Toledo Free Press – March 25, 2012 by Toledo Free Press

COMMUNITY I WEATHER

BUSINESS LINK I ECONOMY

ARTS & LIFE I CONCERT

Hot enough for ya?

On the rise

Blues Against Child Abuse

Jeremy Baumhower talks to local meteorologists about the March hot streak, Page A8

Brookings Institution says Toledo economy shows signs of strength, Page A18

Voodoo Libido concert at Dégagé to raise awareness of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Page A21

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Grand experience What Toledo can learn from Grand Rapids, Michigan’s hottest arts community. Commentary by Michael S. Miller, Page A3

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A2 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

MARCH 25, 2012

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OPINION

MARCH 25, 2012

PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

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■ A3

LIGHTING THE FUSE

Wheels on the bus The Grand Rapids experience

hen Tarzan swings through the jungle, he doesn’t let go of a vine until the next one is securely in hand. That’s the image that comes to mind as Perrysburg deals with its post-TARTA future. Toledo Free Press took some heat a few weeks ago with an election summary comment that called Perrysburg’s opting out of TARTA service “a short-sighted decision that will have major ramifications for the people who depend on the bus service for transportation. Time will tell if the money the individuals save is worth the sacrifice to the community as a whole.” A number of Perrysburg readers wrote to say we were the ones being short-sighted, and one wrote that “several years of research have gone into the efficiency and effi cacy of the service received from TARTA and the options available to continue to provide public transportation to citizens who need it. Many meetings between the city and the provider have taken place, with unrealized promises of more timely and valueadded service. For all these years of membership, the city has paid an inordinately high premium to TARTA in view of the limited Thomas F.POUNDS ridership of its citizens.” Toledo Free Press was invited to attend the March 21 public meeting about Perrysburg’s efforts to replace TARTA. While the respected city may have diligently researched its decision to ask voters whether to leave TARTA, it does not seem to have an option ready for people who depend on public transportation. “I’m a property owner; I’ve been paying taxes for 40 years and I absolutely do not want to pay taxes for you to go to the Mud Hens, for you to go to the symphony and for you to go somewhere else,” said Denny Barrett, a Perrysburg resident who spoke during the meeting. “Get yourself there — that’s not something the taxpayers should be paying for.” It is fair to wonder whether Barrett has considered that the system works both ways; the same buses that take people to Toledo also bring people to Levis Commons and other shopping destinations in Perrysburg. Barrett and other Perrysburg residents may be subject to a property tax levy to replace TARTA (although the legality of that may be challenged), which may save residents money but is going to be a source of concern until those who use the service know more. There were several questions raised at the meeting about service quality, cost and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It seems odd that Perrysburg would spend so much time and energy preparing to let go of the vine that is TARTA without having a clear plan for a smooth transition to the next vine. It is one thing to negotiate with a private company that isn’t sure if it will face competition with a service like TARTA, but with that competition factor removed, Perrysburg may not find itself in such a favorable bargaining decision. We were prepared to apologize for mischaracterizing Perrysburg’s decision to leave TARTA as “short-sighted,” but nothing at the March 21 meeting convinced anyone that the next transportation vine is in sight, much less in hand. ✯ Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

rand Rapids, Mich., has built a downtown with many of restaurants, even that Irish pub — are within a one-mile of the same puzzle pieces we have in Downtown To- radius, along with a major hospital and college. Even the ledo. It is on a river and close to one of the Great John Ball Zoo is less than two miles from downtown Grand Lakes; it has an arena for concerts and hockey and a conven- Rapids. For reference, it’s just under two miles from Imagition center; it has a world-class museum and a thriving arts nation Station to the Toledo Museum of Art. It is four miles from Imagination Station to the Toledo Zoo. scene; it has a children’s museum and a library; It is five miles from Imagination Station to it has offi ces for a daily newspaper and city the University of Toledo. government; it has restaurants, an Irish pub The Grand Rapids airport (Gerald R. and an Ottawa Tavern that calls itself the “OT.” Ford International, which is Michigan’s But while Toledo continues to leave many second-busiest airport) is 14 miles from of its puzzle pieces in the box, Grand Rapids downtown. Toledo Express is 16 miles from has taken advantage of geography and coopImagination Station, unless you flew in to eration to build a true destination city and Detroit, in which case you must travel 50 has pioneered an art event that in 2011 drew miles to see Downtown Toledo. 325,000 people who spent $10 million in 19 Even the Frederik Meijer Gardens and days. There are lessons to be learned from Grand Rapids, but be warned: Some of those Michael S. MILLER Sculpture Park, which cannot be adequately described in this limited space, is only five lessons contain hard truths that reveal a limit miles from downtown. Elmore’s Schedel Arboretum and to the Glass City’s aspirations. Gardens is 18 miles from Downtown, not exactly a long Apples to apples drive, but in Toledo-think, that’s “a hike.” Toledo’s highlights can compete with any city’s, but they Grand Rapids, 185 miles northwest of Toledo, is Michigan’s second-largest city — 192,000 people live within its are scattered in a sprawling manner that prevents any sense of true destination and community, in terms of tourism and borders; 600,000 live in its Kent County area. The Experience Grand Rapids website describes the city as “a re- marketable identity. That lack of proximity is an immutable markable combination of urban sophistication and small fact; Lloyd Jacobs is not going to move University Hall to the town warmth, known for its philanthropic and sustainable Berdan Building and Randy Oostra is not going to relocate a ProMedica hospital to the old Owens Corning building. driven community.” But proximity is not Grand Rapids’ only advantage. Sound familiar? I have lived and worked in Toledo for 40 of my 45 years. I visited Grand Rapids from March 15-18, for about 45 Attitudes and extras hours. I recognize that the emotional thrill of infatuation My wife and I stayed at the Amway Grand Plaza hotel, with a new city and the adventure of travel demands the bal- 24 floors above the Grand River. The service and aesthetic ance of intellectual perspective. I have no doubt that Grand quality of the Amway are a reminder of one of developer Rapids has its problems and challenges, and that more time Bruce Rumpf’s themes: Downtown Toledo lacks a hotel there would reveal some of those issues. But I noticed two that can stand with the nation’s finest. The Amway valet themes that merit discussion and study for people invested captain asked if it was our first visit to Grand Rapids. We in Toledo. Discussing these topics does not mean Grand affi rmed that it was, and he said, unabashedly, “Welcome Rapids is better than Toledo or that Toledo should aspire to Grand Rapids. Make our downtown your playground.” to be Grand Rapids (any more than it should aspire to be That might look corny on the printed page, but he said the Columbus, Ann Arbor or Chicago), but when such a clear words with pride and warmth. model for improvement presents itself, it is better to look it I wonder if any of the staff at Toledo’s hotels are welin the eye and face it than to bury one’s head in the sand and coming guests with such a mixture of chamber-of-comignore the potential. merce gushing and true hometown pride. That welcome set the tone for the weekend (a celebraProximity tion of our 10th wedding anniversary), at restaurants, The fi rst advantage I observed in Grand Rapids can shops and with people we met on our travels. The Exnever be duplicated in Toledo. So why discuss it? Because perience Grand Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau understanding parameters and limitations is an important arranged our hotel stay and one interview with ArtPrize part of character and comprehension of reality. I opened organizers, but at no point in the weekend did I reveal this discussion by listing many of the things Grand Rapids my media identity and we paid for our own admissions and Toledo share in their downtown areas. The key diff er- and excursions; the “secret shopper” approach is the only ence is proximity. Every Grand Rapids attraction listed at honest way to evaluate an experience and avoid invoking the beginning of this commentary — the arena, conven- Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. tion center, museum(s), children’s museum, library, scores ■ MILLER CONTINUES ON A4

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A4 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

