Toledo Free Press - Mar. 16, 2005

FREE PRESS T

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L

E

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GatewayDefender leads the war against spam, page 5

The dawn of a Toledo tradition March 16, 2005

www.toledofreepress.com

PREP BASKETBALL STARS SHINE ON-COURT, OFF ■ Community

ʻThe Known Worldʼ Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward P. Jones to read tale of black slave owners during Toledo stop, page 13

■ Community Derek Feniger leaves a past of addiction behind and scales new athletic heights, page 11

Number 1 – Copyright 2005 –

FREE

B.J. Raymond and Ali Wallace talk about the experiences that have shaped their high school careers, page 17

■ Business: New restaurant in Holland emphasizes community service, page 7

Criminal divide

David Swesey feels safe.

Sally Hampton does not.

■ Arts & Life

88 keys… …but four hands playing them at the same time, page 24

Beyond the good news of falling numbers, Toledo’s crime stats offer a glimpse of two very different realities, page 14

ow King"

ow King"

www.monroedodge.com

OPINION ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 3

LIGHTING THE FUSE We're Better, We'll Prove It!

A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC Established 2005 Thomas F. Pounds President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com 11 Mile North of Alexis Rd.

15160 S. Monroe St. • Monroe, MI • 1-800-542-4735

✯

March 16, 2005

OPEN: Mon. & Thurs. 8am - 9pm Tues., Wed., Fri., 8am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 4pm

Ralph Mahalak Jr., www.monroedodge.com The Low Payment King, wishes his friends at The Toledo Free Press 15160 S. Monroe St. • Monroe,best MI • 1-800-542-4735 of luck on your new venture!

OPEN: Mon. & Thurs. 8am - 9pm Tues., Wed., Fri., 8am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 4pm

If you’re looking for a little adventure in your life, stop by the Monroe Superstore today.

With models like the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Charger ready to deliver, we’re the solution to your boring commute!

1-75 North to Exit 11 Left on LaPlaisance Michael 1 Mile S. Miller Left on Dunbar 1 Mile Editor in Chief Left on Monroe St.

mmiller@toledofreepress.com Joshua E. Trust Vice President of Sales & Marketing jtrust@toledofreepress.com

Kay T. Pounds Vice President of Operations kpounds@toledofreepress.com Stacie L. Klewer Art Director sklewer@toledofreepress.com

We're Better, We'll Prove It!

Susan Ford Contributing Editor sford@toledofreepress.com Barbara Goodman-Shovers Contributing Editor bgshovers@toledofreepress.com 11 Mile North of Alexis Rd. Chris Kozak 1-75 North to Exit 11 Left on LaPlaisance 1Sports Mile Editor Left on Dunbar 1 Mile ckozak@toledofreepress.com Left on Monroe St.

DM Stanfield Photo Editor DMStanfield@toledofreepress.com STAFF WRITERS news@toledofreepress.com Joe Bellfy David Coehrs Barbara John Vicki Kroll Scott McKimmy Lisa Mohr Heather Nash Mike Roth Mark Tinta David Wasinger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Japiya Burns Scott Calhoun John K. Hartman Randy Zaleski

Welcome to the dawn of a new tradition How long has it been since you felt any ownership in the Toledo print media?

If you answered, “I own it now,” you’re not our intended audience.

The Toledo Free Press has a mission, but not an agenda; we want to be a paper for the people, a conduit for ideas, stories and conversation. What stories do you want to share?

We know there are good stories waiting to be told. We know there is positive news to spread. There are quiet developments, slow progressions and hard-working people investing in Toledo and working for its citizens. We want to give them a forum to discuss their ideas and discoveries.

But there’s a difference between being a thoughtful booster and a blindly loyal

Michael S. Miller cheerleader. We recognize that along with good news, there will be tough questions to ask and answer, accountability issues to explore, and dark, mossy corners that need a bright light focused upon them.

To paraphrase New York Times publisher Arthur Hays Sulzberger, we’ll tell you which way the cat is jumping; you take care of the cat.

The star in our masthead logo represents five important points of our character:

■ Dignity — We will treat readers with respect.

■ Transparency — We will openly state our editorial objectives.

■ Honesty — We will report with accuracy and clarity.

■ Accessibility — We will be open to reader feedback, input and guidance.

■ Objectivity — We will be fair.

These are not lofty, ivorytower ideals. They are the cornerstones of our editorial mission. As we grow and experiment, you will see different writers, columnists and design ideas in these pages.

We encourage you to contact us and let us know what you like, what you don’t, and what you believe is missing.

While some local newspapers serve you gray pages filled with news that isn’t rel-

ON THE STREET – FEEDBACK, COMMENTS AND RANTS Ohio Governor Taft recently approved the issuing of license plates that support pro-life, anti-abortion stances.

Do political statements belong on license plates?

“His decision is another outlet for people to exercise free speech, which is great.”

– LaShanéa Vallejo

ADVERTISING SALES Renee Bergmooser rbergmooser@toledofreepress.com Mike W. Bush mbush@toledofreepress.com Josh T. Lawrence jlawrence@toledofreepress.com Toledo Free Press is published every Wednesday by Toledo Free Press, LLC, 300 Madison Avenue, Suite 1300, Toledo, OH 43604 www.toledofreepress.com Phone: (419) 241-1700 Fax: (419) 241-8828 Subscription rate: $35/year. Subscriptions must be paid in advance.

Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any matter without permission is strictly prohibited.

Copyright 2005 with all rights reserved.

Publication of advertisements does not imply endorsement of advertisers’ goods or services.

“It’s one of the few decisions of Taft’s that I agree with.”

– Chris Challen

“I think it’s a good idea, and it will help save lives by promoting awareness.”

– Marcia Pisanti

– Compiled and photographed by Heather Nash

evant to your life, presented in a way that isn’t very easy to use, we are offering you a different experience: colorful, lively pages you will want to spend time with, filled with stories you care about that, hopefully, will show you an important part of the Toledo community.

It’s about time someone told these stories, don’t you think? Hasn’t it been a long time since someone wrote newspaper stories that matter to you and impact your everyday life?

We’re glad to have you with us. We invite you to make an appointment with us each week.

Michael S. Miller is Editor in Chief of Toledo Free Press. He may be contacted at (419) 241-1700 or by e-mail at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

BLOG TALK Random quotes from Toledo-area blogs: “People didn’t stop going to Northtowne and Southwyck because they didn’t have any more money to spend. The malls fell to a combination of location, becoming run-down and not having a selection of stores that differentiated them from other local malls. Put simply, Southwyck was a pain to get to, Northtowne was a dump populated by teenage pseudogangs and neither had any goods I couldn’t find anywhere else.”

– Photodan, www.toledotalk.com “It would be unfair to blame (Governor) Taft single-handedly for Ohio’s economic demise.

Much of that credit also goes to the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature. They wouldn’t raise taxes if their lives depended upon it. As a result, Ohio’s spending on higher education rivals Mississippi and Alabama at the bottom of the rankings. As a result of Republicanled tax changes, wealthy Americans have gained income, while a college education becomes almost impossible financially for the average Ohioan. It’s reverse Robin Hood.

They take from the poor and give to the rich. And it’s happening everywhere, not just Ohio.”

– Chaz, www.toledotalk.com “IT is becoming commoditized, like most anything. This, I expect. As more people enter a field, wages should fall. This, I also expect. But given the skill requirements of most IT work (and especially phone support, which requires multiple skills to perform correctly), I seriously question the end results of demands to drag down the wages to relatively dirt-levels for this work. From their skill level, IT workers are supposed to be rarer beasts in an organization, so it’s not like IT costs should be hurting a business.”

– GuestZero, www.toledotalk.com

ow King"

ow King"

www.monroedodge.com

OPINION ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 3

LIGHTING THE FUSE We're Better, We'll Prove It!

A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC Established 2005 Thomas F. Pounds President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com 11 Mile North of Alexis Rd.

15160 S. Monroe St. • Monroe, MI • 1-800-542-4735

✯

March 16, 2005

OPEN: Mon. & Thurs. 8am - 9pm Tues., Wed., Fri., 8am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 4pm

Ralph Mahalak Jr., www.monroedodge.com The Low Payment King, wishes his friends at The Toledo Free Press 15160 S. Monroe St. • Monroe,best MI • 1-800-542-4735 of luck on your new venture!

OPEN: Mon. & Thurs. 8am - 9pm Tues., Wed., Fri., 8am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 4pm

If you’re looking for a little adventure in your life, stop by the Monroe Superstore today.

With models like the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Charger ready to deliver, we’re the solution to your boring commute!

1-75 North to Exit 11 Left on LaPlaisance Michael 1 Mile S. Miller Left on Dunbar 1 Mile Editor in Chief Left on Monroe St.

mmiller@toledofreepress.com Joshua E. Trust Vice President of Sales & Marketing jtrust@toledofreepress.com

Kay T. Pounds Vice President of Operations kpounds@toledofreepress.com Stacie L. Klewer Art Director sklewer@toledofreepress.com

We're Better, We'll Prove It!

Susan Ford Contributing Editor sford@toledofreepress.com Barbara Goodman-Shovers Contributing Editor bgshovers@toledofreepress.com 11 Mile North of Alexis Rd. Chris Kozak 1-75 North to Exit 11 Left on LaPlaisance 1Sports Mile Editor Left on Dunbar 1 Mile ckozak@toledofreepress.com Left on Monroe St.

DM Stanfield Photo Editor DMStanfield@toledofreepress.com STAFF WRITERS news@toledofreepress.com Joe Bellfy David Coehrs Barbara John Vicki Kroll Scott McKimmy Lisa Mohr Heather Nash Mike Roth Mark Tinta David Wasinger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Japiya Burns Scott Calhoun John K. Hartman Randy Zaleski

Welcome to the dawn of a new tradition How long has it been since you felt any ownership in the Toledo print media?

If you answered, “I own it now,” you’re not our intended audience.

The Toledo Free Press has a mission, but not an agenda; we want to be a paper for the people, a conduit for ideas, stories and conversation. What stories do you want to share?

We know there are good stories waiting to be told. We know there is positive news to spread. There are quiet developments, slow progressions and hard-working people investing in Toledo and working for its citizens. We want to give them a forum to discuss their ideas and discoveries.

But there’s a difference between being a thoughtful booster and a blindly loyal

Michael S. Miller cheerleader. We recognize that along with good news, there will be tough questions to ask and answer, accountability issues to explore, and dark, mossy corners that need a bright light focused upon them.

To paraphrase New York Times publisher Arthur Hays Sulzberger, we’ll tell you which way the cat is jumping; you take care of the cat.

The star in our masthead logo represents five important points of our character:

■ Dignity — We will treat readers with respect.

■ Transparency — We will openly state our editorial objectives.

■ Honesty — We will report with accuracy and clarity.

■ Accessibility — We will be open to reader feedback, input and guidance.

■ Objectivity — We will be fair.

These are not lofty, ivorytower ideals. They are the cornerstones of our editorial mission. As we grow and experiment, you will see different writers, columnists and design ideas in these pages.

We encourage you to contact us and let us know what you like, what you don’t, and what you believe is missing.

While some local newspapers serve you gray pages filled with news that isn’t rel-

ON THE STREET – FEEDBACK, COMMENTS AND RANTS Ohio Governor Taft recently approved the issuing of license plates that support pro-life, anti-abortion stances.

Do political statements belong on license plates?

“His decision is another outlet for people to exercise free speech, which is great.”

– LaShanéa Vallejo

ADVERTISING SALES Renee Bergmooser rbergmooser@toledofreepress.com Mike W. Bush mbush@toledofreepress.com Josh T. Lawrence jlawrence@toledofreepress.com Toledo Free Press is published every Wednesday by Toledo Free Press, LLC, 300 Madison Avenue, Suite 1300, Toledo, OH 43604 www.toledofreepress.com Phone: (419) 241-1700 Fax: (419) 241-8828 Subscription rate: $35/year. Subscriptions must be paid in advance.

Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any matter without permission is strictly prohibited.

Copyright 2005 with all rights reserved.

Publication of advertisements does not imply endorsement of advertisers’ goods or services.

“It’s one of the few decisions of Taft’s that I agree with.”

– Chris Challen

“I think it’s a good idea, and it will help save lives by promoting awareness.”

– Marcia Pisanti

– Compiled and photographed by Heather Nash

evant to your life, presented in a way that isn’t very easy to use, we are offering you a different experience: colorful, lively pages you will want to spend time with, filled with stories you care about that, hopefully, will show you an important part of the Toledo community.

It’s about time someone told these stories, don’t you think? Hasn’t it been a long time since someone wrote newspaper stories that matter to you and impact your everyday life?

We’re glad to have you with us. We invite you to make an appointment with us each week.

Michael S. Miller is Editor in Chief of Toledo Free Press. He may be contacted at (419) 241-1700 or by e-mail at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

BLOG TALK Random quotes from Toledo-area blogs: “People didn’t stop going to Northtowne and Southwyck because they didn’t have any more money to spend. The malls fell to a combination of location, becoming run-down and not having a selection of stores that differentiated them from other local malls. Put simply, Southwyck was a pain to get to, Northtowne was a dump populated by teenage pseudogangs and neither had any goods I couldn’t find anywhere else.”

– Photodan, www.toledotalk.com “It would be unfair to blame (Governor) Taft single-handedly for Ohio’s economic demise.

Much of that credit also goes to the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature. They wouldn’t raise taxes if their lives depended upon it. As a result, Ohio’s spending on higher education rivals Mississippi and Alabama at the bottom of the rankings. As a result of Republicanled tax changes, wealthy Americans have gained income, while a college education becomes almost impossible financially for the average Ohioan. It’s reverse Robin Hood.

They take from the poor and give to the rich. And it’s happening everywhere, not just Ohio.”

– Chaz, www.toledotalk.com “IT is becoming commoditized, like most anything. This, I expect. As more people enter a field, wages should fall. This, I also expect. But given the skill requirements of most IT work (and especially phone support, which requires multiple skills to perform correctly), I seriously question the end results of demands to drag down the wages to relatively dirt-levels for this work. From their skill level, IT workers are supposed to be rarer beasts in an organization, so it’s not like IT costs should be hurting a business.”

– GuestZero, www.toledotalk.com

✯

Page 4 ■ Toledo Free Press

OPINION ✯

BUSINESS

March 16, 2005

March 16, 2005

PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

A newspaper for the city, its people and its future Why the Toledo Free Press?

The name of our newspaper reflects a double meaning: we are a free-distribution newspaper and we are an independent voice in Toledo and the region. The purpose for our publication is to offer area residents a positive look at the community and its economic development. We will look at both the positive aspects of life in our area as well the issues that hinder our development. This does not mean we will shy away from hard news, but it does mean we plan to emphasize the collective efforts of those who wish to see our region grow.

I have had the privilege of

Thomas F. Pounds living in several major metropolitan areas and I can testify that we live in one of the best regions in the country. Too often we hear about “brain drain” and the exodus of our young people, which I attribute in some part to a poor self-image of Toledo. I had an opportunity to leave Toledo

but I chose to stay here and start this company because I believe in the quality of life my family and I can enjoy here and because this is a great place to live and do business.

Toledo Free Press will spotlight people who make this a great place to live.

You will be surprised at how special your neighbors are!

We will focus on four major areas: Business, Community, Arts & Life and Sports.

Our Business pages will offer looks at real estate, development, finances, homes, technology and all the commercial enterprises that serve our community.

One of this section’s regular

features is “Toledo in Business,” which will focus on businesses that have been open less than two years.

Our Community section will include in-depth reporting on education, health care, government and social issues.

Within this section, you will find a weekly Toledo Spotlight, which will feature people who are making a difference with their contributions.

Our Arts & Life pages will strive to bring you news on local cultural events and provide insight on emerging artists who will impact the national scene and those who liven things up locally. We have a wealth of talent in this area

and we plan to showcase it.

Our Sports coverage will go beyond the historical game reviews to present unique insights that will bring you closer to big match-ups.

We are proud of the professional newspaper team we have assembled. We are excited to launch this business in the city and area we call home. I hope you will join me and be an active part of our efforts. Feel free to comment on our coverage.

We welcome your input.

Sports pub Beef ‘O’ Brady’s plans to impact its Holland neighbors through community service and involvement. By Joe Bellfy, page 7

ALL BUSINESS

public safety and promoting less self-inflicted harm done by too much green beer.

But what would the reaction be if a city official tried to put the kibosh on an African-American festival or a Hispanic gathering?

The two largest minority John K. Hartman groups in the country would not take kindly to it. Their flowing freely with booze?” ways would be cramped How about various festiand their culture unfairly vals tied to eastern European altered by “The Man.” ancestry that occur annuProtests would follow ally in Toledo and feature and officials would back alcohol, perhaps in excess? down if they knew what was good for them.

African-Americans and ����������������� Just because the Irish have Hispanics have their annual ����������������� been mainstream in this councelebrations that can turn ����������� try for several decades longer folks from sober to tanked. ������������������� than the two above-menGrant you���������������������������� the mayor, tioned ethnic groups does not whose last name, remem������������������������ mean that Irish is no longer ber, is Quinn��������������� (if that doesn’t a unique cultural distinction. scream Irish���������� ancestors I So mayor, if Irish and Irish don’t know what does), is not pretenders want to get stutrying to do away with St. pid drunk at 6 in the morn��������������������������� Patrick’s Day. He’s just trying ing on March 17, let them. to move it to ��������������������������������� the afternoon It is, after all, a free country. That is why and evening ��������������������������������� in the interest of

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

����������������������������������

Adams deserves Nobel Prize

� �� to the conflict. For his efforts, Adams deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. � �������������������

TO THE EDITOR; The situation in Northern Ireland is far from resolved — but a brighter, more peaceful future seems inevitable. One person largely responsible for this is Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams. As far back as the ’80s, Adams was opposing IRA violence involving civilians and concluding that violence was not a solution

PATRICK GORMAN Toledo

Letters to the Editor are accepted through e-mail at letters@toledofreepress.com. Submissions should not exceed 400 words and must list the author’s hometown and contact information for verification purposes.

most of us are here.

As for me, I’m only 12.5 per cent Irish. A Killians or two after dark will work for me.

John K. Hartman gets ideas for his column while driving around Ohio and Michigan listening to radio station 89X.

That is CIMX, Windsor, Ont., at 88.7 FM. 89X can be heard throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan and plays alternative rock music. If you have a topic you would like the writer to think about while driving around listening to 89X, e-mail john.harman@dacor.net.

Superior comfort by design, since 1957.

Indoor Air Quality Products

Cleans your house while saving you money!

Rachel Beck

What’s the right merger price for investors?

I

t’s not every day that you hear about shareholders coming under pressure to leave money on the table when their companies are being bought, which is why some recent merger news is all the more interesting.

In recent weeks, two companies – Hollywood Entertainment Corp. and MCI Inc. – have advised their investors to rebuff takeover offers that could give them fatter payouts and instead go with the cheaper deals because they are better for business.

This presents shareholders with a tricky choice: Is what’s best for the company really best for them?

It’s not uncommon for bidding wars to erupt when two suitors see value in a potential target.

Please see BECK, page 6

Call us for more information!

419-841-3333

3745 Centennial Rd • Sylvania

‘New age’ tactics in the war on spam

By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

DRIVING 89X

Why must we pick on the Irish in Bowling Green?

The mayor of Bowling Green, John Quinn, is trying to persuade local bar owners not to open at 6 a.m. the morning of St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, so that greenclad revelers will not get a head start on inebriation and its dangerous by-products.

It is a well-meaning effort, for sure.

Limit the window of drunkenness and perhaps fewer Irish and Irish pretenders will be wasted by noon, driving their cars and committing mayhem on the streets and highways of northwest Ohio.

Or trashed by twilight. Ditto. Ditto.

Or mashed by midnight. Ditto. Ditto.

But why pick on an Irish holiday when other ethnic celebrations offer similar disastrous potentials?

Octoberfests run rampant in the fall in this area. Can you say “German beer gardens

Page 5

Redefining Community

Thomas F. Pounds is President and Publisher of Toledo Free Press, LLC. He may be contacted at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Mr. Mayor, free the Bowling Green ‘Green Revelers’

■ Pros and cons of biweekly mortgage payments, page 8

With the advent of the Internet, millions of businesses and individuals complete transactions, obtain research materials and interact with their customers and service professionals. Unfortunately, they also subject themselves to all-too-familiar electronic threats such as spam, viruses and worms intended to unscrupulously market products, gather sensitive personal information or wreak general havoc upon hard drives and databases.

The age of “E-terror” has arrived, marked vividly by the presence of countless virtual barbarians at the gate.

Several software solutions, collectively known as interdiction, have been designed to block unwanted e-mail.

However, they often fail to adapt to new methods employed by spammers, according to Jim DelVerne, CEO and founder of GatewayDefender, in Toledo. He explained that, once programmed with algorithms – complex computational steps – most applications cannot be upgraded without “real people behind the Please see SPAM, page 7

Submitted photo.

Jim DelVerne is CEO and founder of GatewayDefender, based in Toledo.

✯

Page 4 ■ Toledo Free Press

OPINION ✯

BUSINESS

March 16, 2005

March 16, 2005

PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

A newspaper for the city, its people and its future Why the Toledo Free Press?

The name of our newspaper reflects a double meaning: we are a free-distribution newspaper and we are an independent voice in Toledo and the region. The purpose for our publication is to offer area residents a positive look at the community and its economic development. We will look at both the positive aspects of life in our area as well the issues that hinder our development. This does not mean we will shy away from hard news, but it does mean we plan to emphasize the collective efforts of those who wish to see our region grow.

I have had the privilege of

Thomas F. Pounds living in several major metropolitan areas and I can testify that we live in one of the best regions in the country. Too often we hear about “brain drain” and the exodus of our young people, which I attribute in some part to a poor self-image of Toledo. I had an opportunity to leave Toledo

but I chose to stay here and start this company because I believe in the quality of life my family and I can enjoy here and because this is a great place to live and do business.

Toledo Free Press will spotlight people who make this a great place to live.

You will be surprised at how special your neighbors are!

We will focus on four major areas: Business, Community, Arts & Life and Sports.

Our Business pages will offer looks at real estate, development, finances, homes, technology and all the commercial enterprises that serve our community.

One of this section’s regular

features is “Toledo in Business,” which will focus on businesses that have been open less than two years.

Our Community section will include in-depth reporting on education, health care, government and social issues.

Within this section, you will find a weekly Toledo Spotlight, which will feature people who are making a difference with their contributions.

Our Arts & Life pages will strive to bring you news on local cultural events and provide insight on emerging artists who will impact the national scene and those who liven things up locally. We have a wealth of talent in this area

and we plan to showcase it.

Our Sports coverage will go beyond the historical game reviews to present unique insights that will bring you closer to big match-ups.

We are proud of the professional newspaper team we have assembled. We are excited to launch this business in the city and area we call home. I hope you will join me and be an active part of our efforts. Feel free to comment on our coverage.

We welcome your input.

Sports pub Beef ‘O’ Brady’s plans to impact its Holland neighbors through community service and involvement. By Joe Bellfy, page 7

ALL BUSINESS

public safety and promoting less self-inflicted harm done by too much green beer.

But what would the reaction be if a city official tried to put the kibosh on an African-American festival or a Hispanic gathering?

The two largest minority John K. Hartman groups in the country would not take kindly to it. Their flowing freely with booze?” ways would be cramped How about various festiand their culture unfairly vals tied to eastern European altered by “The Man.” ancestry that occur annuProtests would follow ally in Toledo and feature and officials would back alcohol, perhaps in excess? down if they knew what was good for them.

