Toledo Free Press – May 20, 2012 by Toledo Free Press

Opinion i Lighting the fuse

COMMUNITY i CITY OF TOLEDO

BUSINESS i International COMMERCE

Readers respond to gay marriage column, Page A3

Council drops street name proposal, Page A6

Opportunities in China focus of program, Page A19

Emily, blunt

Wicks nixed

China Business Summit

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Opinion

MAY 20, 2012

Publisher’s statement

Decisions, decisions

he debate about naming a Downtown intersection after “gay icon” Joe Wicks was more than a conversation about how to honor Toledo’s citizens; it was a test of the Downtown business community’s ability to organize and exert influence on the political process. It often seems as if local government follows the whims of its individual officials instead of the guidance of the people whose money and lives dictate the fortunes of the city. In this case, Steve Steel’s seemingly innocuous proposal to name an intersection after the late owner of Caesars Show Bar caused DownThomas F. Pounds town business owners to respond with a flurry of emails, mostly protesting the manner in which they felt Wicks conducted business and the state in which he left his property. There was only one email in the first two dozen that used what I would describe as insensitive language, but the vast majority of comments were strictly business and community oriented. I do not have insight into the hearts and minds of every person who wrote an email, but I know many of them, and I believe their shared concerns transcended sexual identity politics. It is appreciated that Steel recognized the Downtown business community’s concerns and responded by tabling the motion. With advocate Lair Scott involved, it is unlikely this discussion is closed, but there is no doubt Council will now implement a process for naming intersections that will help circumvent future controversies. Another big decision was introduced this week with the announcement that Toledo Public Schools (TPS) is seeking a 6.9mill levy on the November ballot. There is a lot of time to study, challenge and understand the proposal, but one issue will be difficult to overcome: The levy is “continuing,” which means permanent. No matter how much we support TPS and understand the critical needs of its mission, no matter how desperately we seek improvement in the components of education that make our community viable, we are uncomfortable endorsing any levy, for any institution, that is permanent. Is it our place to saddle the next several generations with a levy they have no say in and for which TPS has no ballot box accountability? It’s too early to make the call on the TPS levy, but it will take a lot of work to convince enough voters that a permanent levy is the solution. O Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@ toledofreepress.com.

A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC, Vol. 8, No. 21. Established 2005. EDITORIAL Mary Ann Stearns, Design Editor mastearns@toledofreepress.com James A. Molnar, Lead Designer jmolnar@toledofreepress.com Sarah Ottney, Special Sections Editor sottney@toledofreepress.com Jeff McGinnis, Pop Culture Editor PopGoesJeff@gmail.com Zach Davis, Sports Editor zdavis@toledofreepress.com

LIGHTING THE FUSE

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n A3

Emily, blunt

hen President Barack Obama announced on May 10 seems like such a private matter yet for some reason he and that he supports gay marriage, the faces of a number many like him want to proclaim it from the mountain tops. of friends flashed through my mind. I know several I have never told one person in this world if I am gay or straight. I couples who have built lives together for decades, and while I sadly am married and have three children and so by that act you might doubt any of us will live to see gay marriage become an American assume I am straight. Yet many people live like I am living only for us to years later have them tell us from the mountain tops that reality, a presidential endorsement is a step in that direction. But the face that lingered in my thoughts belongs to Emily they lived a lie and are really GAY!!!! The point in all this is WE DON’T CARE. If you Hickey. Emily is a columnist for our weekly didn’t keep shoving it down our throats maybe we arts publication, Toledo Free Press Star. She rewouldn’t be so opposed to what you do in private. cently contributed a column, “Putting a face on In your article you state it’s not a religious thing same-sex marriage,” a brave statement that put and if that is true than why get married in the first humanity before labels. I contacted Emily and place? Marriage in an institution that was set up asked her to update the column for the May in the Bible from the beginning of time and set 13 Toledo Free Press. In the context of Obama’s up for a man and a woman. We have lessened announcement and recent Toledo stories conthat institution over the years through the divorce cerning domestic partner rights and the naming and multiple marriages but it’s still God’s plan for of a Downtown intersection after Joe Wicks, the procreation. So if God set it up why not follow his late owner of Caesars Show Bar, Emily’s column Michael S. miller rules in how it’s implemented instead our your carried great resonance. own. There are a number of ways without marThere was no question Emily’s moving and inspirational writing would have an impact, and I knew with abso- riage to show your unfailing love to your partner and not trample lute certainty that some of that impact would splash back from on something that was set up for procreation and for a life time. Thanks for listening to another side of the debate and I wish people who disagree with Emily’s stance. you well in the years to come. O Receiving that opposition is not only fine; it is the point. — Jim Moline During the weekend the column was published, my family attended the Celebration of First Eucharist for my wife’s godson, Later in the weekend, our family visited the Toledo Zoo. It Ben. Resurrection Parish in Canton, Mich., was full of happy families celebrating their children’s First Communion. One of was our first time there without a stroller, but our boys covered the planned hymns was number 700, but the hymnal in my a lot of ground and bounced from exhibit to exhibit like silver hands opened to 706, “Never The Blade Shall Rise.” The title orbs in a pinball machine. One of their favorite places is The caught my attention, as did Verse 2: “The one who loves the Crawlspace (A World of Bugs) in Nature’s Neighborhood. The worldly life loses the life so lived, while the one who hates the boys climbed spider webs and bee hives, planted seeds and tried to get the attention of the birds. Then we watched the ants. The life in this world preserves it to life eternal.” I interpreted this to mean that those who wallow in an earthly Crawlspace has an amazing exhibit in which leafcutter ants chop life of material needs and control will sacrifice their opportunity down pieces of leaves and carry them through a transparent for eternity, while those who recognize, eschew (and, I imagine, tube running the entire length of the building, climbing uphill, vocally protest) such temporary pursuits increase their chances walking downhill, never losing focus, never dropping their burdens. The organization and cooperation is amazing; the entire at life everlasting. Checking my email messages after the service, I waded society of ants gets its work done with efficiency well beyond the through the first wave of reader feedback to Emily’s column. reach of human beings. Checking my messages during a break in walking and exWhile many people recognized Emily’s bravery, some were less supportive. A few demanded delivery be stopped, as if ignoring ploring, I read another wave of reader feedback. Among the comments was this letter: Toledo Free Press is somehow going to make the gay marriage debate go away. Some described Emily’s thoughts as “simplistic” TO EMILY, and “naïve.” Some used words they would never say to her face. As I was sitting at dinner with my daughter this evening I read Among the comments was this letter: your article. You sound like a very brave and confident woman to put yourself out there like that. As I read your article, however, TO EMILY, As a person that lived with a family member that was gay I felt compelled to tell you that you want what you cannot have. I understand firsthand some of the struggles you are trying Marriage of two women or two men is not marriage. It’s gay marto work out. My brother that passed away last year came out riage. You are expecting everyone to sympathize with you. You some 33 years ago. Still this day I ask myself why? Why did are expecting other people to abandon THEIR beliefs and prinhe have to proclaim to the world, to my dying grandmother, ciples so you can do what you wish. to everyone that would listen that he was GAY? Our sexuality n MILLER CONTINUES ON A4 Thomas F. Pounds, President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com

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

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Opinion

A4 n Toledo Free Press n MILLER CONTINUED FROM A3 And you have very much support in our country today. You have a mayor who approves same-sex benefits, you have a President and Vicepresident who endorse gay marriage, you have a press that embraces gays, and demonizes anyone who opposes gay rights. Indeed, people like me have to fear being labeled a “bigot” or as an employee of University of Toledo was, fired from my job for expressing my views against homosexuality, on my own time and in my own words. Indeed my colleagues (both gay and not gay) would hate ME for my views, even though I respect and like some of them — I just don’t agree with being gay. They would label me “oldfashioned,” “out of it,” “intolerant,” “judgmental.” Nonetheless, I am who I am, just as you say you are who you are. You also have many, many major universities, companies, and celebrities who sympathize with, support, and FIGHT for gays. Yet, you still are not satisfied. You still want marriage. You still want children. You still want the American dream — on your terms. You want to re-define marriage because of YOUR SEXUALITY. You want to procreate with science or adoption, with little regard to how this will affect a child being raised by lesbians and no dad--a dad is irreplaceable, just as a mom is and any child growing up without one of the other suffers for it, no matter the circumstances. Yet....... You, you, you. One thing you need to understand is that there is something instinctively repulsive to some people about homosexuality. I was “born this way.” Within me is the natural repulsion of having sex with another woman or to think of men having sex with men. There it is, Emily. Like it or not. Call it “bigotry” if that makes you feel better, but it is the truth. People opposed to your lesbianism are equally entitled to our “feelings,” just as child abuse, porno, cruelty to animals, is instinctively repulsive, so is same-sex. Rant and rave, whine and cry, demand and fight, but you cannot change me anymore than I can change you. This does not mean I hate you. I do not even know you. The gay community cannot keep hiding behind the words of hate, homophobic, and bigot when someone finds their acts repulsive. Is there nothing which repulses you and would you want someone convincing you otherwise that you should accept it? Would you like being called “intolerant” or “bigot” if you didn’t accept, for instance, slavery? The gays may “win” the battle of gay marriage. But it will still be “gay” marriage. As I mentioned above, you have tremendous support, but you still are not “at peace.” Good God, do you hear what you are saying? You want a “wife?” Holy sh--, you are a woman. It is com-

