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December 25, 2011

Bethlehem celebrates holiday

Volume 103, No. 307

INSIDE

Thousands enjoy merry Christmas in West Bank

Season’s Greetings from our staff

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Tens of thousands of tourists and Christian pilgrims packed the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations Saturday, bringing warm holiday cheer to the traditional birthplace of Jesus on a raw, breezy and rainy night. With turnout at its highest in

more than a decade, proud Palestinian officials said they were praying the celebrations would bring them closer to their dream of independence. Bethlehem, like the rest of the West Bank, fell onto hard times after the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation broke out in late 2000. As the fighting

Bethlehem. Palestinian officials in Bethlehem said that with local tourists included, overall turnout was 120,000 about 30 percent higher than last year. The number was expected to rise throughout the evening. “It’s wonderful to be where Jesus was born,” said Irma Goldsmith, 68, of Suffolk,

has subsided in recent years, the tourists have returned in large numbers and all of the city’s hotels were fully booked. By early evening, the Israeli military, which controls movement in and out of town, said some 55,000 visitors, including foreigners and Arab Christians Israel, had reached from

• See BETHLEHEM on A2

MIAMI COUNTY

Deputies step up holiday patrols

It’s that time of year again — time for the Troy Daily News staff’s annual holiday greeting card to you, our loyal readers. First and foremost, thank you for reading. We wish all of you nothing but the best for the holidays and in the coming year. May all your days be filled with peace, love and hapiness. This year, the TDN staff — plus a few special guests — decided to share their Christmas lists. See Valley, Page B1.

BY MELANIE YINGST Staff Writer myingst@tdnpublishing.com

Farmers grow winter crops

STAFF PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBER

You can expect something more than snow to dot Ohio farmland this winter. Increasingly, domed plastic structures are popping up on farms around the state, aimed at keeping local produce flowing even when weather turns nasty. Inside those structures, everything from salad greens to herbs will grow, warmed by the winter sun. See Page A6.

Members of Girl Scout Troop 30552, including Meredith Pruitt, Sarah Geer, Brianna Gillis, Jordan Shetterly, McKenzie Pruitt, Isha Patel and Ruhani Patel, visit with U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Cruso Wednesday during a stop at La Piazza in Troy. The troop wrote letters and sent care packages to Cruso during a tour in Afghanistan.

A great way to celebrate Girl Scouts meet soldier they adopted BY RON OSBURN Staff Writer rosburn@tdnpublishing.com

INSIDE TODAY Announcements ...........B8 Business.....................A11 Calendar.......................A3 Crossword ....................B7 Dates to Remember .....B6 Deaths ..........................A6 Georgia C. Cozatt Christopher R. Raines Kay G. Patrie Paul R. Bell Movies ..........................B5 Opinion .........................A4 Property Transfers........C2 Sports...........................A8 Travel............................C4 Weather......................A12

OUTLOOK

Call it an early Christmas present — a care package delivered back in April from Girl Scout Troop 30552 to Sgt. Daniel Cruso, who was serving on a U.S. Army outpost in Afghanistan. Cruso, who is single and was raised as an only child by his single father in Cleveland, said he had no reason to expect the package, which contained snacks, gum, DVDs, toiletries, a banner signed by each girl in the troop and (of course) Girl Scout cookies. “It was a total surprise. But it was great. It was just what I needed. It was good for morale, I can tell you that,” Cruso said with a huge smile, sitting in a downtown Troy

TROY restaurant a few days before Christmas last week, surrounded by seven of the girls from Girl Scout Troop 30552. After receiving that first care package, Cruso, 24, an E-5 with the A 5-25 FA, an artillery unit of the 4/10th Mountain Division, took the time to write an individual return letter to each of the 13 girls in the troop, thanking them for their unexpected surprise. Troop members in turn delivered another care package to their adopted soldier that included personal messages of support and Twizzlers candy — “my all-time favorite,” said Cruso. He and troop members continued to correspond until he returned stateside in October.

Last month, Cruso told troop leader Terry Shetterly he was from Cleveland and wanted to meet her and the girls in the troop. At the invitation of Shetterly and her husband, Bill, Cruso visited Troy last week on his way from Fort Polk, La., to spend Christmas with his father. Wednesday, on his way to Cleveland, Cruso met the girls in the troop during a festive dinner at La Piazza restaurant on the Square downtown. “I talked to Terry and we worked it out and thought this would be a good time, with everyone out of school right now,” Cruso said. “I’ve really been looking forward to this. To have people who

Consider this notice your Christmas gift from the Miami County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies and officials remind Miami County travelers to have a safe and happy holiday, although no citations will be issued for those who dash through the snow as long as they do so within the speed limit and wear a seat belt. “We really want people to have a good time, yet hopefully the message is getting through that drinking and driving will not be tolerated,” said Chief Deputy Dave Duchak. Duchak said during the period of October 2010 to October 2011, Miami County had below state average traffic fatalities with zero alcohol-related fatalities. The Miami County Sheriff’s Office will deploy 25 additional deputies for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays for a combined 106 hours of overtime. The additional deputies will be targeting high-crash roadways and roadways that have high rates of OVI arrests. The deputies will strictly enforce all Ohio traffic statutes. “We will be out in force and will have upped patrols and we will be looking for those who are drinking and driving and enforce a zero tolerance for traffic violations,” Duchak said. That means deputies will ticket all violators. No warnings will be issued during the traffic blitz. A primary goal will be to remove alcohol- and drugimpaired drivers from county

• See SOLDIER on A2 • See PATROLS on A2

Today Breezy High: 43° Low: 28°

COMMENTARY

Harrah, Hutchinson were odd couple on council

Monday Partly cloudy High: 40° Low: 26°

BY RON OSBURN Staff Writer rosburn@tdnpublishing.com

Complete weather information on Page A12

They were the odd couple of Troy City Council. One was talkative, a transplant to Troy, a big band singer in his off hours with a performer’s personality who was not afraid to take a stand or tally the lone No vote, occasionally 1 confounding the top city

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TROY staffer, Troy Service and Safety Director Patrick Titterington, as well as his fellow council members. The other was quiet and circumspect, a life-long Trojan (Class of 1961) who rarely brought attention to himself or stood out in any way. But both were genial

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family men who wanted to be of service to their community. And as two firsttime candidates, they first forged a bond in 2003, when they faced off against each other for a seat on council in the city’s 4th Ward. Both said they didn’t really know the other before that race. But in a tribute to civility in politics, Jarrod Harrah and

Ruben and the entire staff of El Sombrero wish you a Very Merry Christmas!

took three recounts and a coin toss before Hutchinson, then a Democrat, was declared the winner by a 502 to 500 tally. Harrah vowed to run again and in November 2005, beat Hutchinson by HARRAH HUTCHINSON about 100 votes in a Frank Hutchinson forged rematch for the 4th Ward an easy, affable and lasting seat for the 2006-07 term. friendship during the clos• See ODD COUPLE est city council race in on A2 recent memory — one that

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TDN-NET.COM

Soldier • Continued from A1

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thought about me, who took the time and the effort to send those packages. It’s really an honor to meet these girls, to know you have someone who cares like that,” said the poised Cruso, who smiled often and easily engaged in lively banter with the teenage and pre-teen troop members who attended Wednesday’s get-together, several accompanied by their parents. “We’re all really glad we got to meet him finally,” said McKenzie Pruitt, 14, an eighth-grader at Troy Junior High. She and 11-year-old Jordan Shetterly said they’ve been conversing with Cruso via Facebook since he returned stateside. “I asked him if he could help me with my math homework,” Shetterly said, drawing laughter from Cruso and troop members. “When I started (in Girl Scouts) I just expected to learn to cook and sew and stuff like that. I never expected this,” Pruitt said, as Cruso and Shetterly compared uniform badges.

Christmas gift Terry Shetterly said troop members participate in a wide variety of community activities throughout the year, including serving at the St. Patrick Soup Kitchen, volunteering at the Make A Difference Day, Relay for Life and the Multiple Sclerosis Walk and preparing Easter Baskets for the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County. To fund its activities, including the care packages for Cruso and another soldier this past year, the troop sells its

Odd couple • Continued from A1 But through it all they remained friendly and respectful to each other, such as readily agreeing to playfully stage an arm wrestling photo for the Troy Daily News at the council meeting immediately after the election. Hutchinson sat out that term, changed his party affiliation to Republican, and in November 2007 finished a strong 2nd in a 5man race for three at-large council seats for the 20082009 term. Harrah then decided to move from the 4th Ward to an at-large bid and he, Hutchinson and incumbent Alan Clark ran unopposed for the three at-large council seats in 2009 for a twoyear term (2010-2011) that officially ends Dec. 31. The two lived just blocks apart on the city’s near east side, and were close enough that as Hutchinson battled his health issues this past year, Harrah would sometimes stop by and give Hutchinson a ride to council meetings. Neither is running again — Harrah inadvertently missed the party filing deadline and declined to run as an independent or write-in, while Hutchinson has battled health issues that have forced him to miss nearly two dozen council and committee meetings over the past 18 months. Monday night, at the last regularly scheduled council meeting of the year, and of their terms, they were honored (as is tradition for outgoing

FILE PHOTO

Jarrod Harrah, left, and Frank Hutchinson playfully staged an arm wrestling photo for the Troy Daily News in 2005. council representatives) plans to “do nothing” now, when Mayor Michael L. though he did add that he Beamish and council has in-laws in Florida, president Martha Baker and, with a slightly mispresented the two —along chievous smile, said, “I’ve with outgoing city law been thinking seriously director Grant Kerber — about loading up the car with a plaque and their and heading to Florida for a while.” council nameplates. Harrah, 39, facilities Both cheerfully noted for Miami in separate interviews manager Monday that it was appro- County, said he was most priate, if ironic, that as proud of being accessible they were linked together and proactive to his confor nearly a decade stituents. “I think my through their council serv- biggest accomplishment ice, they were now ending was creating open communication between council their service together. “It’s a neat ending to a and the public,” he said. Harrah said he doesn’t pretty weird friendship,” a smiling Harrah said in have any immediate plans public comments at the to make another run for end of Monday’s meeting, council or other public a comment that drew office, “but I’m not going to chuckles from the audi- say I won’t. “Everything happens ence and those on the for a reason. For now I’m council dais. “It’s been a fantastic just going to step back and four years,” Hutchinson, enjoy some time with 69, a retired meat cutter, myself and my family and said prior to the meeting, enjoy not being quite so referring to his most busy,” he said, adding that recent two-term tenure, “I he also has recently learned a lot. I met a lot of stepped back from his participation in a local travelbeautiful people.” Hutchinson said he ing Big Band.

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Virginia. “I watch Christmas in Bethlehem each year on TV, but to be here in person is different. To be in the spot where our savior was born is amazing.” By nightfall, a packed Manger square, along with a 50-foot-tall (15-meter-tall) Christmas tree, was awash in Christmas lights, and the town took on a festival-like atmosphere. Vendors hawked balloons and corn on the cob, and bands played Christmas songs and tourists packed cafes that are sleepy the rest of the 2245935

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famous cookies in January, has a nut sale in the fall and receives a $250 grant from Honda in exchange for 50 hours of community service, Shetterly said. “It’s just something we believe in, that the girls should be involved in their community,” Shetterly said. Shetterly said she happened on the “Adopt a Soldier” program in the summer of 2010 after seeing a booth at the Piqua Heritage Festival that offered an opportunity for community members to write cards to military service personnel. “I thought that was a good idea, found out about the ‘Adopt a Soldier’ program and brought it back to the troop that December,” she said. Early this year, they found two soldiers to adopt, Terry White, and Cruso, whom they found out about through Cassie Lord, the mother of troop member Katie Lord. Cassie Lord grew up with Cruso’s cousin, Kevin Crago. It was Crago who told Lord about Cruso, who has served two tours in Afghanistan. Cruso, who attended Otterbein University for one year before joining the Army, said he recently signed up for another 3-year service hitch as a recruiter. “We really wish him well,” Terry Shetterly said Wednesday, noting the dinner was “a great way to celebrate Christmas. “He thinks he’s giving us a gift. It’s nothing compared to the joy he gives us. We wanted to recognize him for the hero he is,” Shetterly said. • For more information on Girl Scout Troop 30552 in Troy, send e-mail to Shetterly1885@frontier.com.

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year. As rain began falling in the early evening, many people cleared out of the square and raced to nearby restaurants. Festivities were to culminate with Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, built over the grotto where tradition says Jesus was born. Among the visitors were a surprisingly large number of veiled Muslim women with their families, out to enjoy an evening out in what is normally a quiet town. “We love to share this holiday with our Christian brothers,” said Amal Ayash, 46, who came to Manger Square with her three daughters, all of them covered in veils. “It is a Palestinian holiday and we love to come here and watch.” Israel turned Bethlehem over to Palestinian civil control a few days before Christmas in 1995, and since then, residents have been celebrating the holiday regardless of their religion.

Patrols • Continued from A1 roadways. There is usually an increase in alcohol consumption over the holidays, which invariably leads to auto crashes, deptuies said. They are hoping to curb auto crashes with the deployment of extra deputies on various days and at various time frames throughout the holiday season. People who choose to drink this holiday season are asked to have a designated driver or expect to go to jail if caught driving impaired on Miami County roadways, deputies said. The extra traffic enforcement effort is being made possible through a grant the Sheriff’s Office received this year from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services. The grant funds the overtime for the deputies and pays some fuel costs. This marks the seventh consecutive year the Sheriff’s Office has been awarded the grant, which is funded by federal dollars and administered by the state.

&REGION

December 25, 2011

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM

• FREE DINNER: A free Christmas dinner will be offered beginning at noon at St. Patrick Soup Kitchen, 409 E. Main St., and there also will be home deliveries. Those needing a meal delivered can call 335-7939 to make a reservation. The menu will include beef brisket, turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, dinner roll, fruit salad and pie.

MONDAY • SANDWICH AND FRIES: American Legion Post 586, 377 N. 3rd St., Tipp City, will offer a Texas tenderloin and fries from 67:30 p.m. for $5.

FYI

Community Calendar CONTACT US Call Melody Vallieu at 440-5265 to list your free calendar items.You can send your news by e-mail to vallieu@tdnpublishing.com.

TUESDAY • MOTHER NATURE’S PRESCHOOL: The Miami County Park District will hold the Mother Nature’s Pre-school program “Circle of the Sun” from 10-11 a.m. at Charleston Falls Preserve, 2535 Ross Road, south of Tipp City. Children 3 to 5 years old and an adult companion are invited to attend and enjoy learning about where all the animals have gone for the winter. There will be a story and crafts. Dress for the weather. Pre-register for the program by sending an email to register@miamicountyparks.com or call (937) 667-1286, Ext. 115. • DAY CAMP AT THE REC: Third, fourth and fifth grade girls are invited to participate in a day camp at the Troy Rec, 11 N. Market St., from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day. Games, tie-dying and fun are on the agenda. Cost is $10. To register, visit the Troy Rec website at www.troyrec.com and go to the “news” tab. Deadline to register is Dec. 26. Camp is limited to the first 25 girls. For more information, call 339-1923. • BOARD MEETING: The Miami County Park District will hold a special board meeting at 9 a.m. at the Lost Creek Reserve Cabin, 2645 E. State Route 41, east of Troy. For more information, contact the Miami County Park District at 3356273. • RETIREES TO MEET: The BFGoodrich retirees will meet at 8 a.m. at Lincoln Square, Troy.

WEDNESDAY • DAY CAMP AT THE REC: Third, fourth and fifth grade boys are invited to participate in a day camp at the Troy Rec, 11 N. Market St., from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day. Games, tie-dying and fun are on the agenda. Cost is $10. To register, visit the Troy Rec website at www.troyrec.com and go to the “news” tab. Deadline to register is Dec. 26. Camp is limited to the first 25 boys. For more information, call 339-1923.

THURSDAY • PROJECT FEEDERWATCH: Project FeederWatch will be offered from 9:3011:30 a.m. at Aullwood. Participants are invited to count birds, drink coffee, eat doughnuts, share stories and count more birds. This bird count contributes to scientific studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Check out the Cornell web site at www.bird.cornell.edu/pfw for more information.

FRIDAY • FRIDAY DINNER: The Covington VFW Post No. 4235, 173 N. High St., Covington, will offer dinner from 5-8 p.m. For more information, call 753-1108. • SEAFOOD DINNER: The Pleasant Hill VFW Post No. 6557, 7578 W. Fenner Road, Ludlow Falls, will offer a three-piece fried fish dinner, 21-piece fried shrimp or a fish/shrimp combo with french fries and coleslaw for $6 from 6-7:30 p.m. Frog legs, when available, are $10. • PROJECT FEEDERWATCH: Project FeederWatch will be offered from 9:3011:30 a.m. at Aullwood. Participants are invited to count birds, drink coffee, eat doughnuts, share stories and count more birds. This bird count contributes to scientific studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Check out the Cornell web site at www.bird.cornell.edu/pfw for more information.

JAN. 1 • OPEN HOUSE: A surprise party open house for Ernest Hague Jr., who will turn 90, will be hosted by his family from 1-4 p.m. at 2 E. Main St., Fletcher. No gifts are necessary and card and friends and family being present will be enough.

JAN. 3 • LITERACY COUNCIL TO MEET: The

Troy Literacy Council, serving all of Miami County, will meet at 7 p.m. at the Hayner Cultural Center in Troy. Adults seeking help with basic literacy or wish to learn English as a second language, and those interested in becoming tutors, can contact the council’s message center at (937) 660-3170 for further information. • MEETING MOVED: The regularly scheduled Monroe Township meeting and re-organizational meeting scheduled for Jan. 2 will be conducted at 7 p.m. today in the Monroe Township meeting room due to the New Year’s holiday.

JAN. 4 • ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING: Elizabeth Township will have an organizational meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m., the regularly scheduled township meeting will follow at 7 p.m. at the township building. • KIWANIS MEETING: The Kiwanis Club of Troy will meet from noon to 1 p.m. at the Troy Country Club, 1830 Peters Road, Troy. Lunch is $10. Deb Oexmann of Brukner Nature Center will speak. For more information, contact Kim Riber, vice president, at (937) 974-0410.

JAN. 5 • DISCOVERY WALK: A morning discovery walk for adults will be offered from 8-9:30 a.m. at Aullwood Audubon Center, 1000 Aullwood Road, Dayton. Tom Hissong, education coordinator, will guide walkers as they experience the seasonal changes taking place. Bring binoculars.

JAN. 7 • PRAYER BREAKFAST: The Troy Community Men’s Prayer Breakfast will be at 7:30 a.m. at First Place Christian Center, Troy. • SPAGHETTI DINNER: Troy Post No. 43 Baseball will offer an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner from 3-7:30 p.m. at 622 S. Market St., Troy. The meal also will include a salad bar, drink and dessert. Meals will be $6.75 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger. All proceeds will benefit the Troy American Legion baseball. • BOTANY WORKSHOP: A Winter Botany Workshop will be from 1:30-4:30 p.m. at Aullwood Aubudon Center, 1000 Aullwood Road, Dayton. Discover the science of studying plants by taking a close look at their winter characteristics. An outdoor field study will follow, enabling participants to develop plant identification skills while collecting seeds, twigs and more to start their own collection. Class fee is $35 for Friends of Aullwood members and $45 for non-members. Pre-registration is required.

JAN. 8 • AMERICAN CROW: The American crow will be the feature at 2 p.m. at Brukner Nature Center. The American crow is one of the most common nature sightings throughout the winter months within the area. Come to this free event to meet an American crow up close and learn more about their behaviors and personalities, including why a group of crows is called a “murder.” • SPEAKER SERIES: A Winter Speaker Series, “A Year in the Life of a Beekeeper,” with speaker Terry Smith, will be offered at 2:30 p.m. at Aullwood Audubon Center, 1000 Aullwood Road, Dayton. The presentation also will highlight the critical aspect of plant diversity that is a required link in pollinator health. • TURKEY SHOOT: The Troy VFW Post 5436, 2220 LeFevre Road, will offer a turkey shoot beginning at noon. Sign ups will begin at 11 a.m. The women’s auxiliary will offer an all-you-can-eat breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon for $5.

JAN. 9 • INVENTORY MEETING: Elizabeth Township will hold their annual inventory meeting at 7 p.m. at the township building. • FINANCIAL AID MEETING: The Milton-Union High School Guidance Department has planned a college financial aid meeting for 7:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Connie Garrett, a financial aid representative from Wright State University, will conduct the meeting. There will be a time for questions after her presentation. For more information, call the high school at 8847940.

Appraisal fair set Tippecanoe Historical Society, participants to benefit Jan. 21

TIPP CITY

ing activity for the society, is open to anyone interesttioneer, will use his experi- ed in attending. The Tippecanoe Historical Society’s annual ence to provide as much There is no admittance appraisal fair will be Jan. information as he can on fee. Even if you don’t have 21 at the American Legion whatever items are an item for appraisal, you Post No. 586, 377 N. Third brought in. Attendees may are invited to join us for have two items for a fee of an interesting afternoon. St. $5 (additional items will The doors will be open This facility is handibe charged at 12:30 p.m. and the capped accessible. separately and be appraisals will begin at 1 Refreshments will be appraised as time perp.m. available for purchase mits). Bob Honeyman, wellfrom the Ladies Auxiliary This event, a fund rais- of Post No. 586. known Miami County auc-

AREA BRIEFS

Troy Rec holds day camps TROY — The Troy Rec is holding day camps next week at the Rec, 11 N. Market St. in downtown Troy, for third, fourth and fifth graders. The girls camp is on Tuesday, and the boys camp is on Wednesday. Registration is $10 and is limited to the first 25 girls and 25 boys to sign up. The camps are from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day, with a snack provided. Girls’ activities include: tie-dying T-shirts, sand art, making a video, and free time to play in the game room. Boys’ activities include: making a video, playing Nerf challenge, and free time to play in the game room. Deadline to register is Monday. A registration

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form is available at www.troyrec.com under “news” tab. Call 339-1923 for more information.

Battery C plans reunion PIQUA — A reunion is being planned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battery C-136th Field Artillery Battalion, 37th Infantry Division of Piqua departure for Camp Polk, La. The reunion is set for Jan. 21 in Piqua. Organizers are looking for the following members: Jack L. Black, James Hampton, Richard Jenkins, Donald P. Johnson, Richard E. Jones, Kelly A. Keith, Thomas W. Kessler, Jerry V. Sherick, Robert L. Tamplin and Charles E. Wooley Those who may have any information about

their addresses or phone numbers are being asked to call Chuck Alexander at 773-8132 or Paul Staley at 773-6448. The location of the reunion will be announced at a later date.

District spelling bee upcoming MIAMI COUNTY — The District Spelling Bee for Bethel Elementary and Junior High, Covington Elementary and Middle School, Miami County Christian Home Educators of Ohio, Miami East Elementary and Junior High, Milton-Union Elementary and Middle School and Newton Elementary and Junior High students is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at Newton Local School. The “snow date” is Jan. 25.

Your local community bankers at Unity National Bank would like to extend our sincere wishes for a very safe and Merry Christmas.

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JAN. 10 • FINANCIAL AID NIGHT: Miami East High School will have a financial aid night at 6:30 p.m. A representative from Wright State University will be present to provide information and answer questions. The meeting is open to junior and senior parents, and will be in the lecture hall. Call the high school office at 335-7070 for more information.

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OPINION

Contact us David Fong is the executive editor of the Troy Daily News. You can reach him at 440-5228 or send him e-mail at fong@tdn publishing.com.

Sunday, December 25, 2011 • A4

T AILY NEWS • WWW .TROYDAILYNEWS .COM MROY IAMIDV ALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS .COM

In Our View Miami Valley Sunday News Editorial Board FRANK BEESON / Group Publisher DAVID FONG / Executive Editor

ONLINE POLL

(WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM)

Question: Will you make a New Year’s resolution this year? Watch for final poll results in next Sunday’s Miami

Valley Sunday News. Last week’s question: Have you finished your holiday shopping? Results: Yes: 61%

No: 39% Watch for a new poll question in next Sunday’s Miami Valley Sunday News.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” — First Amendment, U.S. Constitution

RICH LOWRY

Ron Paul finds traction as fringe front-runner Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is in a bid to make history in Iowa. Can he become the first marginal, conspiracy-minded congressman with an embarrassing catalog of racist material published under his name to win the caucuses? In 2008, the surest way to get applause in the Republican primary debates was to excoriate Ron Paul. This year, the Texas libertarian stands much closer to the emotional center of gravity of the party in his condemnations of government spending, crony capitalism, the Federal Reserve and foreign intervention. He brings 100-proof moonshine to the GOP cocktail party. It can be invigorating and fun, if you ignore the nasty adulterants. The fight over Ron Paul isn’t a battle for the soul of the Republican Party so much as for its standards. Throughout his career, Paul hasn’t been able to distinguish between fringy cranks and aboveboard purists. He has taken a principled anti-government position and associated it with loons and bigots. It may be the ultimate commentary on the weakness of this Republican field that it hasn’t even been able to produce a respectable outthere libertarian. Paul can be a winsome figure in his irritable, absent-minded-professor way. Invariably wearing a suit jacket that looks a size or two too big, he has stood out in the debates for his knowledge and for his entirely consistent worldview applied to any problem, politics be damned. He gives listeners reason to smile or nod a couple of times every debate, and reason to wonder if he has been reading too much Noam Chomsky. He tends to bring any conversation back to the malignancy of U.S. foreign policy. In the final debate in Iowa, he rambled on about how worries about the Iranian nuclear program are “war propaganda,” but if the Iranians get the bomb that they’re not developing, that’s entirely understandable, since we’re “promoting their desire to have it.” Jeane Kirkpatrick famously condemned the “Blame America First” Democrats; would that she had lived long enough to condemn the “Blame America First” libertarians. In the debate, Paul went on to warn against a push “to declare war on 1.2 billion Muslims,” as if a country that has resorted to force of arms to save Muslims from starvation (Somalia), from ethnic cleansing (Bosnia, Kosovo) and from brutal dictators (Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya) is bristling with an undifferentiated hostility toward all Muslims. This isn’t an expression of an anti-interventionism so much as a smear. It goes beyond opposition to American foreign policy to a poisonous view of America itself. Paul never knows when to stop. He lets his suspicion of centralized power slip into paranoia worthy of a second-rate Hollywood thriller about government malevolence. In January 2010, he declared: “There’s been a coup, have you heard? It’s the CIA coup. The CIA runs everything, they run the military.” On his latest appearance on the radio show of the conspiracymongering host Alex Jones, he opined that the alleged Iranian plot to kill the Saudi ambassador on U.S. soil was “another propaganda stunt.” He exclaimed that the latest defense bill authorizing the indefinite detention of enemy combatants will “literally legalize martial law” (yes, “literally”). Paul’s promiscuousness with his ideological bedfellows — he hails members of the John Birch Society for their fine educations and respect for the Constitution — accounts for the disgrace he brought on himself with his newsletters in the 1980s and 1990s. As journalist James Kirchick exposed, they were full of race-baiting and rancid Israel-bashing. Paul maintains he didn’t know what was being written in the first person under his name. To this day, he says he doesn’t know who wrote the copy. Has he asked? During some dozen Republican debates, not one journalist thought to query Paul about the newsletters that would be disqualifying for anyone else. Iowa caucus-goers are protective of their pre-eminent place in the nominating process. If they deliver victory to a history-making Ron Paul, no one should take them as seriously again. Rich Lowry can be reached via e-mail at comments.lowry@nationalreview.com.

Moms always get what they want Troy Moms always get what they want. Eventually. That’s what my wife Mandie and I finally got to tell our mothers recently — when we told them they’d be grandmothers. They’re still not nearly as excited as we are that we’re expecting our first child, though. For years before we even met, our respective mothers have let us know their desire to be grandmas while they’re still young enough to enjoy it. They discussed it, they harped on it, they pleaded … one might even say — lovingly — that, at times, they nagged about it. And our cousins having babies of their own sure didn’t help, either. It was probably worse for Mandie, though — in my case, I have two younger brothers to take some pressure off, while she’s an only child. And it all only intensified once we started dating and came to a head once we got married. So one day a couple months ago after we went to lunch with my mom Debbie and my brothers — where, oddly enough, we discussed our decisions for baby names once the time came — she

Josh Brown Sunday Columnist randomly decided to take a test, and we found out that we were, in fact, already expecting. It was incredibly early still, though, so we decided to at least wait until Thanksgiving to tell our families. That idea lasted all of a week. We got both of our moms tumblers with embroidery that said “grandma” inside of them and planned on giving them to the moms, saying that they should have them since they would be soon. The very next weekend — three weeks before Thanksgiving — we executed our plan. Mandie’s mom Sonya had an inkling before we told her (she’s a Facebook stalker who reads into everything, sometimes even correctly) and immediately launched

into advice, breaking down into tears of joy midway through her sentence. Mine, on the other hand, didn’t get it right away — she was going to my stepsister Chrissy’s baby shower that day and figured that’s what I meant. It wasn’t until I went in for the hug with a cheesy smile on my face that it dawned on her — and she began jumping up and down and running between Mandie and I alternately for hugs, acting like she’d just been called to come on down on “The Price is Right.” If only I’d thought to have the video camera out. Now Mandie is a little over a fourth of the way along, and it’s been pretty interesting already. Every negative symptom and side effect of a pregnancy for a woman, it feels like she’s been through them all. She’s counting the days until the end of the first trimester, that magical day when all of the sickness is supposed to go away. And as guilty as I feel for being the reason she feels so awful, and as helpless as I constantly feel for not being able to fix it no matter how many places I drive to late at night to find the right food, I can’t help but think that I’ve never

loved her more — and that that’s only going to continue to grow as we raise our child together. It’s funny. Earlier this year I commented on how weird it was to even be discussing potential baby names with my wife — a conversation I never thought I’d have, which is a sentiment that Mandie and I both shared. Last week, we talked about what we were going to tell our kids about Santa Claus. I’ve always said that if I ever had kids, I’d want to tell them the truth from the start, save them from the embarrassment of finding out from their friends at school. But honestly, given the miraculous gift that we’re expecting, I’m inclined to think that if we tell them Santa is real, we’ll be telling the truth. Congratulations, moms. You’re getting what you want. Mandie will find out all about that soon enough. I love you, momma! TDN Sports Editor Josh Brown appears Sundays. The only question now is whether it’s a boy or girl — and once we find out, I’m sure it’ll be the second worst-kept secret ever.

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

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LOCAL & STATE

Sunday, December 25, 2011

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TDN-NET.COM

OBITUARIES

CHRISTOPHER RYAN RAINES

AP PHOTO/ COLUMBUS DISPATCH, TY WRIGHT

In this Nov. 5 photo, Sarah Fillius, left, Hannah Weber, second from left, Perry DeBruhl, on ladder, and Nate Baldwin, all students and affiliated with the Michigan State University Student Organic Farms Program, all of Michigan, work to put the finishing touches on one of the five Hoophouses, a Passive Solar Greenhouse, Val Jorgensen was having built at the farm in Westerville. Jorgensen, a student of the Michigan State University Organic Farms Program, had 18 students and faculty members from the program down for the weekend to help her build the greenhouses. She plans to use them to grow food and sell it to local vendors.

