Toledo Free Press – August 19, 2012 by Toledo Free Press

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Damage control Can the Secretary of State fix the splintered Lucas County Board of Elections? Story by Caitlin McGlade, Page A6.

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AUGUST 19, 2012

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OPINION

AUGUST 19, 2012

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LIGHTING THE FUSE PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

Gallagher must resign

hen it was announced Aug. 13 that Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted was intervening in the chaotic and dysfunctional situation at the Lucas County Board of Elections (BOE), a number of people on Facebook offered immediate “thank you” posts. We join that applause and recognize the difficult decision that Husted was forced into making; now that some control is being established, the next imperative action is for BOE Director Meghan Gallagher to resign. The Lucas County Board of Elections is a hotbed of ineffi ciency and unnecessary drama and stands as a clear obstacle to fair and efficient elections in Lucas County. Its inability to make personnel and policy decisions has brought negative attention and embarrassment to Lucas County. As Husted wrote: “Since becoming Secretary of State, my office has devoted an inordinate amount of time to mediating the personal and political squabbles of the Lucas County Board of Elections. ... “In Lucas County, the internal board culture Thomas F.POUNDS is dysfunctional. The underlying operational culture is divisive and threatening. Board members and staff refuse to communicate with others resulting in meetings and conversations that dissolve into worse than stalemate. It is clear aft er several attempts to work constructively with all parties, including my most recent request for cooperation; this board is unable to meet the minimum operational standards we expect as we prepare for a presidential election. “The voters of Ohio, Lucas County, and I as Secretary of State, will tolerate this dysfunction no longer.” So, that’s it, then. By placing the BOE under administrative oversight, Husted can begin to rebuild the credibility and confidence so crucial to the elections process. There is no secret what is at the root of that problem, and Gallagher, as captain of this sinking ship, has a moral and professional obligation to step aside and allow that rebuilding process to begin. Husted has allowed Gallagher to retain her title but has relieved her of all assigned duties. There will never be a more clear invitation to resign. This era of BOE operation will be remembered as an utter failure, a humiliation on a statewide level and an example of managerial incompetence that lowered an already pitiful standard in Lucas County. Gallagher is collecting an annual salary in excess of $85,000; what are voters getting for that investment? What leadership or progress has been seen? Gallagher’s epic failure to control the BOE and its most basic functions has resulted in acrimony and an unimaginable situation for the Secretary of State. There is no logical future for her as BOE director and no clear path for true reform until she resigns or is removed from office. There are other personnel issues for Husted to deal with at the BOE, but the first and clearest action should be to remove the director and fill the position with someone capable of working with Husted to earn the continuing confidence of Lucas County voters. ✯ Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Friday at The Farr A

s an annual fundraising event evolves into a tradition, We all wore our Klinger’s Club T-shirts (high-quality gear it comes to resemble a great white shark — always produced by Image Group), crossed the course (the 14th hungry, predatory by nature and doomed to die if it hole was chosen because it was as far from my parked car as it could be and still technically be in North America — loses momentum and stops moving forward. on many of the hills my companions could There are a number of regional fundhear me huffing and puffing, “I think I can, I raisers that people still patronize, through think I can”) and climbed to our seats in the belief in the charity and out of social habit; it bleachers. After 179 consecutive days of sizwould be boorish to name one, but I have no zling 200-degree weather, Friday at The Farr doubt that the local people in charge of corwas launched on an overcast, drizzly day porate philanthropy will have at least three more suited for Rocket football than golf. examples in their thoughts before they finish We greeted Vasquez, Gilis and O’Neill reading this sentence. and settled in. The event could probably use I do not know what inspired Judd Silan offi cial presence to coach the cheering verman, executive director of the Jamie Farr and keep the energy fl owing, but the lack Toledo Classic, to broach the idea of Friday at The Farr, but he will look back in fi ve or 10 Michael S. MILLER of such a presence created an atmosphere years and recognize the idea as one that added dimension and of spontaneity and edginess that veered from stretches of silence to wild group laughter. Farr officials later said excitement to the tournament he has operated since 1984. At the PGA’s Phoenix Open, the 16th hole serves as a 400 people filled the bleachers, with scores more hanging break from the dry decorum that simultaneously makes around the nearby beer tent — no other hole we observed golf attractive to enthusiasts and as boring to everyone else. Aug. 10 attracted as many spectators. The Klinger’s Club crowd cheered great shots and goodAt the 16th hole, bleachers form an amphitheater filled with beer-drinking fans who cheer, boo, try to endear them- naturedly booed poor shots (until an official admonished selves to players and generally act like Larry, Curly and Moe Vasquez to make the crowd substitute “ahhhhs” for “boos” at a high-society dinner. It is, in other words, loose and fun, — this caused a momentary panic when Vasquez announced “No more boos!” and some in the stands thought words that rarely apply to golf spectatorship. Silverman pitched the Phoenix concept to a group of he said “booze”). Jamie Farr made an appearance, looking up at young men that included entrepreneurs Stephen Vasquez and Franz Gilis. Vasquez and Gilis recognized the idea’s bleachers dotted with T-shirts bearing his face and potential in Toledo, and stepped up to turn the concept leading some cheers. A highlight was when the crowd into a reality. When they approached Toledo Free Press started chanting “Caddy race! Caddy race!” and some about being a media sponsor, Publisher Tom Pounds and caddies raced down the fairway; not every caddy took the I were immediately interested and enthusiastic. Firstly, bait, but the ones who did earned great applause. Most of we recognized the long-term possibilities the event of- the LPGA golfers smiled at crowd references to their colfered to the growth of the tournament and our region. lege alma maters, laughed at the pledges of love and lust Secondly, we love injecting new, irreverent ideas into (“Call me, maybe!” was a popular one) and played along long-standing, old-school Toledo traditions and institu- with the spirit of the 14th hole, tossing autographed hats, tions, with an attitude mixing James Dean rebellion and gloves, club covers and balls to the crowd. One golfer tossed signed boxes of cookies. My favorite moment was Rodney Dangerfield maladroitness. After some initial conversations, miscommunica- when the crowd, watching a golfer searching for a ball tions and reinterpretations of purpose, the informal that had landed in the rough, began calling out, “warmer partnership was forged and we were off and running. … warmer … warmer.” Michelle Wie threw a ball into the stands, which I, a I met with Vasquez and Gilis to pledge ad and editorial support and contribute the idea of a “Miss Klinger’s lineman with fi ngers like buttered sausages, deftly caught Club,” a public face for the event to appear in the ads and and pocketed. Wie later said she really liked the energy of make TV and radio appearances. We needed someone the 14th hole, and while I doubt every golfer shared her eloquent, media savvy and cover-girl attractive, and enthusiasm, I hope the majority did. Friday at The Farr is a smart, fun idea. Toledo Free Press since Vasquez, Gilis and I can collectively only offer two of those three features, we enlisted Toledo Free Press is committed to helping the event grow and congratulates Star fashion columnist Lauren O’Neill, one of those rare Silverman, Vasquez and Gilis for their vision and the effort women who could inspire a Prince song and a Dennis they contributed to make it a success. ✯ Miller monologue. On Aug. 10, I accompanied a scholarly, stately group Michael S. Miller is editor in chief ofToledo Free Press and Toof friends to the par 3 14th hole at Highland Meadows. ledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com. Thomas F. Pounds, President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com

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AUGUST 19, 2012

LUCAS COUNTY

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

State-mandated rules have tightened at the Lucas County Board of Elections (BOE) as two “special masters” from the Secretary of State’s office move in to monitor daily operations. At the same time, protesters seeking to toss the whole board are assembling and former employees are starting to talk. “What occurred (during the primaries) was a disastrous election and we’ve got a presidential election coming up and we’ve seen little to no improvement,” said Ed Feeny, who worked for the board for eight months. “I expect the next one will be worse.” The primaries left at least 70 voters with the wrong ballots. Secretary of State Jon Husted placed the board under administrative oversight this week. According to a letter sent to the board Aug. 13, Husted is assigning a “special master” outside election a d m i n i s t r at o r HUSTED for each party to oversee daily operations. The Special Masters will stay until the results of the November election are complete. Additionally, the director and deputy director must now clock in and out with Husted’s human resource director and forward all emails to or from the director and deputy director to the state office. Husted’s regional election Internet technical support liaison will also be on-site at least two days a week. Husted will task a bipartisan election administration with compiling a report analyzing the policies, procedures and recommendations of the BOE by Dec. 31. Husted reprimanded the board for failing to work together to produce position descriptions and a bipartisan organizational chart. Dan DeAngelis, deputy director of the board, said that the Democrats’ proposed organizational chart had met a tie vote. Husted ordered that the board come to an agreement on the subject and define the director and deputy director roles. This was one of many tie-votes that Husted has had to address. He

has broken at least a dozen ties for the board this year. “Since becoming Secretary of State, my office has devoted an inordinate amount of time to mediating the personal and political squabbles of the Lucas County Board of Elections,” Husted wrote.