pletely f--- up to say you want a wife. I DON’T CARE HOW TRENDY IT IS NOW TO BE GAY. It is out of complete honesty and concern I tell you that — and as roughly as I have (does this offend you? — you are entitled to this right, right?) just as I would push a person out of the way of a bus by which he/she was about to be struck. I hope your publication and you have enough courage to treat both sides of this issue fairly. It is mundanely predictable that most publications will tow the leftist party line whatever the issue, but this issue will become central in our great country, so a “Free Press” will do well to understand both sides. We that oppose are often, demonized — by who? Those who are supposedly tolerant, peace-loving, and “to each his own.” I truly wish you could experience the American Dream of a husband, children, and family. It is still the fabric of this nation. There will be no equal to it, no matter how much the gay movement pushes gay marriage down our proverbial throats. And by the way, naming a street after Joe Wicks, is just more of the same — kowtowing to the gay community because of politically correct guilt. O — Maria Twosley Driving back home through Tecumseh, we stopped at a red light and saw a recently installed statue of Gandhi. Five-year-old Evan asked who it was, so we told him he was a man who believed in peace and rejected violence. “Is he alive?” Evan asked. “No, he was shot and killed,” I said. Evan was silent, then asked, “Like Martin Luther King?” “Yes,” I said. “And like John Lennon, the guy who sings with The Beatles songs we play.” “And Jesus?” he asked. “Jesus wasn’t shot, but yes, he lived for peace and was killed by people who feared him,” I said. Evan said nothing, but I know his mind was trying to work through these incongruent facts. At home, I checked my messages one more time. Among the comments was this letter: TO Emily: I read your same sex “marriage” article with interest. Marriage is not in the cards for you and neither is having your own child, without the aid of a man. I am sure your parents did a fine job of raising you but I believe your parents are made up of one man and one woman and until science comes up with a way for two females or two males to conceive a child it will always be that way no matter how badly you want it otherwise. I deny you no rights nor do I consider you a second-class citizen,

MAY 20, 2012

DON LEE

however, I also will fight so that this country maintains that a marriage is always between one man and one woman. If you need that piece of paper or that blessing to be happy on your chosen path then it is you who needs to get your priorities straight (pardon the pun), instead of trying to make the rest of us adhere to and accept your way of life. Thank you for reading my opinion. I wish you nothing but the best. O — Janet Cope As humans in general and Americans in particular, we are not capable of emulating Jesus 100 percent. Nor are we ants, marching in straight lines, thoughtlessly serving and laboring. Most of us certainly do not devote our lives to any one position strongly enough to find ourselves dying for it. The questions are many. The answers are few. But somewhere in the middle between gods and ants, between martyrs and saints, between soaring free and marching in escape-proof tubes, we manage to all live together. We haven’t managed to find ways to all love together, not yet. But somewhere between Heaven and the ant tunnels underground, there are people like Emily, Jim, Maria, Janet and me, trying to figure it all out. O Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and TFP Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

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Opinion

MAY 20, 2012

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Joe wrong about Kaptur

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I couldn’t believe it when I saw the headline in your May 6 issue, “Veterans deserve more respect from Kaptur.” Marcy Kaptur has been one of the greatest advocates for veterans to ever sit in the House of Representatives. From her tireless efforts to bring the World War II Memorial to the National Mall in Washington to the Honor Flights that salute the soldiers of our “greatest generation,” her push for accountability for our POWs, her strong support for the Webb GI Bill, her work to create a Veterans’ Job Corps — her work for and with veterans includes many of her greatest accomplishments as our representative. But then I saw that the column was written by Joe the Plumber, and it made sense. In Joe’s world, you don’t need to know the details of anything or deploy basic logic to make arguments. What I got from his piece — a great example teachers could use in classrooms of how to violate all six rules of critical thinking — is that offering veterans employment and education is disrespectful. Marcy’s proposal is to give veterans gainful, satisfying employment, what he derisively calls “landscaping and grounds keeping,” along with credits for education, instead of simply providing unemployment checks. But Joe would rather wait for the market to grow jobs that fit skills veterans learn in the military — in his case, plumbing — while feeding their families on, what … their old combat boots? I served in the field artillery, but didn’t see much call for those skills in the want ads when I got back from Vietnam. Instead, I took advantage of the GI Bill, that nasty socialist program out of Washington that I’m sure Joe would gut as soon as he got to Congress.

“

In Joe’s world, you don’t need to know the details of anything or deploy basic logic to make arguments.”

n A5

Vote for Lake Schools

This coming August, Lake Schools will put a 6.75 mill levy on the ballot for the people to vote on. Note, this “mill” does not stand for “million.” “Mill” is a percentage of your property value. I am a student at Lake High School. I’m a member of Student — Tom Barden Council, SIA (a group designated to volunteering) and Big Brothers and But fortunately for Northwest Big Sisters. Ohio and America, Joe won’t get there, In addition, every day from 2:30because combat veterans like me and a 3:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday) I volunwhole lot of other fans of Marcy know teer at Lake Elementary for three who she is, what she stands for, what different teachers. My goal through she has done and what she will con- all of this work is to give back to the tinue to do for us all. O community and teachers who have — Tom Barden supported me and given me a won1st Lt., U.S. Army (RET) derful education. I’m writing this letter to encourage everybody to go out and support Lake Schools. I am just one of many students who would You guys print some pretty dumb like your support. I believe that with great support of stuff once in a while, but Ben Treece’s May 13 column, “Eliminating the 2013 the community, to add to our already deficit without raising taxes,” might be wonderful teachers, administrators, the stupidest thing I have ever read in BOE, etc. we can continue to be excelmy entire life. I am dumbstruck by the lent together. However, we can’t keep level of ignorance so apparent in his up the excellent and beyond state ratcomments, and I am surprised that ings without your help. We need this you would permit anyone to fill up so funding to ensure that teachers can many column inches with such drivel. still teach, classrooms can be a good You can see he dug way down deep size and to ensure that our education into the budget before he applied his remains incredible. I’m proud to be a red pencil. $10 billion dollars? I’ll give Lake Flyer. Also, I will continue to stand up you five! We’ll just fire three or four hundred thousand people. We’ll cut for my school and do everything in funding for programs (whether they my power to help this levy pass. I hope are mandated by law or not). And those who are able to vote, will vote for we’ll eliminate whole departments our levy. Remember, each “no” vote is and hand them over to the states. It’s a downgrade of property value and less support for our wonderful school as simple as that. Move over, Joe the Plumber. I’m district. Remember the students this August. O voting for Ben the Ignoramus. O — Byron Swartz — Thomas J. Menacher, Freshman, Lake High School Maumee

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MAY 20, 2012

CITY OF TOLEDO

Steel tables proposal for ‘Joe Wicks Way’ By John P. McCartney

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer jpmccartney@toledofreepress.com

On May 15, Toledo City Councilman Steve Steel dropped pursuit of discussion or a vote on the ordinance to name a portion of Erie Street Downtown in honor of the late Joe Wicks. The move has drawn spirited testimonials from Wicks’ friends as intense WICKS as Downtown business owners’ complaints. “Oh, no, no, no, no, no,” recalled Army veteran Alan Erwin. “Joe was not a bad guy. Joe would be the first one when you were in trouble to help you. “I came to Toledo in 1986, when I was 20. I didn’t have a job. Joe Wicks was the first person to offer to help me get a job. It was at Frisch’s. He knew someone who was hiring, and he put a word in for me. “And through the years, he would help me if I would need anything. He’d help me any way he could. He helped me move once. When I paid my rent one month, the guy who I gave the money to, to give to the landlord, used it to buy drugs. And Joe helped out. He paid the rent for me and helped me get out of that situation.” Jon Lento, 35, agrees with Erwin. Lento, who met Wicks 17 years ago, said he treasures his working relationship and his personal friendship with Wicks. “I pretty much grew up to be the man I am because of Joe,” Lento said. “I would have dinner with him and breakfast with Joe and his sister Peg all the time. I was with him at the hospice the day he died. “I wasn’t pissed when I heard the news that Steel plans to withdraw his proposal. I was more disappointed. They’re looking at it as to the state of the building and not to Joe as a person. I knew Joe both as a bar owner and as a person outside his establishment. The thing that hurts me is that I don’t think they’re talking to people who really knew Joe.” Lento acknowledged there is a kernel of truth behind Councilman Tom Waniewski’s concern that Downtown businesspeople complained Wicks was rude to people. “Joe could be very abrasive,” Lento said. “That was the business side of him. He could get insulting,

especially with other businessmen. But if you knew him, really knew him, after he got abrasive, two seconds later, he would turn around and kid you, slap you on the back, and tell you, ‘I’m just teasing. You know I really love you.’” Lento said Wicks was unfairly criticized for not fixing the facade of Caesars Show Bar after a bus crashed into the building on Nov. 30, 2005. “I don’t know the run-ins he had with people Downtown,” Lento said. “He didn’t always get along with them. And he took a lot of criticism he didn’t deserve after that bus crashed into his business. That accident did a lot of structural damage. He told me that he didn’t get the compensation he needed to repair the building the way he needed to.”