Farmers use ‘hoop houses’ for growing winter crops WESTERVILLE (AP) — You can expect something more than snow to dot Ohio farmland this winter. Increasingly, domed plastic structures are popping up on farms around the state, aimed at keeping local produce flowing even when weather turns nasty. Inside those structures, everything from salad greens to herbs will grow, warmed by the winter sun. The domes, called hoop houses, stand as testament to the “eat local” movement that has sparked increasing demand for locally grown foods. Val Jorgensen will have an entire crop of kale, spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard and herbs growing outside this winter on her 65-acre organic farm in Westerville. With demand up for the products grown by Jorgensen Farms, she invested several thousand dollars this fall to build five hoop houses. The 20-feet-by-96-feet enclosed plastic structures will allow her to extend her growing season. “The demand is greater than the supply right now. Even with the hoop houses, I won’t be able to meet all of the orders I’ve gotten for local organic foods,” Jorgensen said. “Ohio farmers are able to produce enough for local farmers markets, consumers and retailers during the summer months, but often have to rely more on shipping in foods grown in other areas to meet demand in the winter.” The increased crop is key for her to meet her increased customer demands, which includes Jeni’s Ice Cream and several catering companies and restaurants. One reason for the increased demand is that grocers are embracing “buy local” based on growing consumer demand. Meijer in August announced that it plans to increase by 5 percent the amount of locally grown fruits and vegetables it sells in its stores. The goal is to ensure that nearly onethird of all produce Meijer sells this season comes from local producers, said Scott Calandra, a produce buyer

for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based chain. And Kroger and Giant Eagle both obtain a majority of their produce from local sources, as do other grocers, including Whole Foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that demand for local and organic foods is soon going to overtake supply, said Sharon Sachs, an owner of Women Farm, a Columbus-based company that helps women start or expand farms. “As farms get smaller and local foods emphasis grows, there is more opportunity to get more people into the farming business, particularly women,” she said. “The expansion of farmers markets coupled with a growing demand by restaurants and chefs to work directly with growers and producers has resulted in the need for growers to expand their growing capacity and growing season.” Hoop houses, especially in climates such as Ohio’s, are one way of doing that, Sachs said. Hoop houses, also called high tunnels, are similar to greenhouses but are less expensive and require no artificial energy source, according to the Agriculture Department. The structures are typically made using wood or metal covered in layers of plastic, which trap daytime air inside and minimize heat loss at night. Depending on the size of the high tunnel, the cost can range from about $2,000 to $15,000, Jorgensen said. There are those who’d be glad to see more of those hoop houses pop up. Michael Jones, who owns the Greener Grocer, a local organic food store, said farmers who are able to continue supplying produce beyond the usual central Ohio growing season are in strong demand. “We could sell five times more local foods than what we are getting from growers,” he said. “The issue is being able to fill the demand for orders. “It’s taken awhile for farmers to see that there is a strong demand for

local foods, and it takes more time to get production up to meet that demand.” Jones, also a spokesman for Local Matters, a central Ohio nonprofit group that supports local food, said the goal for many retailers is to sell more local foods. “As you grow it, we’ll sell it,” he said. As more retailers espouse that sentiment, more growers are realizing the benefits of expanding their growing season through the use of hoop houses, especially in colder states such as Ohio, said Ferd Hoefner, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, a Washington-based trade group. “More younger and new farmers are getting into agriculture and are finding that with the addition of hoop houses, they don’t need a lot of land to grow fruits and vegetables. They not only can get a farm up and started this way, they can also earn additional money and expand their operations.” That was the case for Mike Laughlin, who operates the 20-acre Northridge Organic Farm in Johnstown. Laughlin has two hoop houses, which he uses to get a head start on spring planting of greens, broccoli, cabbage and other cold-tolerant crops. He said the structures have been so successful for the farm that he plans to add at least two more. “Anytime you can get produce earlier than you’d normally get it is an advantage,” Laughlin said. “People are looking for local foods and if you have it, they’re wanting to buy it. “The longer you can produce local foods, the more additional income you can generate. Retailers and consumers are always excited to get their hands on the products. Word travels pretty quickly in terms of what growers are doing and how they are growing. “There’s an awful lot of demand out there for these products.”

Fruitcake made in 1941 sells for $525 would eat a 70-year-old fruitcake even though it was vacuum packed and contained rum that probably helped preserve it. The plan initially was to auction off the cake locally, but Chaney said publicity about it resulted in calls from all over the country and from Great Britain, Japan and Australia. A day after the auction ended, people still were making offers, some of $1,000 or more, Chaney said. The cake was made and sold in 1941 by The Kroger Co. in the Cincinnati area,

Chaney said. It was returned to a Kroger store in 1971 with a note saying it was one of six purchased by the man who signed the note. The signature appears to be that of an E.F. Helbling. The note said the cake traveled thousands of miles “during its 30 years of life” and was “subjected to all types of climatic conditions and shocks.” The note said the cake’s owner was moving again and wanted to return it to its original owner, Kroger. The Kroger store appar-

ently didn’t want the cake, and store manager Frank Bates took it home. Bates, now 86, kept the cake until recently when his son was helping him get rid of some things and gave the cake to Chaney. The $525 will go to a church outreach program that provides food and other items for homeless people in Clermont County. “We’re very glad that the proceeds are going to help a great cause,” said Keith Dailey, spokesman for the Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. 2239953

CINCINNATI (AP) — A 1941 fruitcake has sold for $525 to an Arizona man in an online auction and the money will be used to benefit the homeless in southwest Ohio. Elite Estate Group sold the cake in an auction on its website that ended Thursday night. Company owner Larry Chaney said the man who bought the cake asked that his name not be released. “I believe he probably bought it as an investment,” said Chaney, adding that he doubts anyone

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CENTRE HILL, Pa. — Christopher Ryan Raines, 29, of Centre Hall, Pa., died Sunday Dec. 18, 2011, as the result of an automobile accident in Centre County, Pa. Beloved son of Brent E. and Stephanie (Bench) Raines of Troy, Ohio, he was born July 26, 1982, in Lawrence, Kan. In addition to his parents, Christopher is survived by his brother and sister-inlaw, Gregory L. and Lesli Raines of Troy; maternal grandparents, Bob and Mary Bench of Lawrence, Kan.; paternal grandmother, Marilyn K. Raines of Spring Hill, Kan.; and cousins, Brody Edgins of Lawrence, Kan., and Carter Raines and Emily Raines, both of Mesa, Ariz. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Glenn L. Raines. Christopher graduated from Troy High School in 2000; received his bachelor of science degree from Oklahoma State in 2004; his master’s degree from Kansas State in 2006; and his doctorate from Kansas State in 2008. He was involved with the livestock industry his entire life.

RAINES

He was a member of the American Meat Industry Association, and a national board member for the American

Red Poll Cattle Association. Christopher was an associate professor at Penn State, specializing in meat science. He was involved in research both domestically and abroad, which allowed him to enjoy his other passion, travel. Private family services will be held. Friends may call on the family from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011, at Baird Funeral Home, Troy. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the GL Raines Memorial Scholarship Fund, care of The American Red Poll Association, P.O. Box 847, Frankton, IN 46044. Friends may express condolences to the family through www.baird funeralhome.com.

GEORGIA C. COZATT DAYTON — Georgia C. Cozatt, 94, of Dayton, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. Mrs. Cozatt was born in Salyersville, Ky., on Dec. 2, 1917. She was retired from Frigidaire and was a member of the Apostolic Lighthouse Church. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Ida Bea Vance, Zuma Prater and Jessia Anderson; first husband, Wheeler R. Allen, second husband, Willard Cozatt; son, Ernest Clinton Allen; daughters, Wanda Hann Kenworthy and Gloria B. Franklin. She is survived by a sister, Ernestine Riley; grandchildren, Deborah McClure, Darin and Dane Cozatt, Cameesa Pikus (Neal),

Aaron Cozatt and Elizabeth Cozatt; three great-grandchildren, Willow, Sidney and Hunter; step granddaughter, Sally Franklin; sons-in-law, Alan Franklin, Don Kenworthy, Mike Cozatt and Jim (Lisa) Cozatt. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Apostolic Lighthouse Church, 2221 Harshman Road, with Pastor Bradley Smith officiating. Interment will be in Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. Monday at the George C. Martin Funeral Home Northridge Chapel, 5040 Frederick Pike and Needmore Road, with further viewing at 10 a.m. Tuesday until time of services at the church.

KAY G. PATRIE PIQUA — Kay G. Patrie, 65, of 1208 Seidel Pkwy., Piqua, died at 12:28 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, at her residence. She was born Jan. 6, 1946, in Richmond, Ind., to Kenneth L. and Kathleen L. (Hart) Garrett, who survive and reside in Eaton. She married Thomas T. Patrie, D.D.S., on Oct. 1, 1966, in Eaton; he survives. Additional survivors include a daughter, Renee (Bill) Schuller of Cygnet; three sons, Eric (Monica) Patrie of St. Marys, Daryl (Sara) Patrie of Batavia, Austin (Tesa) Patrie of Union; seven grandchildren, Christopher, Drew, Austin, Gabrielle, Joshua, Alyssia, Robert; a sister, Karen (Louis “Butch”) Cutrell of Arvada, Colo.; and a brother, Joe (Martha) Garrett of Clifton, Va. Mrs. Patrie was a 1964 graduate of Eaton High School and Miami Jacobs Business College in 1966. She had been employed at NCR of Dayton, then worked 32 years as a dental assistant and office manager with her husband’s dental practice. Since relocating to Piqua 21 years ago, Kay

associated with numerous churches, enjoying the hospitality of church gatherings, including PATRIE her recent participation with the Women’s Bible study group of Upper Valley Community Church. A service to honor her life will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, at the Upper Valley Community Church with Pastor Terry Smith officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Jamieson & Yannucci Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Miami County, Inc., P. O. Box 502, Troy, OH 45373; or Upper Valley Community Church, 1400 Seidel Pkwy., Piqua, OH 45356. Condolences to the family may also be expressed through jamiesonand yannucci.com.

PAUL R. BELL PIQUA — Paul R. Bell, 72, of Piqua, died at 11:10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, at Kindred Hospital in Dayton. He was born June 12,1939, in Piqua, to the late Clarence and Ruth Oelslager Bell. He married Linda K. Chalou on May 27, 1967, in Piqua; and she survives. Other survivors include two sons, Paul R. Bell II and Scott A. Bell, both of Piqua; a sister, Carol (Theran) Huffman of Piqua; a brother, Jack Bell of Troy; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two brothers, David and Robert Bell. He was a member of the

First Baptist Church of Troy, and retired from J. M. Mold in 1995 after 24 years BELL of service. Private services are being provided to his family through the Jamieson & Yannucci Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Diabetes Association of Dayton, 2555 S. Dixie Drive, Suite 112, Dayton, OH 45409. Condolences to the family may also be expressed through jamiesonand yannucci.com.

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM

NATION

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Pros see stocks up in 2012, but big risks, too Forecasting in this economy has become nearly impossible

2245241

NEW YORK (AP) — The good news is that Wall Street experts think stock prices will rise more than 10 percent next year. The bad news is that they expected big gains in 2011 and got nearly zero instead. It’s forecasting time on Wall Street, and once again the pros are trying to predict the unpredictable. History suggests their target price for stocks by the end of 2012 will prove too high or too low. They might even get the direction wrong predicting a gain when there’s a loss. As Yogi Berra said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” In typical times, guessing where stocks will end up in a year is difficult. There are many assumptions about economic growth, inflation and consumer spending that go into the calculation. Now, forecasting has become nearly impossible. Big unknowns hang over the market as rarely before. Will the euro break up? Will China slow too sharply? Will squabbling in Washington scuttle the economic recovery? “Normally, you wonder, How will sales do? How are managements doing?” says Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at Standard & Poor’s, which puts out its own forecasts. “Now there are so many high-level issues that affect the market.” Silverblatt’s firm says the S&P 500 index should rise to 1,400 by the end of 2012, up 12 percent from the Thursday’s close of 1,254. That figure is an average of expectations from investment strategists, economists and other big thinkers. More bullish yet are stock analysts focused on individual companies. Add up their price targets for each stock in the index, and they see it rising to 1,457, up 16 percent. There’s plenty of reason to think stocks will rise fast in the coming year. U.S. companies are generating record profits. Americans are spending more

AP PHOTO/RICHARD DREW, FILE

In this Dec. 9, 2011, file photo, specialist Michael Gagliano, foreground right, works at a post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The good news is that Wall Street experts think stock prices will rise by more than 10 percent in the coming year. The bad news is they expected big gains in 2011 and got nearly zero instead. than expected and factories are producing more. The job market finally appears to be healing, too. The odds of the U.S. slipping into another recession have fallen since the summer, when the economy had slowed. Stocks seem attractively priced, too. The S&P 500 is trading at 12 times its expected earnings per share for 2012. It typically trades at 15 times, meaning stocks appear cheaper now. Binky Chadha, chief strategist at Deutsche Bank, says the S&P 500 could hit 1,500 by the end of 2012, a 20 percent gain. Still, there is worry amid the bullishness. Michael Hartnett, chief global equity strategist at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, expects the S&P to close next year at 1,350, up 8 percent from Thursday’s close. He thinks the U.S. will avoid recession and U.S. companies will generate decent profits. What could wreck that prediction is a worse situation in Europe than he is expecting. If European leaders move too slowly to solve their government debt

crisis, the region could fall into a deep recession and throw the U.S. into one, too. If Europe tanks, profits will drop sharply and push the S&P down to 1,000, he says. That would be a sharp drop of 20 percent from Thursday’s close. The frightening part is that Hartnett gives this “bear” case four-in-10 odds. Similarly, Barry Knapp, strategist at Barclays Capital, predicts the S&P will rise to 1,330 next year. But he expects Europe’s struggles with its debt and Washington gridlock could lead investors to sell before they buy. He says the S&P could fall to 1,150 by the middle of the year before rising to his target. It could drop sooner. In the first three months next year, Italy needs to sell national bonds to raise money to pay holders of $172 billion worth of old ones coming due. The risk is that investors will demand high interest rates to buy the new bonds, and that will spread fears of a possible default. After Italy was forced to pay unexpectedly high rates in a bond auction earlier

this month, stocks fell hard around the world. “The crisis could become systemic,” says Athanasios Vamvakidis, head European currency strategist at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch. “That would threaten not only Europe, but the whole global recovery.” One solution is to invest in companies selling goods that people need in both good times and bad, such as drugs and food. If the economy falls into recession, profits of these companies are less likely to collapse. In 2011, these so-called defensive companies bucked the flat market. Stocks of utility companies have risen 14 percent through Thursday. Healthcare and consumer staples were each up 10. Standouts include insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc., which has risen 40 percent, and Kraft Foods, up 18 percent. Then again, you might do better investing in the opposite kind of companies, like makers of toys and other consumer discretionary goods. Their profits tend to zoom up and down with the economy.

A report from S&P Capital IQ notes that stocks of cyclical companies such as these tend to gain the most after market drops like the one in October, when stocks fell nearly 20 percent. In the five times that the S&P 500 has fallen between 15 percent and 25 percent since 1978, consumer discretionary stocks have risen an average 30 percent in the next six months, according to S&P. Those stocks are up 15 percent since October’s fall. One reason it’s difficult to guess future stock prices is that figuring out where the economy is heading isn’t so easy either. In December 2007, economists expected the economic to grow an average 2.4 percent in 2008, according to a survey of three dozen of them by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. It shrank 0.3 percent instead. For 2009, they forecast the economy would shrink 0.8 percent. It shrank 3.5 percent. Economists were more accurate the next two years, though not by much. Now they say the economy will grow 2.2 percent next year. A few mutual fund managers say people aren’t skeptical enough about forecasts. In a recent letter to their investors, the folks who run Castle Focus, a $43 million fund, say hopes of big profits may be dashed given all the economic uncertainty. The fund had 28 percent of its assets in cash in September, its latest report. Most funds are doing the opposite and investing cash. The average stock mutual fund had just 3.5 percent of its assets in cash in October, according to a report from the Investment Company Institute. That is the nearly the lowest level since the firm started keeping records 25 years ago. Maybe fund managers have been listening too much to bullish stock analysts. For the record, the same analysts surveyed by S&P who expect a 16 percent stock jump next year were optimistic about 2011, too. A year ago, they called for the S&P to rise 9 percent. It still may, but the odds are long and time is running out. As of Thursday, the index was down 0.3 percent for the year.

SPORTS

■ Sports Editor Josh Brown (937) 440-5231, (937) 440-5232 jbrown@tdnpublishing.com

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM EDITOR’S NOTE

Due to an early holiday deadline, none of the National Football League games that took place Saturday were not complete at time of press. Look in the Monday issue of the Troy Daily News for results from all of the Christmas Eve NFL action.

TODAY’S TIPS • BASKETBALL: Miami East basketball fans will be able to purchase presale tickets for the Versailles Holiday Tournament to be played on Dec. 29-30. Presale prices will be $4 for students and $6 for adults. All tickets at the door will be $6. Fans may also buy an all-session pass for both varsity and JV games for $15. Tickets wil be on sale at Friday’s game against Bethel. • BASKETBALL: Presale tickets will be available for the WPTW/Buckeye Insurance Holiday Tournament to be played Dec. 29-30 at Piqua High School. Varsity presale tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students. All tickets at the door will be $6. Presale tickets will be available at Joanie’s Floral Designs through Dec. 28 during regular business hours. • BASEBALL: The Major League Holiday Baseball Camp will conduct a two-day camp for hitting, pitching, catching and fielding for ages 10-18 from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 29-30 at the Darke County YMCA in Greenville. Registration is at 11:30 a.m., and the cost is $95. For more information, call (937) 423-3053. • HALL OF FAME: The MiltonUnion Athletic Department will be honoring its seventh class of Athletic Hall of Fame inductees during the Covington-Milton-Union boys basketball game on Jan. 7. The induction ceremony will take place between the JV and varsity contests. Inductees will include Lori Kinnison-Meyer, Dave Fine, Ralph Hildebrand and Ed Lendenski. • BASEBALL: The Troy Post 43 baseball team is holding an all-youcan-eat spaghetti dinner on the first Saturday of every month. Items include a large salad bar, bread, dessert, coffee and soft drinks. The price is $6.75 for adults and $4 for children under 12. All proceeds go to the Troy Post 43 team baseball team. • SUBMIT-A-TIP: To submit an item to the Troy Daily News sports section, please contact Josh Brown at jbrown@tdnpublishing.com.

JOSH BROWN

December 25, 2011

■ National Basketball Association

Closer than ever Wade, James begin second season together MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are known to bicker like brothers. They screamed at one another more than once during Miami Heat playoff games last season. And when they’re on opposite teams in practice, they attack the other like they would any opponent. Now they’re closer than ever. And on the cusp of entering Year 2 together with the Heat, Wade and James opened up about their friendship Friday in interview with The an Associated Press. “I don’t think many players that have the similar games as we have or have done the things that we did in the league can come together this fast and make

it work,” Wade said. “That communication is there. I don’t mind him saying something to me. I don’t mind when I have to say something to him. We know how to make it work.” They have so much in common that both find it almost funny sometimes. Forget the obvious stuff: They’re both among the NBA’s highest-paid players, then make another truckload of money annually in endorsements. They’re both among the league’s best scorers, perennial All-Stars, AP PHOTO among the most recognizable The Miami Heat’s LeBron James, left, and Dwyane Wade as athletes in the world. What’s they walk down the floor during the second half of Game 2 of often forgotten is the ties that the NBA Finals basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks

■ See HEAT on A9 on June 2 in Miami.

■ NBA

■ National Basketball Asociation

Schedule imbalance Quirks galore in 66-game season By The Associated Press

SPORTS CALENDAR TODAY No events scheduled MONDAY Boys Basketball Troy Christian at Franklin Monroe Holiday Tournament (TBA) TUESDAY Boys Basketball Bellbrook at Tippecanoe (7:30 p.m.) Bethel at Milton-Union (7:30 p.m.) Troy Christian at Franklin Monroe Holiday Tournament (TBA) Girls Basketball Miami East at Troy (7:30 p.m.) Bethel at Milton-Union (6 p.m.) Piqua at St. Marys Memorial Tournament Houston at Lehman (7:30 p.m.) Bowling Troy at Urbana (TBA) Hockey Troy at Springboro (6 p.m.)

A new beginning?

WHAT’S INSIDE

Eyes on guard Irving as Cavaliers start fresh

NBA .....................................A9 Scoreboard .........................A10 Television Schedule ...........A10

2011 marks one of sports’ worst Even after all the turmoil 2011 brought to sports, what with the NBA and NFL players and owners huddling with lawyers and accountants, more unsettling reports of brains ravaged by hard hits, and college players being given cash, tattoos, access to strip clubs and pretty much anything else you can imagine, the games still mattered. Until November. See Page A9.

AP PHOTO

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving dunks the ball during an intersquad scrimmage game on Dec. 18 in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Byron Scott chooses his public comments about Kyrie Irving with great care. Cleveland’s coach doesn’t want to say what he really thinks about his talented rookie, the kid who may make the Cavaliers relevant again. Scott’s eyes give his feelings away. There’s an understanding look, an I’ve-seen-this-before manner from Scott, who knows a thing or two about point guards. After all, he was once one of Magic Johnson’s wing men in L.A., filling the lane as part of the Lakers’ Showtime extravaganza. Scott also twice coached the New Jersey Nets to the finals with Jason Kidd running the point and broke in Chris Paul with New Orleans. So, when Scott talks about Irving, listen and take note. “Every day I see glimpses of what this kid can do,” Scott said. “Then maybe 10 minutes later, he’ll show me he’s still a rookie. It brings a smile to my face, though, because we’ve got a good one.”

The Cavs are already Irving’s team. Although Scott and other members of the organization have been reluctant to adorn the 19-year-old before he attempts his first regular-season layup, it’s clear that Cleveland is counting on Irving to turn around a franchise that plummeted from championship contender to 63-game losers in its first season without LeBron James. The LeBron hangover has been a tough one to shake, but the Cavs at least their players and coaches have finally moved on. Now it’s up to Irving, the No. 1 overall pick whose career at Duke lasted only 11 games because of a foot injury, to make sure there’s no relapse. So far, Irving has been a rookie in title only. He carries himself with a confidence belying his age. He speaks with the composure of a seasoned veteran who has been through the grind. And his game, a blend of speed, smoothness and efficien-

cy, appears equally refined. “He’s only 19, but he’s very mature,” said 35-year-old forward Antawn Jamison. “You can tell that by being around him. I’ve seen kids who are older than he is who don’t have his maturity level. There’s a lot of pressure that goes with being the No. 1 pick, but he’s going to handle it.” Irving understands the responsibility that comes with high expectations. He isn’t shying away from the spotlight. In fact, he’s embracing its glare and heat. “Honestly, being the No. 1 overall pick is going to come with its pressure,” said Irving. “It’s inevitable. It’s something I’m going to have to embrace, which I’m doing.” Irving made quite an impression in his preseason debut last week. Coming off the bench in Detroit, he scored 21 points in 27 minutes with six rebounds, three assists and five turnovers. Scott hasn’t named Irving his

■ See CAVALIERS on A9

Carmelo Anthony’s return to Denver is delayed for another year. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade won’t be visiting Sacramento anytime soon. Fans in Chicago will only be seeing Kobe Bryant on television this season. The NBA sought competitive balance. What it got was schedule imbalance. One of the many consequences of the lockout, besides hundreds of lost games and hundreds of millions of lost dollars, was the tradition that every team plays in every NBA city at least once per season. That’s not the case this year. While teams will visit every other team in their own conference, they will only make trips to play nine clubs from the other side of the league instead of the usual 15. It’s one of many quirks of a 66-game schedule that, in a variety of ways, is not like any other in NBA history. “In some cases, the team business-type might complain that they didn’t get (to host) the Heat or the Lakers,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said. “While in the background, the coach is doing cartwheels. So it’s kind of an interesting dynamic.” There’s no shortage of those. Reigning scoring king Kevin Durant dropped 66 points in New York earlier this year — alas, at Rucker Park, the fabled outdoor court and not Madison Square Garden. He and Oklahoma City won’t be going to play the Knicks this season. The NBA champion Dallas Mavericks won’t be going to Charlotte, nor will Durant’s Thunder, Bryant’s Lakers or the Spurs, and that will keep ticket dollars from finding Bobcats owner Michael Jordan’s pockets. Teams won’t be playing the same number of divisional games, so get ready for complaining should tiebreakers come into play when determining playoff seeding. And many small market teams will be miss out on some guaranteed sellouts against some elite clubs that might hurt in the standings but help with the bottom line. “That’s what happens when you have a lockout,” Durant said. When Magic coach Stan Van Gundy heard the league was putting together a 66-game slate instead of the usual 82-game run, he figured the breakdown was simple: Play every team in your division four times, then face every other team home and away. That seemed easy enough. Instead, it’s complicated. “I’m not being critical of it,” Van Gundy said. “They’ve got a short period of time to play 66 games and there were a lot of factors they had to consider and I’m sure that they did it the best way that they could.” True, but there is some zaniness.

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MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM

SPORTS

■ National Basketball Association

Heat

Cavaliers

■ CONTINUED FROM A8 really bind, like both having difficult times as kids, relying on one parent at a time and soon understanding that basketball was the vehicle for changing their lives. James is 6-foot-8, Wade is 6-foot-4. James is from Akron, Wade from Chicago. James loves tattoos, Wade doesn’t have any. James went to the NBA straight out of high school, Wade went to college first. Nonetheless, Wade and James basically look at each other as mirror images. “That had a lot to do with me coming down here,” James said. “There’s nothing that I’ve seen that he hasn’t seen, and vice

versa. To be able to be alongside him, be with him every day and basically go through the same things on the court and off the court, it’s great. Sometimes you’re able to sit back and see things from a different perspective instead of everybody watching you.” They take their cues from each other, whether it is fashion, workout regimens or just where to sit sometimes. Maybe it’s more than a coincidence. “What’s the saying? Iron sharpens iron. Greatness breeds greatness,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “So you see an example of that next to you. Those guys want to be challenged. Those guys like to be challenged.”

■ CONTINUED FROM A8 starter yet, but if that doesn’t happen before the Dec. 26 opener against Toronto, the NBA will have its first shocking upset this season. Until recently, it wasn’t certain that Irving would be in charge of running Cleveland’s offense in his first season. Baron Davis’ release the Cavs used the new amnesty clause to waive him and clear $24 million in salarycap space paved the way for Irving to take over. For months, the plan was to have Davis serve as Irving’s mentor. However, Davis’ bad back and Scott’s willingness to guide Irving changed that. “You know who the best mentor for Kyrie is? You are looking at him,” Scott said as the Cavs opened training camp. “I’ve had that situa-

tion with Chris Paul as well. I don’t want to sound cocky, guys, but you are looking at him. I’m the best. … But in that sense as well, we have a lot of good veterans on this team that will help him.” Irving will likely start alongside steady veteran Anthony Parker, who was resigned as a free agent after the lockout lifted. Jamison and newly acquired Omri Casspi, who came over in a trade with Sacramento for J.J. Hickson, will be the starting forwards with the ever active Anderson Varejao at center. Casspi brings a toughness the Cavs have lacked over the past few seasons. “We need some guys like that,” Scott said. “I always put it this way: ‘We don’t need Chihuahuas. We don’t need poodles. We don’t need

Sunday, December 25, 2011

German shepherds. We need pit bulls. It’s good if you have a few of them. If you have a bunch of Chihuahuas, you might be in trouble.” Coming off the bench will be rookie forward Tristan Thompson, taken three spots after Irving in the draft. The 6-foot-9 Thompson has all the raw tools to have an immediate impact, and the 20-year-old should get major minutes so long as he follows Scott’s rules. The Canadianborn Thompson needs to work on his post-up game and shooting touch, but he’s made a favorable early impression. Irving and Thompson represent a new beginning for the Cavaliers, who were forced to basically start from scratch following James’ departure. They are forever linked Irving and Thompson

and the pair will share the highs and lows to come. “It comes with the territory, both being drafted in the same class,” Thompson said. “We both have someone to lean on when times are tough, which gives us a little advantage.” It’s all happening fast for Irving. During the labor shutdown, he returned to Duke and took classes. Now, he’s in the real world and about to get a different higher education. “It’s a quick turnaround,” he said. “In college, you get kind of a grace period. Now you have a week of training camp, you play your first preseason game and then you play your first regular season game practically in the next week or so. “It’s something I’m going to have to get used to.”