‘Very disturbing’ Ignited by Husted’s words, about a dozen protesters outside One Government Center waved signs and shouted “Reform the board.” on Aug. 14. The group, led by the Northwest Ohio Conservative Coalition, attended the BOE meeting that immediately followed. They were forced to leave. John McAvoy, a board member of the coalition, planned to read a letter before the board thanking Husted for stepping in. Ron Rothenbuhler, chair of the board, told McAvoy’s group at the beginning of the meeting to hold public comment until after the board members went into an executive session to discuss pending litigation. The group complied, sat through the public meeting and waited an hour and a half for the board to finish its executive session. But when McAvoy’s group reentered the room at the end of the executive session, Rothenbuhler said the board could not accept public comments. Rothenbuhler said he did not allow the public comment period after talking with legal counsel and learning that the board does not have a policy about public commenting. “This is exactly why the Secretary of State needs to step in,” McAvoy said. “It’s a public entity — why isn’t the public being allowed to speak at a public meeting? It’s very disturbing.” Among the attendees were Dennis Lange and Ida Hartfield, two employees fired by the board within the past year. Lange and Hartfield are suing the board for wrongful termination, joined by two others who have filed suit for wrongful termination within the past year. “Husted should come up and walk into everyone’s office, advise them they have one hour to clear out their possessions and put them on administrative leave and appoint five new people to head up this organization,”

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY SARAH OTTNEY

Protesters, former employees question validity of BOE as Secretary of State Husted takes control

■

PROTESTORS OUTSIDE ONE GOVERNMENT CENTER ON AUG. 14.

McAvoy said. A portion of the Ohio Revised Code enables the Secretary of State to remove or suspend any board member, director or deputy director for neglect of duty, malfeasance or any willful violation of election law.

the BOE offices can store records. Voters can depend on fair elections in the fall, McClellan said. “With everything going on up there, we’re confident that voters will have a good election come November,” McClellan said.

Not the first time

‘Hey, any interest in becoming a Republican?’

The Lucas County Board of Elections is the only board in the state that Husted has placed under administrative oversight, said Matt McClellan, Husted’s spokesperson. This is the board’s second time in that position in the past couple of years. Rothenbuhler said Husted’s latest move was a neccessary step to resolve problems that the board has been unable to fix internally. “There’s so many issues, I have a hard time prioritizing those that are real problems,” he said. He said the first step toward progress should be to secure an early vote center that is accessable to voters who do not have cars. Board members could not agree on a site during a meeting last week. He said the next priority should be to find a building where all of

Within the past year, a director and two board members resigned, at least three full-time employees quit and four were fired. Since firing the information technology manager, the board has yet to find a replacement. Tim Ide, who worked for the board for almost a year, was not fired. He just stopped going in. “I could do whatever I wanted,” Ide said. “They referred to me numerous times and to other people: ‘He’s a time bomb, he’s a time bomb. We can’t hire him, we can’t fire him, what do we do with him?’ I wish I had a dollar for every time Jon Stainbrook came to me and said, ‘Don’t f*** me, man.’” Ide ended up telling his secret. In a letter he sent to the entire board and to media outlets, Ide wrote that

Republican BOE member Stainbrook and BOE Director Gallagher took him to lunch at San Marcos Taqueria and asked him to set up a laptop computer in the director’s office to recruit his Facebook friends to join the Stainbrook faction of the Lucas County Republican Party, on county time. Ide said he said no. “I said, ‘Oh my gosh, Jon — what are you doing? Why did you say that? That is a felony right there and now I’ve got to live with this.’ I have to walk around going, ‘I’ve got the goods on felony activity going on’,” Ide said. “Pay you to do Republican party business on the clock — that’s illegal. They wanted to set me up in their office and ask my Facebook friends, ‘Hey, any interest in becoming a Republican?’” Rothenbuhler forwarded Ide’s letter to the Secretary of State’s office to seek advice on the matter. McClellan said staff from the office visited both former and current board employees, including Ide, to dicuss a gamut of problems. Ide’s letter was one piece of that. Gallagher declined to comment. Stainbrook did not return several messages seeking comment. ■ BOE CONTINUES ON A7

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Stainbrook stated at the Aug. 14 meeting that Ide was an employee of Toledo Free Press, but Ide and Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller both said Ide was never employed by Toledo Free Press nor did he ever contribute to the newspaper.

Election Administration Plan During the course of the year that Ide worked at the BOE, he scrutinized documents and fact-checked data. He found discrepancies in the Election Administration Plan (EAP). An EAP is a document that includes detailed descriptions of resource allocation, precinct election official recruitment, training and accountability, Election Day contingencies and security among other tasks. The board must submit the EAP to the League of Women Voters as a result of a settlement in 2008 that dealt with a case in which the league alleged violations of election law. Both Feeny and Ide said parts of the January EAP are copied and pasted from old ones and include false information. Toledo Free Press verified with DeAngelis that backup discs of data were not stored at a warehouse on Berdan Avenue in January, as the January EAPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency preparedness plan documented. Ide provided the document. This is a small detail that has been fixed and had no bearing on the primary election, DeAngelis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a lot of our first EAP and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not saying thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an excuse,â&#x20AC;? he

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Your Favorite Thing?

925 W. Alexis Rd. Toledo, OH 419.476.5251

â&#x2013;

FORMER BOE WORKER TIM IDE, PHOTOGRAPHED AUG. 15.

said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why cry over spilled milk? We have a new EAP that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that has been fixed.â&#x20AC;? Toledo Free Press requested the latest revised version but had not received the document by press time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would like to make sure that we have a building where all the records can be stored,â&#x20AC;? Rothenbuhler said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of our stuff is strung all over the place and it makes it difficult to secure the records, to obtain them when necessary.â&#x20AC;? Tom Morgan, another employee who quit, said he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stand the â&#x20AC;&#x153;partisan atmosphere.â&#x20AC;? Morgan, Feeny and Ide all said the director told them they were forbidden to talk to DeAngelis. Morgan said he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to anyway, because he considered DeAngelis a contributor to the

partisan attitude. Ide also pointed out a couple of mis-numbered Ohio Revised Code references in an employee manual. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it does matter if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong â&#x20AC;&#x201D; this is the election,â&#x20AC;? Ide said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong, fix it. Every mistake counts.â&#x20AC;?

Out of a job Amid the controversy, the reality for Hartfield is constant job hunting. Hartfield had worked as a clerk since 2008, but was officially fired in July. She was told it was because she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a high school diploma or a GED certificate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard, being my age that I am, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to get jobs,â&#x20AC;? Hartfield said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nobodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to hire anybody over 50.â&#x20AC;? â&#x153;Ż

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sports villageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; planned for former mall site By Caitlin McGlade TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER cmcglade@toledofreepress.com

If all goes as planned, the former Southwyck Mall property will transform into a 58-acre sports and shopping complex. Mayor Mike Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration announced Aug. 16 that development company MJW, Inc. is in the preliminary stages of mapping out the recreational center. Contracts have yet to be signed, but consultant Dan Pritt said that the majority owner of the Southwyck Mall area has agreed in principle to the change. MJW, Inc. is looking to transform the area into â&#x20AC;&#x153;somewhat of a sports village,â&#x20AC;? with each venue employing its own management, Pritt said. The 58 acres might host indoor basketball, volleyball and hockey courts as well as outdoor stadiums and fields. The development firm is looking to fill the space with hotels and restaurants as well, to attract traveling teams not only to play, but to stay in Toledo for a few days. Pritt said a company interested in opening a water park has approached the firm. The administration is asking Toledo City Council to approve a $50,000 loan for MJW, Inc. to conduct marketing, engineering and architectural research to develop the concept. The money would come from FirstEnergy grant money designated to support economic development efforts within the city. Council will read the ordinance Aug. 21. Councilman Rob Ludeman said the project is worthy of the grant because the Southwyck Mall area is a priority. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go anywhere without somebody asking me whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on at Southwyck,â&#x20AC;? Ludeman said. â&#x153;Ż

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AUGUST 19, 2012

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Toledo to start collecting taxes on winnings of nonresident gamblers By Sarah Ottney TOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR sottney@toledofreepress.com

Toledo City Council voted unanimously Aug. 14 to start collecting taxes on the gambling winnings of nonresidents as it does with residents. The tax is effective immediately. Nonresidents will be taxed at 2.25 percent, the same rate as residents. The revenue will go into the city’s general fund. Taxable gambling winnings include more than just Hollywood Casino jackpots. Lotteries and raffles as well as the fair market value of bonds, cars, SARANTOU houses and other noncash prizes won or earned within Toledo city limits would also be taxable. Councilman George Sarantou, chairman of the finance committee, said the legislation was mandated by the State of Ohio.