‘Smoke screen complaints’

Gay activist Lair Scott, who introduced Steel to the idea of renaming the intersection at the May 8 Council meeting, said he was more distressed than surprised with Steel’s decision to table the legislation. “It’s sad more people haven’t spoken up for Joe Wicks Way,” Scott said. “There were many people who loved him deeply. I blame the whole situation on Mayor Mike Bell and City Council. It just shows their ignorance of Toledo’s LGBT community.” Scott contends the complaints about building maintenance are a smoke screen that a handful of influential Toledoans are hiding behind. Scott insists the real issue is the underlying prejudices those same people hold about the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender [LGBT] clients Wicks served. “It’s all about homophobia,” Scott said. “That’s what I believe. Toledo’s LGBT community is not vocal enough. The solution is for them to be a lot more vocal. “Who are the gay icons in Toledo? Or who were they? For people who have streets named after them, what are the skeletons in their closets? I’m sure I can dig those up.” Scott said he retains hope that Toledoans will find a suitable way to honor Wicks’ work in the early 1990’s with AIDS awareness, AIDS prevention and AIDS treatment. “[Steel] said we’ll honor Joe in another way. [District 4 Council member] Paula Hicks-Hudson actually said exactly what Steve [Steel] said, that maybe they can find an alternative way to honor Joe. I’m hoping it’s with a com-

munity center. I have hope.” Scott said an LGBT community center named in Wicks’ honor would be the most appropriate way to acknowledge Wicks’ leadership because it would breathe life into discussions the two men had as far back as the mid-1990’s. Scott argues that May 2012 is the time for that community center to receive City Council’s attention and funding.

Appropriate honor

Lento, who worked as bartender for Wicks at Caesars Show Bar from 2008-10, said there may actually be a more appropriate intersection to name after Wicks. “That spot [on Washington Street] was iconic to a lot of us,” Lento said. “Joe was, you could say, our ‘gay godfather.’ He made it his job to raise you and point you in the right direction.” Erwin questions if Toledoans can ever honor Wicks in an appropriate manner. “What should Toledo do to honor Joe?” Erwin asked. “I’m not sure on that. If they don’t want to do the Erie Street thing, why not do the intersection at the corner of Ontario and Jefferson? That’s where Caesars moved to before Joe’s death.” Like Lento, Erwin said he worked for Wicks “on and off.” And he says Wicks would find a job, maybe even create a job, to help out someone in need. “When I needed to buy a car, my first car, and I didn’t have any money, Joe offered me a job to bartend so I could save up to buy a car,” Erwin said. “I don’t know too many business people who would help out and help someone buy a car.” All three men — Erwin, Lento and

Scott — testified to Wicks’ role as a community leader. “Complaints about Joe Wicks’ ‘batwielding’ behavior have everything to do with his legacy as a community leader,” Scott said. “Yes, Joe ‘wielded a bat’ down the streets at times, but he did it to protect his customers. The Toledo Police Department has never kept the LGBT community safe. Joe is the one who kept it safe.” Lento said that Wicks’ advocacy for his customers’ safety was evidence of his concern for everyone who lived in Greater Toledo. “Yes, he chased people off the street, but it was the hustlers and prostitutes he got after,” Lento said. “He would take other people off the street. He opened his kitchen when he saw someone in need. As long as he was already there, he would throw you a bowl of soup or a sandwich so you didn’t go hungry.” Wicks had a sensitive side that few were ever privileged to see, Erwin said. “My mother passed away in 1986, the year I first moved to Toledo,” Erwin said. “When I was at the funeral home, and was looking at all the flowers she had received, who did I see? Out of all the people I knew, lo and behold, Joe had sent flowers to my mother’s funeral.” Scott has been criticized for staging actions in Toledo though he lives in Chicago. “I left Toledo because of the oppression of Toledo back then. Whether I live in Toledo or not doesn’t make any difference,” Scott said. “Although I live in Chicago, I will never leave Toledo until there is a community center and services for the Toledo LGBT community. I owe that to Joe Wicks. Then I’ll move back to Toledo.” O

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MAY 20, 2012

EDUCATION

TPS seeks permanent 6.9-mill levy on November ballot By Morgan Delp

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer mdelp@toledofreepress.com

Officials gathered May 14 to support Toledo Public Schools’ (TPS) 6.9-mill levy. The levy will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot. The resolution for the levy was approved by the board of education at an earlier meeting, along with the decision to reinstate some junior high and freshman sports programs into the district. If passed, the permanent levy will cost the owner of a $60,000 home $126.79 per year, or 35 cents per day. The money would fund the district’s current transformation pro-

gram and balance the budget beyond the 2012-13 school year. While the 2012-13 budget is currently balanced, a failed levy in November would mean drastic cuts the following year. “Without additional funding at this time, the PECKO district will have to cut an excess of $15 million before the beginning of the 2013-14 school year,” TPS Superintendent Jerome Pecko said. Pecko said the proposed levy

would allow the district to pursue a new district-wide discipline program, a unified student data program for parents and teachers and employee evaluations based on student performance. TPS Board President Lisa Sobecki said the school district’s transformation program cannot be completed without the funding from the levy; its amount was chosen by the finance committee after a variety of millages were studied. Sobecki said some highlights of the transformation program include the development of a gifted and talented program for grades 3-6, extracurricular programs for grades 7-12, the continuation of early high school

programs for grades 7-8, the implementation of online digital classrooms and electronic grade books, and of thematic-based high schools. The school board’s plan for thematic-based high schools allows each school to concentrate on a specific area. Bowsher would focus on arts and medicine, Woodward on renewable and innovative sources of energy and Rogers on sports medicine, among others areas of specialization. University of Toledo President Lloyd Jacobs gave his “unqualified and unequivocal support” for the program, which he called “one of the best investments for the social fabric of our community.”

In addition to Jacobs, City Council President Joe McNamara, Rep. Teresa Fedor, TPS board member Bob Vasquez, Mayor Mike Bell and Toledo Association of Administrative Personnel President Don Yates spoke at the news conference. In November 2010, TPS proposed Issue 5, a 7.8-mill levy which voters rejected. That levy, which would have generated roughly $21.6 million, was the second to fail in 2010 as TPS attempted to meet its $40 million deficit. Issue 5 would have been the highest millage amount passed for Toledo Public Schools in the past four decades, and the first levy passed for TPS since 2001. O

PHILANTHROPY

Mobile Meals in need of volunteers; serves 600 clients a day By Morgan Delp

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer mdelp@toledofreepress.com

photo courtesy Carolyn Fox/Mobile meals

Mobile Meals of Toledo, which provides daily sustenance to 600 people in the Toledo area, is in urgent need of volunteers. About 500 people serve clients who are unable to provide meals for themselves due to medical problems, but with 40 daily routes that are constantly changing, the need for volunteers is extremely high. “It’s kind of an ebb and flow,” said Associate Executive Director Carolyn Fox. “A lot of our volunteer base are retirees, so several are on medical leave or golf during the day in the summer. Also, another big age group is the 50s, who are now starting to care for their own parents.” Volunteers are needed to meet the constant demand for Mobile Meals,

a nonprofit organization founded in 1967. It “is designed to enable the elderly, ill, disabled, homebound, the convalescing and all those who need assistance with diet and meal preparation to remain in their own homes and retain the dignity and independence they treasure,” according to mobilemeals.org. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., people ranging from high school students to elderly adults travel to one of six area pickup sites and deliver around 10-14 meals near their home or workplace. Retiree Vicki Melms and her husband Rick deliver at least one route a week, sometimes two or three. Since 2009, the couple has made it their mission to help. “I used to work at MCO’s Center for Successful Aging and got to know a lot of the senior resources that we had in the city and I really liked Mo-

bile Meals,” Vicki said. “When I retired, I took one month off and then started volunteering. I enjoy going and meeting people and knowing that I am doing something for them. We’re healthy and can get around and we just think about the people that can’t.” Patty Dabrowski of the Hylant Group has volunteered with a coworker for about eight years. She, with many other employees around the Toledo area, participate in Corporate Cares, an initiative of Mobile Meals that encourages people to volunteer during their lunch break.

“We pick up meals from Mercy Healthcare Center, which is right down the street from our office in Downtown,” Dabrowski said. “We go deliver our route then stop and get a bite to eat, and we’re usually back to work within an hour and a half.” Dabrowski noticed that one client’s freezer was full of meals she never ate, and she only continued to pay for meals for the companionship of a volunteer, even if for a short time each day. In the case of some clients, the volunteer is the only person they will see that day.

In a letter to Fox, one grateful client, Marleen, said, “I worked at Wal-Mart as a people greeter for 19 years until I fell and broke my hip. … Now I’m on dialysis and living independently again because of Mobile Meal’s delicious renal diet. I can’t do it without all of them so I want them to know how much I appreciate the work they do.” Mobile Meals encourages anyone who is interested in volunteering to call (419) 255-7806, email info@ mobilemeals.org, or check out their website: www.mobilemeals.org.O

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community

A14 n Toledo Free Press

MAY 20, 2012

COMMUNITY OMBUDSMAN

5K to raise scholarship in honor of family killed in tornado

ommunity enthusiasm often wanes after the first year of any tragedy. People often stop asking, “How can I help?” Millbury resident Mark Beck knows that reality, but hopes that doesn’t happen when it comes to remembering the June 5, 2010, tornado and participating in the upcoming 5K in tribute of the storm’s victims. The second annual 5K run/walk to raise money for a scholarship in honor of the three victims in the Walters family will be June 9 at 9 a.m. Ryan and Mary Walters and their Brandi son, Hayden, died after a tornado tore through their Millbury home while they were sleeping. Their daughter Maddie, who survived, drew a picture of herself and her family for this year’s race T-shirt. Maddie, 9, now lives with her mom’s sister and family. “Last year, we had 370 participants and raised about $7,000 for the scholarship at Owens,” said race director Beck. “We decided to make this an annual thing so we can continue to give kids a chance to get an education.” Beck got involved in the race last year after Ryan’s sister, Robin Arquette, contacted Toledo Roadrunners to organize a 5K in memory of her brother who, along with Beck, was a member of the running group. “My father-in-law’s home was damaged in the tornado, so we had some personal connection, but really I wanted to help out the Walters family,” Beck said.