■ Year in Review

2011: The year of scandal Sports took a backseat to labor woes and scandals NANCY ARMOUR AP National Writer Even after all the turmoil 2011 brought to sports, what with the NBA and NFL players and owners huddling with lawyers and accountants, more unsettling reports of brains ravaged by hard hits, and college players being given cash, tattoos, access to strip clubs and pretty much anything else you can imagine, the games still mattered. Until November. In less than two weeks, allegations of child sex abuse at Penn State and then at Syracuse shook both schools to the core, cost Joe Paterno his job and left us all with the searing question of whether our love for sports has helped corrupt what were once such simple games. “I think there is a disillusionment there, but I think it’s reality. We haven’t seen behind the curtain before,” said Jarrod Chin, director for training and curriculum at the Center for Sport in Society at Northeastern University. “We’ve used sport as a way to ignore problems. But now what we’re seeing is they exist there, too. “That’s what makes it the worst year in sports. What people are coming to realize is the thing we thought was such a great escape has a lot of the same issues we’re trying to escape from.” In sports, most years are defined by their triumphs. Golf’s latest phenom, Rory McIlroy, winning his first major at the U.S. Open, perhaps. Or Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers following up their Super Bowl victory by flirting with a perfect season. Maybe Novak Djokovic’s utter dominance of the tennis world, a 70-6 record that included victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open. Even in years tainted by steroids or labor strife, there was always someone or some performance that stood tall. Not this year. The lasting memories of 2011 will be of mug shots and court rooms, millionaires squabbling with billionaires, and big red Xs drawn through the first two months of the NBA schedule. Sixteen games were pared off each NBA team’s schedule because of drawn-out labor negotiations, while the NFL wasted its summer vacation in conference rooms and mediation sessions. “We have this arena where sport is pure, sport has been sanitized,” said Gary Sailes, a professor of sport sociology at Indiana University. “That’s just not the case.” That illusion was shattered for good by the charges against former

Penn State defensive coordinator and one-time Paterno heir apparent Jerry Sandusky. Once cherished in the Penn State community for his ferocious defenses and apparent devotion to atrisk children, Sandusky now faces more than 50 charges of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 12-year span. Prosecutors say Sandusky used his Nittany Lions connections to groom his victims, and some of the alleged assaults occurred on Penn State property. Sandusky has denied the allegations, telling NBC and The New York Times that he showered and horsed around with boys but never sexually abused them. An emotional and lurid trial is a safe bet for 2012. The shock of the initial charges quickly turned to anger as details emerged that Penn State officials — Paterno included — knew of an alleged assault in 2002 but never called police. Receivers coach Mike McQueary testified that, as a graduate assistant, he believes he saw Sandusky raping a boy of about 10 or 12 in the Penn State showers. McQueary reported the incident to Paterno, who in turn told Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and university vice president Gary Schultz. Though Paterno said McQueary was not as explicit in his description of what happened as he was in his grand jury testimony, criticism over the now 85year-old coach’s failure to do more intensified before Penn State’s board of trustees fired him Nov. 9. The dismissal came just 10 days after Paterno celebrated his 409th career victory, making him major college football’s winningest coach. “This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life,” Paterno said in a statement announcing his intention to retire at the end of the season, issued a few hours before he was fired. “With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.” Paterno was diagnosed with lung cancer a few days later, and has undergone radiation and chemotherapy. He also refractured his pelvis earlier this month. Curley and Schultz face charges of perjury and failing to properly report suspected abuse. The scandal also cost Penn State president Graham Spanier his job and tarnished the Nittany Lions’ squeaky clean reputation. And it wasn’t just Penn State. The very next week, two former ball boys accused longtime Syracuse basketball assistant Bernie Fine of molesting them. Bobby Davis, now 39, told ESPN that Fine

AP FILE PHOTO

A statue of former Penn State University head football coach Joe Paterno stands outside Beaver Stadium on campus in State College, Pa. Dec. 12. molested him beginning in 1984 and that the sexual contact continued until he was around 27. A ball boy for six years, Davis said that the abuse occurred at Fine’s home, at Syracuse basketball facilities and on team road trips, including the 1987 Final Four. Davis’ stepbrother, Lang, 45, who also was a ball boy, told ESPN that Fine began molesting him while he was in fifth or sixth grade. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was defiant in his initial defense of Fine, his top assistant since 1976, dismissing Davis and Long as opportunistic liars looking to capitalize on the misery at Penn State. But Boeheim’s tone changed after ESPN aired a tape Nov. 27 in which a woman it identified as Fine’s wife tells Davis she knew “everything” that was going on. Syracuse fired Fine that day. “What is most important is that this matter be fully investigated and that anyone with information be supported to come forward so that the truth can be found,” Boeheim said after Fine was ousted. “I deeply regret any statements I made that might have inhibited that from occurring or been insensitive to victims of abuse.” Still, Davis and Lang are suing Boeheim and Syracuse for defamation. And the district attorney in Syracuse has said the two are credible but that Fine cannot be charged because the statute of limitations has expired. Federal authorities are still investigating claims by a third accuser. A fourth man, a prison inmate in New York state, also has accused Fine of abuse starting decades ago. “The academic cheating, the recruitment violations, the gambling, taking steroids, that stuff has been a part of sports forever,” Sailes said. “But the veracity, the seriousness (of the sex-abuse scandals) — this is the last bastion of American innocence, our kids. So yeah, this is the worst.” There also were plenty

of scandals that, any other year, would have seemed reprehensible. The NCAA came down on Ohio State, slapping the Buckeyes with that dreaded “failure to monitor” tag, banning them from a bowl game in 2012 and reducing scholarships for a series of misdeeds that had already cost former coach Jim Tressel his job and forced some players to sit out games this season. And Tressel may as well carry a “Damaged Goods” sign after the NCAA hit him with a “show cause” penalty, making it almost impossible for another school to hire him. Miami is sitting out the bowl season in hopes of sparing itself similar pain from the NCAA, which is investigating allegations a booster gave cash, cars, yacht rides, access to strip clubs, even prostitutes, to 72 athletes over a nineyear span. Twelve Hurricanes have already been punished by the NCAA, with penalties ranging from making restitution to lengthy suspensions. Southern California was stripped of its 2004 BCS title in June for the shenanigans involving Reggie Bush, and defending champion Auburn and runner-up Oregon had to spend some quality time with NCAA investigators after questions about players’ eligibility. And don’t forget Tennessee, Boise State, Connecticut, West Virginia, Michigan, LSU and North Carolina, all of whom wound up on the NCAA’s naughty list this year. “We have had a heck of a year of scandals and disruptions,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said earlier this month. “To have really good success on the one hand and all these grenades blowing up has been frustrating.” So, too, the latest BCS mess. The BCS may as well stand for Bowl Controversy Series for all the grumbling and mumbling it manages to produce on a yearly basis, and this year has only furthered the argument for some sort of a

playoff in college football. Despite already losing to LSU once, Alabama will play the top-ranked Tigers in a Jan. 9 title game. Never mind that Oklahoma State had three wins against teams in the final BCS top 15, compared with just one for Alabama. Or that the Cowboys’ only loss came in double overtime at Iowa State, one day after Oklahoma State women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and an assistant coach were killed in a plane crash. Michigan State was relegated to the Outback Bowl while Michigan is headed to the Sugar Bowl despite the Spartans’ superior ranking and the fact they beat the Wolverines. Boise State was banished to the MAACO Bowl because of a 1-point loss to TCU. “That’s the system,” Michigan State receiver B.J. Cunningham said. “It’s not fair. Life isn’t fair, but that’s how it is.” Tell that to NFL and NBA fans, who spent months watching players and owners bicker as they tried to divvy up their billion-dollar industries. “I’d like on behalf of both sides to apologize to the fans,” New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said when the NFL and its players reached a new contract July 25 after a 4½-month lockout, the league’s first work stoppage since 1987. “For the last five, six months we’ve been talking about the business of football and not what goes on on the field and building the teams in each market.” Or not talking. Early negotiations were downright ugly, with Tom Brady and Drew Brees leading a lawsuit against the NFL and the players trying to do an end run of the lockout by decertifying their union. Even a federal mediator couldn’t get the sides to budge over the first few months. “We have some work to do to make sure (fans) understand we are sorry for the frustration we put them through over the last six months,” NFL Commissioner Roger

Goodell said. Hey, at least the NFL had the good sense to settle its labor war before any of the season was lost. The NBA will finally tip off on Christmas Day after reaching agreement on a 10-year deal that, so far, seems only to have produced more gripes. The NBA locked the players out for 161 days, insisting a new deal was necessary because owners were losing buckets of money — $300 million last season alone and hundreds of millions more in the years before that — and small-market teams could no longer compete with free-spending franchises like the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. The new deal cut player salaries by 12 percent and includes a significant increase in revenue sharing. But players refused to budge on a hard salary cap, meaning there is still little to stop teams from throwing money at big-name players so long as they’re willing to pay the luxury tax. Which explains why, with the ink barely dry on the new agreement, the league-owned New Orleans Hornets shipped All-Star Chris Paul to Los Angeles and Dwight Howard was asking for a ticket out of Orlando. “Just like the regular fan out there, just like you guys, you do wonder why stuff happened. You look at it and say, ‘Why did the lockout happen?’” Miami guard Dwyane Wade said. “I don’t see it helping right now. Maybe in a few years we’ll all look back and see why this lockout happened. But right now it’s not showing its face at all.” Hockey, meanwhile, is struggling to balance its fast, physical play with growing evidence that hard hits can cause long-lasting damage. NHL poster boy Sidney Crosby has played only eight games since January because of the lingering impact of hard shots, while points leader Claude Giroux missed four games because of a concussion. The Flyers shut captain Chris Pronger down just two months into the season because of severe post-concussion syndrome. Equally sobering were the deaths this year of enforcers Derek Boogaard, Wade Belak and Rick Rypien. Auto racing mourned the death of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, who was killed Oct. 16 in a fiery, 15car wreck in the opening laps of the IndyCar Series season finale at Las Vegas. It was IndyCar’s first fatality in five years. Troubling events in a year seemed filled with little else. “In our society we create these myths around athletes and athletics,” said Sport in Society’s Chin. “But they’re myths, and that’s the whole issue.”

A10

SCOREBOARD

Sunday, December 25, 2011

FOOTBALL National Football League All Times EDT AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA y-New England11 3 0 .786 437 297 8 6 0 .571 346 315 N.Y. Jets 5 9 0 .357 286 269 Miami 5 9 0 .357 311 371 Buffalo South W L T Pct PF PA y-Houston 10 5 0 .667 359 255 Tennessee 7 7 0 .500 279 278 4 10 0 .286 207 293 Jacksonville 2 13 0 .133 230 411 Indianapolis North W L T Pct PF PA x-Baltimore 10 4 0 .714 334 236 x-Pittsburgh 10 4 0 .714 285 218 Cincinnati 8 6 0 .571 305 283 4 10 0 .286 195 274 Cleveland West W L T Pct PF PA 8 6 0 .571 292 343 Denver 7 7 0 .500 317 382 Oakland San Diego 7 7 0 .500 358 313 Kansas City 6 8 0 .429 192 319 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA 8 6 0 .571 348 296 Dallas 7 7 0 .500 334 372 N.Y. Giants Philadelphia 6 8 0 .429 342 311 Washington 5 9 0 .357 252 300 South W L T Pct PF PA x-New Orleans 11 3 0 .786 457 306 9 5 0 .643 341 281 Atlanta 5 9 0 .357 341 368 Carolina Tampa Bay 4 10 0 .286 247 401 North W L T Pct PF PA y-Green Bay 13 1 0 .929 480 297 9 5 0 .643 395 332 Detroit 7 7 0 .500 315 293 Chicago 2 12 0 .143 294 406 Minnesota West W L T Pct PF PA y-San Francisco11 3 0 .786 327 185 Seattle 7 7 0 .500 284 273 7 7 0 .500 273 305 Arizona 2 12 0 .143 166 346 St. Louis x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division Thursday's Game Indianapolis 19, Houston 16 Saturday's Games Oakland at Kansas City, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Tennessee, 1 p.m. St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. Denver at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Tampa Bay at Carolina, 1 p.m. Minnesota at Washington, 1 p.m. Cleveland at Baltimore, 1 p.m. Miami at New England, 1 p.m. N.Y. Giants at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m. Arizona at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. San Diego at Detroit, 4:05 p.m. San Francisco at Seattle, 4:15 p.m. Philadelphia at Dallas, 4:15 p.m. Sunday's Game Chicago at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m. Monday's Game Atlanta at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 1 Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m. Carolina at New Orleans, 1 p.m. Detroit at Green Bay, 1 p.m. San Francisco at St. Louis, 1 p.m. Tennessee at Houston, 1 p.m. Buffalo at New England, 1 p.m. Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 1 p.m. N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 p.m. Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Baltimore at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 1 p.m. Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. Washington at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. San Diego at Oakland, 4:15 p.m. Kansas City at Denver, 4:15 p.m. Seattle at Arizona, 4:15 p.m. College Football FBS Bowl Glance Subject to Change All Times EST Saturday, Dec. 17 New Mexico Bowl At Albuquerque Temple 37, Wyoming 15 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl At Boise, Idaho Ohio 24, Utah State 23 New Orleans Bowl Louisiana-Lafayette 32, San Diego State 30 Tuesday, Dec. 20 Beef 'O'Brady's Bowl At St. Petersburg, Fla. Marshall 20, FIU 10 Wednesday, Dec. 21 Poinsettia Bowl At San Diego TCU 31, Louisiana Tech 24 Thursday, Dec. 22 MAACO Bowl At Las Vegas Boise State 56, Arizona State 24 Saturday, Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl At Honolulu Nevada (7-5) vs. Southern Mississippi (11-2), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Monday, Dec. 26 Independence Bowl At Shreveport, La. North Carolina (7-5) vs. Missouri (7-5), 4 p.m. (ESPN) Tuesday, Dec. 27 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl At Detroit Western Michigan (7-5) vs. Purdue (66), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Belk Bowl At Charlotte, N.C. North Carolina State (7-5) vs. Louisville (7-5), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Wednesday, Dec. 28 Military Bowl At Washington Air Force (7-5) vs. Toledo (8-4), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) Holiday Bowl At San Diego Texas (7-5) vs. California (7-5), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Thursday, Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl At Orlando, Fla. Florida State (8-4) vs. Notre Dame (84), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) Alamo Bowl At San Antonio Baylor (9-3) vs.Washington (7-5), 9 p.m. (ESPN) Friday, Dec. 30 Armed Forces Bowl At Dallas Tulsa (8-4) vs. BYU (9-3), Noon (ESPN) Pinstripe Bowl At Bronx, N.Y. Rutgers (8-4) vs. Iowa State (6-6), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) Music City Bowl At Nashville,Tenn. Mississippi State (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (6-6), 6:40 p.m. (ESPN) Insight Bowl At Tempe, Ariz. Oklahoma (9-3) vs. Iowa (7-5), 10 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, Dec. 31 Meinke Car Care Bowl At Houston Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Northwestern (66), Noon (ESPN) Sun Bowl At El Paso,Texas Georgia Tech (8-4) vs.Utah (7-5), 2 p.m. (CBS) Liberty Bowl At Memphis,Tenn. Vanderbilt (6-6) vs. Cincinnati (9-3), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) Fight Hunger Bowl At San Francisco UCLA (6-7) vs. Illinois (6-6), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) Chick-fil-A Bowl At Atlanta Virginia (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) Monday, Jan. 2 TicketCity Bowl At Dallas Penn State (9-3) vs. Houston (12-1), Noon (ESPNU) Capital One Bowl At Orlando, Fla. Nebraska (9-3) vs. South Carolina (102), 1 p.m. (ESPN) Outback Bowl At Tampa, Fla. Georgia (10-3) vs. Michigan State (103), 1 p.m. (ABC) Gator Bowl At Jacksonville, Fla. Florida (6-6) vs. Ohio State (6-6), 1 p.m. (ESPN2) Rose Bowl At Pasadena, Calif. Oregon (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (11-2), 5 p.m. (ESPN) Fiesta Bowl At Glendale, Ariz. Stanford (11-1) vs.Oklahoma State (111), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) Tuesday, Jan. 3 Sugar Bowl At New Orleans Michigan (10-2) vs.Virginia Tech (11-2), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Wednesday, Jan. 4 Orange Bowl At Miami West Virginia (9-3) vs. Clemson (10-3), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Friday, Jan. 6 Cotton Bowl At Arlington,Texas Kansas State (10-2) vs. Arkansas (102), 8 p.m. (FOX) Saturday, Jan. 7 BBVA Compass Bowl At Birmingham, Ala. Pittsburgh (6-6) vs. SMU (7-5), Noon (ESPN) Sunday, Jan. 8 GoDaddy.com Bowl At Mobile, Ala. Arkansas State (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (10-3), 9 p.m. (ESPN) Monday, Jan. 9 BCS National Championship At New Orleans LSU (13-0) vs. Alabama (11-1), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday, Jan. 21 East-West Shrine Classic At St. Petersburg, Fla. East vs. West, TBA, (NFLN) Saturday, Jan. 28 Senior Bowl At Mobile, Ala. North vs. South, 4 p.m. (NFLN) Saturday, Feb. 5 Texas vs. Nation At San Antonio Texas vs. Nation, 2 p.m. (CBSSN) NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff Glance All Times EST First Round Saturday, Nov. 26 James Madison 20, Eastern Kentucky 17 Old Dominion 35, Norfolk State 18 Stony Brook 31, Albany (N.Y.) 28 Central Arkansas 34, Tennessee Tech 14 Second Round Saturday, Dec. 3 Georgia Southern 55, Old Dominion 48 Montana 41, Central Arkansas 14 Maine 34, Appalachian State 12 Sam Houston State 34, Stony Brook 27 Montana State 26, New Hampshire 25 Lehigh 40, Towson 38 North Dakota State 26, James Madison 14 Northern Iowa 28, Wofford 21 Quarterfinals Friday, Dec. 9 Montana 48, Northern Iowa 10 Saturday, Dec. 10 Sam Houston State 49, Montana State 13 Georgia Southern 35, Maine 23 North Dakota State 24, Lehigh 0 Semifinals Friday, Dec. 16 or Saturday, Dec. 17 Sam Houston State 31, Montana 28 North Dakota State 35, Georgia Southern 7 Championship Friday, Jan. 7 At Pizza Hut Park Frisco,Texas Sam Houston State (14-0) vs. North Dakota State (13-1), 1 p.m.

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association All Times EST EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct Boston 0 0 .000 New Jersey 0 0 .000 New York 0 0 .000 Philadelphia 0 0 .000 Toronto 0 0 .000 Southeast Division W L Pct Atlanta 0 0 .000 Charlotte 0 0 .000 Miami 0 0 .000 Orlando 0 0 .000 Washington 0 0 .000 Central Division W L Pct Chicago 0 0 .000 Cleveland 0 0 .000 Detroit 0 0 .000 Indiana 0 0 .000 Milwaukee 0 0 .000 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct Dallas 0 0 .000 Houston 0 0 .000 Memphis 0 0 .000 New Orleans 0 0 .000 San Antonio 0 0 .000 Northwest Division W L Pct Denver 0 0 .000 Minnesota 0 0 .000 Oklahoma City 0 0 .000 Portland 0 0 .000

GB — — — — — GB — — — — — GB — — — — — GB — — — — — GB — — — —

Scores AND SCHEDULES

SPORTS ON TV TODAY MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. ESPN2 — Diamond Head Classic, third place game, teams TBD, at Honolulu 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 — Diamond Head Classic, championship game, teams TBD, at Honolulu NBA BASKETBALL Noon TNT — Boston at New York 2:30 p.m. ABC — Miami at Dallas 5:15 p.m. ABC — Chicago at L.A. Lakers 8 p.m. ESPN — Orlando at Oklahoma City 10:30 p.m. ESPN — L.A. Clippers at Golden State NFL FOOTBALL 8 p.m. NBC — Chicago at Green Bay

MONDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL 5 p.m. ESPN2 — Independence Bowl, Missouri vs. North Carolina, at Shreveport, La. NBA BASKETBALL 10:30 p.m. WGN — Chicago at Golden State NFL FOOTBALL 8:30 p.m. ESPN — Atlanta at New Orleans NHL HOCKEY 7:30 p.m. VERSUS — Dallas at St. Louis SOCCER 9:55 a.m. ESPN2 — Premier League, Wigan at Manchester United

TUESDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL 4:30 p.m. ESPN — Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, W. Michigan vs. Purdue, at Detroit 8 p.m. ESPN — Belk Bowl, Louisville vs. NC State, at Charlotte, N.C. MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 7 p.m. ESPN2 — Pittsburgh at Notre Dame 9 p.m. ESPN2 — Wisconsin at Nebraska NBA BASKETBALL 8 p.m. TNT — Boston at Miami 10:30 p.m. TNT — Utah at L.A. Lakers NHL HOCKEY 7:30 p.m. VERSUS — St. Louis at Detroit

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM 1. Baylor (40) ............11-0 1,000 1 944 2 2. UConn.....................9-1 926 3 3. Notre Dame..........10-1 4. Stanford...................7-1 878 4 5. Maryland...............11-0 825 5 6.Tennessee...............7-2 802 6 758 7 7. Miami.......................9-1 692 8 8. Kentucky ...............10-1 657 9 9. Duke........................7-2 613 10 10.Texas A&M............8-2 585 12 11. Ohio St................10-0 12. Rutgers ...............10-2 546 11 13. Georgia.................8-1 500 13 483 14 14. Louisville .............10-2 476 15 15.Texas Tech ............9-0 390 16 16. Penn St. ................9-2 363 17 17. Georgetown..........9-2 300 19 18. Green Bay ............8-0 19. Delaware...............8-0 259 21 20. Purdue ..................8-3 213 22 21. DePaul ................10-2 204 23 162 24 22.Texas .....................8-2 114 18 23. North Carolina......7-2 110 25 24. Nebraska ............10-1 103 20 25.Vanderbilt ............10-1 Others receiving votes: Virginia 26, California 19, LSU 15, South Carolina 10, Arkansas 6, Northwestern 5, Georgia Tech 3, Gonzaga 3, Southern Cal 3, BYU 2, Michigan 2, Kansas 1, St. Bonaventure 1, Tulane 1. USA Today/ESPN Women's Top 25 Poll The top 25 teams in the USA TodayESPN women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 19, points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking: .................................Record Pts Prv 1. Baylor (30) ............11-0 774 1 2. UConn (1)...............9-1 739 2 717 3 3. Notre Dame..........10-1 683 4 4. Stanford...................7-1 641 5 5. Maryland...............11-0 623 6 6.Tennessee...............7-2 7. Miami.......................9-1 567 8 8. Kentucky ...............10-1 563 7 9. Duke........................7-2 533 9 10.Texas A&M............8-2 480 10 442 11 11. Rutgers ...............10-2 414 13 12. Louisville .............11-2 409 14 13. Ohio State...........11-0 14. Green Bay ............8-0 352 15 15. Georgia.................8-2 322 12 16. Penn State............9-2 319 17 17. Georgetown..........9-2 264 19 242 20 18.Texas Tech ............9-0 206 21 19. DePaul ................11-2 152 23 20. Delaware...............9-0 132 22 21. Purdue ..................8-3 22. North Carolina......7-2 123 16 23.Vanderbilt ............10-1 122 18 100 25 24. Gonzaga...............9-2 90 24 25.Texas .....................8-2 Others receiving votes: Nebraska 16, Georgia Tech 15, Kansas 9, Bowling Green 6, Duquesne 6, California 5, Michigan 2, Oklahoma 2, South Carolina 2, UTEP 2, Villanova 1.

WEDNESDAY

HOCKEY COLLEGE FOOTBALL 4:30 p.m. ESPN — Military Bowl, Toledo vs. Air Force, at Washington 8 p.m. ESPN — Holiday Bowl, California vs. Texas, at San Diego MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 7 p.m. ESPN2 — Georgetown at Louisville 9 p.m. ESPN2 — Mississippi St. vs. Baylor, at Dallas NHL HOCKEY 7:30 p.m. VERSUS — N.Y. Rangers at Washington Utah Pacific Division

.000

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W L Pct GB Golden State 0 0 .000 — 0 0 .000 — L.A. Clippers 0 0 .000 — L.A. Lakers 0 0 .000 — Phoenix 0 0 .000 — Sacramento Sunday's Games Boston at New York, 12 p.m. Miami at Dallas, 2:30 p.m. Chicago at L.A. Lakers, 5 p.m. Orlando at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Golden State, 10:30 p.m. National Basketball Association Preseason Glance EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Pct W L 2 0 1.000 Boston 2 0 1.000 New York Philadelphia 2 0 1.000 New Jersey 0 2 .000 Toronto 0 2 .000 Southeast Division Pct W L 1 1 .500 Atlanta 1 1 .500 Charlotte 1 1 .500 Miami 1 1 .500 Orlando Washington 0 2 .000 Central Division W L Pct Chicago 2 0 1.000 Cleveland 1 1 .500 Detroit 1 1 .500 Indiana 0 2 .000 Milwaukee 0 2 .000 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct New Orleans 2 0 1.000 Houston 1 1 .500 San Antonio 1 1 .500 Dallas 0 2 .000 Memphis 0 2 .000 Northwest Division W L Pct Denver 2 0 1.000 Minnesota 2 0 1.000 Oklahoma City 2 0 1.000 Portland 1 1 .500 Utah 1 1 .500 Pacific Division W L Pct L.A. Clippers 2 0 1.000 Golden State 1 1 .500 Sacramento 1 1 .500 L.A. Lakers 0 2 .000 Phoenix 0 2 .000 Wednesday's Games Orlando 104, Miami 100 Boston 81, Toronto 73 New York 88, New Jersey 82 New Orleans 95, Memphis 80 Minnesota 85, Milwaukee 84 San Antonio 97, Houston 95 Utah 92, Portland 89 L.A. Clippers 108, L.A. Lakers 103 Thursday's Games Atlanta 92, Charlotte 75 Denver 110, Phoenix 85 Saturday's Games No games scheduled

GB — — — 2 2 GB — — — — 1 GB — 1 1 2 2 GB — 1 1 2 2 GB — — — 1 1 GB — 1 1 2 2

The Top Twenty Five The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' college basketball poll, with firstplace votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 18, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:

Pts Prv .................................Record 1. Syracuse (53).......11-0 1,585 1 2. Ohio St. (5) ...........10-1 1,474 2 3. Kentucky (4)............9-1 1,457 3 4. Louisville (2)..........10-0 1,364 4 5. North Carolina ........9-2 1,340 5 6. Baylor ......................9-0 1,271 6 7. Duke........................9-1 1,266 7 8. UConn.....................9-1 1,102 9 9. Missouri ................11-0 1,076 10 10. Marquette ...........10-0 1,021 11 11. Florida...................8-2 946 13 939 12 12. Kansas..................7-2 746 14 13. Wisconsin ...........10-2 14. Xavier....................8-1 728 8 707 15 15. Pittsburgh............10-1 644 16 16. Georgetown..........9-1 17. Indiana................10-0 601 18 18. Mississippi St......11-1 576 17 413 21 19. Michigan St...........9-2 381 20 20. Michigan ...............9-2 21. UNLV...................11-2 251 — 22. Murray St. ...........12-0 222 24 130 25 23. Creighton ..............8-1 102 — 24.Virginia ..................9-1 25. Illinois ..................10-1 96 19 Others receiving votes: Harvard 88, San Diego St. 67, Stanford 61, Saint Louis 33, Gonzaga 23, Kansas St. 22, Texas A&M 18, Alabama 8, Wichita St. 8, Cleveland St. 7, N. Iowa 7, California 5, Vanderbilt 5, Northwestern 4, Ohio 3, Long Beach St. 2, Indiana St. 1. USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll The top 25 teams in the USA TodayESPN men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 18, points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking: .................................Record Pts Pvs 1. Syracuse (30).......11-0 774 1 2. Ohio State (1).......10-1 713 2 3. Kentucky .................9-1 702 3 4. Louisville ...............10-0 679 4 5. Duke........................9-1 637 5 6. North Carolina ........9-2 623 6 7. Baylor ......................9-0 570 7 8. Missouri ................11-0 560 8 9. Connecticut.............9-1 526 10 10. Marquette ...........10-0 503 11 11. Kansas..................7-2 471 12 12. Florida...................8-2 447 13 13. Pittsburgh............10-1 386 14 14. Wisconsin ...........10-2 361 15 15. Xavier....................8-1 318 9 16. Georgetown..........9-1 301 17 17. Mississippi State 11-1 277 16 18. Indiana................10-0 245 20 19. Michigan ...............9-2 221 18 20. Michigan State......9-2 193 23 21. Creighton ..............8-1 107 24 22. Murray State.......12-0 100 — 23. UNLV...................11-2 68 — 24. Illinois ..................10-1 66 19 25. Harvard.................9-1 53 — Others receiving votes: San Diego State 32, California 28, Texas A&M 25, Virginia 19, Saint Louis 13, Alabama 12, Kansas State 12, Stanford 9, Memphis 7, Saint Mary's 5, Gonzaga 3, Saint Joseph's 3, Vanderbilt 3, Northwestern 1, Oklahoma 1, Seton Hall 1. The Women's Top Twenty Five The top 25 teams in the The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 18, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking: .................................Record Pts Prv

National Hockey League All Times EDT EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA N.Y. Rangers 33 21 8 4 46 99 72 Philadelphia 34 21 9 4 46118 99 Pittsburgh 35 20 11 4 44114 91 New Jersey 34 19 14 1 39 95 99 N.Y. Islanders 33 11 16 6 28 77108 Northeast Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Boston 33 23 9 1 47119 63 35 18 13 4 40110113 Toronto 36 17 14 5 39111122 Ottawa 34 16 15 3 35 92101 Buffalo Montreal 36 13 16 7 33 88101 Southeast Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Florida 36 18 11 7 43 94 98 Winnipeg 35 16 14 5 37 96104 Washington 33 17 14 2 36 98101 Tampa Bay 34 14 17 3 31 90116 Carolina 36 11 19 6 28 91121 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Chicago 35 22 9 4 48118102 34 20 10 4 44 87 74 St. Louis 34 21 12 1 43111 78 Detroit Nashville 35 18 13 4 40 95 99 Columbus 34 9 21 4 22 85117 Northwest Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Minnesota 36 20 11 5 45 86 82 Vancouver 35 21 12 2 44115 85 36 17 15 4 38 90 98 Calgary 36 18 17 1 37 96105 Colorado Edmonton 34 15 16 3 33 93 91 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Dallas 34 20 13 1 41 92 96 San Jose 31 18 10 3 39 93 76 35 18 14 3 39 92 92 Phoenix Los Angeles 34 16 14 4 36 75 83 Anaheim 34 9 19 6 24 80113 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Thursday's Games Los Angeles 3, Anaheim 2, SO Toronto 3, Buffalo 2 N.Y. Rangers 4, N.Y. Islanders 2 Ottawa 4, Florida 3, OT Nashville 6, Columbus 5 Winnipeg 4, Montreal 0 Calgary 3, Detroit 2 Edmonton 4, Minnesota 1 Friday's Games New Jersey 4, Washington 3, SO Boston 8, Florida 0 Toronto 5, N.Y. Islanders 3 N.Y. Rangers 4, Philadelphia 2 Carolina 2, Ottawa 1, OT Pittsburgh 4, Winnipeg 1 Dallas 6, Nashville 3 Colorado 2, Tampa Bay 1, OT St. Louis 3, Phoenix 2 Calgary 3, Vancouver 1 Los Angeles at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. Saturday's Games No games scheduled Sunday's Games No games scheduled

GOLF World Golf Ranking Final 1. Luke Donald.................Eng 2. Lee Westwood .............Eng 3. Rory McIlroy...................Nir 4. Martin Kaymer .............Deu 5. Adam Scott...................Aus 6. Steve Stricker..............USA 7. Dustin Johnson...........USA 8. Jason Day.....................Aus 9. Charl Schwartzel...........Zaf 10. Webb Simpson .........USA 11. Matt Kuchar...............USA 12. Nick Watney ..............USA 13. Graeme McDowell.......Nir 14. Phil Mickelson...........USA 15. K.J. Choi ......................Kor 16. Ian Poulter ..................Eng 17. Sergio Garcia .............Esp 18. Justin Rose ................Eng 19. Hunter Mahan...........USA

10.03 8.06 7.77 6.55 5.50 5.33 5.27 5.07 5.06 5.03 4.71 4.69 4.55 4.47 4.31 3.88 3.87 3.84 3.76

20. Paul Casey.................Eng 21. Bubba Watson ..........USA 22. Alvaro Quiros..............Esp 23.Tiger Woods..............USA 24. Robert Karlsson........Swe 25. Kim Kyung-Tae............Kor 26. David Toms................USA 27. Bill Haas ....................USA 28. Simon Dyson .............Eng 29. Bo Van Pelt................USA 30. Bae Sang-moon..........Kor 31. Keegan Bradley ........USA 32. Rickie Fowler.............USA 33. Jason Dufner.............USA 34. Anders Hansen..........Dnk 35.Thomas Bjorn.............Dnk 36. Geoff Ogilvy................Aus 37. Zach Johnson...........USA 38. Brandt Snedeker.......USA 39. Fredrik Jacobson.......Swe 40. Louis Oosthuizen ........Zaf 41. Francesco Molinari.......Ita 42. Peter Hanson ............Swe 43. John Senden..............Aus 44. Miguel Angel JimenezEsp 45.Y.E.Yang.......................Kor 46. Aaron Baddeley..........Aus 47. Martin Laird ................Sco 48. Darren Clarke...............Nir 49. Fernandez-Castano...Esp 50. Jim Furyk ..................USA 51. Ryo Ishikawa ..............Jpn 52. Gary Woodland.........USA 53. Retief Goosen .............Zaf 54. Ben Crane.................USA 55. Jonathan Byrd...........USA 56. Ernie Els ......................Zaf 57. Ryan Moore ..............USA 58. Matteo Manassero .......Ita 59. Robert Allenby............Aus 60. Greg Chalmers...........Aus 61.Toru Taniguchi .............Jpn 62. Mark Wilson ..............USA 63.Vijay Singh.....................Fji 64. Joost Luiten.................Nld 65. Edoardo Molinari ..........Ita 66. Alexander Noren .......Swe 67. Chez Reavie .............USA 68. Hiroyuki Fujita .............Jpn 69. Lucas Glover.............USA 70. Kevin Na....................USA 71. Rory Sabbatini.............Zaf 72. Nicolas Colsaerts........Bel 73. Ryan Palmer .............USA 74. Jeff Overton ..............USA 75.Yuta Ikeda....................Jpn

3.73 3.69 3.68 3.59 3.55 3.52 3.50 3.43 3.38 3.37 3.28 3.26 3.24 3.21 3.17 3.16 3.13 3.09 3.09 3.08 3.07 3.05 2.97 2.91 2.88 2.84 2.79 2.76 2.74 2.73 2.73 2.71 2.71 2.53 2.42 2.38 2.37 2.36 2.33 2.24 2.22 2.21 2.20 2.14 2.12 2.11 2.08 2.05 2.04 2.03 2.00 1.99 1.95 1.93 1.91 1.88