GUEST OPINION

OPINION

MARCH 25, 2012

DON LEE

Mandate tramples liberty

ith the enactment of for the coverage of these services the U.S. Department of regardless of the violation to their Health and Human Ser- moral conscience. I suppose we should be grateful vices (HHS) mandate for “free” contraception coverage, religious liberty there is an exemption for houses of — the inherent natural right of every worship, albeit an exemption that is quite possibly the narrowest exempindividual — has been trampled. You’ve undoubtedly heard about tion in federal law to date. Even these the HHS mandate announced Jan. houses of worship will be forced to 20 that will require all insurance certify their exempt status via cumplans to provide coverage, at no cost bersome paperwork submitted on the government’s timetable. to the subscriber, for: You may be thinking: Why all ✯ Abortion-inducing drugs the fuss? Wasn’t this conflict over ✯ Contraceptives religious liberty and moral con✯ Sterilization ✯ Patient education and coun- science resolved with President seling for women of reproductive age Obama’s accommodation to reliWhen the Patient Protection and gious groups announced at a Feb. 10 news conference? Affordable Care Act — Don’t be deceived. aka ObamaCare — was There was no accompassed in March 2010, modation. The presithe 2,700-page mondent announced he strosity was designed to would force insurance have some provisions companies (also an begin six months after abuse of power) to prothe law’s passage. vide contraceptives for Then, piece by “free,” thus “relieving” piece, more aspects of the burden on the the law were rolled out, Joan CANNING conscience of religious all of which have been burdensome, costly and confusing employers. The truth of the matter is for employers who provide health the proposal: 1. Does not resolve the moral plans to their employees. The provision at issue now, de- issue at the core of the matter. There fined in an August 2011 interim is no such thing as “free” contraHHS ruling, required most new and ception. Insurance companies will renewing health plans to provide increase premiums for religious “preventive services” with no cost- groups and therefore shift the cost sharing as of August 2012. The ser- for the morally offensive services vices were to include contraceptive back to them. 2. Is unworkable for the religious coverage, but allowed some nonprofit religious employers the choice groups and other employers who self-insure and are in essence both to refuse those services. Then, on Jan. 20, HHS Secretary employer and insurer. 3. Was contradicted that same Kathleen Sebelius announced a “new element” to the interim but soon to afternoon when the administration be final rule: Religious employers filed the final regulation as written in must also provide contraception August. No changes were made. As expected, on March 1 the coverage by August 2013. Wow! Religious employers get a Democrat-controlled Senate voted whole year beyond secular employers 51-48 to table the Respect for Rights to abandon their moral consciences of Conscience Act as amended to the and obey the unelected bureaucrats’ Transportation appropriations bill orders. The breathtaking arrogance by Sen. Roy Blunt, (R-Mo). is illustrated in this quote from SeAn excerpt from Blunt’s statebelius on the new element: “I believe ment reads: “The Obama Adminthis proposal strikes the appropriate istration’s health care mandate is balance between respecting religious an egregious violation of our First freedom and increasing access to im- Amendment rights. Unfortunately, portant preventive services.” this is only a glimpse of what AmeriIn other words: Religious em- cans can expect as a result of Presiployers have one year to get over dent Obama’s government health themselves and realize they are care takeover.” ✯ unenlightened and discriminating against women. Joan Canning is the owner of HR AdBottom line: Religious employers vocate LLC, a Toledo-based human such as Catholic hospitals, Christian resource and management consulting schools and faith-based pregnancy business. Find more information at centers will have to provide and pay www.hradvocate.biz.

■ MILLER CONTINUED FROM A3 In addition to a walking-distance experience, Grand Rapids offers a nicety I observed in Washington, D.C., and Chicago: parks and greenspace. Our Metropark system is a marvel, but the Lorax would die if his life depended on living in the few trees our downtown harbors. Grand Rapids also makes the most of its riverfront with parks, boardwalks and building entrances up and down the downtown watersides. Toledo is investing in Promenade Park; if it can generate a fraction of the waterfront activity Grand Rapids enjoys, it will be a worthy investment.

ArtPrize The other great lesson from Grand Rapids is dangling like a ripe piece of low-hanging fruit: cooperation, embodied by the city’s ArtPrize event. Far from the city, as one travels the highways leading to Grand Rapids, there are billboards that read, “Cool City, Hot Art,” followed by billboards for specific galleries and exhibits. The city works on branding itself as an art destination well before its borders. It would be like seeing billboards for Toledo Museum of Art exhibits and Toledo Symphony Orchestra events while driving in from Fort Wayne or Chicago or Cleveland or Columbus. While in Grand Rapids, I met with ArtPrize Executive Director and COO Catherine Creamer and Public Relations Director Brian Burch. ArtPrize was founded in 2009 as

an open art competition. According to an economic impact study, the 2011 event (in just its third year) hosted 1,582 artists at 164 venues, competing for nearly $500,000 in cash prizes, determined by public vote. In its 19-day span, more than 325,000 attended the event, spending $10 million during their stay. It’s like the Arts Commission’s Art Walk series on steroids, with a major cash prize at the end. “We have a unique ecosystem of partners,” Burch said. “The arts organizations, which traditionally competed with each other for funding, saw a need to do what was best for Grand Rapids. City leaders cooperated and ArtPrize came together in an unprecedented collaboration.” Best of all, ArtPrize’s $2 million operating budget comes from sponsors, donations, event fees and sales, not from taxpayers. And of that $2 million, $1.9 million is spent in Grand Rapids on local goods and services. Creamer said the public-voting element is also key to ArtPrize’s success: “The public vote is a function of engagement that, during ArtPrize, makes art impossible to ignore.” Toledo arts organizations spend a tremendous amount of energy fighting for funds and territory, which results in the greatest of those institutions being stuck in old-model relationships, refusing to open their futures to newer ways of doing business. It’s ironic, but while I always hear that Toledo artists do not like to com-

pete with each other, that’s standard operating procedure for the big-time Toledo arts institutions. ArtPrize is not a blueprint that could be lifted whole and dropped in Toledo, but the concept is adaptable and with planning and cooperation could be a model for an event that would represent a seismic shift in Toledo’s tourism efforts.

Call for action It would be beneficial for a Toledo delegation to visit Grand Rapids for the September ArtPrize. Toledo Free Press will take responsibility for arranging a night’s stay and a visit with ArtPrize officials, then for hosting a follow-up meeting to discuss the potential of emulating the event here. There should be an official from city government, someone from the Arts Commission, probably representatives from the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Tahree Lane from The Blade and a wild card or two. I would love to see such a trip happen, but I am not going to hold my breath waiting. Cooperation is a far more flexible concept than proximity, but for Toledo arts organizations, it seems it is also a concept with as little hope for change. ✯ Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@ toledofreepress.com.

OPINION

MARCH 25, 2012

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COMMUNITY

A6 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

MARCH 25, 2012

CITY OF TOLEDO

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

A baby seat that once bounced and spun lay abandoned in the driveway. Jagged glass hunks sprawled across the concrete. A wooden shed sagged into the ground in the backyard, before a forest of twisted blades of grass and weed skeletons. Balledup underwear rested among them. Gutted Pringles tubes belched out a few potato chip shards. The front of the house on Packard Road, covered in light green siding, didn’t look too shabby but its roof tiles, curled up like blackened orange peels. This is just the kind of house the city wants to target, said Paula Kozlowski, a code inspector, as she marched up the steps and hung a yellow tag around the doorknob. This day, March 21, marked the second day for the city’s new “Spring Sweeps” initiative. It’s a proactive way to alert homeowners if they are violating maintenance codes and offer them a variety of financial aid programs to make home improvements more affordable. And, if a homeowner is in compliance, there are door hangers to praise him or her. Bands of code inspectors will focus on one neighborhood and then move to the next, visiting areas deemed on “the tipping point.” These are places that are not entirely consumed by blight but may be in danger of sinking into disrepair. Or, as Mayor Mike Bell put it, places that are “right on the edge of being great.” “We do get a lot of people who think we’re just out here to cause trouble,” Kozlowski said. That is one of the reasons why Chris Zervos, director of inspections, wanted to launch “Spring Sweeps.” Up until March 20, the city has responded to maintenance code violations based on complaints, which total about 28,000 a year, he said. A code inspector will check out the property drawing complaints and if the owner is violating code, he or she will issue a letter to adress the problem. Typically, the homeowner has about 30 days to reply or ask for an appeal if changes are not financially feasible. If nothing is done, the city can take the homeowner to court, where the judge might impose fines ranging from $75 to $250. Continuous infractions can incur fines up to about $600, Zervos said. The bulk of the complaints flow in from the central city.

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTOS BY DIANE WOODRING

City code inspectors start ‘spring cleaning’

■

CITY OF TOLEDO CODE INSPECTOR PAULA KOZLOWSKI HANGS A NOTICE ON A PACKARD ROAD HOME ON MARCH 21.