Once again, the race will begin and end at the Ayers Road Fire Station, 1911 Ayers Road in Millbury. “We have had some positive responses from companies who are planning on sponsoring their employees,” Beck said. “It is a nice way to support the community and a nice way to give employees a health benefit.” Proceeds will go to a scholarship fund for students enrolled in the early childhood education or the information systems programs at Owens Community College. The youngest of four, Ryan graduated from BARHITE Owens and worked at the Hospice of Northwest Ohio, according to Robin. “Every one of my siblings has a bachelor’s and my older brother has an MBA,” she said in an interview last year. “We wanted to benefit youth in the area, especially those who helped clean up from the tornado. My brother and sister-in-law always tried to do positive things. It is important to give back.” Ryan had almost completed his bachelor’s degree in management and organizational development from Spring Arbor University when he died. Robin shared some excerpts that Ryan had written for a school project about education and helping others. “To embrace a lifelong learning and demonstrate to my children the value of an education by finishing my Bachelor’s degree by 2010 and possibly going on for a master’s degree,” Ryan wrote.

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He also stated: “To look for the good in others and help them achieve their goals by listening to them and connecting their goals with people, projects or resources I may know.” Entry forms for the Annual Wal-

ters Family 5K Run/Walk are available at Second Sole and Calvary Lutheran Church or on race day at the Ayers Road Fire Station. The entry fee is $20 with a shirt if preregistered by May 30; $15 without a shirt; or $20 on

race day with no shirt. For more information, email markpbeck@yahoo. com or call (419) 367-1917. O Email community ombudsman Brandi Barhite at bbarhite@toledofreepress.com.

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HEALTH ZONE

A16 n Toledo Free Press

MAY 20, 2012

UT study to examine post-traumatic stress in crash survivors By John Rasche

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer JRasche@toledofreepress.com

Assistant Professor Dr. Xin Wang at the University of Toledo is asking the public to volunteer for his group study of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to motor vehicle accidents. The purpose of the study is to learn about the development of PTSD in the early posttrauma period in an effort to gain information that may contribute to finding early interventions. Approximately 6 million Americans survive traumatic motor vehicle accidents every year, according to a report called “Psychological predictors of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder after motor vehicle accidents,” which was published by the Journal of Abnormal Psychology back in 1998. The traumatic stress of a motor vehicle

accident is only temporary for most people; however, the report claims that about 17-25 percent of individuals in those accidents are likely to develop PTSD six weeks or more after the traumatic event. “We’re basing our PTSD study around motor vehicle accidents, because they’re very common traumatic experiences,” Wang said. “After the accident, victims freWANG quently get very nervous behind the steering wheel or while driving by the original crash area.” These stressful reactions are just a few of the symptoms associated with PTSD. Generally, people with PTSD will experience hyperarousal, often

“We will repeatedly examine survivors of traumatic motor vehicle accidents with questionnaires and psychological assessments, recruited at the emergency departments of University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC) and Toledo Hospital, from the initial days to 12 weeks after the accidents,” Wang said in the group study outline. “Neural activity associated with the characteristic deficits of down-regulation of negative emotion of PTSD patients will be studied within initial days after the accidents and three months later, using a Reappraisal Emotion Regulation Task (RERT) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).” Wang is not the only professor utilizing UT’s advanced neuroimaging equipment. The psychiatry department at the university’s medical center is using the technology to ex-

repressing the traumatic event or obsessively re-creating it in their minds. Thirty-five patients have already been studied for the project. They were monitored for four months and were asked to fill out a survey before and after. A majority of the patients recovered fully from their motor vehicle accidents after three months, Wang said. Their stress levels decreased, the nightmares stopped and they were able to return to a normal life. The other volunteers whose stress levels did not decrease after a few months were diagnosed with PTSD. The University of Toledo, the Translational Research Stimulus Award from ProMedica Health System and a William Bauer fMRI Research Fund are funding Wang’s project. By using UT’s cutting-edge neuroimaging technology, he hopes to explore the causes of PTSD by looking at the processes of the brain.

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plore the genetic risk factors for PTSD in military veterans returning home. The neurosciences department is using UT’s MRI machine to research how limb amputations might cause changes in brain structure. To complete his project, Dr. Wang is looking for subjects between the ages of 18 and 65 who have not experienced significant traumatic events within their lifetimes. Monetary compensation of up to $200 will be given to volunteers who complete all procedures at UTMC. All study procedures are noninvasive and nonharmful, but pregnant women and individuals with metal devices in their bodies will not be allowed to participate due to safety concerns. Those interested in participating in the study should contact the recruiter at (419) 383-4409 or at xin.wang2@ utoledo.edu. O

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HEALTH ZONE

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GUEST OPINION

Visit www.toledofreepress.com

n A17

Affordable Care Act confusion hurts compliance chances

“

mployers and employees have undoubtedly entered confusing and uncertain times regarding their health care security. Complexity

breeds confusion and the Affordable Care Act (often referred to as “Obamacare”) is anything but simple. Take note: If you are an employer

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Toledo Free Press | 5/20/12

5/14/12 9:32 AM

The ongoing HHS interpretation Did you know that regulations written for Obamacare are now makes Obamacare a shapeshifter. more than five times longer than You start with the law, then HHS and the law that passed in March 2010? other agencies issue the regulations Recently, Obamacarewatcher.org for implementation, administracalculated Obamacare regulations to tion and enforcement in an interim contain 2,163,744 words compared form, followed by a comment period for interested parties to 425,116 words in the to voice their concerns law itself, and they are and suggestions. After still regulating. the comment period, Any business owner, the final regulations consultant or insurance are released. There is carrier representative no guarantee that you tasked with underwill see any resemstanding, explaining and blance between the inultimately complying terim and final regulawith the law is automatically subjected to an onJoan CANNING tions. Just get ready to scramble to comply. going process of mindPaule said there is a mountain of numbing reading and attempts at interpretation. These hard-working new paperwork for insurers, brokers people on the front lines are already and employers to wade through and suffering from healthcare reform disseminate. The first year of Obamfatigue and the major portion of acare alone created six new mandathe law establishing the health care tory notices for employees to receive exchanges has not even been imple- (and attempt to understand) about mented yet, and may not be if the their group health plans: 1. Notice of Grandfather Status Supreme Court overturns the whole 2. Notice of Dependent Age Limit statute or a new administration and 3. Notice of Patient Protections Congress repeal it. 4. Notice of Adverse Benefit DeIn any case, many aspects of the regulations have already required such termination 5. Notice of Final Adverse Benefit an in-depth analysis that splitting hairs would seem like a break in the action. Determination 6. Notice of Rescission of Coverage Some of the simpler yet still confusing For all of these notices, questions questions to be answered are: O What provisions apply to what about model language, responsible parties, deadlines, delivery methods size employer? When do they apply? O Is this or that requirement a and penalties abound. A clear patshared responsibility between the in- tern has already developed that puts employers in a pickle from a comsurer and the employer? O What effect will this law as a pliance standpoint. Some notices whole have on my employees’ benefit are required to be given out 30 days before the employee benefit open enand compensation package? O What are the penalties for rollment period. That’s an unworkable process when an employer is failure to comply? Pat Paule, an employee ben- unable to access the data they need efits consultant at Savage & Associ- to make a decision about the benefit ates, said, “It’s become much more package renewal that far in advance. As a human resources consultant difficult to help our clients with longer-term projections on their working closely with employee benhealth insurance programs. The efit consultants and business owners, overwhelming amount of uncer- I’ve seen firsthand the utter bewiltainty surrounding Obamacare puts derment of employers trying to unemployers in a very precarious po- derstand, plan for and comply with sition. Mandated benefits with cov- Obamacare. One thing seems clear: erage requirements, new taxes that Without considerable assistance, will be passed through, mountains employers have a better chance at of new paperwork, and numerous stumbling along the way than perfect regulations make it impossible compliance with the law. O for companies to wrap their arms around the future. We are doing the Joan Canning is the owner of HR best we can for our clients but it’s Advocate, LLC, a Toledo-based very hard when Health and Human human resource and management Services (HHS) is still interpreting consulting business, helping emwhat is in the bill. What I do know ployers solve difficult problems and for sure is that we are far from seeing improve performance. Learn more info at www.hradvocate.biz. the light at the end of the tunnel.”

HEALTH ZONE

A18 n Toledo Free Press

MAY 20, 2012

Innovative online program helps area nursing students By Sarah Ottney

TOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR sottney@toledofreepress.com

Whether it’s watching a video to review a concept learned in class, taking a practice test or utilizing a virtual reference bookshelf, Assessment Technology Institute (ATI) is helping area nursing students hone the skills they will need in their careers. The Internet-based nursing education program, launched in 2006, is used by more than 20,000 instructors and 225,000 students in about 2,100 colleges and universities nationwide, according to ATI. The content is developed and written by nurses and the program can be accessed from any Internet-enabled computer. Locally, the program is used at Lourdes University, Mercy College, Owens Community College, Stautzenberger College, Toledo School of

Practical Nursing and the University of Toledo, according to ATI. Stautzenberger is the most recent school to add ATI to its nursing curriculum. The first class began using the program in January, said Kelly Burkholder-Allen, assistant administrator of Stautzenberger’s practical nursing program. “We have just implemented it to the very first group, so it will take a while to build our database and learn from it, but there has been nothing thus far that has not impressed my socks right off,” Burkholder-Allen said. ATI is customizable to accommodate any curriculum or learning style. “A lot of our students are part of a video and online age and I think this speaks to them. It’s not static; it’s very dynamic,” Burkholder-Allen said. “If a student is a visual learner, there are interactive graphics and online tutorials. If students are audio learners, there is

an audio portion in conjunction with the video that is fantastic. There is also step-by-step information with charts and pictures that work with students who do well with written material.” Owens Community College has been using ATI since 2007, said Amy

“Less noise. Less commotion.”