LPGA Player of theYear Standings Final 1.Yani Tseng ....................................336 2. Stacy Lewis..................................126 3. Na Yeon Choi ...............................113 4. Cristie Kerr ...................................112 4. Suzann Pettersen........................112 6. Brittany Lincicome .........................91 7. Karrie Webb ...................................82 8. Angela Stanford .............................77 8. Paula Creamer...............................77 10. Morgan Pressel ...........................67 11. Ai Miyazato...................................65 12. Catriona Matthew ........................62 13. I.K. Kim.........................................56 14. Amy Yang......................................53 15. Sandra Gal...................................51 LPGA Tour Money Leaders Final Money .......................................Trn 1.Yani Tseng ..................22 $2,921,713 2. Cristie Kerr..................22 $1,470,979 3. Na Yeon Choi..............21 $1,357,382 4. Stacy Lewis ................23 $1,356,211 5. Suzann Pettersen ......20 $1,322,770 6. Brittany Lincicome......21 $1,154,234 7. Angela Stanford .........21 $1,017,196 8. Ai Miyazato.................19 $1,007,633 9. Paula Creamer...........21 $926,338 10. Amy Yang..................22 $912,160 11. I.K. Kim .....................21 $885,952 12. Hee Young Park .......21 $851,781 13. Morgan Pressel........22 $845,466 14. Karrie Webb .............20 $757,671 15. Jiyai Shin ..................18 $720,735 16. Catriona Matthew.....19 $692,340 17. Maria Hjorth .............20 $630,320 18. Michelle Wie.............20 $627,936 19. Brittany Lang............22 $627,691 20. Sandra Gal...............20 $623,526 21. Hee Kyung Seo........21 $619,429 22. Mika Miyazato..........20 $591,688 23. Anna Nordqvist ........20 $589,774 24. Azahara Munoz........23 $520,269 25. Sun Young Yoo..........21 $476,672 26. Sophie Gustafson....21 $427,586 27. Se Ri Pak .................20 $415,447 28. Meena Lee...............21 $408,114 29. Karen Stupples ........22 $397,081 30. Katie Futcher............20 $373,630 31. Inbee Park................16 $365,231 32. Shanshan Feng .......17 $362,097 33. Song-Hee Kim .........22 $350,376 34. Momoko Ueda .........16 $333,494 35. Chella Choi...............21 $325,273 36. Juli Inkster ................20 $298,123 37. Candie Kung ............22 $287,580 38. Mindy Kim ................20 $262,055 39. Jimin Kang ...............22 $255,901 40. Hee-Won Han ..........22 $245,264 41.Tiffany Joh ................14 $237,365 42. Amy Hung ................22 $226,623 43. Beatriz Recari ..........23 $223,053 44. Wendy Ward.............21 $204,165 45.Vicky Hurst ...............22 $201,425 46. Ryann O'Toole..........15 $192,748 47. Paige Mackenzie......18 $184,384 48. Eun-Hee Ji ...............19 $181,743 49. Mina Harigae............17 $178,683 50. Pat Hurst...................19 $177,349 51. Natalie Gulbis...........21 $176,337 52. Christel Boeljon........14 $170,553 53. Mi Hyun Kim.............19 $165,304 54. Amanda Blumenherst21 $164,930 55. Jenny Shin................15 $160,571 56. Kristy McPherson ....21 $157,025 57. Pornanong Phatlum.17 $149,657 58. Christina Kim............21 $149,275 59. Stacy Prammanasudh17 $143,916 60. Katherine Hull ..........18 $137,884 61. Julieta Granada........18 $137,221 62. Dewi Claire Schreefel15 $136,140 63. Jennifer Johnson......13 $128,974 64. Caroline Hedwall........6 $126,801 65. Cindy LaCrosse .......16 $114,800 66. Kyeong Bae..............18 $109,142 67. Belen Mozo ..............15 $104,323 68. Gerina Piller..............14 $103,322 69. Becky Morgan..........15 $98,485 70. Heather Bowie Young16 $97,612 71. Seon Hwa Lee .........18 $93,889 72. Leta Lindley..............13 $90,291 73. Alison Walshe...........13 $90,088 74. M.J. Hur ....................18 $87,221 75. Kris Tamulis ..............12 $85,156 76. Lindsey Wright .........15 $84,767 77. Haeji Kang................16 $81,691 78. Alena Sharp .............17 $77,982 79. Jennifer Song...........16 $77,421 80. Reilley Rankin ..........13 $75,301 81. Grace Park ...............16 $71,625 82. Jin Young Pak...........13 $71,158 83. Marcy Hart ...............12 $68,369 84. Meaghan Francella..15 $66,813 85. Sarah Kemp .............14 $58,503 86. Gwladys Nocera ......15 $57,626 87. KarineIcher.................7 $55,398 88. Lorie Kane................12 $55,309 89. Sarah Jane Smith ....14 $54,478 90. Pernilla Lindberg ......12 $53,353 91. Ilhee Lee...................11 $52,900 92. Jessica Korda...........15 $52,275 93. Karin Sjodin..............13 $50,993 94. Haru Nomura ...........11 $50,106

BUSINESS

Sunday, December 25, 2011 • A11

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM

Grab bargains during post-holiday shopping NEW YORK (AP) — It’s not too early to think about strategies for finding the best bargains after today. Stores have plied shoppers with discounts during the holiday shopping season, but bargain hunters can get deeper markdowns immediately after Christmas as retailers make room for new merchandise. Still, finding postChristmas bargains at traditional merchants is more challenging now than it was a few years ago. Stores are protecting themselves by stocking fewer products. They don’t want another repeat of the holiday 2008 bust, when shoppers stopped buying amid a ballooning financial crisis. That year, stores slashed prices by as much as 70 percent early in the season, and still had heaps of leftovers in January. “You are going to find isolated bargains” now, said Jodi Furman, writer of the Live FabuLess blog, which offers tips on spending wisely. Shoppers have to check out different types of stores and surf the Web for deals, she added. Here are four tips on how to make the most of your post-Christmas

AP PHOTO/MEL EVANS

In this Dec. 8 photo, worker Ben Aceves prepares returned televisions to be resold at Liquidity Services Inc., in Cranbury, N.J. Post-Christmas bargain-hunters might want to look at the boxes of returned stuff, particularly consumer electronics, whose prices will be slashed. And don’t bypass second-hand stores, which should be stuffed with holiday items rejected by other consumers. spending spree. SURVEY THE SCENE. Think about retailers’ shelves before Christmas and what they had in surplus andfigure

weather items. That means stores were already cutting prices on coats and heavy sweaters before Christmas. Macy’s Herald Square had some men’s

out what you want to target. For example: Looking for a fur coat? You’re in luck this year. A mild winter has depressed shoppers’ appetite for cold

board games, which could be marked down up to 60 percent during the postChristmas sales, according to Chris Byrne, an independent toy consultant. But don’t expect to the season’s hottest toys like the $99 LeapPad Explorer to be on sale. It’s a good opportunity to buy gifts for babies and toddlers for upcoming birthdays and next year’s holidays. But hold off on buying toys far in advance for older children. What they want may change, Byrne said. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SHOPPER’S REMORSE. Shoppers were willing to buy this holiday season, but they have also been returning purchases at a rapid clip as they realize they just spent too much. Take advantage of that. Check out second-hand stores in your area or sites like Craigslist to grab others’ unwanted items that weren’t returned to stores. Blogger Furman also suggests using social media like Facebook to look for deals. “This is more pre-screened, more trustworthy,” she added. “It gives you an extra level of comfort, knowing that you’re doing business with someone that you know and trust.”

coats at 75 percent off. “Cold weather merchandise is in abundant supply, so I think there should be some good values,” said Arnold Aronson, managing director of retail strategies at consulting firm Kurt Salmon. “Cold weather items don’t age like wine.” He added that many retailers will be discounting outerwear by up to 80 percent after Christmas. It’s best for shoppers to get to stores soon after Christmas to get the best selection. By mid-January, stores will have already started to stock up on spring merchandise. SHOP ONLINE CHRISTMAS DAY. With most stores not open on Christmas Day, shoppers should check out online sales. Bargain hunters should also start researching today on deal sites like dealnews.com and fatwallet.com. SHOP IN ADVANCE FOR HOLIDAY 2012. Holiday wrapping paper, holiday lights and greeting cards will be as much as 90 percent off the day after Christmas, according to Dan de Grandpre, editor-in-chief of deal aggregator website Dealnews.com. As for toys, it’s a good time to buy basics like

Toyota aims to sell 8.48 million vehicles in 2012 TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is aiming for a comeback, targeting record global sales of 8.48 million vehicles in 2012 and an even bigger number in 2013, after being battered this year by the March disaster in Japan and flooding in Thailand. Toyota Motor Corp., Japan’s top automaker, relinquished its title as the world’s biggest in global vehicle sales for the first half of this year, sinking to No. 3 behind U.S. rival General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG of Germany.

Toyota’s global vehicle sales for this year totaled 7.9 million vehicles, including group companies, down 6 percent from the previous year, it said in a statement Thursday. General Motors Co. spokesman Jim Cain said it will release its full-year global sales totals in January. The Detroit-based automaker had been at the top for more than seven decades until Toyota took the crown in 2008. After the first three

Toyota’s targets for 2012 and 2013 do not include group companies such as Daihatsu Motor Co. and Hino Motors, and so aren’t directly comparable with numbers from GM and Volkswagen. Toyota said its sales target for calendar 2012 is based on achieving 20 percent growth from its global sales this year and would be a record high for the company, underlining its turnaround ambitions. The automaker’s current sales record of 8.43 million

quarters, GM sold 6.788 million vehicles worldwide, according to its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If fourth-quarter results are consistent with prior months, it will sell just more than 9 million vehicles in 2011. Last year, GM sold 8.39 million vehicles around the world. Volkswagen also has not released its 2011 tally but said earlier this month it delivered 7.51 million vehicles globally during the January-November period.

such as China and India. The manufacturer of the Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models said it plans to sell 8.95 million vehicles around the world in 2013, not including group companies. Targeted overseas sales of 6.95 million vehicles this year, up 19 percent year-onyear, would also be a new record for Toyota, if attained. Toyota acknowledged many uncertainties, which could push the numbers in either direction.

vehicles was attained in 2007. “It won’t be a surprise to me if Toyota reaches a new record in global sales,” said Mamoru Katou, auto analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research. Hybrids remain popular in Japan, the Camry sedan is doing well in the U.S. and demand is robust in emerging markets, he said. Toyota has been making up for sales declines in North America and Japan with momentum in relatively new but booming markets

Airline customers to see new protections in January

LOCAL BUSINESS LEDGER

Sound City Music relocating to North Ridge Avenue address TROY — Sound City Music is relocating to 3 N. Ridge Ave., Troy. The former location will be closed from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1, in order for the move to occur. The new building has more room and rear parking, according to the owners. Lessons will be offered on the first floor and the store will be on the second floor. Sound City suggests patrons contact their teachers to see if lessons have been canceled during the week the business is closed for relocation. For more information, call Sound City at 335-2406.

BY PATRICIA SABATINI and reservation change fees. The new rule, part of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette second phase of a package of Airline passengers frus- federal airline passenger trated by inconsistencies in protections enacted this how carriers advertise their year, is set to take effect Jan. fares will get some relief 24. The new regulations “will next month when a new federal rule kicks in requiring help ensure that air travelthat all government taxes ers receive the respect they and fees be included in the deserve before, during and after their flight,” U.S. stated price. Airlines still will be Transportation Secretary allowed to list optional Ray LaHood said in charges separately, such as announcing the changes earbaggage, seat assignment lier this year.

(they) find something better,” said Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Mosley. • A ban on increasing the price of a ticket after its purchase. • A requirement that passengers receive prompt notification about cancellations, diversions or delays of over 30 minutes. Notification must be provided within 30 minutes of the carrier becoming aware of the change.

Additional measures slated to take effect next month include: • A requirement that airlines disclose baggage fees at the time of booking. • A requirement that travelers making a reservation at least a week in advance be allowed to hold the reservation without payment, or to cancel it without penalty, for 24 hours. The rule “allows passengers shopping for a ticket to keep shopping for a while to see if

WEEKLY REVIEW

NYSE

WEEKLY STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS

7,518.66 +281.00

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name DelphiFn CobaltIEn SunriseSen NoAmEn g SandRdge Imperva n USG SunTr wtB ShawGrp WNS Hldg

Last Chg 44.13 +18.94 15.85 +4.85 6.06 +1.35 6.93 +1.53 8.57 +1.81 32.54 +6.80 10.31 +1.76 2.15 +.35 26.54 +4.26 9.75 +1.56

%Chg +75.2 +44.1 +28.7 +28.3 +26.8 +26.4 +20.6 +19.4 +19.1 +19.0

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE) Name Last Chg %Chg PHH Corp 10.52 -3.39 -24.4 C-TrCVOL 28.23 -8.00 -22.1 CSVS2xVxS30.50 -8.61 -22.0 PrUltVixST 11.60 -3.27 -22.0 AGreet 12.98 -3.32 -20.4 DrxEnBear 11.14 -2.09 -15.8 Gafisa SA 4.61 -.85 -15.6 CSVS2xVxM60.66-10.67 -15.0 iP SESPX 35.70 -6.11 -14.6 ETLg2mVix 85.02 -14.36 -14.4

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Name Vol (00) Last Chg BkofAm 12567681 5.60 +.40 S&P500ETF6916277126.39+4.80 GenElec 3485230 18.23 +1.39 SPDR Fncl329708413.15 +.61 Citigrp rs 2803405 27.46 +1.43 iShEMkts2429696 38.49 +1.32 FordM 2155439 10.95 +.70 iShR2K 2141516 74.55 +2.65 Pfizer 2138046 21.83 +.80 JPMorgCh1831789 33.57 +1.68 Advanced Declined New Highs New Lows Total issues Unchanged Volume

DIARY

2,602 556 289 145 3,198 40 16,564,768,250

AMEX

2,265.70 +60.80

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last FieldPnt 4.70 BioTime 5.61 VirnetX 27.35 Bacterin 2.33 ContMatls 12.23 SondeR grs 2.62 SaratogaRs 7.09 Aerocntry 7.67 LucasEngy 2.35 TriangPet 5.90

Chg +1.70 +1.34 +6.11 +.36 +1.54 +.32 +.85 +.91 +.27 +.64

%Chg +56.7 +31.4 +28.8 +18.3 +14.4 +13.9 +13.6 +13.5 +13.0 +12.2

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name EstnLtCap BovieMed Medgenic n HMG Quepasa AlexcoR g Aerosonic Vicon PfdAptC n MdwGold g

Last 2.35 2.20 2.51 3.87 3.10 6.67 2.74 3.20 5.90 2.19

Chg -.57 -.42 -.47 -.60 -.48 -.83 -.31 -.35 -.57 -.20

DIARY

NASDAQ

Dow Jones industrials

2,618.64 +63.31

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name RAM En h Winn-Dixie CmcFstBcp Delcath Theratch g PrognicsPh WCA Wste SuffolkBcp Westway Towerstm

Last 2.47 9.37 12.89 2.85 2.54 8.82 6.62 11.14 5.74 2.40

Chg +1.30 +3.94 +5.14 +.96 +.72 +2.25 +1.63 +2.53 +1.24 +.49

%Chg +111.1 +72.5 +66.3 +50.8 +39.6 +34.2 +32.7 +29.4 +27.6 +25.7

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

%Chg -19.5 -16.0 -15.8 -13.4 -13.4 -11.1 -10.2 -9.9 -8.9 -8.4

Name Amertns pf Targacept AlaskCom ReadgIntB AcelRx n LiveDeal Poniard rs ChinaYida JkksPac FstSecur rs

315 187 47 45 527 25 370,635,462

Advanced Declined New Highs New Lows Total issues Unchanged Volume

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Name Vol (00) Last Chg GoldStr g 156501 1.70 +.07 NwGold g 134409 10.12 +.05 CheniereEn119972 8.47 +.11 VantageDrl114612 1.19 +.13 VirnetX 108468 27.35 +6.11 Rentech 102561 1.39 -.10 NovaGld g 91731 8.77 -.24 AntaresP 76522 1.97 +.16 ParaG&S 61738 2.20 -.02 CFCda g 61051 20.06 -.38 Advanced Declined New Highs New Lows Total issues Unchanged Volume

WEEKLY DOW JONES

Last 4.00 5.49 3.29 4.26 2.10 4.00 2.40 2.17 13.99 2.00

Chg -2.27 -2.30 -1.20 -1.24 -.60 -1.09 -.61 -.54 -3.36 -.46

%Chg -36.2 -29.5 -26.7 -22.5 -22.2 -21.4 -20.2 -20.0 -19.4 -18.7

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Name Vol (00) Last Chg Oracle 3242038 26.06 -3.15 PwShs QQQ259413756.08 +1.22 Microsoft 2336310 26.03 +.03 Cisco 2016464 18.47 +.53 Intel 1885281 24.40 +1.17 RschMotn1660445 13.92 +.48 MicronT 1647563 6.40 +.72 Yahoo 1341865 16.19 +1.23 SiriusXM 1274687 1.81 +.04 Tellabs 1138544 4.05 +.18 DIARY

1,910 801 109 251 2,765 54 7,793,756,597

Close: 12,294 1-week change: 427.61 (3.6%)

13,000

-100.13 337.32 MON

TUES

4.16 WED

61.91 THUR

124.35 FRI

12,500 12,000 11,500 11,000 10,500

Last

STOCKS OF LOCAL INTEREST Wk Wk YTD Chg %Chg %Chg

Name

Div

AT&T Inc BkofAm Cisco Citigrp rs CocaCola Disney EnPro FifthThird Flowserve FordM GenElec Goodrich HewlettP iShEMkts iShR2K ITW Intel JPMorgCh KimbClk Kroger

NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY

1.76 29.87 +1.02 .04 5.60 +.40 .24 18.47 +.53 .04 27.46 +1.43 1.88 69.94 +2.50 .60 37.70 +2.38 ... 34.23 +1.24 .32 12.84 +.77 1.28 101.88 +4.34 .20 10.95 +.70 .68 18.23 +1.39 1.16 123.40 +.67 .48 25.88 +.04 .81 38.49 +1.32 1.02 74.55 +2.65 1.44 47.72 +1.72 .84 24.40 +1.17 1.00 33.57 +1.68 2.80 73.73 +2.45 .46 24.48 +.77

+3.5 +7.7 +2.9 +5.5 +3.7 +6.7 +3.8 +6.4 +4.4 +6.8 +8.3 +0.5 +0.2 +3.5 +3.7 +3.7 +5.0 +5.3 +3.4 +3.2

+1.7 -58.0 -8.7 -41.9 +6.3 +.5 -17.6 -12.5 -14.5 -34.8 -.3 +40.1 -38.5 -19.2 -4.7 -10.6 +16.0 -20.9 +17.0 +9.5

Name

McDnlds NY MeadWvco NY Microsoft Nasd Oracle Nasd Penney NY PepsiCo NY Pfizer NY PwShs QQQ Nasd ProctGam NY Questar NY RschMotn Nasd S&P500ETF NY SearsHldgs Nasd SprintNex NY SPDR Fncl NY Tuppwre NY US Bancrp NY VerizonCm NY WalMart NY Wendys Co NY

Div

Last

D Wk Wk YTD Chg %Chg %Chg

2.80 100.15 +2.66 +2.7 +30.5 1.00 29.97 +1.18 +4.1 +14.6 .80 26.03 +.03 +0.1 -6.7 .24 26.06 -3.15 -10.8 -16.7 .80 35.67 +3.03 +9.3 +10.4 2.06 66.57 +1.86 +2.9 +1.9 .88 21.83 +.80 +3.8 +24.7 .46 56.08 +1.22 +2.2 +3.0 2.10 66.67 +1.53 +2.3 +3.6 .65 19.82 +.45 +2.3 +13.8 ... 13.92 +.48 +3.5 -76.1 2.58 126.39 +4.80 +3.9 +.5 .33 45.85 -.31 -0.7 -37.8 ... 2.31 +.06 +2.7 -45.4 .22 13.15 +.61 +4.9 -17.6 1.20 56.11 +1.84 +3.4 +17.7 .50 27.49 +1.49 +5.7 +1.9 2.00 39.98 +1.20 +3.1 +11.7 1.46 59.99 +1.72 +3.0 +11.2 .08 5.34 +.23 +4.5 +15.6

Stock Footnotes: g = Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars. h = Does not meet continued-listing standards. lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week.Gainers and Losers must be worth at least $2 to be listed in tables at left. Most Actives must be worth at least $1. Volume in hundreds of shares. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.

52-Week High Low 12,876.00 5,627.85 464.32 8,718.25 2,490.51 2,887.75 1,370.58 14,562.01 868.57 4,051.89

10,404.49 3,950.66 381.99 6,414.89 1,941.99 2,298.89 1,074.77 11,208.42 601.71 3,169.44

Name

STOCK MARKET INDEXES

Dow Jones Industrials Dow Jones Transportation Dow Jones Utilities NYSE Composite AMEX Index Nasdaq Composite S&P 500 Wilshire 5000 Russell 2000 Lipper Growth Index

MONEY RATES

Prime Rate Discount Rate Federal Funds Rate Treasuries 3-month 6-month 5-year 10-year 30-year

Name PIMCO TotRetIs Vanguard TotStIdx Vanguard InstIdxI Fidelity Contra American Funds GrthAmA m American Funds CapIncBuA m American Funds IncAmerA x Vanguard 500Adml Vanguard TotStIAdm American Funds CpWldGrIA m American Funds InvCoAmA m Dodge & Cox IntlStk American Funds WAMutInvA m Dodge & Cox Stock Fidelity Magellan Putnam GrowIncA m Putnam MultiCapGrA m Janus RsrchT Janus WorldwideT d Fidelity Advisor HiIncAdvT m

Last 3.25 0.75 .00-.25

Pvs Week 3.25 0.75 .00-.25

0.003 0.03 0.98 2.02 3.05

0.003 0.04 0.80 1.85 2.85

Last

Wk Chg

Wk %Chg

YTD %Chg

12,294.00 5,053.29 462.94 7,518.66 2,265.70 2,618.64 1,265.33 13,274.05 747.98 3,547.64

+427.61 +147.03 +16.79 +281.00 +60.80 +63.31 +45.67 +462.64 +25.93 +94.35

+3.60 +3.00 +3.76 +3.88 +2.76 +2.48 +3.74 +3.61 +3.59 +2.73

+6.19 +6.23 -1.05 -.50 +14.31 +14.10 -5.59 -5.13 +2.60 +4.40 -1.29 -1.76 +.61 +.68 -.64 -.56 -4.55 -5.19 -3.64 -3.61

Australia Britain Canada Euro Japan Mexico Switzerlnd

Last

Pvs Day

.9858 1.5605 1.0206 .7666 78.02 13.8474 .9371

.9871 1.5678 1.0212 .7667 78.17 13.8253 .9364

British pound expressed in U.S. dollars. All others show dollar in foreign currency.

MUTUAL FUNDS

Total Assets Obj ($Mlns) CI 142,635 LB 62,801 LB 57,915 LG 56,073 LG 54,829 IH 54,764 MA 51,409 LB 51,226 LB 48,932 WS 45,594 LB 42,793 FV 37,794 LV 37,593 LV 36,876 LG 13,313 LV 4,086 LG 2,851 LG 1,307 WS 821 HY 510

CURRENCIES

12-mo %Chg

NAV 10.85 31.48 116.39 67.72 28.86 49.09 16.74 116.47 31.49 32.15 27.17 29.19 28.51 102.30 63.38 12.80 48.38 28.18 40.05 9.32

Total Return/Rank 4-wk 12-mo 5-year +1.0 +4.1/E +7.8/A +9.1 +1.6/B +0.4/B +9.1 +2.8/A 0.0/B +5.9 +0.2/B +2.8/A +6.3 -4.2/D -0.4/D +5.7 +3.0/A +1.0/C +7.1 +5.8/A +1.8/B +9.1 +2.8/A 0.0/B +9.1 +1.7/B +0.6/A +6.7 -7.3/C -0.6/B +8.1 -1.4/D -0.7/C +6.7 -15.6/E -3.3/A +9.8 +7.5/A +0.3/A +10.2 -3.5/D -3.9/E +7.9 -10.7/E -3.1/E +10.6 -3.9/D -3.9/E +7.0 -4.5/D -0.4/D +6.5 -3.6/D +3.0/A +6.7 -12.9/D -3.5/D +3.7 +0.1/E +4.5/D

Pct Min Init Load Invt NL 1,000,000 NL 3,000 NL 5,000,000 NL 2,500 5.75 250 5.75 250 5.75 250 NL 10,000 NL 10,000 5.75 250 5.75 250 NL 2,500 5.75 250 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 5.75 500 5.75 500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 4.00 2,500

CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA -Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.

A12

WEATHER

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Today

Tonight

Breezy, some P.M. clouds High: 43°

Partly cloudy Low: 28°

SUN AND MOON Sunrise Monday 7:56 a.m. ........................... Sunset tonight 5:18 p.m. ........................... Moonrise today 8:33 a.m. ........................... Moonset today 6:38 p.m. ........................... New

First

Full

Jan. 23

Jan. 1

Jan. 23

Monday

Tuesday

Partly cloudy High: 40° Low: 26°

Chance of rain and snow High: 38° Low: 33°

Wednesday

Thursday

Partly cloudy High: 40° Low: 25°

Partly cloudy High: 42° Low: 28°

Forecast highs for Sunday, Dec. 25

Sunny

Pt. Cloudy

Last

Air Quality Index

TROY •

Good

Moderate

Harmful

Main Pollutant: Particulate

Fronts

250

500

Peak group: Absent

Mold Summary 757

12,500

25,000

Top Mold: Ascospores Source: Regional Air Pollution Control Agency

GLOBAL Athens Bangkok Calgary Jerusalem Kabul Kuwait City Mexico City Montreal Moscow Sydney Tokyo Toronto

48 91 43 69 46 73 75 32 24 77 46 30

Cold

-10s

-0s

10s

20s 30s 40s

50s 60s

44 75 29 52 17 32 42 8 21 65 39 21

rn pc pc clr clr clr clr sn sn rn pc sn

Warm Stationary

70s

80s

Pressure Low

High

90s 100s 110s

Low: -20 at West Yellowstone, Mont.

NATIONAL CITIES Temperatures indicate Saturday’s high and overnight low to 8 a.m.

Pollen Summary

Columbus 27° | 43°

Dayton 27° | 43°

Yesterday’s Extremes: High: 86 at Fort Myers, Fla.

PA.

43° 28°

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+ Very High

Youngstown 27° | 40°

Mansfield 27° | 38°

Jan. 16

High

Cleveland 31° | 40°

Toledo 27° | 40°

Cloudy

Moderate

Sunday, December 25, 2011 AccuWeather.com forecast for daytime conditions, low/high temperatures

National forecast

Today’s UV factor.

Low

TODAY’S STATEWIDE FORECAST

MICH.

NATIONAL FORECAST

ENVIRONMENT

Minimal

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TDN-NET.COM

Hi Lo PrcOtlk 57 39 PCldy Atlanta Atlantic City 53 30 PCldy Austin 45 43 .02 Rain Baltimore 53 36 PCldy Boise 36 14 PCldy Boston 43 26 .01PCldy Buffalo 35 20 Clr Charleston,S.C. 74 48 Clr PCldy Charleston,W.Va.43 34 Charlotte,N.C. 63 34 PCldy Chicago 34 21 Clr Cincinnati 39 27 .02 Clr Cleveland 33 27 Cldy Columbus 40 32 .04PCldy Dallas-Ft Worth 44 39 Rain Dayton 36 24 PCldy Denver 34 20 Clr Des Moines 41 20 Clr Detroit 32 25 .01 Cldy Grand Rapids 34 30 .05 Cldy Greensboro,N.C. 60 33 PCldy 81 71 .04 Rain Honolulu Houston 56 47 Rain Indianapolis 41 26 Clr Kansas City 36 22 Clr Key West 81 73 PCldy

Hi Las Vegas 53 Little Rock 44 67 Los Angeles Louisville 42 Milwaukee 31 Mpls-St Paul 37 Nashville 42 New Orleans 59 New York City 49 Oklahoma City 41 Omaha 42 Orlando 85 Philadelphia 51 Phoenix 61 Sacramento 55 39 St Louis St Petersburg 77 Salt Lake City 36 San Antonio 48 San Diego 65 San Francisco 52 Seattle 49 Spokane 28 Syracuse 39 Tampa 80 Topeka 39 Tucson 50 Washington,D.C. 53

Lo Prc Otlk 34 Clr 31 Cldy 43 Clr 32 Clr 23 Clr 18 .02 Clr 35 PCldy 50 Cldy 30 PCldy 22 Cldy 20 Clr 63 Cldy 34 PCldy 40 Clr 27 Clr 27 Clr 65 Cldy 16 Clr 44 Rain 43 Clr 37 Clr 43 .02 Rain 20 Cldy 20 .06PCldy 67 Cldy 21 Clr 31 Clr 42 PCldy

Cincinnati 27° | 47° Portsmouth 27° | 49°

KY.

W.VA. ©

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

REGIONAL ALMANAC Temperature High Yesterday.............................38 at 5:13 a.m. Low Yesterday..............................31 at 9:40 p.m. Normal High .....................................................36 Normal Low ......................................................22 Record High ........................................59 in 1957 Record Low..........................................-8 in 1960

Precipitation 24 hours ending at midnight Friday .............trace Month to date ................................................4.75 Normal month to date ...................................2.31 Year to date .................................................56.13 Normal year to date ....................................40.24 Snowfall yesterday ........................................0.00

TODAY IN HISTORY Today is Sunday, Dec. 25, the 359th day of 2011. There are six days left in the year. This is Christmas Day. Today’s Highlight: On Dec. 25, 1991, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev went on television to announce his resignation as the eighth and final leader of a communist superpower that had already gone out of existence. On this date: In A.D. 336, the first recorded

celebration of Christmas on Dec. 25 took place in Rome. In 1818, “Silent Night,” written by Franz Gruber and Father Joseph Mohr, was performed for the first time, at the Church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria. In 1931, New York’s Metropolitan Opera broadcast an entire live opera over radio for the first time: “Hansel and Gretel” by Engelbert Humperdinck. In 1961, Pope John XXIII for-

mally announced the upcoming convocation of the Second Vatican Council, which opened in Oct. 1962. In 2009, passengers aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 foiled an attempt to blow up the plane as it was landing in Detroit by seizing a man who tried to set off explosives in his underwear. Five years ago: James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul,” died in Atlanta at age 73.

Francis

FURNITURE www.francisfurniture.net

2244799

2485 W. MAIN ST. (RT. 41) TROY • 937-440-1234 M-F 10-8, SAT 10-5, SUN 12:30-4:30

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VALLEY

B1 December 25, 2011

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM

Happy holidays from the Troy Daily News to our readers. Here’s the TDN editorial staff, posing for our annual Christmas photo: front row, from left, Arts and Entertainment Editor Katie Yantis and recent Tippecanoe High School intern Chelsea Hemmelgarn; middle row, from left, Chief Photographer Anthony Weber, Weekly Record Herald Editor Joyell Nevins, Education Reporter Melanie Yingst and iN75 Editor Lindy Jurack; and back row, from left, Weekend Editor Kathy Ording, City Editor Melody Vallieu, Reporter Ron Osburn, Executive Editor David Fong and Copy Editor Jim Davis. Sports Editor Josh Brown and Associate Sports Editor Colin Foster are not pictured.

Season’s Greetings

from the Troy Daily News news staff

t’s that time of year again — time for the Troy Daily News staff’s annual holiday greeting card to you, our loyal readers. First and foremost, thank you for reading. We wish all of you nothing but the best for the holidays and in the coming year. May all your days be filled with peace, love and hapiness. This year, the TDN staff — plus a few special guests — decided to share their Christmas lists. Did they get what they wanted today? Does it matter? So long as we have one another and dedicated readers such as yourself, we really don’t need much more from life:

David Fong, Executive Editor: As you likely already know, my beautiful daughter Sophie wants a puppy for Christmas. Her daddy, however, does not. I would, however, be up for the Fongs getting a pet honey badger for Christmas this year. Not the LSU cornerback and Heisman finalist Tyrann Mathieu, who is nicknamed “The Honey Badger,” but a real, live, honest-to-goodness honey badger. Why, you ask? Well, because the honey badger does what it wants. It just doesn’t care. Plus, honey badgers eat cobras. So not only would it be a good pet to have around Sophie and Max, it also would be a source of protection around the Fong household. So go ahead and keep your dogs and cats … I want a honey badger for Christmas this year! Melody Vallieu, City Editor: After a pretty good 41st birthday where my family purchased me a personalized iPad, I can’t imagine many material things that could top that in my life right now. It’s made my personal and professional life much easier with the ability to have it in my purse and keep up with things pretty much anywhere I am. I have been asking for world peace for more years than I can count, and, well, I’m asking again this year.

