these trends: First, the rise of domestic competitors will happen faster than most multinational corporations (MNCs) expect. Local companies in some highgrowth markets — for example, Xizi in elevators, 7 Days Inn in budget hotels, and Midea in consumer appliances — have already become leaders. Multinationals that hope to have strong market share a few years down the road need to establish themselves now. Second, whether or not they are currently selling in China, companies looking to capitalize on the opportunities there need to be ready to do business in hundreds of locations, not just in a handful of the current megacities. This has dramatic implications for organizational structure, distribution infrastructure, choice of business partners and the amount of capital needed. Third, companies must prepare for extraordinary growth in demand. Some Western companies today are struggling to handle 35 percent annual sales growth in China — but the markets they’re playing in are growing at 60 percent. Despite their enormous investments in human and capital resources, these companies

are already ceding share to competitors — and their competitors will increasingly be Chinese companies. In a market growing this quickly, it can be worthwhile to build excess capacity, and it’s smart to take a hard look at whether your present forecasts may be overly conservative. Fourth, Western companies need to understand that Chinese consumers have very different needs than consumers in their home markets. Chinese households don’t want cappuccino machines; they want water filters, air filters and soy milk makers (at the moment, one of the hotter consumer categories in China — and one with no foreign competition). The classic example involves automakers, which had to learn that many Chinese who can afford cars like to employ drivers — so backseat features are very important to them. Fifth, MNCs must realize that product adoption rates will be higher in China than in most markets they’ve experienced, meaning that in some categories, the competitive landscape will be settled quickly. Companies that don’t strive to be No. 1 at the outset won’t have the luxury of entering and being competitive later. Sixth, as Chinese companies gain prowess in their home market, more will expand abroad. They are likely to move into Africa and South America before they enter North America and Europe. ■ CHINA CONTINUES ON A7

COMMUNITY

FEBRUARY 26, 2012 Rajendra R. Kattar, MD, FACC

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■ A7

How five multinationals figured China out

Physician FOCUS Understanding High Blood Pressure High blood pressure – also known as HBP and hypertension – is the most common cardiovascular disease. When your blood pressure is high, your heart is working harder to pump blood. This can damage blood vessels and contribute to the hardening of arteries, which leads to heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. Several factors affect your blood pressure. Smoking, being overweight, eating a diet high in sodium, experiencing stress, and having a family history of high blood pressure may all contribute. Lowering your blood pressure may involve several lifestyle changes, including: • • • •

A better, more nutritious diet Regular physical activity Reducing stress Limiting alcohol and avoiding tobacco smoke • Maintaining a healthy weight • Reducing sodium intake • Taking special medication prescribed by your doctor Your blood pressure should be checked by a healthcare provider at least once a year. Healthy blood pressure is less than 120/80. Anything over that may be a sign for concern. Talk with your doctor about your blood pressure and how a healthier lifestyle could help your heart.

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Volkswagen The German multinational was the first Western automaker to enter China, establishing its initial joint venture there in the 1980s, when other car manufacturers considered the country too risky. By the 1990s it had captured up to 90 percent of the market for passenger cars. Though it has since lost share to other overseas companies, it sold 1.9 million vehicles in 2010.

Yum Brands

Procter & Gamble

The parent company of KFC, the first fast-food chain to open in China, Yum is the largest and fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country. It currently operates nearly 3,800 restaurants (more than 500 of which opened in 2010) in 700 cities across China.

The consumer-goods giant has several brands that hold the top spot in the Chinese market, including Rejoice, Safeguard, Olay, Pampers, Tide and Gillette. Fully 98 percent of its employees are Chinese, including many in top management positions. P&G recently opened the Beijing Innovation Center, which will provide global R&D support, and plans to invest at least $1 billion in China over the next five years.

Nokia

General Electric

Having initially entered China as a network equipment supplier, Nokia is now the largest mobile-phone manufacturer in China, and China is its largest market.

GE has operated in China for many decades in sectors including energy, aviation, health care and transportation. It plans to extend its Chinese operations even further and recently announced five new deals expected to generate $2 billion in revenue.

Source: Company websites

■ CHINA CONTINUED FROM A6 Whether they realize it or not, Western companies aren’t fighting just for a position in the Chinese market — they’re also fighting to forestall potential competitors in other emerging markets and eventually on their own turf. MNCs may not be inclined to pay much attention to small local companies in China today, but they should. Last, Western companies will increasingly be on their own when dealing with many of the politically based difficulties of doing business in China. The power of Western governments to impose their will on the Chinese is diminishing rapidly — if it was ever really there at all — as the rise of China’s own markets makes the country less dependent on Western companies. Competing in China will have less to do with government policy and more to do with offering the right products and services to the right customers at the right price. Some Western companies are showing adroitness in exploiting the new opportunities in China. Among them are General Motors, General Electric, Honeywell, Philips, Emerson, and Yum Brands. But these are exceptions. Most Western companies underestimate how quickly the Chinese market is developing and how little time they have to establish a competitive foothold — particularly in cities other than Beijing and Shanghai. In many ways China today is what the United States was to Great Britain in the late 1800s. British managers couldn’t imagine or ex-

2/20/12 3:21 PM

ecute the strategies necessary to do business in a geographical landscape far vaster than their home market. The same challenges now face Western managers in China, but on an even greater scale: Never before have businesses had to deal

with market opportunities spread across such a wide geography, with so many different languages and ethnic populations. These are challenges that require aggressive action — and ones few companies are currently pre-

pared to meet. ✯ George Stalk is a senior adviser and fellow at Boston Consulting Group. David Michael is a senior partner at BCG and heads the firm’s globalization practice.

COMMUNITY

A8 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

Budget cuts could shut down mental health agency By John Rasche TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

Area residents could lose a mental health organization’s free services if Lucas County’s Mental Health and Recovery Services Board decides to cut funding for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Toledo (NAMI). If NAMI’s funding is cut, many of Toledo’s mentally ill will lose the free programs they depend on. The Mental Health and Recovery Services (MHRS) Board has distributed state funding to NAMI and other local mental health agencies in the past, but this year may be different. Due to a dramatic cut in Ohio’s funding, the board will decide on Feb. 28 whether to keep NAMI alive. The decision to remove funding from NAMI is a result of the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board’s own financial trouble. The Board survived a cut of $1 million of Ohio State funds last year, but is required to cut a minimum of $1.7 million by this June — roughly 10 percent of the board’s entire budget. “We are no longer in a position to absorb cuts using our cash reserves,” MHRS Executive Director Scott Sylak

said. “We understand that every agency we fund, including NAMI, provides a service that greatly helps the community, but there are things that we will have to go without.” Although MHRS must cut $1.7 million from the organization’s budget this year, the board agreed to adopt an even larger budget cut of $2.2 million in order to avoid more costly cuts in the future. If MHRS complied with the minimum amount of budget cuts this year, the organization would have to pay double the difference in 2014, Sylak said. Although sympathetic with the plight of NAMI, Sylak said the MHRS Board must sacrifice some funding to keep other service agencies available in Toledo. To determine how an agency affects Toledo residents, the board conducted an opinion poll in the community among agencies that rely on MHRS funding. NAMI’s score was low, Sylak said. “We have a very important task in ensuring that individuals of the community who are mentally ill or have problems with substance abuse have access to our services and get help,” Sylak said. “But the budget cuts mean some (individuals) will go unserved.