“This proposed legislation is the result of House Bill 386 that passed in June. The Ohio Senate and House of Representatives mandated that where there are casinos, the city has to collect income tax not just from residents but from nonresidents,” Sarantou said. “This legislation is simply to codify what the State of Ohio passed on a bipartisan basis. We’re bringing our regulation in line with state regulation, so there’s no gap, so there’s consistency in the law.” House Bill 386 requires casinos in Ohio to withhold local tax on all winnings of $1,200 or more and enables municipalities to enact legislation to collect that local tax. Sarantou also noted that nonresidents make up a large percentage of casino gambling winners. “We did get our first check from the state, representing Hollywood Casino Toledo, and 84 percent of the people who paid that tax were nonresidents of the City of Toledo,” Sarantou told City Council.

‘Fair thing to do’ City of Toledo Law Director Adam Loukx said the legislation

“

It’s a very positive piece of legislation for the city. It’s certainly great for the general fund.” — John Bibish IV

makes Toledo’s tax fairer. “A lot of people are coming to Toledo from Oregon, Maumee, Perrysburg, let alone people coming from out of state,” Loukx said. “People who live across the street [from Hollywood Casino] in Rossford are not residents. I think it’s a fair thing to do.” Columbus recently passed legislation enabling the city to tax the gambling winnings of both residents and nonresidents at 2.5 percent. Cincinnati taxes both residents and nonresidents 2.1 percent for gambling winnings. Cleveland taxes residents on gambling winnings at 2 percent, but does not tax nonresidents. Detroit taxes resi-

dents at 2.5 percent and nonresidents at 1.25 percent.

Positive for the city It’s still too early to predict how much additional revenue the City of Toledo will collect from taxing nonresidents, said John Bibish IV, chief of collections for the City of Toledo. “It’s a very positive piece of legislation for the city. It’s certainly great for the general fund,” Bibish said. “But I don’t think anyone can honestly predict a definite amount. We really don’t know and, until we close the books, we really won’t know. No one is able to do anything but speculate and, when it comes to revenue, it’s not wise to do that.” Cleveland’s Horseshoe Casino became the first casino in the state when it opened May 14. Hollywood Casino Toledo opened May 29. Hollywood Casino Columbus is set to open this fall while the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati is set to open spring 2013. Penn National Gaming, which operates Hollywood Casino Toledo, did not respond to a request for comment. ✯

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A10 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

AUGUST 19, 2012

SOLAR ENERGY

Willard & Kelsey: ‘Our intent is to repay the state’ By John P. McCartney TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER jpmccartney@toledofreepress.com

The Aug. 9 news that the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) was calling in its loan did not take Willard & Kelsey executives by surprise. “I don’t think this was a real big shock for anybody,” said Mossie Murphy, the solar group’s vice president of sales, marketing, planning and development. “We’ve been communicating with the state on this issue for four months now. Clearly, our intent is to repay the state. I cannot comment as of yet whether we’re able to do that or not. But it’s clearly our intent.” In a letter sent to Murphy, dated Aug. 6, Diane M. Lease, ODOD’s chief legal counsel and ethics officer, formally notified the Perrysburg solar firm that since “the department has not consistently received your regularly scheduled installment payments since September, 2011,” the state agency was demanding payment in full in the amount of $4,135,855.12 with a per diem interest rate of $204.73. If Willard & Kelsey fails to make full payment by the ODOD’s deadline, Daryl Hennessy, assistant chief of ODOD’s business services division, said the state agency will certify the debt to the Ohio Attorney General’s office, which will then begin the legal process of trying to collect the debt.

Legal consequences Dan Tierney, spokesman for the attorney general’s office, said once his office gets involved in collecting money, Willard & Kelsey’s interest rate on the loan will increase from 2 percent to 14 percent. The attorney general’s office has a standing policy of establishing a 10-percent-of-loan collection fee plus interest, which generally rounds out to about 14 percent, Tierney said. The fee attempts to cover the state’s man-hour and litigation costs while ensuring the state agency owned money receives full repayment of its loan, Tierney said. “We’d like to think it won’t get to that point,” Murphy said. “But we will continue to make every effort to work toward an equitable arrangement so that we can repay the state money, because we certainly acknowledge we owe them that money. “I think we’ve made it clear to [ODOD] and we’ve tried to be very upfront with the fact that, as we sit here today, we don’t have the resources to pay the full [$4.1] million, but we clearly want to pay the full [$4.1] million, and

CICAK we’re trying to work to that end.” Hennessy said the Ohio DOD works with companies “to make adjustments when we think it’s appropriate and necessary. We know Willard & Kelsey struggled with job creation, but at the end of the day, this is about a loan and it’s not making payments back to the State of Ohio. That’s primarily driving the request for the repayment. We wouldn’t have done a $5 million loan to them if they had not committed to creating 400 jobs.” Willard & Kelsey was one of three companies that received ODOD demands of full loan repayment during the past two weeks, Hennessy said. The other two firms are located in Columbus and the Greater Cincinnati area.

Collateral damage Collecting on ODOD’s loan is, “in a conceptual way,” similar to a bank repossessing an automobile when the holder of the auto loan does not make payments in accordance with the loan agreement, Hennessy said. Willard & Kelsey’s equipment is collateral for the loan, and the state has a lien on that equipment, Hennessy said. Failure to make full payment could eventually result is the ODOD taking possession of some of Willard & Kelsey’s machinery, including what Michael Cicak, chairman and CEO, said is a $12 million piece of robotic equipment that currently produces 140 solar panels an hour with the potential of producing as many as 240 panels an hour. “At the end of that day, that could happen,” Hennessy said. “That will all play itself out in terms of whether it gets to the court system or not. But we don’t want the equipment. We want

the loan to be repaid.” Hennessy emphasized that ODOD has worked with Willard & Kelsey for at least two years to develop strategies to succeed. “It’s not as if one day, we suddenly sent them a letter for failure to pay over the prior four-month period,” Hennessy said. “This loan has been out there for several years now. We’ve had 10 modifications of some sort to their existing loan agreement. We’ve deferred interest payments for them. We’ve tried in many, many ways to help the company succeed because, at the end of the day, we want the company to succeed and we want the jobs to be created. “Despite all of these efforts over the past few years, the company has not been able to create a viable repayment model or stream of revenue, and we’ve gotten to the point where we just need to call the loan due. Ultimately, we’re responsible to the taxpayers of the State of Ohio,” Hennessy said.

‘Irrelevant to the industry’ Paul Toth acknowledged that media reports on how Willard & Kelsey invests, spends and repays taxpayer money are necessary, but expressed concern with some local coverage of the solar industry. He said coverage is focusing almost exclusively “on one company [Willard & Kelsey] that’s currently irrelevant to the solar industry because they’re still trying to develop their processes. If that’s the only thing you pick up and read about, then there’s a big challenge [for Toledo’s solar industry].” Toth said he agrees that it appears local media is reporting on the solar industry these past nine months with a focus on job creation, repayment of state loans and the “sexiness” of the idea that there’s something nefarious going on with taxpayer money. “That’s a big challenge, because it is not sexy to talk about things like suppliers, and 20 jobs getting hired to manufacture a wire for First Solar. It’s much sexier to talk about three guys who [allegedly] stole money from the state loan. It becomes front page news on the daily newspaper. I think there’s a better story to tell out there than what the community really knows.”