I also would like all of our soldiers to come home safely to their families, if not for the holidays, soon after. And a shout out to my cousin, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jake Stevens, stationed in Germany, who won’t make it home to share my living room on Christmas Day. We love you and are so proud! I also just want what every other normal human wants this season. My family and friends — including each and every one of my wonderful co-workers — to be healthy and safe. I want my daughter to thrive in nursing school, because it’s what she’s meant to do. And, my son to also continue to be a good student and work toward his own dreams. My 81-year-old mom is here for yet another Christmas celebration (you go, Phyllis!), and my father is always in our memories. And, as an animal lover, if you think you might have room in your heart — and your house — consider adopting a cat or dog from a nearby rescue. They’ll add years to your life. So celebrate the season and remember to give to others, it’s way more rewarding than giving to yourself. Kathy Ording, Weekend Editor: Hi, Santa. This is just a reminder of our conversation at the mall in early December, and my follow-up letter of the 15th. As I requested, I hope that

today as you made your way around the world delivering toys to all the good little girls and boys, you also did what you could about the following: On the world stage, I asked that you throw a little encouragement to the people of countries on the other side of the globe who managed to overthrow evil dictators this year, as they continue to find their way toward more democratic governments. Oh, and did you have that conversation with your pal Mother Nature about cooling it with the natural disasters? Here in the good old USA, could you help the politicians in Washington embrace a little of the Christmas spirit and quit their bickering? We here in middle America need them to work together to help us out of the recession we’re stuck in, not continue to stand tough along party lines for political gain, thus accomplishing absolutely nothing. Around Ohio, we need jobs. I know making all those toys at the North Pole keeps the elves gainfully employed, but if there is anything you can do to spur growth in the Buckeye State, it would be appreciated. As for me, I could use some patience as mine has worn a little thin; some willpower as I resolve in the New Year yet again to diet; and a refresher supply of kindness toward others as I know mine has been running low. Oh, and P.S., I would like to win the lottery, please. Anthony Weber, Chief Photographer: Sure, I could take a few minutes and be a tad on the selfish side and talk about “my me my” wish list. What does Tony Weber want? Let’s talk about a camera that is built at a performance rating

higher than a 10.2 megapixel and an iPad or a laptop that can be used when on location — whah! I mean come on OH! — why can’t we get a group win at the lottery so I could give a percentage of it to the Upper Room Worship Center for its new structure in Tipp City. You know, I also want a chance to have our 15-year old hound home again — just another day full of basset hound hugs for us would be nice. When it comes to the worldly things that surround us, I’ll pass them up. Those distractions cannot measure up to what I have already been given throughout the year. One of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received is family — that is where the spotlight should be anyway. As both my wife and I are working parents, we expect the best child care, and this year we found a facility more qualified and suitable for our needs,

• See CHRISTMAS on B2

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

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NATURAL WANDERS

Christmas is an end, and a beginning Christmas is the day that holds all time together. —Alexander Smith Christmas. The word, the day, the season — all are filled to the brim with memories, history, belief, tradition — and carry within them connotations of places and moments, hopes and dreams. They knit and tangle throughout our lives, even as they stretch around the world and are woven into the fabric of time. Christmas is one journey’s end and another’s beginning. It is both literal and metaphoric A destination we started aiming at three-hundred and sixty-four days ago…and one we’ll set our sights on anew with tomorrow’s rising sun. Gladys Tabor called Christmas a bridge, noting “we need bridges as the river of time flows past.” Indeed, Christmas is both personal and collective — a joyous occasion of giving and sharing, and at the same account, for some of us, a cornerstone of individual faith. “It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air,” said William Ellis. Historian and folklorist John

which follows the darkness — a spiritually-symbolic event, certainly, but also as defined by the plain and straightforward astronomical fact of the solstice. In both ways it serves to fulfill our fundamental desires and fervent longings. This need and waiting for the light was the reason for building the great mound at Jim McGuire that place we now call New Troy Daily News Columnist Grange, as well as countless other solstice-marking sites around the world. Nowadays, winter begins with it’s passage; Matthews succinctly captures but not too long ago, the solthe whole arc, the trajectory of this place we call Christmas. “It stice signified winter’s halfway point — the old Midwinter, of is within the darkness and the silence,” he says, “that the magic song and verse — and folks breathed a sigh of relief at its of Christmas starts…” coming, for it meant the road Darkness and silence. The from there on out led steadily deep, mysterious darkness of a downhill to another spring. winter’s night, where stars In the old days, amid the gleam amid this great, inscrutable canopy and even the depths of winter, the burning of the Yule Log became a symbolic greatest works of mankind are reminder of the importance of rendered no more significant fire and light. than a grain of wind-stirred Much of what might be sand upon the vast deserts of the ancient East. And silence — referred to as the botany of Christmas springs from the the fathomless silence of deep need to symbolize or celebrate space, the silence of snow upon life everlasting, the triumph of snow, the holy sacred silence of light over darkness. The most the earth-born divine. Christmas is truly that light common modern example, of

course, is the Christmas tree — though in reality, the custom of bringing a whole evergreen indoors, into our homes, and subsequently adorning it with various small objects and decorations, is really quite recent — having first been mentioned in the writing of an anonymous German citizen in 1605. However, it’s a good bet that even before recorded history, plants which stayed evergreen throughout the months of cold — thus defying winter’s “death” — were not only venerated for their powers of survival, but also carried inside and given places of honor within the home. Holly, ivy, mistletoe, and other plants found their way into Christmas because of this evergreen power over winter and darkness. Behind them lie the tradition from the Middle Ages of the Green King of Winter and his yearly battle for the hand of the Spring Maiden. Long before today’s ecological awareness movement, the leafhidden face of the ancient Green Man — carved in wood or stone, and often hidden high up in the shadows near the ridgepole of a church or abbey— looked down on the congrega-

tion below. Again, with this carved spirit-watcher came the idea of something mysterious and thoughtful amid the darkness. “The spirit of Christmas,” wrote Loring Schuler, editor of one of the leading magazines of the early Twentieth Century, “fulfils the greatest hunger of mankind.” Hooray! Today is Christmas! As Shakespeare wrote: Some say that ever gainst That season comes wherein Our Saviour’s birth is celebrated, The bird of dawning Singeth all night long. In the Bard’s day, Christmas lasted from Christmas Eve until Epiphany — hence the Twelve Days of Christmas. But as one author noted, “the Twelve Days of Christmas stand outside of ordinary time, and celebrations focus on the return of the sun as a continuation of the eternal cycle.” “It is here,” reiterates Matthews, “between the darkness and the light, that we wait, uncertain, seeking the moment that challenges us to believe in a freshly minted miracle born every Christmas day.” Merry Christmas!

Christmas • Continued from B1 one which provides a foundation in teaching the principles we all should follow. There were numerous first-times this year. Far too many to mention, but through countless prayers, our son had a victory after his first surgery. We heard the magical words, “daddy-do and mommy-moe,” but our son’s first word was, “Happy.” It wasn’t just happy, it was “Happy Happy!” When early December rolled around we learned how much celebrating we could do when our boy used his potty made for children. That was excitement far bigger than I would have ever imagined. It’s pretty simple, but it’s so much — sort of like having my feet in the sand and a recent winter tan. All I want and all I need is what I already have and best of all, I have the greatest gift, which is having a relationship with our Father — Jesus Christ. Ron Osburn, Reporter: Please bring me a 2012 Maserati Quattroporte, an iPhone 5, an iPad 3, a million dollars and a pair of white tube socks. Or world peace. However, if you can’t make any of those things happen, Santa, don’t worry. That’s just stuff I want. I don’t really need anything. I have my health, a great job, a car that runs and a beautiful daughter who makes me laugh and is the light of my life. I’ve got at least a dozen good, reliable friends, I have a church I feel comfortable in and my parents are still alive and well and live nearby, so it feels like I got most of the important things covered.

So don’t worry about me, Santa, I got what I need. But I see so many others in need in this world, so what I’d like this Christmas is to see you spread some gifts and some hope and some food and some laughter and peace and some of your famous Christmas cheer to those who are truly in need. And hey, if you want to come through on that world peace thing, feel free. That’s the kind of miracle we’re all looking for under the tree. Anyway, I pray for continued good health for me and my family and friends. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Santa, and to all your elves!! Your friend, Ron. Melanie Yingst, Reporter: This year for Christmas, I’ve already received the best gift of all: My very own live Christmas tree. Every year my dad and my son Evan track down the best of the best in holiday evergreens. Yet, this year, due to the rain, Dad had to improvise and purchase the trees at the last minute from a big box store. He allowed Evan to pick out our tree from the back of his pickup truck. Thanks to Evan’s excellent taste in Christmas trees (inherited from yours truly), we got the one with the straight trunk. My favorite memories of Christmas growing up was sitting in the living room with the lights off with only the lights on the Christmas tree glowing with all the ornaments in the perfect places. To some, a live Christmas tree may not be a big deal, but I haven’t had a real live Christmas tree of my own in the last decade. I’ve

always lived in a small apartment or had fake ones that didn’t quite produce the magic of a real live Christmas tree. So thank you Dad for the best Christmas gift of all and for making sure our first Christmas at our home is filled with wonderful memories that I hope Evan will remember forever. Merry Christmas! Jim Davis, Copy Editor: Dear Santa: Can you bring me some ice this year? Yup. Just some ice … the kind you can skate on. And you can drop it off at my dad’s place on Devil’s Lake in south central Michigan … maybe after you get done delivering all of those sweet gifts at Brady Hoke’s house in Ann Arbor. Our family gets together for a little non-competitive pond hockey the week after Christmas every year, and the past couple of winters have been fairly frosty. Blue skies, solid ice, bonfires and plenty of family time. Not a bad way to spend the holidays. So far this winter the lake is looking more like, well, a lake. So unless the mercury plunges or St. Nick gets my Christmas request, we may end up watching the waves roll in instead of lacing up our skates. So please, Santa, can you hook us up this Christmas? Besides, Ohioans aren’t too fond of winter anyway, so ship it north to the mitten state. Katie Yantis, Arts and Entertainment Editor: I have been blessed beyond measure this year. I have been shown love I have never

known, I have been able to experience events and moments I never thought I would with people that I would have never imagined I would have part of my life. I have been shown that when you trust, believe and hope anything is possible. When you try hard for the things you want, you get them and when you love with all of your heart you will feel things you have never felt before. I could ask for all the things the world shoves at us but I don’t care about them. I don’t want an iPhone, I don’t want an iPad, or any of the newfangled gadgets. All of those lose their sparkle and shine and fun. I don’t want a new house, I don’t want a puppy or a pony and I don’t want any money (although my bills being gone would be nice.) Santa, all I want for Christmas is for the blessings and love I have experienced this year to continue. All I want is to move and look forward, not back. What I really want Santa, is for the one thing (even though what I really want is not a thing) I have always been taught my entire 25 years on this plant to be true — “Love always prevails.” Josh Brown, Sports Editor: Well, since no one else wants gadgets like iPhones and iPads, give them to me … so I can BURN them. If it’s technology, I want real technology — not the gimmick machines that faux-tech company Apple routinely vomits out. Honestly, though, the only thing I want is for my wife Mandie to feel better. The greatest gift I could ever ask for is already on

the way and will be here sometime in July, as we are expecting our first child. But it’s been incredibly rough on her — any symptom imaginable, she’s had it. She’s frustrated 247 because she always feels like garbage, and I feel helpless much of the time because she still feels that way no matter what I do or how much support I give. I want a healthy baby, but also a healthy wife. She’s had the final day of her first trimester — the supposed end of the worst of it all — circled on the calendar for quite a while now, and my Christmas wish is for her to feel better once that hits. And if someone has to deal with all of this sickness and fatigue, make it me. Not her. She’s got more important things to do, make me deal with the bad part of it all. Colin Foster, Associate Sports Editor: Above all, I wish that Katie Yantis can become a better runner. For those of you who don’t know, we settled our differences in a race billed as “the war by the shore” in early November — a race I won by over three minutes. Yes … I beat a girl. But it was the greatest and most satisfying victory of my life. It was like Christmas came early for me. I’m only kidding, Katie. Aside from that, though, my only wish is for my parents, family, friends and co-workers to all have a great, safe and responsible holiday season. Merry Christmas to all! Lindy Jurack, iN75 Editor: Who better to ask for a GPS from than

Santa? In his line of work, the man must have the best one out there. Since I started doing iN75 earlier this year, I’ve been learning my way around Miami County, making wrong turns every now and then, and thinking I know where I’m going only to end up in the wrong place. I never saw the need to add a GPS to the evergrowing collection of technological devices that I hate figuring out how to use. I always relied on Google maps, but recently all they’ve done is made me slightly late for interviews and gotten me lost in downtown Dayton. I’m blessed to already have all the things I need and most of the things I want — a family that keeps expanding with little ones, a fiance who does the dishes and takes out the trash, and a dog who mostly knows where his bathroom is. All I’m asking for is a little direction. Chelsea Hemmelgarn, TDN Intern: Every day I have anxiously been waiting for an acceptance letter into Ohio University. I intended to ask for an acceptance letter for Christmas, but to my surprise, it ended up being a birthday gift. I fell in love with the campus and can’t express how excited I am to be a future Bobcat. Now, all I want for Christmas is good health for my family, and a surplus amount of chocolate to share. Christmas time is one of the few times where everyone in my family travels to my grandparents’ house to catch up with each other. I hope everyone’s Christmas is enjoyable!

More young people see job opportunities in farming agriculture programs has increased, as has interest in farmer-training programs. Young people are turning up at farmers markets and are blogging, tweeting and promoting their agricultural endeavors through other social media. The young entrepreneurs typically cite two reasons for going into farming: Many find the corporate world stifling and see no

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point in sticking it out when there’s little job security; and demand for locally grown and organic foods has been strong enough that even in the downturn they feel confident they can sell their products. Farming is inherently risky: Drought, flooding, wind and other weather extremes can all destroy a year’s work. And with farmland averaging $2,140 per

Holiday Bills Got You Down?

acre across the U.S. but two to four times that much in the Midwest and California, the start-up costs can be daunting. Still, agriculture fared better than many parts of the economy during the recession, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts record profits for farmers as a whole this year. “People are looking at

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vegetable farm. A nuclear engineer tired of office bureaucracy decided to get into cattle ranching in Texas. While fresh demographic information on U.S. farmers won’t be available until after the next agricultural census is done next year, there are signs more people in their 20s and 30s are going into farming: Enrollment in university

2239998

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Wisconsin factory worker worried about layoffs became a dairy farmer. An employee at a Minnesota nonprofit found an escape from her cubicle by buying a

farm income, especially the increase in asset values, and seeing a really positive story about our economy,” said USDA senior economist Mary Clare Ahearn, citing preliminary statistics. “Young people are viewing agriculture as a great opportunity and saying they want to be a part of it.” That’s welcome news to the government. More than 60 percent of farmers are over the age of 55, and without young farmers to replace them when they retire the nation’s food supply would depend on fewer and fewer people. “We’d be vulnerable to local economic disruptions, tariffs, attacks on the food supply, really, any disaster you can think of,” said Poppy Davis, who coordinates the USDA’s programs for beginning farmers and ranchers.

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Chefs offer secrets for getting kids to eat, try new foods BY LAURA REILEY St. Petersburg Times Fanae Aaron was a set designer for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being John Malkovich,â&#x20AC;? a model maker for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fight Clubâ&#x20AC;? and a draftswoman for the cult film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Memento.â&#x20AC;? A dramatic role the movie-industry veteran wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite sure how to fill? Chief cook and nutritionist for her young son, Cody. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When my son was born, I was an older mom,â&#x20AC;? she said by phone from her home in the Hollywood Hills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I guess we think differently, are a bit more studied. When it came time to feed Cody solid food, I knew there was a right way, but I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what that was. I figured professional chefs would have good strategies for feeding their kids.â&#x20AC;? Thus, the idea for â&#x20AC;&#x153;What Chefs Feed Their Kidsâ&#x20AC;? was born. It has been a long ride â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cody is now 5-1/2 and the book was published last month by Globe Pequot Press. Aaron tracked down eminent chefs around the country, talking to them about what, and how, they feed their own children. The resulting book is a compendium of recipes, tips and strategies organized by age. Recognizing that babies eat differently from toddlers and from tweens, Aaron chose to divide it into sections: 0-1 infancy; 1-2-1/2 after purees; 2-1/25 preschoolers; 5-8 big kids; and 8-11 adolescence. But the real brilliance of the book is the chefs she managed to entice into the project. She assembled Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barbara Lynch, New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marc Murphy, Piero Selvaggio of Valentino fame, BT Nguyen of Restaurant BT in Tampa, Fla., and Zack Gross of Z Grille in St. Petersburg, Fla. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted to find chefs from around the country who were dedicated to feeding their kids and who were insightful. I was looking for chefs with different parenting styles and different backgrounds,â&#x20AC;? Aaron says of her choices.

Nguyen, who contributed a number of recipes to the book, including Vietnamese Shaken Beef and Lemongrass Risotto, has strong opinions about how to acclimate kids to new foods. Her kids donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat fast food, and for years she brought them hot lunch at school most days. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Never give kids limitations, never be afraid to introduce them to new things. My secret word to my kids is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;try.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; My son, James, who is 9, is a little more timid, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll always try â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he can spit it out. Never push, but encourage.â&#x20AC;? Gross, who contributed straight-up kid-friendly recipes including Strawberry Pancakes, feeds his daughter four evenings a week while his wife oversees the restaurant. In preschool, 4-yearold Zen has entered a â&#x20AC;&#x153;pickier,â&#x20AC;? impressionable stage, so Gross and his wife are careful about expressing their food dislikes around her. Still, Gross tries not to get hung up on â&#x20AC;&#x153;goodâ&#x20AC;? foods and â&#x20AC;&#x153;badâ&#x20AC;? foods. The only offlimit food for Zen? Soda, because, as Gross says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so addictive.â&#x20AC;? In fact, according to Aaron, this sense of â&#x20AC;&#x153;no limitsâ&#x20AC;? may be a defining credo among chef parents. In researching the book, the author found that chefsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; children are more willing to try different things, the result of having parents who routinely throw open the whole pantry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chefs donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say to themselves, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m eating with kids, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mac â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cheese,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;? says Aaron. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has been surprising what kids choose to eat when you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t restrict them.â&#x20AC;? Still, Grossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; best advice is not to beat yourself up too much if a kid prefers the allures of popcorn, chocolate and cotton candy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything in moderation,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sure, I want her to be as adventurous as possible. But you can only be a little kid once.â&#x20AC;?

PARENTING/FIFTY PLUS

Sunday, December 25, 2011

BPA in packaging can be hard to avoid BY ANNIE SIEBERT Pittsburgh Post-Gazette As concerns grow over the use of bisphenol A, or BPA, in consumer products ranging from water bottles to food cans, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s already being phased out of certain items. But that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean the average American can get through a day without exposure to BPA, a chemical that could cause a range of health issues, including reproductive problems, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and behavioral The 2003-04 issues. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found detectable levels of BPA in 93 percent of 2,517 urine samples from people 6 years and older. The chemical is contained in polycarbonate plastics, making them tough and lightweight compared to glass. These include some food and drink packaging, compact discs, impact-resistant safety equipment and medical devices. BPA is also used in epoxy resins to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops and water supply pipes. BPA is often found in thermal paper receipts. People often store receipts alongside paper money, contaminating currency with the chemical, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology in September. KurunthaKannan, a chalam with the researcher Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Health and an author of the study, noted that 52 samples of paper currency from 21 countries all were tainted with BPA. According to the Bisphenol A Global Industry Group, the first reported synthesis of BPA, from phenol and acetone, was from Thomas Zincke of the University of Marburg,

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BPA can be found in common pantry items. Germany, in 1905. In 1953, Hermann Schnell of Bayer in Germany and Dan Fox of General Electric in the U.S. independently developed manufacturing processes for a new plastic material, polycarbonate, using BPA as the starting material. Polycarbonate plastic was found to have a unique combination of useful properties â&#x20AC;&#x201D; optical clarity, shatter-resistance and high heat-resistance â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which later made polycarbonate part of everyday life in a variety of products, the industry group says on the website www.bisphenola.org. Commercial production began in 1957 in the U.S. and in 1958 in Europe. BPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s widespread use in manufacturing was noted in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency action plan on bisphenol A, dated March 2010. Production volume of the chemical in the U.S. was estimated at 2.4 billion pounds in 2007, with an estimated value of almost $2 billion. A Harvard School of Public Health study looked at another potential source of daily exposure for Americans â&#x20AC;&#x201D; canned food. The study linked consuming canned soup to elevated BPA levels.

... manufacturers are starting to phase BPA out of some products, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a long way from being BPA-free. Jenny Carwile, the studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead author, noted that manufacturers are starting to phase BPA out of some products, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a long way from being BPAfree. A long-term study published in the journal Pediatrics looked at exposure to BPA in the womb and how it can affect childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behavior. The researchers found an association with behavioral difficulties, but only in girls. Boys, for reasons unknown to the researchers, showed less hyperactive behavior, said Joe Braun, Harvard Public Health researcher and the studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead author. Studies in animals have shown, though not consistently, that BPA may affect behaviors differently in males and females because BPA acts like a hormone, Braun said. The National Resources Defense Council filed a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2008 requesting a ban on BPA in any

packaging that would come in contact with food. When the agency did not respond, NRDC filed a suit asking the court to intervene and require the FDA to respond. In a Dec. 7 settlement with the NRDC, the FDA committed to decide by March 31 whether BPA should be banned from use in food and drink packaging. In the meantime, Kannan says people who work as cashiers and come into contact with thermal receipt paper throughout the day should wear gloves or wash their hands. To determine if a plastic container contains BPA, look at the bottom of the container. A â&#x20AC;&#x153;7â&#x20AC;? in the recycling symbol means it might contain BPA. If it says â&#x20AC;&#x153;PCâ&#x20AC;? below the recycling symbol, it definitely contains BPA, Carwile said. Braun and Carwile also recommend taking reasonable steps to avoid canned goods when possible.

Money-smart retirement: 9 tips for sound spending Retirement tests everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money skills. Seniors have to stretch savings over as much as three decades, face steep health care costs and have few ways to make up for any shortfall. For most, savvy spending habits are simply a must. But being smarter about money goes beyond sticking to a budget and checkbookbalancing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about spending not just carefully but meaningfully. The profligate spending of years past just doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel good in a financially constrained era, especially at an older age, says 66year-old retiree Lynn Colwell of Renton, Wash. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just so overwhelmed with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;stuffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,â&#x20AC;? says Colwell, a retired life coach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To myself and other seniors Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spoken to, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem as necessary or as important as it used to.â&#x20AC;? Their finances can be challenging, but retirees donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to Dumpster dive in order to substantially cut their spending. These nine money-saving tips can be a great starting point: 1. Control prescription costs. Think generics and store brands. It can cost more than three times as much to fill a brand-name prescription than a generic equivalent. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a smaller but still significant savings to be had by buying store brands of over-thecounter medicines, too. Joining store discount programs will compound your savings. Pharmacy, grocery and big-box chains offer them, usually for an annual fee.

Also take a look at Consumer Reportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Buy Drugsâ&#x20AC;? website, which mixes education with consumer tips. 2. Join a club. Retiree couples or singles may think they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have enough food or shopping needs to join a warehouse club. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not necessary to buy in bulk to save enough to quickly cover the $40 or $50 annual fee. Non-food items from books to clothes to electronics and gasoline are discounted at places like Costco and Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club, and they can stock up on nonperishable grocery items. 3. Save on travel costs. Planes, trains and automobiles â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to find deals on all three. Air travel discounts for seniors arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t what they were a decade ago, when those over 62 could get 10 percent off most fares. But some carriers still offer special prices in certain markets. American, Continental, Delta and United all offer senior discounts on certain flights, and Southwest has them on its flights for those 65 or older, according to Cheapflights.com. Such tickets sometimes cost more than the airlinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; online-only specials, however. Amtrak provides 15 percent discounts for those 62 or older. And retirees can find senior prices on auto rentals as well as hotels, tours and cruises through AARPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s active discount travel program. One real gem is the $10 lifetime pass issued by the

National Park Service that admits seniors 62 or older and their travel companions for free to most U.S. national parks, monuments and recreation areas. 4. Re-evaluate insurance coverage. Retirees should evaluate their auto, homeowners, life, disability and any other insurance annually and try to find lower premiums, discounts or other potential price cuts. If in doubt, call the insurer and ask for a reduction. Review deductibles on all policies and get price quotes to see what the rate would be if, for example, the auto insurance deductible was bumped from $500 to $1,000. Those who still have life insurance and grown independent children, might consider dropping coverage. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in your mid-50s or older, consider getting longterm care insurance â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it could be hundreds of dollars a year cheaper than if you wait.

5. Seek out senior specials. Many businesses offer senior discounts, but you may have to ask. Savings can be substantial; for example, AMC Theaters and Carmike Cinemas give seniors a 35 percent savings. One good place to check is Sciddy.com, a new daily deals site for seniors. It offers deals in several categories from automotive and beauty to pet services and more. 6. Get serious about coupons. Even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t master â&#x20AC;&#x153;extreme couponing,â&#x20AC;? whose practitioners can get a shopping cartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of goods for a pittance, learning how to categorize, combine and maximize the coupons you find online and elsewhere can pay off in huge savings. Restaurant coupons are particularly popular with seniors and others living on a limited budget. But the biggest coupon savings can

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ensures they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to come to your rescue someday. 9. Think secondhand. Borrow, swap or hit garage sales and thrift stores. Make a habit of checking your local version of Freecycle, http://www.freecycle.org, a nonprofit network focused on â&#x20AC;&#x153;keeping good stuff out of landfills,â&#x20AC;? or check the listings for free and secondhand items on Craigslist. This approach is at the core of the eco-friendly principles of reduce, reuse and recycle. It can make retirees feel good while protecting their pocketbook.

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be had on groceries. 7. Go local. Take advantage of opportunities in your community. See plays and concerts for free by volunteering as an usher. Use your local library more. Besides books, CDs and DVDs, some libraries now have ereaders you can check out. And most offer great free programs for all ages from movies and lectures to various performers. 8. Limit family spending. Even if it sounds heartless, cut back on gifts and spending on kids and grandkids. Remember, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in their best interest; keeping your finances in order

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Sunday, December 25, 2011 • B4

RIGHT: This undated photo courtesy of Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce shows St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tarpon Springs, Fla. Tarpon Springs, 45 minutes northwest of Tampa, boasts one of the largest per-capita concentrations of Greek-Americans in the country among its modest population of 22,000.

E p i p h a n y fe s t i v a l d raw s c rowd s to Tarpon Springs AP PHOTO/TARPON SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — In a spectacle repeated every Jan. 6 for more than a century, dozens of teenage boys set out from the stately Greek Orthodox cathedral in this Florida Gulf Coast town to seek God’s blessing in the chilly waters of a bayou several blocks away. They dive off row boats and, in a chaotic flailing of arms and legs, grope in the murky water for a wooden cross tossed in by a priest. The one lucky enough to surface with it earns instant celebrity status, a ride through the streets on the shoulders of his peers and the GreekAmerican boys believe the favor of God in the coming year. The Tarpon Springs “Cross Dive” is the centerpiece of what locals call the largest Epiphany event in the Western Hemisphere, celebrating the day Orthodox Christians believe Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan. Equal parts religious ceremony and community jubilee, it is the signature festival for the waterfront village that draws tourists year-round to its working sponge docks and colorful assortment of Greek restaurants and shops. Tarpon Springs, 45 minutes northwest of Tampa, boasts one of the largest per-capita concentrations of Greek-Americans in the country among its modest population of 22,000. (About 8,000 in town claim such status.) And the Mediterranean influence is everywhere, from the dome of the grand St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral downtown to the intricate murals on the walls outside the shops that line Dodecanese Boulevard across the street from the sponge docks. The city’s population will at least double for the cross dive and Greek festival that follows on Jan. 6. Sixty boys will dive in Spring Bayou this year, with the cross likely thrown by Archbishop Demetrios Trakatellis, leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in America. The boys are 16, 17 and 18 years old, and participation is limited to members of the handful of Greek Orthodox churches in the Tampa Bay area. “We actually receive requests from all around the country from youths who want to participate,” says Nick Mantzanas, this year’s Epiphany committee chairman, who dove for the cross himself as a teen two decades ago, as did his father before him.

IF YOU GO … • TARPON SPRINGS EPIPHANY CELEBRATION: Jan. 6. http://www.epiphanycity.org • TARPON SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: http:// tarponspringschamber.com/ • GETTING THERE: Tarpon Springs is about 25 miles from Tampa International Airport, which is served by most major airlines.

sponges, took the oomph out of the industry here, but the community has fiercely maintained its culture and Greek heritage. Tourism is now the area’s leading industry, but professional sponge divers still ply the waters off the coast of Tarpon Springs, as deep as 150 feet, for sponges that are sold in the dockside shops and all over the world via the Internet. A short walk from the sponge docks is an historic, active downtown popular with tourists and antique hunters. Besides eating and shopping at the sponge docks, visitors can board sightseeing or charter fishing boats for a few hours out on the Gulf of Mexico. A unique attraction here is the venerated painting known as “The Weeping Icon of St. Nicholas” in the Greek Orthodox cathedral. Kept under glass in an elaborately carved enclosure, the image inexplicably “wept” at Christmastime for three consecutive years in the early 1970s. The droplets that appeared were never explained, and at the time the Greek Archdiocese in New York termed it a “phenomenon beyond human comprehension.” St. Nicholas is the patron saint of the area’s sponge fishing community, as well as AP PHOTO/STEVE NESIUS, FILE the cathedral. The business and culture of This Jan. 6, 2006, file photo shows Jack Vasilaros, 16, as he holds up the cross after diving for it in Spring Bayou during the Feast of the Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs, Fla. The Tarpon Tarpon Springs revolves around Springs “Cross Dive” is the centerpiece of what has grown to be the largest Epiphany event in the the Epiphany festival and getting ready for the next one. Western Hemisphere. “It brings people to Tarpon Springs who might not normally grants followed to establish Tarpon Springs, incorporated the United States. come here or even thought of According to the city’s official restaurants, candy shops, coffee in 1887, began life as a getaway coming here,” says Sue Thomas, houses and grocery stores to history, a man named John for rich people from the North. serve the sponge-fishing commu- president of the local chamber of Sponges eventually were discov- Corcoris arrived in Tarpon commerce. “They see the downnity. Springs in 1896 as a sponge ered in the area, and by the town, they go to the sponge Blights of the sponge beds in buyer from New York. He was 1890s sponge-packing houses docks. We hear it over and over. were going up on the docks. The hired to make the industry more the 1930s and ’40s, along with We love it.” the introduction of synthetic sponge business eventually shift- efficient, introducing the first mechanized sponge fishing boat ed its center from Key West, and bringing in 500 Greek divers Cuba and the Bahamas to Tarpon Springs, and by the turn from Kalymnos, Halki, Sumi, Hydra, Spetses, Aegina and other of the century the city was considered the largest sponge port in Greek islands. More Greek immi-

AP PHOTO/STEVE NESIUS, FILE

AP PHOTO/TARPON SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

This Jan. 6, 2006, file photo shows divers as they run down the dock to jump into Spring Bayou for This undated photo courtesy of Tarpon Springs Chamber of the diving of the cross during the Feast of the Epiphany celebration in Tarpon Springs, Fla. Commerce shows a diver statue in Tarpon Springs, Fla. mecha

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CHART TOPPERS Billboard Top 10 1. We Found Love, Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris. SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG. 2. Sexy And I Know It, LMFAO. Party Rock/will.i.am/Cherrytree/Inte rscope. 3. It Will Rain, Bruno Mars. Summit/Chop Shop/Elektra/Atlantic. 4. Good Feeling, Flo Rida. Poe Boy/Atlantic. 5. The One That Got Away, Katy Perry. Capitol. 6. … in Paris, Jay Z Kanye West. Roc-AFella/Roc Nation/Def Jam/IDJMG. 7. Someone Like You, Adele. XL/Columbia. 8. Without You, David Guetta Featuring Usher. What A Music/Astralwerks/Capitol. 9. Moves Like Jagger, Maroon 5 Featuring Christina Aguilera. A&M/Octone/Interscope. 10. 5 O’Clock, T-Pain Featuring Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen. Konvict/Nappy Boy/Jive/RCA. The Billboard Top Albums 1. Christmas, Michael Buble. 143/Reprise/Warner Bros. 2. 21, Adele. XL/Columbia/Sony Music. 3. Under The Mistletoe, Justin Bieber. SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Island/IDJMG. 4. El Camino, The Black Keys. Nonesuch/Warner Bros. 5. Own The Night, Lady Antebellum. Capitol Nashville. 6. Here And Now, Nickelback. Roadrunner. 7. Take Care, Drake. Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Republic. 8. Concerto: One Night In Central Park, Andrea Bocelli. Sugar/Decca. 9. Clear As Day, Scotty McCreery. 19/Mercury Nashville/IGA/UMGN. 10. Lioness: Hidden Treasures, Amy Winehouse. Universal Republic. Hot Adult Contemporary Songs 1. All I Want For Christmas Is You, Michael Buble. 143/Reprise/Warner Bros. 2. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, Michael Buble. 143/Reprise/Warner Bros. 3. All I Want For Christmas Is You (SuperFestive!), Justin Bieber Duet With Mariah Carey. SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Island/IDJMG. 4. Have A Holly Jolly Christmas, Michael Buble. 143/Reprise/Warner Bros. 5. Fa La La, Jim Brickman Featuring Olivia Jade Archbold. Somerset/Mood. 6. Mistletoe, Justin Bieber. SchoolBoy/Raymond Braun/Island/IDJMG. 7. The Heart Of Christmas, Matthew West. Sparrow/Capitol. 8. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Michael Buble. 143/Reprise/Warner Bros. 9. Someone Like You, Adele. XL/Columbia. 10. Just A Kiss, Lady Antebellum. Capitol Nashville/Capitol.