African-Americans and ����������������� Just because the Irish have Hispanics have their annual ����������������� been mainstream in this councelebrations that can turn ����������� try for several decades longer folks from sober to tanked. ������������������� than the two above-menGrant you���������������������������� the mayor, tioned ethnic groups does not whose last name, remem������������������������ mean that Irish is no longer ber, is Quinn��������������� (if that doesn’t a unique cultural distinction. scream Irish���������� ancestors I So mayor, if Irish and Irish don’t know what does), is not pretenders want to get stutrying to do away with St. pid drunk at 6 in the morn��������������������������� Patrick’s Day. He’s just trying ing on March 17, let them. to move it to ��������������������������������� the afternoon It is, after all, a free country. That is why and evening ��������������������������������� in the interest of

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

����������������������������������

Adams deserves Nobel Prize

� �� to the conflict. For his efforts, Adams deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. � �������������������

TO THE EDITOR; The situation in Northern Ireland is far from resolved — but a brighter, more peaceful future seems inevitable. One person largely responsible for this is Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams. As far back as the ’80s, Adams was opposing IRA violence involving civilians and concluding that violence was not a solution

PATRICK GORMAN Toledo

Letters to the Editor are accepted through e-mail at letters@toledofreepress.com. Submissions should not exceed 400 words and must list the author’s hometown and contact information for verification purposes.

most of us are here.

As for me, I’m only 12.5 per cent Irish. A Killians or two after dark will work for me.

John K. Hartman gets ideas for his column while driving around Ohio and Michigan listening to radio station 89X.

That is CIMX, Windsor, Ont., at 88.7 FM. 89X can be heard throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan and plays alternative rock music. If you have a topic you would like the writer to think about while driving around listening to 89X, e-mail john.harman@dacor.net.

Superior comfort by design, since 1957.

Indoor Air Quality Products

Cleans your house while saving you money!

Rachel Beck

What’s the right merger price for investors?

I

t’s not every day that you hear about shareholders coming under pressure to leave money on the table when their companies are being bought, which is why some recent merger news is all the more interesting.

In recent weeks, two companies – Hollywood Entertainment Corp. and MCI Inc. – have advised their investors to rebuff takeover offers that could give them fatter payouts and instead go with the cheaper deals because they are better for business.

This presents shareholders with a tricky choice: Is what’s best for the company really best for them?

It’s not uncommon for bidding wars to erupt when two suitors see value in a potential target.

Please see BECK, page 6

Call us for more information!

419-841-3333

3745 Centennial Rd • Sylvania

‘New age’ tactics in the war on spam

By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

DRIVING 89X

Why must we pick on the Irish in Bowling Green?

The mayor of Bowling Green, John Quinn, is trying to persuade local bar owners not to open at 6 a.m. the morning of St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, so that greenclad revelers will not get a head start on inebriation and its dangerous by-products.

It is a well-meaning effort, for sure.

Limit the window of drunkenness and perhaps fewer Irish and Irish pretenders will be wasted by noon, driving their cars and committing mayhem on the streets and highways of northwest Ohio.

Or trashed by twilight. Ditto. Ditto.

Or mashed by midnight. Ditto. Ditto.

But why pick on an Irish holiday when other ethnic celebrations offer similar disastrous potentials?

Octoberfests run rampant in the fall in this area. Can you say “German beer gardens

Page 5

Redefining Community

Thomas F. Pounds is President and Publisher of Toledo Free Press, LLC. He may be contacted at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Mr. Mayor, free the Bowling Green ‘Green Revelers’

■ Pros and cons of biweekly mortgage payments, page 8

With the advent of the Internet, millions of businesses and individuals complete transactions, obtain research materials and interact with their customers and service professionals. Unfortunately, they also subject themselves to all-too-familiar electronic threats such as spam, viruses and worms intended to unscrupulously market products, gather sensitive personal information or wreak general havoc upon hard drives and databases.

The age of “E-terror” has arrived, marked vividly by the presence of countless virtual barbarians at the gate.

Several software solutions, collectively known as interdiction, have been designed to block unwanted e-mail.

However, they often fail to adapt to new methods employed by spammers, according to Jim DelVerne, CEO and founder of GatewayDefender, in Toledo. He explained that, once programmed with algorithms – complex computational steps – most applications cannot be upgraded without “real people behind the Please see SPAM, page 7

Submitted photo.

Jim DelVerne is CEO and founder of GatewayDefender, based in Toledo.

Page 6 ■ Toledo Free Press

Beck Continued from page 5

What makes these current cases stand out is that the offers are far apart, and the target companies’ executives and boards are aggressively pushing for the lower bids.

Consider the wide margin between the offers for Hollywood Entertainment, which is being pursued by smaller video-rental company Movie Gallery Inc. and the nation’s No. 1 player in that market, Blockbuster Inc. Hollywood has agreed to be bought by Movie Gallery for $13.25 a share in cash, or about $900 million. That’s more than 9 percent below Blockbuster’s $985 million hostile takeover offer, which includes $14.50 a share in cash and stock.

When only cash is used in a takeover transaction, often the high bid wins because it’s a take-your-money-andrun scenario for investors.

But that’s not the case this go around. This deal isn’t just about money — at least according to Hollywood Entertainment’s board. It’s about speed, too. The Movie Gallery acquisition could

✯

BUSINESS ✯

proceed faster because there won’t be the same “uncertainties and possible delays’’ in winning regulatory approval, as the board has noted, that could come with a Blockbuster buyout.

With many Hollywood’s stores in the same local market as a Blockbuster store, they could face an antitrust challenge.

A different scenario is brewing at MCI, the telecommunications company that is an acquisition target of both Verizon Communications Inc. and Qwest Communications International Inc. MCI’s executives said they want to stick with a $6.7 billion offer from Verizon, even after Qwest last week revised its $8 billion bid to include a way to guarantee the value of the stock portion of the deal and a faster cash payout to shareholders.

The Qwest deal values MCI at $24.60 per share, consisting of $9.10 in cash and $15.50 worth of Qwest shares. Verizon is offering $6 in cash and stock currently worth about $14.70, valuing MCI at $20.70 per share.

But the 20 percent premium that Qwest is willing to pay hasn’t managed to sway MCI’s board just yet. Why? Verizon, the largest U.S. telecom ser-

vices provider, is more financially stable, while Qwest’s business prospects are less certain.

“It’s all about the long-term value of the company. That’s what boards are focused on,” said Charles Elson, director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at University of Delaware.

Denver-based Qwest, which is the fourth-largest local phone company, isn’t backing down without a fight.

Its executives made a direct appeal to MCI investors this week, arguing their plan would generate cost savings of $2.9 billion starting in the second year after the deal closes compared with Verizon’s estimates of $1 billion a year in the third year.

Those efforts at least got MCI to agree to talk with Qwest about its latest proposal, a decision made with the blessing of Verizon. MCI has until Thursday to complete the talks.

That might placate some MCI shareholders who have been angry with the board for pushing the Verizon deal.

Rachel Beck is the national business columnist for The Associated Press. Write to her at rbeck@ap.org.

March 16, 2005 BUSINESS BRIEFS From staff reports

TOLEDO

Two retail stores open Two new stores have opened in Downtown Toledo’s Warehouse District and the St. Clair Village. The stores are The Market on St. Clair and Cold Fusion Creamery in Toledo. The Market on St. Clair offers upscale groceries, fresh breads and produce. At the Cold Fusion Creamery, customers are offered a variety of ice cream and candy mixes or “fusions.” Socrates Café, Ltd. is the Toledobased company that owns and operates these two stores. This will be its third Cold Fusion Creamery in Toledo.

TOLEDO

Zoning request A zone change from CRSO to CR for the property located at 6100 Telegraph, New Towne Square Lot 1, has been submitted to the City Planning Commission for its review and recommendation, according to Mayor Jack Ford’s office. A public hearing upon a proposed ordinance will be held in the Council Chambers, One Government Center, Toledo, Ohio at 4 p.m. on May 18.

WASHINGTON D.C.

Kaptur addresses gas prices In a speech delivered March 9, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-9th District) said that “oil prices are going through the roof.”

“What is truly dangerous and tragic about this trend is our continued dependence on imported sources of oil,” she said. “The American people need a new Declaration of Independence. We need to cut the umbilical cord to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East and every other undemocratic regime around this earth to which we are attached because of our oil dependence.”

“WHERE TOLEDO COMES TO TALK” BOB FRANTZ WEEKDAYS 5:30AM – 9AM

DENNY SCHAFFER WEEKDAYS 3PM – 6PM

✯

March 16, 2005

Spam Continued from page 5

scenes making changes to it.”

The result is a cat-and-mouse contest between legitimate programmers and spammers.

“Spammers are constantly changing tactics to try to bypass software filters that are out there,” DelVerne said. “They’re successful at doing that, but when we catch their new tactics, we write new algorithms.”

Other tactics involve thwarting spammers who retrieve valid e-mail addresses through techniques such as directory harvest attacks or flooding.

DelVerne’s response is to not only filter and block the messages from reaching customers’ inboxes, but to “dead letter” them, preventing any notice of undeliverable mail from returning to the sender.

His company also collects junk mail through several “honey pot” accounts that lure spam, which programmers then review and filter, using the information to adjust their own filters and further protect their clients. The techniques serve to ruin the spammer’s harvest of addresses, while freeing servers’ bandwidth resources.

Otherwise, such flooding could overwhelm the server’s system, resulting in a situation known as denial of service.

“For instance, if I take

your mail server and send so much traffic to it that it can’t handle it anymore, it basically renders the server useless.

Now it’s not able to accept legitimate mail,” he said.

With directory harvest attacks and flooding curtailed by interdiction, spammers have resorted to fraudulent attempts to retrieve sensitive user information by disguising the source as a legitimate and familiar institution. Known as phishing, the scam seeks a reply by the email user, requesting a bank account number and Social Security number as well as user names and passwords.

“You’ll see a lot of e-mails that look like they came from, say, Citibank,” he said. “What they’re doing is trying to fish for information. It looks like it came from Citibank, but in reality it came from somebody who is trying to scam you and take your money.”

Toledo native DelVerne founded GatewayDefender four years ago. The company serves clients nationally and locally, including the Toledo Zoo, Cumulus Broadcasting and Regional Growth Partnership, which, he said, serves an instrumental role in accessing economic programs for developing and expanding technology corporations throughout Ohio.

Long live the Free Press!

419.861.1100 www.cbre.com/toledo Licensed Real Estate Broker

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BUSINESS ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 7

TOLEDO IN BUSINESS

Submitted photo.

This Florida Beef ʻOʼ Bradyʼs will resemble one opening in Holland this month.

Sports pub redefines service

By Joe Bellfy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

For Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, a Tampa, FL.-based restaurant chain that will open its doors this month in Holland, serving communities beyond the dinner table comes naturally.

Throughout its 20-year history, the company has sought franchisees with a history of supporting local schools, sports leagues, and other organizations and the policy seems to be paying off: Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is the fifthfastest growing restaurant chain in the U.S. “We are kind of like the neighborhood family room,” said Greg Sausaman, director of franchise sales for Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. He said on a given night, a franchise location may host a fundraiser, donating a percentage of sales to local schools, or hand out certificates of merit for a free kid’s meal.

“It’s recognition for a job well done,” according to Sausaman. “Everyone is working really hard these days, and it’s a great chance to celebrate grades or other accomplishments.”

The company’s rapport with surrounding communities has paid dividends. During a three-month period last year, the home office of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Tampa, FL., withstood a fire, 16 of its locations were damaged by hurricanes, and its main location was lost to a sinkhole. The recovery was steady, however, due in no small part to local employees and customers who rallied around the “charitable chain.”

As the company prepares for opening night in Holland, the tradition of community support appears firmly in place.

“Holland is a growing community and a restaurant of this design will fit well with

the surrounding retail and business atmosphere,” said Village of Holland Mayor Mike Yunker. “I’m very excited to see them establishing themselves in our community and look forward to dining there.”

“We encourage our partners to look for opportunities to get involved,” Sausaman said. He relates the story of a Florida family that lost its entire home to a storm-related fire, to which a local franchisee — familiar with the family through their elementary school — responded by holding a fundraiser.

Sausaman said franchise owners are from the areas they are operating in, helping to ensure a genuine interest in community improvement.

Jerry Glatt, owner of the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s franchise opening in Holland’s Orchard Center this month, underscores this point. In addition to his work with local veterans’ groups and sports leagues, Glatt said he has visited two elementary schools, as well as Springfield and St. John’s Jesuit high schools, as a way to get involved through sponsorships.

“We have excellent food, but having fun is just as important,” Glatt said. “If I’m having fun and my staff is having fun, that will translate to our customers.” Sausaman agrees. “It’s always fun to watch a group of kids from a local soccer or baseball team in the restaurant. You usually can’t tell whether they won or lost the game.”

ON THE WEB www.beefobradys.com Toledo in Business is a weekly feature that spotlights businesses that have been in operation for two years or less. If you are interested in having your new business profiled, e-mail news@toledofreepress.com.

Page 6 ■ Toledo Free Press

Beck Continued from page 5

What makes these current cases stand out is that the offers are far apart, and the target companies’ executives and boards are aggressively pushing for the lower bids.

Consider the wide margin between the offers for Hollywood Entertainment, which is being pursued by smaller video-rental company Movie Gallery Inc. and the nation’s No. 1 player in that market, Blockbuster Inc. Hollywood has agreed to be bought by Movie Gallery for $13.25 a share in cash, or about $900 million. That’s more than 9 percent below Blockbuster’s $985 million hostile takeover offer, which includes $14.50 a share in cash and stock.

When only cash is used in a takeover transaction, often the high bid wins because it’s a take-your-money-andrun scenario for investors.

But that’s not the case this go around. This deal isn’t just about money — at least according to Hollywood Entertainment’s board. It’s about speed, too. The Movie Gallery acquisition could

✯

BUSINESS ✯

proceed faster because there won’t be the same “uncertainties and possible delays’’ in winning regulatory approval, as the board has noted, that could come with a Blockbuster buyout.

With many Hollywood’s stores in the same local market as a Blockbuster store, they could face an antitrust challenge.

A different scenario is brewing at MCI, the telecommunications company that is an acquisition target of both Verizon Communications Inc. and Qwest Communications International Inc. MCI’s executives said they want to stick with a $6.7 billion offer from Verizon, even after Qwest last week revised its $8 billion bid to include a way to guarantee the value of the stock portion of the deal and a faster cash payout to shareholders.

The Qwest deal values MCI at $24.60 per share, consisting of $9.10 in cash and $15.50 worth of Qwest shares. Verizon is offering $6 in cash and stock currently worth about $14.70, valuing MCI at $20.70 per share.

But the 20 percent premium that Qwest is willing to pay hasn’t managed to sway MCI’s board just yet. Why? Verizon, the largest U.S. telecom ser-

vices provider, is more financially stable, while Qwest’s business prospects are less certain.

“It’s all about the long-term value of the company. That’s what boards are focused on,” said Charles Elson, director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at University of Delaware.

Denver-based Qwest, which is the fourth-largest local phone company, isn’t backing down without a fight.

Its executives made a direct appeal to MCI investors this week, arguing their plan would generate cost savings of $2.9 billion starting in the second year after the deal closes compared with Verizon’s estimates of $1 billion a year in the third year.

Those efforts at least got MCI to agree to talk with Qwest about its latest proposal, a decision made with the blessing of Verizon. MCI has until Thursday to complete the talks.

That might placate some MCI shareholders who have been angry with the board for pushing the Verizon deal.

Rachel Beck is the national business columnist for The Associated Press. Write to her at rbeck@ap.org.

March 16, 2005 BUSINESS BRIEFS From staff reports

TOLEDO

Two retail stores open Two new stores have opened in Downtown Toledo’s Warehouse District and the St. Clair Village. The stores are The Market on St. Clair and Cold Fusion Creamery in Toledo. The Market on St. Clair offers upscale groceries, fresh breads and produce. At the Cold Fusion Creamery, customers are offered a variety of ice cream and candy mixes or “fusions.” Socrates Café, Ltd. is the Toledobased company that owns and operates these two stores. This will be its third Cold Fusion Creamery in Toledo.

TOLEDO

Zoning request A zone change from CRSO to CR for the property located at 6100 Telegraph, New Towne Square Lot 1, has been submitted to the City Planning Commission for its review and recommendation, according to Mayor Jack Ford’s office. A public hearing upon a proposed ordinance will be held in the Council Chambers, One Government Center, Toledo, Ohio at 4 p.m. on May 18.

WASHINGTON D.C.

Kaptur addresses gas prices In a speech delivered March 9, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-9th District) said that “oil prices are going through the roof.”

“What is truly dangerous and tragic about this trend is our continued dependence on imported sources of oil,” she said. “The American people need a new Declaration of Independence. We need to cut the umbilical cord to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East and every other undemocratic regime around this earth to which we are attached because of our oil dependence.”

“WHERE TOLEDO COMES TO TALK” BOB FRANTZ WEEKDAYS 5:30AM – 9AM

DENNY SCHAFFER WEEKDAYS 3PM – 6PM

✯

March 16, 2005

Spam Continued from page 5

scenes making changes to it.”

The result is a cat-and-mouse contest between legitimate programmers and spammers.

“Spammers are constantly changing tactics to try to bypass software filters that are out there,” DelVerne said. “They’re successful at doing that, but when we catch their new tactics, we write new algorithms.”

Other tactics involve thwarting spammers who retrieve valid e-mail addresses through techniques such as directory harvest attacks or flooding.

DelVerne’s response is to not only filter and block the messages from reaching customers’ inboxes, but to “dead letter” them, preventing any notice of undeliverable mail from returning to the sender.

His company also collects junk mail through several “honey pot” accounts that lure spam, which programmers then review and filter, using the information to adjust their own filters and further protect their clients. The techniques serve to ruin the spammer’s harvest of addresses, while freeing servers’ bandwidth resources.

Otherwise, such flooding could overwhelm the server’s system, resulting in a situation known as denial of service.

“For instance, if I take

your mail server and send so much traffic to it that it can’t handle it anymore, it basically renders the server useless.

Now it’s not able to accept legitimate mail,” he said.

With directory harvest attacks and flooding curtailed by interdiction, spammers have resorted to fraudulent attempts to retrieve sensitive user information by disguising the source as a legitimate and familiar institution. Known as phishing, the scam seeks a reply by the email user, requesting a bank account number and Social Security number as well as user names and passwords.

“You’ll see a lot of e-mails that look like they came from, say, Citibank,” he said. “What they’re doing is trying to fish for information. It looks like it came from Citibank, but in reality it came from somebody who is trying to scam you and take your money.”

Toledo native DelVerne founded GatewayDefender four years ago. The company serves clients nationally and locally, including the Toledo Zoo, Cumulus Broadcasting and Regional Growth Partnership, which, he said, serves an instrumental role in accessing economic programs for developing and expanding technology corporations throughout Ohio.

Long live the Free Press!

419.861.1100 www.cbre.com/toledo Licensed Real Estate Broker

����� ���������� ������������

��������� ��������� �������������� ���������������

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BUSINESS ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 7

TOLEDO IN BUSINESS

Submitted photo.

This Florida Beef ʻOʼ Bradyʼs will resemble one opening in Holland this month.

Sports pub redefines service

By Joe Bellfy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

For Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, a Tampa, FL.-based restaurant chain that will open its doors this month in Holland, serving communities beyond the dinner table comes naturally.

Throughout its 20-year history, the company has sought franchisees with a history of supporting local schools, sports leagues, and other organizations and the policy seems to be paying off: Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is the fifthfastest growing restaurant chain in the U.S. “We are kind of like the neighborhood family room,” said Greg Sausaman, director of franchise sales for Beef ‘O’ Brady’s. He said on a given night, a franchise location may host a fundraiser, donating a percentage of sales to local schools, or hand out certificates of merit for a free kid’s meal.

“It’s recognition for a job well done,” according to Sausaman. “Everyone is working really hard these days, and it’s a great chance to celebrate grades or other accomplishments.”

The company’s rapport with surrounding communities has paid dividends. During a three-month period last year, the home office of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Tampa, FL., withstood a fire, 16 of its locations were damaged by hurricanes, and its main location was lost to a sinkhole. The recovery was steady, however, due in no small part to local employees and customers who rallied around the “charitable chain.”

As the company prepares for opening night in Holland, the tradition of community support appears firmly in place.

“Holland is a growing community and a restaurant of this design will fit well with

the surrounding retail and business atmosphere,” said Village of Holland Mayor Mike Yunker. “I’m very excited to see them establishing themselves in our community and look forward to dining there.”

“We encourage our partners to look for opportunities to get involved,” Sausaman said. He relates the story of a Florida family that lost its entire home to a storm-related fire, to which a local franchisee — familiar with the family through their elementary school — responded by holding a fundraiser.

Sausaman said franchise owners are from the areas they are operating in, helping to ensure a genuine interest in community improvement.

Jerry Glatt, owner of the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s franchise opening in Holland’s Orchard Center this month, underscores this point. In addition to his work with local veterans’ groups and sports leagues, Glatt said he has visited two elementary schools, as well as Springfield and St. John’s Jesuit high schools, as a way to get involved through sponsorships.

“We have excellent food, but having fun is just as important,” Glatt said. “If I’m having fun and my staff is having fun, that will translate to our customers.” Sausaman agrees. “It’s always fun to watch a group of kids from a local soccer or baseball team in the restaurant. You usually can’t tell whether they won or lost the game.”

ON THE WEB www.beefobradys.com Toledo in Business is a weekly feature that spotlights businesses that have been in operation for two years or less. If you are interested in having your new business profiled, e-mail news@toledofreepress.com.

✯

Page 8 ■ Toledo Free Press

HOMES ✯

March 16, 2005

FINANCING

Biweekly mortgage payments rely on ‘lack of interest’

By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Homeowners often look for ways to trim their monthly budgets in an attempt to “have a little extra” after mortgage payments and other expenses. Yet, a closer perspective of how mortgages work reveals the distinct advantage of accelerating payments in order to reduce the burden of long-term interest.

The investment may yield higher returns than any stock, bond or mutual fund on the market.

Recent efforts by mortgage companies to help customers benefit from accelerated payoff have led to biweekly payments as an option for homeowners willing to commit themselves to a more demanding schedule. The plan results in an additional payment at year’s end, which applies directly to the principal and eliminates future interest charges against the additional amount. Eventually, over the course of a 30-year mortgage of $200,000 at 7.5 percent interest, the total interest paid would drop by as much as $78,000.

The motivation behind biweekly payment options becomes readily apparent

to customers when they see the math on paper, according to Don McCorkle, owner of Alpha Mortgage Services, in Toledo. His company runs an amortization schedule to calculate the total savings, subtracting initial setup fees and monthly debit fees that may be required by the lender. Initial costs vary from $300 to $1,000, while monthly fees generally fall within the $3 to $4 range.

“I think it’s an excellent way for customers to amortize their loans and save a considerable amount of interest over a period of time,” McCorkle said. “Typically on a 30-year loan, it takes it down to 21.7 years, on a 15-year loan, about 12.”

Accomplishing the same goal without committing to accelerated payments remains a viable option, he continued, but the borrower must exercise the financial discipline needed to voluntarily meet the payment due dates. Whether paying extra monthly or making one additional month’s payment per year, self-management avoids conventional fees and allows more flexibility in the payment schedule.

“We pretty much recommend that the client do it on their own — take the initiative to begin hold-

ing back that money every two weeks,” added McCorkle. “If the client can set aside a payment every two weeks, they’ll eventually have that 13th payment reserved at the end of the year. Most of them don’t.”

Those who do succeed by self-managing their accelerated payments typically can save about $2,300 more than borrowers officially locked into the lenders’ biweekly programs. Ultimately, the decision rests on the homeowner’s confidence to keep the payment schedule for the duration of the mortgage or sooner in the event of a sale.

The average length of ownership hovers around seven years, according to Rick Peace, a loan officer for Franklin Bank SSB, in Toledo, but at the same time, many own for life. He emphasized the high cost of interest, especially during the first several years of a mortgage. Those considering a shorter length of stay can generate a much greater dollar-for–dollar savings because a high percentage of the payment applies to the interest.

“There’s a lot of interest. When you make a payment on your house, you pay a lot of interest up front,” Peace said.

“When you first buy your home, basi-

cally for the first 15 years of the mortgage, you’re paying mostly interest.”

He advocates a self-managed approach to mortgage payment plans because of the flexibility and savings.

He suggests homeowners make two extra payments per year, if possible, to cut the mortgage term nearly in half.