That is very serious to us and we are trying to work out a solution.” NAMI Education Director Lisa Canales said she believes that a loss of the board’s funding will force the agency to close down. “We understand that there have to be cuts,” she said, “but to completely defund our agency, it will shut the doors.” The agency was prepared for less funding after MHRS had warned mental-health care agencies that there would be a budget cut, but NAMI was not prepared to lose all $130,000 of MHRS’ funding, half of NAMI’s yearly budget. “There just isn’t a whole lot to cut,” Canales argued in defense of her fourperson staff, which operates through a team of unpaid volunteers. “I just can’t wrap my mind around it. [The Board] gets so much more out of how little they give us.” According to the NAMI’s website, the agency has served the community since 1982, when a group of concerned mothers rallied together to organize support groups. Originally known as BOOST (Building on Our Strengths Together), the active group of family members and consumers secured funding from both the Lucas County Mental Health and Recovery

Services Board and the United Way of Greater Toledo. When BOOST was renamed NAMI in 1992, the agency continued to offer education classes, support groups and counseling to people affected by mental illness free of charge. NAMI has attracted many uninsured individuals suffering from mental illness who are dependent on the agency’s free services. The exact number of people helped by NAMI is difficult to determine, but the agency has received just over 700 phone calls in the past six months alone. NAMI has also been chosen four times as Ohio’s affiliate of the year, NAMI’s website stated. Supporters of NAMI immediately protested the board’s recommendation to withdraw funds from the agency. Former Toledo Mayor Jack Ford and Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur, among many others, have recently spoken up in support of NAMI. Toledo Area Ministries, a faithbased nonprofit organization composed of 125 congregations and other nonprofits, has also joined the fight to keep NAMI funded by sending letters and emails to MHRS’ Board.

“Please don’t make the mistake of taking yet another group that helps those who are often overlooked in our culture,” Pastor Kurt Tomlinson of the Christ United Methodist Church wrote in a letter to the board. “Please make the right choice in keeping this organization strong and vital for our community. We need NAMI of Greater Toledo. Without them, Toledo and all of Lucas County will be poorer.” If the board does decide on Feb. 28 to remove all funding from NAMI, the agency will have until this July to collect alternative funds in order to keep the agency open. NAMI, as well as other agencies affected by MHRS’ budget cuts, will have the right to an appeal. The allocation of MHRS funds could change by May depending on the outcome of appeals or change in projected revenue. “We are not going to take this sitting down,” Canales said. “We are trying to get funding support. It would be a huge loss for this community. We save lives every day. We’re not going down without a fight. fight.” ✯

On the web visit www.namitoledo.org l d for more information.

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■ A9

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A10 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

DECISION 2012

Three Democrats in District 9 primary race By Caitlin McGlade TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER cmcglade@toledofreepress.com

Graham Veysey is racking up the miles driving from the Cleveland area to Toledo, hitting up Downtown businesses and making early morning stops at the Jeep plant. Rep. Marcy Kaptur is canvassing Cleveland, her campaign ads airing on Cleveland television. Dennis Kucinich signs have sprung up in yards across Toledo and the candidate himself visits at least three times a week. The much debated redistricting will become reality in a little more than a week; Ohio’s congressional districts will officially shrink by two. The new map has pitted two nationally renowned Democrats against each other to represent the sliver-shaped region that wraps around Lake Erie. And don’t forget Veysey — the 29-year-old documentary firm owner who wants to take a fresh perspective to Washington, D.C. Super Tuesday is March 6. Democrats, you’re going to have to choose.

Political process The Lucas County Democratic Party backed Kaptur and the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party backed Kucinich. Both candidates have served in Congress for decades and both have brought millions of dollars to their districts. But Veysey, who has never held KAPTUR a public office, wants to upset the “status quo.” He has never run for office. “I don’t think that there’s a ladder,” Veysey said. “Like if you want to be this you have to start there. There’s no secret formula.” Veysey criticized Kaptur and Kucinich for holding office for so long, pointing to Toledo and Cleveland’s poverty rates as an example of government ineffectiveness. The increase in Toledo’s poverty rate has been recorded as one of the sharpest in the country. Kaptur, who has represented the 9th District since 1983, said Congress moves in gradual steps. “If you look at something like the World War II Memorial, it took us 17 years to actually finally dedicate that,” she said. “For someone to say something is going to happen quickly, that is not the pace at which the institution

of this country moves.” Kaptur introduced legislation to get the memorial up and running. The process of introducing the bill, setting public hearings, seeking conditions for approval, raising money and actually commencing the build for the memorial is just one example why representatives need experience and perseverance to make changes, she said. Completing the Veterans Glass City Skyway, an infrastructure project Kaptur started, took 16 years. “If someone thinks it’s easy to do this, they have no concept of what the job requires,” she added.

Meet Veysey Veysey doesn’t think the job will be easy, but he thinks his time working outside of Washington gives him perspective. Shortly after he graduated from Bates College in Maine, the young entrepreneur helped launch a television VEYSEY company called “Plum TV.” The venture started with five employees and one station and has since increased to include about 100 people and eight channels, he said. He now runs a documentary company that makes brief films about education, the environment and energy topics. But his business ventures go beyond the television screen. He helped convert an old firehouse into a hopping commercial space, now home to an information technology firm, coffee roasters, his documentary business and a construction group. Years prior, he helped to morph that had sat vacant for nearly 10 years into an urban farm. “I took 36 core samples of the soil — I filled my living room with dirt to make sure that it was feasible to make a farm there,” he said. “Now it’s got over 150 varieties of fruits and veggies and it is employing a variety of workers and it’s turned this piece of land into a vibrant space.” As for Toledo’s vacant buildings? His dream is to turn District 9 into a “cloud capital,” or a hub for data and technology servers. Fill old buildings with servers that back up systems such as credit card readers, he said, and workforce would be needed. Veysey said his actions exhibit his closeness to the cities’ needs, something he said his opponents have dis-

regarded because they’ve been more in touch with Washington. He particularly takes issue with Kucinich’s campaign activity. The congressman ran for the Presidential Democratic primary in 2004 and 2008. “Rather than paying attention to his district, he’s out galavanting around the world,” Veysey said. “He had one foot out the door when he was running for president.”