ENTERTAINMENT

Sunday, December 25, 2011

FILM REVIEW Fighters. Roswell/RCA. 6. Monarchy Of Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Warner Bros. 7. Face To The Floor, Chevelle. Epic. 8. Dark Horses, Switchfoot. lowercase people/Atlantic. 9. Aberdeen, Cage The Elephant. DSP/Jive/RCA. 10. After Midnight, Blink182. DGC/Interscope. Hot Country Songs 1. Keep Me In Mind, Zac Brown Band. Southern Ground/Atlantic/Bigger Picture. 2. Tattoos On This Town, Jason Aldean. Broken Bow. 3. Easy, Rascal Flatts Featuring Natasha Bedingfield. Big Machine. 4. Let It Rain, David Nail. MCA Nashville. 5. I Don’t Want This Night To End, Luke Bryan. Capitol Nashville. 6. Drink In My Hand, Eric Church. EMI Nashville. 7. We Owned The Night, Lady Antebellum. Capitol Nashville. 8. You, Chris Young. RCA. 9. All Your Life, The Band Perry. Republic Nashville. 10. Reality, Kenny Chesney. BNA. Top Country Albums 1. Own The Night, Lady Antebellum. Capitol Nashville. 2. Clear As Day, Scotty McCreery. 19/Mercury Nashville/IGA/UMGN. 3. My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean. Broken Bow. 4. Speak Now: World Tour Live CD + DVD, Taylor Swift. Big Machine. 5. Clancy’s Tavern, Toby Keith. Show Dog-Universal. 6. Speak Now, Taylor Swift. Big Machine. 7. Tailgates & Tanlines, Luke Bryan. Capitol Nashville. 8. The Band Perry, The Band Perry. Republic Nashville/Universal Republic. 9. Four The Record, Miranda Lambert. RCA/SMN. 10. You Get What You Give, Zac Brown Band. Southern Ground/Roar/Bigger Picture/Atlantic/AG. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 1. Lotus Flower Bomb, Wale Featuring Miguel. Maybach/Warner Bros. 2. … in Paris, Jay Z Kanye West. Roc-AFella/Roc Nation/Def Jam/IDJMG. 3. Party, Beyonce Featuring Andre 3000. Parkwood/Columbia. 4. Dance, Big Sean Featuring Nicki Minaj. G.O.O.D./Def Jam/IDJMG. 5. Make Me Proud, Drake Featuring Nicki Minaj. Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Republic. 6. She Will, Lil Wayne Featuring Drake. Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Republic. 7. That Way, Wale Featuring Jeremih & Rick Ross. Maybach/Warner Bros. 8. Headlines, Drake. Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Republic. 9. Can’t Get Enough, J. Cole Featuring Trey Songz. Roc Nation/Columbia. 10. You The Boss, Rick Ross Featuring Nicki Minaj. Maybach/Def Jam/IDJMG.

AP PHOTO/20TH CENTURY FOX, NEAL PRESTON

In this film image released by 20th Century Fox, Scarlett Johansson, left, and Matt Damon is shown in a scene from “We Bought a Zoo.”

Charming and understated ‘We Bought a Zoo’ wears its heart on its sleeve BY CHRISTY LEMIRE AP Movie Reviewer Sometimes, reacting to a movie is all about the expectations you bring with you walking into it. “We Bought a Zoo” is about a family that ... buys a zoo. It’s as high-concept as you can get, outside of maybe “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” or “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry,” and it’s equally straightforward in wearing its heart on its sleeve. We know to expect this ahead of time because “We Bought a Zoo” comes from Cameron Crowe, the writer-director of “Say Anything …,” ”Jerry Maguire,” ”Almost Famous” and, more recently, the 2005 flop “Elizabethtown.” We know there will be some poignantly phrased life lessons in store for this family as they struggle to reconnect after the mother’s death. The whole exercise could have been agonizingly mawkish, and/or filled with cheap, lazy animalpoop jokes. And yet, it’s not. It’s actually surpris-

ingly charming and more emotionally understated than the material would suggest, and a lot of that has to do with Matt Damon’s performance. He is an actor incapable of faking it, one who cannot mail it in, and so he brings great authenticity and gravitas to the role of Benjamin Mee, a widower and father of two. (“We Bought a Zoo,” which Crowe co-wrote with Aline Brosh McKenna, is based on a true story with some tweaks.) Six months after his wife died of cancer, Benjamin is struggling to move on. He’s having trouble dedicating himself to his career as a Los Angeles newspaper columnist and finds himself squabbling with his troublemaking teenage son, Dylan (Colin Ford); meanwhile, his younger daughter, Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), is an impossibly adorable angel. Benjamin thinks a change of scenery might help, so he quits his job and moves the family to a rustic, rambling house on

18 acres outside the city. Seems perfect except for the fact that the land includes an animal park that has fallen into disrepair. Since Benjamin is a writer and not a zoologist, he has no idea what he’s doing. He gets some help from the park’s ragtag, hippie crew, led by Scarlett Johansson as the hottest zookeeper on the planet. Moving to a zoo (spoiler alert!( eventually helps everyone reconcile. No big shocker there. And no, this does not occur through the mystical power of the animals radiating positive vibes to the universe. The lions and tigers and bears are mercifully free of cloying anthropomorphism. Basically, father and son are just stuck in the middle of nowhere and the necessity for teamwork thrusts them back together. Dylan also makes friends with the only other kid his age on the grounds, the ebullient Lily, played by Elle Fanning. Yes, “We Bought a Zoo” is sentimental and overlong, and full of obligatory fish-out-of-water physical

humor. But everyone is so good in it, especially Damon, who brings real emotional truth to his character’s grieving process, that it’s hard not to be won over. Johansson has a no-nonsense likability about her performance, and the suggested romance between her character and Damon’s, while easy to predict, isn’t milked for easy heart-tugging. It’s a beautiful film, too: Everything is bathed in this sort of magical sunlight, the work of cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (“Brokeback Mountain,” ”Lust, Caution”), which enhances the sensation that anything is possible. This is the first feature from Crowe since the heavyhanded, overly quirky “Elizabethtown,” and while it’s not a complete return to form, it’s close enough. “We Bought a Zoo,” a 20th Century Fox release, is rated PG for language and some thematic elements. Running time: 123 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Crowe returns with enthusiasm

NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh off an inspired writing session, Cameron Crowe is pulsing with enthusiasm. He spent the previous night sitting outside New York’s Plaza Hotel, a spot that made him recall one of his first trips to New York as a teenage journalist for Rolling Stone in which he stayed at the Plaza while chronicling a Led Zeppelin tour. Mainstream Rock Songs “I was just thinking, 1. Face To The Floor, ‘Man, it’s like no time has Chevelle. Epic. passed,’ says Crowe. “This 2. Buried Alive, Avenged is the future time. That’s Hot Rap Songs Sevenfold. what it was. You always 1. … in Paris, Jay Z Hopeless/Sire/Warner Bros. wonder, ‘In the future Kanye West. Roc-A3. Bottoms Up, time, what will this all Nickelback. Roadrunner/RRP. Fella/Roc Nation/Def mean? What will it all 4. The Collapse, Adelitas Jam/IDJMG. amount to?’ That was kind 2. Dance, Big Sean. Way. Virgin/Capitol. of the revelation of last G.O.O.D./Def Jam/IDJMG. 5. A Warrior’s Call, night: Here I am. And it 3. Headlines, Drake. Volbeat. Vertigo/Universal feels like no time.” Young Money/Cash Republic. After six years of uncerMoney/Universal Republic. 6. The Sound Of Winter, 4. Work Out, J. Cole. Roc tainly, the present is feelBush. Zuma Rock/eOne. ing good for Crowe, the Nation/Columbia. 7. Not Again, Staind. 5. Make Me Proud, Drake writer-director of earnest, Flip/Atlantic. Featuring Nicki Minaj. Young personal films such as 8. Narcissistic Cannibal, “Say Anything …” and Korn Featuring Skrillex & Kill Money/Cash “Jerry Maguire.” He’s back The Noise. Roadrunner/RRP. Money/Universal Republic. with his first feature film 6. Lotus Flower Bomb, 9. Remember Everything, since 2005’s critical and Wale Featuring Miguel. Five Finger Death Punch. box-office misfire Maybach/Warner Bros. Prospect Park. “Elizabethtown”: “We 7. She Will, Lil Wayne 10. What You Want, Bought a Zoo,” an Featuring Drake.Young Evanescence. Wind-up. unabashedly warmhearted Money/Cash family film about a father Money/Universal Republic. Alternative/Modern Rock (Matt Damon) who, after 8. Sexy And I Know It, Tracks his wife dies of cancer, LMFAO. Party 1. Lonely Boy, The Black Rock/will.i.am/Cherrytree/Int impulsively buys a runKeys. Nonesuch/Warner down zoo to re-energize erscope/Universal. Bros. himself and his two kids. 9. Can’t Get Enough, J. 2. Paradise, Coldplay. “I don’t look at the time Cole Featuring Trey Songz. Capitol. post-“Elizabethtown” as the Roc Nation/Columbia. 3. The Sound Of Winter, bottom of the roller coaster,” 10. That Way, Wale Bush. Zuma Rock. says the perpetually writing Featuring Jeremih & Rick 4. Cough Syrup, Young Crowe. “I kind of look at it The Giant. Roadrunner/RRP. Ross. Maybach/Warner Bros. 5. These Days, Foo as a gathering time.”

AP PHOTO/CHARLES SYKES

In this Dec. 9 photo, director Cameron Crowe poses for a portrait in New York. Crowe's latest film, “We Bought a Zoo,” is based on a memoir by Benjamin Mee about how he purchased a dilapidated zoo on the English countryside. In those years, Crowe plotted a film about Marvin Gaye that failed to get off the ground (he hopes to still make it), scripted an adaptation of David Sheff’s “Beautiful Boy” and “Tweak” (a pair of books about an addict father and his son) and made two music documentaries (the Pearl Jam retrospective “Pearl Jam Twenty” and “The Union,” about Elton John’s collaboration with Leon Russell). He was also divorced from his wife of 24 years, Nancy Wilson of the band Heart, with whom he has 11-year-old twin sons. Crowe says Wilson remains a “close collaborator” with the children, and that he eagerly voted for Heart in this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The parallels with “We Bought a Zoo” which

includes moving scenes of Damon’s character fondly reminiscing about his wife aren’t lost on Crowe. “This movie is about keeping souvenirs of a lost love,” says Crowe. “Even in the broken relationships or people that have died or moved on, there’s valuable luggage to be kept that guides the future.” Crowe, himself, is a big collector. His largest collections might be his LPs and various music memorabilia, such as treasured set lists and ticket stubs. But he also keeps things from his movies. The boombox John Cusack raised over his head in “Say Anything …” sits in his garage. His most cherished item is a signed Vans sneaker from Sean Penn, who played the Vans-wearing stoner Spicoli in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” Crowe’s

first script. Though no masterpiece, “We Bought a Zoo” is considerably better than its title and plot synopsis suggest. It’s a rare film Crowe has directed but hasn’t written (he shares screenplay credit with Aline Brosh McKenna, who adapted Benjamin Mee’s autobiographical book), and it bears many hallmarks of the director. Last week on “The Daily Show,” Damon, realizing the movie didn’t sound like the most artistic enterprise, took to shouting at the crowd the simple justification: “Cameron Crowe directed it!” That’s often all a film has needed to draw moviegoers. In person, Crowe has many of the qualities of his films: He’s uncommonly upbeat, sincere and utterly engaging. Over a lunch interview, he’s as likely to learn about a reporter as the reporter is to learn about him. He’s one of few famous Twitter users who uses it almost exclusively to reply personally to fans. When Damon first met Crowe (he came to Austin, Texas, while Damon was making “True Grit”), he asked himself, “Is this for real?” “But that is him and it’s a beautiful thing,” says Damon. “It’s not that he looks at the world with rose-colored lenses. He’s realistic, too. He just chooses to engage with the world from that place of joy instead of cynicism.”

VALLEY

Sunday, December 25, 2011

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TDN-NET.COM

DATES TO REMEMBER TODAY • DivorceCare seminar and support group will meet from 6:30-8 p.m. at Piqua Assembly of God Church, 8440 King Arthur Drive, Piqua. Child care provided through the sixth-grade. • COSA, an anonymous 12-step recovery program for friends and family members whose lives have been affected by another person’s compulsive sexual behavior, will meet in the evening in Tipp City. For more information, call 4632001. • AA, Piqua Breakfast Group will meet at 8:30 a.m. at Westminter Presbyterian Church, corner of Ash and Caldwell streets, Piqua. The discussion meeting is open. • AA, Troy Trinity Group meets at 7 p.m. for open discussion in the 12 Step Room at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 1550 Henley Road, Troy. • AA, open meeting, 6 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, corner of Ash and Caldwell streets, Piqua. Alley entrance, upstairs. • AA, Living Sober meeting, open to all who have an interest in a sober lifestyle, 7:30 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, corner of Ash and Caldwell streets, Piqua. • Narcotics Anonymous, Winner’s Group, will meet at 5 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Ave., Troy. Open discussion . • Narcotics Anonymous, Poison Free, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 202 W. Fourth St., third floor, Greenville. • Narcotics Anonymous, Never Alone, Never Again, 6:30 p.m., First Christian Church, 212 N. Main St., Sidney • Teen Talk, where teens share their everyday issues through communication, will meet at 6 p.m. at the Troy View Church of God, 1879 Staunton Road, Troy. • Singles Night at The Avenue will be from 6-10 p.m. at the Main Campus Avenue, Ginghamsburg Church, 6759 S. County Road 25A, Troy. Each week, cards, noncompetitive volleyball, free line dances and free ballroom dance lessons. Child care for children birth through fifth grade is offered from 5:45-7:45 p.m. each night in the Main Campus building. For more information, call 667-1069, Ext. 21. MONDAY • Christian 12 step meetings, “Walking in Freedom,” are offered at 7 p.m. at Open Arms Church, 4075 Tipp Cowlesville Road, Tipp City. • Shallow water aerobics will be offered from 8-9 a.m. or 11 a.m. to noon at the Lincoln Community Center, 110 Ash St., Troy. For more information, call Carmen Pagano at (469) 667-3059 or 335-3059. • An evening grief support group meets the second and fourth Monday evenings at 7 p.m. at the Generations of Life Center, second floor, 550 Summit Ave., Troy. The support group is open to any grieving adult in the greater Miami County area and there is no participation fee. Sessions are facilitated by trained bereavement staff. Call 573-2100 for details or visit the website at homc.org. • AA, Big Book discussion meeting will be at 11 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Road, Troy, in the 12 Step Room. The discussion is open to the public. • AA, Green & Growing will meet at 8 p.m. The closed discussion meeting (attendees must have a desire to stop drinking) will be at Troy View Church of God, 1879 Old Staunton Road, Troy. • AA, There Is A Solution Group will meet at 8 p.m. in Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, County Road 25-A, Ginghamsburg. The discussion group is closed (participants must have a desire to stop drinking). • AA, West Milton open discussion, 7:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, rear entrance, 1209 S. Miami St. Non-smoking, handicap accessible. • Al-Anon, Serenity Seekers will meet at 8 p.m. in the 12 Step Room at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Road, Troy. The discussion meeting is open. A beginner’s meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. • Alternatives: Anger/Rage Control Group for adult males, 7-9 p.m., Miami County Shelter, 16 E. Franklin St., Troy. Issues addressed are physical, verbal and emotional violence toward family members and other persons, how to express feelings, how to communicate instead of confronting and how to act nonviolently with stress and anger issues. • Mind Over Weight Total Fitness, 6-7 p.m., 213 E. Franklin St., Troy. Other days and times available. For more information, call 339-2699. • TOPS (Take Off Pounds

Sensibly), 6 p.m., Zion Lutheran Church, 11 N. Third St., Tipp City. New members welcome. For more information, call 667-6436. • Troy Noon Optimist Club will meet at noon at the Tin Roof restaurant. Guests welcome. For more information, call 440-9607. • Weight Watchers, Westminster Presbyterian, Piqua, weigh-in is at 5 and meeting at 5:30 p.m. • Parenting Education Groups will meet from 6-8 p.m. at the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, 16 E. Franklin St., Troy. Learn new and age-appropriate ways to parent children. Call 3396761 for more information. There is no charge for this program. • Narcotics Anonymous, Hug A Miracle, will meet at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Brethren, 1431 W. Main St., Troy, use back door. • Narcotics Anonymous, Inspiring Hope, 12:30 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Road, Troy. • Sanctuary, for women who have been affected by sexual abuse, location not made public. Must currently be in therapy. For more information, call Amy Johns at 667-1069, Ext. 430 • Miami Valley Women’s Center, 7049-A Taylorsville Road, Huber Heights, offers free pregnancy testing, noon to 4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. For more information, call 236-2273. • Pilates for Beginners, 8:309:30 a.m. and 5:30-6:30 p.m. at 27 1/2 E. Main St., Tipp City. For more information, call Tipp-Monroe Community Services at 667-8631 or Celeste at 669-2441. • Next Step at Noon, noon to 1 p.m. at Ginghamsburg South Campus, ARK, 7695 S. County Road 25-A, one mile south of the main campus. • Al-Anon, “The Language of Letting Go, Women’s Al-Anon,” will be at 6:45 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church, Franklin and Walnut streets, Troy. Women dealing with an addiction issue of any kind in a friend or family member are invited.

family members and other persons, how to express feelings, how to communicate instead of confronting and how to act nonviolently with stress and anger issues. Call 3396761 for more information. • Narcotics Anonymous, Just For Tuesday, will meet at 7 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Ave., Troy. This is an open discussion. • Narcotics Anonymous, Unity Group, 7 p.m., Freedom Life Ministries Church, 9101 N. County Road 25-A, Piqua. Open discussion. • Public bingo, license No. 010528, will begin with early birds at 7 p.m. and regular bingo at 7:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge No. 833, 17 W. Franklin St., Troy. Use the Cherry Street entrance. Doors open at 5 p.m. Instant tickets also will be available. • Public bingo — paper and computer — will be offered by the Tipp City Lumber Baseball organization from 7-10 p.m. at the West Milton Eagles, 2270 S. Miami St., West Milton. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and concessions will be available. Proceeds will benefit the sponsorship of five Little League baseball teams. For more information, call 543-9959. • The Knitting Group meets at 6:30 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at the Bradford Public Libary, 138 E. Main St., Bradford. All knitters are welcome or residents can come to learn. • DivorceCare will be every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Troy Church of the Nazarene, State Route 55 and Barnhart Road, Troy. The group is open to men and women. For more information, call Patty at 440-1269 or Debbie at 335-8397. • Christian 12-Step, 7-8:30 p.m. at Ginghamsburg South Campus, ARK, 7695 S. County Road 25-A, one mile south of the main campus.

TUESDAY

• Shallow water aerobics will be offered from 8-9 a.m. or 11 a.m. to noon at the Lincoln Community Center, 110 Ash St., Troy. For more information, call Carmen Pagano at (469) 667-3059 or 335-3059. • Skyview Wesleyan Church, 6995 Peters Road, Tipp City, will offer a free dinner at 6:15 p.m. Bible study will begin at 7 p.m. • The “Sit and Knit” group meets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tippecanoe Weaver and Fibers Too, 17 N. 2nd St., Tipp City. All knitters are invited to attend. For more information, call 667-5358. • The Milton-Union Senior Citizens will meet the second and fourth Wednesday 1 p.m. at 435 Hamilton St., West Milton. Those interested in becoming members are invited to attend. Bingo and cards follow the meetings. • Grandma’s Kitchen, a homecooked meal prepared by volunteers, is offered every Wednesday from 5-6:30 p.m. in the activity center of Hoffman United Methodist Church, 201 S. Main St., West Milton, one block west of State Route 48. The meal, which includes a main course, salad, dessert and drink, is $6 per person, or $3 for a children’s meal. The meal is not provided on the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s. • The Kiwanis Club will meet at noon at the Troy Country Club, 1830 Peters Road, Troy. Non-members of Kiwanis are invited to come meet friends and have lunch. For more information, contact Bobby Phillips, vice president, at 3356989. • The Troy American Legion Post No. 43 euchre parties will begin at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 339-1564. • The Toastmasters will meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at American Honda to develop to help participants practice their speaking skills in a comfortable environment. Contact Eric Lutz at 332-3285 for more information. • AA, Pioneer Group open discussion will meet at 9:30 a.m. Enter down the basement steps on the north side of The United Church Of Christ on North Pearl Street in Covington. The group also meets at 8:30 p.m. Monday night and is wheelchair accessible. • AA, Serenity Island Group will meet at 8 p.m. in the Westminster Presbyterian Church, corner of Ash and Caldwell streets, Piqua. The discussion is open. • AA, 12 & 12 will meet at 8 p.m. for closed discussion, Step and Tradition meeting, in the 12 Step Room, Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Road, Troy. • AA, open discussion, 8 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, corner of Ash and Caldwell streets, Piqua. Use the alley entrance, upstairs. • Al-Anon, Trinity Group will meet at 11 a.m. in the 12 Step Room at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Road, Troy.

• Deep water aerobics will be offered from 9-10 a.m. or 6-7 p.m. at Lincoln Community Center, 110 Ash St., Troy. For more information, call Carmen Pagano at (469) 6673059 or 335-2715. • A teen support group for any grieving teens, ages 12-18 years in the greater Miami County area is offered from 6-7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings at the Generations of Life Center, second floor, 550 Summit Ave., Troy. There is no participation fee. Sessions are facilitated by trained bereavement staff and volunteers. Crafts, sharing time and other grief support activities are preceded by a light meal. • Mothers of Preschoolers, a group of moms who meet to unwind and socialize while listening to information from speakers, meet the second and fourth Tuesday from 6:15-8:30 p.m. Single, married, working or stay-at-home moms are invited. Children (under 5) are cared for in MOPPETS. For more information, contact Michelle Lutz at 440-9417 or Andrea Stapleton at 339-8074. • The Miami Shelby Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society will meet at 7:30 p.m. at Greene Street United Methodist Church, 415 W. Greene St., Piqua. All men interested in singing are welcome and visitors always are welcome. For more information, call 778-1586 or visit the group’s Web site at www.melodymenchorus.org. • Divorce Care, 7 p.m. at Richards Chapel, 831 McKaig Ave., Troy. Video/small group class designed to help separated or divorced people. For more information, call 335-8814. • AA, women’s meeting, 8-9 p.m., Dettmer’s Daniel Dining Room. • AA Tuesday night meeting, 7 p.m., Troy Church of the Brethren, 1431 W. Main St., Troy. • AA, The Best Is Yet To Come Group will meet at 11 a.m. in the 12 Step Room at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Road, Troy. The discussion is open. • AA, Tipp City Group, Zion Lutheran Church, Main and Third streets at 8 p.m. This is a closed discussion (participants must have a desire to stop drinking). • Al-Anon, 8:30 p.m. Sidney Group, Presbyterian Church, corner North and Miami streets, Sidney. • AA, 7 p.m. at Troy Church of the Brethren, 1431 W. Main St., Troy. Open discussion. • An Intermediate Pilates class will be from 9-10 a.m. and 6-7 p.m. at 27 1/2 E. Main St., Tipp City. For more information, call Tipp-Monroe Community Services at 667-8631 or Celeste at 669-2441. • Women’s Anger/Rage Group will meet from 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays at the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, 16 E. Franklin St., Troy. Issues addressed are physical, verbal and emotional violence toward

WEDNESDAY

• Men’s Anger/Rage Group will meet from 6-8 p.m. at the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, 16 E. Franklin St., Troy. Issues addressed are physical, verbal and emotional violence toward family members and other persons, how to express feelings, how to communicate instead of confronting and how to act nonviolently with stress and anger issues. Call 339-6761 for more information. • A Domestic Violence Support Group for Women will meet from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, 16. E. Franklin St., Troy. Support for battered women who want to break free from partner violence is offered. There is no charge for the program. For more information, call 339-6761. • Narcotics Anonymous, Inspiring Hope, 12:30 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Road, Troy. • Children’s Creative Play Group will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County, 16 E. Franklin St., Troy. School-age children will learn appropriate social interactions and free expression through unique play therapy. There is no charge for this program. More information is available by calling 339-6761. • Narcotics Anonymous, 7:30 p.m., Spirit of Recovery, Church of the Brethren, 1431 W. Main St., Troy. • Weight Watchers, Suite 2600, Stouder Center, Troy, at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. For more information, call (800) 374-9191. • Overeaters Anonymous will meet at 7:30 p.m. at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 9100 N. Main St., State Route 48, between Meijer and Samaritan North. For other meetings or information, call 2526766 or (800) 589-6262, or visit the Web site at www.region5oa.org. • Miami Valley Women’s Center, 7049-A Taylorsville Road, Huber Heights, offers free pregnancy testing, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 236-2273. • A Pilates Beginners group matwork class will be from 5:306:30 p.m. at 27 1/2 E. Main St., Tipp City. For more information, call Tipp-Monroe Community Services at 667-8631 or Celeste at 6692441. • Safe People, 7-8:30 p.m., Ginghamsburg Church, SC/DC 104. Find guidance for making safe choices in relationships, from friendships to co-workers, family or romance. Learn to identify nurturing people as well as those who should be avoided. Call Roberta Bogle at 667-4678 for more information. • Boundaries, 7-8:30 p.m., Ginghamsburg Church, ARK 200. A 12-week video series using Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. Offers practical help and encouragement to all who seek a healthy, balanced life and practice in being able to say no. For more information, call Linda Richards at 667-4678. • The Troy Lions Club will meet at 7 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center. For more information, call 335-1923. • A free employment networking group will be offered from 8-9 a.m. each Wednesday at Job and Family Services, 2040 N. County Road 25-A, Troy. The group will offer tools to tap into unadvertised jobs, assistance to improve personal presentation skills and resume writing. For more information, call Steven Kiefer at 570-2688 or Justin Sommer at 440-3465. THURSDAY • Deep water aerobics will be offered from 9-10 a.m. or 6-7 p.m. at Lincoln Community Center, 110 Ash St., Troy. For more information, call Carmen Pagano at (469) 6673059 or 335-2715. • Parents are invited to attend the Corinn’s Way Inc. parent support group from 7-8:30 p.m. each Thursday. The meetings are open discussion. • Tipp City Seniors, meet at noon; bring a covered dish for lunch; programs are held one or two times a month. For more information, call 667-8865. • Best is Yet to Come open AA meeting, 11 a.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 S. Dorset Road, Troy. • Weight Watchers, Suite 2600, Stouder Center, Troy, at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call (800) 374-9191. • AA, Tri-City Group meeting will take place 8:30-9:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of the former Dettmer Hospital. The lead meeting is open. For more information, call 3359079. • AA, Spirituality Group will meet at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Troy. The discussion is open. • Recovery International, a selfhelp group for adults of any age suffering from panic, anxiety, depression or other nervous or

mental disorders, will meet every Thursday from 6-7:45 p.m. at the Troy-Miami County Public Library, 419 W. Main St., Troy. The organization is not meant to replace the advice of physicians, but can be a useful tool in developing good mental health through will training. There is no charge to attend, but free will donations are taken. For more information, call 473-3650 or visit the group’s Web site at www.LowSelfHelpSystems.org. • Health Partners Free Clinic will offer a free clinic on Thursday night at the clinic, 1300 N. County Road 25-A, Troy. Registration will be from 5:30-7 p.m. No appointment is necessary. The clinic does not accept medical emergencies, but can refer patients to other doctors and can prescribe medication. Call 3320894 for more information. • Narcotics Anonymous, NAIOU, 7:30 p.m., Church of the Brethren, 1431 W. Main St., Troy. • Preschool story hours will be from 10-11 a.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. at the Bradford Public Library, 138 E. Main St., Bradford. • Weight Watchers, 6 p.m., Zion Lutheran Church, Tipp City. For more information, call 552-7082. FRIDAY • Shallow water aerobics will be offered from 8-9 a.m. or 11 a.m. to noon at the Lincoln Community Center, 110 Ash St., Troy. For more information, call Carmen Pagano at (469) 667-3059 or 335-3059. • AA, Troy Friday Morning Group will meet at 11 a.m. in the 12 Step Room at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1550 Henley Road, Troy. The discussion is open. • AA, open discussion, 8 p.m. in the Salvation Army, 129 South Wayne St., Piqua. Use parking lot entrance, held in gym. • Narcotics Anonymous, Clean and Free, 8 p.m., Dettmer Hospital, 3130 N. County Road 25-A, Troy. Open discussion. Fellowship from 7-8 p.m. • A Pilates Intermediate group matwork class will be held from 910 a.m. at 27 1/2 E. Main St., Tipp City. For more information, call Tipp-Monroe Community Services at 667-8631 or Celeste at 6672441. • Weight Watchers, Suite 2600, Stouder Center, Troy, at 10 a.m. For more information, call (800) 374-9191. • A singles dance is offered every Friday from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Christopher Club, Dixie Highway, Kettering, sponsored by Group Interaction. The dance is $6. For more information, call 640-3015 or visit www.groupia.org. • Christian Worship Center, 3537 S. Elm Tree Road, Christiansburg, hosts a Friday Night Bluegrass Jam beginning at 7 p.m. each Friday. Homemade meals are available beginning at 6:30 p.m. Participants may bring instruments and join in. A small donation is requested at the door. For more information or directions, call 857-9090 or 631-2624. SATURDAY • Recovery Too Al-Anon meetings are offered at 8:30 p.m. at Ginghamsburg Church, main campus, Room 117, S. County Road 25-A, Tipp City. • AA, Men’s Meeting will meet at 8:30 a.m. at the new First Lutheran Church, corner of Washington Road and State Route 41. The meeting is closed (members must have a desire to stop drinking). • AA, Troy Winners Group will meet at 8:30 p.m. in the 12 Step Room at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 1550 Henley Road, Troy for discussion. The meeting is open. • AA, Troy Beginners Group meets at 7 p.m. in the 12 Step Room at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 1550 Henley Road, Troy. This is an open discussion meeting. • Weight Watchers, Westminster Presbyterian, Piqua, meeting at 9 a.m., weigh-in at 9:30 a.m. • Pilates for Beginners (Introduction), 9:15-10:15 a.m. at 27 1/2 E. Main St., Tipp City. For more information, call Tipp-Monroe Community Services at 667-8631 or Celeste at 669-2441. • Narcotics Anonymous, Saturday Night Live, 8 p.m., St. John’s Lutheran Church, 120 W. Water St., Sidney. • Relapse Prevention Group, 5:30-6:45 p.m. at The Avenue, Room 504, at Ginghamsburg Main Campus, 6759 S. County Road 25A. • The Next Step, a worship celebration for people on the road to recovery, 7 p.m. at Ginghamsburg Main Campus Sanctuary, 6759 S. County Road 25-A. • Yoga classes will be offered from 10-11 a.m. at the First United Church of Christ, Troy. The public is invited.