Dixon, assistant chair of nursing at Owens. She said she often hears from students who wish they would have utilized ATI’s study tools more and sooner than they did. Owens plans to trial a new ATI program, Real Life Clinical Reasoning Scenarios, this

“It’s more comfortable.”

“They’re specially trained to care for seniors.”

summer. Students will watch video scenarios of patients and their symptoms and choose how to respond. The outcome of the video will change depending on their responses. For more information, visit the website atitesting.com. O

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n A19

INTERNATIONAL

By Caitlin McGlade

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer cmcglade@toledofreepress.com

They might walk the streets of Shanghai one week and drive across the Midwest the next. But on May 31, some top business leaders and consultants will be at the Toledo Club to talk about ChineseU.S. business relations. Toledo-based marketing and communications firm Becker|CMCA, Toledo Free Press, Communica, The Hylant Group, Sinn Consulting, Wei Shen, Inc. and Brennan, Manna & Diamond are sponsoring the China Business Summit. The conference, running from 8:30-11:30 a.m., will present a panel of experts to discuss economic opportunities in China, the legal and financial hurdles to overcome when businesses cross borders and the differences in etiquette between American and Chinese business people. Becker|CMCA sought to conduct the event because the firm has helped a number of large businesses expand to China. BASF is one of the many clients that Communica advertising designers have helped to saturate the Chinese market. George Becker, president of the company, and Jim Rush, senior vice president and partner for Communica, said the collaborative targets mid-size cities in China. “The cross-border traffic just started moving up pretty recently,” said Wei Shen, who started BridgeConnect LLC. “I think both parties started to appreciate more of each other and had time to recognize the differences because both sides realize they need each other. It’s a gradual progression.” Shen led the General Motor’s marketing team that took the Buick to China. But before she left her Shanghai home 25 years ago, such a large-scale international business move would have hardly seemed possible. Shen said the country around her was impoverished before she fled, as many of her younger years were marked by the government’s tight grip on the borders. She left the country in the late

1980s with the maximum amount of cash the government permitted her to take: the equivalent of $40. Jessie Xie, vice president of the Hylant Group, moved to the U.S. from China in 1998. The maximum amount she and others were permitted to take was $10,000 — an example of how quickly China has changed, she said. Both will present at the business summit, along with William Sinn, president of Sinn & Co., a consultant company that specializes in establishing operations and distribution networks in China. John Tang, head of the Shanghai-based China Practice of Brennan, Manna & Diamond, will also speak. Tang helps American businesses maneuver through licensing and networking in China and helps Chinese businesses sort out regulations and new concepts in America. Even as borders become more fluid, Americans have a tougher time setting up a business in China than Chinese business people do in the U.S., he said. “In China, the law is not very clear and a lot of it is based on relationships and who you know over there,” Tang said. “Knowing the law is half the battle. Getting that business license is not a right, it’s a privilege.” That’s because the government sets a minimum on the amount of registered capital your new business could start with, he said. For example, an American seeking a business license in China would likely get rejected if he or she registered only $10,000. It helps to know officials, particularly the Chinese equivalent to the secretary of state, to get your business recognized, he said. Chinese businesses moving to America have quite the learning curve too. The financial structure of business is simpler in China, and derivatives and credit swapping is a foreign concept, he said. Collaborating with American businesses has also led to a concept new to many Chinese business owners: liability insurance. Xie counsels some clients who expand their business to the United States and are now required by law to buy liability insurance, such as businesses in the auto-

toledo free press photo by joseph herr

China Business Summit to address culture, finance

Jessica Xie, vice president of the Hylant Group, and Jim Rush, senior vice president of communica.

motive industry. They often question why they have to buy product liability insurance if they know their product is a quality one, and if they know their parent company in China could cover any losses in the future, she said. “It’s an expense — Chinese culture is such that we value savings and we don’t like to spend money,” Xie said. “They don’t see the value of buying insurance.” Cultural differences between the two nations can also complicate business deals. When an American businessperson visits China to sign a deal with prospective partners, his or her initial visit may be a shock. The first four or five days of the meeting might involve tours, meals together and mingling — with no business talk at all. This is because Chinese businesspeople want to build relationships and become friends with their partners; they want to trust someone before they sign over money, Tang said.

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On the other hand, when a Chinese businessperson comes to America, he or she might feel extremely rushed and uncomfortable when the American starts gabbing about money right away. “They (Americans) can still come across as very arrogant,” Shen said. The American recession saw a jump in Chinese investment that continues to this day. As real estate was cheaper, Tang said many Chinese saw the recession as an opportunity. Whether they took incentives from the government to expand overseas or whether they saw the opportunity to collect assets quickly, setting up shop here became alluring quickly, Tang said. Programs such as the EB-5 visa, which offers a speedy track to permanent residency in exchange for $500,000-$1 million of investment in an American business endeavor, also helped draw interest. EB-5 visas have existed for about 20 years but are growing in popularity. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration

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Services fielded at least 3,805 petitions from prospective foreign investors in 2011. Fewer than 800 bids were made four years prior. Tang said individuals looking for a safe place to invest their money are more likely to take advantage of this than are large corporations. Despite the obstacles in the beginning, the allure of starting a business in China is undeniable if not essential to success, he said. “The biggest incentive is that China is the largest market in the world — it’s a no-brainer,” he said. “Even for domestic businesses, they can’t think they’re going to just stay domestic because their competitors are going global. In order to stay competitive, they have to think globally.” Shen said walling up financial borders and suspicion of international business taking root in the U.S. hinder the well-being of both the U.S. and the Chinese economies. “We need each other,” she said. O

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MAY 20, 2012

THE RETIREMENT GUYS

Insurance needs and what you may be wasting money on

nsurance has been around since the days of the Greeks and Romans. For almost every American family having insurance is a must. Yet, just because your family has insurance doesn’t mean everything is covered when it counts. Sometimes, the best of plans a consumer buys turns out to be far less than expected and at worse worthless coverage. According to the Insurance Information Institute, each year Americans spend more than $1 trillion on insurance premiums. Mark and I are no different than the average consumer; we both own multiple types of insurance coverage and are always looking for the best bang for our buck. So how does the average consumer or retiree really know what type of insurance they need and which insurances they might be wasting money on? Here are a few guidelines our roughly 40 years of combined licensed experience have taught us. Policy owners should always read their contracts and make sure they understand what is and what isn’t covered. Let me share a story with you. Mary came up to me at a public workshop before the presentation started and pulled

me to the side of the room. She came to the workshop because she wanted to share with the attendees what happened to her. What she told me and later the group is the fact that she lost her husband and got nothing from his life insurance. Come to find out her husband had only accidental life insurance, meaning that death benefits were only paid if her husband passed away in an accident. Since he died of natural Mark causes, zero benefits were paid. Had she Nolan understood before the fact on how her husband’s life insurance paid out, a different type of life insurance policy could have been chosen years ago. Another policy owner that I know had a terminal illness rider on his life insurance policy. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. But because his policy had the rider, he was able to use a portion of his life insurance benefits while he was alive

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to take time off work and spend time with his family. Thus, make sure you know how the life insurance policy you own works and what riders and benefits are included. Protecting assets from a health care crisis is often a concern for many seniors and retiree’s, but is buying traditional long term care insurance the best option for your family? Many consumers assume CLAIR that traditional long term care insurance BAKER is the only option, yet at least 4 other options are available. Along with buying traditional long term care insurance the other options are asset based planning, life insurance policies with long-term care riders, Veterans benefits, and Medicaid planning. If a health care crisis happens having traditional long term care insurance can be a great benefit. Yet, if no crisis ever happens a policy owner could have paid in thousands

of dollars and received zero benefits paid out. I would recommend that consumers should become educated all each of the options to protect their assets and then make a decision based upon their own individual situation. Annuity guarantees are also a major focus by the insurance companies of America for seniors and retirees. Our company does recommend annuities for certain situations, but it has been our experience that this is an area the average consumer is very confused on how the guarantees really work. One problem is the vast difference in types of annuity guarantees. Not only do guarantees often vary depending upon fixed, indexed, or variable annuities, but they also vary based upon various products offered by the same insurance company. Knowing how benefits work can mean literally the difference between a family having income for life or running out of money when they least expect it. If you have an annuity or are considering an annuity, make sure you read the contract and ask questions on how and when benefits will and won’t be paid.

New insurance rates and benefits change on a regular basis. Sometimes the policy that was purchased years ago still offers better guarantees than what a new product would offer. At other times, new product designs and benefits might offer the consumer more cost savings or bang for his or her buck. The best thing a consumer can do is every other year do a complete inventory of all of their insurance coverage and become educated on what is really covered and where there could be gaps in coverage. Just remember to read the entire contract for a complete understanding of coverage. O For more information about The Retirement Guys, tune in every Saturday at 1 p.m. on 1370 WSPD or visit www. retirementguysradio.com. Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. NEXT Financial Group, Inc. does not provide tax or legal advice. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537. (419) 842-0550.