“It’s never been cheap and it’s never been easy to own property but it is the American dream,” Zervos said. He and other city officials suspect that a lot of these homeowners are not aware of the financial assistance that could help them. Thus, the packets that code inspectors hang on door knobs include information about a Habitat for Humanity repair program that sends insulation specialists to provide blownin insulation for attics. This is free for homeowners whose incomes qualify. Other programs listed include a down payment assistance grant for first-time homebuyers within 80 percent of the area median income — meaning that the annual income for a family of four could not exceed $50,100. Toledo residents within that range also qualify for loans or grants designated to fix code violations such as leaky roofs, faulty furnaces or crumbling foundations. Code inspectors will conduct the sweep until June 20. Starting off in the Library Village neighborhood,

the crew will later move to Arlington/Burroughs, Secor Gardens, Oakdale/Ravine Park and North Toledo/Point Place areas. After June 20, the program will continue into other neighborhoods. The neighborhood that Kozlowski canvassed on the morning of March 21 was in relatively good condition, she said. The row of homes along Packard Street, off Sylvania Avenue, only needed a few notes for poor upkeep. Kozlowski was mostly looking for egregiously chipped paint, cracked foundations and junk in the lawn or overflowing on the porch — one house had stacks of mangled wicker chairs and cardboard boxes stuffed behind its low porch wall. She tends to give homeowners with minor infractions the benefit of the doubt. “I try to keep in mind how I would feel,” she said. “If you really wanted to, you could go to any house and find something wrong — but you can’t be too overzealous.” ✯

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Perrysburg bus riders express fear of rising prices, ADA compliance By Caitlin McGlade TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER cmcglade@toledofreepress.com

Now that Perrysburg voters have voted down their present means of public transportation, a number of residents dependent on those services are coming to terms with the reality that their traveling might soon grind to a halt. At least 40 Wood and Lucas County residents packed Perrysburg City Council chambers March 21 for a special transportation meeting, some expressing worries about the future system and others asserting unwillingness to subsidize othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; transportation costs. City Council members Todd Grayson, Maria Ermie and Tom Mackin joined representatives from the transportation consulting firm Clear View Strategies to ask citizens what they want out of a public transit system. Some expressed interest in bus routes that lead to and from popular venues in Toledo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a property owner; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been paying taxes for 40 years and I absolutely do not want to pay taxes for you to go to the Mud Hens, for you to the

go to the symphony and for you to go somewhere else,â&#x20AC;? said Denny Barrett, a Perrysburg resident who spoke during the meeting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get yourself there â&#x20AC;&#x201D; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not something the taxpayers should be paying for.â&#x20AC;? City officials aim to draft a new system that takes the place of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA). Voters opted out of the service in the beginning of March. The city plans to budget about $800,000 for new service costs, which would take about 1.25 mil in property taxes to levy, Grayson said. The cost depends on what type of services the city and the consulting firm decides on. The group has already taken rides on TARTA to experience how routes work and the next step is to meet with TARTA officials to take stock of rider needs. In coming weeks, they will send out surveys and look for feedback from various organizations and businesses and read previous transportation reports. Ultimately, requests for proposals will invite private companies to bid for a contract that would last five years. The issue would appear on the November ballot and if voters approve the measure, ser-

vices would have to start by January. But Mackin spurred a brief, heated debate about whether the city has the authority to levy property taxes for public transportation. He said he has not yet received a definitive answer from his lawyers. Both Ermie and Grayson argued that the law permits municipalities to levy taxes for services that aid the elderly and people with disabilities. Grayson said he would hear within a few days whether the city can legally levy property taxes in this case, so he questioned why it was necessary â&#x20AC;&#x153;stir the pudding.â&#x20AC;? Ernie Brancheau, a consumer advocate for the disabled community, questioned just how much a new, private service would benefit people with disabilities. He is wheelchair-bound and uses TARTA at least 30 times a week. Because TARTA receives federal funding, it must follow Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Private businesses do not â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one of the reasons Brancheau said he can never take a cab. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It does really scare me; when you go private then you lose the federal backing and you lose your ADA designation, so a private contractor can do whatever they darn well please,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the federal

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oversight, if I have a problem, who am I going to call?â&#x20AC;? Grayson and Lynn Colosi, the senior vice president of Clear View, said the city would require that the company that wins the bid follow ADA-like rules. If someone is discriminated against, they said, the individual could at first report it to the company and then report it to the city. Grayson said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glad the federal government wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to touch the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transit deal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want their strings attached,â&#x20AC;? Grayson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of the goal here is to get out from underneath the 800-pound gorilla in the room.â&#x20AC;? Gregory Symington, a Perrysburg resident, wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t convinced. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worried a switch to a private business will jack up the prices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When it comes down to public transportation, we have to subsidize this with our tax dollars because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to make a profit,â&#x20AC;? he said. Numerous other meeting attendees expressed the same concern. TARTA is affordable, many said, and they feared the new bus system would demand higher prices. Grayson assured them that the goal is to keep bus fares from increasing over what riders pay now. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The goal is not to recover costs, the goal is not to penalize riders, to make [citizens] pay $18 to go over to Levis,â&#x20AC;? Grayson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We understand this will be a heavy loss.â&#x20AC;? Although TARTA runs on taxes collected last year to operate this year, the bus system will stop services to Perrysburg in October. Law requires the system to stick with a municipality for at least six months after voter rejection of the service is finalized. TARTA pulls in about $1.5 million from Perrysburg from an annual levy. State Representative Randy Gardner (R), who presides over the 6th district, called the move â&#x20AC;&#x153;taxation without transportationâ&#x20AC;? in a letter to James Gee, TARTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general manager. Sandra Alden is a Perrysburg resident who commutes to North Toledo every day for work. She said she has a fixed income and TARTA gave her reliable and convenient transportation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This has caused a great imposition on me, as of the end of October, I will be buying a car, leaving a job or moving,â&#x20AC;? Alden said. â&#x153;Ż

COMMUNITY

A8 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

MEDIA WATCH

sk any Toledoan right now “What’s the biggest story happening here?” and you’ll get two answers — the weather and the weather. We are one of the fortunate cities that has four distinct seasons: hot summers, beautiful crisp autumns, cold and snow filled winters and welcomed sunny and wet springs. However, this year it appears we had a longer fall that blended perfectly with spring. There was little snow, no school cancellations, no salt trucks, no Winter Storm Warnings, no White Christmas and no shoveling. It sounds like the Dr. Seuss book except the Grinch stole our winter. Like most area residents, I have been waiting for the other snowshoe to drop, because we never have winters like these. We always get the snow eventually, right? The paranoia started when The Blade published an Oct. 6 article, “Horrible winter is likely for Toledo,” warning citizens of the upcoming winter. “The coming winter season could easily be one of the top 10 worst in Toledo history, according to AccuWeather Inc., the private weather

MARCH 25, 2012

The winter that never was forecasting service based in State man my family’s trusted with our College, Pa.,” the article began. Accu- weather forecast for as long as he has Weather was predicting the second been on TV in Toledo, 13abc’s Stan worst winter ever for Chicago, and Stachak. Stan has been supplying a weather forecast for since we normally 32 years, meaning I catch the same storms was 5 when he deor the remnants of buted. He has seen it them, we were due to all — the drought of have an awful winter. 1988, the flooding of If the lack of snow 1992, various miniwasn’t worrisome blizzards and tornaenough, now we are does. The only thing having a record hot missing from the BibMarch. Eighty-pluslical Rapture predicdegree days have made tion are the locusts, but our lawns green, our Jeremy BAUMHOWER we did have mayflies. shorts come out and have my kids discussing when the I prodded Stan about the accuracy pools will open. These beautiful of the “Farmer’s Almanac” and he days have somehow given us more was skeptical of its “secret formula,” stress. Toledoans are acting like the which was devised in 1792. “The ‘Farmer’s Almanac’ predicMunchkins from “The Wizard of Oz” right after Dorothy dropped a house tions are often uncouched, unseton the witch; we are scared to come tled generalities,” Stachak said. He outside because we can’t trust this said he has been asked numerous weather — something bad is going times lately “what was going to happen next weather-wise,” from to happen. I called local TV weather person- people concerned about 150 degree summers or snow in May. alities and demanded some truth. His response is, “Don’t panic.” The first call I made was to the

Here are the highlights from the various conversations. ✯ FOX Toledo’s Doug Moats: “Another hot and wet summer. The early warm weather could increase the yields, but lessen the flowering period. March 21 set a record high of 85 degrees for the day; it was also the warmest March day on record for Toledo, and we have records going back to 1873.” MOATS ✯ WTOL’s Robert Shiels: “This could continue through midMay but I expect a cooler than normal rest of spring. I make it a policy not to make any long-term forecasts as far as summer is concerned.” ✯ NBC24’s Norm Van Ness: “My grandmother’s neighbor’s aunt said that when this happened in 1905 they had a blizzard in July, so I fully expect a foot of snow to fall by July 15,” he said, laughing. “Climatology says Mother Nature loves balance. It

should be a pretty busy spring for extreme weather.” ✯ WTOL’s Chris Vickers: “There is very little connection between spring and summer weather. It always seems to balance itself out; look for a cool stretch at some point.” ✯ 13abc’s Jay Berschback: “I don’t know. I don’t believe in longterm forecasting, because of the Butterfly Effect: One small forecasting mistake often multiplies into bigger ones.” ✯ WTOL’s Ryan Wichman: “Why not enjoy this? Trade in some of the bad weather IOUs.” The overall sentiment of Toledo’s weather community is to just stop thinking about the weather and simply enjoy it. Mother Nature is giving us this gift; why is it so difficult for us to accept it? I will gladly accept another gift from her on April 4, but I fully expect to see salt and snow trucks clearing a path for the Tigers buses from Detroit, because that’s Toledo! Follow Jeremy Baumhower on Twitter @jeremytheproduc.