‘It’s a travesty’ Richard B. Stansley Jr., a career entrepreneur who currently serves as chairman and director of strategic business development of Innovative Enterprises, located at the University

of Toledo’s Clean & Alternative Energy Incubator, agrees with Toth that the local media coverage of the solar industry is too narrow. “It’s a travesty,” Stansley said. “Here’s what it is: We’re scandal-driven. “They’ve sensationalized it. Nobody likes scandal and nobody likes somebody talking about what they could or couldn’t STANSLEY do. There are allegations that really have not been proven. That’s the first thing. “They’re focused on some allegation made by a dead exCEO’s girlfriend that comes out TOTH of West Virginia, that ended up at Willard & Kelsey because a damn coke plant didn’t go. That’s how that all happened.” The “dead ex-CEO,” William R. Mitchell, was hired by Willard & Kelsey on the recommendation of then-West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin. In the beginning, Willard & Kelsey’s Cicak said Mitchell did an extraordinary job, but over time, that changed. Amid his departure from the firm, Mitchell alleged that the company had violated its loan agreement with the state by using the funds to pay company execu-

tives. He was fired in 2009 and died in 2011. “Things changed,” Stansley said, “and what they did was, they moved to correct it, and as a result they’re living a consequence of allegations that were made. “I don’t know anything about the allegations for a fact. I say, ‘Prove them.’ If, in fact, they’re true, and they did something wrong, people pay the price for that. But this is not everybody, and it isn’t representative of the solar industry. “And what’s happening is, we’re passing judgment before we even have all the facts. And the second thing that ends up happening is we demonize an industry that has benefited Northwest Ohio. It makes absolutely no sense to me. I don’t see it. We just don’t need that kind of stuff.”

Reclaiming ownership Stansley is adamant that Cicak has been, and continues to be, a valuable asset for Toledo. “Mike Cicak is a man that is committed to this community,” Stansley said. “He has demonstrated it over and over again. I think he will do the right thing always. He has a lot of emotion involved in this, especially if people are making accusations. “I’ve said to all of them, ‘If you did something wrong, you’re all big guys. Figure it out.’ “‘Own up to it. Get past it because it’s hurting all of us.’ That’s what I tell them. And I think they’re very conscious of it. I honestly don’t believe there’s anything behind what is being written.” ✯

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AUGUST 19, 2012

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CITY OF TOLEDO

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

Hundreds of Toledo residents want their neighborhood police station back, but a leader of the campaign to reopen it says the city administration staff is giving him and the petition signers “the cold shoulder.” Retired city finance director John Bibish handed a petition to the mayor’s office Aug. 13 with 575 signatures to request that police activity return to the closed station at 2330 W. Sylvania Ave. The Northwest District station closed in late June, following a few years of limited police work conducted in the building. The station opened in 1997 with 104 officers. The city closed the station citing financial reasons, but Bibish pointed out at a news conference that the administration intended to add $1.9 million to the budget with money the city saved from projects that came under budget or originally allocated for matching grants that the city did not receive. “If there’s an additional $2 million available, isn’t it reasonable to

ask if some of that money could be used for the Northwest station, specifically for police protection in general?” Bibish asked. Council voted on the amended budget Tuesday, with no allocations for the Northwest District station. Jen Sorgenfrei, spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said there are just no police officers to send. When the station opened, the entire force employed about 700 officers. Now there are 575. “It is a sad day in the city of Toledo when citizens have to come with a petition asking to return a public safety delivery system that they have been accustomed to,” Councilman D. Michael Collins said. Mayor Mike Bell’s administration attempted to sell the old station this summer, but Council members voted down the sale 10 to 2. “It could have been an operating business generating income for the tax base and now its vacant and could be a nuisance,” Sorgenfrei said. Waniewski said the Northwest District is not in a “tipping point” area, but that the neighborhood could denigrate without a police station.

“If the police are not there, then we will become a tipping point,” Waniewski said. “Why can’t we become more proactive in making sure the neighborhoods don’t deteriorate? Why do we have to wait until it’s gone too far before we start to funnel the dollars in?” Sgt. Joe Heffernan said the Northwest District typically has some of the lowest crime rates in the city. He said the Toledo Police Department will still assign the same number of officers to that area. The only difference that residents will notice, he said, is that they won’t be able to go to that office and make a police report. “That is a myth,” said former Capt. Jeff Hennessy. He said that the area will not see as many police officers as it had when a station was present because the districts are so large and because a station guaranteed that officers would stay in the neighborhood. “Historically, if you were short that day, the first officers you pulled would be the West End because you were hoping against hope that nothing would happen out there,” Hennessy said. “That

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY JOSEPH HERR

Hundreds sign petition to bring police back to Northwest station

■

THE CLOSED POLICE STATION AT 2330 W. SYLVANIA AVE.

was the beauty with the Northwest station: You had X number of officers assigned to the station, so if you had extra

officers that day, they stayed there. They didn’t go Downtown, they didn’t go to Scott Park. They stayed there.”✯

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COMMUNITY

A12 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

AUGUST 19, 2012

EVENTS

By Sarah Ottney TOLEDO FREE PRESS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR sottney@toledofreepress.com

Five ships and more than 500 service men and women will visit Toledo as the city hosts Navy Week from Aug. 20-27. The week will feature ship tours, musical performances by military bands and opportunities to interact with service members. Navy leaders will engage with local community leaders and visiting military members, including members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy, will partner with local organizations on outreach and service projects. This year is the first time Toledo has been chosen to host Navy Week, said Jen Sorgenfrei, public information officer for the City of Toledo. “At this point, it’s a once-in-alifetime opportunity,” Sorgenfrei said. “It’s something we hope will be a return engagement, but it’s certainly a big opportunity for us this year. I think

it’s going to look really exciting to see those ships come down the river.” The Navy Week program started in 2005 as an annual outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence. This year’s 15-city tour started in Phoenix in March and will finish in Houston in October. Other cities hosting Navy Weeks are New Orleans; Nashville, Tenn.; Spokane, Wash.; Baltimore; Boston; Sacramento, Calif.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Milwaukee; Chicago; Cleveland; Detroit; and Buffalo, N.Y. The ceremonial procession of ships into Toledo Harbor is set for 3 p.m. Aug. 23. The two biggest ships, the USS De Wert and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Ville de Québec, will dock at Maritime Plaza while the USS Hurricane, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay and the historic U.S. Brig Niagara, a replica of the War of 1812 flagship, will dock at International Park near the SS Col. James M. Schoonmaker. ■ NAVY CONTINUES ON A13

PHOTO COURTESY U.S. NAVY

Navy Week to make first visit to Toledo

■

I M P O R TA N T

CHIEF ELECTRICIAN’S MATE GERSON PAUL MANS THE RAILS ABOARD THE USS HURRICANE DURING NAVY WEEK 2012 IN CHICAGO.

P U B L I C

N O T I C E

As Auditor, I am committed to providing the citizens of Lucas County the best customer service possible and issuing fair and equitable property values. State law requires the Auditor to appraise each individual parcel of real estate in the county every six years. As opposed to the flat percentage change by neighborhood in 2009, the 2012 revaluation erases all past values and implements a new value for each individual property. THE PROPOSED NEW VALUES ARE DETERMINED, USING: t PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS PREVIOUSLY ON RECORD AND UPDATED DATA COLLECTED DURING A RECENT DETAILED PHYSICAL INSPECTION t RECENT TRENDS IN THE HOUSING MARKET AND ACTUAL SALES FROM 2011, 2010 AND 2009 OF SIMILAR PROPERTIES IN SIMILAR NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND THE COUNTY

r y C ommun E v e Ne i g h b o r h i t y o ry Ev e Ev e r y S t r e e t o d y Pro p e r t y Ev e r