“It does save you a lot of money on the end of your mortgage if you make one or two payments extra,” Peace continued. “Every six months if you send in an extra payment, you’re going to knock off probably 13 to 14 years off your mortgage.

“I would recommend a monthly payment. And if you can pay an extra $50 to $100 a month on your mortgage, pay it. That’s what I do personally. Anything you send in extra, just write the amount next to where it says, ‘principal.’ They have to apply it to the principal.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ON THE WEB www.alphatoledo.com http://franklinbankmortgages. lenderhost.com

When it comes to Whenititcomes comes When toto convenience and service ... Reed Vision views convenienceand andservice service......Reed convenience ReedVision Visionviews views Fifth Third Bank as #1.

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When it came to banking, Reed Vision set its sights on a bank that is an When it came banking, Reed Vision sights a bank that is an When it came to to banking, Reed Vision setset its its sights onon a bank is an industry leader with a strong commitment to service.

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They chose Fifth Third Bank. After consultation on the company’s needs, Fifth Third brought banking Bank.

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Reed Vision has the benefit dedicated team Reed Vision has benefit aadedicated team Reed Vision has thethe benefit of of aofdedicated team of ofof Fifth Third specialists: Dan Johnson, City Executive, Monroe; Fifth Third specialists: Dan Johnson, City Executive, Monroe; Fifth Third specialists: Dan Johnson, City Executive, Monroe; Cari Jennings and Beth Colatruglio,Treasury Management.

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Page 8 ■ Toledo Free Press

HOMES ✯

March 16, 2005

FINANCING

Biweekly mortgage payments rely on ‘lack of interest’

By Scott McKimmy Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Homeowners often look for ways to trim their monthly budgets in an attempt to “have a little extra” after mortgage payments and other expenses. Yet, a closer perspective of how mortgages work reveals the distinct advantage of accelerating payments in order to reduce the burden of long-term interest.

The investment may yield higher returns than any stock, bond or mutual fund on the market.

Recent efforts by mortgage companies to help customers benefit from accelerated payoff have led to biweekly payments as an option for homeowners willing to commit themselves to a more demanding schedule. The plan results in an additional payment at year’s end, which applies directly to the principal and eliminates future interest charges against the additional amount. Eventually, over the course of a 30-year mortgage of $200,000 at 7.5 percent interest, the total interest paid would drop by as much as $78,000.

The motivation behind biweekly payment options becomes readily apparent

to customers when they see the math on paper, according to Don McCorkle, owner of Alpha Mortgage Services, in Toledo. His company runs an amortization schedule to calculate the total savings, subtracting initial setup fees and monthly debit fees that may be required by the lender. Initial costs vary from $300 to $1,000, while monthly fees generally fall within the $3 to $4 range.

“I think it’s an excellent way for customers to amortize their loans and save a considerable amount of interest over a period of time,” McCorkle said. “Typically on a 30-year loan, it takes it down to 21.7 years, on a 15-year loan, about 12.”

Accomplishing the same goal without committing to accelerated payments remains a viable option, he continued, but the borrower must exercise the financial discipline needed to voluntarily meet the payment due dates. Whether paying extra monthly or making one additional month’s payment per year, self-management avoids conventional fees and allows more flexibility in the payment schedule.

“We pretty much recommend that the client do it on their own — take the initiative to begin hold-

ing back that money every two weeks,” added McCorkle. “If the client can set aside a payment every two weeks, they’ll eventually have that 13th payment reserved at the end of the year. Most of them don’t.”

Those who do succeed by self-managing their accelerated payments typically can save about $2,300 more than borrowers officially locked into the lenders’ biweekly programs. Ultimately, the decision rests on the homeowner’s confidence to keep the payment schedule for the duration of the mortgage or sooner in the event of a sale.

The average length of ownership hovers around seven years, according to Rick Peace, a loan officer for Franklin Bank SSB, in Toledo, but at the same time, many own for life. He emphasized the high cost of interest, especially during the first several years of a mortgage. Those considering a shorter length of stay can generate a much greater dollar-for–dollar savings because a high percentage of the payment applies to the interest.

“There’s a lot of interest. When you make a payment on your house, you pay a lot of interest up front,” Peace said.

“When you first buy your home, basi-

cally for the first 15 years of the mortgage, you’re paying mostly interest.”

He advocates a self-managed approach to mortgage payment plans because of the flexibility and savings.

He suggests homeowners make two extra payments per year, if possible, to cut the mortgage term nearly in half.

“It does save you a lot of money on the end of your mortgage if you make one or two payments extra,” Peace continued. “Every six months if you send in an extra payment, you’re going to knock off probably 13 to 14 years off your mortgage.

“I would recommend a monthly payment. And if you can pay an extra $50 to $100 a month on your mortgage, pay it. That’s what I do personally. Anything you send in extra, just write the amount next to where it says, ‘principal.’ They have to apply it to the principal.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ON THE WEB www.alphatoledo.com http://franklinbankmortgages. lenderhost.com

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COMMUNITY March 16, 2005

■ ‘Desperate Housewives’ contest taps local women, page 16

“I was free to create the entire world of 1855 Virginia.”

Edward P. Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Known World,” opens the Toledo Lucas County Library’s “Authors! Authors!” series on March 23, page 13

NEWS BRIEFS TOLEDO

From Staff Reports

‘Meet the Mayor’ scheduled Toledo residents will have the opportunity to voice their concerns and offer suggestions on city matters directly to Mayor Jack Ford at Meet the Mayor Night, according to a press release from Ford’s office.

Separate private meetings with the Mayor will be scheduled, with each meeting lasting approximately 10 minutes. Representatives of various city departments will be in attendance to assist.

To request a meeting, call (419) 936-2020 between 8 a.m. and 4:45 pm, Monday through Friday. Meeting FORD participants will be asked to provide their name, subject of the meeting and any previous contact with the city on this subject.

Only Toledo residents are eligible to take part in Meet the Mayor Night. Upcoming meetings include: ■ March 23 at 5:30-6:30 p.m., East Toledo Family Center, 1020 Varland Ave. ■ March 30 at 5:30-6:30 p.m., Wayman Palmer YMCA, 2053 N. 14th St.

PERRYSBURG

Klewer announces candidacy Republican Kim Klewer has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Perrysburg. Klewer is a former two-term Perrysburg City Councilman.

“My decision to run for Mayor is for three reasons,” he said in a press release. “I feel the mayor’s office is in need of new leadership, statesmanship and management. Also needed is improved communication to council and citizens, less politics and a better overall relationship with City Council. The city is faced with many challenges. Some are wonderful opportunities and some are real concerns that must KLEWER be addressed and resolved.”

Klewer is president and owner of Asset Protection Corporation, a Toledo-based electronic security, fire, video and access control system company.

At press time, the Wood County Board of Elections said no other candidates were circulating petitions. The filing deadline is July 5.

Klewer’s Web site is www.klewerformayor.com.

Klewer is the father of Toledo Free Press Art Director Stacie Klewer.

running

to stand still DEREK FENIGER survived drug addiction to embrace health and physical fitness

By Lisa Mohr • Photos by DM Stanfield OTTAWA HILLS – Derek Feniger, 22, acknowledges he is an addict.“A grateful addict, with the help of family,” he says, “but an addict.” Feniger used family support, a 30-day rehabilitation facility and 12-step meetings to transform himself from a struggling addict to a marathon runner and soon-to-be triathlete.

At 6’1” and just under 170 pounds, with dark, heavily lashed almond eyes, Feniger radiates confidence. He speaks freely of his addiction and recovery, with the ease of one comfortable in the spotlight. Feniger describes himself as “a typical teen from an intact, loving family.” He recently celebrated one year of sobriety and drug-free life. A 2002 graduate of St. John’s Jesuit High School, Derek says he had bright plans. An occasional drug and alcohol user in high school, he said the idea of becoming hooked on drugs never crossed his mind.

“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I have an aunt that is a successful chef,” he said. “So I decided to go to New Hampshire College and study culinary Please see FENIGER, page 12

See our classified ad!

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COMMUNITY March 16, 2005

■ ‘Desperate Housewives’ contest taps local women, page 16

“I was free to create the entire world of 1855 Virginia.”

Edward P. Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “The Known World,” opens the Toledo Lucas County Library’s “Authors! Authors!” series on March 23, page 13

NEWS BRIEFS TOLEDO

From Staff Reports

‘Meet the Mayor’ scheduled Toledo residents will have the opportunity to voice their concerns and offer suggestions on city matters directly to Mayor Jack Ford at Meet the Mayor Night, according to a press release from Ford’s office.

Separate private meetings with the Mayor will be scheduled, with each meeting lasting approximately 10 minutes. Representatives of various city departments will be in attendance to assist.

To request a meeting, call (419) 936-2020 between 8 a.m. and 4:45 pm, Monday through Friday. Meeting FORD participants will be asked to provide their name, subject of the meeting and any previous contact with the city on this subject.

Only Toledo residents are eligible to take part in Meet the Mayor Night. Upcoming meetings include: ■ March 23 at 5:30-6:30 p.m., East Toledo Family Center, 1020 Varland Ave. ■ March 30 at 5:30-6:30 p.m., Wayman Palmer YMCA, 2053 N. 14th St.

PERRYSBURG

Klewer announces candidacy Republican Kim Klewer has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Perrysburg. Klewer is a former two-term Perrysburg City Councilman.

“My decision to run for Mayor is for three reasons,” he said in a press release. “I feel the mayor’s office is in need of new leadership, statesmanship and management. Also needed is improved communication to council and citizens, less politics and a better overall relationship with City Council. The city is faced with many challenges. Some are wonderful opportunities and some are real concerns that must KLEWER be addressed and resolved.”

Klewer is president and owner of Asset Protection Corporation, a Toledo-based electronic security, fire, video and access control system company.

At press time, the Wood County Board of Elections said no other candidates were circulating petitions. The filing deadline is July 5.

Klewer’s Web site is www.klewerformayor.com.

Klewer is the father of Toledo Free Press Art Director Stacie Klewer.

running

to stand still DEREK FENIGER survived drug addiction to embrace health and physical fitness

By Lisa Mohr • Photos by DM Stanfield OTTAWA HILLS – Derek Feniger, 22, acknowledges he is an addict.“A grateful addict, with the help of family,” he says, “but an addict.” Feniger used family support, a 30-day rehabilitation facility and 12-step meetings to transform himself from a struggling addict to a marathon runner and soon-to-be triathlete.

At 6’1” and just under 170 pounds, with dark, heavily lashed almond eyes, Feniger radiates confidence. He speaks freely of his addiction and recovery, with the ease of one comfortable in the spotlight. Feniger describes himself as “a typical teen from an intact, loving family.” He recently celebrated one year of sobriety and drug-free life. A 2002 graduate of St. John’s Jesuit High School, Derek says he had bright plans. An occasional drug and alcohol user in high school, he said the idea of becoming hooked on drugs never crossed his mind.

“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I have an aunt that is a successful chef,” he said. “So I decided to go to New Hampshire College and study culinary Please see FENIGER, page 12

See our classified ad!

HELP WANTED! Roll-Off Boxes • Commercial Dumpster Service • Portable Toilets

WE HAUL OUR CANS FOR YOU!

✯

Page 12 ■ Toledo Free Press

Feniger Continued from page 11

arts. Soon after I got there, I knew that it was not for me. It didn’t feed my creative side.

So I used drugs, increasingly, to get by.”

Feniger returned to Toledo and attended Owens Community College, but discovered his heart was not in his studies. As his drug use intensified, Feniger’s family noticed a change in him, but say they had no idea why.

Feniger’s mother, Sally Feniger, said she knew her son was occasionally depressed, but attributed it to growing pains.

“I assumed that he was just a normal young man, not sure where to go with life,” Sally Feniger said. “I know kids go through changes, but I assumed everything was OK.” Feniger said he sees now what neither he nor his parents saw at the time. “I was medicating myself, numbing myself emotionally, with drugs and alcohol,” he said.

Live from New York

Unhappy in Toledo, Feniger joined his sister in New York City to start fresh. Erin Feniger, an NBC production assistant, took her brother to some parties that changed his life.

After being in the city for two months, Feniger was approached at a party for “Saturday Night Live” cast members. He was offered a modeling job by the owner of Roots clothing, the apparel supplier for the U.S. Olympic team.

“Right away, I started mod-

eling,” Feniger said. “Almost immediately, a whole new world of drug use opened up to me. Even though I had used cocaine in the past, there it was, free, handed to me, encouraged. It was like I was supposed to use, all day, every day. If I wanted it delivered to my door, there it was.”

Instead of calling home twice or more daily, he went days without calling. He said his normally ebullient, outgoing personality reversed itself, and he turned secretive and withdrawn.

Soon, an acquaintance introduced him to other drugs.

“It got to where I was in search of a new high,” he said.

Within weeks, Feniger had an epiphany.

“After waking up — well, with the drugs, I never really slept — I called home,” he said. “I talked to my dad first – I couldn’t bear to hear the pain in my mom’s voice – and told him I needed help.”

“I knew there was a problem, but had no idea what.

When he told me what was going on, I knew it was time to act, even though this is nothing I had ever dealt with,” William Feniger said.

William Feniger bought his son a plane ticket for the next day, and sent movers to pack up his apartment. Feniger’s family arranged outpatient care, but soon it was apparent that more was needed.

“I went back to school, and worked,” Feniger said, “but I was too hooked. I was depressed, unable to use during the day, and still sneaking at night.”

Feniger again went to his parents, and that was when

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COMMUNITY ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 13

Pulitzer winner to read tale of black slave owners

to just keep writing,” he said.

Jones opens the 2005 spring season of the Toledo-Lucas County Unemployment helped bring Public Library “Authors! Authors!”

Edward P. Jones a Pulitzer Prize. series at 7 p.m. on March 23.

“I had heard Jones will read from “The Known of black slave World,” his novel about Henry owners back Townsend, a black farmer and forin college. I mer slave turned slave owner. planned to A Washington D.C. native who read a bunch of continues to make his home there, books on slavJones said he is a “simple man” who ery and really owns neither a car nor a cell phone. study the his“If I can’t bring it into my aparttory, but kept ment at night, I really don’t have E-2-Corporate Banking Image Ads/ putting it off,” muchAM use for it,” Jones said.

108 CorpBank_5x6_75 1/21/05 11:40 Page 1 JONES Promotion of NC CB Overcoming Jones said Jones said writing asBarriers a career during a recent phone interview with 5 xreally 7 occurred to him, even never Toledo Free Press. “In 2001, I schedthough he studied writing at Holy E-2-Corporate Banking Image Ads/ uled five weeks of vacation, planning CrossAM College. grew up not hav108 CorpBank_5x6_75 1/21/05 to11:40 Page“I 1 of NC CB Overcoming Barriers do the research I hadPromotion been putting off.” ing much, so I just wanted a regu5 x enough 7 E-2-Corporate Image Ads/ Instead of doing the readlar Banking job, to live, pay the rent 108 CorpBank_5x6_75 1/21/05 11:40 AM Page 1 ing, Jones said he started to andCB have a good life,” Jones said.

Promotion of NC Overcoming Barriers write. “I lost my job, and decided He did write, publishing a vol5x7

By Lisa Mohr Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Marathon man

Feniger now pours his energy into academic and athletic enterprises. He is working toward a degree in exercise science at the University of Toledo, and said he hopes to be a sports psychologist.

Feniger devotes more than 20 hours a week to training for marathons and triathalons. He is also a vegetarian, and pays special attention to nutrition.

“I ran the Chicago Marathon in 3:20,” Feniger said.

“That qualified me for the Boston Marathon. My next goal is to complete that.”

The Iron Man Triathalon in Hawaii is another goal. With local sponsors Universal Metals and Hylant McClain Insurance supporting him, Feniger said he has no doubt he will successfully compete there.

Feniger also runs for a cause — any money he raises competing goes to the Scleroderma Foundation.

March 16, 2005 GUEST SPEAKER

they found Hazelden, an inpatient facility in Minnesota, that specializes in caring for young adults with addictions. Feniger arrived there in January 2004. The first week was pure hell, Feniger said.

“I had the shakes, sweats, heart palpitations, convulsions, you name it. I didn’t think I was going to make it.”

By the second week, Feniger said he was feeling better.

“I attended a couple of meetings daily, with people just like me. My whole attitude started to change,” he said.

“He was clear-eyed and healthy, just like his old self,” Sally Feniger said.

“I believed right then that the lies were done.”

SPRING SPECIAL

Oil & Filter Change

March 16, 2005

Feniger attends Alcoholics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous meetings to maintain his drug-free life, and said he wants everyone to know that tomorrow is a chance to change.

“We each have to take responsibility for our lives, our health. Anyone, at any age, can make a change,” he said. “Every morning is a choice. Every day is a new chance to start fresh.”

ume of short stories titled “Lost in the City” in 1992. Shortly thereafter, Jones said the idea for “The Known World” began to form in his head.

Before sitting down during his vacation to write, Jones said he only had about 12 pages written.

“I had the first six pages done, and the last six,” he said. “The rest was written, but still in my head.”

The actual writing process went quickly, Jones said.

Writing on what he calls “a glorified typewriter,” Jones said he wrote three to five hours most days. “I finished the book in a few months, reworked it and edited it for a few more, then sent it off to my publisher.”

Jones said the characters in the book had been in his head for so many years, the process of writing and giving them life was a comfortable one for him.

“After having the book in my

Lisa Mohr is a Toledo Free Press staff writer.

She may be contacted at news@toledofreepress.com

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head for so long, for the most part, it just sort of flowed out of my head,” Jones said. “Writing fiction, I was free to create the entire world of 1855 Virginia. If I say it is 1855 Virginia, you will believe me until I say something to contradict that.”

While his life has obviously changed since winning the Pulitzer, Jones said he still looks forward to returning to his apartment and neighborhood.

“I would like to teach, as I believe that keeps you sharp, but I have no intention of going too far away,” Jones said.

Currently working on another collection of short stories, Jones said he intends to make a few other changes in his life, though minor.

“I do enjoy television – I tape the court shows, and watch them at night.

I like “CSI,” and “Law and Order,” he said. “Right now, I don’t have cable. I think I might get cable.”

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✯

Page 12 ■ Toledo Free Press

Feniger Continued from page 11

arts. Soon after I got there, I knew that it was not for me. It didn’t feed my creative side.

So I used drugs, increasingly, to get by.”

Feniger returned to Toledo and attended Owens Community College, but discovered his heart was not in his studies. As his drug use intensified, Feniger’s family noticed a change in him, but say they had no idea why.

Feniger’s mother, Sally Feniger, said she knew her son was occasionally depressed, but attributed it to growing pains.

“I assumed that he was just a normal young man, not sure where to go with life,” Sally Feniger said. “I know kids go through changes, but I assumed everything was OK.” Feniger said he sees now what neither he nor his parents saw at the time. “I was medicating myself, numbing myself emotionally, with drugs and alcohol,” he said.

Live from New York

Unhappy in Toledo, Feniger joined his sister in New York City to start fresh. Erin Feniger, an NBC production assistant, took her brother to some parties that changed his life.

After being in the city for two months, Feniger was approached at a party for “Saturday Night Live” cast members. He was offered a modeling job by the owner of Roots clothing, the apparel supplier for the U.S. Olympic team.

“Right away, I started mod-

eling,” Feniger said. “Almost immediately, a whole new world of drug use opened up to me. Even though I had used cocaine in the past, there it was, free, handed to me, encouraged. It was like I was supposed to use, all day, every day. If I wanted it delivered to my door, there it was.”

Instead of calling home twice or more daily, he went days without calling. He said his normally ebullient, outgoing personality reversed itself, and he turned secretive and withdrawn.

Soon, an acquaintance introduced him to other drugs.

“It got to where I was in search of a new high,” he said.

Within weeks, Feniger had an epiphany.

“After waking up — well, with the drugs, I never really slept — I called home,” he said. “I talked to my dad first – I couldn’t bear to hear the pain in my mom’s voice – and told him I needed help.”

“I knew there was a problem, but had no idea what.

When he told me what was going on, I knew it was time to act, even though this is nothing I had ever dealt with,” William Feniger said.

William Feniger bought his son a plane ticket for the next day, and sent movers to pack up his apartment. Feniger’s family arranged outpatient care, but soon it was apparent that more was needed.

“I went back to school, and worked,” Feniger said, “but I was too hooked. I was depressed, unable to use during the day, and still sneaking at night.”

Feniger again went to his parents, and that was when

COMMUNITY ✯

15

$

95

Includes: Up to 5 quarts of oil, oil filter & installation

with coupon

Must present coupon when order is written. Not valid with any other offer. Valid only at Ballas Automotive. Plus shop supplies, hazardous waste fee and disposal if applicable. Some models may be slightly higher. Expires 4/15/2005.

BL GBAL #27012 TOLEDO FREE PRESS 4.75X2.75 2/?/05

✯

COMMUNITY ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 13

Pulitzer winner to read tale of black slave owners

to just keep writing,” he said.

Jones opens the 2005 spring season of the Toledo-Lucas County Unemployment helped bring Public Library “Authors! Authors!”

Edward P. Jones a Pulitzer Prize. series at 7 p.m. on March 23.

“I had heard Jones will read from “The Known of black slave World,” his novel about Henry owners back Townsend, a black farmer and forin college. I mer slave turned slave owner. planned to A Washington D.C. native who read a bunch of continues to make his home there, books on slavJones said he is a “simple man” who ery and really owns neither a car nor a cell phone. study the his“If I can’t bring it into my aparttory, but kept ment at night, I really don’t have E-2-Corporate Banking Image Ads/ putting it off,” muchAM use for it,” Jones said.

108 CorpBank_5x6_75 1/21/05 11:40 Page 1 JONES Promotion of NC CB Overcoming Jones said Jones said writing asBarriers a career during a recent phone interview with 5 xreally 7 occurred to him, even never Toledo Free Press. “In 2001, I schedthough he studied writing at Holy E-2-Corporate Banking Image Ads/ uled five weeks of vacation, planning CrossAM College. grew up not hav108 CorpBank_5x6_75 1/21/05 to11:40 Page“I 1 of NC CB Overcoming Barriers do the research I hadPromotion been putting off.” ing much, so I just wanted a regu5 x enough 7 E-2-Corporate Image Ads/ Instead of doing the readlar Banking job, to live, pay the rent 108 CorpBank_5x6_75 1/21/05 11:40 AM Page 1 ing, Jones said he started to andCB have a good life,” Jones said.

Promotion of NC Overcoming Barriers write. “I lost my job, and decided He did write, publishing a vol5x7

By Lisa Mohr Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Marathon man

Feniger now pours his energy into academic and athletic enterprises. He is working toward a degree in exercise science at the University of Toledo, and said he hopes to be a sports psychologist.

Feniger devotes more than 20 hours a week to training for marathons and triathalons. He is also a vegetarian, and pays special attention to nutrition.

“I ran the Chicago Marathon in 3:20,” Feniger said.

“That qualified me for the Boston Marathon. My next goal is to complete that.”

The Iron Man Triathalon in Hawaii is another goal. With local sponsors Universal Metals and Hylant McClain Insurance supporting him, Feniger said he has no doubt he will successfully compete there.

Feniger also runs for a cause — any money he raises competing goes to the Scleroderma Foundation.

March 16, 2005 GUEST SPEAKER

they found Hazelden, an inpatient facility in Minnesota, that specializes in caring for young adults with addictions. Feniger arrived there in January 2004. The first week was pure hell, Feniger said.

“I had the shakes, sweats, heart palpitations, convulsions, you name it. I didn’t think I was going to make it.”

By the second week, Feniger said he was feeling better.

“I attended a couple of meetings daily, with people just like me. My whole attitude started to change,” he said.

“He was clear-eyed and healthy, just like his old self,” Sally Feniger said.

“I believed right then that the lies were done.”

SPRING SPECIAL

Oil & Filter Change

March 16, 2005

Feniger attends Alcoholics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous meetings to maintain his drug-free life, and said he wants everyone to know that tomorrow is a chance to change.