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MARCH 25, 2012

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Group aids unhoused By Brigitta Burks TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

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Veterans Matter, a program that aids unhoused veterans, is a collaboration of several local and state groups. “[Veterans] lay their lives on the line and it’s become acceptable in America for them to get beaten or killed on the streets, but if that happened behind enemy lines, there’d be outrage,” said Ken Leslie, founder of 1Matters, a local nonprofit supporting the unhoused. Government LESLIE entities Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veterans Affairs Supported Housing Program (HUD-VASH) provide housing solutions and case management to veterans. “The government’s really doing this program right,” Leslie said. However, one component is missing — rent deposits. Most unhoused veterans don’t have the means to pay the deposit or first month’s rent upon moving into new homes, something required for housing programs. “We don’t really do anything, but respond to that need, which is the deposit,” Leslie said. “It’s clean and simple. HUD-VASH already successfully identifies, screens and qualifies the veteran family and housing then provides the case management. For just $700 or so, we the people can take out the delays and get our unhoused veterans into housing.” Leslie and Shawn Dowling, coordinator of Healthcare for Home-

less Veterans of the Ann Arbor VA Health System, realized the need for deposits while talking Feb. 6 and didn’t waste any time. Leslie approached ProMedica’s Advocacy Fund for $26,250 to fund the idea. “ProMedica is proud to support the Veterans Matter program through the ProMedica Advocacy Fund because our veterans, like all individuals, deserve quality housing. Through these partnerships we can improve the health and well-being of our citizens by providing for their basic needs,” said Randy Oostra, president and CEO of ProMedica, in a statement. The fund was established in 2010 and is administered by the Toledo Community Foundation. After ProMedica provided the funds, the first family was able to leave a shelter for their new home Feb. 17, just 11 days after the project’s conception. The couple’s deposit was $438. So far, five families have been supported by the fund. About 35 area veteran families, who may need funds from Veterans Matter, qualify for HUD-VASH housing. It is crucial that Veterans Matter reaches these families soon because there are only so many vouchers and dollars per year, Leslie said. Leslie emphasized that 1Matters will continue its mission of helping everyone affected by being unhoused. “Our focus has not gone away from all of the unhoused. … No matter where you come from, if you’re on the streets, it sucks,” he said. Still, Leslie stressed the importance of helping unhoused veterans. “We owe the ones who have been the most hurt and damaged by what they experienced fighting for our rights,” he said. Visit http://1matters. org/?page_id=1917 to learn more. ✯

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COMMUNITY

A10 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

MARCH 25, 2012

Ministry offers help for food assistance applicants news@toledofreepress.com

Anyone who thinks they may qualify for SNAP or wants to find out can visit the following locations:

A representative from Toledo Area Ministries’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will be available to help clients fill out food assistance applications throughout April. Three workers from the program operate a mobile unit that travels to food pantries and senior centers every month. Caseworker Glenna Berres estimates the unit helps about 100 people per month. “We take the applications to the sites rather than have the people come Downtown,” Berres said. “There’s such a need out there and many of these people are the newly poor; they haven’t been through this before.”

✯ Zablocki Senior Center, 3015 Lagrange St., 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. April 2 ✯ Providence Center, 1205 Broadway St., 2-3:30 p.m. April 3 ✯ Zablocki Senior Center, 3015 Lagrange St., 9:30-11 a.m. April 5 ✯ Oregon Center, 570 Bay Shore Road, Oregon, 10-11:30 a.m. April 9 ✯ Eleanor Kahle Center, 1315 Hillcrest St., noon-1:30 p.m. April 10 ✯ Providence Center, 1205 Broadway St., 2-3:30 p.m. April 10 ✯ Mayores Center, 2 Aurora Gonzalez Dr., 10-11:30 a.m. April 11 ✯ Blessed Sacrament, 4227 Bellevue Road, 7:30-11:30 a.m. April 12 ✯ Wesley United Methodist, 2934 Stickney Ave., 9-10:30 a.m. April 14

By Brigitta Burks TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Wear Blue to Work!

Will you take a stand against child abuse by wearing blue to work on April 11?

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Lucas County Children Services receives over 750 reports of suspected child abuse and neglect each month. YOU can help prevent child abuse and neglect in our community just by becoming aware!

✯ Kent Branch Library, 3101 Collingwood Blvd., 1-2:30 p.m. April 17 ✯ Our Lady of Lourdes, 6149 Hill Ave., 10:30 a.m. to noon April 18 ✯ Waterville Branch Library, 800 Michigan Ave., Waterville, 1-2:30 p.m. April 18

✯ Hunt Center, 2121 Garden Lake Pkwy., 12-1:30 p.m. April 19 ✯ Maumee Center, 2430 S. Detroit Ave., 10-11:30 a.m. April 24 ✯ Providence Center, 1205 Broadway St., 2-3:30 p.m. April 24

✯ Our Lady of Lourdes, 6149 Hill Ave, 10:30 a.m. to noon April 25 ✯ Point Place Library, 2727 117th St., 1-2:30 p.m. April 26 To learn more, visit the website www.tamohio.org. ✯

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I was the problem child who started drinking at 13. At 16 I was expelled from Toledo Public Schools for behavior, alcohol and marijuana. Later it was crack. My family tried to help, but I pushed them aside because of my addiction. In fact, I stole from them. Doing time at the Correctional Treatment Facility got me on the right path—to sobriety and treatment for depression and bipolar disorder.

Child Abuse Is Preventable. Wear Blue to Work on

April 11, 2012 Take a picture of yourself, your group or company wearing blue, and post it on our Facebook page! For more information, visit Lucas County Children Services on Facebook or email information@co.lucas.oh.us. To report child abuse anytime, call 419-213-2273.

Today I work at The Recovery Center helping others find their way out of chemical dependency, just like I did. This year I’ll finish my bachelor’s degree in social work so I can give back. My name is Monica Allison. For information about services in Lucas County call the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board:

419-213-4600

COMMUNITY

MARCH 25, 2012

â&#x2013; A11

Visit www.toledofreepress.com m

COMMUNITY OMBUDSMAN

Perrysburg woman adopts one lucky cat

f you are questioning whether to buy a perfect pet or adopt one with some baggage, a lesson reveals itself in this tale. Linda Wilker of Perrysburg ad-

opted Eve one year ago on St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. She credits me for bringing the special-needs cat into her and her husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives. When the black and white kitten

was rushed into the veterinarianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office on New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve 2010, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for a new beginning. She had gotten mangled in a carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fan belt and ended up on someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s front