AMUSEMENTS

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM

Limited, ultra, deluxe: The box set gains favor BY CHRIS TALBOTT Associated Press Musical box sets, encapsulating a portion or all of an artist’s catalog, are hardly a new trend. They’ve been around for decades. But as labels begin to search for more sources of income, they’re increasingly using yesterday’s hits to help today’s bottom line, from multi-disc deluxe editions of your favorite old album to over-the-top collections of obscurities complete with cool little tchotchkes. And they’re also reaching new heights in pricing. Love U2 beyond measure? There’s the new “Achtung Baby” uber-deluxe edition, a limited, numbered box set that originally retailed for $650. It includes six CDs, four DVDs, a new documentary, a magnetic puzzle box, five clear 7-inch vinyl singles, 16 art prints, an 84-page book, a sticker sheet and a pair of Bono’s bug-eyed sunglasses, among many other things. Tony Bennett fans can own his entire recorded output more than 1,000 of his songs spread across 73 discs and three DVDs in “Tony Bennett: The Complete Collection,” original price around $400. Elvis fans willing to pay the $750 list price for “The Complete Elvis Presley Masters” 30-disc set last year took home more than 800 songs every master released in chronological order plus more than 100 rarities and a book by Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick. Josh Walker, an assistant manager at Nashville record store Grimey’s New and Preloved Music, recently sold about 20 copies of The Beach Boys’ “The Smile Sessions” box set (he was among the buyers). Walker says the real gems in the box-set world are the ones that come reimagined and packing truly over-the-top rare items. He calls the Beach Boys set, named Spin Magazine’s reissue of the year, “beautiful.” Inside there’s the double-disc set of the original music, three more CDs of all the sessions with Brian Wilson orchestrating the music, a vinyl copy of the original album, two 7-inch single replicas and a coffee table book with Wilson’s insights. “The packaging is above and beyond,” Walker said. “It looks exactly like a storefront and it’s got this little window and it’s inset with these little people selling smiles. So from the get-go, the package is nice.” Single albums getting the box set and deluxe reissue treatment like “Smile” are the biggest trend. You can get the expanded edition of The Rolling Stones’ “Some Girls” for around $150, too. Similarly priced releases this year included Nirvana’s 20th anniversary “Nevermind” box set and Pink Floyd’s “immersion” set for “The Dark Side of the Moon.” But these don’t even come close to the most elaborate items out there. Legacy Recordings, which put out the Presley and Bennett box sets, also released the $20,000 “Fifteen Minutes: Homage to Andy Warhol.” Creator Jeff Gordon is quick to point out the deluxe edition, which includes three CDs, four vinyl LPs and 17 signed original silkscreens, is a unique creation for artworld collectors. Only 85 were made and they are selling, Gordon said.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

SUNDAY CROSSWORD

DON’T DELAY

ACROSS 1. Hold — — your hat! 5. Tether 10. Rough 15. Cafeteria item 19. Crook, for short 20. Auricles 21. Hold forth 22. Teeming place 23. Nanny 24. Start of a quip by Johnny Carson: 3 wds. 27. Computer 29. Rec room game 30. Moon of Saturn 31. The coxae 33. Campgrounds 35. Goes around 39. Much less: 2 wds. 43. Drugged 45. Eye part 46. Part 2 of quip: 3 wds. 48. Thought 50. Like temperate ones 51. Edging 52. Air 53. Action-movie requisites 55. Father 56. Halfhearted 58. Claw 60. Recurring theme 62. Demographics variable 63. Stage setting 65. “The best — schemes...” 67. Type of monkey 68. Part of SSS: abbr. 69. Part 3 of quip: 3 wds. 73. Pennysaver items 76. Sword 77. Nova 78. Puts through a sieve 82. Small companion 83. Glacial ice mass 85. Chosen 88. Art exhibition 90. Eskers 92. More subject to risk 94. Platform 96. Carson’s replacement 97. Coins 99. Parking lot sign 100. Part 4 of quip: 3 wds. 102. The Queen of Soul 104. Chunk 106. Wife of Orpheus 107. Soft 109. Chase anagram 111. Fruit with a hard rind 112. Type of boat 114. Fortunetelling aid 116. Tutor of Nero 120. End of the quip: 3 wds. 125. Ferrum 126. Tandoor 127. Cry of delight 128. “— — of a Tub” 129. Taj Mahal site 130. Wheal 131. Demonstrated

132. Musical sounds 133. Some votes

DOWN 1. Hyalite 2. Roundworm prefix 3. Golf hazard 4. Of the eye 5. Streetlight support 6. Greek letter 7. Saharan 8. “— Marner” 9. Outing in a wagon 10. Help a neighbor, in a way: hyph. 11. Abbr. in schedules 12. Transported 13. Step 14. Bully 15. Death in Greek myth 16. Outfit 17. — Maria 18. You can be sure! 25. Palindromic name 26. Spade and Hudson 28. Unctuous

32. Muzzle’s place 34. Stonecrop genus 36. Bones 37. Vim 38. Wraparound garments (var.) 39. Latvian 40. — seal 41. Something worthless 42. Lab burner 44. Signify 47. Greeting 49. Old Greek dialect 53. Globular glass 54. Shankar’s specialty 57. Dummies 59. Lummoxes 61. The end 64. Caught a certain way 66. Timer part 70. Typeface feature 71. Demitasse cousin 72. Belief 73. Like a garter snake 74. Streetcar name 75. Flower part 79. Scottish

80. Tropical resin 81. Kind of boom 84. Eyelashes 86. Etui 87. Temporary halt: hyph. 89. “— But the Lonely Heart” 91. Uncommunicative 93. Charged particle 95. Accents 98. Grain bundle 100. Ogles: 2 wds. 101. Ballyhoo 103. Irks 105. Spiced tea beverage 108. The Pentateuch 110. — voce 113. Repeat 115. Federal agent: hyph. 117. Reasoner’s word 118. Meltdown site 119. Duck genus 120. Pull 121. “— Got You Under My Skin” 122. Life — Honey 123. And —! 124. Beer

BOOK REVIEWS

Book details author’s quest to make new friends times. But more often than not, Bertsche’s skill as a writer and the myri“MWF Seeking BFF: ad ways she finds potenMy Yearlong Search for tial dates keep things interesting. She asks cura New Best Friend” (Ballantine Books), by rent friends to set her up, approaches prospects at Rachel Bertsche: Making friends shouldn’t her yoga class and neighborhood restaurant, signs be complicated. We’ve up for a speed-friending been doing it since we event, consults a friend were kids, right? But for many of us, as matchmaker and, demonstrating she’s willing to a new book points out, “friend-making is not the give anything a shot, even natural process it used to tries a Rent-a-Friend website. be.” Chicago transplant The book is also pepand journalist Rachel pered with intriguing Bertsche discovers this research on topics like the hard way when she finds herself without close what makes friends click, how many friends we friends to speak of, two need and the health beneyears after moving. She fits of having friends. comes up with a game plan to change her situa- (“Researchers found that tion go on one friend date having low levels of cona week over the next year, nection is comparable to smoking fifteen cigarettes 52 in all. a day or being an alco“MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a holic, more harmful than New Best Friend” chroni- not exercising and twice as harmful as obesity.”) cles Bertsche’s quest. If The audience for this reading about several kind of a book is probably dozen meet-ups sounds limited. But Bertsche like a drag, it can be at BY RASHA MADKOUR AP Book Reviewer

seems to have a clear idea of her target audience. She gives no explanation when referring to the likes of Regina George (the lead bully in the 2004 movie “Mean Girls”), but feels the need to include this parenthetical comment when mentioning Gallup: “You know, the company that conducts all those polls.” For all the book’s weaknesses the gimmicky premise, the repetitive comparisons between her old friends and new friends, the sometimes tiring accounts of dates a reader cannot help but root for Bertsche, cheer her successes and consider trying out some of her ideas. RIGHT: In this book cover image released by Ballantine Books, “MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend,” by Rachel Bertsche, is shown. AP PHOTO/BALLANTINE BOOKS

Nesbo’s ‘Leopard’ a spot-on Nordic thriller decide to create one. And finally, I wondered what type of guy Nesbo has to be “The Leopard” (Alfred to conjure up something so psychotic. A. Knopf), by Jo Nesbo: Whatever Nesbo is (his After finishing Jo Nesbo’s bio describes him as a musilatest crime novel, “The cian, songwriter, economist Leopard,” I rushed to look up whether one of the dead- and author who lives in Oslo, Norway), he can spin ly devices described in it, the Leopold’s Apple, is real. a good tale. “The Leopard” is meaty, gripping, full of First, I was relieved to tantalizing twists and AP PHOTO/ALFRED A. KNOPF learn that it isn’t real. “The Leopard,” by Jo Then, I was worried that another reminder of why Besbo, is shown. Scandinavian thrillers someone might actually BY NAHAL TOOSI AP Book Reviewer

deserve the long-overdue international attention they are getting. Nesbo also relies on a flawed hero in several of his books, including “The Leopard.” His name is Harry Hole, a drunken, often drugged-up Oslo detective with a talent for sniffing out serial killers. In “The Leopard,” Hole is dragged back to Norway from self-exile in Hong Kong after the murders of

two women who seem to have little in common other than how they were killed. Then, more victims pile up, killed in different ways, and it is up to Hole to discern a pattern and find the culprit. That’s the generic way of describing it, but without giving too much away, I can say that the book also involves the Congo, a deeply troubled father-son relationship, unrequited love, avalanches and sex.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ENGAGEMENTS

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TDN-NET.COM

ANNIVERSARY

Silvers, Hawk engaged to marry DeBrosse, Stager to wed in May Jackson, Matheny marry TIPP CITY — Amby Brooke Silvers and Dustin Michael Hawk, both of Tipp City, announce their engagement and plans to marry. She is the daughter of Tim and Heidi Silvers of Tipp City. He is the son of Mike and Cherie Hawk of Tipp City. The bride-elect is a 2005 graduate of Tippecanoe High School, and a 2009 graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene. She works as a dental hygienist in Springboro at Settlers Walk Dental Care. Her fiance is a 2005 graduate of Tippecanoe High School, and a 2010 graduate of Bowling Green State University with a bachelor of science degree in general business. He also was a four-

year varsity letter winner for baseball and was captain his senior year, leading Bowling Green to back-to-back MAC championships. He is employed with Mike Hawk Homes. The couple plan a Dec. 31, 2011, wedding.

PIQUA — The engagement of Jessica DeBrosse of Piqua and Sam Stager of Troy is announced by her parents, Dan and Beth DeBrosse of Piqua. He is the son of Ray Stager of Troy and Steve and Jayne Brown of Bradford. The bride-elect is a 2004 graduate of Piqua High School, and a 2011 graduate of Marietta College with a master’s degree in physician assistant studies. She is a physician assistant at Versailles Medical Center. Her fiance is a 2005 graduate of Troy High School. He is team leader at Komyo America.

The couple have set a May 26, 2012, wedding date.

Reduce heartburn, make wise food choices BY JOANNA CHAU Scripps Howard News Service The holidays invite excessive eating. But once the turkey, ham and all the trimmings are consumed, many are stricken with a distinct discomfort in their bellies or chest, a feeling probably caused by acid reflux. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or acid reflux, is a common and chronic digestive condition brought on by a weakened lower esophageal sphincter — the valve between the stomach and esophagus — that allows stomach acid to back up, or reflux, into the esophagus. Heartburn is the No. 1 symptom. Other symptoms include chest pain, problems swallowing, sore throat, coughing and wheezing, according to the American

Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. An estimated 30 million Americans suffer from acid reflux. Making smart choices during the holiday eating frenzy will minimize problems, say two physicians in Naples, Fla. Gastroenterologist Shardul Nanavati and neurologist David Perlmutter, an American College of Nutrition fellow, suggest avoiding certain types of food and drinks: Fatty foods: Rich, fatty foods are a major culprit. Too much fat slows the process of food digesting and exiting the stomach. Heavier foods sit in your stomach longer and require more acid for digestion, Nanavati said. Stay away from heavy casseroles, gravy, stuffing and fried items. High carbohydrate foods: Perlmutter said

carbs decrease stomach acidity. With less acid, the valve that lets the stomach empty to the intestine doesn’t open as widely. This leads the stomach to become overfull and causes acid reflux. Pass on the mashed potatoes and high-carb desserts, such as cakes and cookies. Alcohol: Too much stomach acid can trigger reflux. Alcohol increases acid secretions, Nanavati said. A glass of wine or Champagne won’t hurt. But the more you drink, the more chances of symptoms. Carbonated beverages: Sodas and anything with carbonation increases stomach acids. They have a direct link to gastric distention, a condition that brings on reflux. Citric foods: Citrus fruits and others that have the acid for flavor-

ing and preserving are also trouble. Citric acid causes reflux because the stomach — but not the esophagus — is designed to withstand the additional acid from citrus foods. So steer clear of cranberry sauce. Caffeine and chocolate: “Those things tend to irritate the valve that goes into the stomach and make it less efficient at its job,” Perlmutter said. Think twice about that after-dinner coffee and chocolate petits fours. Some foods may help reduce reflux, Perlmutter said. He recommends eating “good fats,” such as those found in as extra virgin olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, grass-fed beef and fish, which has healthy Omega-3 fats. “Good fats open the valve and allows the stomach to empty,” he said.

TROY — Amanda Elizabeth Jackson and Kyle Taylor Matheny were united in marriage at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 22, 2011, at Salem Church of the Brethren, with Evan Garber officiating. The bride is the daughter of Joe and Cheryl Jackson of Troy. Rusty Matheny of Eaton is the father of the groom. The bride wore a white A-line strapless dress with beading, and carried a bouquet of orange flowers. Bridesmaids were Breanna Baker, Lauren Lightcap, Megan Moore and Jami Llyod. Ring bearers and flower girls were Lee Morrow, Noah Matheny, Marissa Llyod and Kayla Rogers. Best man was Russell Matheny. Groomsmen were Dennis Rogers, Clint Llyod, Sam Jackson and Dan House. A reception was held at St. Paul Catholic

Church in Englewood. The couple took a honeymoon cruise. The bride attended Wilmington College and studied agriculture education/agriculture business. She is employed by Crop Production Services. The groom attended Miami Valley Career Technology Center and Eaton High School. He is employed by GTI as a forklift driver. The couple reside in Greenville.

ANNIVERSARY

Younts celebrate 65 years TROY — Roger and Alice Yount are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary. As lifelong residents of Troy, they raised all three of their children here, Roger Yount II, Becky Brunsman and Shelly Houser. They enjoy their six grandchil-

dren and four greatgrandchildren.

Wishing You A Blessed Holiday Season! THE SARVER FAMILY OF FUNERAL HOMES

JACKSON - SARVER Family Funeral Home

HALE - SARVER Family Funeral Home

JACKSON - SARVER Family Funeral Home

Covington

West Milton

Pleasant Hill

Brian Sarver - Owner

Jim Sarver - Owner

Brian Sarver - Owner

Covington's New Offices, New Casket Selection Room and New Lounge will be completed March 2012

West Milton's Funeral Home's Complimentary "Hale House" Bed & Breakfast available for out of town funeral home guest.

Pleasant Hill's Offices, New Casket Selection Room and Lounge will be completed March 2012

Serving our local communities with dignified and compassionate service for over 5 generations. We are available at our Covington office, Pleasant Hill office or West Milton office or in your home for at need or pre-need arrangements 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 2242173

For Home Delivery, call 335-5634 • For Classified Advertising, call (877) 844-8385

APARTMENTS • AUCTIONS • HOMEPAGE FINDER • NEW LISTINGS • OPEN HOUSES

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TODAY

December 25, 2011

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM

Discover the

Advantage “Custom Built Quality At An Affordable Price.” www.keystonehomesintroy.com

937-332-8669

2240780

MORTGAGE WATCH

Average 30-year mortgage rate a record 3.91 pct. WASHINGTON (AP) — The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell to a record 3.91 percent this week, the third time this year that rates have hit new lows. Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average on the 30-year home loan fell from 3.94 percent the previous week. The 3.91 percent rate is the lowest average for long-term fixed mortgages on records dating to the 1950s The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage was unchanged this week at 3.21 percent. That’s also a record. Low rates offer a historic opportunity for those who can afford to buy a home or refinance. But many Americans either can’t take advantage of the rates or have already done so. Rates have been below 5 percent for all but two weeks in 2011. Even so, this year is shaping up to be one of the worst ever for home sales. Rates could fall further still. Many economists think the yield on the 10-year Treasury note could creep lower in 2012. Long-term mortgage rates tend to track the 10-year Treasury yield. Should the Federal Reserve launch a new program of bond purchases in the coming months to try to help the economy, it could further drive down mortgage rates. Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, has said that despite the super-low loan rates, foreclosures and falling home values have created obstacles for would-be buyers. But builders could see more interest from buyers in the coming months if mortgage rates stay low. The low rates contributed to a modest 2-point increase in builder sentiment in the latest National Association of Home Builders survey released this month, said Yelena Shulyatyeva, an analyst at BNP Paribas.

Feed birds in wintertime to guarantee a backyard show BY JOE LAMP’L Scripps Howard News Service Not all birds fly south for the winter. Some hardy souls tough out the cold, gray months, making them a bit brighter for the rest of us. Here are some tips to help show your appreciation to the winged wildlife of winter while making their stay a bit more pleasant. Who’s coming to dinner? Which guests you’ll entertain depends on where you live in the country. The more common winter birds include black-capped chickadees, house finches, tufted titmice, downy woodpeckers, northern cardinals, American goldfinches, dark-eyed juncos, robins and the ubiquitous house sparrows. To attract the broadest number of species, have several different feeding stations. • Feeders. Platform feeders are flat shelves that hang from cords or chains, rest on elevated poles or attach to structures. They tend to attract the widest variety, from perching birds to ground feeders. Hopper and fly-through models with wide, overhanging covers are better in the winter because the landing areas and dispensers won’t be buried by snow. Choose large capacity feeders; they don’t need to be refilled as frequently. • Location. Shelter your feeders from severe winds, near protective hedges or brush piles, where the birds

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE PHOTO COURTESY OF GLEN SEIBERT

Show your appreciation to the winged wildlife of winter while making their stay a bit more pleasant. will have a place to fly for safety from predators. Putting feeders close to the house will make them more convenient to refill and will put the birds in view of indoor birdwatchers. To prevent collisions with the glass, keep feeders close to the windows — no more than five

feet or so — and apply decorative window stickers as an added precaution. • Cleanliness. Clean feeders are more attractive, and they help prevent disease. Large capacity feeders are more convenient; but must be protected from moisture to prevent mold and

mildew from growing on the food. Exposed platform feeders should be emptied daily to prevent spoilage. Toss out seed that’s soggy or encased in ice, and allow the feeders to dry before refilling. What’s on the menu. Insects and fruits are scarce, naturally, so most snowbirds subsist on seeds in the winter. They need extra-highcalorie seeds rich with fats to keep warm. Don’t bother with the bargain bags of mixed birdseed. They contain a lot of red millet, split peas, beans and even green and pink lumps of dog biscuit crumbs and other fillers only suitable for larger birds like pheasants and pigeons. Instead, buy individual types of birdseed in bulk and mix your own custom blends for your backyard flocks. When it comes to seed, black oil sunflower seeds are popular with cardinals, purple finches, chickadees and nuthatches; but squirrels and raccoons love them, too. Get good, squirrel-proof feeders that tip, spin or have baffles to keep the mammals off. Nyjer is a favorite of goldfinches and siskins. It’s diminutive and light, like a poppy seed, and works best in a special feeder made with miniscule holes to dispense the tiny seeds. White millet is probably the least expensive seed you can provide. Sparrows, juncos and mourning doves appreciate white

• See BIRDS on C2

HOUSE HUNTING

Five tips to stay on top of home maintenance Where to find reliable contractors You’re not alone if your roof is leaking and you’re kicking yourself for not having called a roofer during the summer months. Most people have a limited concept of preventative maintenance. This can lead to big problems that end up being more expensive than if you had routine maintenance in place. Many buyers don’t understand that home maintenance goes with homeownership. When you rent, someone else usually pays for repairs. As a homeowner, you’re responsible for keeping your home in good condition. Unless you’re handy at home repairs, it can be costly to maintain a home properly. But there is a benefit at the end of the line. Buyers pay more for homes that are well maintained and show a pride of ownership. It can be a hassle to properly maintain your home unless you organize and prioritize the projects that need to be done. You also need to set a schedule and stick to it. Most home maintenance can be done annually: roof maintenance (including gutters and downspouts); sealing exterior cracks; weatherproofing; a furnace/air conditioning inspection; and inspecting and cleaning the drainage system. Mark these events on your calendar so that they can be scheduled for about a month before you’d like to have the work done. If you wait until just before the rainy season to start your annual maintenance, you could have trouble finding good contractors to help you. Don’t wait until your roof is leaking to repair or replace it. There will be collateral damage to the interior of the house. Your homeowners insurance company might pay to repair the interior damage, less the amount of your deductible, but it won’t pay to replace the roof. Too many claims could be grounds for not renewing your policy. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Assemble a crew of contractors

Home loans from a name you already know and trust

Dian Hymer For the Miami Valley Sunday News and tradespeople who can help you with your home maintenance. It’s not always easy to find reliable people who do good work. You’ll end up frustrated and having to do more oversight if you work with people who don’t show up or do the job right. Ask your real estate agent or acquaintances who own homes in the area to recommend tradespeople to you. If the seller is happy with people who have worked on the property, ask for a list of names and contact information when you close the sale. One of the keys to good home maintenance is to take care of critical items as soon as they become apparent. For instance, don’t postpone repairing a plumbing pipe leak. Have it repaired as soon as you notice it. Don’t assume that because your house is new that you won’t have any maintenance issues. If the gutters back up on any house, even a new house, water can leak into the house or down the inside of the walls. This, left unchecked, can lead to a major repair to the framing. If repaired right away, you may just need to seal and touch up the paint. Likewise, even though you just had the exterior painted, you still may have areas that will need touch up every year or so, especially if they receive intense sun exposure. THE CLOSING: Don’t go for the cheapest contractor or building materials just to save money. If an inferior-quality job has to be redone sooner than anticipated, your savings will dwindle.

National lender MetLife Home Loans is a division of MetLife Bank, N.A., a MetLife company. Our reputation is built on serving people with integrity and honesty while helping them build real financial freedom through home ownership. When you choose MetLife Home Loans, you’ll be working with people who know you’re making a major life investment and understand your concerns. For more information, or to apply for financing, contact:

Teresa A. Tubbs Branch Manager 1808 W. Main Street Troy, Ohio 45373 Direct: 937-552-0960 Fax: 866-770-0483 Cell: 937-760-2073

Rob Helman Mortgage Consultant 1808 W. Main Street Troy, Ohio 45373 Direct: 937-552-0959 Fax: 866-879-0487 rhelman@metlife.com www.robhelm.com

All loans subject to approval. Certain conditions and fees apply. Mortgage financing provided by MetLife Home Loans, a division of MetLife Bank, N.A. Equal Housing Lender. 1108-2736 © 2011 METLIFE, INC. L1010135001(exp1011)(All States)(DC) PEANUTS © 2011 Peanuts Worldwide 2240793

For Home Delivery, call 335-5634 • For Classified Advertising, call (877) 844-8385

REAL ESTATE TODAY

Sunday, December 25, 2011

TIPS: BAY WINDOW TREATMENTS

Ducts don’t always have to be insulated located outside the house. The ducts are exposed to the same cold, heat and humidity that Q: I inherited a concrete exist on the outside. Insulating them is essential in colder cliblock building that was then converted into a home mates, optional in milder ones several years ago. Part of it and necessary in humid climates to prevent condensation. has a crawlspace and part In all cases, the ducts need is on a concrete slab. The crawlspace is always damp, airtight seals at all joints, seams and takeoff points and the furnace ductwork is covered with a fiberglass before the insulation is applied. If the ducts are inside the insulation. A termite contractor recently found mold house but in a basement ceiling or between the first and growth on the wood floors and under the duct’s insula- second floors of a two-story house, condensation can form tion. and leave water stains on the I was told that, beyond treating the mold, it would ceilings below. If the ducts are accessible, insulate them to cost several hundred dolprevent condensation. lars more just to replace Before applying insulation, the insulation on the ducts. make sure the ducts are not Is this really necessary? A: Depending on the climate already insulated on the interiand the ducts’ location, it may or. Homes with electric heat more than likely have ducts not be necessary to insulate that were insulated during the them. fabrication process. The insulaFirst, determine where the tion is glued inside the sheet ducts are. If they are in an metal before it is bent and unconditioned crawlspace or formed to fit your specific attic, then they literally are BY DWIGHT BARNETT Scripps Howard News Service

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS • WWW.TDN-NET.COM

fixed valance with operating shades underneath for privacy. Silk panels Roman shades Silk panels give a traditional Update your bay windows look to any bay window. For a with a functional yet elegant contemporary twist, designer window treatment such as Jessica Nixon suggests apply- Roman shades. Designer Amy ing a fabric tape or braid inside Bubier often likes to use flat each panel. Roman shades because they Drapery panels frame the window but still proThe best placement for drap- vide a colorful and textural winery panels is on the bay window accent. dow’s return walls, suggests Bay window hardware designer Amy Bubier. “They With a bay window configushould frame the bay, not clutter ration, it can be difficult to find it or obstruct the view, so a rod that works well. Designer choose fabrics wisely,” Bubier Wimberley Earp suggests using says. To prevent draperies from hinged elbows that swivel and looking short, hang them as high as possible. Raise the rod allow for a continuous rod application. For window seats, use to two inches below the crown ceiling-mount brackets. molding to visually raise the Window seat ceilings in any room. A window seat can be the Contemporary valance perfect addition to a bay winA top treatment, like a dow. “I love operating fabric or valance, makes a room open textile Roman shades with a and inviting. In a formal room, designer Dave Stimmel likes to coordinating seat cushion and decorative pillows,” designer use shutters with a fabric valance, with coordinating seat Dave Stimmel says. Play with coordinating fabrics and colors cushions and pillows. In other to finish the look. rooms, he suggests using a Home & Garden Television

needs. You can check the duct to see if it has an insulated lining on your furnace’s filter box. Simply remove the filter and shine a flashlight inside the ducts. If you see bare metal, the ducts are not lined with insulation. Before insulating the exterior of the ducts located in a crawlspace, check with local and state building officials concerning fire codes. The insulation may have to meet stricter standards when located in the crawl. When installing exterior duct insulation, use a metallic tape to secure the materials. Although duct tape has a thousand and one uses, it does not hold up well on ductwork. For more information on duct wrap insulation, go to http://www.certainteed.com/res ources/3036081.pdf. Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors.

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS TROY Scott Investments of Troy LLC to Aaron Scott, Melissa Scott, one lot, $210,000. Jacquelyn Delver to James Delver, one lot, $0. Chase Home Finance LLC, successor, Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corp. to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, one lot, $0. Roberta Eilers, William Eilers to Jessica Leroy, William Leroy, one lot, $183,000. Stefanko Builders LTD to Stefanko Properties LLC, one lot, $0. Jason Westfall to Ashley Moore to Jason Westfall, one lot, $0. Amy Minton, David Minton to Fannie Mae a.k.a. Federal National Mortgage Association, one lot, $153,400. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Gerner and Kearns Co. LPA, attorney-infact to Matthew Dykes, a part lot, $91,500. Dean A. Deacey to Citifinancial Inc., one lot, $58,700. Nottingham Development Inc. to Scott Investments of Troy LLC, one lot, $42,900. David Carstensen, Lourdes Carstensen, Richard Carstensen to Kith R. Carstensen, one lot, $0. Denlinger and Sons Builders Inc. to Bart Denlinger, Teresa Denlinger, one lot, $360,000. Harlow Builders Inc. to Christie Munday, Robert Munday, one lot, $315,000. Travis Welch to Amanda Phillis, one lot, $0. Amanda Palsgrove, Chad Palsgrove to Shaun Gill, Sally Prickett, one lot, $189,000.

Sandra J. Strohaver to Michael Leffel, Sandra J. Leffel, one lot, $0. Carla Stamper, Tony Stamper to Terry Stamper, four lots, $0. Estate of Flora Miller, William McNeil, executor to Kathleen Neves, one lot, $37,000. Sheila Bulla-Ridegeway, Melissa Henderson, Tresa Howell, Charles B. Miller Jr., Clark Miller, Gregory Miller, Nancy Webster to Kathleen Neves, one lot, $37,000.

FLETCHER Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Angela Farris, a part lot, one lot, $30,000.

HUBER HEIGHTS JSCG Enterprises LLC to Process Equipment Co. of Tipp City, five lots, $900,000. Dec Land Co. I LLC to NVR Inc., one lot, $29,000. NVR Inc. to Aurora MacDonald, Davin MacDonald, one lot, $211,000.

trustee, George Franklin and Delta Verdean Baumgartner Joint Revocable Trust, 0.702 acres, $0. Cynthia Ryan, Robert E. Ryan to Citifinancial Inc., a part tract 8.638 acres, $42,000. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, trustee, Morgan Staley ABS Captial 1 Inc. Trust to Tara Jackson, one lot, $99,200. Eileen Studebaker to Barbara Bailey, $392,400. Christopher Goddard to Angela Dozier, Charles L. Dozier, one lot, $159,500.

BROWN TWP. Judy Kyle to Doris Mangen, 2.00 acres, $0. Carol Lomason, Philip Lomason to Carol Lomason, a part lot, $0.

CONCORD TWP. RASC 2006KS1, U.S. Bank N.A., trustee to Laurie Johnson, Wendell, 0.62 acres, $44,000.

ELIZABETH TWP.

LUDLOW FALLS M. Marilee Reinhardt, Paul Reinhardt to Falls Creek Properties LLC, two part lots, $177,200.

Estate of Ralph Hiegel to Donald Hiegel, Larry Hiegel, $0. Raymond Martin to Carl Newbright, trustee, a part tract 3.192 acres, $51,000.

PLEASANT HILL

LOSTCREEK TWP.

• Continued from C1

millet. Hulled, salt-free peanuts are rich in fat. Great spotted woodpeckers love them, but they should be crushed into smaller bits for robins, nuthatches and house sparrows. Peanuts can be high in a natural toxin called aflatoxin, so buy safe nuts from a reputable bird food dealer. Alternatively, suet balls are a concentrated source of energy. They come ready made in wire

3869 S. KESSLER FREDERICK ROAD

May the spirit and serenity of the season find a special place in your home this holiday season.

Eleanor G. Loughlin Trust, Joseph F. Loughlin, successor trustee to Sandra Jean Bettelon, 2.1631 acres, $0. Estate of Robert E. Netzley to Carol Netzley Coate, successor trustee, Estate of Robert E. Netzley Revocable Living Trust, 45.503 acres, $0. Virgie Brown to Jay Garrett, Mary D. O’Neil Garrett, a part tract 2.00 acres, $115,000.

Frances Miller, James Miller to James D. Miller and Frances D. Miller Joint Revocable Living Trust, Rusty Miller, trustee, $0. Estate of Timothy Reed to Mindy Kaiser, 0.735 acres, $0.