“We each have to take responsibility for our lives, our health. Anyone, at any age, can make a change,” he said. “Every morning is a choice. Every day is a new chance to start fresh.”

ume of short stories titled “Lost in the City” in 1992. Shortly thereafter, Jones said the idea for “The Known World” began to form in his head.

Before sitting down during his vacation to write, Jones said he only had about 12 pages written.

“I had the first six pages done, and the last six,” he said. “The rest was written, but still in my head.”

The actual writing process went quickly, Jones said.

Writing on what he calls “a glorified typewriter,” Jones said he wrote three to five hours most days. “I finished the book in a few months, reworked it and edited it for a few more, then sent it off to my publisher.”

Jones said the characters in the book had been in his head for so many years, the process of writing and giving them life was a comfortable one for him.

“After having the book in my

Lisa Mohr is a Toledo Free Press staff writer.

She may be contacted at news@toledofreepress.com

“Call me for a competitive quote for all your high-speed, broadband Internet needs.”

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head for so long, for the most part, it just sort of flowed out of my head,” Jones said. “Writing fiction, I was free to create the entire world of 1855 Virginia. If I say it is 1855 Virginia, you will believe me until I say something to contradict that.”

While his life has obviously changed since winning the Pulitzer, Jones said he still looks forward to returning to his apartment and neighborhood.

“I would like to teach, as I believe that keeps you sharp, but I have no intention of going too far away,” Jones said.

Currently working on another collection of short stories, Jones said he intends to make a few other changes in his life, though minor.

“I do enjoy television – I tape the court shows, and watch them at night.

I like “CSI,” and “Law and Order,” he said. “Right now, I don’t have cable. I think I might get cable.”

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story ideas?

If you have a news tip or story idea for Toledo Free Press, please call 419-241-1700 or E-mail

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He is still involved with the Saint John’s Jesuit alumni association and is an active member in the Maumee Elks, Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce, Toledo Home Remodelers, Toledo Ski Club and the Information Systems Security Association.

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Page 14 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

COVER STORY ✯

March 16, 2005

✯

March 16, 2005

COVER STORY ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 15

Criminaldivide

Block Watch group 421-B leader Sally Hampton says she feels that crime reports dominate the news, but crime in Toledo is down.

Crime dropped in Toledo by 5.6 percent in 2004.

Beyond the good news of falling numbers, Toledo crime stats offer a glimpse of two very different realities

By Dave Wasinger • Photos by DM Stanfield Life and crime in suburbia

David Swesey said he established his florist shop in Maumee because he felt it was safe, and in reality it is. Maumee and the other suburbs have a low rate of violent crimes and instances of petty crime.

For 13 years, David Swesey has worked at his florist shop, David Swesey’s Florist Inc., 105 E. Wayne St., in downtown Maumee.

In those 13 years he has occasionally arrived at work early, sometimes before sunrise, and occasionally stayed well past sunset. He said he hasn’t felt unsafe during his time at the florist shop.

This isn’t an uncommon sentiment, according to Det. Sgt. Ervin Bratt of the Sylvania Police Department.

“When people move away from the city, they are moving away from the crime and they feel safer,” he said. It makes sense, he said: Less people and less congestion equal less of an opportunity that someone will become a victim of crime.

And for the most part this holds true.

In the suburbs, gone are the murders and homicides – gone are the arsons and the more violent, felonious crimes, according to 2004 crime statistics.

According to Sgt. Brian Cranny of the Rossford Police Department, the city hasn’t had a homicide case in his 15 years with the division – but he is quick to clarify Rossford isn’t immune to crime.

He said the biggest types of crime in Rossford are property crimes, such as car break-ins and theft.

It is the sense of security that allows these crimes to happen, Sgt. Bratt said.

“Especially in suburban areas, people are more likely to leave their doors unlocked, their garage doors open and leave their keys in their cars,” he said.

It is these crimes of opportunity the suburban police departments are likely to receive calls for on a daily basis.

Of the 305 crimes reported to the Sylvania Police Department in 2004, 234 (78 percent) were reports of theft and larceny. Maumee and Rossford have also seen more than half of crime reports be accounts of theft.

Rossford had 338 crime reports last year with 210 (62 percent) involving theft; Maumee saw 58 percent of its crime be reported as theft, with 185 out of 325 crimes reported.

But it is not just people forgetting

to lock their doors. Rossford, Maumee and Oregon have high traffic areas, such as shopping centers, where many thefts take place.

Sgt. Cranny said Rossford used to be a town of about 2.1 square miles. Because of economic development, it now encompasses 5.3 square miles.

This increases the opportunities for crime, he said.

He said the Crossroads Center off Old U.S. 20 is one example.

This higher traffic, especially with Interstate 75 so close, makes Rossford two different cities – a busy business-driven city during the day and a residential neighborhood in the evening, Cranny said.

Lt. Mike Nobel of the Maumee Police Department said the department partners with businesses to help prevent crime.

“We work with businesses to help lower their vulnerability,” he said. “We tell them when they need more lighting, and that if [the stores] are an unattractive target, [the criminal] will go somewhere else.”

Swesey, who lives in the Old West End, said he established his florist shop in Maumee because it was safe, and in reality it is. Maumee and the other suburbs have a low rate of violent crimes and instances of petty crime.

Swesey used to work on North Cove Boulevard and was robbed at gunpoint.

“I would never open up a shop in the Old West End,” he said, laughing.

Arson

Maumee 52 15 23 31 16 7

Assault Auto Theft

Perrysburg Sylvania 43 972 31

Burglary Murder Rape Robbery Theft

Sally Hampton is confused.

No matter how many times she sees Toledo Mayor Jack Ford or police Chief Mike Navarre on TV or in the newspaper, she can’t believe them when they talk about the recent drop in crime.

“Where are these stats coming from?” she asked.

But while it may seem to this 69-year-old East Toledo resident that crime reports dominate the news, crime in Toledo and its major suburbs is down.

Crime dropped in Toledo by 5.6 percent in 2004, a drop Chief Navarre called “significant,” compared to the drops of 1.5 and 1 percent in 2003 and 2002.

The amount of arsons (24 percent of reported crime), robberies (11.7), auto thefts (10.3), and thefts (8) have all dropped. Rapes also recorded a 4.6 percent drop; burglaries saw a drop of less than 1 percent, according to crime statistics.

But while overall crime in Toledo fell from 26,777 cases in 2003 to 25,283 last year, violent crimes – murder, manslaughter, robbery, aggravated assault, and rape combined – rose 3 percent, from 3,184 in 2003 to 3,276 last year.

The chief and the mayor are hard-pressed to pinpoint specific reasons for the drops, but cited factors beneficial to the TPD. Chief Navarre said his mountain bike unit is one of those factors.

“They have great stealth and effectiveness,” he said. “They make hundreds of arrests and attack all the hot spots where there are large groups of drugs and gangs.”

The chief said street criminals can some

Toledo crime stats

Suburbs 2004 crime stats 4 0 2

Life and crime in the city

0 0 0

185 412 237

Based on Federal Bureau of Investigation crime reports

Theft

2004

5,811 5,664 5,651

Burglary

Robbery

2003

3,213 3,112 2,792

Auto Theft

Rape

10 24 4

2002 1,592 1,655 1,905

Assault

Murder 4 2 1

487 434 329

Arson

28 21 22 185 152 145 1,378 1,354 1,195 14,510 14,383 13,235

Based on Federal Bureau of Investigation crime reports

times elude a police officer in a patrol car by sliding down an alleyway. Thanks to the extra mobility of the mountain bike unit, those criminals can be apprehended, he said.

Chief Navarre and Mayor Ford also credited Toledo’s block watch units for their help.

Since Mayor Ford was elected, the block watch program has grown from 59 to 144.

Mayor Ford called the block watch members the city’s “eyes and ears” and its “partners” in helping solve crime.

“Block watch is extremely effective,” said Mike Dearth, chairman of the block watch and leader of Unit 211-A. He cited the success of his unit as testament to the usefulness of the block watch.

Dearth said his community, tucked away off the Miracle Mile adjacent to the shopping center in North Toledo, was surrounded by crime when they began the block watch program six years ago.

“When we started, we had to draw a line and not let it get any worse than it already is,” he said at the unit’s sixth anniversary celebration March 9.

His block watch unit is one of the strongest and largest in the city, with regular meeting attendance rates averaging at about 28, Dearth said.

Toledo City Council member George Sarantou said the block watch units do a great job aiding police.

“We can’t [get crime down] without active participation,” he said.

While Chief Navarre would not elaborate on which areas of the city are the most crime ridden, he did say the west side receives a lot of complaints of robberies, because of the high volume of shopping centers and people traveling through the area.

He added that areas with a lot of blight and absentee landlords are areas of high activity, such as the central downtown area, which has the highest level of absentee landlords, Chief Navarre said.

Areas of run-down houses and overrun lots give criminals areas to plot crimes or to hide from police, he said.

But, no matter how many facts the chief shows the public, some citizens cannot see any decrease in crime.

Pamela Kiessling, who lives behind Jersey’s Sports Café, 1001 Starr Ave., said she notices crime all the time.

“I see drug deals, fights and people smoking crack,” she said. She said many times when this happens, police just drive by without

noticing it or doing anything about it.

“I don’t think the police is doing a good job at cracking down,” she said.

Aaron Pringle is another Toledo resident who finds it hard to believe crime rates are down.

Pringle, who lives by Nebraska and City Park avenues, said he sees prostitution and drug deals frequently in his neighborhood.

Hampton, who is also the leader of the block watch Unit 421-B, said crime is the worst it’s been since she moved to the east side.

“Right now it is the worst in 10 years,” she said.

“The criminals are targeting senior citizens more – the people that can’t defend themselves.”

City officials and citizens can find a common ground on what is sparking the crime.

“Drugs and alcohol,” said Bernie Johnson, an East Toledo resident.

Chief Navarre agreed, and said about 95 percent of the city’s crime is related to illegal drug use.

“Individuals that use drugs are unemployed, so they steal and rob,” he said.

Johnson, who feels robberies are the biggest crime problem facing the city, said citizens can’t fault the police.

“It isn’t the police’s fault that robbing is going on,” he said. “Addicts are unpredictable.”

Louanne Hennessy of North Toledo believes there should be more police around town.

The police department had 746 officers in 1988, but that number has dropped to 683 today.

“There is nothing like the presence of a police car,” Hennessy said.

Page 14 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

COVER STORY ✯

March 16, 2005

✯

March 16, 2005

COVER STORY ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 15

Criminaldivide

Block Watch group 421-B leader Sally Hampton says she feels that crime reports dominate the news, but crime in Toledo is down.

Crime dropped in Toledo by 5.6 percent in 2004.

Beyond the good news of falling numbers, Toledo crime stats offer a glimpse of two very different realities

By Dave Wasinger • Photos by DM Stanfield Life and crime in suburbia

David Swesey said he established his florist shop in Maumee because he felt it was safe, and in reality it is. Maumee and the other suburbs have a low rate of violent crimes and instances of petty crime.

For 13 years, David Swesey has worked at his florist shop, David Swesey’s Florist Inc., 105 E. Wayne St., in downtown Maumee.

In those 13 years he has occasionally arrived at work early, sometimes before sunrise, and occasionally stayed well past sunset. He said he hasn’t felt unsafe during his time at the florist shop.

This isn’t an uncommon sentiment, according to Det. Sgt. Ervin Bratt of the Sylvania Police Department.

“When people move away from the city, they are moving away from the crime and they feel safer,” he said. It makes sense, he said: Less people and less congestion equal less of an opportunity that someone will become a victim of crime.

And for the most part this holds true.

In the suburbs, gone are the murders and homicides – gone are the arsons and the more violent, felonious crimes, according to 2004 crime statistics.

According to Sgt. Brian Cranny of the Rossford Police Department, the city hasn’t had a homicide case in his 15 years with the division – but he is quick to clarify Rossford isn’t immune to crime.

He said the biggest types of crime in Rossford are property crimes, such as car break-ins and theft.

It is the sense of security that allows these crimes to happen, Sgt. Bratt said.

“Especially in suburban areas, people are more likely to leave their doors unlocked, their garage doors open and leave their keys in their cars,” he said.

It is these crimes of opportunity the suburban police departments are likely to receive calls for on a daily basis.

Of the 305 crimes reported to the Sylvania Police Department in 2004, 234 (78 percent) were reports of theft and larceny. Maumee and Rossford have also seen more than half of crime reports be accounts of theft.

Rossford had 338 crime reports last year with 210 (62 percent) involving theft; Maumee saw 58 percent of its crime be reported as theft, with 185 out of 325 crimes reported.

But it is not just people forgetting

to lock their doors. Rossford, Maumee and Oregon have high traffic areas, such as shopping centers, where many thefts take place.

Sgt. Cranny said Rossford used to be a town of about 2.1 square miles. Because of economic development, it now encompasses 5.3 square miles.

This increases the opportunities for crime, he said.

He said the Crossroads Center off Old U.S. 20 is one example.

This higher traffic, especially with Interstate 75 so close, makes Rossford two different cities – a busy business-driven city during the day and a residential neighborhood in the evening, Cranny said.

Lt. Mike Nobel of the Maumee Police Department said the department partners with businesses to help prevent crime.

“We work with businesses to help lower their vulnerability,” he said. “We tell them when they need more lighting, and that if [the stores] are an unattractive target, [the criminal] will go somewhere else.”

Swesey, who lives in the Old West End, said he established his florist shop in Maumee because it was safe, and in reality it is. Maumee and the other suburbs have a low rate of violent crimes and instances of petty crime.

Swesey used to work on North Cove Boulevard and was robbed at gunpoint.

“I would never open up a shop in the Old West End,” he said, laughing.

Arson

Maumee 52 15 23 31 16 7

Assault Auto Theft

Perrysburg Sylvania 43 972 31

Burglary Murder Rape Robbery Theft

Sally Hampton is confused.

No matter how many times she sees Toledo Mayor Jack Ford or police Chief Mike Navarre on TV or in the newspaper, she can’t believe them when they talk about the recent drop in crime.

“Where are these stats coming from?” she asked.

But while it may seem to this 69-year-old East Toledo resident that crime reports dominate the news, crime in Toledo and its major suburbs is down.

Crime dropped in Toledo by 5.6 percent in 2004, a drop Chief Navarre called “significant,” compared to the drops of 1.5 and 1 percent in 2003 and 2002.

The amount of arsons (24 percent of reported crime), robberies (11.7), auto thefts (10.3), and thefts (8) have all dropped. Rapes also recorded a 4.6 percent drop; burglaries saw a drop of less than 1 percent, according to crime statistics.

But while overall crime in Toledo fell from 26,777 cases in 2003 to 25,283 last year, violent crimes – murder, manslaughter, robbery, aggravated assault, and rape combined – rose 3 percent, from 3,184 in 2003 to 3,276 last year.

The chief and the mayor are hard-pressed to pinpoint specific reasons for the drops, but cited factors beneficial to the TPD. Chief Navarre said his mountain bike unit is one of those factors.

“They have great stealth and effectiveness,” he said. “They make hundreds of arrests and attack all the hot spots where there are large groups of drugs and gangs.”

The chief said street criminals can some

Toledo crime stats

Suburbs 2004 crime stats 4 0 2

Life and crime in the city

0 0 0

185 412 237

Based on Federal Bureau of Investigation crime reports

Theft

2004

5,811 5,664 5,651

Burglary

Robbery

2003

3,213 3,112 2,792

Auto Theft

Rape

10 24 4

2002 1,592 1,655 1,905

Assault

Murder 4 2 1

487 434 329

Arson

28 21 22 185 152 145 1,378 1,354 1,195 14,510 14,383 13,235

Based on Federal Bureau of Investigation crime reports

times elude a police officer in a patrol car by sliding down an alleyway. Thanks to the extra mobility of the mountain bike unit, those criminals can be apprehended, he said.

Chief Navarre and Mayor Ford also credited Toledo’s block watch units for their help.

Since Mayor Ford was elected, the block watch program has grown from 59 to 144.

Mayor Ford called the block watch members the city’s “eyes and ears” and its “partners” in helping solve crime.

“Block watch is extremely effective,” said Mike Dearth, chairman of the block watch and leader of Unit 211-A. He cited the success of his unit as testament to the usefulness of the block watch.

Dearth said his community, tucked away off the Miracle Mile adjacent to the shopping center in North Toledo, was surrounded by crime when they began the block watch program six years ago.

“When we started, we had to draw a line and not let it get any worse than it already is,” he said at the unit’s sixth anniversary celebration March 9.

His block watch unit is one of the strongest and largest in the city, with regular meeting attendance rates averaging at about 28, Dearth said.

Toledo City Council member George Sarantou said the block watch units do a great job aiding police.

“We can’t [get crime down] without active participation,” he said.

While Chief Navarre would not elaborate on which areas of the city are the most crime ridden, he did say the west side receives a lot of complaints of robberies, because of the high volume of shopping centers and people traveling through the area.

He added that areas with a lot of blight and absentee landlords are areas of high activity, such as the central downtown area, which has the highest level of absentee landlords, Chief Navarre said.

Areas of run-down houses and overrun lots give criminals areas to plot crimes or to hide from police, he said.

But, no matter how many facts the chief shows the public, some citizens cannot see any decrease in crime.

Pamela Kiessling, who lives behind Jersey’s Sports Café, 1001 Starr Ave., said she notices crime all the time.

“I see drug deals, fights and people smoking crack,” she said. She said many times when this happens, police just drive by without

noticing it or doing anything about it.

“I don’t think the police is doing a good job at cracking down,” she said.

Aaron Pringle is another Toledo resident who finds it hard to believe crime rates are down.

Pringle, who lives by Nebraska and City Park avenues, said he sees prostitution and drug deals frequently in his neighborhood.

Hampton, who is also the leader of the block watch Unit 421-B, said crime is the worst it’s been since she moved to the east side.

“Right now it is the worst in 10 years,” she said.

“The criminals are targeting senior citizens more – the people that can’t defend themselves.”

City officials and citizens can find a common ground on what is sparking the crime.

“Drugs and alcohol,” said Bernie Johnson, an East Toledo resident.

Chief Navarre agreed, and said about 95 percent of the city’s crime is related to illegal drug use.

“Individuals that use drugs are unemployed, so they steal and rob,” he said.

Johnson, who feels robberies are the biggest crime problem facing the city, said citizens can’t fault the police.

“It isn’t the police’s fault that robbing is going on,” he said. “Addicts are unpredictable.”

Louanne Hennessy of North Toledo believes there should be more police around town.

The police department had 746 officers in 1988, but that number has dropped to 683 today.

“There is nothing like the presence of a police car,” Hennessy said.

Page 16 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

COMMUNITY ✯

SPORTS

March 16, 2005

March 16, 2005

CONTEST

Local housewives enter ‘Desperate’ contest

By David J. Coehrs Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

The “Chicks of Cherry Blossom Lane” want to give TV’s “Desperate Housewives” a run for their money.

The five women from the Hidden Forest subdivision in Holland hope to be finalists in the national “America’s Hottest Housewives” contest sponsored by “Access Hollywood.” A clip of their video spoof of Desperate Housewives was shown March 9 on the syndicated gossip show, seen weekdays on WTVG-Channel 13 at 7:30 p.m.

The opportunity is a natural progression of the women’s close friendship, said Laura Glover. She saw the contest advertised and pitched the idea to the others, who include Ann Myers, Penny Henderson, Sheri Warner, and Amy Sanders.

“Whenever anybody meets me and my neighbors they say, ‘You

guys are the ‘Desperate Housewives,’ ” said Glover, an events-planning consultant. “We just thought this would be a cute thing to do.”

The contest rules called for a threeminute program that would display the reason entrants should be considered “hot housewives who rival the housewives of Wisteria Lane” on the hit ABC television series. The women’s entry, “The Chicks of Cherry Blossom Lane,” follows their characters as they prepare for their daily ritual of watching a sexy jogger run through their neighborhood – a ritual that involves a hot tub and cocktails. The hook: a frantic telephone call passed among them announcing “He’s early.”

The spoof was scripted by the women and their husbands and taped in four hours by Brandy Wimberly, an acquaintance on the staff of WTOLChannel 11’s “A. M. Saturday.” Glover received word March 4 that a por-

Before you leap into spring, look to Ace for the fertilizers that help you look like a pro.

tion of their tape would be aired on Access Hollywood. Viewers will vote for 15 finalists among the video entries. The winning video will then be chosen from the top five favorites.

The grand prize is limousine service and dinner locally, compliments of program representatives who will visit Toledo for the event. Kevin Candido, a representative of Skycastle Entertainment, which is facilitating the contest, would not reveal whether the local video is a finalist.

Warner, who owns a tree and landscaping service, thinks their video may be a shoo-in. “We did a really good job,” she said. “Honestly, I think we’ll probably win. I was all for it. I like to have a good time and it was all in fun.”

Glover said she’d like to see the group hit the talk show circuit should their video win first place. “I’m thinking that the least that would come of it is that we

“

Whenever anybody meets me and my neighbors they say, ‘You guys are the Desperate Housewives.’ We just thought this would be a cute thing to do.”

– Laura Glover Holland resident could do a couple things,” she said.

“Stranger things have happened.”

As for any resemblance between the women and their catty, racy video characters, “I don’t do that kind of thing on a regular basis,” Warner said, laughing.

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WRESTLING

RealPro offers ‘clean’ matches

By Lisa Mohr Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

For fans of wrestling, flipping through the channels to find clean competition and real matches can be a frustrating experience. Soon, those fans will be able to see former high school and collegiate athletes competing in a combination of collegiate, freestyle and Greco-Roman type wrestling.

RealPro Wrestling, based in Nashville, is a new professional league with teams in eight states made up of athletes from the respective regions.

Misti Abner, marketing coordinator for the new league, said RealPro has little in common with the kind of professional wrestling on television now.

“These are real athletes, struggling in one-on-one physical battles,” she said. This is family-based entertainment.

There will be no profanity, and no women in bikinis in the ring.

The league gives wrestlers a place to continue competing after college, and will provide excellent entertainment for fans, Abner said.

KOZ’S CORNER

Chris Kozak

Everybody loves Raymond (except his on-court rivals)

B

en “B.J.” Raymond has all the accolades, all the records, all the Internet headlines, including being named 1st team all-Ohio. On the court, he’s versatile like a Swiss Army knife. So when the last shot of his high school career, a career that saw him amass more points than any player in St. John’s Jesuit history, careened off the rim in Savage Hall March 6, you had to feel for the kid. His season ended like the past three — with a loss.

But don’t cry for Raymond. Sure, the Titans were favorites to travel down to Columbus, perhaps even bring back their first state championship, but the drive Raymond brings to life is more inspiring. Let the Internet pundits praise his game — there’s more to life than basketball, and Raymond knows it.

Raymond’s family moved to Toledo while he was in the second grade. “We were only

Toledo Free Press photo

by DM Stanfield

B.J. Raymond tops a defender March 3.

Please see KOZAK, page 18

Achieve anything.

Monday-Friday 7AM-3PM 333 N. Summit Street Toledo, OH 43604

(419) 246-DELI (3354)

Applies to Key Express checking accounts only. This is the basic banking account in NY.

Janney’s Ace Hardware 5761 Secor Rd. at Alexis

(419) 473-1403

Applies to Key only. This ischarges the basic accountand in NY. Account earlyExpress closure checking fee applies.accounts Other miscellaneous maybanking apply. Key.com The Key Difference are federally registered marks of KeyCorp.

Account early closure fee applies.

Otherservice miscellaneous charges may apply. Key.com and The KeyBank Member FDIC Key©2005 Difference are federally registered service marks of KeyCorp. ©2005 KeyBank Member FDIC

Page 17

Sylvania Northview’s Ali Wallace came off the bench to help her team make its second consecutive trip to the Division I state semi-finals, page 20

Achieve anything.

Call before 10:30 a.m. with a minimum order of $25 www.focacciasdeli.com to download menu

Jody Woessner named to bowling hall of fame, page 19

Patience pays off

Please see WRESTLING, page 18 Need your lunch delivered?

■

(419) 476-0761

Call her today!

(419) 290-8835

(419) 944-6427

Top salesperson in Ohio and Michigan.