... has its own story that determines its individual value. Throughout July, the Lucas County Auditor’s office mailed value change notices and detailed information about individual properties. When you receive your notice, please review it thoroughly. SHOULD YOU AGREE WITH YOUR PROPOSED NEW VALUE, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. HOWEVER: t IF YOU FIND A DATA DISCREPANCY (I.E. NUMBER OF BEDROOMS, SQUARE FOOTAGE) t YOU FEEL THAT YOUR PROPERTY VALUE AS PROPOSED IS TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW OR t IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL (419) 213-4406 To ensure the best possible customer service, appointments for one on one assistance are available in your area. You are encouraged to call our office at (419) 213-4406 to discuss your value or to schedule an optional appointment in your neighborhood. Sincerely,

Office of Anita L opez, Lucas C ounty Auditor Real Estate Division * One Government Center, Suite 670 * Toledo, OH 43604-2255 Phone: (419) 213-4406 * E-mail: outreach@co.lucas.oh.us * On the web: www.co.lucas.oh.us/reval12

Anita Lopez, Lucas County Auditor

COMMUNITY

■ NAVY CONTINUED FROM A12 Niagara will lead the ships down the Maumee River and will exchange cannon fire with the cannon at Fort Meigs in Perrysburg. Niagara’s appearance was arranged through local private fundraising efforts, Sorgenfrei said. Sorgenfrei recommended International Park as the best place to watch the ships come in. “We want people to come out, tour the ships and be there to welcome them into Downtown,” Sorgenfrei said. “I think it’s going to be pretty cool.” Free guided tours will be available noon to 7 p.m. Aug. 24-27. There haven’t been Navy ships on the Great Lakes since 1999, said Lt. Cmdr. Ron Flesvig, who is helping coordinate Toledo’s events. “To get all those ships together and be able to tour them and talk to the men and women who serve on them, I think that’s the most special part of this commemoration event,” Flesvig said. Toledo is one of six Navy Week stops on the Great Lakes that will also include activities commemorating the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. “What makes this year special is it is the beginning of our commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812,” Flesvig said. “1812 really was a watershed moment in American Naval history. The Battle of Lake Erie and ‘Don’t give up the ship’ — all those things came from the War of 1812. For S

the Navy, it’s very special. At that time, we became a maritime nation and we continue to do that today. Fast-forward 200 years and it’s still the same mission we had in 1812. We’re still maintaining coastlines, keeping steel lines open and keeping trade flowing between nations.” Although the ships won’t arrive until Aug. 23, community events start Aug. 20. Sailors representing various Navy occupations will give presentations throughout the week at Imagination Station, said Anna Kolin, communications and public relations manager for Imagination Station. “Everything from pilots to chefs to writers to photographers to medical personnel, we’ll have different sailors here talking to our visitors about the things they do and the wide range of occupations they can do in the Navy,” Kolin said. “We’ll also have activities for kids that exemplify the different occupations.” Imagination Station visitors will also be able to try a flight simulator and watch the Navy’s silent drill team perform, Kolin said. Toledo police and firefighters will also be on hand with equipment for visitors to try on. Sailors will also participate in interactive activities with families and children at the Toledo Museum of Art’s Family Center at 10 a.m. Aug. 21. Among the free musical performances will be lunchtime concerts from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at Levis

ROCKET

Square in Downtown Toledo and at the Toledo Museum of Art, a 7 p.m. Aug. 23 performance at Commodore Square in Perrysburg and an 1812 Bicentennial Concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 at the University of Toledo Doermann Theatre. A Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter demonstration is planned for Promenade Park at 1 p.m. Aug. 24. The Mud Hens’ Veterans Appreciation Night on Aug. 25 will feature a ceremonial first pitch thrown by a sailor and a band performance. Among the organizations partnering with the Navy for service projects are Cherry Street Mission, Ability Center of Greater Toledo, Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity, St. Paul Community Center, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Toledo Children’s Hospital and Heroes in Action. Sorgenfrei said she hopes area residents enjoy the week’s activities. “First and foremost, we want to welcome them to Toledo and show our appreciation for what they do to help protect our country and to make them feel welcome in our community,” Sorgenfrei said. “It’s also an opportunity for people in Toledo to see Navy ships of this caliber.” For more information and a full schedule of events, visit www.navyweek.org. For more information on the Navy’s commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812, visit www.ourflagwasstillthere.org. ✯ G

Visit www.toledofreepress.com m

■ A13

PHOTO COURTESY U.S. NAVY

AUGUST 19, 2012

■ USS HURRICANE IN CHICAGO FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE WAR OF 1812 BICENTENNIAL.

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A14 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

AUGUST 19, 2012

PHILANTHROPY

Survey seeks information on local nonprofit organizations The Center for Nonprofit Resources opened its annual Compensation and Benefits Survey this week for completion by Toledo-based organizations with at least one fulltime paid employee. Nonprofit organizations can take the survey online at www.c4npr.org/ main/compensationbenefitssurvey until Aug. 24. The survey is divided into eight sections and inquires about staffing levels, average rate of pay of various staff positions, the details about group insurance, paid time-off policies, pool structures, retirement benefits, pension plans and management benefits. Incentives include eligibility to win an iPad if organizations take the survey by Aug. 22. Every group that takes the survey will also be given a free copy of the final report and

analysis of the survey, which will be released in October. The Center for Nonprofit Resources is funded by the Toledo Community Foundation and United Way. The center conducts the survey to help keep nonprofit organizations in the loop about comparable executive director pay and employee benefits and salaries. This information also helps them report to the Internal Revenue Service, said Kate Smith, associate director of the center. The center estimates that about 400 nonprofit organizations exist in the Greater Toledo Area. Ninety-seven of them completed the 2011 survey. However, some of the data reported was insufficient, according to last year’s report. The report was able to find that the median operating budget of the

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97 responding organizations was $727,000 and that base pay level for CEOs correlated positively with budget size. Seventy percent of the organizations reported that they

provide health care coverage to full-time employees and 84 percent of them indicated that they shared premium costs with employees. Twenty percent reported that they

provide health care coverage for parttime employees and 37 percent reported providing retirement benefits. This is the survey’s second year. ✯ — Caitlin McGlade

AUGUST 19, 2012

COMMUNITY

Visit www.toledofreepress.com m

■ A15

COMMUNITY

A16 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

AUGUST 19, 2012

MEDIA WATCH

Hey, Toledoans: Let Katie be

shuffling through the various clearance s some of you may have heard, items. Katie looked like a woman who’d one of Toledo’s most famous recently been through a divorce. She alumna just went through a looked skinnier than the last time I saw divorce. Not only is she going through her, and it almost appeared she had one of the more public breakups in forgotten how to smile. The gawkers recent memory, she is going through started almost instantly, trying to sneak it with her 6-year-old little girl. Katie their phones out to snap a picture. I saw Holmes and her daughter, Suri, have one woman hide in a rack of clothes been spending some time in Toledo, trying to capture a digital image. I reaway from the paparazzi, trying to catch a breath. Jeremy BAUMHOWER ally felt bad for Katie. Anybody who has been through a I am writing this to ask my fellow residents to allow Katie and Suri some normalcy while divorce knows you need your support system; you need comfort and usually you need your family. back in Toledo — meaning please, just let them be. Katie, Suri and their family tried to enjoy some Katie Holmes is no different from any of us in that shopping at Westfield Franklin Park on Aug. 12. How aspect. Any Christ the King parishioner knows how do I know this gossipy tidbit of information? Because strong, close and genuine the Holmes family is. AlI witnessed Katie and her sister flipping through the though very private, especially since Katie’s success, closeout rack at a clothing store while Suri hung out their warmth and compassion has never changed, with her cousins, playing. I mention the closeout showing why Katie is still so grounded. Her family and this town are the perfect inrack because while Katie may have been married to one of the most famous men on the planet, there she gredients to soothe a broken heart. Katie and was, holding Suri’s stuffed animals in her arms, while her daughter can live a laid-back life here, if we

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would simply allow them to. Some radio stations sent out Facebook updates asking for Katie “sightings,” encouraging listeners to snap pictures, almost giving it the feel of a manhunt. I am going to ask you to do the opposite. Please, if you see Katie Holmes in public, with or without her daughter Suri, leave her be. She has put the city of Toledo back on the map and did so in a positive way. She has earned her privacy, especially shopping at the mall on a Sunday. If she chose to move back home or at least spend more time here, it could mean good things for our city. Katie Holmes is, now more than ever, closer to you or me. She’s a recently divorced single mom, with a bright-eyed 6-year-old girl at her side, trying to figure out what’s next. She shops with her sisters at Westfield Franklin Park while carrying her daughter’s stuffed animals. If you see Katie Holmes out and about, instead of asking her for a picture, or an autograph, how about you wish her a simple “Welcome home.” Let’s treat her as a sister and mom and let’s remind her why her family still chooses to call Toledo home. ✯