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n A21

A View from the gulch

Do you have a blueprint for your financial house?

ast time I talked about the difference between a fiduciary and an investment adviser that operates from a suitability standard. The conclusion is always that it is better to have a fiduciary working for you. As a fiduciary, it is important that we lay out a “blueprint” for your financial house that is customized to you and one that you understand. The blueprint I am referring to is the Investment Policy Statement or IPS. An IPS describes the investment philosophies and investment management procedures to be utilized for the investment portfolio. The principal reason for developing an IPS and for putting it in writing is to enable both the client and the investment adviser to

protect your portfolio from ad hoc revisions of a sound long-term policy. The IPS is intended to provide a well-thought-out framework from which sound investment decisions can be made. The building of a house always begins with the foundation. In this case, the foundation is formed by determining the risk Gary L. tolerance that you are comfortable with. This is determined both in writing, using a risk tolerance questionnaire, and also with personal meetings to discuss attitudes and concerns.

(opportunity)

I often compare what I do to the work of a physician. When you go to the doctor, especially for the first time, he or she will ask you a hundred questions about your health, family history, attitudes toward your general welfare, etc. When working with a financial adviser, there is little difference. It is important that RATHBUN I know my clients’ risk tolerances and also their attitudes toward money, the economy, taxes, inflation, government and what their needs and expectations are going forward. We not only need to agree on what vehicles to use and which ones not to use but also what benchmarks to use when measuring performance. It is vital to know liquidity needs both now and in the future as well as any legal or legislative constraints. A competent fiduciary will analyze the current investment positions in their entirety to make sure no position is “overweighted” in any one company, sector or geographical region. The IPS will fully describe the asset allocation for the portfolio. So,

depending on the risk tolerance, maximum percentages will be determined for each category and sector of investments, e.g., equities, fixed income, alternative and cash. Under equities, for example, we will have allocation schedules to large cap growth and value, mid cap, small cap, emerging growth and international. Fixed income might include short- or long-term bonds, tax-free municipals, government bonds, CDs, or private debentures. Inflation protection might include precious metals, TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protection Securities) commodities or foreign currencies. The list of investment vehicles can be very long or quite short depending on the preferences of each individual client. An IPS, just like a visit to the doctor, should be reviewed on a regular basis. In this fast-paced society, a client’s needs and/or attitudes can change very quickly and the IPS needs to be flexible enough to compensate and adapt to those changes. Finally, the IPS will spell out the frequency and types of meetings and communication for both parties. All too often I have talked to people who have said they have not talked to their adviser for a

long time. The IPS addresses this and prevents both parties from ignoring or neglecting the other. If your adviser does not put together a complete investment policy statement for you, you are letting him or her off the hook for looking out for your best interest. I know that it takes some time to go through this process but the rewards are certainly worth it, not to mention the protection it offers. It is my opinion that it won’t be long before every investment adviser is required to operate from a fiduciary standard. You need to demand it now from your adviser or you need to get a new adviser. I can think of only one that I would absolutely recommend, who will always look out for your best interest. O

Gary L. Rathbun is the president and CEO of Private Wealth Consultants, LTD. He can be heard on WSPD 13670 AM 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. throughout Northern Ohio on “Eye on Your Money.” He can be reached at (419) 842-0334 or email him at garyrathbun@private wealthconsultants.com.

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A22 n Toledo Free Press

MAY 20, 2012

By Sarah Ottney

TOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR sottney@toledofreepress.com

From Benny Parsons to Kyle Petty to Danica Patrick, some of NASCAR’s best drivers have honed their skills racing for a Temperance-based organization. The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), now in its 60th season, operates Toledo SCHRADER Speedway and Michigan’s Flat Rock Speedway as well as the ARCA Truck Series, ARCA CRA Super Series and ARCA Racing Series, which includes races at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. ARCA organizes about 100 stock car races a year, grooming future NASCAR stars as well as offering regional drivers the opportunity to pursue their passion, said ARCA president Ron Drager. “I could list you 50 more, but those are examples of people who found their way to where they went by coming through our series,” said Drager, grandson of ARCA cofounders John and Mildred Marcum. “I’d say two-thirds to three-quarters of any given starting lineup on a Sunday for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race are people who have raced in our tour.” Former NASCAR driver and ARCA team owner Ken Schrader started racing for ARCA in the 1980s, having already driven for NASCAR. “A lot of guys work their way through ARCA on the way to NASCAR; I kind of did it ass-backward,” Schrader told Toledo Free Press, laughing. “I’m just really a fan

of the series. To get the experience of running a big, ol’ heavy car, it’s the best place. You don’t need to learn to drive a 3,400-pound car at 200 mph at Talladega. With ARCA, you can learn at 120 mph at Toledo and work your way up.” Toledo and Flat Rock are two of about 900 regional racetracks across the country, Drager said. “That’s the ground-level grassroots of the YOUSTER sport,” Drager said. “If you aspire to become a professional race car driver at the highest level, we as ARCA feel we offer a very effective and valuable opportunity for a young driver. If you want to race in the Daytona 500, you can race on the same track, in the same type of car, with the people who own the cars that race in the Daytona 500 watching you. That’s an opportunity we offer that nobody else does.” Ty Dillon, the 20-year-old grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, was the 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion. This season he is racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. “It’s a great series,” Dillon said of ARCA during television commentary of Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 in Daytona Beach, Fla., ARCA’s biggest race of the season. “You get to come places like this and learn how to race at the tracks you’ll be learning at in the NASCAR rankings.” While many ARCA drivers are aiming for NASCAR, others compete for decades at the regional level as a hobby, often serving as mentors, Drager said. “People like the Kimmels, the Ven-

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turinis, Andy Hillenburg, Andy Belmont, Mark Gibson, these are people who have won races and championships as a driver in ARCA and have found their niche,” Drager said. One up-and-coming ARCA driver is 19-year-old Toledo native Levi Youster. Youster was racing sprint cars at Toledo Speedway when he was spotted by Wayne Hixson, who invited the then-16-year-old to join his Tennessee-based Hixon Motorsports team. Youster moved to Tennessee, but returns to Toledo, where his family still lives, during off-seasons. Youster’s dream is to drive for NASCAR, but said he would also like to become a team owner and pay forward the opportunity Hixson gave to him. “He saw potential and really wanted to develop me as a driver and teach me everything he could. He knew I didn’t have as much money as a lot of these kids out here and he gave me a break knowing I would work for it,” Youster said. “I think the biggest thing ARCA’s taught me is you can’t let off one lap, you can’t go 80 percent, you have to give it everything you have every time or otherwise you’re not going to do decent.” The celebration of ARCA’s 60th season is also bittersweet, as Mildred died Jan. 9, shortly before the season opened. After John died in 1981, Mildred continued to operate races at both Toledo and Flat Rock into her 80s and was a daily fixture in the ARCA offices until her death at age 98, Drager said. “For everybody in the building it was an inspiration. She was part of the sport when it was pretty much open Wild West and was part of helping organize and form the sport,” Drager said. “Nobody is crying in their beer because whatever you’re supposed to get out of life on this earth, she got 98

arcaracing.com

ARCA celebrating 60 seasons of racing

Racer mike young at toledo speedway.

years’ worth and she didn’t leave much on the table. But certainly you can’t help but expect her to come heading down the hallway, peeking around the doorway to see if you’re busy.” Even though ARCA has been around for six decades, “It’s like a giant secret,” said Don Radebaugh, ARCA communications and electronic media manager. Drager’s goal is for people to think of Toledo Speedway the way they think of Fifth Third Field, Huntington Center or Savage Arena. “We take it as a daily challenge to have Toledo Speedway be thought of in the same thought process as the Mud Hens and the Walleye and University of Toledo athletics,” Drager said. “We’re located within city limits and we very much feel like we’re part of the city. We’d like to be considered an entertainment option just like the ball game.” Toledo Speedway will host the ARCA Racing Series’ Menards 200

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on May 20. The tour will also race at Michigan International Speedway on June 15. The ARCA Fan Fest is set for 10 a.m. May 19, featuring interactive displays, two practices, pole qualifying event and the ARCA Truck Series season opener at 5 p.m. On May 20, drivers will sign autographs on the track at noon, with prerace ceremonies at 1:15 p.m. The race starts at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on SPEED TV at 5 p.m. Among the racers will be NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Joey Coulter; 2011 ARCA Rookie of the Year Chris Buescher; points leader Brennan Poole; ARCA’s first 15-year-old competitor Erik Jones; past ARCA winners Bobby Gerhart and Mikey Kile; and Ohio drivers Youster, Chad Hackenbracht, Jared Marks, Tim Cowen and Tommy O’Leary IV. For more information, visit the website www.arcaracing.com. O

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ARTS Life

A24 n Toledo Free Press

MAY 20, 2012

SUMMER EVENTS

By Caitlin McGlade

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer cmcglade@toledofreepress.com

Nine-year-old Louie picks on his little brother like many siblings do — by flinging dirt at him. But unlike his human counterparts, who squirm and stretch to bend their bodies over the exhibit’s railing to watch him, Louie can wield a trunkful. Perhaps in a few years Louie’s kid brother Lucas will fend off flying mud cakes, but the little guy has yet to even mark his first birthday. He’ll celebrate turning 1 year old June 3, a day made all the more exciting because of his family’s new home. The Toledo Zoo’s elephant exhibit was set to open May 18. The Tembo Trail, which replaces the old African Savanna walkway, hugs the edges of the elephants’ enclosure. Zoo-goers can catch glimpses from three of the four sides of the mock-African environment. Zoo officials began planning to move the elephants to a larger, more enriching area in 2007. $6.2 million and more than 175 workers later, phase one opened in 2009. Crews began constructing phase two in the spring of 2010. This second portion took $9 million and 145 employees to finish. The exhibit spreads across 37,680 square feet outdoors, pockmarked with uneven terrain and tree stumps and dotted with towering metal trees supporting leafy green canopies and dangling tires or sacks stuffed with hay. If the elephants tire of the elements, they can choose to go indoors, where they have about 8,970 more square feet of space. During nice weather the glass windows of the indoor exhibit open like garage doors. At the old exhibit, zookeepers had to let them in or out. “The reason that we care for animals at the zoo is that we need people to care about elephants and all other animals in the wild,” said Anne Baker, the zoo’s director. “Their habitat is disappearing and eventually it will disappear if nothing is done.”