Call everyone first, then come see Mary Lawrence Stewart for your best deals.

New & used cars, Mary has it all!

Page 16 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

COMMUNITY ✯

SPORTS

March 16, 2005

March 16, 2005

CONTEST

Local housewives enter ‘Desperate’ contest

By David J. Coehrs Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

The “Chicks of Cherry Blossom Lane” want to give TV’s “Desperate Housewives” a run for their money.

The five women from the Hidden Forest subdivision in Holland hope to be finalists in the national “America’s Hottest Housewives” contest sponsored by “Access Hollywood.” A clip of their video spoof of Desperate Housewives was shown March 9 on the syndicated gossip show, seen weekdays on WTVG-Channel 13 at 7:30 p.m.

The opportunity is a natural progression of the women’s close friendship, said Laura Glover. She saw the contest advertised and pitched the idea to the others, who include Ann Myers, Penny Henderson, Sheri Warner, and Amy Sanders.

“Whenever anybody meets me and my neighbors they say, ‘You

guys are the ‘Desperate Housewives,’ ” said Glover, an events-planning consultant. “We just thought this would be a cute thing to do.”

The contest rules called for a threeminute program that would display the reason entrants should be considered “hot housewives who rival the housewives of Wisteria Lane” on the hit ABC television series. The women’s entry, “The Chicks of Cherry Blossom Lane,” follows their characters as they prepare for their daily ritual of watching a sexy jogger run through their neighborhood – a ritual that involves a hot tub and cocktails. The hook: a frantic telephone call passed among them announcing “He’s early.”

The spoof was scripted by the women and their husbands and taped in four hours by Brandy Wimberly, an acquaintance on the staff of WTOLChannel 11’s “A. M. Saturday.” Glover received word March 4 that a por-

Before you leap into spring, look to Ace for the fertilizers that help you look like a pro.

tion of their tape would be aired on Access Hollywood. Viewers will vote for 15 finalists among the video entries. The winning video will then be chosen from the top five favorites.

The grand prize is limousine service and dinner locally, compliments of program representatives who will visit Toledo for the event. Kevin Candido, a representative of Skycastle Entertainment, which is facilitating the contest, would not reveal whether the local video is a finalist.

Warner, who owns a tree and landscaping service, thinks their video may be a shoo-in. “We did a really good job,” she said. “Honestly, I think we’ll probably win. I was all for it. I like to have a good time and it was all in fun.”

Glover said she’d like to see the group hit the talk show circuit should their video win first place. “I’m thinking that the least that would come of it is that we

“

Whenever anybody meets me and my neighbors they say, ‘You guys are the Desperate Housewives.’ We just thought this would be a cute thing to do.”

– Laura Glover Holland resident could do a couple things,” she said.

“Stranger things have happened.”

As for any resemblance between the women and their catty, racy video characters, “I don’t do that kind of thing on a regular basis,” Warner said, laughing.

Free one Key KeyDifference.

Difference.

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• No minimumbalance balance requirement requirement ••No fees • No minimum Nomonthly monthly fees • Free online bill pay • Free access to any KeyBank ATM • Free online bill pay • Free access to any KeyBank ATM

WRESTLING

RealPro offers ‘clean’ matches

By Lisa Mohr Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

For fans of wrestling, flipping through the channels to find clean competition and real matches can be a frustrating experience. Soon, those fans will be able to see former high school and collegiate athletes competing in a combination of collegiate, freestyle and Greco-Roman type wrestling.

RealPro Wrestling, based in Nashville, is a new professional league with teams in eight states made up of athletes from the respective regions.

Misti Abner, marketing coordinator for the new league, said RealPro has little in common with the kind of professional wrestling on television now.

“These are real athletes, struggling in one-on-one physical battles,” she said. This is family-based entertainment.

There will be no profanity, and no women in bikinis in the ring.

The league gives wrestlers a place to continue competing after college, and will provide excellent entertainment for fans, Abner said.

KOZ’S CORNER

Chris Kozak

Everybody loves Raymond (except his on-court rivals)

B

en “B.J.” Raymond has all the accolades, all the records, all the Internet headlines, including being named 1st team all-Ohio. On the court, he’s versatile like a Swiss Army knife. So when the last shot of his high school career, a career that saw him amass more points than any player in St. John’s Jesuit history, careened off the rim in Savage Hall March 6, you had to feel for the kid. His season ended like the past three — with a loss.

But don’t cry for Raymond. Sure, the Titans were favorites to travel down to Columbus, perhaps even bring back their first state championship, but the drive Raymond brings to life is more inspiring. Let the Internet pundits praise his game — there’s more to life than basketball, and Raymond knows it.

Raymond’s family moved to Toledo while he was in the second grade. “We were only

Toledo Free Press photo

by DM Stanfield

B.J. Raymond tops a defender March 3.

Please see KOZAK, page 18

Achieve anything.

Monday-Friday 7AM-3PM 333 N. Summit Street Toledo, OH 43604

(419) 246-DELI (3354)

Applies to Key Express checking accounts only. This is the basic banking account in NY.

Janney’s Ace Hardware 5761 Secor Rd. at Alexis

(419) 473-1403

Applies to Key only. This ischarges the basic accountand in NY. Account earlyExpress closure checking fee applies.accounts Other miscellaneous maybanking apply. Key.com The Key Difference are federally registered marks of KeyCorp.

Account early closure fee applies.

Otherservice miscellaneous charges may apply. Key.com and The KeyBank Member FDIC Key©2005 Difference are federally registered service marks of KeyCorp. ©2005 KeyBank Member FDIC

Page 17

Sylvania Northview’s Ali Wallace came off the bench to help her team make its second consecutive trip to the Division I state semi-finals, page 20

Achieve anything.

Call before 10:30 a.m. with a minimum order of $25 www.focacciasdeli.com to download menu

Jody Woessner named to bowling hall of fame, page 19

Patience pays off

Please see WRESTLING, page 18 Need your lunch delivered?

■

(419) 476-0761

Call her today!

(419) 290-8835

(419) 944-6427

Top salesperson in Ohio and Michigan.

Call everyone first, then come see Mary Lawrence Stewart for your best deals.

New & used cars, Mary has it all!

✯

Page 18 ■ Toledo Free Press

By Jeffrey Mitchell

SPORTS ✯

Kozak Continued from page 17

supposed to be here for a week or so to visit my grandma,” he said. “All of a sudden my mom was taking us to school.

I knew it was unexpected because she was giving us paper and pencils out of her purse as school supplies.”

A self-described “jokeyjokey” guy, Raymond is just as comfortable dropping 30 and 10 in the City Championship game against Libbey as he is penning poetry – about his mom.

Raymond signed with

SHOP 24/7 ONLINE @

March 16, 2005 Xavier before his senior year not only to “stay focused, but I knew it’s where I wanted to go from the get go.”

So imagine his surprise when Musketeer coach Thad Matta bolted for Ohio State.

To his credit, Raymond never wavered in his decision to attend Xavier. “I believe in (new coach) Sean Miller. I have faith in him because he believed in me.”

When you watch Raymond on the court, it’s easy to see why some on the Internet say he’s one of the best small forwards in America, ranked as high as 21st. Talk to him off the court and you’ll see why they have

My Woman My woman Attends church weekly Calls me sweetie Not athletic But not pathetic My woman is royal Because she is true and loyal She teaches lessons By loving blessing Not Catholic but does confessions She doesn’t pretend To be my best friend – B.J. Raymond

✯

March 16, 2005

SPORTS ✯

Woessner named to Ohio Women’s Bowling Hall of Fame

By Lisa Mohr Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

OREGON – Jody Woesner has been bowling since before she could read.

“I think I started at about four years old,” she said.

Her love and devotion to the sport paid off recently, when she was inducted into the Ohio Wo-

mens’ Bowling Hall of Fame.

Woessner, a process expert at Owens Corning in Toledo, participates in two leagues. Wednesday evenings, she bowls at Southwyck Lanes in Toledo and on Mondays, she competes in a traveling league.

“My average on Wednesdays is 232, but on Mondays it is down to 224,” she said. “I love the competi-

tion, but really, I do it for the fun.

When just bowling quits being fun, I don’t want to play any more.”

Woessner said she never sees that day coming.

“I plan to bowl until my body gives out, which hopefully will be a long time,” she said.

During her bowling career, Woessner said she has bowled 11 per-

Continued from page 17

Clay High School varsity wrestling coach Mark Beach said he is glad real wrestling will finally be available for viewing by the general public.

“With the rule changes RealPro has put into place, the matches will be very exciting,” Beach said. “Hopefully, this will help correct the misconceptions people have about wrestling.”

Waite High School varsity coach Carmen Amenta said he believes RealPro will be great for the sport.

“Kids now have no place to go to wrestle after high school, no NBA or NFL. The only ways

Chris Kozak is Toledo Free Press Sports Editor.

He may be contacted at ckozak@toledofreepress.com.

ouenAuto.com

to continue in the sport are as coaches and officials, or train to be an Olympian,” he said.

Amenta said he is not a fan of WWE-type professional wrestling, and RealPro should be an excellent source of entertainment for anyone who wants to see hand-to-hand combat.

“This will be pure sport,” Amenta said, “Not makebelieve like the stuff on TV now. The winner will not be predetermined.”

Amenta said combining the various types of wrestling will create matches that are uptempo, and very competitive.

RealPro Wrestling can be seen on PAX network at 4 p.m. starting March 27. It will be repeated Sundays at 3 p.m., for nine weeks.

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Submitted photo

Dr. Scottʼs Pinball Store is located at 1374 Conant St. in Maumee.

Pinball magnate goes full tilt with expansion, lecture

By Scott Calhoun Toledo Free Press Contributing Writer news@toledofreepress.com

������ ������������������ ������ ������������������ ������������� ��������������������� ������������� ��������������������� �������������������� ���� ���������� �������������������� ���� ���������� ������������� �������������

Off Off Paintballs Paintballs

SHOP 24/7 ONLINE @

WOESSNER

him listed way too low.

We We Sell Sell PAINTBALL PAINTBALL Products!

Products!

10% 10%

fect 300 games.

“My best series (three games) is 836,” she said.

Woessner said the Hall of Fame recognition is just a bonus.

“I just love the game,” she said.

LEISURE AND RECREATION

��������������������� ���������������������

Wrestling

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 19

ouenAuto.com

MAUMEE – Out of a need for more display space to meet growing demand, Toledo’s pinball wizard, “Dr. Scott” Sheridan, has relocated his enterprise, Dr. Scott’s Pinball Store in downtown Maumee, to the recently-vacated Litehouse Pools facility on Conant Street across from Meijer.

“I knew I wanted to move.

With only 1,200 square feet at the old shop, I only had room to display twenty machines. Meanwhile I had 150 to 200 machines ready for display just sitting in a warehouse,” he said.

To celebrate and promote his expansion, Sheridan has summoned arguably the top pinball machine designer in the world, Chicago’s Pat Lawlor, to appear at a special grand opening event on Saturday.

Lawlor, whom Sheridan said is revered most notably for designing “The Addams Family,” the “most popular pinball machine of all time,” will be at Sheridan’s new digs all day signing autographs.

Sheridan has invited a local gamer, Mario Duncan, to show off his unique talent of playing pinball — with his feet. Duncan is a member of The Ability Center of Greater Toledo.

Lawlor will give a lecture at a catered dinner that evening at Maumee’s Historic Theatre, Sheridan said. Tickets are on sale at the store for $40.

“The content of Lawlor’s lecture will mainly be talking about designing machines and what influences his work,” Sheridan said.

“I like his stuff, and find it highly imaginative, entertaining, and fun,” he said.

ON THE WEB www.pinballstore.com

✯

Page 18 ■ Toledo Free Press

By Jeffrey Mitchell

SPORTS ✯

Kozak Continued from page 17

supposed to be here for a week or so to visit my grandma,” he said. “All of a sudden my mom was taking us to school.

I knew it was unexpected because she was giving us paper and pencils out of her purse as school supplies.”

A self-described “jokeyjokey” guy, Raymond is just as comfortable dropping 30 and 10 in the City Championship game against Libbey as he is penning poetry – about his mom.

Raymond signed with

SHOP 24/7 ONLINE @

March 16, 2005 Xavier before his senior year not only to “stay focused, but I knew it’s where I wanted to go from the get go.”

So imagine his surprise when Musketeer coach Thad Matta bolted for Ohio State.

To his credit, Raymond never wavered in his decision to attend Xavier. “I believe in (new coach) Sean Miller. I have faith in him because he believed in me.”

When you watch Raymond on the court, it’s easy to see why some on the Internet say he’s one of the best small forwards in America, ranked as high as 21st. Talk to him off the court and you’ll see why they have

My Woman My woman Attends church weekly Calls me sweetie Not athletic But not pathetic My woman is royal Because she is true and loyal She teaches lessons By loving blessing Not Catholic but does confessions She doesn’t pretend To be my best friend – B.J. Raymond

✯

March 16, 2005

SPORTS ✯

Woessner named to Ohio Women’s Bowling Hall of Fame

By Lisa Mohr Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

OREGON – Jody Woesner has been bowling since before she could read.

“I think I started at about four years old,” she said.

Her love and devotion to the sport paid off recently, when she was inducted into the Ohio Wo-

mens’ Bowling Hall of Fame.

Woessner, a process expert at Owens Corning in Toledo, participates in two leagues. Wednesday evenings, she bowls at Southwyck Lanes in Toledo and on Mondays, she competes in a traveling league.

“My average on Wednesdays is 232, but on Mondays it is down to 224,” she said. “I love the competi-

tion, but really, I do it for the fun.

When just bowling quits being fun, I don’t want to play any more.”

Woessner said she never sees that day coming.

“I plan to bowl until my body gives out, which hopefully will be a long time,” she said.

During her bowling career, Woessner said she has bowled 11 per-

Continued from page 17

Clay High School varsity wrestling coach Mark Beach said he is glad real wrestling will finally be available for viewing by the general public.

“With the rule changes RealPro has put into place, the matches will be very exciting,” Beach said. “Hopefully, this will help correct the misconceptions people have about wrestling.”

Waite High School varsity coach Carmen Amenta said he believes RealPro will be great for the sport.

“Kids now have no place to go to wrestle after high school, no NBA or NFL. The only ways

Chris Kozak is Toledo Free Press Sports Editor.

He may be contacted at ckozak@toledofreepress.com.

ouenAuto.com

to continue in the sport are as coaches and officials, or train to be an Olympian,” he said.

Amenta said he is not a fan of WWE-type professional wrestling, and RealPro should be an excellent source of entertainment for anyone who wants to see hand-to-hand combat.

“This will be pure sport,” Amenta said, “Not makebelieve like the stuff on TV now. The winner will not be predetermined.”

Amenta said combining the various types of wrestling will create matches that are uptempo, and very competitive.

RealPro Wrestling can be seen on PAX network at 4 p.m. starting March 27. It will be repeated Sundays at 3 p.m., for nine weeks.

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419-473-1374 419-473-1374 ���������� ���������� ��������� ���������

Submitted photo

Dr. Scottʼs Pinball Store is located at 1374 Conant St. in Maumee.

Pinball magnate goes full tilt with expansion, lecture

By Scott Calhoun Toledo Free Press Contributing Writer news@toledofreepress.com

������ ������������������ ������ ������������������ ������������� ��������������������� ������������� ��������������������� �������������������� ���� ���������� �������������������� ���� ���������� ������������� �������������

Off Off Paintballs Paintballs

SHOP 24/7 ONLINE @

WOESSNER

him listed way too low.

We We Sell Sell PAINTBALL PAINTBALL Products!

Products!

10% 10%

fect 300 games.

“My best series (three games) is 836,” she said.

Woessner said the Hall of Fame recognition is just a bonus.

“I just love the game,” she said.

LEISURE AND RECREATION

��������������������� ���������������������

Wrestling

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 19

ouenAuto.com

MAUMEE – Out of a need for more display space to meet growing demand, Toledo’s pinball wizard, “Dr. Scott” Sheridan, has relocated his enterprise, Dr. Scott’s Pinball Store in downtown Maumee, to the recently-vacated Litehouse Pools facility on Conant Street across from Meijer.

“I knew I wanted to move.

With only 1,200 square feet at the old shop, I only had room to display twenty machines. Meanwhile I had 150 to 200 machines ready for display just sitting in a warehouse,” he said.

To celebrate and promote his expansion, Sheridan has summoned arguably the top pinball machine designer in the world, Chicago’s Pat Lawlor, to appear at a special grand opening event on Saturday.

Lawlor, whom Sheridan said is revered most notably for designing “The Addams Family,” the “most popular pinball machine of all time,” will be at Sheridan’s new digs all day signing autographs.

Sheridan has invited a local gamer, Mario Duncan, to show off his unique talent of playing pinball — with his feet. Duncan is a member of The Ability Center of Greater Toledo.

Lawlor will give a lecture at a catered dinner that evening at Maumee’s Historic Theatre, Sheridan said. Tickets are on sale at the store for $40.

“The content of Lawlor’s lecture will mainly be talking about designing machines and what influences his work,” Sheridan said.

“I like his stuff, and find it highly imaginative, entertaining, and fun,” he said.

ON THE WEB www.pinballstore.com

Page 20 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

SPORTS ✯

March 16, 2005

PREP BASKETBALL

Wallace’s impact grew as season progressed

By David Gatwood Special to Toledo Free Press prepsports@buckeye-express.com

This past weekend the Sylvania Northview Wildcats made their second consecutive trip to the Division I state semi-finals. This accomplishment is unprecedented for a Toledo-area team but for at least one member of the Northview team this accomplishment required considerable patience.

Any serious girls’ basketball fan in and around Toledo knows the names of Niki McCoy, Lisa Johnson and Riana Miller but the name of Ali Wallace, until very recently, was probably only known by her parents and a few good friends. This lack of familiarity does not diminish, however, Wallace’s value to her team.

When the 2004-05 basketball season began Ali Wallace had played very few quality minutes for her Northview team.

Under coach Sigler’s system only 6 or 7 players are generally utilized and, therefore, Wallace was usually omitted from the substitution flow. Even as late as Christmas 2004 Ali was still only playing in situations where the Wildcats enjoyed a big lead but, according to all her coaches and fellow players, Wallace never complained.

For any athlete, sitting on the bench is difficult but for a senior it is particularly hard.

The clock is ticking on her competitive athletic career and the urge to contribute in some way is compelling. Ali Wallace is no different but she took comfort in knowing

that her team was winning and that she had to be ready if and when the opportunity to play more occurred. “I knew I might be needed at any time. Someone might get hurt or have foul problems.

I tried to stay in the game.”

Fortunately for the Northview Lady Kats, Wallace’s maturity in handling her role paid huge dividends as the season developed. Starting guard Danielle Bly injured her hand in a non-basketball related incident around Christmas and was forced to miss most of the remaining regular season. Suddenly, Ali Wallace was thrust into a new and unfamiliar role: a starting guard.

At first, Wallace described the experience as “frightening.” She knew her teammates were depending on her but she was not sure she was up to the task. She complained of “lacking confidence” and being “afraid to shoot.” She “did not want to make a mistake.”

There were a number of individuals in and around the Northview basketball community who felt that the temporary loss of Bly might result in an end to Northview’s dominance.

Through the support of her fellow players, especially fellow seniors, Bly and Jenny Yark, Wallace was able to grow in confidence with each passing game. According to Wallace, “Jenny and Danielle were always there telling me I could do it. Telling me how well I was doing. That I was good enough. Their support was unbelievable.”

Northview’s Sigler receives state award The Ohio High School Basketball at Sylvania Northview. His career record at Sylvania Coaches Association, Northview is 537-134. the nation’s largest such He has led the organization, selected Wildcats to 20 Sylvania Nor thview’s sectionals, eight district Jerr y Sigler as the championships, three recipient of its 2004regional championships, 05 Spor tsmanship, and three trips to the Ethics and Integrity state semi-finals.

Award. Ever y year Sigler was previously the OHSBCA and its named 2004 Division affiliated associations I Coach of the Year select one of their and conference Coach members for this honor. SIGLER of the Year 15 times.

Sigler has coached for 30 years; 28 years as head coach – David Gatwood

WALLACE Bly returned from her hand injury as the regular season was winding down but when the Wildcats took the floor for their semi-final playoff game against state power Chaminade-Julienne it was Wallace in the line-up. Down the stretch drive no one has been more valuable to the Kats’ success yet she remains the soft-spoken, humble young lady that sat on the bench for most of her high school career. Her chance came and she took advantage of it but, if it hadn’t, she would have undoubtedly remained a loyal Wildcat supporter.

STATS of the week

ARTS&LIFE March 16, 2005

Compiled by David Gatwood

Former Toledo-area high school players college stats GIRLS High School

College

2004 Season

Jazyln Davis

Bowsher ‘04

USC

injured

Kelley Helvey

Central Catholic ’03

Michigan

6.2 ppg.; 4.0 rbg.

Helena Times

Scott

Kentucky St.

6.4 ppg.; 6.8 rbg.

Crystal Dixon

Waite ’03

Wilberforce

Gennett McCarver

Waite ’04

Wilberforce

Taria Blanchard

Scott ’01

Urbana

Torri Blanchard

Scott ’03

Urbana

Ashley Ellis

Rogers

Urbana

Kamila Howse

Start

Central St.

Kamesha Hairston

Bowsher ‘01

Temple

Samia Dixon

Scott ‘01

Brooke Amstutz

Northview ’04

Indiana Wesleyan

Kelly Heil

Southview ’02

Ohio Wesleyan

17 ppg.; 8.2 rbg.

Kate Achter

Clay ’04

Bowling Green

11 ppg.;

Niki Smith

Northview ’04

Indiana

3.0 ppg.; 0.6 rbg.

Misti Horton

Woodward

Owens CC

9.1 ppg.; 3.2 rbg.

Niccole Brown

Central Catholic

Owens CC

8 ppg.; 8.8 rbg.

Kira Sayles

Start

Owens CC

1.5 ppg.; 1.0 rbg.

Ashley Williams

Start

Owens CC

4.8 ppg.; 2.1 rbg.

Bridget Buss

Whitmer

Owens CC

10.2 ppg.; 2.1 rbg.

Sarah Johnson

Northview ’02

Owens CC

14.1 ppg.; 7.0 rbg.

2004 Season

The bleak streets of Gotham City provide the backdrop for the best cop stories being told, page 25

0.8 ppg.; 0.3 rbg.

12.6 ppg; 6.2 rbg.

Michael Boyd and

High School

College

Dennis Springs

Scott ’01

Ferris St.

12.9 ppg.; 2.4 rbg.

Derrick Ford

Scott ’02

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

3.2 ppg.; 1.8 rbg.

Robert Sanders

Scott ’99

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

1.8 ppg.; 0.7 rbg.

John Floyd

St. Johns ’02

Bowling Green

Keith Triplett

Bowsher ’01

Toledo

Chris Commons

Central Catholic

Findlay

7.0 ppg.; 2.3 rbg.

15.1 ppg.; 3.9 rbg.

Brian Roberts

St. Johns ’04

Dayton

9.2 ppg.; 2.7 rbg.

Brandon Barabino

St. Johns

Wittenberg

3.5 ppg.; 1.5 rbg.

C.J. Johnson

St. Johns ’03

Defiance

11.5 ppg.; 2.2 rbg.

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Shakespeare and

The Wizard of Oz

Christo frames New York

page 24

F

or two weeks in February, 5,700 nylon “Gates” fluttered over the pathways of Manhattan’s Central Park. The installation of the artist Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude was greeted with wonder, derision and the spectrum of in-between criticism.

As with every supersized project from C and J-C, the ($21?) million dollar question was “Is it Art?” Champions promised it would be fabulous and transformative.

Naysayers argued it was fraud, a narcissistic prank.

In the 70s when Christo hit the aesthetic radar with California’s Running Fence, I was of the doubter’s camp.

Self-promoter, I thought.

But in the 80s, when he surrounded Miami’s Biscayne Bay’s islands in pink

88 keys, 4 hands Photo of Michael Boyd courtesy The University of Toledo

Please see GATES, page 22

www.samsenfurniture.com

MUSIC NOTES: Local concert listings, page 22

Unusual suspects

2.5 ppg.; 0.85 rbg.