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The Other Side of the Coin Happy clients tell the story. That is our slogan. Our clients were thrilled with their doulble digit returns in the 1980s, on secure safer investments, then again in the 1990’s with their Standard and Poors Index returns providing them double digits. Because our investments all offer contractual downside protection, the bumpy economy of 2000-2010 provided great returns based on volatility without the stomach ache. Gordon and Connie Ward made over 10% in 2008. We only sell fixed and fixed indexed deferred annuities. All my savings are invested in the same. Don’t get me wrong, I do not like all annuities, there are many comission driven products which I won’t buy or sell. If you have had a bad experience with an annuity I am betting right now it was either a variable annuity (which we never sell), or one of the high surrender charge contracts (which we don’t sell either.) Everyone was thrilled with our downside protection when the bottom fell out of the market several times over the past 30 years. As the average policymaker, banker, and financial planner was throwing their hands in the air saying “no one could have seen that coming” I was thinking, why not? These corrections are systematic and repetitive. Unless you believe that the market will never correct again it is impossible “not to see it coming”. I think the more appropriate question is, are you making more with your savings at high risk than you would in lower risk investments? I bet most of my clients radically outperformed most riskier investments over the past 30 years, and will even moreso in the next. Its the S.W.A.N. theory. Sleep Well At Night. Want happy clients? Give them what thay want. That is how we built our reputation. Please tune into see my documentary “Wants and Needs” starring Gordon Ward and myself, September 4th 2012, 4pm on WGTE channel 30 Toledo.

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■ A17

By Marie Eye TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER news@toledofreepress.com

“I’ve lived in Toledo my whole life, but never knew that was there.” “I’ve driven past this, but never took the time to stop and check it out.” “I will want to revisit this.” Those were among the comments overheard by Bill Tucholski during a recent “Explore Toledo” bicycle ride he organized. The second annual 30-mile ride drew 23 riders and included stops at

historical and cultural landmarks and several points of interest in Toledo’s older neighborhoods and Downtown. “What motivated us to ride together on city streets, sidewalks and trail links for several hours on a hot summer day could best be described as a desire to experience a sense of adventure in an urban setting,” Tucholski said. “Many of us also wished to reconnect with our and Toledo’s past and to learn about what the city has to offer besides the usual fare.” Among sights and stops during the ride were a walking tour of the com-

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munity garden near the Sofia Quintero Art & Cultural Center, a view of the brightly colored murals along Broadway Street, a stroll through the San Marcos Taqueria, the Emerald Street Railroad Bridge trestle, the historic Casey-Pomeroy House, a memorial park for union workers on Champlain Street, the future site of Middlegrounds Metropark, a glassblowing demonstration at Toledo Museum of Art’s Glass Pavilion and Ottawa Park’s Toledo Police Museum. The riders also stopped at Manhattan’s for lunch and Netty’s on South Detroit Avenue for ice cream. “By riding at a nice leisurely pace, we had a chance to observe urban dwellers and visitors going about their daily routines and business in a manner that we are usually blind to,” Tucholski said. “Many drivers in vehicles and pedestrians expressed words or gestures of encouragement, like a thumbs-up, along the entire route, even though they were clueless about who we were or what we were all about!” The riders were mainly in their 50s and 60s or older and, although tired, were sorry to see the day end, Tucholski said. “We all felt somehow younger than our years with a renewed sense of connectedness to our immediate surroundings, heritage and each other,” Tucholski said. “That was the direct result of touring Toledo in this manner.” Americans have been in love with automobiles for more than a century.

PHOTO COURTESY JAY CATLOW

Bicycling healthy, relaxing way to explore city

■

A GROUP OF LOCAL BICYCLISTS RECENTLY GATHERED FOR A CASUAL 30-MILE RIDE.

Because of the great distances many of us have to travel, most have abandoned the use of bicycles as a primary mode of transportation. But with the economy and a growing interest in health and the environment, this option is slowly coming back. According to the League of American Bicyclists’ annual community survey, 0.4 percent of the Toledo population used a bicycle to commute to work in 2010. Jay Catlow, who is a member of the volunteer bike patrol for Metroparks of Toledo Area and who participated in the “Explore Toledo” bike ride, said bicycling helps him maintain his weight and manage stress. “My aerobic levels are very good for a 69-year-old,” Catlow said. “Riding with friends is also a very

good health benefit. I would say I do 20 miles at least three to five days a week and also do 10 miles of mountain biking a week. Those with health issues or handicaps can often ride with the use of adaptive equipment or can ride recumbent bikes or tricycles, Tucholski said. As with any physical activity, be sure to hydrate before, during and after a ride, he added. Useful equipment and accessories to consider include a rearview mirror, a carrier on the rear of the bike, a bike bag for valuables, a spare tire, a tool kit, a snack, a camera, a bike lock and keys and padded riding gloves, Tucholski said. For more information about the next bike ride, contact Bill Tucholski at btski@roadrunner.com. ✯

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Heartland – Holly Glen Invites You … … to attend our annual BASEBALL game with Muddy and Muddonna the Mud Hens! Thursday, August 30th, 2012 UÊ FREE

WHEN: 2-4 p.m. Rain or shine!

Pictures with WHERE: Heartland Holly Glen 4293 Monroe St., Toledo Muddy and Muddonna the Mud Hens WHAT: A fun-filled game between residents and the community.

UÊ Food and

Beverages will be served

UÊ Adults and

Children Welcomed

Holly Glen

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Summer Package

Step outt off tthe h h heatt and d relax l

with a wonderfully rehydrating experience. Our summer package includes either a Detoxifying Herbal Body Wrap or a Sculpting Mud Wrap; both Finished with one of our cellulite creams. Either of these is then paired with an Hour Massage for $110.00

Don’t let the summer hear dry you out or wear you down! The Package runs through Aug. 27th, 2012.

Getting Your Patients Back To Their Lives *We will be accepting donations of old baseball gloves for children in the area (not mandatory to attend). Gloves can be dropped off prior or during the event!

For more information check us out on the web:

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34 S. St. Clair St., Toledo, OH (419) 241-5877

BUSINESS LINK

A18 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

AUGUST 19, 2012

EDUCATION

By Morgan Delp TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER mdelp@toledofreepress.com

It may look solid, but there is more to a good weld than what meets the eye. “People can make a beautiful weld, but it can be broken with a hammer,” said Jim Gilmore, chairman of diesel and welding technologies at Owens Community College. “You want something that looks good and is functional as well, so you couldn’t break it with a hammer or even a semi-truck. Everything — our buildings, our bridges — depends on that.” Area welders now have the opportunity to test the appearance and durability of their work as well as practice and hone their welding skills using Owens SIRAVO Community College’s new VRTEX 360 systems. The VRTEX 360 is a virtual reality arc welding trainer, a computer-based educational tool that allows users to practice welding techniques in a simulated environment, logging practice hours while reducing the material waste, scrap and energy consumption associated with traditional welding training, according to manufacturer Lincoln Electric’s website. In January 2011, Owens unveiled its newly renovated $1.1 million, 14,512-square-foot Welding Design Center on its Toledo-area campus in Perrysburg. Using grant funds, the school purchased a VRTEX 360 training system from Lincoln Electric six months ago and a second system more recently. When using the system, welders use tools to perform the movements of welding while wearing a mask that displays an image of what they are virtually welding in front of them, said David Siravo, director of Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Training at Owens. A large screen displays the same image so instructors can view the process.

TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTOS BY JOSEPH HERR

Owens implements virtual welding technology

■

DAVID SIRAVO, DIRECTOR OF SKILLED TRADES AND APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING AT OWENS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ON THE VRTEX 360.

As the student welds, the machine makes sounds similar to those in a real welding situation, Siravo said. A quiet sound is good, while a loud sound means a good weld is not being formed. After the weld is completed, the VRTEX 360 inspects the weld with two tests. The first test is a “nondestructive test,” where the system checks to make sure the weld is visually sound and has been formed correctly. For the “destructive test,” the virtual weld is placed on a press that pushes down,

trying to break it. “[The two tests] are the criteria used to determine if you are going to pass that particular welding certification test,” Siravo said. The sound of a crowd cheers if the weld holds up and boos if the weld does not. “It shows you how it broke and where it broke so we can look at it and rotate it from all directions and also zoom in on it, so we can get a better picture of what happened,” Siravo said.