Caring for Our Community

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Saturday, April 14, 2012 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Fifth Third Field â&#x20AC;&#x153;Suites Level Loungeâ&#x20AC;? Autographed Bret Michaels guitar and autographed birdhouse from Crystal Bowersox at live auction

porch. The stranger took her to the vet to be euthanized. But when the kitten reached her paws up toward the veterinary staff at the Anthony Wayne Animal Hospital, they knew she had eight lives left to go. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before we opened the box, she was peeking through the handles,â&#x20AC;? said Laurie Reece, who helped Brandi organize the adoption and whose husband, Steve, is a vet and owner of the animal hospital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She was such a trooper. She had the will to survive.â&#x20AC;? They named her Eve because of the fateful day she arrived. The staff rushed to save her life. Her tail had been cut off and she had â&#x20AC;&#x153;horrifi câ&#x20AC;? injuries to her backside, Laurie said. After surgeries, a lot of love and a few months of healing, I suggested Linda as a possible pet parent (my cats go to the Anthony Wayne Animal Hospital). Eve had grown tired of living at the vetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office. She wanted more freedom to roam and

she was lonely at night. Linda had grown up with cats, but never owned a special-needs one. Linda researched what and how much Eve should eat to help with her lingering injuries, which ranged from constipation to a leaky behind. Today Eve goes by â&#x20AC;&#x153;Evie,â&#x20AC;? and is happy, healthy and BARHITE wholeheartedly devoted to running the household. She has toys in every room, beds stationed at most windows and treats placed in all corners. She still needs a little extra medical attention every now and then, but compensates with extra snuggles and kisses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anytime you adopt an animal, they know that you rescued them,â&#x20AC;? Laurie said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I love you, I love you, I love you. Thank you for giving me this wonderful life.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Eve almost died on New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve, but her life began again on St. Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day. I guess you could say the luck of the Irish was with her. â&#x153;Ż

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A12 n Toledo Free Press

MARCH 25, 2012

CULTURE

Leaders from Kyrgyzstan visit with Toledo-area counterparts By Erik Gable

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

supplied photo

Five officials from rural Kyrgyzstan spent a week in Ohio earlier this month, exchanging ideas and inspiration with their counterparts from the Toledo area. The March 9-17 trip was hosted by the Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development with funding from the Open World program, an initiative started by the U.S. Congress that brings leaders from the former Soviet Union to the U.S. “All of them came to learn how their counterparts at the local level are developing the local economy,” said Sheradil Baktygulov, who joined the delegates as a facilitator. Elizabeth Balint, project manager for the Great Lakes Consortium, said the group met with a variety of officials from different levels of government, including

U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, state Rep. Teresa Fedor, Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak and Administrator Peter Ujvagi, and city officials from Maumee, Fremont, Perrysburg, Bowling Green and Oregon. Kyrgyzstan is a poor country, Balint said, but has beautiful mountains that create potential for the tourism industry. She said the country needs help with marketing to reach a wider audience; one challenge, she added, is that Internet access is more limited than in the U.S. and many organizations can’t afford to develop their own websites. Balint said the delegates were glad to see the level of independence from federal and state authorities enjoyed by local governments in the U.S. They took home a number of ideas, she said, both from their meetings with local officials and from cultural visits to places like the Toledo Zoo, Maumee Bay State Park, Marblehead Lighthouse and Toledo

Museum of Art. Balint said the delegates were especially impressed with the Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen, a nonprofit commercial kitchen facility that serves as an incubator for foodrelated entrepreneurial ventures, and

asked for help developing a similar program in Kyrgyzstan. Balint said the visitors stayed with host families in Toledo, Sylvania, Perrysburg and Bowling Green. Balint said the Great Lakes Consortium was established in 1999 and

has hosted more than 850 visitors from 17 different countries in that time. The consortium is a collaboration between the University of Toledo, Lourdes University, Bowling Green State University and the WSOS Community Action Commission. O

March is National Developmental Disability Awareness Month Join REM Ohio as we celebrate National Developmental Disability Awareness Month! At REM Ohio we are committed to delivering the highest quality services in community neighborhood living – empowering the people we serve to live, work and thrive in their community. We encourage everyone to learn more about those in the community who have developmental disabilities and recognize that all of us have talents and abilities that we can offer. For more information on how to bring awareness to your community go to www.rem-oh.com.

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Pictured during a recent visit by leaders from Kyrgyzstan are former Maumee City Council president Barbara Dennis, Daniyar Aytkozhoyev, Ayzhan Chiletova, Maumee Mayor Tim Wagener, Nurzhamal Romanova, Sheradil Baktygulov, Nurgul Akimova and Zhyldyzkan Ysmanova.

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Serving from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. • Adults $23.99 • Seniors $19.99 • Kids 7-12 $12.99 • Kids 4-6 $6.99 • Kids 3 & under free

• Buttered Corn • Scalloped Potato • Traditional Mashed Potato and Chicken Gravy • Shrimp Cocktail • Salads, Kids Table & Desserts 15% Large Party gratuity may be added to table of 8 or more.

Drinks included are: Coffee, Hot Tea, Iced Tea, Hot Chocolate, Chocolate & White Milk

Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13th

• Carved Prime Rib Au Jus • Carved Pork loin with peach glaze • Carved Cordon Bleu • Baked Salmon • Kielbasa and Cabbage • Home Style Meatloaf • Western Scrambled Eggs • Bacon • Waffles and Syrup • Breakfast Potatoes • Key West blend • Buttered Corn

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COMMUNITY

MARCH 25, 2012

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BRAIN GAIN: CELEBRATING THOSE WHO CALL TOLEDO HOME

Marketer has a personal connection to hospice care

SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2012

EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE: On our second anniversary, Toledo Free Press launched the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brain Gainâ&#x20AC;? series, celebrating those who choose to make their home in Northwest Ohio. As we begin our eighth year of publication, we are returning to the series that symbolizes our intent: to show the world, and remind ourselves, why this is such a special place to live and work. By Brigitta Burks TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

Toledoan Mary Beth Schoen absolutely loves her job as account director for Transcend Hospice Marketing Group, a part of R/P Marketing Public Relations. Schoen, 61, joined Transcend in December after more than 30 years of working for the Lauerer Markin Group and also some time at Thread Marketing Group. She is passionate about working with hospices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big reason I made a career change and stayed in Toledo, because I was going to be working with people I considered to be the leaders in hospice marketing. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no one else in the country at this expert level,â&#x20AC;? she said. Schoen has personal connections to hospice care. Her mother did not receive hospice care before her death; her father did, and it made all the difference. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I tell everyone he had a blessed death,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much joy and preparation for the birth of a child. Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we bring that same preparation and joy and just positive, wonderful feeling to that next great passage in life?â&#x20AC;? The St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College grad grew rew up in West Toledo as one of 14 children, seven girls and seven boys. Now nine of her siblings and some of her 58 nieces and nephews live in the area, another reason sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stayed in the Glass City. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re close and we get together as often as we can,â&#x20AC;? she said, adding that sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the go-to family member for borrowing clothes. Although Schoen previously considered moving to Chicago, her love for her job at Lauerer pulled her back. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I loved what I did. I loved the people I worked with. I loved the clients,â&#x20AC;? she said. The account director also loves working with charities. Schoen serves on the board of Research Down Syndrome, a nonprofit that supports cognitive research. She also helps out at Shared Lives Studio, an art studio providing professional opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. The studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art director, Lori Schoen, is her sister-in-law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Toledo just welcomes [the artists] with open arms, which is another thing about Toledo. To-

BRAIN

The

TITANIC Dinner & Ball SCHOEN ledo is just a very warm city,â&#x20AC;? Schoen said. Toledoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art scene is important to Schoen, who said she goes to Toledo Symphony Orchestra performances as often as possible. Schoen, an avid gardener, also likes taking her nieces and nephews to the Toledo Zoo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Talk about gardening, that is a gardenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delight there,â&#x20AC;? she chuckled, adding that the Toledo Botanical Garden is another treat for her. Schoen also greatly enjoys the Art Walks, put on by the Arts Commission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really helped bring the Downtown area more alive. We are going through a renaissance in the Downtown area,â&#x20AC;? Schoen said. And what does Schoen bring to the area? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to bring positivity. If I can do anything, I like to be able to open up conversations with people, talking about life experiences, talking about work experiences,â&#x20AC;? she said. Schoen also boasts about Toledoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attributes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love sharing with other people things I think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll enjoy. I tell them about things like the Art Walks, the wonderful things that go on Downtown. I like to spread the news. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we all like to hear a good story?â&#x20AC;? â&#x153;Ż

GAIN

To nominate a Toledo-area resident for the Brain Gain series, email their name and a brief description of their work to news@toledofreepress.com.