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✯

SPORTS ✯

March 16, 2005

PREP BASKETBALL

Wallace’s impact grew as season progressed

By David Gatwood Special to Toledo Free Press prepsports@buckeye-express.com

This past weekend the Sylvania Northview Wildcats made their second consecutive trip to the Division I state semi-finals. This accomplishment is unprecedented for a Toledo-area team but for at least one member of the Northview team this accomplishment required considerable patience.

Any serious girls’ basketball fan in and around Toledo knows the names of Niki McCoy, Lisa Johnson and Riana Miller but the name of Ali Wallace, until very recently, was probably only known by her parents and a few good friends. This lack of familiarity does not diminish, however, Wallace’s value to her team.

When the 2004-05 basketball season began Ali Wallace had played very few quality minutes for her Northview team.

Under coach Sigler’s system only 6 or 7 players are generally utilized and, therefore, Wallace was usually omitted from the substitution flow. Even as late as Christmas 2004 Ali was still only playing in situations where the Wildcats enjoyed a big lead but, according to all her coaches and fellow players, Wallace never complained.

For any athlete, sitting on the bench is difficult but for a senior it is particularly hard.

The clock is ticking on her competitive athletic career and the urge to contribute in some way is compelling. Ali Wallace is no different but she took comfort in knowing

that her team was winning and that she had to be ready if and when the opportunity to play more occurred. “I knew I might be needed at any time. Someone might get hurt or have foul problems.

I tried to stay in the game.”

Fortunately for the Northview Lady Kats, Wallace’s maturity in handling her role paid huge dividends as the season developed. Starting guard Danielle Bly injured her hand in a non-basketball related incident around Christmas and was forced to miss most of the remaining regular season. Suddenly, Ali Wallace was thrust into a new and unfamiliar role: a starting guard.

At first, Wallace described the experience as “frightening.” She knew her teammates were depending on her but she was not sure she was up to the task. She complained of “lacking confidence” and being “afraid to shoot.” She “did not want to make a mistake.”

There were a number of individuals in and around the Northview basketball community who felt that the temporary loss of Bly might result in an end to Northview’s dominance.

Through the support of her fellow players, especially fellow seniors, Bly and Jenny Yark, Wallace was able to grow in confidence with each passing game. According to Wallace, “Jenny and Danielle were always there telling me I could do it. Telling me how well I was doing. That I was good enough. Their support was unbelievable.”

Northview’s Sigler receives state award The Ohio High School Basketball at Sylvania Northview. His career record at Sylvania Coaches Association, Northview is 537-134. the nation’s largest such He has led the organization, selected Wildcats to 20 Sylvania Nor thview’s sectionals, eight district Jerr y Sigler as the championships, three recipient of its 2004regional championships, 05 Spor tsmanship, and three trips to the Ethics and Integrity state semi-finals.

Award. Ever y year Sigler was previously the OHSBCA and its named 2004 Division affiliated associations I Coach of the Year select one of their and conference Coach members for this honor. SIGLER of the Year 15 times.

Sigler has coached for 30 years; 28 years as head coach – David Gatwood

WALLACE Bly returned from her hand injury as the regular season was winding down but when the Wildcats took the floor for their semi-final playoff game against state power Chaminade-Julienne it was Wallace in the line-up. Down the stretch drive no one has been more valuable to the Kats’ success yet she remains the soft-spoken, humble young lady that sat on the bench for most of her high school career. Her chance came and she took advantage of it but, if it hadn’t, she would have undoubtedly remained a loyal Wildcat supporter.

STATS of the week

ARTS&LIFE March 16, 2005

Compiled by David Gatwood

Former Toledo-area high school players college stats GIRLS High School

College

2004 Season

Jazyln Davis

Bowsher ‘04

USC

injured

Kelley Helvey

Central Catholic ’03

Michigan

6.2 ppg.; 4.0 rbg.

Helena Times

Scott

Kentucky St.

6.4 ppg.; 6.8 rbg.

Crystal Dixon

Waite ’03

Wilberforce

Gennett McCarver

Waite ’04

Wilberforce

Taria Blanchard

Scott ’01

Urbana

Torri Blanchard

Scott ’03

Urbana

Ashley Ellis

Rogers

Urbana

Kamila Howse

Start

Central St.

Kamesha Hairston

Bowsher ‘01

Temple

Samia Dixon

Scott ‘01

Brooke Amstutz

Northview ’04

Indiana Wesleyan

Kelly Heil

Southview ’02

Ohio Wesleyan

17 ppg.; 8.2 rbg.

Kate Achter

Clay ’04

Bowling Green

11 ppg.;

Niki Smith

Northview ’04

Indiana

3.0 ppg.; 0.6 rbg.

Misti Horton

Woodward

Owens CC

9.1 ppg.; 3.2 rbg.

Niccole Brown

Central Catholic

Owens CC

8 ppg.; 8.8 rbg.

Kira Sayles

Start

Owens CC

1.5 ppg.; 1.0 rbg.

Ashley Williams

Start

Owens CC

4.8 ppg.; 2.1 rbg.

Bridget Buss

Whitmer

Owens CC

10.2 ppg.; 2.1 rbg.

Sarah Johnson

Northview ’02

Owens CC

14.1 ppg.; 7.0 rbg.

2004 Season

The bleak streets of Gotham City provide the backdrop for the best cop stories being told, page 25

0.8 ppg.; 0.3 rbg.

12.6 ppg; 6.2 rbg.

Michael Boyd and

High School

College

Dennis Springs

Scott ’01

Ferris St.

12.9 ppg.; 2.4 rbg.

Derrick Ford

Scott ’02

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

3.2 ppg.; 1.8 rbg.

Robert Sanders

Scott ’99

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

1.8 ppg.; 0.7 rbg.

John Floyd

St. Johns ’02

Bowling Green

Keith Triplett

Bowsher ’01

Toledo

Chris Commons

Central Catholic

Findlay

7.0 ppg.; 2.3 rbg.

15.1 ppg.; 3.9 rbg.

Brian Roberts

St. Johns ’04

Dayton

9.2 ppg.; 2.7 rbg.

Brandon Barabino

St. Johns

Wittenberg

3.5 ppg.; 1.5 rbg.

C.J. Johnson

St. Johns ’03

Defiance

11.5 ppg.; 2.2 rbg.

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prepare to tag-team

Barbara Goodman-Shovers

Shakespeare and

The Wizard of Oz

Christo frames New York

page 24

F

or two weeks in February, 5,700 nylon “Gates” fluttered over the pathways of Manhattan’s Central Park. The installation of the artist Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude was greeted with wonder, derision and the spectrum of in-between criticism.

As with every supersized project from C and J-C, the ($21?) million dollar question was “Is it Art?” Champions promised it would be fabulous and transformative.

Naysayers argued it was fraud, a narcissistic prank.

In the 70s when Christo hit the aesthetic radar with California’s Running Fence, I was of the doubter’s camp.

Self-promoter, I thought.

But in the 80s, when he surrounded Miami’s Biscayne Bay’s islands in pink

88 keys, 4 hands Photo of Michael Boyd courtesy The University of Toledo

Please see GATES, page 22

www.samsenfurniture.com

MUSIC NOTES: Local concert listings, page 22

Unusual suspects

2.5 ppg.; 0.85 rbg.

BOYS

“You Bring Out Our Best!”

■

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Tues., Fri., Sat., 10a.m. - 5p.m.

Sun, 1p.m. - 5p.m.

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Page 22 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

Music Notes Agora Theatre 5000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

(216) 881-6911 Motorhead, Zeke, Corrosion of Conformity March 18. 8 p.m. $21.

The Ark 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor.

(734) 763-8587 Saffire, The Uppity Blues Women March 18. 8 p.m. $20.

Richard Shindell March 19. 8 p.m. $15.

King Wilkie March 19. 7:30 p.m. $15.

Leon Redbone March 21. 8 p.m. $20.

Battlefield Band March 22. 8 p.m. $22.

Mary Fahl March 23. 8 p.m. $13.50.

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver March 24. 8 p.m. $20.

Bowling Green State University Info: (800) 589-2224 Kobacker Hall: Symphonic, Concert and University Bands March 18. 8 p.m. Free.

Bryan Recital Hall: Threshold Festival Electronic music March 25. 8 p.m. Free.

Fox Theatre 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

(313) 471-3200 Jill Scott March 18. 7:30 p.m. $41-$75.

Nelly, St. Lunatics with Fat Joe Sunday, March 20. 7 p.m. $25-$75.

Ashlee Simpson March 24. 7:30 p.m. $35.

Alicia Keys Friday, March 25. 8 p.m. $38-$88.

The Happy Badger 1855 S. Reynolds Road.

(419) 389-0021 Jolly Molly, B.O.A.T.S. March 18. 7:30 p.m. $7.

Bohad Brothers, Plunkett, The Fast LuckSaturday, March 19. 7:30 p.m. $7.

Streetlight Manifesto, Kickstand, Uncertain 5, Texas Pete & the Revolutions March 23. 7 p.m. $10 in advance; $12 day of show.

Alone @ 6 a.m...

The Modern Soviet Enemies and Lock N Key March 25. 7 p.m. $7.

House of Blues 308 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

(216) 523-2583 Steve Earle and the Dukes March 23. 6:30 p.m. $20-29.50.

Howard’s Club H 210 N. Main St., Bowling Green.

(419) 352-3195 Aqueduct March 24. 10:30 p.m. $5.

Mickey Finn’s Pub 602 Lagrange St. (419) 246-3466 Johnny Reed & The Houserockers March 19. 9:30 p.m. $5.

Toledo School for the Arts Pop Combo March 20. 3 p.m. Free.

Max Solandra & Friends March 23. 10 p.m. $3.

The Zimmerman Twins, Dragracer and Deadbeat Moms March 24. 10 p.m. $5.

Courageous Minority March 25. 10 p.m. $5.

Murphy’s Place 151 Water St., Toledo.

(419) 241-7732

The Larry Fuller Trio March 23. 8 and 10 p.m. $8-$15.

Sheila Jordan with The Murphys March 25. 9 and 11 p.m. $8-15.

The Odeon 1295 Old River Road, Cleveland.

(216) 574-2525 The Fixx March 18. 9 p.m. $15.

Indigo Girls March 24. 8 p.m. $32.50.

Owens Community College (567) 661-2787 Center for Fine and Performing Arts: Slainte Mhath March 19. 8 p.m. $18.

Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra March 20. 3 p.m. $6-$12.

The Palace 4 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills.

(248) 377-8601 Smuckers Stars on Ice March 19. 7:30 p.m. $28-$63.

Duran Duran March 24. 8 p.m. $25-$75.

State Theatre 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

(313) 961-5451 Lewis Black March 20. 7 p.m. $38.50.

O.A.R. March 23. 7:30 p.m. $25; $28 day of show.

State Theatre 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

(216) 771-4444 Playhouse Square: Jill Scott March 20. 7:30 p.m. $35.

Ashlee Simpson March 22. 7 p.m. $39.50.

Toledo Museum of Art 2445 Monroe St. (419) 255-8000 Libbey Court: Blue Moon March 18. 6:30 p.m. Free.

Gay Galvin Trio March 25. 6:30 p.m. Free.

Peristyle: Classics Series — “All Tchaikovsky.” Toledo Symphony Orchestra, conducted

by Giancarlo Guerrero, featuring violinist Corey Cerovsek.

March 18-19. 8 p.m. $18-$45.

The Underground 209 Superior St. (419) 531-7625 Trip, Forever Lost, The Fury, After Trust Is Betrayed March 18. $5 in advance; $7 at door.

OK Go, The Sun, The Highgears, Stereomod March 19. $10 in advance; $12 at door.

CL1, Bigfoot & The Fully Automatics, Huron Country Creeps March 25. $5. Doors open at 9 p.m.

University of Michigan (734) 763-8587 Power Center: Sklar Brothers March 21. 7:30 p.m. $12.50-$36.

Dance Mix 2005 March 24. 8 p.m. $7.

Rackham Auditorium: Amazin’ Blue March 19. 8 p.m. $4, $6.

Valentine Theatre 400 N. Superior St. (419) 242.2787 “Coppelia” — Featuring the Toledo Ballet Company under the direction of Nigel Burgoine.

March 19. 2 and 7 p.m.

March 20. 2 p.m. $18-$35.

– Compiled by Vicki L. Kroll

ARTS&LIFE ✯

Gates Continued from page 21

plastic, I began to see the aesthetic value of whimsy. And by 1995’s Berlin Reichstag wrap – whimsy, spectacle, and history literally tied together – the effort seemed heroic.

As such, I made a special trip to New York for the exhibit. But as I crossed into the park at 72nd Street, across from the apartment where John Lennon was killed, my initial impression was disappointment. In 1979 when Lennon still lived and Christo introduced his fluttery concept, a parade of flags and banners was something special.

But in the hip-hop present they’re the quotidian stuff of every city’s street lamps and every home’s seasonal decoration.

Then there’s the color issue. The Gates were billed as “saffron,” a romantic gold. In reality they’re jack-o’-lantern orange. Garish, gaudy, and not the least bit subtle, at first sight they assaulted my eye. At second they resembled a construction site.

I was hoping to be filled with a sense of wonder. Instead I felt taken, at best ho-hum. Central Park is gorgeous to begin with. The Gates added nothing.

But I had time to kill so I continued walking. On the park’s east side there’s a statue of Alice in Wonderland that since my childhood has been my New York touch point.

Trying to find it – I always forget the exact site – I noticed how nicely the orange arches contrasted with the blue sky and sparkly snow. When the wind was still the effect was geometric and orderly. But when it blew, something organic happened. In the sun the shadows of the branches mottled the Bozo fabric and tempered its day-glo. And even the exhibit’s negative space, the rocky, treetrunked places where Gates weren’t installed, were highlighted in their bareness.

I lightened up.

My spirits perked.

And then I became aware of my fellow trekkers. New Yorkers are not known for

March 16, 2005 smiling countenances or good manners. But the people in the park wore happy grins, the crinkly eyed Duchenne types experts say can’t be faked. And when people weren’t smiling, they were talking. I’d slide between Gates – the paths were icy that morning – and catch snatches of conversations, much of it easily parodied art talk, but also phrases with dotted-line connections to the heart. Installation “explainers” began random conversations with passersby. Fur coats chatted with nylon parkas. A lot of talk was self-congratulatory, but little of it was ornery.

Further west I located the snow-capped Mad Hatter. Because he’s in a stony part of the park, he and Alice were Gate-free.

I found that disappointing. I wanted to sit in the sun and watch the snow melt off the March Hare’s ears, but the benches were wet. Instead I walked south to the zoo.

Though the Gates maintain consistent height, width varies with the trail. The path that leads to the zoo is wide and flat, so the Gates there were broad and close together.

At the same time, traffic from the opposite direction was heavy. As I hurried beneath, I had the sensation of swimming against a current. A dog in a Burberry coat sniffed my boots. A pram outfitted like an SUV nearly hit me. A skateboarder veered to avoid collision. The effect seemed choreographed.

And then I had my epiphany. The Gates weren’t meant as visual art, but rather as theatre. With the elements as lighting, nature as set, the not-quite golden arches as props, and visitors as players, Central Park was reflected in a funky orange looking glass and in doing so transformed itself.

This was performance art at its best, everyone on stage and happy to be there.

Fabulous? Maybe not. Memorable? I think so. In a world where it takes all the running you can do to stay in the same place, it was great to have new frames to watch it through.

✯

March 16, 2005

ARTS&LIFE ✯

OPENING FRIDAY

ON FILM

‘The Ring’ comes full circle ‘Gunner’ is valuable

By Japiya Burns Toledo Free Press Contributing Writer news@toledofreepress.com

When “The Ring” debuted in 2002, most people could not have seen what was coming.

After being fed a steady diet of self-referential joke-heavy horror movies pressed from the mold of “Scream,” who would have predicted an intelligent thriller with adult tones based on Japanese films and novels? The premise of WATTS a videotape, filled with nightmarish images, including dead horses alongside a beach and lots of maggots, that kills you seven days after you watch it evolved into a dramatic struggle for Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) to save her eerie-but-loveable son Aidan (David Dorfman). The tape was created by a ghost, Samara, who literally crawls through televisions to kill those who watch it.

The ambiguous ending of “The Ring” leaves things wide open for “The Ring Two,” which opens Friday. “Ring Two” features Watts and Dorfman reprising their roles, with series newcomers Simon Baker, Elizabeth Perkins and Sissy Spacek. The director of the Japanese original, “Ringu,” also makes his U.S. directorial debut with “The Ring Two.” Javier Lopez, who wrote the English translations of the original “Ringu” for DVD and provided commentary tracks for an international release of the first trilogy, spoke to Toledo Free Press this week.

Though America embraced “The Ring,”

its significance here pales in comparison to the phenomenon Lopez said he saw in Japan, as “Ringu” spawned comic books, video games and Ring-themed attractions.

“It really touched on a lot of cultural touchstones, like the image of Sadako (the Japanese version of Samara). Parts of her are based on very familiar legends and stories, so there’s something very familiar to her, even though we’d never seen her before like that onscreen,” he said. “The image of the vengeful female ghost lurching forward [resonated].”

Though many fans of the original film were hesitant to see an American remake, the films were largely successful because of their central themes of mortality and revenge.

“It’s an easy-to-understand story and it’s also very visceral,” Lopez said. “You have this fear of this vengeful being and it’s a fear that’s prefaced by the search to understand that fear. Our central character, Rachel, is trying to understand ‘Why am I going to die?’ You key into that sort of fear.”

If you’re looking for something to fill the gap between “The Ring” and “Ring Two,” DreamWorks recently released a 2-Disc Collector’s Set. It features “The Ring” alongside a disc with interviews, the Cursed Videos, and the new short film “Rings.” It tells the story of teens who watch the film in groups, or rings.

Rather than fear the film’s seven-day death threat, they enjoy the new way of seeing life, treating the visions like a drug. Before their seven-day expiration passes, they give the tape to the next person in the group, which makes for a delicate, life-and-death balance of trust.

One that is bound to be broken.

Barbara Goodman Shovers is a Toledo Free Press Contributing Editor. She may be contacted at bgshovers@toledofreepress.com.

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The Gates, Central Park, New York, 1979-2005.

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 23

Faust

By Charles Gounod

look at Iraq soldiers

“Gunner Palace” is a ground-level documentary, messy and immediate, about the daily life of a combat soldier in Iraq. It is not prowar or anti-war. It is about American soldiers, mostly young, who are strangers in a strange land, trying to do their jobs and stay alive.

It has become dangerous to be a news correspondent in Iraq. As I write this, the frontpage story is about an Italian journalist who was freed from her kidnappers, only to be wounded by friendly fire while trying to cross to safety at an American checkpoint.

The man who negotiated her freedom was killed. In recent months many news organizations have pulled out their reporters; even the supposedly safe Green Zone inside Baghdad has become dangerous.

That’s why this film is so valuable. Not because it argues a position about the war and occupation, but because it simply goes and observes as soldiers work and play, talk and write letters home and, on a daily basis, risk their lives in sudden bursts of violence. Sometimes they translate their experiences into songs. The African-American soldiers, in particular, use hip-hop as an outlet, and their lyrics are sometimes angry, more often lonely; all wars seem to create poets, and so has this one.

The movie was directed, produced, written and edited

by Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein, a married American couple who live in Germany and visited Iraq twice,

Roger Ebert in late 2003 and 2004. They followed the 2/3 Field Artillery Division (the “gunners”) of the Army’s 1st Armored Division. A platoon from that division was also being followed by Time magazine, which picked “The American Soldier” as its 2003 Person of the Year. The woman on the cover, SPC Billie Grimes, is the only woman seen in the film. SPC Stuart Wilf, much seen in the film, “is the centerfold” in Time, according to an online journal kept by Tucker, who notes that two Time reporters were wounded while reporting the article.

On May 23, 2004, after he had finished his principal photography, director Tucker made a last entry in his online journal: “I’ve asked soldiers what they think about the war and their answers are surprisingly simple. After a year, the war isn’t about WMDs, democracy, Donald Rumsfeld or oil. It’s about them. Simple.

They just want to finish the job so they can go home.” (“Baghdad Diaries,” the journal of Tucker and Epperlein, with messages to them by the friends they made at the palace, is at gunnerpalace.com.)

Three and a half stars out of four.

DVD of the week: ‘The Incredibles’ you sell your soul to

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Sunday, April 17, 2005 2:00 p.m.

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The Pixar Studios, which cannot seem to take a wrong step, steps right again with “The Incredibles,” a superhero spoof that alternates breakneck action with satire of suburban sitcom life.

On the surface, “The Incredibles” is a goof on superhero comics. Underneath, it’s a critique of modern American uniformity.

Grown-ups are likely to be surprised by how smart the movie is, and how sneakily perceptive.

DVD Extras: An unapologetic yet effective balancing of light and slightly heavier features characterizes the bonus materials on this two-disc set.

A deliberately stiff, faux-1960s Incredibles spoof, with commentary

by Mr. Incredible and Frozone, is a highlight.

An original short, ‘’Jack-Jack Attack,” shows the youngest Incredible in action in a way that tries to flesh out the feature.

– Roger Ebert

Page 22 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

Music Notes Agora Theatre 5000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

(216) 881-6911 Motorhead, Zeke, Corrosion of Conformity March 18. 8 p.m. $21.

The Ark 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor.

(734) 763-8587 Saffire, The Uppity Blues Women March 18. 8 p.m. $20.

Richard Shindell March 19. 8 p.m. $15.

King Wilkie March 19. 7:30 p.m. $15.

Leon Redbone March 21. 8 p.m. $20.

Battlefield Band March 22. 8 p.m. $22.

Mary Fahl March 23. 8 p.m. $13.50.

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver March 24. 8 p.m. $20.

Bowling Green State University Info: (800) 589-2224 Kobacker Hall: Symphonic, Concert and University Bands March 18. 8 p.m. Free.

Bryan Recital Hall: Threshold Festival Electronic music March 25. 8 p.m. Free.

Fox Theatre 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

(313) 471-3200 Jill Scott March 18. 7:30 p.m. $41-$75.

Nelly, St. Lunatics with Fat Joe Sunday, March 20. 7 p.m. $25-$75.

Ashlee Simpson March 24. 7:30 p.m. $35.

Alicia Keys Friday, March 25. 8 p.m. $38-$88.

The Happy Badger 1855 S. Reynolds Road.

(419) 389-0021 Jolly Molly, B.O.A.T.S. March 18. 7:30 p.m. $7.

Bohad Brothers, Plunkett, The Fast LuckSaturday, March 19. 7:30 p.m. $7.

Streetlight Manifesto, Kickstand, Uncertain 5, Texas Pete & the Revolutions March 23. 7 p.m. $10 in advance; $12 day of show.

Alone @ 6 a.m...

The Modern Soviet Enemies and Lock N Key March 25. 7 p.m. $7.

House of Blues 308 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

(216) 523-2583 Steve Earle and the Dukes March 23. 6:30 p.m. $20-29.50.

Howard’s Club H 210 N. Main St., Bowling Green.

(419) 352-3195 Aqueduct March 24. 10:30 p.m. $5.

Mickey Finn’s Pub 602 Lagrange St. (419) 246-3466 Johnny Reed & The Houserockers March 19. 9:30 p.m. $5.

Toledo School for the Arts Pop Combo March 20. 3 p.m. Free.

Max Solandra & Friends March 23. 10 p.m. $3.

The Zimmerman Twins, Dragracer and Deadbeat Moms March 24. 10 p.m. $5.

Courageous Minority March 25. 10 p.m. $5.

Murphy’s Place 151 Water St., Toledo.

(419) 241-7732

The Larry Fuller Trio March 23. 8 and 10 p.m. $8-$15.

Sheila Jordan with The Murphys March 25. 9 and 11 p.m. $8-15.

The Odeon 1295 Old River Road, Cleveland.

(216) 574-2525 The Fixx March 18. 9 p.m. $15.