Congressional differences The Iraq and Afghanistan wars motivated Kucinich’s bid for presidency. He rejects the notion that it distracted his attention from his district because the wars hit home not only in terms of soldiers lost but in terms of debt. KUCINICH “The war in Iraq has cost my district billions of dollars. The longterm costs to the country will be $5 trillion,” he said. “That war has been a disaster financially and morally and anyone who doesn’t understand the urgency back in 2002 that I felt in challenging President Bush’s war, anyone who doesn’t understand the importance of trying to stop the war by ending the funding couldn’t possibly understand the impact it’s had on our national resources and priorities.” Kucinich has consistently voted against defense bills. As a leader of the anti-war effort in Congress from the start, he said congresspeople should not give lip service in opposition while continuing to permit war funding. Each vote is basically a vote to continue the war, he said. The defense topic is one of the biggest dividers between he and Kaptur. “We have to have a balanced approach,” Kaptur said. “To never vote for the defense of this country is both a curious and irresponsible position.” Another divide, upon which Kucinich and Veysey are united, is the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act, first proposed in 2001, would have granted conditional permanent residency to illegal immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as minors and graduated from U.S. high schools. Four years of higher education or completing two years in the military would earn them temporary residency for six years. Veysey and Kucinich have criticized Kaptur for her vote against the act, whivh was voted down last year. She said the bill could have unfairly

singled out the parents of the minors or college students seeking residency. Immigration policy hits home in Ohio because of the growing number of EB-5 Regional Centers in the state. The EB-5 visa program allows wealthy foreign investors to inject a specific business endeavor with either $500,000 or $1 million, depending on the region, and earn permanent residency in just two years. They have to prove that they’ve created 10 jobs directly or indirectly to secure residency. Regional Growth Partnership confirmed that the group is working on putting together a center in the region. There are four others in the state. Veysey sees this program as an opportunity to stimulate local economies while enticing innovative people to stay in the region. Kucinich said the U.S. should be careful about these types of monetary incentives. “The ability to be able to come to the United States should not simply be a matter of how much money you have,” he said.

Career politicians? Veysey has consistently charged that his opponents are career politicians. But Kaptur said her role in the House brought home a lot of help to her constituents. She secured funding for the University of Toledo’s Center for Solar Electricity and Hydrogen for a $23.6 million project in technology development. Another one of her top projects was backing juvenile justice programs in Northwest Ohio with $2.1 million. She helped fund the City of Toledo’s Police Youth Athletic Center with $1.7 million and brought mil-

lions to Toledo’s Wastewater Sewer Treatment Plant. She also started a senior nutrition program that gives low-income seniors money to use at farmers markets. She said she is proud of “the progress we’ve been able to make together against very difficult odds and our ability to achieve real results and improvements across our region.” Kucinich said his experience in protecting Cleveland would carry over to Toledo, because both cities have large health care systems and factories. He is responsible for halting the closure of community hospitals by filing as a Friend of Court and rallying protestors until the U.S. Bankrupcty Court ordered the hospitals remain open until they were bought. He is credited with saving a steel mill, bringing a new Social Security office to the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood and saving a library by securing federal and state grant money, according to his campaign site. The representative rejects the “career politician” label. He said he has made decisions that defy typical political moves, such as refusing to sell Cleveland’s publicly-owned utility company in the 1970s. “They’re not talking about me,” Kucinich said, “I put my career on the line when I was mayor to save a municipal electrical system.” ✯

On the web visit http://marcykaptur.com/ k t http://kucinich.us/ http://www.grahamforcongress.org/ and click on links for more information.

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■ A11

DECISION 2012

By Caitlin McGlade TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER cmcglade@toledofreepress.com

Eric LaMont Gregory treated women and premature babies in Rwanda, before and after genocide defiled the state. Donna Glisman ran a hotel and restaurant and organized a fashion show for 3 and 4-year-olds on Put-in-Bay. Rusty Bliss flies airplanes. David Dodt worked at General Motors for nearly 36 years. Dr. Michael Pryce treats foot pain and Scott Rupert drives trucks. Despite their various backgrounds, these six people have a few things in common. They want to become Ohio’s next U.S. Senator, they are conservative — Rupert is an independent leaning right — and most of them disdain politicians who have held office for much of their adult lives. The Northwest Ohio Conservative Coalition and The Children of Liberty hosted a forum for the U.S. Senate primary Feb. 16 at the Maumee Indoor Theatre. Candidate and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who has outpaced all of them in campaign funding and

endorsements, did not attend. The overarching theme was to rail against Mandel’s experience by referring to him as a “kid” and labeling him a “career politician.” “Choosing Josh would be throwing Josh to the wolves,” Glisman said. “Mandel’s been married for four years and has zero kids. He can’t relate to families with children.” General distrust of both the federal government and the Democrats in office was a pervasive point as well. After referring to Middle Easterners as “turban heads,” Dodt staged an impression of President Barack Obama. He told his audience to use their imaginations because Obama has more hair and “his ears stick out more.” “Who the hell do you think you are that you can earn more than $250,000 without my permission and I haven’t given it,” Dodt shouted. “You will have the house I will tell you to, buy the cars I tell you to drive, you’ll eat the food I tell you to eat and you’ll send your kids to school and they’re learn exactly what I tell them to learn.” The crowd applauded.

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY JOSEPH HERR

U.S. Senate primary runners rail against Mandel, Brown

■ FROM LEFT, RUSTY BLISS, DAVID DODT, DONNA GLISMAN, MODERATOR MICHAEL S. MILLER, ERIC GREGORY, DEREK MERRIN, MICHAEL PRYCE.

Josh Mandel Mandel sent a representative, former Waterville Mayor Derek Merrin, to speak on his behalf. Some of the candidates rolled their eyes as he spoke; Bliss text messaged on his cellphone. Merrin told the crowd that Mandel was unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts. The treasurer, who has trailed Sen. Sherrod Brown in polls, also backed out of the City

Club of Cleveland forum, which prompted Democratic party news releases to title Mandel’s bid for Senate the “quiet campaign.” The treasurer is also under fire from Democrats for not attending a single State Board of Deposit meeting. The board determines which banks hold State money. The Associated Press reported that Mandel skipped January’s meeting

for a $500-a-plate fundraiser in Washington, D.C. for his campaign. The Democratic Party sent Mandel a formal invitation to the latest meeting, designed to look like a fundraiser invention, said Justin Barasky, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. Mandel did not schedule a telephone interview with Toledo Free Press before press time. ■ SENATE CONTINUES ON A12

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A12 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS ■ SENATE CONTINUED FROM A11 Mandel started his political career with the Lyndhurst City Council in 2003 and was elected to represent the 17th District in the Ohio House in 2006. In the legislature, Mandel advocated for school choice, free market principles and “family values,” according to his campaign website. MANDEL