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â&#x2013; A13

BUSINESS LINK

A14 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

MARCH 25, 2012

RETAIL

By Brigitta Burks TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

Amjad Doumani, owner of B-Bop Records, has tapped into what he calls the “vinyl resurgence” and opened a brick and mortar version of his online music store. In the modern world of MP3s and iPods, Doumani said he still believes vinyl has a place. “[Vinyl] involves some sort of interaction. Whereas on the computer with MP3 files, all you do is push a button and go about doing what you’re doing. People can easily stop listening to music and it just becomes a background noise,” he said. B-Bop Records first started out as a brick and mortar store in 1987 before closing in 1994 and going online the following year. The first store mostly specialized in alternative CDs and vinyl records. Best Buy and Media Play’s lowpriced CDs were part of what forced B-Bop online. “We could not compete with those kind of prices. It costs us more to buy wholesale a CD than they would be selling at retail,” Doumani said. Doumani kept his first store in mind throughout the years. “In my heart and in the back of my mind, I always wanted to reopen the store,” he said. “What was driving me to reopen was that I missed the contact with the public, having a relationship with clientele.” In late 2011, Doumani worked as the fundraising manager for the Lucas County Green Party’s city council candidates. He realized the space the group rented at 137 N. Michigan St., might be perfect for a store. “When the campaign was over, we got to talking [and said] ‘This is a beautiful space, but it’s way too big for an office,’” Doumani said. The result is Third Space, shared by B-Bop, the Lucas County Green Party and the Media Decompression Collective, which offers screenings of films on political, social and environmental issues. Third Space is also available for meetings, gatherings and events. The

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY BRIGITTA BURKS

B-Bop Records leads vinyl resurgence with new store

■

AMJAD DOUMANI OPENED THE FIRST B-BOP RECORDS LOCATION IN 1987. A GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION FOR THE NEW STORE IS SET FOR MARCH 26-31.

new, cheery yellow store now specializes in secondhand collectibles, vinyl, CDs and other memorabilia. “In the very near future, we’re planning on delving into new vinyl, but vinyl only. We may order new CDs, most likely on a special order basis, and we’re not gonna carry any Top 40 stuff you hear on the radio,” Doumani said. The store has been open since late January, but will have its grand opening celebration March 26-31. B-Bop Records will offer 20 percent

off all purchases throughout the week. Doumani has also organized a lineup of artists for the week, made possible through his Toledo connections. “Even though I closed the store in ’94, I never stopped being involved in the community. Through the arts and activism and over the years, I’ve built a lot of connections,” he said. Donations are accepted, but the free events include: ✯ Poet T. Miller will sell and sign copies of her new book “Coming Out of Nowhere” at an open mic event at

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7 p.m. March 26. ✯ Area DJs Todd Perrine and DJ Psycho will spin tunes 7 p.m. March 27. ✯ The Media Decompression Collective and Miserable City present films celebrating Toledo’s art scene at “Toledo Art: Past, Present & Future” at 7 p.m. March 28. ✯ Puppeteer Joyce Davis presents “Who’s in Rabbit’s House?” an interactive, all-ages story 7:30 p.m. March 29. ✯ Slumberjack, a Toledo singersongwriter, and Nadwy Auddy, an

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emcee, jam at 7 and 8:30 p.m. respectively March 30. ✯ Artist Melanie Harris has her opening reception and exhibit kickoff 4 p.m. March 31 with light appetizers. ✯ Soul Fingers, a jazz/blues act, plays at 7 p.m. March 31 followed by The Socialist Party at 8:30 p.m. and Phantom Limb Syndrome at 10 p.m. B-Bop Records is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit http://www.thirdspacetoledo.org or www.bboprecords.com. ✯

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â&#x2013; A15

A VIEW FROM THE GULCH

G FORCES How not to invest in precious metals, Part III Year-round tutoring

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his week I want to look at investing in precious metals through mining companies. Many years ago, people would invest in mining companies as a way of hedging the precious metals market because there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any other practical way. There were no gold or silver ETFs and mutual funds were even more expensive than they are today. In the early 1980s, when gold and silver exploded in price, most of the investing was done with physical delivery or through futures contracts, both of which can be very expensive methods of investing in precious metals. The alternative then became investing in companies that mined gold and silver because, as the price rose, so did their

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profits since many of the costs associated with mining were static. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look as some of the issues mining companies face, which you need to take into consideration before investing as an inflation hedge or simply a growth play. Gold and silver are mined all throughout the world and oftentimes in very harsh conditions like in Alaska. If any of you have watched the Discoveryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show on gold diggers, you know that it is not the greatest thing to do in bad weather or in those latitudes. Secondly, you have Gary L. to consider the governmental conditions of the location of the mines. Is this a friendly and stable government to foreign companies and are the taxation policies favorable for profit? Next are equipment costs. Equipment used to mine minerals is not cheap to purchase or transport. Parts are often difficult to obtain in remote parts of the world and repair people are not cheap, either. Like oil exploration, you never know what you are going to get when you start digging. There are some very smart geologists out there who know what to look for in rock formations to

give a company a good shot at a strike. But you can always dig a dry hole and dry holes cost just as much to dig as prosperous ones. The cost of all this equipment and transportation of workers fluctuates with the cost of fuel. A mining operation uses a lot of fuel and the work is hazardous so wages need to reflect the work and the risk. Finally, the cost of capital can be crucial for the mining company. Many times the capital dries up just before the final phase of mining and the payoff hits. This RATHBUN can become a death spiral since often the mining takes place where there is a short window of good weather to get the job done before one has to wait until next season. All of this being said, there are some opportunities to invest in mining companies and make a good return on your money. If a company has proven reserves and the price of the commodity rises this creates an opportunity to cash in on getting those reserves out of the ground and making a good profit. Most of the major mining operations in the world are incorporated in British Columbia. Many years ago,

British Columbia essentially became the best place for companies to base their headquarters because of the favorable tax structure of the province and the stability of the government. When investing in a mining company, look at all of the fundamental things you look at in any other public company â&#x20AC;&#x201D; good earnings, manageable debt, stable and competent leadership, fair pricing of the stock and liquidity. Additionally, you need to see what their known reserves are and if they hedge the ounces they have in the ground and what the hedging is in relation to the price of the metals. Finally, is the company diversified with their mining operations or are they locked into just gold and/or silver? Many mining operations also have operations that mine some of the base metals like copper, zinc or lead. These metals will help the cash flow and profitability of the company. â&#x153;Ż 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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;After the Bell with Brian Wilson and the Afternoon Driveâ&#x20AC;? and every Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. throughout northern Ohio on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eye on Your Money.â&#x20AC;? He can be reached at (419) 842-0334 or email him at garyrathbun@ privatewealthconsultants.com.

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5545 Secor Rd., Toledo (419) 473-1411

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MARCH 25, 2012

TREECE BLOG

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■ .A17

Real World 101

n the past, this space has occasionally been filled with humble opinions on higher education in this country, how it has changed and how I now find it. Others have probably heard a Treece on the radio echoing many of the same thoughts, talking about how the American educational system has gotten off-track and lost focus. The attitude that has developed is that going to college is a must for any young person — many think graduate school is critical as well. The problem is that the educational system has invented a good many degrees that are mostly useless. As a result, this country has raised a generation of liberal artists turned Occupy protestors. Still, many have dismissed my arguments out of hand with retorts like, “But Dock, how can you say that when you went to college?” or “Are you

“Dock: crazy? You have to go to college to get I have heard you make mention a good job in this country!” While it’s true, I do have a bache- about welders and other skilled trades in manufacturing being lor’s degree, I completely in short supply. As HR deny the argument that director at my company all good jobs require a our business is expanding college education. and we have been acThe reason for this tively seeking qualified generalization is simple individuals with welding, — young people today tooling quality and fabribelieve that only whitecation backgrounds to fill collar jobs are good positions in our plants. jobs, as if there is something inherently wrong Dock David TREECE In Toledo alone there has been for some time a with a person working short supply of qualified tool and die with their hands. Recently, I received an email from makers. One of the biggest mistakes a Toledoan who frequently hears us TPS did was close down Macomber on radio and reads our columns. It is and slowly let the skilled trades shop worth publishing here and I obtained programs at all the public high schools dwindle to nothing. These were feeder their approval to do so. schools that provided future apprenThey wrote:

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tices and skilled trade’s candidates to most of the manufacturing companies in Toledo and NW Ohio. Some of the brightest and talented individuals I know have come from trade schools and have progressed to leadership positions in many companies including ours, all without the so-called requirement to have a degree. “In our company alone the majority of our engineering staff including our director of engineering who I would put up against any degreed engineer started his career as a tool and die maker. In fact, one of our design engineers holds several patents and his background is in tool and die. As a tool and die maker by trade myself, the discipline and work ethic that were instilled in me during my apprenticeship allowed me to grow and provided me the position I have today. The short-sightedness of academia that says everyone needs to go to college to get a good paying job is pure bunk. We have created a situation where young people who really are not suited for college are pressured to at-

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tend college and after a couple of years of pursuing a degree in philosophy or music drop out and are strapped with thousands of dollars of debt, with no degree and no future. We need to remove the stigma of working with your hands as something to be ashamed of. It is quite obvious where these jobs will go if we do not have the people with the skills needed to fill these jobs.” — A. Listener It isn’t worthwhile to pursue higher education without having some idea of a career path. To conclude, what follows are a few wise words from my boss: “Don’t confuse education with intelligence, or knowledge with ability.” ✯ Dock David Treece is a partner with Treece Investment Advisory Corp (www. TreeceInvestments.com) and is licensed with FINRA through Treece Financial Services Corp. He provides expert content to numerous media outlets. The above information is the express opinion of Dock David Treece and should not be construed as investment advice or used without outside verification.