Indigo Girls March 24. 8 p.m. $32.50.

Owens Community College (567) 661-2787 Center for Fine and Performing Arts: Slainte Mhath March 19. 8 p.m. $18.

Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra March 20. 3 p.m. $6-$12.

The Palace 4 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills.

(248) 377-8601 Smuckers Stars on Ice March 19. 7:30 p.m. $28-$63.

Duran Duran March 24. 8 p.m. $25-$75.

State Theatre 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

(313) 961-5451 Lewis Black March 20. 7 p.m. $38.50.

O.A.R. March 23. 7:30 p.m. $25; $28 day of show.

State Theatre 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

(216) 771-4444 Playhouse Square: Jill Scott March 20. 7:30 p.m. $35.

Ashlee Simpson March 22. 7 p.m. $39.50.

Toledo Museum of Art 2445 Monroe St. (419) 255-8000 Libbey Court: Blue Moon March 18. 6:30 p.m. Free.

Gay Galvin Trio March 25. 6:30 p.m. Free.

Peristyle: Classics Series — “All Tchaikovsky.” Toledo Symphony Orchestra, conducted

by Giancarlo Guerrero, featuring violinist Corey Cerovsek.

March 18-19. 8 p.m. $18-$45.

The Underground 209 Superior St. (419) 531-7625 Trip, Forever Lost, The Fury, After Trust Is Betrayed March 18. $5 in advance; $7 at door.

OK Go, The Sun, The Highgears, Stereomod March 19. $10 in advance; $12 at door.

CL1, Bigfoot & The Fully Automatics, Huron Country Creeps March 25. $5. Doors open at 9 p.m.

University of Michigan (734) 763-8587 Power Center: Sklar Brothers March 21. 7:30 p.m. $12.50-$36.

Dance Mix 2005 March 24. 8 p.m. $7.

Rackham Auditorium: Amazin’ Blue March 19. 8 p.m. $4, $6.

Valentine Theatre 400 N. Superior St. (419) 242.2787 “Coppelia” — Featuring the Toledo Ballet Company under the direction of Nigel Burgoine.

March 19. 2 and 7 p.m.

March 20. 2 p.m. $18-$35.

– Compiled by Vicki L. Kroll

ARTS&LIFE ✯

Gates Continued from page 21

plastic, I began to see the aesthetic value of whimsy. And by 1995’s Berlin Reichstag wrap – whimsy, spectacle, and history literally tied together – the effort seemed heroic.

As such, I made a special trip to New York for the exhibit. But as I crossed into the park at 72nd Street, across from the apartment where John Lennon was killed, my initial impression was disappointment. In 1979 when Lennon still lived and Christo introduced his fluttery concept, a parade of flags and banners was something special.

But in the hip-hop present they’re the quotidian stuff of every city’s street lamps and every home’s seasonal decoration.

Then there’s the color issue. The Gates were billed as “saffron,” a romantic gold. In reality they’re jack-o’-lantern orange. Garish, gaudy, and not the least bit subtle, at first sight they assaulted my eye. At second they resembled a construction site.

I was hoping to be filled with a sense of wonder. Instead I felt taken, at best ho-hum. Central Park is gorgeous to begin with. The Gates added nothing.

But I had time to kill so I continued walking. On the park’s east side there’s a statue of Alice in Wonderland that since my childhood has been my New York touch point.

Trying to find it – I always forget the exact site – I noticed how nicely the orange arches contrasted with the blue sky and sparkly snow. When the wind was still the effect was geometric and orderly. But when it blew, something organic happened. In the sun the shadows of the branches mottled the Bozo fabric and tempered its day-glo. And even the exhibit’s negative space, the rocky, treetrunked places where Gates weren’t installed, were highlighted in their bareness.

I lightened up.

My spirits perked.

And then I became aware of my fellow trekkers. New Yorkers are not known for

March 16, 2005 smiling countenances or good manners. But the people in the park wore happy grins, the crinkly eyed Duchenne types experts say can’t be faked. And when people weren’t smiling, they were talking. I’d slide between Gates – the paths were icy that morning – and catch snatches of conversations, much of it easily parodied art talk, but also phrases with dotted-line connections to the heart. Installation “explainers” began random conversations with passersby. Fur coats chatted with nylon parkas. A lot of talk was self-congratulatory, but little of it was ornery.

Further west I located the snow-capped Mad Hatter. Because he’s in a stony part of the park, he and Alice were Gate-free.

I found that disappointing. I wanted to sit in the sun and watch the snow melt off the March Hare’s ears, but the benches were wet. Instead I walked south to the zoo.

Though the Gates maintain consistent height, width varies with the trail. The path that leads to the zoo is wide and flat, so the Gates there were broad and close together.

At the same time, traffic from the opposite direction was heavy. As I hurried beneath, I had the sensation of swimming against a current. A dog in a Burberry coat sniffed my boots. A pram outfitted like an SUV nearly hit me. A skateboarder veered to avoid collision. The effect seemed choreographed.

And then I had my epiphany. The Gates weren’t meant as visual art, but rather as theatre. With the elements as lighting, nature as set, the not-quite golden arches as props, and visitors as players, Central Park was reflected in a funky orange looking glass and in doing so transformed itself.

This was performance art at its best, everyone on stage and happy to be there.

Fabulous? Maybe not. Memorable? I think so. In a world where it takes all the running you can do to stay in the same place, it was great to have new frames to watch it through.

✯

March 16, 2005

ARTS&LIFE ✯

OPENING FRIDAY

ON FILM

‘The Ring’ comes full circle ‘Gunner’ is valuable

By Japiya Burns Toledo Free Press Contributing Writer news@toledofreepress.com

When “The Ring” debuted in 2002, most people could not have seen what was coming.

After being fed a steady diet of self-referential joke-heavy horror movies pressed from the mold of “Scream,” who would have predicted an intelligent thriller with adult tones based on Japanese films and novels? The premise of WATTS a videotape, filled with nightmarish images, including dead horses alongside a beach and lots of maggots, that kills you seven days after you watch it evolved into a dramatic struggle for Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) to save her eerie-but-loveable son Aidan (David Dorfman). The tape was created by a ghost, Samara, who literally crawls through televisions to kill those who watch it.

The ambiguous ending of “The Ring” leaves things wide open for “The Ring Two,” which opens Friday. “Ring Two” features Watts and Dorfman reprising their roles, with series newcomers Simon Baker, Elizabeth Perkins and Sissy Spacek. The director of the Japanese original, “Ringu,” also makes his U.S. directorial debut with “The Ring Two.” Javier Lopez, who wrote the English translations of the original “Ringu” for DVD and provided commentary tracks for an international release of the first trilogy, spoke to Toledo Free Press this week.

Though America embraced “The Ring,”

its significance here pales in comparison to the phenomenon Lopez said he saw in Japan, as “Ringu” spawned comic books, video games and Ring-themed attractions.

“It really touched on a lot of cultural touchstones, like the image of Sadako (the Japanese version of Samara). Parts of her are based on very familiar legends and stories, so there’s something very familiar to her, even though we’d never seen her before like that onscreen,” he said. “The image of the vengeful female ghost lurching forward [resonated].”

Though many fans of the original film were hesitant to see an American remake, the films were largely successful because of their central themes of mortality and revenge.

“It’s an easy-to-understand story and it’s also very visceral,” Lopez said. “You have this fear of this vengeful being and it’s a fear that’s prefaced by the search to understand that fear. Our central character, Rachel, is trying to understand ‘Why am I going to die?’ You key into that sort of fear.”

If you’re looking for something to fill the gap between “The Ring” and “Ring Two,” DreamWorks recently released a 2-Disc Collector’s Set. It features “The Ring” alongside a disc with interviews, the Cursed Videos, and the new short film “Rings.” It tells the story of teens who watch the film in groups, or rings.

Rather than fear the film’s seven-day death threat, they enjoy the new way of seeing life, treating the visions like a drug. Before their seven-day expiration passes, they give the tape to the next person in the group, which makes for a delicate, life-and-death balance of trust.

One that is bound to be broken.

Barbara Goodman Shovers is a Toledo Free Press Contributing Editor. She may be contacted at bgshovers@toledofreepress.com.

AD #: 50031 SIZE: 3X5 COLOR: B/W RUN DATE: 03/16/05 CUST: TOLEDO OPERA SALES PERSON: MIKE CREATOR: STACIE TAG LINE: FAUST

PLEASE PROOF, SIGN & RETURN SIGN: ___________________________ DATE: ___________________________ RETURN TO SALES: _________________ � OK � CHANGES/PROOF AGAIN

Photo © 2005 Christo

The Gates, Central Park, New York, 1979-2005.

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 23

Faust

By Charles Gounod

look at Iraq soldiers

“Gunner Palace” is a ground-level documentary, messy and immediate, about the daily life of a combat soldier in Iraq. It is not prowar or anti-war. It is about American soldiers, mostly young, who are strangers in a strange land, trying to do their jobs and stay alive.

It has become dangerous to be a news correspondent in Iraq. As I write this, the frontpage story is about an Italian journalist who was freed from her kidnappers, only to be wounded by friendly fire while trying to cross to safety at an American checkpoint.

The man who negotiated her freedom was killed. In recent months many news organizations have pulled out their reporters; even the supposedly safe Green Zone inside Baghdad has become dangerous.

That’s why this film is so valuable. Not because it argues a position about the war and occupation, but because it simply goes and observes as soldiers work and play, talk and write letters home and, on a daily basis, risk their lives in sudden bursts of violence. Sometimes they translate their experiences into songs. The African-American soldiers, in particular, use hip-hop as an outlet, and their lyrics are sometimes angry, more often lonely; all wars seem to create poets, and so has this one.

The movie was directed, produced, written and edited

by Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein, a married American couple who live in Germany and visited Iraq twice,

Roger Ebert in late 2003 and 2004. They followed the 2/3 Field Artillery Division (the “gunners”) of the Army’s 1st Armored Division. A platoon from that division was also being followed by Time magazine, which picked “The American Soldier” as its 2003 Person of the Year. The woman on the cover, SPC Billie Grimes, is the only woman seen in the film. SPC Stuart Wilf, much seen in the film, “is the centerfold” in Time, according to an online journal kept by Tucker, who notes that two Time reporters were wounded while reporting the article.

On May 23, 2004, after he had finished his principal photography, director Tucker made a last entry in his online journal: “I’ve asked soldiers what they think about the war and their answers are surprisingly simple. After a year, the war isn’t about WMDs, democracy, Donald Rumsfeld or oil. It’s about them. Simple.

They just want to finish the job so they can go home.” (“Baghdad Diaries,” the journal of Tucker and Epperlein, with messages to them by the friends they made at the palace, is at gunnerpalace.com.)

Three and a half stars out of four.

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The Pixar Studios, which cannot seem to take a wrong step, steps right again with “The Incredibles,” a superhero spoof that alternates breakneck action with satire of suburban sitcom life.

On the surface, “The Incredibles” is a goof on superhero comics. Underneath, it’s a critique of modern American uniformity.

Grown-ups are likely to be surprised by how smart the movie is, and how sneakily perceptive.

DVD Extras: An unapologetic yet effective balancing of light and slightly heavier features characterizes the bonus materials on this two-disc set.

A deliberately stiff, faux-1960s Incredibles spoof, with commentary

by Mr. Incredible and Frozone, is a highlight.

An original short, ‘’Jack-Jack Attack,” shows the youngest Incredible in action in a way that tries to flesh out the feature.

– Roger Ebert

Page 24 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

ARTS&LIFE ✯

CONCERT PREVIEW

Performance features one piano, two pianists

By Vicki L. Kroll Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Eighty-eight keys. Sixty-two years of playing experience. Four hands. Three pedals.

Two men. One piano in the Toledo Museum of Art Great Gallery.

Dr. Michael Boyd, University of Toledo professor of music, and Dr. Joel Schoenhals, Eastern Michigan University assistant professor of music, will SCHOENHALS present “Music From the Movies and the Theatre” at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The duo will begin the free concert with Felix Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “This music tries to get across the atmosphere of the Shakespeare play — the magical forest, fairies in the night, the donkey,” Boyd said.

The pianists will take a few minutes to talk about each piece and how it ties in with the movies, theatre and literature.

Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” is up next.

“Since it’s a ballet, there’s a story with a plot,” Boyd said. “We’ll talk briefly about the plot and what would be happening on stage while the music played.” Schoenhals said, “This is perhaps one of the most demanding pieces that we’ve done. We’re all over the place. A lot of people choose to do this on two pianos. We have played it on two pianos, and we’ve worked it up for one piano, too, as a lot of places don’t have two pianos.”

Logistically, Boyd said it’s easier to play at two pianos, but it’s more difficult to

keep the music together. “At one piano, it’s easier to stay together, but you have to put marks in the score when one person needs to get out of the other person’s way.”

Piano for four hands is usually divided into two parts — primo is the upper half of the keyboard, and secondo is the lower half of the keyboard. “There are all kinds of places where you have to cross over,” Boyd said.

Then there’s the space — or lack thereof.

“The hardest thing is the choreography,” Schoenhals said. “You’ve got two adult bodies at a keyboard. Space is an obvious issue, which is apparent to the audience, I think. It makes it exciting to watch and makes it exciting for us to play.”

The performance will conclude with “The Wizard of Oz Fantasy” arranged by William Hirtz. “People just love this piece,” Schoenhals said. “It’s very pianistic, very virtuosic, very ‘afternoon.’ There will be whistling and toe tapping.” Boyd added, “This showcases all the songs from the movie, and everyone knows these songs.

We play them one song into the other.”

If you miss the Sunday matinee in Toledo, Schoenhals and Boyd are slated to play at the Chelsea Musical Celebrations at 7 p.m. April 9. The concert is held by the First Congregational Church of Chelsea, Mich., 121 E. Middle St. Tickets for that event are $12.50 for adults, $9 for seniors and $7.50 for students 18 and younger.

The pianists also play separate instruments together and have recorded a CD of Stravinsky music scheduled for release in September.

For more information on the concert in the Toledo Museum of Art Great Gallery, call 419-255-8000.

BOOK SIGNING

Irish in Toledo spotlighted in new book

By Deanna Lytle Special to Toledo Free Press

7 p.m. Thursday at Thackeray’s Books, 3301 W. Central Ave. There were three main Irish neighborhoods in Toledo. Metress They came to escape starvation ������������������������ distinguished the St. Patrick’s and political and religious ������������� Church area in the warehouse oppression. They dug canals, district, the south Toledo worked in factories and built neighborhood around Immaculate the railroads, all while trying to Conception Church and the vicinity build better lives for their family of the Good Shepherd Parish near members. They are the Irish and the high-level bridge on the east they are the focus of a new book side as the primary areas where from The University of Toledo Urban Irish immigrants settled. “You can in Affairs Center Press, The Irish�������������� usually find the Irish by finding Toledo: History and Memory. �������� their churches,” Metress said, The book is edited by Dr. Seamus ���������� meaning that an Irish community Metress, professor of anthropology, ���������������������� was built around a parish. and Molly Schiever, a UT alumna For those who prefer visual and press board member. Metress is a specialist in Irish research, with information, the editors have included 70 pictures and over 30 books published. Schiever illustrations in the book, as well has Irish ancestors on her mother’s as a map. Copies of the book can side of the family and is interested ������������������ be purchased by mail through the in the culture and history. ������������ Urban Affairs Center, Mail Stop Schiever and Metress will ��������������������� 404. The cost is $15 plus $1.35 sign copies of The Irish�������������������������������� in for postage and handling. Checks Toledo: History and Memory at

BUYING

should be made payable to The University of Toledo Foundation. ������������������������ �������������

REPAIRS ���������� �������������� ������������

March 16, 2005

TOLEDO TREASURES: ʻOPHELIAʼ

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ARTS&LIFE ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 25

COMIC BOOKS

‘Gotham Central’ offers unusual suspects

By John Rozum Toledo Free Press Contributing Writer

The best cop show is not on television. It is not in movie theaters.

If you’re looking for gritty, realistic police drama with dynamic characters, then head down to your nearest comic book store and pick up a copy of D.C.’s “Gotham Central.”

Written by Ed Brubaker and novelist Greg Rucka, with art chores currently being handled by Stefano Gaudiano, “Gotham Central” tells the story of the detectives assigned to Gotham City’s Major Case Unit.

For those of you who may not be well versed in comic book geography, Gotham City is the home of Batman.

It is one of the bleakest cities ever depicted in any medium. Not only do the police in Gotham City have to deal with an excessive amount of day-today crime such as robberies, drug dealing, and homicide, but they also have to handle criminals of a higher caliber such as The Joker and Mr. Freeze. This is the province of the men and women on the Major Case Unit.

Gaudiano, who takes over handling the artwork, after a long successful run by Michael Lark, manages to take Gotham City from being a vague, gloomy, gothic cityscape and turn it into a real city with distinct architecture, and neighborhoods with plenty of detail and personality. In essence, he makes it real.

Typically in superhero comics, the police take a back seat to the superheroes, serving as little more than window dressing, or cannon fodder trying to hold down the fort until the people with the flashy costumes and powers come to their rescue. The Batman comics have always gone a bit beyond that, most famously with Commissioner James Gordon (now retired), who formed an uneasy alliance between the police force and Gotham City’s famous vigilante. Brubaker and Rucka have gone in and completely fleshed out the members of Gotham’s police force giving them very distinct personalities, back stories, and interpersonal interactions with one another.

That said, make no mistake, Go-

tham Central has some of the best investigative storytelling going in police drama. Brubaker and Rucka have masterfully managed to weave together various story threads and investigative leads so that the reader may think they know where a story will lead, but will also have constant doubts about whether things will really turn out that way or not. It is refreshing to find an investigative drama where the reader does not feel like they are constantly two steps ahead of the detectives they are reading about.

If you are someone who has no interest in superheroes, fear not. Even though super villains like The Joker and Catwoman often appear, it never feels like you are reading a superhero comic. Instead, you get to see what it would be like to be a regular person with no powers, suddenly facing a man who can freeze you solid in the blink of an eye. It’s the best “Batman” comic, even though Batman rarely makes an appearance.

“Gotham Central: In the Line of Duty,” a trade paperback collecting the

first five issues is currently available for $9.95. A second volume, “Gotham Central: Half a Life,” which will collect issues 6-10, will be available in May.

Community Calendar BUSINESS EVENTS Name of work: “Ophelia” (“And he will not come back again”) Artist: Arthur Hughes (British, 1832-1915) Medium: Oil on canvas, about 1865 Location: Toledo Museum of Art, Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1952.87 Description: Artist Arthur Hughes evokes sympathy with his depiction of the melancholic

young woman with piercing blue eyes and flowing red hair, who gathers flowers on the bank of the stream where she will soon drown.

In the “language of flowers,” the willow stands for forsaken love, the daisy for innocence, and the nettle for pain. Hughes also adds the red poppy, which represents Ophelia’s impending death.

Read more about this work of art in the Toledo Museum of Art Map and Guide by Paula Reich.

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Business After Hours Presented by Sky Bank from 5:30 to 7 p.m. March 17.

Location: Toledo Speedway An evening of business networking is at Business After Hours presented

by Sky Bank. The event is free to attend — just bring business cards.

Display tables are available to promote your products and services.

Cost is $100 to purchase a table.

SBA Loan Seminar from 10 to 11:45 a.m. March 17.

Location: Toledo Chamber, 300 Madison Ave. Suite 200 This seminar is for entrepreneurs interested in starting or expanding their small business. A representative will be on hand to explain the various loan guarantee programs available from the SBA. Reservations are required for this free seminar. For general inquiries e-mail: joinus@toledochamber.com

FAMILY EVENTS Michaels Arts & Crafts Store Location: 4622 Talmadge Road, will host a “Build a Buddy” event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 19.

The event is intended to introduce children and parents to fun and quality time shared through craft making.

Information: (419) 475-4296 Toledo-Lucas County Public Library Events Connect to Creativity Through Saturday, April 2, during regular Library hours at Main Library, 325 Michigan Street Teen art show featuring more than 100 paintings, works of art and furniture from area youths, grades 6 through 12.

Spring Egg Hunt! March 19, from 10 to 11:15 a.m. at the Oregon Branch Library, 3340 Dustin Road Pick up your free ticket to be a part of the spring egg hunt.

West Toledo Branch Library celebrates its 75th Anniversary –March 19, from noon to 4 p.m. at the West Toledo Branch Library, 1320 Sylvania Avenue Enjoy food, crafts, fun, and special musical performances by the Cakewalking Jass Band and Whittier School.

The Art of Effective Meetings - March 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sanger Branch Library, 3030 West Central Avenue Using Roberts Rules of Order, this program teaches meeting skills through practical applications of basic parliamentary procedures.

Wolcott House Guild Historical Lectures – on March 21, at 10 a.m. at the Maumee Branch Library, 501 River Road Discover ‘Oddities of Northwest Ohio’ with Kenneth Dickson.

Dive into Dinosaurs! –March 22 at 3:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Branch Library, 203 Paine Avenue.

Children, grades kindergarten to 4th, are invited to enjoy dinosaur stories, crafts, and a special treat.

You’re Never Too Old To Surf- March 22, at 2 p.m. at the Heatherdowns Branch Library, 3265 Glanzman Older Adult Specialist Claudia Schroeder presents an intermediate Internet class for older adult computer users.

Women Rock! - March 22, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Mott Branch Library, 1085 Dorr Street.

Celebrate Women’s History Month

with Ms. Bernella Davison (Miss Ann) by hearing stories of famous women artists and designing a square for the Mott Branch Quilt.

Welcome Spring Drum Circle –March 22, at 7 p.m. at the Sanger Branch Library, 3030 West Central Avenue.

Led by Virginia Wagoner, the drum circle will honor Mother Earth and learn about Native Americans.

College Resource Night - March 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Main Library, 325 Michigan Street. Offers information on Library resources that will assist in preparing for college and is for students, parents and educators.

For more information about these and any other programs offered by the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, please call (419) 259-5207.

The Way Public Library continues to host a monthly Art & Foreign film series called Reel Art @ Way. On Friday, March 18 the library will be showing the 2003 film, “Spellbound.”

This Oscar nominated documentary explores the subculture of the U.S. spelling bee circuit. The kids hail from widely disparate backgrounds and the film follows the winners as they compete for the top prize. This English language film begins at 7 p.m. in the lower level auditorium of the library. No reservations required.

Admission and refreshments are free.

The library is located at 101 E. Indiana Avenue in Perrysburg. For further information call (419) 874-3135.

TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART 2445 Monroe St. (419) 255-8000 Family Center: Make a Roman Fresco, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 17. Club Friday Music: Blue Moon (blues, folk), 6:30–9:30 p.m.,

March 18 Concert: TSO Classics Series, 8 p.m. March 19 Panel Discussion: What Do We Collect?, 2 p.m. Saturday. A stimulating panel discussion with local collectors, including Ed Hill and Millard Stone, to learn about their collections and gain some great new ideas for your own.

Concert: TSO Classics Series, 8 p.m. March 19 Family Center: Blow Painting, 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. March 20 Concert: UT Faculty Artist Series, 3 p.m. March 20.

Dr. Michael Boyd (UT) and Dr. Joel Schoenhals (Eastern Michigan University) perform music for Piano 4 hands. The concert will include music from Felix Mendelssohn’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” William Hirtz’s “Wizard of Oz Fantasy,” and Stravinsky’s arrangement of his ballet “Petrouchka.”

SENIORS Computer instruction for older adults Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio, Inc. SeniorNet Learning Center Senior Net computer classes are specifically designed for older adults who want to learn basic computer skills. Class size limited to 8 persons.

Pace of class accommodates older students. Classes are for older adults with very little or no previous computer experience and are designed to be enjoyable and “user friendly” classes. It is never too late to love a computer. Intro Classes – Computer, E-mail-Internet, Word, Excel, Digital Photography Fees - $60.00 per class Classes are held at the: Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio, Inc. Senior Net Computer Lab 2155 Arlington Ave. Toledo, Ohio 43609 Call Ed Kachmarik (419) 382-0975

OBSERVANCE “Arlington Midwest” at The University of Toledo. Visit more than 1,440 tombstones with the names of the American fallen in Afghanistan and Iraq, on a hillside rising above the “mall.” 12 p.m. March 19 to 6 p.m. March 20 at the west end of the mall, between the Old Field House and University Hall. Brought to you by the Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition.