Growing population

About 450,000-700,000 African elephants live in the wild, down from a few million at the turn of the 20th century, according to Defenders of Wildlife, a wildlife protection advocacy organization. Toledo’s elephant population is growing. A couple of years ago, the zoo had only Renee, a 7,900-pound female, and Louie, her 4,690-pound son. In February of 2010, Twiggy joined in — brought to her new shelter after the U.S. Department of Agriculture con-

toledo free press photo by joseph herr/cover photo by lynn lyons, courtesy toledo zoo

$15.2 million elephant exhibit opens at Toledo Zoo

The toledo zoo’s tembo trail opens may 18. It houses four elephants — Twiggy, Louie, Renee and Lucas.

fiscated her from poor conditions at a circus in Indiana. Although suspicious of others at first, the 27-year-old has become best buddies with Louie. They stand side-by-side, drape their trunks over one another and take food from each other’s mouths. Baker said it is possible the two could mate, bringing the total number of elephants to five. The zoo started its breeding program in the 1990s, and zoo officials knew then that they’d need to build a more expansive exhibit if the herd were to grow, said Andi Norman, the zoo’s public relations and marketing director. The former exhibit was built 25 years ago and was intended for female elephants. Male elephants, as they grow into maturity, tend to fight each other for breeding access to the

females. This can get chaotic and an exhibit primarily designed for females doesn’t provide the space and the strength needed to separate aggressive males from each other during this stage, Norman said. Female elephants get aggressive, particularly when it’s time to push a young male from their circle, so the zoo had to draft plans for a new exhibit. The Toledo Zoo is one of at least seven zoos across the country that have expanded or enhanced their elephant exhibits within the past two years, said Steve Feldman, spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). “The trend is that you see zoos elevating their game when it comes to the care and conservation of elephants,”

Feldman said. The emphasis is on “enrichment” — or activities that challenge elephants to problem solve to find food, along with terrain that exercises their physique, he said. You’ll see this at the Toledo Zoo. Twiggy elicited a round of giggles May 16 when she poked her trunk through one of the holes in the exhibit wall facing her audience. She was searching for water, and she found it. The water could have been behind any of the other holes and the zookeepers switch it up to keep her and Louie guessing. The tall metal trees are another aspect of enrichment. The tires and sacks filled with hay hang above an elephant’s eye level so the elephants have to reach for their snacks. Louie and

Twiggy rolled a tree stump beneath one of the sacks so they could step on it to reach more easily, Norman said. “Unlike people, who want our meals served on a platter, elephants spend most of their time in the wild foraging for food and water,” she said.

Elephant advocates

But some animal activists aren’t convinced. Catherine Doyle, the elephant campaign director for In Defense of Animals, said her organization advocates for zoos to close their elephant exhibits and send them to sanctuaries that offer dozens of acres to roam. She tours zoos across the country and has legally advocated for elephants’ rights. n ZOO CONTINUES ON A25

ARTS Life

n ZOO CONTINUED FROM A24 “You have all these artificial means of stimulating them, and these are highly intelligent animals so you have to do enrichment, otherwise these animals have nothing,” she said. “When enrichment is being done, I think unfortunately a lot of it is just something to take up the animal’s time.” She said moving all the zoos’ elephants to sanctuaries is unrealistic, so the elephant campaign also pushes for AZA to tighten its standards on space. AZA accreditation standards recommend allotting no less than 5,400 square feet per elephant in an outdoor habitat. For indoors, the recommendation is no less than 400 square feet for females and 600 square feet for males or females with calves. Between indoor and outdoor areas, the Toledo Zoo’s exhibit covers 46,650 square feet. The old exhibit covered 12,510. “The public is so used to seeing elephants in smaller size exhibits, when there’s a minor expansion people think

Toledo Zoo fun fact: The four elephants go through seven bales of hay a day at 40 to 50 pounds each — leaving enough room for fruits and veggies as snacks. As for little Lucas? He’ll devour any watermelon in sight. O the elephants are in these huge exhibits now so everything is OK,” Doyle said. “To us it may look like a larger space but to elephants it may not.” At least 22 zoos in the U.S. and Canada have closed their elephant exhibits since the 1990s, she said. The Detroit Zoo sent its two Asian elephants to sanctuaries in 2005. The zoo will not open another elephant exhibit again, said Patricia Mills Janeway, spokesperson for the Detroit Zoo. Providing the adequate physical and social environment had become unrealistic, particularly because of Michigan’s harsh winters. The two elephants had arthritis and foot prob-

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lems, health issues common among captive elephants. Living in small areas or standing on concrete floors are believed to trigger these health problems, Janeway wrote in an email to Toledo Free Press. “In the wild, elephants live in warm climates and roam vast areas, often walking many miles a day,” she wrote. “For these reasons, the Detroit Zoo decided in 2004 to no longer exhibit elephants.”

Doing well in winter

The African elephants at the Toledo Zoo do well in the winter, said Ben Whitebread, interim elephant manager. The elephants can go outside overnight if it’s no colder than 32 degrees. They also have a heated porch between their indoor shelter and the outdoor area, so they don’t have to spend all of their time inside during the winter months, he said. He said he’s watched the elephants go outside during 25-degree days and amuse themselves by breaking the ice frozen over puddles. “A lot of people feel that because these elephants are from Africa, that they can’t tolerate cold and that’s very far from the truth,” Whitebread said. Baker said overheating is more of a problem for these animals because of their size. “It’s hard for them to dump heat — the nights in Africa get very cold, so they warm up in the day and over the night they cool down,” she said. Whether Twiggy, Louie, Renee and Lucas are inside or out, zoogoers will be able to get a close look at these colossal mammals this summer, Norman said. O

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followed by an elephant training demonstration at 2 p.m. May 19 will be full of arts and entertainment from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., including a performance by the Toledo School for the Arts Glass City Steel band. The zoo will host events on May 20 as well, with African-themed education activities and crafts and more performances by the Glass City Steel. Walk the Tembo Trail and see naked mole rats, African spotted-neck otters, African lions, African slendersnouted crocodiles, dromedary camels, meerkats, Nile hippopotami and white rhinoceroses. O

ARTS Life

SUMMER EVENTS

‘You Are Here’ art to adorn city By Morgan Delp

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer mdelp@toledofreepress.com

Art and technology meet with Toledo’s newest public art project, “You Are Here” (YAH). The project consists of 100 3-feet-wide laminated circles, which will be fixed to the ground in front of various sites around Toledo. Each circle, designed by one of 95 local artists, features a “quick response” or “QR” code, which when scanned by a smartphone directs the viewer to an application with information about the artwork and location of the dot. Set to launch May 22 with a reception at The Valentine Theatre, the collaborative effort between the Arts Commission and the Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) aims to connect the community of Toledo by encouraging “urban art and public exploration” and “highlighting significant locations around the city,” according to Dan Hernandez, Art in Public Places Coordinator for the Arts Commission. “The idea of engaging 95 artists and having them design 100 designs specifically for 100 sites is an opportu-

nity for people to go revisit these sites they may have visited in the past,” Hernandez said. “Allowing the community to revisit these locations is great.” The 95 artists selected for the project came from a pool of 218 applicants; each had to submit three of their original pieces to be considered. Jenn Stucker, president of AIGA and YAH coordinator, said that all sorts of artists applied, including painters, sculptors, collage artists, digital designers, a glassblower, a graffiti artist and even a basket weaver. The applicants were judged by a panel of four judges, all with a background in graphic design. Once selected, each artist was assigned a location to respond to in some artistic way. “Some are very direct and some are abstract,” Hernandez said of the responses. “That’s where the website and app will be very helpful. Some of the abstract designs may need a little info to go with them, so each piece of artwork has a statement on the website and app.” While some responses were drawn or designed on a computer, some were sculpted or made three-dimensionally and then photographed for the sticker,

Stucker said. There will be an exhibition in June at the Davis Building to display the actual works that were created. “It’s really hard to choose a favorite,” Stucker said. “I was very overwhelmed by everything that came in. It felt like Christmas!” Jacqueline Barchick, creative director for Thread Marketing Group, submitted work representative of her agency. Once selected, she worked with a team to create the sticker, which is displayed on the corner of Kenwood Boulevard and Douglas Road. This is the location of the former B’Nai Israel Congregation and current home to Central Academy of Ohio. Barchick and her colleagues focused on the educational component that connects and binds both places, and took their project a step further. Included in their QR code app description is a link to a Facebook page they created that displays a timeline of the location’s history, and space for people to leave stories about their educational experience at either institution. Past projects aimed at connecting and beautifying Toledo include the initiative in which giant painted frog statues

MAY 20, 2012 photo courtesy arts commission/AIGA

A26 n Toledo Free Press

n Angie Baker art for the Collingwood Arts Center, installed by Alan Stucker.

were placed around the city. Stucker said she believes YAH will be more effective in activating Toledo because it includes more sites and showcases more local talent, along with incorporating a technological aspect that deepens the meaning of the collaboration. “We’re extremely excited about the project,” Hernandez said. “It is multifaceted and multi-layered, smart and complex, well-designed.”