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“This tells us a lot about if I am prepared to go to the real welder or not.”

Portable units While virtual training does not replace traditional welding training, 77 percent of welding training can be accomplished on the machine, as welders gain the muscle memory required to perform real welding, Siravo said. “We had a gentleman who had welded for Chrysler and was retired, so he said he hadn’t welded in several

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years,” said Michael Bankey, associate vice president of Owens’ Workforce and Community Services. “It was kind of neat because he got on there and after a couple of tries it came back to him really quickly.” Siravo said all types of welding can be practiced on the VRTEX 360, and instructors can use a flash drive to convert students’ performance data from the system to a PDF file on their own computer. ■ WELDING CONTINUES ON A19

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AUGUST 19, 2012 â&#x2013; WELDING CONTINUED FROM A18 Because the units are portable, Owens also now has the capability to transport the technology to area companies for employee welding evaluation and training. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Before], if a company said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We would like you to assess our employees,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; they might have to

(U U P]LWYZKHY` VM )))

make arrangements to bring their employees down to our lab,â&#x20AC;? said Bankey. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique here is we can take it to the company, where before we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.â&#x20AC;? The mobility saves companies time and money, Bankey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before, we could send an instructor if [the company] had

welding equipment at the facility already. But it might be the case where if they do have welding capabilities at their company, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using it for production, so the last thing they want to do is shut that down to have someone else in training,â&#x20AC;? Bankey said. The VRTEX 360â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial assess-

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NOMINATION FORM

Visit www.toledofreepress.com m

ment feature will be used as a prequalification for Owens welding students. It also allows students who may not know if welding is what they want to pursue to try out the field by practicing on the virtual systems, Bankey said. The welding program at Owens is an associate of applied science degree, consisting of 66 credits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If they think they want to weld but maybe have never welded before and wonder if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really for them, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to create some really short couple of nights where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to be able to do some welding on the machines,â&#x20AC;? Bankey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This way it will provide a very safe environment where they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt themselves, so it takes out that fear. If they like the feel and decide this is for them, then we want to get them over to the campus and get them working on the pathway toward getting certified.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x2013; A19

Controlled environment Another plus of the VRTEX 360 is the controlled environment in which welders of all levels can practice, Bankey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of [the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] folks may have never welded before, so then you have the whole safety issue,â&#x20AC;? Bankey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just want to make sure no one is going to get hurt or burn themselves.â&#x20AC;? Nick Nijakowski, a welder and welding trainer at Swanton Welding & Machining, tested the VRTEX 360 at a recent Owens open house and found the machine felt similar to a real-life welding situation minus the heat and other dangerous elements. Nijakowski said that he had looked at similar equipment numerous times before, but that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to practice and get a hands-on feel at crowded shows. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Here I can mess with it,â&#x20AC;? Nijakowski said of Owensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VRTEX 360. â&#x153;Ż

The Better Business Bureau serving Northwestern Ohio and Southeastern Michigan, Inc.

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FAX to the BBB at 419-578-6001 578-6001 | EMAIL to the BBB at marilyn@toledobbb.or marilyn@toledobbb.org

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t increasingly looks like Congress is going to do nothing about the fiscal cliff that we are headed for at the beginning of next year. For those of you that are not familiar with the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;fi scal cliff â&#x20AC;? or the implications of it, let me Gary L. briefly explain. At the end of this year the overall tax rates are going to increase, the payroll tax will increase and more than $1 trillion of automatic spending cuts will go into effect. Additionally, there are several new taxes that will take effect in 2013, the Obamacare legislation among them. All told, there is about a $600 billion impact on the economy next year and that will, according to some experts, plunge us into a deep recession that will last a while. I am not going to discuss this aspect today but rather, what actions you should consider, regardless of what happens. The fi rst things we are looking at are the tax rates. The tax rates are going to go up next year regardless of the fiscal cliff being dealt with or not. Whether President Barack Obama gets re-elected or Mitt Romney gets elected, Congress will raise tax rates to provide the illusion that it is being

are at a lower rate than they will be aft er the fi rst of the year. Capital gain rates are scheduled to increase and the rate on dividend income will probably increase tremendously for most taxpayers. We are starting early this year in our tax harvesting since it is likely that there will be a large number of people doing the same thing later this year. Plus, the overall market is up right now and we believe that could change dramatically by the end of the year. As we get closer to the end of the year, we will get a better picture of what next year will be like so we will make adjustments accordingly. For now, though, it would be good if you started to look at your portfolio from a tax standpoint and talk to your adviser and tax professional sooner rather than later. â&#x153;Ż

fiscally responsible. With that in mind, between now and the end of the year, one should look at what we call â&#x20AC;&#x153;tax harvesting.â&#x20AC;? Under normal circumstances, tax harvesting involves taking some losses at the end RATHBUN of the year to offset gains taken throughout the year or vice versa. Profits always have to be recognized in the year they are realized, but losses are carried forward if they are not used in the year they are realized. We recently had a case come into our offi ce where the adviser took a $48,000 loss for a client without any offsetting gains in the same year. The losses were then carried forward at the rate of $3,000 against ordinary income per year. (You can use the losses faster if you have gains in the future that are realized.) The problem was that this investor is 96 years old and does not have the possibility of realizing $48,000 of gains in her lifetime. The adviser clearly wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t thinking and openly admitted his mistake. This year, however, is slightly different in that we will want to take gains where we can so that the taxes

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TREECE BLOG

State of the economy

is, expect unemployment hile presenting to remain high for an exto members tended period of time. of a 401(k) Private sector business plan that we advise in owners have also noticed Auburn Hills, we were a frightening trend when revisiting our economic hiring; finding skilled forecasts from back in workers has proven to be the fi rst quarter of 2012 very difficult. Between and found that many of younger generationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lack our predictions came to Ben TREECE of interest in engineering fruition. We predicted we studies and many apprenwould begin to see signs of a strengthening economy, but that ticeship training programs closing policy would hold back the private their doors, fi nding the right people sector. Sure enough, failed policies for the manufacturing jobs that have from the federal, state and local levels been moving back from overseas has have resulted in a temporary freeze in not been an easy task. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Onshoringâ&#x20AC;? of manufacturing the economy. Manufacturing, retail sales and jobs is another trend that we predicted housing prices and activity are all up in well over a year ago. Between rising the reporting period, however hiring labor costs abroad and the inability to has leveled off and jobless claims have protect product patents, many manuticked up slightly. Unemployment has facturers have decided to shift their continued to be an issue during this factories to North America (Bose and recovery for two main reasons: We Honda are two big ones). Adding to the solid economic numlack skilled labor and future employee bers, â&#x20AC;&#x153;industrial productionâ&#x20AC;? was up costs are unknown. Th e markets and public policy 0.6 percent year over year and â&#x20AC;&#x153;home have a very close relationship; one builder confi denceâ&#x20AC;? turned in at the tends to mold the other. The fact of highest level since February of 2007. the matter is that the Affordable Care This shows us that the bottom of the real Act has many employers terrified to estate market has likely come and gone, and buyers are now looking for new contake on new staff . This is not a comment on socialized medicine, the cur- struction homes instead of older model rent administration or the health care homes from the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;40s, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;50s and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s. One cause for our concerns has industry, this is simply commenting on documented responses of business been an increase in food, energy and owners to the law as it is written. If housing costs, or what is known in the Affordable Care Act carries on as economics as inelastic goods. These

are items that even when the price increases, their demand stays relatively constant. When prices increase for inelastic goods, consumers have fewer dollars to allocate towards discretionary spending, e.g., entertainment. Historically, when these prices increase and the economy fails to grow, we have what is called stagflation, a term tightly associated with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;misery indexâ&#x20AC;? under President Jimmy Carter. On the whole, the economy is improving, slowly but surely. In our opinion there are many policy choices that could be made to speed up the recovery, but all things considered the U.S. economy is getting stronger, even if the numbers do not always reflect it. â&#x153;Ż

Correction In my Aug. 12 column, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Corn is king,â&#x20AC;? I quoted the price of corn as being $800/bushel. Corn is quoted in cents, not dollars. The current price of corn is just over 800 cents/ bushel, or $8/bushel. I would like to thank my readers for pointing out my mistake in a courteous and professional manner. Ben Treece is a 2009 Graduate from the University of Miami (FL), BBA international finance and marketing. He is a partner with Treece Investment Advisory Corp. (www.TreeceInvestments. com) and a stockbroker licensed with FINRA, working for Treece Financial Services Corp.