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MARCH 25, 2012

Brookings Institution: Toledo economy improving By John Rasche TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

The Toledo Metropolitan Area is showing promising signs of economic improvement, according to a report released by the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington, D.C. “Export Nation 2012,” released March 8, analyzes and documents the American growth rate of exported goods and services in 2010. The report states that U.S. export sales grew by more than 11 percent back in 2010 — the fastest export growth since 1997 — and the growth is expected to continue. In 2010, the largest 100 metro areas produced approximately 65 percent of U.S. exports, 75 percent of the nation’s service export sales and 63 percent of its manufacturing export sales. Those same 100 metro areas were responsible for the majority of export sales in 30 states. The Brookings Institute noted that Midwest metro areas generated the fastest growth in direct export-production jobs. Toledo’s own export growth increased by 17 percent from 2009 to 2010 and is now ranked third among the nation’s top 100 metro areas for export growth from manufacturing contributions. Toledo’s exports totaled $4.1 billion in value, which places the metro area (consisting of Fulton, Lucas, Ottawa and Wood counties) at the 58th ranking for exports value. Brookings also placed Toledo in the top 10 metro areas for the city’s

15 percent increase in export share of metro gross domestic product (the overall market value of final goods and services) in 2010. This increase in exports is projected to double by 2015. The statistics and economic terminology might sound confusing, but there is one change that everyone in the Toledo area can understand and appreciate: the likelihood of more jobs. Toledo’s metro exports accounted for more than 11,000 jobs in 2010 that are directly related to the exporting industry and 25,600 more that are supported by it. If the area’s exports continue to climb, then more jobs will be created. What is the cause of this significant export growth? Toledo’s work ethic for one, said Paul Zito, vice-president of international development for the Regional Growth Partnership. “When you have a good workforce, you have a good product,” Zito said. “There is a unique economic diversity in Toledo that maintains strength in both the old automotive industry and the new industry of renewable energy. Many of the other metro areas do not have that kind of diversity.” Zito also believes that new international markets for Northwest Ohio’s exported goods and services have contributed to the growth. Regional Growth Partnership already has several plans to help small-business owners enter those export markets. Although Canada and Mexico continue to be the largest markets for American exports, a rising interest

in other foreign countries could also mean better business. “From 2003 to 2008, the share of U.S. exports going to Brazil, India and China increased by 3 percentage points and by another 2 percentage points in just the two years from 2008 to 2010,” the Export Nation report states. “Metropolitan areas that produce what emerging markets consume are better-positioned to take advantage of the growth in these countries.” The industry with the highest share of metro exports in Toledo is transportation equipment, with a 23.5 percent share of metro exports and a 36.4 percent growth increase between 2009 and 2010. Several other industries in Toledo have flourished; Machinery has grown by 22.7 percent, fabricated metal products by 23.1 percent, and paper by 25 percent just to name a few. Urban Planning Consultant Taron Cunningham attributes the rise in Toledo’s exporting industries to the area’s various educational institutions. “Innovation, as part of the new economy, derives predominantly from research and development, which occurs at our area’s major universities and colleges and businesses,” Cunningham wrote in response to the report. “Innovation and technology transfer from the research and product developments that have occurred at the University of Toledo’s Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator and Bowling Green State University’s Center for Research and Development. Among

the several initiatives, the universities have impacted innovation and growth expansion in the area.” Education is one of the U.S. service exports that increased nationally in both 2009 and 2010, but not in Toledo. According to “Export Nation 2012” report, Toledo’s education service exports have decreased by nearly 18 percent. “This may serve as a warning signal for state and local policy support,” Cunningham argues. “A strong indicator of an area’s economic strength is its citizens’ education attainment. Furthermore, education combats poverty as a tool to loosen its vice, in Toledo specifically, as problem-solvers address the challenge of one of the nation’s highest poverty-ridden cities. Education is an opportunity to advance the economic climate the new economy is ushering in.” The 2010 decrease in growth for education could be the result of several

factors, such as fewer students. Despite its recent decline, the education industry remains resilient. Cunningham discovered in the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the 2010 fourth quarter that the universities and medical facilities in Lucas County displayed high exportability for education services and were specialized more in that particular area. The travel and tourism industry in the Toledo metro area has grown by nearly 9 percent, which could also indicate a developing interest in the area’s education institutions. According to Cunningham, now is the time for businesses to take action. “Things are going well. It’s okay to spend. Let’s continue to boost the economy of our area.” “Export Nation 2012” report can be accessed through the Brookings Institution website: www.brookings. edu. An interactive map of each state’s export data is also available. ✯

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ARTS LIFE

A20 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

MARCH 25, 2012

IN CONCERT

Thomas Dolby to bring Time Capsule Tour to Royal Oak By Vicki L. Kroll TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER vkroll@toledofreepress.com

Some 20 years ago, Thomas Dolby vanished from the music business like one of the submarines he sang about on his 1983 debut, “The Golden Age of Wireless.” He resurfaced in Silicon Valley as founder of Beatnik Inc. “We actually created a software synthesizer technology, which Nokia licensed because they wanted to make their phones capable of doing polyphonic ringtones,” the entrepreneur said. “So we sent engineers to Finland to put our synthesizer into their phones; that was in 1999, and since then it’s been in every Nokia phone and most of their competitors, so it totals about 3 billion phones.” A big fan of the Internet, the tech wiz created a Web-based game called “A Map of the Floating City,” which went online prior to the October release of the disc of the same name. “The project started in earnest really when I moved back to England from the USA; I was keen to get my

kids a taste of my home country. We live in a very, very secluded village on the east coast of England, and my garden looks out over the North Sea toward Holland and Germany, and there’s a huge container port near me,” Dolby said during a call from Houston. “I have my studio on a restored 1930s life boat, which is powered by solar panels and wind turbine. And I would sit in the wheelhouse looking out via periscope at these massive container ships floating across the North Sea. And at different times of day, they look almost like floating cities, almost like the Manhattan skyline. “But in my twisted imagination, this was sort of a dystopian future world in which the container ships were all that was left. And the survivors of the species had taken to the oceans to stay cool. And that sort of became a backdrop for an album.” For his first CD since 1992, the singer-songwriter serves up jazz, bluegrass, rock and techno. “I try to tell stories, which I think is a rarified thing in this day and age. And I will adopt whatever musical method is appropriate for telling the

story,” Dolby said. The British rocker will bring his Time Capsule Tour to the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, Mich., at 7 p.m. April 4. Tickets are $20. And he’s bringing a silver trailer tricked out with an internal video production studio. “We’re asking people when they go in: If you could imagine that you’ve got 30 seconds left to live, what message would you send, to whom and why? Or you could think about maybe what could go into the time capsule are your three favorite songs, your granny’s apple pie recipe — what part of today’s scene deserves to be preserved for the future?” he said. “Or you could assume that we have no future, the species will not exist in 100 years or 1,000 years; the first alien spaceship that uncovers the time capsule, how do you explain to them what went wrong, where it went off the rails?” Things started to click for Dolby when he was working as a synthesizer player and sent cassettes out in the early 1980s. “One of [the cassettes] found its

way to Mutt Lange, who was in New York producing ‘Foreigner 4,’ ” he recalled. “So they flew me over to try me out for a day, and we did ‘Urgent,’ which they were delighted with, and so they said could I stick around and do the whole album. “And they gave me a free hand pretty much to do what I wanted, including putting the intro on ‘Waiting for a Girl Like You,’ which was their biggest hit and really stood out because it had 15, 20 seconds of somnambulate, emo music on the start of it, and for a hard-rocking ’80s hair band to have that kind of an intro was certainly quite adventurous.” That gig financed Dolby’s debut, “The Golden Age of Wireless,” which featured “She Blinded Me With Science,” “Europa and the Pirate Twins” and “One of Our Submarines.”