Critics

Mandel’s Republican critics share some of his core beliefs. Bliss, Dodt and Glisman particularly stressed their opposition to abortion during their speeches. Bliss considers himself a father of four although you’ll only see three children in his family portraits. He and his wife lost their daughter days before the due date. “It’s not about the woman’s rights, it’s about the baby’s rights,” he said. Health care is a major sticking point for Pryce, who has an orthopedic surgery practice in Kent. The doctor received a patent for a footwear device that compensates for problems stemming from flat feet. He decided to run for office when he was inundated with emails after “Fox & Friends” interviewed him regarding a book he wrote about the health care system in 2008. In his book, “Anathema! America’s War on Medicine,” he suggested eliminating the Medicare system in exchange for his own formula, which he says would cover all Americans at one-fifth the cost of the country’s

present health care system. Neither Pryce nor Gregory mentioned the topic of abortion in their speeches. When asked by the audience, Pryce said that in medical school he was taught to see a pregnant woman as two patients: the woman and the fetus. Pryce said his expertise in health care helps him stand out among the other candidates. “As a physician, I’ve seen the beginning and the end of the American life through my patients,” Pryce said. “And I stayed home — Gregory hasn’t had the opportunity to interact with Medicaid and Medicare.” Gregory, too, has treated suffering but in much different circumstances. The doctor was a consultant to the Maternal and Newborn Care Unit of the World Health Organization for years. His expertise took him to Guatemala in the midst of army-led death squads, to Kenya when tribal uprisings rattled the north and to Rwanda just weeks after the genocide hit a bloody halt. As a result, he is a believer in analyzing the costs of intervention in world conflicts compared to the costs of standing by. “I was overseas but I was still on the planet Earth,” Gregory said. Gregory is credited with solving a number of medical conundrums. He researched how to reduce neonatal death in developing countries and he developed a better method than the standard treatment to keep blood flowing in premature babies. He has had to negotiate with rebel leaders to get through war zones in order to treat women and babies. And he invented a type of thermometer that charts temperature in color coding for people in

developing countries who are unable to read numbers, he said. “What happens to you after that is that everybody with a major problem comes to you regardless of what that problem is in, because you have solved a problem that most people said had no solution,” he said.

Sen. Sherrod Brown Brown has yet to begin campaign mode, as he is running unopposed in the primary, Barasky said. Brown garnered 56 percent of the vote against Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine in 2006 during his last bid for the U.S. Senate seat. The staunch public outcry BROWN and repeal of Senate Bill 5, which would have restricted collective bargaining rights, swung momentum away from the Republicans in Ohio, Barasky said. The fact that Mandel supported Senate Bill 5 highlights a key difference between him and Brown, who was outspoken against the bill. “What [the Republicans’] real concern should be is that their party is going to nominate someone who does not stand up for Ohio’s middle class,” Barasky said. Brown’s record and philosophies are the opposite of many of the candidates who took the stage at the Maumee Indoor Theatre on Feb. 16. He has advocated for women’s rights through the right to abortion, he supports Obama’s health care reform and

FEBRUARY 26, 2012 he has voted in favor of some gun control. Every candidate who spoke at the forum expressed fear that the Second Amendment is under attack. “Ohio has relatively loose gun laws,” Barasky said. “At a right wing party [forum], of course everyone’s going to say [the government] is going to creep into their homes and take their guns.”

The independent The forum closed with a charged speech from Rupert, the independent candidate. That’s independent with a “little i” — he insisted — because he does not want to be part of any label. Rupert is a truck driver and does not have a high school diploma. He said he is not the best America has to offer but that he wants to “step up to the plate.” His speech, in which he shared thoughts on party politics and the power of civilian voice, was met by resounding applause. He had mastered the art of public speaking by the end of it, locking eyes with numerous audience members and invoking dynamic tone variations as he spoke. Several people in

the crowd whispered “wow” and “oh my gosh.” “I know that Americans are not as far apart as the loud voices say they are,” Rupert said. “We the people have surRUPERT rendered our government to fear.” He has operated on less than $2,000 in campaign money and is motivated by a sense that both parties have become too similar in terms of campaign contribution and lobbying interests. His independent status, however, is often seen as “stealing votes” from the major parties, he said. “People come to me and say ‘Thank you very much for what you’re doing, what you’re doing needs to be done but stop doing it’,” he said. “But too often [candidates] say ‘Vote for me so that guy won’t break something.’ They don’t say, ‘Vote for me and I’ll fix something.’” ✯

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■ A13

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Recorder candidates at Feb. 27 forum The plan for his fi rst 90 days in office includes implementing a system to double-check deputy clerks’ work for indexing errors, inspired by two spelling errors he found news@toledofreepress.com last month in records. “Lucas County is one of the best if Voters can meet candidates for the Lucas County Re- not the best, but there’s still room for improvement,” he said. Eff said he would also enlist think tanks to detercorder position at Candidate Night on Feb. 27. Candidates Kevin Eff, George Sarantou and James mine whether a recorder is still necessary as an elected Seaman said they plan to attend the forum put on by official position. He would also continue the digitization the Children of Liberty at West Toledo Branch Library. of records prior to 1985 and set a timeline to have the At press time, candidate Phillip Copeland said he does process completed. Eff said he would seek out grants to accomplish his goals. not plan to attend. “[Children of Liberty] really kind of strives to educate voters. One of the best ways to educate voters is to do these Sarantou kind of events,” said John McAvoy, event organizer, of the The lone Republican is also an at-large councilman conservative group’s decision to put on the forum. Jeanine near the end of his term limit. Sarantou, who works for Perry, current recorder, or a representative from her office Brennan Financial, cited his love of public service and will give a presentation on what the recorder does. experience. “For the last 30 years, I’ve been in the finanThe recorder’s offi ce is responsible for indexing and cial services and I’ve handled thousands of documents,” maintaining land records like deeds, liens and mortgages he said. He also serves as Council’s financial committee in addition to military records. Sarantou is the only Repub- chairman. Sarantou said he would continue the efficiency lican on the March 6 primary ballot for the position. The displayed by Perry and move forward to modernize the three Democrats will run to see who faces him in the fall. office with a focus on security. The candidates are: By Brigitta Burks

TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Seaman

Copeland The at-large councilman since 2005 decided to run because he is termed out of City Council at the end of his current tenure. Copeland is also the business manager for Local 500 and has been employed there since the late ’60s. Before making too many plans, Copeland said he would like to get acquainted with the staffand position first. “I want to go and be a part of it and I may have some ideas when I get in there,” he said. Copeland did say he would work to make the office friendly toward businesses and out-of-town contractors.

Eff The private practice attorney touts his experience working with about 20 recorders’ offices across the area.

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The part-time school counselor has been on Oregon City Council since 1989. “I really think that the [recorder’s] office is being run quite well and I want to continue on the same positive track,” he said. He prides himself on getting through the recession without any layoffs or benefit cuts in Oregon. Seaman said he would also continue to modernize the office and potentially create an outreach program with satellite offices open at select times so county residents wouldn’t have to make trips Downtown. Candidate Night is 6:45 p.m. Feb. 27 at West Toledo Branch Library, 1320 Sylvania Ave. Toledo. For more information, call (419) 787-9585. Toledo Free Press Editor In Chief Michael S. Miller will moderate the forum. ✯

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A16 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

A VIEW FROM THE GULCH

RETAIL PHOTO COURTESY LEVIS COMMONS

Corporate moochers

■

CRAZY 8, PART OF THE GYMBOREE CORPORATION, OPENED FEB. 22.