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ARTS LIFE

AUGUST 19, 2012

PHOTO COURTESY LARRY MEYER

A24 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

■

OLD STATE LINE, FROM LEFT, FORMER MEMBER TOM BARDEN WITH CURRENT LINEUP LARRY MEYER, CINDY LIPMAN, RAMSEY ABU-ABSI AND RAYNA ZACHARIAS.

Steam Train Music Fest honors Toledo’s Americana roots By Brian Bohnert TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER bbohnert@toledofreepress.com

Six of Northwest Ohio’s most prominent Americana, folk and blues bands are poised to take the stage in honor of Toledo’s old-time music roots later this month. The Steam Train Roots Music Festival will take place Aug. 25 at The Village Idiot in Maumee. The multiband festival begins at 4:30 p.m. and lasts well into the midnight hour, with each act paying tribute to Toledo’s music history. “The concept is like the roots of a tree,” said Larry Meyer, co-founder of the event. “It’s what other music stems from. Whether it’s traditional blues, delta blues, folk or string bands, they were the forerunners of modern music.” Meyer said the goal of the festival is not only to pay tribute to the Americana forefathers like Gram Parsons, Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan, but also to honor the local

musicians who keep the historical sounds alive in Northwest Ohio. “People are a part of this history. It’s not an antiquated music style,” Meyer said. “It’s a niche deal, but people who are already fans of Americana will love it. And anyone who just wants to listen to a collection of good Americana music, boom. Here it is under one roof.” Meyer’s band, Old State Line, will kick off the concert, followed by Dooley Wilson, Meaghan Roberts, Andrew Ellis and Lucky Lemont, The Blowing Grains and local rock-a-billy favorite, Kentucky Chrome as the closing act at 10 p.m. Meyer is the drummer and percussionist for Old State Line, an acoustic Americana band that also features Rayna Zacharias (bass), Cindy Lipman (fiddle, vocals) and Ramsey Abu-Absi (guitar, mandolin and vocals). Heavily inspired by Steve Earle, Old Crow Medicine Show and Townes Van Zandt, Old State Line grew out of a pick-up jam session in Toledo’s historic Old West End. “We’re too country to be rock and

too rock to be country,” Meyer said. Before the group opens the Steam Train Music Fest, Old State Line with kick off the first set at the Blissfield Bluegrass on the River, just hours before taking the stage in Maumee. Meyer co-founded the festival with fellow musician and bassist for local bluegrass favorite Blowing Grains, Ben Langlois. Over months of planning, Meyer and Langlois scanned the area looking for the best, most versatile collection of Americana bands in Toledo. Despite being familiar with numerous folk, blues and bluegrassinfluenced groups in the area, Meyer said he and Langlois chose the other groups based on their extensive musical repertoires and past experiences seeing the bands live. “We realized we know these cats,” Meyer said. “We knew that, with these guys, we’d get great music. We wanted it to be like, if we weren’t playing in the event, we’d want to attend; we’d want to show up and listen.” Langlois will join Meyer in the fes-

tival, plucking the strings on his bass with his band, Blowing Grains. Touring the area with the current lineup for nearly three years, The Blowing Grains is a five to six-person group with a heavy focus on acoustic guitars, banjo, fiddle and an electric bass. “We’ve always got some guitar, mandolin, fiddle … it’s pretty straightahead stuff, traditional bluegrass,” Langlois said. “We’ve got a bunch of talented musicians with a solid repertoire of work. Great players, great instruments, great music, all together.” The title of the event is a subtle nod to the late Steam Train Maury (Maurice W. Graham), a legendary, fivetime “King of the Hobos” who rode the rails during the Great Depression before returning to the Glass City and starting a successful career as a cement mason in the late 1930s. While gracing the festival with Graham’s name was Meyer’s initial idea, it was Langlois who gave the decision a deeper meaning. As a child, Langlois had the opportunity to meet

the legendary “hobo king” during a sobering trip with his father to the bearded old man’s house after his own grandfather’s death. “He and my grandfather were close. They both belonged to the Seventh Day Adventist Church and Maury had a small plot of land he farmed on my grandfather’s land,” Langlois said. “I was super intimidated and super fascinated by him because he was blind and, like, 90 years older than me, and he was old, crouched over and he had that beard. I remember hearing that he was the ‘King of the Hobos’ and I imagined it as ‘King of the Hobbits’ because my older sisters were reading the Tolkien books at the time.” Graham died in 2006 at the age of 89. The Steam Train Music Festival serves as a small tribute to “Steam Train Maury” and the life he led as a fabled vagabond. The Village Idiot is located at 309 Conant St. in Uptown Maumee. Tickets to the event are $5 at the door and each ticket is good for all six sets. ✯

ARTS LIFE

A26 ■ TOLEDO FREE PRESS

AUGUST 19, 2012

38 Special still rockin’ into the night vkroll@toledofreepress.com

Armed with an arsenal of rock classics, 38 Special aims to please. “We want to make sure people hear every song they came to hear, whether it was ‘Back to Paradise’ from ‘The Revenge of the Nerds’ movie — we’ve got it all in there,” Don Barnes said of their live shows. The group named after the popular revolver cartridge is loaded with hits — “Hold on Loosely,” “Caught Up in You,” “Back Where You Belong,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Second Chance,” “Fantasy Girl,” “Like No Other Night.” “We ran into our producer about six months ago — Rodney Mills, who produced the records back in the ’80s — and he said, ‘Can you believe those little songs we cobbled together back then are still played on the radio every day till this day?’ We hadn’t expected that; that was quite a pleasant gift we hadn’t anticipated,” said Barnes, the lead singer and guitarist. “It was because we were hungry for it. And some of those early songs, we were actually desperate, like ‘Rockin’ Into the Night’ was 1979 and I can hear that now and still hear the hunger in my voice. We had swallowed a lot of failure up to that point.” Barnes and singer and guitarist Donnie Van Zant co-founded the band in Jacksonville, Fla.

“We learned a lot from [Donnie’s brother] Ronnie Van Zant, the singer from Lynyrd Skynyrd, was a big mentor for the band; he was about four years older than us,” Barnes recalled during a phone call from his Virginia home. “He said, ‘Don’t try to be a clone of somebody else because it’s already been done; try to put your own influences, your own truths, things that relate to your own lives [into your music].’ “And after he was gone tragically, we took all of his words of wisdom and tried to turn things around. We realized we were more not so much Southern rock, we were more Beatles fans, we liked a lot of that British Invasion stuff. And we put a little style together that we like to call ‘melody and muscle’ — you have the snarl of the guitars in your face kind of attitude, but a good story, a good melody over it.” The band released “Live From Texas” last summer. “We’ve honed ourselves all these years to be kind of a premier live act across the country, bringing the party,” Barnes said. “Everybody knows 38 Special brings 110 percent, always a good time, so we wanted to put that [disc] out to have available for the fans leaving, so they can take the party home with them.” 38 Special — Barnes, Van Zant, guitarist Danny Chauncey, bassist Larry Junstrom, drummer Gary Moffatt and keyboardist Bobby Capps — will headline the Monroe County Jam at 9:30

p.m. Aug. 25. Gates open at 6 p.m. at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, 3775 S. Custer Road, when Thunderfunk will take the stage, followed by Don’t Hold Back at 7 p.m. and the Hunter Brucks Band at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. “We realize it’s an escape from

[fans’] normal, everyday lives. They can come out and shout, holler and sing along and clap their hands, and party a little bit, have a beer or two. We’re there for that release,” Barnes said. “You see the reactions on the faces, you see the high-fives, the clapping

and singing along, sometimes tears in their eyes — a song might remind them of someone they may have lost in the past — just seeing all that makes us want to play with as much conviction and passion as [when] we first recorded them.” ✯

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