“The MTV video really caused it to take off,” Dolby said. “It was an interesting time because most of the pop stars of the era were pin-up heroes. And I was sort of an anti-hero really, so my video was like a silent movie, people like Chaplin and Lloyd and Keaton, and they were the little guys, so that was pretty much my character in ‘She Blinded Me With Science.’ “It was a catchy song, a little bit different,” he said. “That’s really why you still hear it get played a lot these days, and you’ll see it on ‘Big Bang Theory’ or ‘The Simpsons’ or whatever because it sort of struck a nerve with that generation. “I’m very lucky. It’s one thing to have commercial hits; it’s another thing to have them still get played 30 years later.” ✯

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ARTS LIFE

MARCH 25, 2012

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BLUES

Concert to raise awareness of child abuse prevention By Brigitta Burks TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

The Blues Against Child Abuse event March 29 gives people a chance to not only hear some tunes, but to raise awareness of child abuse. “We just wanted to find a way to bring attention to the issue and great music is a way to do it,” said Julie Malkin, public information officer for Lucas County Children Services (LCCS), the agency putting the event together. The band Voodoo Libido will bring “lots of good old rousing blues” to the party at Dégagé Jazz Café, Malkin

said. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will also be available. LCCS hopes to draw a younger crowd with its first-time blues party, said LCCS Executive Director Dean Sparks. The agency hasn’t done as many activities in the area around Dégagé SPARKS and wanted to reach a different part. The agency is asking eventgoers to bring a personal care item like soap or shampoo to the party to be

donated to a child in foster care. Many times, foster parents need to run out and purchase these small items when the child arrives, Sparks said. If the children come in with these items, they have more time to bond with their new foster family. “Sometimes [the children] come with nothing and it might make it an easier transition,” Sparks said. Sparks said the county needs more foster parents. It’s the job of foster parents “to keep a child safe and to nurture them and help them bond and thrive in the world despite the things that have happened to them,” Sparks said. Currently, there are 550 foster

children in foster/relative care and 270 foster homes in Lucas County. To become a foster parent, you must contact (419) 213-3336 and be put in touch with a recruitment specialist. Background checks are performed in addition to a reference check, home study and safety/fire inspection. The parents must complete 36 hours of training before placement, Sparks said. Adults older than 21, married or single, are eligible. “You don’t have to own a home as long as it’s safe and you have room for the kid, you can be a foster parent if you meet those criteria,” Sparks said. Some foster parents work with

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birth parents to potentially reunite families or help children move on to another permanent home. Other times, foster families become that permanent home, Sparks said. The blues event also serves as the local kickoff for National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year’s theme is “child abuse is preventable.” In 2011, LCCS received 4,148 referrals of suspected child abuse involving 6,046 children and discovered 587 area children were abused or neglected. The agency’s hotline for reporting child abuse receives about 750 calls per month and 300-400 are investigated. These numbers are about average if not a bit low for an area the size of Lucas County, Sparks said. Sparks and Malkin recommended reaching out to young parents with advice, reporting suspected abuse and talking to legislators as ways to prevent child abuse. “Child abuse is preventable if everyone puts their minds to it,” Malkin said. LCCS has several events planned throughout April including “Wear Blue to Work Day” on April 11. Workers are encouraged to wear blue to the office, photograph a group of co-workers wearing the color and post it via social media. “We’re trying to get everybody aware and develop that sense of camaraderie,” Malkin said. “We want to have fun, get people involved and aware and take advantage of social media.” Buttons for the day are available by calling (419) 213-3254. LCCS and other agencies will present information at the “We Care About Our Kids: Community Forum on Child Sexual Abuse” at 6:30 p.m April 18 at the University of Toledo Scott Park Campus. Admission is free. A ceremony honoring local children who died as a result of street violence, abuse or neglect is 11:30 a.m. April 25 at the LCCS offices, 705 Adams St., Toledo. Since April 2011, no children have died in Lucas County from abuse or neglect, but Timothy Blair, 14, Deadrick Rocker, 17, and Montelle Taylor, 17, died as a result of violence. Tickets for Blues Against Child Abuse are $10 and available at (419) 213-3254 or information@co.lucas. oh.us. The event runs 7-10 p.m. March 29. Dégagé Jazz Café at 301 River Road, Maumee. Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor. To report a case of suspected abuse, call (419) 213-CARE. ✯

ARTS LIFE

A22 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

So, March came and has almost have never been completely against exercise. That being said, at some gone and I’ve managed to do much point I may have stated that “sta- more than sit in the corner. Don’t get tionary movement with no certain goal me wrong, I lack rhythm, a capacity has a certain amount of ridiculousness for following simple dance steps and to it” and that “I find the modernized, an ability to clap in unison, but at least I like it. It feels calculated version of like an exercise mirphysical exercise to be acle, but I like it. an oddity that would I was on such a have been laughed out high from the physical the door by generations activity that I eventupast.” More recently, I ally roped myself into may have even said, “It the whole healthy diet seems odd to me that our thing too. Those health modern go-to physical nuts were right! After activity involves driving an initial period of down the street to pay Shannon SZYPERSKI feeling like I ate Snow for exercise that involves White’s poisoned apple moving in place with a and then proceeded to have my body room full of strangers.” Come to think about it, I sup- trampled by all seven dwarfs, exercise pose my words could possibly have and a healthy diet really did make me given the impression that I wasn’t too fond of the whole exercise thing, and, truthfully, I wasn’t. A funny thing happened on the way to full-out exercise cynicism, however. Despite a spinning Mark your calendars! debacle a couple of years ago (also enDon’t miss the fun tered into partially against my will), I somehow ended up beginning 2012 in and education at something called Zumba. Woodcraft of Toledo. I have a lot of crazy ideas, but rarely do any of them include dragging my friends into physically gruApril 1 • All Day eling situations. I also purposefully Palm Sunday – Open picked close friends who were content to lie around, break open a package April 7 • 11 am -12 pm of Oreos and laugh with me at all of Demo: Outdoor Finish the fools running down the street deMilk Paint terred by neither snow nor rain nor April 7 • 1-2 pm heat nor gloom of night. Yet, after Demo: Jet Variable Speed quite an investment in friends against Mini Lathe grueling physical situations, they went April 8 • All Day ahead and turned on me anyway. Easter Sunday – Closed As the peer pressure ate away at April 14 • 11 am -12 pm me, I had no choice but to Zumba. Demo: Turning Natural Surprisingly, it wasn’t too bad. I do Edge Bowls question why exercise studios insist on filling entire walls with mirrors. I rarely April 14 • 1-2 pm even look at a mirror at home, so I’m Demo: Router not sure why I would want to see my Capabilities & Skills body head to toe all sweaty and disApril 21 • 8-9 am torted in public. Other than that, there Demo & Continental were quite a few positives right off the Breakfast: Festool 101 bat. I like music. I like dancing. I like (registration required, limited seating) learning. I’m not sure why I never quite April 21 • 1-2 pm realized that there was an exercise class Demo: Festool Sanders that incorporated these things, but, alas, I will try to avoid living in the past. April 28 • 11 am -12:30 pm Perhaps an even greater attraction Demo: Turning – Skew, than the Zumba was the fact that one Bedan, & Beading Tools of my friends overheard an apparent April 28 • 1-2 pm regular announce that the class would Demo: Hand Tools 101 thin out by March. As much competitive spirit as I usually lack, I’m surely 5311 Airport Hwy. not going to allow some gym rat to Toledo, OH 43615 prematurely declare my defeat. I was surely coming back every week until 419.389.0560 www.stores.woodcraft.com/toledo March even if I just sat in a corner.

feel pretty good and gave me an unbelievable surplus of energy. The one issue I’m having is that I wasn’t really lacking in the energy department to begin with, so the excess energy is actually a little much to deal with. This exercise + healthy diet thing

= 18 hours of full steam ahead. Despite the minor drawback of unbridled vigor, I’m going to now go ahead and give two thumbs up to the whole healthy lifestyle thing. Like so many times before, I was wrong. It also turns out that peer pressure,

when used constructively by responsible and caring adults, can be a very positive thing. ✯ Shannon and her husband Michael are raising three children in Sylvania. Email her at letters@toledofreepress.com.

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