Three new tenants at Levis Commons Three new tenants make their mark on The Town Center at Levis Commons this spring, fulfilling the center’s mantra of shop, eat, work and play. “We are very excited about the leasing momentum so far in 2012 and anticipate a fantastic year for The Town Center at Levis Commons and our merchants,” said Casey Pogan, marketing director for Hill Partners, Inc., Levis’ developer. “Customers of Gymboree are going to love Crazy 8, and Yogurt Vi is certain to become a popular choice amongst those looking for a fast and healthy dining alternative.” Crazy 8, part of The Gymboree Corporation, opened Feb. 22. The corporation also has a Gymboree location at Levis and decided it was a good fit for Crazy 8, Pogan said. “[Crazy 8] caters to a little bit wider range of sizes and their price point is lower. So you’re going to see a lot of the quality, trendy lines like at Gymboree at a more affordable price point,” she said. The location, 2130 Levis Commons Blvd., Perrysburg, clocks in at 2,085 squarefeet with 10 employees. The store also plans to have a grand opening March 16-18, complete with discounts and giveaways. Yogurt Vi gives Levis shoppers a new location to snack at. The self-serve frozen yogurt shop features 80 flavors of certified probiotic yogurt and 60-plus toppings. “We’d come across them in other locations and knew they’d be a great fit for us,” Pogan said of the chain, which is opening in other Ohio spots. The shop should be able

to take the place of MaggieMoo’s, whose lease recently ended, Pogan said. “Yogurt is a new trend right now. It’s healthier and there’s less of a guilty feeling associated with it,” she said of the 1,300-square-foot spot at 3155 Levis Commons Blvd. Yogurt Vi is slated to open later this spring after renovation is completed. About 10-15 employees will work at the location. Robert Half International, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm, will be another new addition. The 1,986-square-foot office space at 2250 Levis Commons Blvd. is scheduled to open in April. “We’re a class-A office space,” Pogan said of Levis. “It’ll be a nice, professional, safe environment for them.” The firm has seven professional staffing divisions for temporary, temporary-to-hire and full-time positions in areas including accounting, finance, marketing and design. January was a great month for Levis, Pogan said, adding that the three new tenants should further boost morale. “We’re excited about these three, especially in an economy where people aren’t used to hearing good news,” she said. The tenants fit in with Levis’ theme of shop, eat, work and play. “These tenants play into that model perfectly with a restaurant, retail and office opening this spring,” Pogan said. ✯

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

— Brigitta Burks

e often hear the words “crony capitalism” used to describe the evil greedy corporations and the unrestricted advantage they take of the little people. First of all, let me say that crony capitalism is a misnomer in that cronyism and capitalism are opposing actions. True capitalism is dependent on the free market and is based on creating value in exchange for another value, i.e., profit. “Crony” is taken from the Greek word “chronos,” meaning time or long-term. Cronyism is the concept of using that close companions to gain favors, indulgences and protection from the Gary L. political class. If you are not a close companion of the agency or person that can grant those favors and protection then you are left out in the cold. Does this sound like the way capitalism should work? Of course not! Government should be blind to who is in the market and not favor one business over another or one industry over another, (read: green energy versus big oil). Crony capitalism is fueled by lobbyists. Lobbyists produce nothing, they manipulate and purchase the favors of legislators; they coax regulators and appease and flatter administrations to get benefits for their employers. Lobbyists increase in number as the government gets bigger. They care not what happens to this country, they only care about their share of the pie. David Boaz from the Cato Institute explains: “Lay out a picnic, you get ants; hand out more wealth through government, you get lobbyists.” The problem is not the lobbyists necessarily but the fact that lobbyists are effective. Our government is so corrupt that it can be bought, and sadly it can be bought cheaply. The list of corporations that feed regularly is virtually a who’s who of American industry. These companies employ an army of lobbyists who seek pork, bailouts, favors, tax credits, mandates, waivers and even new regulations that will hurt their competitors and give them an advan-

Call us for your business needs – Ken Connell 419-259-5945 Rich Heck 419-259-8530 Member FDIC

tage in the marketplace. It is only through free market capitalism that individual rights can be preserved. Capitalism’s greatest virtue, according to Ayn Rand, is “that it is a system based on the recognition of individual rights — on man’s right to exist (and to work) for his own sake — not on the altruistic view of man as a sacrificial animal.” It is this virtue that our politicians urge the public to regard as evil and it is the sacrifice that they want us to regard as good. Just the opposite is the truth. Companies and individuals that take the of creating someRATHBUN risk thing and selling it to the market at a profit are the good. Companies and individuals that think they are doing good by getting favors from the government and employing people with government money but produce nothing are bad. Martin Luther King said (and I paraphrase) that people should be judged on the content of their character not on the color of their skin. Today people (and companies) are judged on the effectiveness of their lobbyists and not on the viability of their company or product. Will a few companies take advantage of consumers and cheat and steal? Of course. There are always people and companies that want to get something for nothing and no amount of regulation will stop that. In the long run, those companies will go out of business and the good companies will survive. Only capitalism will save this country from continuing to circle the drain. Socialism is the first step toward disintegration, with tyranny being the end result. ✯ Gary L. Rathbun is the president and CEO of Private Wealth Consultants, LTD. He can be heard every day at 4:06 p.m. on “After the Bell with Brian Wilson and the Afternoon Drive” and every Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. on “Eye on Your Money.” He can be reached at (419) 842-0334 or email him at garyrathbun@privatewealth consultants.com.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2012

Visit www.toledofreepress.com m

■ A17

THE RETIREMENT GUYS

Four ways to get more out of your investments I n today’s fast-paced society, it can be easy to avoid looking at what seems like a long time away. But since time goes by so quickly, taking a little bit of time now can save the

average family years of headaches in the long run. Today we are going to share with you four easy and quick ways to get more out of your investment accounts.

No. 1: Consolidate investment accounts. The goal of doing this is to reduce expenses and to make it easier to keep track of everything. Many families end up having several different ac-

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counts as they change jobs, buy new easier to start out small and early than investments and make changes over to try and catch up later in life, so start the years. Normally, each custodian, now. Parents and grandparents, it is the company that holds retirement a great idea to talk with children and accounts, has annual fees. By consoli- grandchildren to get them involved in being financially dating smaller self-reliant. For accounts, an those who feel investor could they are running avoid paying a bit behind due multiple custoto getting started dian fees. later in life or Also, the the stock market more accounts performance the investor during the past has, the harder decade, don’t it can become to keep track of Mark CLAIR & Nolan BAKER get discouraged. the performance and investment al- Keep on saving and investing and relocation of their total plan. By con- member, catch-up provisions could solidating accounts, it can be easier allow you to save more and in ways to see the bottom line and keep you never knew were possible. No. 4: Properly plan distributrack of everything. No. 2: Take advantage of tax di- tions. Proper distribution planning versification. The three different becomes more important as a person ways to save and invest are taxable, or family moves into retirement. Now tax-deferred and tax-free. Normally, that you have saved and invested and a family builds up an emergency ac- have built up several accounts, how count in the taxable category. Then and which investment account should once someone gets a job or starts a be used first becomes very important. business, they begin to save and invest One piece of advice we have for sein tax-deferred accounts such as tra- niors and retirees is to create separate ditional IRAs or 401(k) plans. This is “buckets” of money for different time usually where many families stop. As frames and different risks. We also a family gets to this point, don’t forget recommend keeping money set aside to consider the long-term advantage in an emergency account. No matter if an investor is 20 or 70, of tax-free accounts. This can be done by shifting savings into accounts like following these four steps can be a great Roth IRAs or other tax-free accounts. way to get more out of investment acInstead of keeping the lion’s share of counts this year and beyond. ✯ savings in one category, try keeping money spread out among the three For more information about The Retirement Guys, tune in every Saturday different ways to save and invest. No. 3: Max out early and catch up. at 1 p.m. on 1370 WSPD or visit www. Study after study has shown the impact retirementguysradio.com. The office is and the importance of starting to save at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, and invest early in life. It is so much Maumee, OH 43537.(419) 842-0550.

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A18 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

GOLF

By Mighty Wyte TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

Blue Skies Fore Ever is an indoor, year-round golf simulation facility. Brothers Bill and Dennis Hilkens opened the doors to the golfer’s weatherproof dream in December. “Ab out G o l f designed and installed all of the simulator stations here. They’re local, out of Maumee, and they’re the only PGA-endorsed simulator com- DENNIS HILKENS pany around,” Dennis Hilkens said. “My brother Bill and I went to Cleveland and Windsor and tried out the competition. There was no comparison to aboutGolf ’s simulators. When we found out they were local, it was a no-brainer.” The Hilkens decided to open the multi-station facility after playing on an indoor league a winter prior in a private facility in Sylvania. “Bill and I played the last two winter seasons on a simulator and we loved it, but there wasn’t anywhere in Toledo with public accessibility to this sort of thing,” Dennis said. “A lot of people spend most of

their season getting their game back together after a long winter. By the time they’re playing well, the season is about over.” Along with keeping golf games in order, Dennis said the simulators offer real-time analysis and information about your game. “We let people warm up on the ‘driving range’ before teeing off,” he said. “On the driving range you get instant feedback regarding your swing. You will know immediately what your club speed was, ball speed, vertical launch, backspin as well as carry and roll distance. It’s very helpful and can help improve your game.” Skipper Clark, who has been a golfer for 15 years, said he loves the simulators. “I like the simulator because of the feedback you get from the computer. You can really fine tune your game and get your feel shots down,” he said. “This place will keep you swinging all year round and you won’t get rusty and waste the first three outdoor rounds of the year all over the place.” Dennis added, “Plus, where else can you go in the city and play in the summer after 4 p.m.? Nowhere. Every course has leagues, so you can’t go play a round after work. Where else can you play in the rain? Here you can play at any time, in any weather condition and you never get canceled out as long

as you have a tee time. Not to mention you have your choice of more than 40 courses, from Pebble Beach to St. Andrews to Shanghai, China.” Not only do players who visit Blue Skies Fore Ever get their choice of golf courses, they play with their own clubs and drive a real ball. According to golfer Mike Kontak, “It’s all so real. It feels real, looks real and sounds real.” Depending on the time of day, 18 holes will run each non-league player $20-$29. “It takes about an hour to get through 18 holes per player,” Dennis said. “We give people an hour to play or 18 holes, whichever comes first, and most people have no problem finishing at that pace. Once people know how to play, the computer takes over and we don’t have to do anything during a round except play.” The facility also offers discounts to seniors and players younger than 15. “We are working with some of the local schools to give discounts to the teams. Seniors always get 10 percent off and junior golfers get half off with a paid adult,” he said. “We really want to encourage the young generations to play.” Blue Skies Fore Ever is located at 1965 Shoreland Ave. in Point Place and is accepting tee times. For more information, visit blueskiesindoorgolf.com. ✯

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTOS BY MIGHTY WYTE

Blue Skies Fore Ever offers high-tech golf practice

■

MIKE KONTAK IN THE BLUE SKIES FORE EVER GOLF SIMULATOR.

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ARTS LIFE

A20. ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

Programs teach history, legacy of black inventors By Brigitta Burks TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

When students began the Woodberry Park Inventors & Art program, they listed Eminem, Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne and Michael Jordan as black inventors. Some students thought a patent was waiting person. Now, they can rattle off a list of black inventors and their contributions with ease and a smile. WOODBERRY “What I get out of Woodberry Park is the vast majority of my confidence. I never knew that black people invented all the stuff that they did,” said Nakeya Brown, a sophomore at Bowsher High School. Brown was one of about 15 students at a joint presentation of Woodberry Park and the Self Expression Teen Theater (SETT) on Feb. 16 at Kent Branch Library. SETT is a teen community theater that presents on issues like domestic violence and drug abuse. Both Woodberry Park and SETT meet at Frederick Douglass Community Association at 1001 Indiana Ave. Warren Woodberry, a community activist, reached out to SETT when

he realized the two programs were a “natural marriage.” Woodberry and his wife Yolanda put on classes for other programs like SETT and travel to area schools to give students knowledge on inventors, art, writing and theater. The couple funded Woodberry Park’s startup out of their own pockets. The program officially kicked off at the start of 2012. “It really started from our interest in finding a contribution to the community and kids who needed something extra,” Woodberry said. The two worked hard to create their colorful, painting-filled classroom, which includes a stage and holds 70 people. At the Feb. 16 presentation, Woodberry said schools haven’t done enough to teach students about black inventors. “This is your history. You’ve been deprived,” Woodberry told the group. “It’s our fault and now it’s your fault if you don’t go further.” The group of teens seemed more than willing to go further when they presented as Madam C.J. Walker, creator of hair products for black women, Garrett Morgan, inventor of the gas mask, and Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the Super Soaker. The presentations included biographical information and, of course, some humor. “This just touches my heart to see

all these people come out to look at me,” said the young woman playing Johnson. “I call it the Super Soaker, because it soaks people superly.” The presentations are a different take on Black History Month than the usual fare of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., said Brother Washington Muhammad, program coordinator for SETT. Traditional curricula also tend to focus on just a handful of black inventors, Woodberry said. “When I was in school I got George Washington Carver (inventor of peanut butter) and that was it,” he recalled, adding that most don’t know that Carver also invented methods of soil enrichment. “We have not learned a quarter, a pinch of what we’ve done,” Woodberry said. “Our history did not begin when we hit this shore.” This could be attributed to the fact that blacks didn’t always get credit for their work and that they were often unable to get patents on their inventions. Woodberry’s teaching has led the students to be more conscious about their history. Kathleen Williams, a seventh-grader at Imani Learning Academy, was upset about recent efforts to remove parts of black history from textbooks. “I’m gonna write a real nasty letter,” she said. Williams, who played Walker during the skit, said

the inventor of hair products was her favorite black innovator. “I love my hair,” she said and smiled. Woodberry Park has inspired other students to take a stab at inventing. Paulette Rice, a homeschooled 15-year-old, said she and her sister are aiming to make it rich off a big invention, “but we can’t think of anything yet.” The program is also a hit among teachers in the classrooms Woodberry visits. “Mr. Woodberry did an awesome job presenting these inventors. More importantly, his introduction sparked interest and curiosity among several of my students,” wrote Tamara Smith, a science teacher at Wood-

ward High School, in a letter praising Woodberry Park. In the future, Woodberry plans to include documentary making, book clubs and more in his program. Ideally, he would also like to provide a GED program, a program for children under suspension and mentoring for students. However, Woodberry Park needs money, computers and other equipment for these endeavors, he said. To donate or get involved, email blackhistoryeverymonth@yahoo. com or call (419) 508-0776. Visit www.wix.com/woodberry parkinvart/wpia#! to learn more. w w w. w o o d b e r r y p ar k i nv e nt or s andart.com is coming soon. ✯