To list your upcoming cultural or social event in the Community Calendar, e-mail brief details, including contact information to news@toledofreepress.com.

corrections & clarifications The Toledo Free Press wants to correct its errors.

If you see a factual mistake or omission, please call

419-241-1700 OR E-mail corrections to:

news@toledofreepress.com

Page 24 ■ Toledo Free Press

✯

ARTS&LIFE ✯

CONCERT PREVIEW

Performance features one piano, two pianists

By Vicki L. Kroll Toledo Free Press Staff Writer news@toledofreepress.com

Eighty-eight keys. Sixty-two years of playing experience. Four hands. Three pedals.

Two men. One piano in the Toledo Museum of Art Great Gallery.

Dr. Michael Boyd, University of Toledo professor of music, and Dr. Joel Schoenhals, Eastern Michigan University assistant professor of music, will SCHOENHALS present “Music From the Movies and the Theatre” at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The duo will begin the free concert with Felix Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” “This music tries to get across the atmosphere of the Shakespeare play — the magical forest, fairies in the night, the donkey,” Boyd said.

The pianists will take a few minutes to talk about each piece and how it ties in with the movies, theatre and literature.

Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” is up next.

“Since it’s a ballet, there’s a story with a plot,” Boyd said. “We’ll talk briefly about the plot and what would be happening on stage while the music played.” Schoenhals said, “This is perhaps one of the most demanding pieces that we’ve done. We’re all over the place. A lot of people choose to do this on two pianos. We have played it on two pianos, and we’ve worked it up for one piano, too, as a lot of places don’t have two pianos.”

Logistically, Boyd said it’s easier to play at two pianos, but it’s more difficult to

keep the music together. “At one piano, it’s easier to stay together, but you have to put marks in the score when one person needs to get out of the other person’s way.”

Piano for four hands is usually divided into two parts — primo is the upper half of the keyboard, and secondo is the lower half of the keyboard. “There are all kinds of places where you have to cross over,” Boyd said.

Then there’s the space — or lack thereof.

“The hardest thing is the choreography,” Schoenhals said. “You’ve got two adult bodies at a keyboard. Space is an obvious issue, which is apparent to the audience, I think. It makes it exciting to watch and makes it exciting for us to play.”

The performance will conclude with “The Wizard of Oz Fantasy” arranged by William Hirtz. “People just love this piece,” Schoenhals said. “It’s very pianistic, very virtuosic, very ‘afternoon.’ There will be whistling and toe tapping.” Boyd added, “This showcases all the songs from the movie, and everyone knows these songs.

We play them one song into the other.”

If you miss the Sunday matinee in Toledo, Schoenhals and Boyd are slated to play at the Chelsea Musical Celebrations at 7 p.m. April 9. The concert is held by the First Congregational Church of Chelsea, Mich., 121 E. Middle St. Tickets for that event are $12.50 for adults, $9 for seniors and $7.50 for students 18 and younger.

The pianists also play separate instruments together and have recorded a CD of Stravinsky music scheduled for release in September.

For more information on the concert in the Toledo Museum of Art Great Gallery, call 419-255-8000.

BOOK SIGNING

Irish in Toledo spotlighted in new book

By Deanna Lytle Special to Toledo Free Press

7 p.m. Thursday at Thackeray’s Books, 3301 W. Central Ave. There were three main Irish neighborhoods in Toledo. Metress They came to escape starvation ������������������������ distinguished the St. Patrick’s and political and religious ������������� Church area in the warehouse oppression. They dug canals, district, the south Toledo worked in factories and built neighborhood around Immaculate the railroads, all while trying to Conception Church and the vicinity build better lives for their family of the Good Shepherd Parish near members. They are the Irish and the high-level bridge on the east they are the focus of a new book side as the primary areas where from The University of Toledo Urban Irish immigrants settled. “You can in Affairs Center Press, The Irish�������������� usually find the Irish by finding Toledo: History and Memory. �������� their churches,” Metress said, The book is edited by Dr. Seamus ���������� meaning that an Irish community Metress, professor of anthropology, ���������������������� was built around a parish. and Molly Schiever, a UT alumna For those who prefer visual and press board member. Metress is a specialist in Irish research, with information, the editors have included 70 pictures and over 30 books published. Schiever illustrations in the book, as well has Irish ancestors on her mother’s as a map. Copies of the book can side of the family and is interested ������������������ be purchased by mail through the in the culture and history. ������������ Urban Affairs Center, Mail Stop Schiever and Metress will ��������������������� 404. The cost is $15 plus $1.35 sign copies of The Irish�������������������������������� in for postage and handling. Checks Toledo: History and Memory at

BUYING

should be made payable to The University of Toledo Foundation. ������������������������ �������������

REPAIRS ���������� �������������� ������������

March 16, 2005

TOLEDO TREASURES: ʻOPHELIAʼ

��������������������� ��������������������������������

ARTS&LIFE ✯

Toledo Free Press ■ Page 25

COMIC BOOKS

‘Gotham Central’ offers unusual suspects

By John Rozum Toledo Free Press Contributing Writer

The best cop show is not on television. It is not in movie theaters.

If you’re looking for gritty, realistic police drama with dynamic characters, then head down to your nearest comic book store and pick up a copy of D.C.’s “Gotham Central.”

Written by Ed Brubaker and novelist Greg Rucka, with art chores currently being handled by Stefano Gaudiano, “Gotham Central” tells the story of the detectives assigned to Gotham City’s Major Case Unit.

For those of you who may not be well versed in comic book geography, Gotham City is the home of Batman.

It is one of the bleakest cities ever depicted in any medium. Not only do the police in Gotham City have to deal with an excessive amount of day-today crime such as robberies, drug dealing, and homicide, but they also have to handle criminals of a higher caliber such as The Joker and Mr. Freeze. This is the province of the men and women on the Major Case Unit.

Gaudiano, who takes over handling the artwork, after a long successful run by Michael Lark, manages to take Gotham City from being a vague, gloomy, gothic cityscape and turn it into a real city with distinct architecture, and neighborhoods with plenty of detail and personality. In essence, he makes it real.

Typically in superhero comics, the police take a back seat to the superheroes, serving as little more than window dressing, or cannon fodder trying to hold down the fort until the people with the flashy costumes and powers come to their rescue. The Batman comics have always gone a bit beyond that, most famously with Commissioner James Gordon (now retired), who formed an uneasy alliance between the police force and Gotham City’s famous vigilante. Brubaker and Rucka have gone in and completely fleshed out the members of Gotham’s police force giving them very distinct personalities, back stories, and interpersonal interactions with one another.

That said, make no mistake, Go-

tham Central has some of the best investigative storytelling going in police drama. Brubaker and Rucka have masterfully managed to weave together various story threads and investigative leads so that the reader may think they know where a story will lead, but will also have constant doubts about whether things will really turn out that way or not. It is refreshing to find an investigative drama where the reader does not feel like they are constantly two steps ahead of the detectives they are reading about.

If you are someone who has no interest in superheroes, fear not. Even though super villains like The Joker and Catwoman often appear, it never feels like you are reading a superhero comic. Instead, you get to see what it would be like to be a regular person with no powers, suddenly facing a man who can freeze you solid in the blink of an eye. It’s the best “Batman” comic, even though Batman rarely makes an appearance.

“Gotham Central: In the Line of Duty,” a trade paperback collecting the

first five issues is currently available for $9.95. A second volume, “Gotham Central: Half a Life,” which will collect issues 6-10, will be available in May.

Community Calendar BUSINESS EVENTS Name of work: “Ophelia” (“And he will not come back again”) Artist: Arthur Hughes (British, 1832-1915) Medium: Oil on canvas, about 1865 Location: Toledo Museum of Art, Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1952.87 Description: Artist Arthur Hughes evokes sympathy with his depiction of the melancholic

young woman with piercing blue eyes and flowing red hair, who gathers flowers on the bank of the stream where she will soon drown.

In the “language of flowers,” the willow stands for forsaken love, the daisy for innocence, and the nettle for pain. Hughes also adds the red poppy, which represents Ophelia’s impending death.

Read more about this work of art in the Toledo Museum of Art Map and Guide by Paula Reich.

In OHIO...

it is illegal to drive any motor vehicle without insurance or proof of financial responsibility.

“Don’t get caught without it”

Aaron / Richards - Flory Insurance Agency Auto - Truck - Motorcycle Homeowners

419-535-1750

������������������ ������������

✯

March 16, 2005

Aaron / Richards - Flory

Insurance is our story!

Business After Hours Presented by Sky Bank from 5:30 to 7 p.m. March 17.

Location: Toledo Speedway An evening of business networking is at Business After Hours presented

by Sky Bank. The event is free to attend — just bring business cards.

Display tables are available to promote your products and services.

Cost is $100 to purchase a table.

SBA Loan Seminar from 10 to 11:45 a.m. March 17.

Location: Toledo Chamber, 300 Madison Ave. Suite 200 This seminar is for entrepreneurs interested in starting or expanding their small business. A representative will be on hand to explain the various loan guarantee programs available from the SBA. Reservations are required for this free seminar. For general inquiries e-mail: joinus@toledochamber.com

FAMILY EVENTS Michaels Arts & Crafts Store Location: 4622 Talmadge Road, will host a “Build a Buddy” event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 19.

The event is intended to introduce children and parents to fun and quality time shared through craft making.

Information: (419) 475-4296 Toledo-Lucas County Public Library Events Connect to Creativity Through Saturday, April 2, during regular Library hours at Main Library, 325 Michigan Street Teen art show featuring more than 100 paintings, works of art and furniture from area youths, grades 6 through 12.

Spring Egg Hunt! March 19, from 10 to 11:15 a.m. at the Oregon Branch Library, 3340 Dustin Road Pick up your free ticket to be a part of the spring egg hunt.

West Toledo Branch Library celebrates its 75th Anniversary –March 19, from noon to 4 p.m. at the West Toledo Branch Library, 1320 Sylvania Avenue Enjoy food, crafts, fun, and special musical performances by the Cakewalking Jass Band and Whittier School.

The Art of Effective Meetings - March 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sanger Branch Library, 3030 West Central Avenue Using Roberts Rules of Order, this program teaches meeting skills through practical applications of basic parliamentary procedures.

Wolcott House Guild Historical Lectures – on March 21, at 10 a.m. at the Maumee Branch Library, 501 River Road Discover ‘Oddities of Northwest Ohio’ with Kenneth Dickson.

Dive into Dinosaurs! –March 22 at 3:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Branch Library, 203 Paine Avenue.

Children, grades kindergarten to 4th, are invited to enjoy dinosaur stories, crafts, and a special treat.

You’re Never Too Old To Surf- March 22, at 2 p.m. at the Heatherdowns Branch Library, 3265 Glanzman Older Adult Specialist Claudia Schroeder presents an intermediate Internet class for older adult computer users.

Women Rock! - March 22, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Mott Branch Library, 1085 Dorr Street.

Celebrate Women’s History Month

with Ms. Bernella Davison (Miss Ann) by hearing stories of famous women artists and designing a square for the Mott Branch Quilt.

Welcome Spring Drum Circle –March 22, at 7 p.m. at the Sanger Branch Library, 3030 West Central Avenue.

Led by Virginia Wagoner, the drum circle will honor Mother Earth and learn about Native Americans.

College Resource Night - March 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Main Library, 325 Michigan Street. Offers information on Library resources that will assist in preparing for college and is for students, parents and educators.

For more information about these and any other programs offered by the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, please call (419) 259-5207.

The Way Public Library continues to host a monthly Art & Foreign film series called Reel Art @ Way. On Friday, March 18 the library will be showing the 2003 film, “Spellbound.”

This Oscar nominated documentary explores the subculture of the U.S. spelling bee circuit. The kids hail from widely disparate backgrounds and the film follows the winners as they compete for the top prize. This English language film begins at 7 p.m. in the lower level auditorium of the library. No reservations required.

Admission and refreshments are free.

The library is located at 101 E. Indiana Avenue in Perrysburg. For further information call (419) 874-3135.

TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART 2445 Monroe St. (419) 255-8000 Family Center: Make a Roman Fresco, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 17. Club Friday Music: Blue Moon (blues, folk), 6:30–9:30 p.m.,

March 18 Concert: TSO Classics Series, 8 p.m. March 19 Panel Discussion: What Do We Collect?, 2 p.m. Saturday. A stimulating panel discussion with local collectors, including Ed Hill and Millard Stone, to learn about their collections and gain some great new ideas for your own.

Concert: TSO Classics Series, 8 p.m. March 19 Family Center: Blow Painting, 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. March 20 Concert: UT Faculty Artist Series, 3 p.m. March 20.

Dr. Michael Boyd (UT) and Dr. Joel Schoenhals (Eastern Michigan University) perform music for Piano 4 hands. The concert will include music from Felix Mendelssohn’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” William Hirtz’s “Wizard of Oz Fantasy,” and Stravinsky’s arrangement of his ballet “Petrouchka.”

SENIORS Computer instruction for older adults Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio, Inc. SeniorNet Learning Center Senior Net computer classes are specifically designed for older adults who want to learn basic computer skills. Class size limited to 8 persons.

Pace of class accommodates older students. Classes are for older adults with very little or no previous computer experience and are designed to be enjoyable and “user friendly” classes. It is never too late to love a computer. Intro Classes – Computer, E-mail-Internet, Word, Excel, Digital Photography Fees - $60.00 per class Classes are held at the: Area Office on Aging of NW Ohio, Inc. Senior Net Computer Lab 2155 Arlington Ave. Toledo, Ohio 43609 Call Ed Kachmarik (419) 382-0975

OBSERVANCE “Arlington Midwest” at The University of Toledo. Visit more than 1,440 tombstones with the names of the American fallen in Afghanistan and Iraq, on a hillside rising above the “mall.” 12 p.m. March 19 to 6 p.m. March 20 at the west end of the mall, between the Old Field House and University Hall. Brought to you by the Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition.

To list your upcoming cultural or social event in the Community Calendar, e-mail brief details, including contact information to news@toledofreepress.com.

corrections & clarifications The Toledo Free Press wants to correct its errors.

If you see a factual mistake or omission, please call

419-241-1700 OR E-mail corrections to:

news@toledofreepress.com

Page 26

■ Toledo

Free Press

✯

ET CETERA ✯

PARTING SHOT It’s said that fortune favors those who are prepared.

It’s fair to say this photo is a product of that adage.

This isn’t just a picture of Saint John’s Jesuit Titans center Zach Hillesland on a breakaway slam-dunk against Saint Francis De Sales Knights on March 3 in District semi-final play at UT Savage Hall.

It’s also a picture of me at work. I chose this angle because I had previously seen Zach Hillesland take to the air, and I was sure he’d do it again. But I didn’t want just a picture of a guy swinging from the rim. I wanted to capture the scale of the arena.

I wanted to include some context by going with a wide-angle lens.

I also wanted to express my nostalgia for basketball by capturing the image in black and white. The lack of color gives the photo an undated quality. Except for shoes and logos, this photo might pass for something out of the ’70s.

Technical information: This shot was taken at 1/320 sec, 800 ISO, f/2.8 and 28mm with a Minolta Dimage 7-HI.

DM Stanfield

DM Stanfield is Toledo Free Press Photo Editor. He may be contacted at dmstandfield@toledofreepress.com.

March 16, 2005

CLASSIFIED ADS To place your classified ad, call (419) 241-8500.

SERVICES AND REPAIR ALL Basement, brick, block, concrete & chimney repair.

Quality work! 419-870-9702 BLACKTOP installed, repaired, resurfaced, new, old, free estimates. 419-897-9576 ELECTRICAL WORK. Licensed and insured. Free estimates. Call 419-376-3628 HANDYMAN Services.

Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, misc. 419-2442135, 419-654-1249 A ROLL-OFF DUMPSTER. SAVE $ 419-666-6600. 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 cubic yd.

REPAIR & INSTALL Furnaces, 24 hrs. Over 20 yrs. experience. Licensed. 419514-7778 or 419-727-0674.

AFFORDABLE Painting.

40 yrs. experience. Honest and dependable. Call today. 419-382-1248 AA APPLIANCES Dryers, Washers, Ranges, Refrigerators.

Large appliance repair $17.95.

1248 Sylvania. Call 419-476-0442 MISCELLANEOUS BUYING RECORDS. 45’s LP’s 78’s, Rock, Jazz, Soul. 419-726-3836 ELVIS PRESLEY PLATES, set of 8, $350. Call 419-868-9124 FIREWOOD – Full Cord, Hardwood $99 or 5 for $400.

Call 419-389-5966 FIREWOOD - Lumberjacks 4x8 $55 419-882-6275 or MI 734-8566203 MC/Visa/Discover/AmEx GLOWSTICKS w/connectors for bracelets & necklaces. 25 ea.

Great for parties, fundraisers, etc. 734-856-3413. Ask for AJ. AUTOMOBILES AUDI ’02 A6 QUATTRO 27k mi., loaded, silver w/ black leather int., exc. cond., $29,900. Call 419-346-1415 CONDOS UNIQUE condo near O-C with view of Warehouse District & Swan Creek. Has master bedroom with bath and a loft style room perfect for office, TV, library or an overnight guest. 419-242-1879

presents

APARTMENTS

4340 PACKARD RD ��������������������

����������������� ���������������������������� ������������� ������������������ ��������� ���������� ��������� ����������� ������������������������ ������������������������ �����������������������������

APARTMENT for rent. Pet friendly. Large space. Furnished like new. Utilities and appliances included. Parking on site. Oak Street near E. Andrews. $275 per month/$70 weekly (firm).

John at 419-691-1610 APARTMENT. 2 Bedroom, 1 ½ bath, appliances, heat & water included. No pets. Lease. $450 + security deposit. 419-841-6120 HISTORIC Old West End. Apartment with character.

Convenient location. Call 419843-4178 for appointment.

OLD West End large 6 rooms, 2 baths, 3 bedrooms, 2 car garage, full basement, good area, $800 mo. 419-531-2381 EMPLOYMENT DRIVERS WANTED. Will train. Must have C.D.L and pass D.O.T requirements. Apply Stevens Disposal, 16929 IdaWest Rd., Petersburg, MI. MECHANIC AND GREASER needed for local trash hauling company. Must have own tools and reliable transportation. Full-time.

Apply Stevens Disposal, 16929 Ida-West Rd., Petersburg, MI. INTERNATIONAL FIRM expanding in Toledo area. Seeks sales/management types for home-based business. Car program. Call 877-881-1702 CARSPA AUTO CENTER Accepting applications: Part time to full time. ASE Certified Tech. Office Assistants. Professional Detailer.

Drop off resume at 1841 Dorr St.

LU ANN HAMPTON LAVERTY OBERLANDER WRITTEN BY PRESTON JONES DIRECTED BY JOHN HENRY

MARCH 4 – 19, 2005 THURS – SAT, 8PM

Ticket reservations / info: 419-472-6817

General admission $14, Seniors and Students $12 Please note: This show contains adult language.

2740 Upton Avenue • Toledo, OH • www.thevillageplayers.org

Page 26

■ Toledo

Free Press

✯

ET CETERA ✯

PARTING SHOT It’s said that fortune favors those who are prepared.

It’s fair to say this photo is a product of that adage.

This isn’t just a picture of Saint John’s Jesuit Titans center Zach Hillesland on a breakaway slam-dunk against Saint Francis De Sales Knights on March 3 in District semi-final play at UT Savage Hall.

It’s also a picture of me at work. I chose this angle because I had previously seen Zach Hillesland take to the air, and I was sure he’d do it again. But I didn’t want just a picture of a guy swinging from the rim. I wanted to capture the scale of the arena.

I wanted to include some context by going with a wide-angle lens.

I also wanted to express my nostalgia for basketball by capturing the image in black and white. The lack of color gives the photo an undated quality. Except for shoes and logos, this photo might pass for something out of the ’70s.

Technical information: This shot was taken at 1/320 sec, 800 ISO, f/2.8 and 28mm with a Minolta Dimage 7-HI.

DM Stanfield

DM Stanfield is Toledo Free Press Photo Editor. He may be contacted at dmstandfield@toledofreepress.com.

March 16, 2005

CLASSIFIED ADS To place your classified ad, call (419) 241-8500.

SERVICES AND REPAIR ALL Basement, brick, block, concrete & chimney repair.

Quality work! 419-870-9702 BLACKTOP installed, repaired, resurfaced, new, old, free estimates. 419-897-9576 ELECTRICAL WORK. Licensed and insured. Free estimates. Call 419-376-3628 HANDYMAN Services.

Carpentry, plumbing, electrical, misc. 419-2442135, 419-654-1249 A ROLL-OFF DUMPSTER. SAVE $ 419-666-6600. 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 cubic yd.

REPAIR & INSTALL Furnaces, 24 hrs. Over 20 yrs. experience. Licensed. 419514-7778 or 419-727-0674.

AFFORDABLE Painting.

40 yrs. experience. Honest and dependable. Call today. 419-382-1248 AA APPLIANCES Dryers, Washers, Ranges, Refrigerators.

Large appliance repair $17.95.

1248 Sylvania. Call 419-476-0442 MISCELLANEOUS BUYING RECORDS. 45’s LP’s 78’s, Rock, Jazz, Soul. 419-726-3836 ELVIS PRESLEY PLATES, set of 8, $350. Call 419-868-9124 FIREWOOD – Full Cord, Hardwood $99 or 5 for $400.

Call 419-389-5966 FIREWOOD - Lumberjacks 4x8 $55 419-882-6275 or MI 734-8566203 MC/Visa/Discover/AmEx GLOWSTICKS w/connectors for bracelets & necklaces. 25 ea.

Great for parties, fundraisers, etc. 734-856-3413. Ask for AJ. AUTOMOBILES AUDI ’02 A6 QUATTRO 27k mi., loaded, silver w/ black leather int., exc. cond., $29,900. Call 419-346-1415 CONDOS UNIQUE condo near O-C with view of Warehouse District & Swan Creek. Has master bedroom with bath and a loft style room perfect for office, TV, library or an overnight guest. 419-242-1879

presents

APARTMENTS

4340 PACKARD RD ��������������������

����������������� ���������������������������� ������������� ������������������ ��������� ���������� ��������� ����������� ������������������������ ������������������������ �����������������������������

APARTMENT for rent. Pet friendly. Large space. Furnished like new. Utilities and appliances included. Parking on site. Oak Street near E. Andrews. $275 per month/$70 weekly (firm).

John at 419-691-1610 APARTMENT. 2 Bedroom, 1 ½ bath, appliances, heat & water included. No pets. Lease. $450 + security deposit. 419-841-6120 HISTORIC Old West End. Apartment with character.

Convenient location. Call 419843-4178 for appointment.

OLD West End large 6 rooms, 2 baths, 3 bedrooms, 2 car garage, full basement, good area, $800 mo. 419-531-2381 EMPLOYMENT DRIVERS WANTED. Will train. Must have C.D.L and pass D.O.T requirements. Apply Stevens Disposal, 16929 IdaWest Rd., Petersburg, MI. MECHANIC AND GREASER needed for local trash hauling company. Must have own tools and reliable transportation. Full-time.

Apply Stevens Disposal, 16929 Ida-West Rd., Petersburg, MI. INTERNATIONAL FIRM expanding in Toledo area. Seeks sales/management types for home-based business. Car program. Call 877-881-1702 CARSPA AUTO CENTER Accepting applications: Part time to full time. ASE Certified Tech. Office Assistants. Professional Detailer.

Drop off resume at 1841 Dorr St.

LU ANN HAMPTON LAVERTY OBERLANDER WRITTEN BY PRESTON JONES DIRECTED BY JOHN HENRY

MARCH 4 – 19, 2005 THURS – SAT, 8PM

Ticket reservations / info: 419-472-6817

General admission $14, Seniors and Students $12 Please note: This show contains adult language.

2740 Upton Avenue • Toledo, OH • www.thevillageplayers.org