The project was designed not only for the benefit of Toledoans, but especially for the 1,200-1,500 visitors that will flock to the city for the Glass Art Society 42nd Annual Conference will take place June 13-16. The stickers, which will be on display until October, cover all corners of the city. A launch party is scheduled from 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 22 at The Valentine Theatre on May 22. O

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ARTS Life

A28. n Toledo Free Press

MAY 20, 2012

SUMMER EVENTS

By Sarah Ottney

TOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR sottney@toledofreepress.com

It’s only 30 minutes east of Downtown Toledo, but visiting Elmore’s Schedel Arboretum & Gardens is like entering another world. “When you come onto the grounds, especially when you enter the lower area, it’s like not even being in Northwest Ohio anymore,” said Superintendent of Grounds Jeff Saffran. “It actually seems like a different climate down there sometimes. Being sheltered like it is, it’s warmer and we’re even able to grow some plants here on the grounds that are usually difficult to grow around here.” The 17-acre property along the Portage River was once the home of Joseph and Marie Schedel. The couple traveled widely, collecting plants as well as antique jade, bronze and other collectibles from more than 110 countries. n GARDENS CONTINUES ON A29

toledo free press photo by joseph herr

Elmore’s Schedel Gardens offers respite into nature

schedel arboretum & gardens is located 30 miles east of Downtown Toledo. It features 17 acres along the portage river.

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ARTS Life nese maple trees here and some of those were picked up in their travels.” Also among trees on the grounds are a stand of the Dawn Redwoods once thought to be extinct, three Yoshino cherry trees grown from cuttings off the trees that blossom each year around the Tidal Basin in Wa s h i n g t o n , D.C., a muchlarger-thanNOBLE normal mugo pine and a bristle cone pine, one of the oldest known species of life on Earth, Noble said. “Arboretum means a collection of trees,” Noble said.

n GARDENS CONTINUED FROM A28 Later in life, the Schedels, who had no children, established a foundation in their name that would allow for the preservation of the property. When they died in the 1980s, they left the property to the Joseph J. & Marie P. Schedel Foundation with instructions to open it to the public, a dream realized in 1991. One of the most popular parts of the property is the Japanese garden, featuring a 30-foot waterfall, red torii gate, wooden bridges and four stone pagodas the Schedels brought back from Japan, said Rod Noble, executive director for the gardens. “They really loved the orient culture and spent a lot of time there,” Noble said. “We have over 40 varieties of Japa-

The property also features two fouracre lakes, a reflecting pool with water lilies, a fruit orchard, vegetable garden, kitchen garden featuring more than 100 varieties of ornamental hot peppers, a collection of more than 100 bonsai trees and more than 20 sculptures. Visitors can also view more than 100 flower beds whose designs change every year, including an iris garden, peony garden, perennial garden, rose garden and more. A children’s garden has been proposed, but is dependent on funding, Noble said. More than 80 volunteers help plant flowers and care for the beds. The grounds are popular for weddings, with more than 30 scheduled for this season, Noble said. Birds commonly seen at the garden include bald eagles, mute swans, great white herons, great blue egrets and

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Visit www.toledofreepress.com kingfishers, Noble said. The Schedel’s home, called the Manor House, was built in the late 1800s. It still contains many of their possessions, including part of their jade, ivory and bronze collection, including pieces up to 5,000 years old. At one time, the Schedels held one of the world’s most significant privately held collections of jade, Noble said. A shelf of passports full of stamps attests to their travels. The home also houses a gift shop. Noble hopes the gardens allow visitors to reconnect with nature. “We try to provide opportunities for the appreciation and study of nature and the arts,” Noble said. “It seems like this generation gets so much of its stimulus from electronics and we feel like our role is even more important because it seems like the appreciation of nature has diminished in today’s generation.” Noble, who has been executive director for three years, follows in the footsteps of his father, Reginald, who was director for 12 years before him. “I’ve got the best job in the world just because of the beauty I get to see every day,” Noble said. “Really and truly you could come here once a week and see something different. If I’m gone for a few days and come back, a lot of times I’m just amazed at

Visiting

All visits to the grounds start at the Brown Welcome Center’s information desk, where visitors can pick up a brochure and map for a self-guided walking tour of the gardens. Guided tours are available by appointment only for $60. Special evening guided garden tours are set for 6:30 p.m. June 7, July 5, Aug. 2 and Sept. 6. Cost is $12. Guided tours of the Manor House and summer home are available for $8 on Wednesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m. The garden is open May 1 through Oct. 31. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays and closed Mondays. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (60 and older), $9 for AAA members with card, $6 for children age 6 to 12 and free for children age 5 and younger. Katie Boss of Genoa recently visited the gardens for the third time. “It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen,” Boss said. “The flowers and landscaping are so perfectly manicured. I even saw bamboo. It’s a dream every time I go. My friend Manny (Bowling Green artist Emmanuel Enriquez) has a few really nice sculptures in the garden. n GARDENS CONTINUES ON A30

Admission $4 $2 on Sunday Children 8 and under FREE $1 Shuttle available from Central Catholic

For more information, call (419) 255-8406 or visit www.polishfestival.org

UNITED NORTH thanks our sponsors! n

n A29

how much it has changed.”

toledo free press photos by joseph herr

MAY 20, 2012

The annual wine and food festival is scheduled for June 15.

ARTS Life

Upcoming events

The third annual Gardens, Wine and Food Festival, set for 6-9 p.m. June 15, is a fundraiser to benefit the Schedels’ foundation. This year’s event

will have a South American theme, featuring South American wines and music and food by Stella’s and Swig in Perrysburg, Noble said. Tickets are $50. Another fundraiser is the ninth annual Hidden Garden Party, set for Sept. 9. Tickets are $150 or $1,000 for a table of eight. The event includes gourmet dining, live music, celebrityhosted live auction and silent auction.

Other upcoming events include: O May 23: Container Gardening, taught by Cindy Bench of Bench Farms, 6:30 p.m., $12, reservations required. O June 13, Aug. 15: Basic Bonsai Care, taught by Rod Noble, 10 a.m., $12, reservations required. O July 12: Indoor Arrangements, taught by florist Jilly Gray of Bloom,

Events

Venue opens on Adams

By Brigitta Burks

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer bburks@toledofreepress.com

Connie Hoffmann, a former manager of Erie Street Market, has another “reasonably priced but elegant” events venue in the works. “We can do everything and do it really nice, but I’m not going to go overboard with my prices because the need is for a low price,” said Hoffmann, who managed HOFFMAN the market that ceased event scheduling in February. Hoffmann left the market about a year and half before event scheduling ended and opened Adams Street Antiques and Art in November. Her latest venture is located at 1717 Adams St., Toledo, in the old IBC building just down the street from her antique store. “[Opening an events venue has] been in the works since I’ve been on Adams Street and seen all the traffic. It’s always been in the back of my mind,” Hoffmann said. The venue is still unnamed, but will house its first event,

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Ellen Saffran, 6:30 p.m., $12. O Sept. 12: Deadline for an annual amateur photography contest for photos taken at the gardens between September 2011 and Aug. 31. Schedel Arboretum & Gardens is located at 19255 W. Portage River South Road in Elmore. For more information, call (419) 862-3182 or visit www.schedel-gardens.org. O

Upcoming Events at WCM!

Decades of Diva, a charity fashion event benefiting St. Paul’s Community Center, NAMI of Greater Toledo, the Janet Phleger Foundation and the UpTown Association at 6:30 p.m. May 19. The business owner decided to open her event venue to host charity events and wedding functions at a reasonable rate. She has not officially decided on rates, but said, “It’s going to be along the same lines that I charged at the market. There’s a base fee and then extras are a little bit more,” she said. Hoffmann said she hopes her venue serves as an alternative for outdoor spaces. “If it’s lousy, lousy weather, they need a backup place and that’s where I would come in,” she said. The 7,000-square-foot event space may feature a patio one day and boxing rings like it used to. It already has a runway, parking and a kitchen open to caterers, Hoffmann said. Hoffmann also plans to use security, if needed, at events. “I want all problems solved before they get to be problems and with the group that I have, that happens,” she said. Hoffmann said that after the venue goes “full blown” in June she may hire six to 10 employees down the road. For more information, call Hoffmann at (419) 206-5575. O

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6:30 p.m., $12, reservations required. O July 26: Pond Clinic, Ottawa County Soil and Water Conservation District, 6:30 p.m., $12. O July 28: Butterfly and Bird Walk, led by Kenn and Kim Kaufman of Black Swamp Bird Observatory, 10 a.m., $12, reservations required. O Aug. 9: Corsage and Boutonniere Workshop, taught by florist

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“It’s such a great story how this couple, the Schedels, would want to leave a legacy for generations to enjoy.”

n GARDENS CONTINUED FROM A29

MAY 20, 2012

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summer patio season! Saturday, May 26th

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www.waltchurchillsmarket.com 3320 Briarfield Bld., Maumee 26625 N. Dixie Hwy., Perrysburg 419.794.4000 419.872.6900

Hours: Mon-Sun 7 a.m.– 10 p.m.

Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun 8 a.m.–9 p.m.

Effective 5/21/12 - 5/28/12 | We reserve the right to limit quantities. | No sales to vendors. | Not responsible for pictorial or typographical errors.

A30 n Toledo Free Press

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