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FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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WAR OF 1812 BICENTENNIAL

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Up Swan Creek, with a paddle

nce, as a youth, I got dumped out of my by one man when rapids or waterfalls had to be canoe. Not from standing up or hitting a avoided. Maybe even more important, they were rock, but from friends who thought it was quiet when stalking wildlife â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or enemies. Many a fun thing to do â&#x20AC;&#x201D; yes, friends. Anyway, that a raid on frontier families was aided by the silent incident didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t diminish my love for canoeing. If maneuvering of a pirogue. Larger canoes were typically constructed of you have never floated down a lazy river or even a a cedar frame, then covered with more cedar bumpy one, I urge you to grab a paddle and row. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just something about being near sheathing and finished in birch bark. Pine roots water, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there? Why else would all the river were used like thread for stitching. Sap became and lakefront properties be the hardest real es- natural glue. Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you just smell those fresh cedar tate to acquire these days? Civilizations have and pine scents wafting through the air as they settled at waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge since time began. The built these vessels? Up to 30 feet in length, these grander canoes were generally rivers and creeks in our Northwest used for longer, more hazardous Territory of 1812 were the highway travel like trips from the mouth of system of that day. our Maumee River on Lake Erie Of course, various Native into the other Great Lakes. American tribes resided beside or Next time you go canoeing, and near the rolling Swan and Ten Mile there are still plenty of canoe livcreeks, as well as the Ottawa, Saneries along our rivers, remember dusky, Raisin and Maumee rivers. that even though your vessel may The relatively few white men who be made of aluminum, it was the had ventured into our area with Native American who used what the intention to settle long-term, resources were available to him quickly learned the advantage of Frank KURON quality transportation by observing these people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; tree trunks, bark, sap and roots â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to create a design that has, and will, last indefinitely. â&#x153;Ż already in residence. Now, maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just me, but there is an irony in the fact that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll spend hours on a treadmill Bugle Call: Upcoming events but later hop in my car to travel four blocks to â&#x153;Ż Contrasting perspectives on the War of the carryout! I suspect the Indians held a similar 1812 in Northwest Ohio will be offered by lecsentiment. Why hike 10 miles to the hunting turers Jamie Oxendine and Larry Nelson at 6:30 grounds when they could take a swift float down p.m. March 2, in the Franciscan Center on the the river? And so the canoe, an exquisite example Lourdes University campus in Sylvania. Oxenof functional design to transport men and mate- dine is the director of the Black Swamp Interrials, appeared. Sure, strong waves or a long lean Tribal Foundation and a respected Native Amercan tip them, but when handled properly they ican speaker. Nelson is a history professor with were, and are, graceful and easy to maneuver. Bowling Green State University and previously Lewis and Clark are credited with using the served as site director for Fort Meigs. A peaceful term â&#x20AC;&#x153;pirogueâ&#x20AC;? to describe certain canoes they deliberation is expected! had taken on their famous 1804-06 expediâ&#x153;Ż The Wolcott House Museum Guild is tion. Ironically, they used this moniker for both sponsoring free history lectures about our region their large and small canoes. Today, at least every Thursday at 10 a.m. through March at the throughout the Midwest, we simply call them ca- Maumee Branch Library auditorium. noes no matter their size. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s except for Louâ&#x153;Ż The Western Lake Erie Region during isiana-area residents who use the term pirogue the War of 1812 will be the focus of the annual in distinct reference to a small, light, flat-bottom Friends of Pearson March Sunday Series, at 2 canoe that glides silently in extremely shallow p.m. each week in Macomber Lodge at Pearson water. Historically, the term pirogue is used to Metropark, according to a news release. The sedescribe a very specific canoe design â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one dug ries begins March 4 with a presentation by Jeff out of a single log. Helmer, park ranger at Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Victory and InIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll bet many of you fell into the trap of ternational Peace Memorial on South Bass Ispronouncing this word like my favorite Polish land. The monument commemorates the Battle dumpling, the pierogi? That delicacy is pro- of Lake Erie. On March 11, staff from Fort Meigs nounced pih-row-ghee. The canoe is a pee- State Memorial in Perrysburg will discuss the rowgh. And now you know. battles that took place at the War of 1812 battleThese smallest of canoes were literally hand- field on the Maumee River. carved out of large trees and designed to hold March 18, Daniel Downing, education and only one or two men. In the making, the Native operations chief at the River Raisin National Americans were known to set fire to the halved, Battlefield, will talk about the famous battle at felled tree and scoop out the charred wood as it that Monroe, Mich., battlefield. burned, repeating the process until it was shaped Local historian and author Larry Michaels into a vessel worthy of keeping men afloat. will conclude the series with a presentation Sometimes they added water to the partially about Northwest Ohioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best known explorer, hollowed-out canoe, then dropped in extremely Peter Navarre, who played a role in the war. hot stones which caused a brief boil, softened the Macomber Lodge, which was recently wood and allowed for smooth carving. renovated, is on Navarre Avenue, east of These small pirogues provided swift trans- Lallendorf Road. The entrance to the lodge is portation and were easily portaged, or carried, separate from the entrance to Pearson. â&#x153;Ż

A22 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

ARTS LIFE

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

FAMILY PRACTICE

All I really need to know I learned from the Pledge

ach week, my kindergartner is assessed on a particular skill. This past week the skill was her ability to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance.” Being the one who does this assessing of my daughter and her young classmates, hearing and saying the Pledge 30 times or so in a row made for a thought-provoking morning. Not being a teacher, politician or professional athlete, I don’t hear the Pledge nearly as frequently as I did as a child. I wholeheartedly do remember it, though I can’t say as much for my recollection of the faces on our monetary pieces. The prior week I had told the first few students I skillchecked that I thought the man on the nickel might be Alexander Hamilton (it’s actually Thomas Jefferson in case

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you had forgotten too). In my defense, nearly unbearable yet again. It commen with ponytails tend to all look forts me to know that some loyaltyaffirming, unifying alike and I did qualify elements still stand in it by telling them that American culture. it was a guess. Still, my Of course, our “one case of mistaken idennation indivisible” actutity may or may not ally can’t even seem to have resulted in being agree on the pledge it(understandably) proself. Apparently, it’s too vided with a Pledge of pro-religion, too antiAllegiance cheat sheet religion and lots of other this time around. things in between. I, for Breaking something Shannon SZYPERSKI one, still like it. of such significance I really am fine with down for fresh eyes and fresh ears gave me pause and an op- pledging allegiance to something and portunity to re-embrace it myself. As having my children do the same. To we inch ever closer to another presi- me, it’s like saying that I accept where dential election, the he said/she said/ I am in this life and that I’m willing we said/you said is already becoming to make the best of it. My allegiance

does not guarantee that I will always agree with everyone else making the pledge, but it is a promise that I’ll do my best to at least find a way to work it out and continue to live side by side with them. I’m also fine with the words “under God.” Or not. I could go either way, mainly based on the fact that it wasn’t part of the original sentiment and was added 23 years after the original author’s death. Something that apparently was intended to be a part of the original sentiment was the word “equality.” However, the Pledge of Allegiance’s author, Francis Bellamy, opted against including the idea in fear of those individuals not yet recognizing the equality of all citizens. As it stood, the entirety of the original Pledge read: “I pledge

allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” It has obviously seen a few revisions since 1892 and I’m not opposed to another, especially if it was, indeed, Bellamy’s original intent. I also certainly wouldn’t mind hearing “with equality, liberty and justice for all” when I drop by my children’s school one morning. In addition to the American Pledge of Allegiance, my children actually begin their school day with another oath: “I am a kind person. I am here to learn and do my best work. I am going to treat others the way I want to be treated. I am looking for the good in other people. I am going to do what is right and show respect to all.” ■ FAMILY CONTINUES ON A23

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ARTS LIFE

FEBRUARY 26, 2012 ■ FAMILY CONTINUED FROM A22 Hearing such words in unison is music to a parent’s ears. Obviously, not every child will absorb and exemplify the ideas behind their school pledge or the Pledge of Allegiance every day. However, the fact that such concepts are being recognized, taught and celebrated is no doubt a posi-

tive influence on every child’s future and, in turn, our future as a society and a nation. After many years of learning and growing beyond my own kindergarten experience, I have found that it is the most basic of notions that continue to ring the most true. Stand together. Do your best.

■ A23

Visit www.toledofreepress.com m

Be kind. Accept one another. Do the right thing. It really is that simple. Not often easy, but simple. ✯

Free tax preparation for educators, school employees

Shannon Szyperski and her husband, Michael, are raising three children in Sylvania. Email her at letters@toledo freepress.com.

School employees will receive free tax preparation if they take their tax receipts and information to Liberty Tax Service offices from Feb. 27 to March 11. This includes anyone from teachers to school bus drivers, but they must be new customers to the tax services firm. Participating locations are at 4011 Secor Road, 2500 Woodville Road, 3839 Airport Highway and 646 Main St. Educators who spend the personal money to buy classroom supplies might qualify for a tax break in 2011. Those eligible for the tax break include kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, instructors, counselors, principals or aides who work at least 900 hours. Liberty Tax Service was founded in 1997 and operates 4,000 offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. ✯ — Caitlin McGlade

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A24 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

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FOR SALE STAMP COLLECTION EXTENSIVE STAMP COLLECTION of over 5000 stamps available. Dating back to the Civil War. US and foreign. Books, numbered blocks, special commemorates. Mint and cancelled. Many 40’s and 50’s. Serious inquiries only. Ask for Mark @ 419-866-5388. Will not break up collection. All real estate advertised in this paper is subject to the federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, in the sale, rental, or financing of housing. This Publisher will not knowingly accept any advertising that violates any applicable law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this paper are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you believe you have been discriminated against in connection with the sale, rental, or financing of housing, call the Toledo Fair Housing Center, (419) 243-6163.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS TOLEDO LUCAS COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY TOLEDO, OHIO NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Directors that Sealed Bids will be received by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority for: DOCK WALL BULKHEAD REPAIR – TOLEDO SHIPYARD 2245 FRONT STREET, TOLEDO, OH 43605 This contract is for all equipment, tools, materials, qualified labor, supervision, and services necessary to complete the construction for the bulkhead repair of the dock wall between Dry Dock Nos. 1 and No. 2, Maumee River, Toledo Shipyard (Ironhead Marine, Inc.), 2245 Front Street, Toledo, OH 43605, in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority at One Maritime Plaza, Toledo, OH 43604. Bids will be received at the Port Authority’s administrative offices at One Maritime Plaza, Toledo, OH 43604 until Thursday, March 8, 2012, at 3:00 PM, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Plans, Specifications, Instructions to Proposers, and Forms of Proposal and Contract are on file, and may be obtained by either (1) obtaining hard copies from Becker Impressions, 4646 Angola Road, Toledo, OH 43615, phone 419.385.5303, during normal business hours, or (2) ordering and paying through Becker Impressions’ plan room at www.beckerplanroom.com at a non-refundable price of $30.00. The full announcement may be viewed at http://www.toledoportauthority. org/PublicNotices.aspx.

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INTERESTED BIDDERS: TOLEDO PUBLIC SCHOOLS – LONGFELLOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – ASPHALT PACKAGE Sealed bids will be accepted by the Board of Education of the Toledo Public School District until 1:00 pm March 14th, 2012, at the Toledo Public Schools Treasurers’ Room, 420 E. Manhattan Blvd., Toledo, Ohio 43608, for all labor, material and supervision necessary for the Longfellow Elementary School, as more fully described in the drawings and specifications for the project prepared by Munger Munger + Associates Architects Inc. and will be opened publicly and read immediately thereafter. Bid Documents for the project may be examined at the F.W. Dodge plan room in Columbus, Builders Exchange in Toledo, University of Toledo – Capacity Building, E.O.P.A. – Hamilton Building, Northwest Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and The Plan Room in Ann Arbor, Construction Association of Michigan, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce and Ohio Construction News. Bidders may obtain copies of the documents starting February 14, 2012

which can be purchased from Toledo Blueprint, 6949 Wales Road, Northwood, Ohio 43619, phone: (419) 661-9841. Drawings may be obtained on CD-ROM for no cost with the purchase of the specifications. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on March 8, 2012 at 8:30 am at Toledo Public Schools Board Room, 420 E. Manhattan Blvd, Toledo, Ohio 43608. If you have any questions or a need for additional information, please direct all questions in writing to Patrick.Stutler@lgb-llc.com , by phone at (419) 776-5600, or fax (877) 281-0784. Sealed bids will be received for: Bid Item No. 1 – Asphalt

An information guide and workbook for HOME BUYERS! Call or email me for your copy.

Compliments of Mary Ann Stearns, Loss Realty Group 419.345.0071 | www.MaryAnnStearns.com

Estimates $183,720.00

Mary Ann Stearns 419.345.0071 marstearns@bex.net

TV LISTINGS

FEBRUARY 26, 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

February 26, 2012

MOVIES

9 am