UNION TWP. Ida Unger to Benjamin Voisard, Jennifer Voisard, 10.550 acres, $149,900. Estate of Earl Mc Donald, Nancy Mitton, executor to Fran Brown, Lee Brown, a part tract 18.98 acres, $103,000. Estate of Robert E. Netzley to Carol Netzley Coate, successor trustee, Estate of Robert E. Netzley Revocable Living Trust, 0.49 acres, $0. Estate of Robert E. Netzley to Carol Netzley Coate, successor trustee, Estate of Robert E. Netzley Revocable Living Trust, 0.952 acres, $0.

1600 W. Main St. • TROY “Rock” Solid in Real Estate! 339-2222 An Independently Owned & Operated Member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.

promote bacterial growth. Cooked brown and white rice is OK, but not cooked oats. Serve those uncooked. Sticky oatmeal can harden around a bird’s beak. Laying out a buffet for winter birds not only provides gardeners another form of “winter interest,” it flags your garden as a safe and friendly place for wildlife to return to. It’s a simple act of caring that won’t be forgotten come spring..

I wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season a Prosperous 2012!

HERITAGE 2245402

Realtors

2245401

2245397

HERITAGE

SPRINGCREEK TWP.

Laurie Johnson 657-4184 665-1800

ABR 335-5552

Penny Bizek 974-8631 • 665-1800

Estate of Marsha Adams to Randy Adams, Tami Lairson, 20.392 acres, $0. Estate of Marsha Adams to Randy Adams, Tami Lairson, 1.00 acres, $0. Barry Coleman, Kimberley Rae Ketcham Coleman to Citifinancial Inc., a part tract 5.010 acres, $61,400.

feeders, or make your own by melting suet into a mix of seeds and nuts, oatmeal, dried fruits and even grated cheese. Pour the mixture into a plastic butter tub or other disposable container, allow to harden and place at the feeding station. Or, slather peanut butter mixed with dried fruit directly onto tree bark for an easy alternative. Avoid using cooking fats or drippings — they don’t harden and can smear on birds’ feathers, and

Charlotte Delcamp,

Beautiful setting upon a knoll with an abundance of trees, you’ll find a large ranch home on 2.8 acres located in West Milton. Formal living room, updated kitchen w/ planning area & breakfast bar. This home has over 1600 sq. ft. including sun room, family room, full basement, 2-car attached garage & 3-car detached garage. $225,000. Dir.: W. on St. Rt. 55 to S. on Kessler to W. on Kessler Frederick.

NEWTON TWP.

STAUNTON TWP.

Ray Kimmel to Stephanie Kimmel, two Marie E. Musser, Musser Family Trust to part lots, $0. Marie Musser, 40.685 acres, 72.5 acres, Catherine Gohrband, Kirk Hemmerick to $0. Shirley Smith, one lot, $120,000. PIQUA Betty Kirk, Thomas Kirk to Maburn Judy Ferguson, W. Earl Ferguson to Snodgrass, Margaret Snodgrass, a part Cynda Shuman, two part lots, $85,000. tract 4.166 acres, 1.794 acres, $40,900. Murray Property Investments LLC to Fannie Mae a.k.a. Federal National Kelly Vanmatre, Ryan Vanmatre, three lots, TIPP CITY Mortgage Association to John Heffner, $91,600. Shirley Heffner, 2.293 acres, a part lot, Jan Klosterman, William Klosterman, Estate of Jeanene Kay Myers to Joellen $30,000. Darlene Starrett, James Ricchard Starrett, Heatherly, one lot, $0. Robert Miller to Michelle Miller, Nicholas Patricia Ann Starrett to Jan Klosterman, Alan Lange, Jacquelyn Lange to Sirva Miller, 50.819 acres, $210,000. William Klosterman, one lot, $60,000. Relocation Properties LLC, one lot, Janet Johnson to James Wesley Secretary of Housing and Urban $265,000. Johnson, Krista Lynn Johnson, $0. Development to Kevin Moeller, one lot, one Sirva Relocation Properties LLC to Jill part lot, $0. Knippen, Keith Knippen, one lot, $265,000. MONROE TWP. Philip Treon to Michael Treon, two part Kenneth Fink, Patricia Fink to Moira lots, $0. Honeyman, Ryan Honeyman, one lot, Secretary of Housing and Urban Harold E. Trader Revocable Living Trust, Development to Linda Thompson, one lot, $188,200. Harold E. Trader, trustee to Harold E. $0. Trader Revocable Living Trust, Harold E. BETHEL TWP. Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. to Piqua Trader, trustee, 23.473 acres, $0. Property LLC, one lot, $250,000. Harold E. Trader Revocable Living Trust, Fifth Third Mortgage Company to Kirby Delta Verdean Baumgartner, George Harold E. Trader, trustee to Harold E. Crist, a part lot, $14,000. Baumgartner, Delta Verdean Baumgartner, Trader Revocable Living Trust, Harold E. trustee, George Franklin Baumgartner Trader, trustee, 10.00 acres, $0. Michael Leffel, Sandra J. Leffel a.k.a.

At the holiday season, my thoughts turn Birds gratefully to those who have made my progress possible. It is in this spirit I say thank you and best wishes for the holidays and a happy new year.

Matthew Kresse to Gregory Reinhard, one lot, $137,000. Geneva Crawford, Jerry Young to Fannie Mae a.k.a. Federal National Mortgage Association, one lot, $96,000. Joseph Seger, Nicole Seger to Shane Fisher, Karen Murphy, one lot, $140,000.

Realtors

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305 Apartment HOLIDAY SPECIAL Every new move in on or before December 30th, 2011 will receive $50 gift card

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$200 Deposit Special!

TROY, 2 bedroom townhomes, 1.5 baths, 1 car garage, ca, w/d hook up, all appliances, $685 (937)216-5806 EversRealty.net

315 Condos for Rent TROY, 2 bedroom exquisite cobblestone townhouse, 1300 sqft, fireplace, garage, loft, vaulted ceilings. $795. (937)308-0679.

1103 VAN Way, Piqua. 2 Bedroom, kitchen appliances, new carpet with garage. $550. (937)430-0989.

that work .com

400 N WESTON RD., TROY

aMAZEing finds in

In town seclusion! This gorgeous home has 3 bed, 2 full baths, full semi finished basement. Beautiful knotty pine ceilings through out, newer carpet, light fixtures kitchen counters, vinyl fence. Great room has cathedral ceiling and gorgeous stone fireplace. The kitchen offers lots of cabinets, awesome breakfast room with window seat and you will love the huge master bedroom and the large utility room. You have to see this one! $184,900. Visit this home @: www.ShariThokey.org/329063

Shari Thokey 216-8108 339-0508 ÂŽ

that work .com

www.GalbreathRealtors.com

320 Houses for Rent 3 BEDROOM, 2 bath, 3214 Magnolia. $1000 a month plus deposit. (937)339-1339

325 Mobile Homes for Rent NEAR BRADFORD in country 2 bedroom trailer, washer/dryer hookup. $375. (937)417-7111, (937)448-2974

TIPP CITY 2 bedroom, deluxe duplex, 11/2 car garage, C/air, gas heat, 2 full baths, all appliances, $705 month + dep. 937-216-0918

(937)673-1821 TIPP CITY, DUPLEX, nice 3 bedroom, 2 baths, garage, appliances included. $725 month. (937)667-5045.

PRICE REDUCED $10,000!

305 Apartment TROY, 1 & 2 bedrooms. Appliances, AC, W/D, water paid, very clean, no pets, 1 year lease plus deposit. Starting $445 (937)339-6736

Sunday, December 25, 2011

TIPP CITY, 2 bedroom townhouse near I75, $510. 1.5 Bath, stove, refrigerator, garbage disposal, w/d, A/C, No Dogs. (937)335-1825. WEST MILTON Townhouse. 2 Bedroom 1.5 bath. $475 month, Lease by 12-15, FREE GIFTCARD, (937)216-4233.

The power of teamwork. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to help you reach new heights. PNC Mortgage believes in teamwork. Our entire staff is ready to provide whatever home financing options you need. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re exploring possible changes to your current loan, making home improvements, or are in the market for a new home, our team will help you reach new heights.

2351Towne W. Main Street â&#x20AC;˘ Troy, OHOH 45373 Park Drive, Suite A â&#x20AC;˘ Troy, 45373 1855

937-339-6600

2240788

300 - Real Estate

REAL ESTATE TODAY

2245748

MIAMI VALLEY SUNDAY NEWS â&#x20AC;˘ WWW.TROYDAILYNEWS.COM

PNC is a registered service mark of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (â&#x20AC;&#x153;PNCâ&#x20AC;?). PNC Mortgage is a division of PNC Bank, National Associaton, a subsidiary of PNC. All loans are provided by PNC Bank, National Association and are subject to credit approval and property appraisal. Terms and conditions in this offer subject to change without notice. ÂŠ2009 The PNC Financial Services, Inc. Allrights reserved.

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Hours by appointment

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667-7141 672-9249

cell (937)

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345 North 4th St.

Hours by appointment

2245393

C4 • Miami Valley Sunday • Classifieds That Work • Sunday, December 25, 2011

To Advertise In The Classifieds That Work Call 877-844-8385

that work .com JobSourceOhio.com

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD ONLINE-24/7 www.tdnpublishing.com

235 General

DEADLINES/CORRECTIONS:

GENERAL INFORMATION

All Display Ads: 2 Days Prior Liners For: Mon - Fri @ 5pm Weds - Tues @ 5pm Thurs - Weds @ 5pm Fri - Thurs @ 5pm Sat - Thurs @ 5pm Miami Valley Sunday News liners- Fri @ Noon

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8-5

Electrical Engineers Mechanical Engineers Heat Treat Engineer Quality Engineer Supplier Representatives Equipment Maintenance Technicians

POLICY: Please Check Your Ad The 1st Day. It Is The Advertiser’s Responsibility To Report Errors Immediately. Publisher Will Not Be Responsible for More Than One Incorrect Insertion. We Reserve The Right To Correctly Classify, Edit, Cancel Or Decline Any Advertisement Without Notice.

100 - Announcement

125 Lost and Found

105 Announcements

FOUND: dark colored cat with orange stripes in basement of my home on Garfield Avenue, ckparker@hotmail.com or (614)537-7068. LOST DOG! 12-20-2011 pit bull mix, black with white, male, 6 months old, 50 lbs. Answers to Crush. Wearing blue collar. Last seen around Lincoln Ave. REWARD! (937)451-2086

Honda Transmission Mfg. of America, a leading manufacturer of high-quality automatic transmissions for Honda and Acura products, is currently seeking qualified candidates to fill the following positions at the Russell’s Point facility:

Troy Daily News 877-844-8385 We Accept

DENTAL ASSISTANT Fast paced, safety net dental clinic has full time opening for compassionate, hard working dental assistant. Clinic serves Medicaid and low income residents of Miami County. Email resume to: MCDental clinic@aol.com

In observance of the

JobSourceOhio.com

that work .com

Christmas Holiday

Interested applicants must submit a resume online at http://corporate.honda.com. Please select the source code Newspaper, and then select Sidney Daily News when applying. For more detailed company and benefit information visit http://htm.honda.com. Equal Opportunity Employer 2245611

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS

WANTED WANTED We are looking for drivers to deliver the Troy Daily News on Daily, Sundays, holidays and on a varied as needed basis.

Drivers must have:

the Classifieds Dept. of the Sidney Daily News Troy Daily News and Piqua Daily Call will be closed on Monday, December 26 We will be available on Tuesday, December 27 at 8am to assist you with classified advertising needs. From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

280 Transportation

200 - Employment PIQUA GREENVILLE TROY

235 General AUTO REPAIR TECHNICIAN Only experienced need apply. Minimum 5 years experience. Must have tools. Sidney, OH. (937)726-5773

• • • • •

Machine Operator S/R Supervisor Operators CNC Machinist Maintenance Techs CALL TODAY!

(937)778-8563

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

and leave a message with your name, address and phone number.

2245205

◆❍◆❍◆❍◆❍◆❍◆❍◆

OTR DRIVERS

The I-75 Newspaper Group of Ohio Community Media is seeking an Advertisement Order Entry replacement to be based in our Sidney office.

270 Sales and Marketing

OUTSIDE SALES The I-75 Newspaper Group of Ohio Community Media is seeking an experienced sales professional who wishes to flourish in a career with an award winning sales team! The successful candidate will manage a consultative sales approach through direct client contact. He or she will be motivated to meet and exceed person sales goals through internet and media advertising in any and/or all of Ohio Community Media’s fifty-seven publications. Candidates will have demonstrated experience in prospecting and growing an account list, handling incoming leads and closing sales. He or she will be skilled in envisioning big ideas, then executing advertising programs that attract customers and generate significant revenue. In addition to maintaining and growing existing relationships, candidates must possess expertise in working with clients on both strategic and creative levels. Candidates will have an in-depth understanding of print and online advertising and the desire to stay informed about area trends. This position is based in our Sidney office and is full time with salary and commission. Benefits, cell phone allowance and mileage reimbursement are also available. For quickest consideration, please email resume to: bsmith@sdnccg.com

◆ Class A CDL required ◆ Great Pay and Benefits! CDL Grads may qualify

245 Manufacturing/Trade

500 - Merchandise Collective Brands, Inc. / Payless Distribution Center is hiring for Seasonal and Part Time Team Members! Apply at www.careersatpayless.com keyword BROOKVILLE. Our distribution center located in Brookville, OH, offers a highperformance work environment in which Team Members collaborate in a supportive and empowering team culture to deliver on-trend product to our retail and wholesale customers. Seasonal/Temporary Operations Team Member These positions are seasonal and temporary in nature. Work hours can fluctuate between 0-40 + hours per work week and will be a maximum of 180 days in duration. The schedule for these positions will be Friday-Monday from 4pm-2am • Friday-Monday 6am-2pm • Sunday-Thursday 11pm-7am; Sunday-Thursday 3pm-11pm Seasonal positions can lead to full-time employment. Permanent Part-Time Operations Team Member These postitions are permanent employment opportunities. Work hours will be: Saturday and Sunday 6am-4pm; Saturday and Sunday 4pm-2am • Monday-Friday 11am-5pm • Sunday-Thursday 11pm-5am • Sunday-Thursday 6pm-11pm

EOE 2243689

545 Firewood/Fuel HARDWOOD, Seasoned hardwood for sale. $125 a cord. Will deliver. (937)301-7237

All signs lead to you finding or selling what you want...

Qualifications - High School Diploma or GED preferred. - At least 18 years of age. - Team focused. - Relevant Distribution experience helpful. Ability to: - Lift 25-45 lb. cases of shoes regularly and place on conveyer/pallets up to 3 feet high. - Stand for 10 or more hours. - Maintain consistent pace while accurately performing job duties. *CBI conducts background checks and drug test as part of the recruiting process.

No phone calls will be accepted regarding this position.

Call Jon Basye at: Piqua Transfer & Storage Co. (937)778-4535 or (800)278-0619 ◆❍◆❍◆❍◆❍◆❍◆❍◆

Equal Employment Opportunity

by using that work .com

2244722

The Advertisement Order Entry position is part of our business office and is primarily responsible for inputting advertisement orders into our billing system for publication. Requirements include: • Computer skills including Microsoft Word and Excel • Accurate data entry skills • Organizational skills • Ability to multi-task • Deadline oriented • Dependable • Take direction easily • Team player • Customer service skills that include excellent verbal communication Pay range is $8.50 - $10.00 depending on qualifications and experience. Please send resume to: Troy Daily News Attn: Betty Brownlee 224 South Market Street Troy, Ohio 45373 No phone calls will be taken regarding this position. E.O.E.

2243360

REGIONAL DRIVERS

250 Office/Clerical

ADVERTISEMENT ORDER ENTRY

270 Sales and Marketing

Transportation-

CDLA & 1 year recent OTR experience for solo or run team for 12 weeks if less than 1 year. Terminal located in Sidney, OH. Apply at www.ceioh.com or call 800/497-2100

Your phone call will be returned in the order in which it is received.

270 Sales and Marketing

Professional Driver wanted for dedicated route (OH/MI). Local Owner/Operator. Two years Steel Hauler experience required. For more information please call 937-405-8544.

*4 weeks vacation/year *$0.40/mile to start *$.02/mile bonuses *Well maintained equipment *401K with company match *Weekly Per Diem *Health, Dental, Vision

Please call 937-440-5263 or 937-440-5260

250 Office/Clerical

Join the deBoer team: You'll feel right at home! Our drivers run strong miles & get home often! Great equipment; excellent pay pkg & bonuses; paid vacation & more! Solo, Teams, Part-Time, plus O/O's opps avail!

800.825.8511

Valid drivers license Reliable transportation State minimum insurance

250 Office/Clerical

OPTOMETRIST P/T or F/T for Ophthalmology office in Bellefontaine. Fax resume to 937-593-2430 or E-mail to aterebuh2@yahoo.com

Ready for a career change?

OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED

240 Healthcare

Don’t delay... call TODAY!

To Advertise In The Classifieds That Work Call 877-844-8385

Miami Valley Sunday • Classifieds That Work • Sunday, December 25, 2011 • C5

560 Home Furnishings

583 Pets and Supplies

597 Storage Buildings

MISCELLANEOUS must sell: downsizing. Household items, large lead crystal (Byrds) collection, a few antiques, 7 pc patio set/ cushions, riding lawn mower/ sweeper/ trailer, (937)332-1194, 10a-6p.

BRINDLE MIX, beautiful 6? month old. Weighs 50 lbs and I believe is full grown. Knows several commands, loves other animals and people, house broken, free. khicker@gmail.com. (937)489-6762.

OFFICE TRAILER, 12 x 60. (3) Air conditioning units, bath with sink and toilet. $2500 OBO. (937)606-0918

800 - Transportation

577 Miscellaneous RADIO, ANTIQUE, 1942 Philco floor model, AM/SW/police, $125 firm. 28" Schwinn balloon tire men's bicycle, 6 speed, $200. Overhead Projector, new condition, $75. Epson NX110 printer/ copy/ scan, like new $75. Toshiba 27" color TV, $50. Cash only. (937)773-7858

583 Pets and Supplies BEAGLE PUPPIES, AKC, Champion bloodline, males & females, great hunting dogs or pets, $200. Ready for Christmas. (937)473-3077. BOSTON TERRIER puppies, 8 weeks old. (2) Females $350 (937)726-0226 SIBERIAN HUSKY Pups, AKC, black/white, red/white, grey, pure white, blue eyes ready now or can hold, $500. Text or call Wes, wesleyaparker@gmail.com. (937)561-2267.

that work .com CHIHUAHUA puppies. (2) Make great Christmas gift. Call for price. 1 male, 1 female. Born 10/16/11. (937)658-3478 MINI DACHSHUND PUPPIES, 2 red smooth coats, AKC, written guarantee, 1st shot , wormed. 1 Male $275. 1 Female, $325. (937)667-1777, (937)667-0077

588 Tickets RACE TICKETS, great gift! (2) for February 2012 Daytona 500 race. Great seats, Weatherly section with parking pass. Call (937)667-8287

805 Auto 2001 LINCOLN Towncar. Runs good. Looks good. 150,000 miles. With drive train insurance. $3000 OBO, (937)492-4349.

860 Recreation Vehicles 2008 FALCON, 4 wheeler, 110 4 stroke, semi automatic with reverse, $550, (937)596-6622

899 Wanted to Buy STATION WAGON or SUV with a bench front seat (937)335-7295

JobSourceOhio.com

592 Wanted to Buy CASH, top dollar paid for junk cars/trucks, running or non-running. I will pick up. Thanks for calling (937)719-3088 or (937)451-1019

that work .com

Service&Business DIRECTORY

To advertise in the Classifieds That Work Service & Business Directory please call: 877-844-8385 600 - Services

640 Financial

655 Home Repair & Remodel

660 Home Services

Bankruptcy Attorney 937-620-4579 • Specializing in Chapter 7 • Affordable rates • Free Initial Consultation

LEARNING CENTER 1st and 2nd shifts weeks 12 ayears We•Provide care for children 6 weeks• to6 12 years andtooffer Super • Preschool andprogram Pre-K 3’s, and 4/5’s preschool andprograms a Pre-K and Kindergarten • Before and after school care program. We offer before and after school care, •Enrichment Transportation to Troy schools Kindergarten and school age transportation to Troy schools.

Horseback Riding Lessons Holiday Special Buy 4 lessons & GET 1 FREE • No experience required. • Adults & Children ages 5 & up • Gift Certificates Available • Major Credit Cards Accepted Flexible Schedule Nights & Weekends 937-778-1660 www.sullenbergerstables.com

2239457

2236220

635 Farm Services

AMISH CREW A&E Construction

everybody’s talking about what’s in our

We do... Pole Barns • New Homes Roofs • Garages • Add Ons Cement Work • Remodeling Etc. 2230711

classifieds that work .com

2242930

that work .com

Roofing, remodeling, siding, add-ons, interior remodeling and cabintets, re-do old barns, new home construction, etc.

Will do roofing, siding, windows, doors, dry walling, painting, porches, decks, new homes, garages, room additions. 30 Years experience Amos Schwartz (260)273-6223

2239945

Any type of Construction:

AMISH CREW

260-410-6454

335-6321

Free Estimates / Insured

CERAMIC TILE AND HOME REPAIRS RON PIATT Owner/Installer Licensed & Insured

937-489-9749 In Memory Of Morgan Ashley Piatt

2242099

Need new kitchen cabinets, new bathroom fixtures, basement turned into a rec room? Give me a call for any of your home remodeling & repair needs, even if it’s just hanging some curtains or blinds. Call Bill Niswonger

Sparkle Clean

660 Home Services

Residential Commercial New Construction Bonded & Insured

Tammy Welty (937)857-4222

COMPLETE Home Remodeling • Windows • Additions • Kitchens • Garages • Decks & Roofs • Baths • Siding • Drywall • Texturing & Painting

that work .com

OFFICE 937-773-3669

Small Jobs Welcome Call Jim at JT’S PAINTING & DRYWALL

937-694-2454 Local #

2241029

everybody’s talking about what’s in our

670 Miscellaneous

Cleaning Service

Gutter Sales & Service Richard Pierce (937)524-6077 Hauling Big jobs, small jobs We haul it all!

Call Walt for a FREE Estimate Today

classifieds

Sidney

Flea Market 1684 Michigan Ave. in the Sidney Plaza next to Save-A-Lot

that work .com

VENDORS WELCOME

Hours: Fri. 9-8 Sat. & Sun. 9-5

660 Home Services

2245176

TERRY’S

Make a

APPLIANCE REPAIR •Refrigerators •Stoves •Washers & Dryers •Dishwashers • Repair & Install Air Conditioning

& sell it in

Classifieds that work

$10 OFF Service Call

660 Home Services

until December 31, 2011 with this coupon

937-773-4552

For your home improvement needs

937-492-ROOF

675 Pet Care

Roofing, Windows, Siding, Fire & Water Restoration

937-335-6080 To Advertise In the Classifieds that Work

Call 877-844-8385

FREE ESTIMATES

• Painting • Drywall • Decks • Carpentry • Home Repair • Kitchen/Bath

937-974-0987 Email: UncleAlyen@aol.com

2227456

•30x40x12 with 2 doors, $9,900 •40x64x14 with 2 doors, $16,000 ANY SIZE AVAILABLE!

We will work with your insurance.

BILL’S HOME REMODELING & REPAIR

2225244

Erected Prices:

Call for a free damage inspection.

2239792

Pole Barns-

DO YOU HAVE MISSING SHINGLES OR STORM DAMAGE?

2238277

LE$$

(937)454-6970

Amish Crew

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED

2234095

FIND it for

(937) 473-2847 Pat Kaiser (937) 216-9332

BBB Accredted

Complete Projects or Helper 2239931

scchallrental@midohio.twcbc.com

2240864

Since 1977

Decks, Drywall, Cement, Paint, Fences, Repairs, Cleanup, Hauling, Roofing, Siding, Etc. Insured/References

Booking now for 2011 and 2012

2241476

All Types of Interior/Exterior Construction & Maintenance

• Baths • Awnings • Concrete • Additions

CALL TODAY FOR FREE ESTIMATE

Free Estimates • Fully Insured • 17 Years of Home Excellence

2241639

• New Roof & Roof Repair • Painting • Concrete • Hauling • Windows & Doors • New Rubber Roofs

or (937) 238-HOME

• Spouting • Metal Roofing • Siding • Doors

Handyman Services

HALL(S) FOR RENT!

Commercial / Residential

(937) 339-1902

(937) 339-7222

630 Entertainment

AK Construction

(419) 203-9409

945476

2245124

625 Construction

• Roofing • Windows • Kitchens • Sunrooms

CHORE BUSTER

2239476

Center hours 6am 11:55pm Center hoursnow 6 a.m. to 6top.m.

2239920

655 Home Repair & Remodel

937-573-4702

www.buckeyehomeservices.com

Ask about our Friends & Neighbors discounts

I am a debt relief agency. I help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code. 2239628

2464 Peters Road, Troy, Ohio 45373

Small #Basements #Siding #Doors #Barns

2242121

KIDZ TOWN

CALL CALL TODAY!335-5452 335-5452

#Repairs Large and #Room Additions #Kitchens/Baths #Windows #Garages

Emily Greer

Classifieds that work

620 Childcare

Amy E. Walker, D.V.M. 937-418-5992 Mobile Veterinary Service Treating Dogs, Cats & Exotics

C6 • Miami Valley Sunday • Classifieds That Work • Sunday, December 25, 2011

To Advertise In The Classifieds That Work Call 877-844-8385

MIAMI VALLEY

AUTO DEALER D I R E C T O R Y In The Market For A New Or Used Vehicle?

Come Let Us Take You For A Ride! Visit One Of These Area New Or Pre-Owned Auto Dealers Today! 8

BMW

CREDIT

Erwin Chrysler Dodge Jeep

RE-ESTABLISHMENT

2775 S. County Rd. 25-A Exit 69 off I-75 N. Troy, OH 45373 937-335-5696 www.erwinchrysler.com

BMW of Dayton 7124 Poe Ave. Exit 59 off I-75 Dayton, Ohio 937-890-6200 www.evansmotorworks.com

4 Car N Credit

JEEP 8 Erwin Chrysler Dodge Jeep 2775 S. County Rd 25-A Exit 69 off I-75 N. Troy, OH 45373 937-335-5696 www.erwinchrysler.com

8675 N. Co. Rd. 25-A Piqua, Ohio 45356 I-75 North to Exit 83 www.carncredit.com 1-800-866-3995

Boose Chevrolet

Independent Auto Sales

575 Arlington Road, I-70W to Exit 21, 3/10ths of mi. south Brookville, OH 45309 1-800-947-1413 www.boosechevrolet.com

1280 South Market St. (CR 25A) Troy, OH 45373 (866)816-7555 or (937)335-4878 www.independentautosales.com

Quick Credit Auto Sales

Wagner Subaru

1099 N. Co. Rd. 25-A Troy, Ohio 45373 937-339-6000 www.QuickCreditOhio.com

217 N. Broad St. Fairborn, OH 45324 937-878-2171 www.wagner.subaru.com

PRE-OWNED

CHEVROLET 5

CHRYSLER

One Stop Auto Sales

Sherry Chrysler Jeep Dodge 8645 N. Co. Rd. 25-A Piqua, Ohio 45356 I-75 North to Exit 83 www.paulsherry.com 1-800-678-4188

Erwin Chrysler Dodge Jeep

Buckeye Ford Lincoln Mercury

2775 S. County Rd 25-A Exit 69 off I-75 N. Troy, OH 45373 937-335-5696 www.erwinchrysler.com

2343 W. Michigan Ave. Sidney, Ohio 45365 866-470-9610 www.buckeyeford.com

FORD

Minster

Jim Taylor’s Troy Ford 20

11 9

8 14

Exit 69 Off I-75 Troy, OH 45373 339-2687 www.troyford.com www.fordaccessories.com

2343 W. Michigan Ave. Sidney, Ohio 45365 866-470-9610 www.buckeyeford.com

VOLVO 10

Buckeye Ford Lincoln Mercury

Volvo of Dayton

2343 W. Michigan Ave. Sidney, Ohio 45365 866-470-9610 www.buckeyeford.com

7124 Poe Ave. Exit 59 off I-75 Dayton, Ohio 937-890-6200 www.evansmotorworks.com

16 Infiniti of Dayton 866-504-0972 Remember...Customer pick-up and delivery with FREE loaner. www.infinitiofdayton.com 10

INFINITI

MERCURY Buckeye Ford Lincoln Mercury

Richmond, Indiana

LINCOLN

New Breman

DODGE

8750 N. Co. Rd. 25A Piqua, OH 45356 937-606-2400 www.1stopautonow.com

SUBARU

VOLKSWAGEN 10 Evans Volkswagen 7124 Poe Ave. Exit 59 off I-75 Dayton, Ohio 937-890-6200 www.evansmotorworks.com

Hit The Road To Big Savings! 2236385

To Advertise In The Classifieds That Work Call 877-844-8385

Miami Valley Sunday • Classifieds That Work • Sunday, December 25, 2011 • C7

Congratulations! To Our Christmas Coloring Contest Winners Thank You to all the following local businesses for helping to sponsor this year’s Christmas Coloring Contest.

Ages 4 and Under Katie Tremblay, age 1, daughter of Nathan and Angela Tremblay, of Troy

K’s Hamburgers Paul Sherry Chrysler Dodge Jeep RV Fisher Cheney Funeral Home Buffalo Wild Wings Harris Eye Care, LLC Larry Lavender Auctioneer Furry Friends Grooming Salon SunDown Tan Fulton Farms Bentley, Stevens & Jones Early Beginning’s Childcare L&M Family Barber Shop Erwin Chrysler Dodge Jeep Francis Furniture Inner Strength Therapeutic Massage Edison Community College Chaney’s Body Shop & Collision Great Clips Koester Pavilion Lopez, Severt & Pratt Co., LPA

Culver’s Tipp City Foodtown Unity National Bank Submarine House Bar & Grill Amish Furniture Anna’s Closet Troy Eagles Auxiliary 971 Mom & Me Baking & Catering Lindsay Adams, Scentsy

Thank You To All Our Participants!

Ages 5 to 7 Elisabeth Norman, age 5, daughter of Neal and Brandy Norman, of Casstown

Katie Tremblay Vincent Crane Andrew Crane Adria Kahre Ava Rapp Nevaeh Williams Simone Scribner Natalie Tremblay Klyer Johnson Ellie Jarnehm Brady Campbell Hayden Frey Madison Wintrow Julia Dilbone Allie Straughn Amanda Roseberry Keyton Burton

AGES 5 TO 7 Elisabeth Norman Kiyah Baker Anakin Simpson Kaylee Tillman Madison Frey Kayne Smith Lilly Honeyman Sigman Johnathan Dilbone Schon Hogan Brynn Siler Marymar Elliott

Kylie Velkoff Alex Beckner Evelyn Brown Lily Graham Luke Mourne Karson Potts Olivia Rapp Ashlyn Kahre Andrew Helman Makenzi Metz

AGES 8 TO 10 Aleisha Johnston Jaden Cress Madison McDonald Caleb Steggemann Lucas Henderson Sophia Jacomet Meredith Post Chloe Rapp Robert Cisneros Lee McPherson Olivia Kohn Caylee Kohn Whitney Burton Alec Feltner Colin Tackett Camille Scribner Evan Osborne Joella Rangel Laura Burns Zac Collin

Winners! Brought to you by:

Ages 8 to 10 Aleisha Johnston, age 10, daughter of Becky Johnston, of West Milton

Troy Daily News

2243700

AGES 4 & UNDER

C8 • Miami Valley Sunday • Classifieds That Work • Sunday, December 25, 2011

To Advertise In The Classifieds That Work Call 877-844-8385

We hope your Christmas is filled with good times and fond memories for a long time to come!

2012 Dodge Durango

2012 Dodge Charger

2012 Chrysler 300

ERWIN 937-335-5696 2775 SOUTH COUNTY RD 25A

WE’RE JUST NORTH OF DAYTON ON I-75 EXIT #69 TROY

2242176

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee