I will not be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday night.
.
For anyone who knows me, this is hardly shocking news. I rarely express any interest in anything related to football, whether on the college or professional level. Most of my friends naturally assumed I would spend Sunday night playing video games or sleeping or marathoning Martin Scorsese movies or whatever else they imagine I do in my spare time. (Most of the time, these people would be correct.)
But even though I am hardly the most avid football fan, and not-so-secretly believe it is massively overrated as a sport, even I usually hear the siren song of Super Bowl Sunday.
It has long since become a national holiday anyway, a moment of community where we gather with friends and family to worship at the cultural altar that is the country’s most popular game, with hymns to shameless commercialism and pop music added in. There may be no more purely American event than the Super Bowl.
So every year I find myself joining the crowd for an evening of football. But not this time. This year, a series of events has coalesced to make me think twice about joining in the celebration.
First, I watched the excellent and disturbing Frontline documentary “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis” on Netflix. The piece is a two-hour-long exposé on the effects of concussions on football players; it examines mounting evidence that serious health risks are posed by the continuous hits sustained by players. Beyond that, the documentary makes serious claims about the NFL’s response to such evidence, depicting a league seemingly dragging its feet instead of seriously investigating the problem.
The NFL has apparently started to come around, treating head injuries with the care needed. It also reached a settlement in a lawsuit related to the claims in August 2013, contributing $765 million to the medical treatment of thousands of players. And only 20 years after the first hard evidence began to come to light. (The settlement was rejected by a judge in January 2014 but is expected to be approved soon.)
Then came the season’s scandals, a seemingly endless wave of embarrassments and outrage connected to the league, with the Ray Rice incident and the NFL’s handling of it at the top of the list. We could talk all day about what the NFL knew and what it didn’t know, when it got the infamous tape and the recent investigation which cleared the league of wrongdoing.
Beyond everything, I can’t help but find the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell’s response to the scandal to be indicative of a wider problem. Between the far-too-lenient two-game suspension handed down to Rice, the clearly botched handling of attempts to obtain the security footage, and having Rice’s suspension overturned because of the league’s screw-ups, the NFL’s response to the incident has frankly been an embarrassing comedy of errors.
But the last thing, the very last straw that caps the whole season, are the investigations and focus being placed on the condition of the footballs used in the New England Patriots’ last win — the so-called “Deflategate.” I honestly couldn’t give a crap about whether or not the Patriots cheated deliberately. What bothers me is how rapidly and deliberately the NFL, media and fans moved to garner as much evidence as possible to condemn or clear the team of wrongdoing. So decisive. So unlike how the league reacted to previous scandals.
Admittedly, there was a time factor — the Super Bowl was only two weeks away, and there was an obvious benefit to getting information as quickly as possible. But contrasting the rapid response to an issue where the outcome of something as meaningless as a game was in question, to the relatively lackadaisical response to situations where human lives were impacted — this has disturbed me.
So no, I won’t be watching the Super Bowl this Sunday. I don’t begrudge anyone who does, and I’m not campaigning for anyone to join me. I am merely expressing my frustration toward what I feel are misguided priorities. For no matter how monumental and important people may feel a game is, it is, after all, just that — a game. A diversion. No more, no less. But when the health and well-being of human beings seem to take a back seat to the integrity of a game, something should change.
Jeff McGinnis is pop culture editor of Toledo Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].
Dr. Ahed Nahhas, cardiologist and medical director for Cardiac Cahteterization Lab Service at Mercy St. Anne Hospital, eats a heart-healthy dish at the news conference to announce the ‘Heart of West Toledo Challenge.’ The challenge is designed to raise awareness of heart health while awarding cash grants to community organizations. Toledo Free Press photo by Joel Sensenig
Mercy St. Anne Hospital is inviting nonprofit organizations and the community to take an active part in preventing heart disease — and maybe win some money while they’re at it.
Dr. Ahed Nahhas, cardiologist and medical director for Cardiac Cahteterization Lab Service at Mercy St. Anne Hospital, eats a heart-healthy dish at the news conference to announce the ‘Heart of West Toledo Challenge.’ The challenge is designed to raise awareness of heart health while awarding cash grants to community organizations. Toledo Free Press photo by Joel Sensenig
Officials announced Jan. 26 the “Heart of West Toledo Challenge,” an interactive series of events designed to raise awareness of heart disease and help organizations win up to $5,000 in grant money.
“We are here to announce a challenge to the community to change lifestyles that lead to a healthier heart and a healthier you,” said Dr. Imran Andrabi, chief operating officer, president and chief network integration officer for Mercy. “As a leader in cardiac care throughout Northwest Ohio, Mercy has a commitment to our community to ensure that you’re not only receiving high-quality, compassionate health care, but also have the tools needed to improve your health while you live your everyday life.”
Mercy officials came up with the idea of the challenge, a three-day series of themed community health fairs provided to the public at no charge.
The events from 1-3 p.m. March 15 (Nutrition), April 12 (Lifestyle) and June 27 (Fitness) will feature a variety of health activities, informational sessions and cooking demonstrations at Mercy St. Anne Hospital, 3404 W. Sylvania Ave.
The “challenge” component of the series stems from nonprofit and community organizations competing to gather votes at each session, with the top three vote recipients earning cash grants (first place $5,000; second place $3,000; third place $2,000) to support a health-related program within their organization. Participating organizations will earn points for attending the events, and attendees at each of the three sessions will cast a paper ballot to indicate their support of one of the 25 eligible organizations.
Mercy St. Anne is using the challenge in part to help raise awareness about its cardiac and vascular care. Last fall, it debuted its full-service cardiovascular program, with services including heart catheterization, coronary angioplasty and stenting, as well as open-heart surgery.
Brad Bertke, president and CEO of Mercy St. Anne, said the larger point is to improve public awareness of heart disease prevention.
“We know that sometimes it takes a life-threatening or life-altering event for people to truly engage in their own health care, but that doesn’t have to be the case,” he said. “We can do that now, and that’s what this event is all about. Through the ‘Heart of West Toledo,’ the goal is to give people an avenue to understand and engage in their health care today.”
Dr. Ahed Nahhas, cardiologist and medical director for the cardiac catheterization lab at the hospital, said these community-engagement events are all about preventing future problems.
“When we do procedures on those patients, we see them near the end of the disease process,” he said. “It’s important to try to focus on prevention as much as we can.”
Springfield Local Schools has already signed up for the challenge.
Kristina White, community liaison for the school district, said it represents an important part of schools’ impact on students and the community.
“Springfield Local Schools, like any almost any other public school district in America, relies on partnerships with our community in order to really take what can be teachable moments that we see with our students and bring those teachable moments to reality,” she said.
“There are students, there are families, there are staff members that are going to take advantage of what Dr. Nahhas shares at these events. But even greater than that, it offers us the opportunity to encourage people to get off the sideline and take some responsibility, and have fun while they do it.”
The challenge is limited to 25 nonprofit and community organizations, which must register by Feb. 27 at
mercyweb.org/heart or by calling Kelly Schenavar at (419) 887-6823.
For more than 15 years, Stephen Machcinski fought fires, responded to medical calls and saved lives in Toledo. Until Jan. 26, 2014, only his friends and family knew his name.
One of his last calls was to the North Toledo home of Tina Petersen, who had a seizure in January 2014. A few days later, Petersen recognized the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department EMTs who had responded — Machcinski and fellow Toledo firefighter James Dickman — in a news story about a fatal fire. She attended the June rededication of Fire Station No. 3 to introduce herself to the Machcinski and Dickman families and thank them in person.
There are no doubt countless Tina Petersens in Toledo — not to mention in Perkins Township, where Dickman served for 10 years before joining Toledo’s department only months before he died — who were served or even saved by Machcinski or Dickman and will never realize it was them.
It’s only when tragedy strikes that most of us actually learn the names and stories of those who protect us day and night.
Years ago I noticed a friend’s mom would bow her head every time a police vehicle, ambulance or fire truck blared past, saying a little prayer for the first responders as well as whomever they were rushing to help. I got into the habit myself and still think about her every time I hear a siren.
Service calls, of course, don’t stop for heartache. A fire broke out in the city during last year’s Last Alarm ceremony and crews responded. Another crew left this year’s anniversary memorial service at the Historic Church of St. Patrick to respond to a medical call. While talking to a firefighter for a story earlier this year, I heard tones go off at the station on the other end of the phone. He calmly continued the conversation even as he slid down the pole, grabbed his gear and jumped on a truck. Even as I write this, I hear sirens outside, heading somewhere. All in a day’s work.
Earlier this summer, I had the privilege of talking to Toledo Police Deputy Chief Don Kenney Jr. for a story I was writing about multigenerational first responders. He’s been on the job more than 30 years and his father, Don Kenney Sr., was a Toledo firefighter. Kenney Jr.’s son and daughter are both Toledo police officers and his daughter-in-law is a Toledo Police detective.
“To this day, he is still out going to calls with patrolmen and coming in on Friday nights and holidays because his patrolmen have to,” daughter Pvt. Kellie Kenney told me. “This past Thanksgiving, he finished eating and got up to put on his uniform. I asked what he was doing and he said, ‘I’m going to spend Thanksgiving on the street.’ And he did.”
That’s the dedication of the first responders who serve this city.
It’s clear first responders, firefighters in particular, are a tight-knit family that takes care of its own. Hundreds filled St. Pat’s for a private memorial ceremony on the one-year anniversary of the fatal fire.
Last January, Toledo Fire Chief Luis Santiago remarked that TFD and the extended firefighting community would always be there for the friends and families of their fallen, including the proverbial “Monday morning” when media and others have moved on to the next big story.
This past Monday morning proved how true that was.
Sarah Ottney is Editor in Chief of Toledo Free Press.
Max Reddish of Reddish Printing, with dog Red, opened his shop at 1503 Adams St. in October. Toledo Free Press Photo by Christie Materni
If Toledo is a growing body, Max Reddish certainly knows where the heart is.
As part of a family that has been doing business in the city since 1909, beginning with his great-grandfather’s hardware store, Reddish said he opened Reddish Printing with the intention of celebrating the city’s potential.
“This is my town,” Reddish said. “I think if you’re going to make a profit off the community you should give back to the community as well.”
Max Reddish of Reddish Printing, with dog Red, opened his shop at 1503 Adams St. in October. Toledo Free Press Photo by Christie Materni
His journey began while working labor jobs at factories, fresh from his decision to eschew a college degree. His family ran Reddish Contact Sports Supply, already a popular brand with locals, but Reddish found his niche by discovering something the business didn’t produce.
“They always made screen printing available but never actually did it in house,” Reddish said. “So I said, ‘That’s an opportunity. I’ll buy some equipment and learn how to screen print.’”
With a business plan in mind, Reddish flew to Arizona to attend a school specializing in the craft. The new business had a humble beginning as he worked from a nook in the back of the family’s store. After five years, Reddish decided he wanted to expand into his own location.
He found the perfect spot at 1503 Adams St., right across from Manhattan’s, his favorite restaurant.
After investing in equipment and materials, Reddish set up shop in a “big bang” sort of way, he said, getting everything in at once and displaying T-shirts promoting the city.
Using his imagination paired with the printing skills he’s developed, Reddish can take a customer’s idea and create designs for their club, sporting team, organization or personal use.
Dave Crafts, who noticed Reddish’s work at a street sale booth during The Arts Commission’s summer Art Walks, frequently enlists him to create jerseys for a sand volleyball league and for students who served in the military.
“I have always been able to give Max a rough idea of what I need and he is able to translate my sporadic vision into a great product.” Crafts said. “Max’s commitment to and passion for Toledo is apparent in his designs, and you can see he truly loves his work.”
Reddish currently offers T-shirts, sweatshirts, baby clothing and more. In the coming months, he plans to offer custom pint glasses and drinkware, as well as sunglasses and summer attire.
Other plans moving forward involve creating a relaxing space in the front of the store for people to hang out, complete with new couches and possibly offering drip coffee.
Being creatively driven, Reddish also said he plans to repurpose the display space at the front of the store into a stage for local performers to play acoustic sets or for open-mic nights.
“I’m thinking of maybe adding a projector screen too, something to show movies on for customers,” he said.
One screening that immediately came to Reddish’s mind was WGTE’s “Toledo Stories,” a series of short films about the city’s history.
Part of this creativity in utilizing his space comes from the awareness of other businesses with multifaceted approaches to customer interests.
“Everyone seems to want to be interactive on multiple planes,” Reddish said. “You’re not just a bar, you’re a banquet hall. You’re not just selling crafts, you also have people there crafting. I don’t want this place to just be a print shop.”
Lending his space to other artists seems like a no-brainer, Reddish said. His walls display several works by a local painter, providing exposure to someone else who may have a dream waiting to see fruition.
Reddish said people often overlook Toledo’s friendly attitude and regional developments on the rise. He said the city has the famous Midwestern spirit, and newcomers are always welcomed and shown around.
“This is my city,” Reddish said. “I’ve been stomping around this area for 17 years. I’ve always had a love for it and I hate people who are hating on it.”
Two Toledo firefighters embrace before a private anniversary memorial ceremony at the Historic Church of St. Patrick on Jan. 26. Toledo Free Press photos by Sarah Ottney
One year ago Jan. 26, two Toledo firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty.
They may be gone, but they are not forgotten. Fellow firefighters, elected officials and community members made sure the families and friends of Pvt. Stephen Machcinski and Pvt. James Dickman knew that, planning a series of memorials, vigils and meals to mark the anniversary.
Machcinski, 42, and Dickman, 31, died from injuries sustained while fighting a North Toledo apartment fire. “Rapidly deteriorating conditions” inside the burning structure led to the deaths, TFD Chief Luis Santiago said at the time.
A Jan. 26 vigil at the site of the Magnolia Street apartment fire was organized by a former building resident. Toledo Free Press photos by Sarah Ottney
Perkins Township
Before taking his “dream job” with Toledo Fire & Rescue (TFD) only months before he died, Dickman served for 10 years as a firefighter in Perkins Township near Sandusky.
His Perkins Township fire jacket is now displayed in the department’s memorial case along with a ceremonial Perkins Township helmet and shield and a TFD patch. Above the case is painted the motto Dickman penned for his Toledo fire academy graduating class: “We fight with courage, we stand with pride, we honor those who gave their lives.”
The department there held a small, informal memorial ceremony Jan. 26.
Among those in attendance were Dickman’s widow, parents, sisters and other family members as well as members of his Toledo academy class, a Toledo fire instructor and community members, said Perkins Township Assistant Chief David Murphy.
“It was most definitely a hard day. Everyone was in a somber mood that day,” Murphy said “Everyone just kind of gathered to remember Firefighter Dickman and pay respects to him and Firefighter Machcinski. We wanted to give everybody the opportunity to express their feelings and also show support for the families and let them know we’re still here for them.”
By all accounts, Dickman was a jokester, so some of the stories did lighten the mood, Murphy said.
“A couple of the guys told some funny stories,” he said. “It was a sad time, but we wanted to remember the good things Jamie brought us, too. He was a character, to put it lightly.”
Two Toledo firefighters embrace before a private anniversary memorial ceremony at the Historic Church of St. Patrick on Jan. 26. Toledo Free Press photos by Sarah Ottney
‘Never be forgotten’
In Toledo, the day started with a public ceremony at One Government Center, at which Santiago thanked both men for their service.
“You served with honor, courage and dedication and, believe me, you will never be forgotten,” he said.
Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins, a retired police officer, also spoke, calling them heroes.
To do what firefighters and police officers do — run toward danger rather than away — requires a specific quality of courage and honor that not everyone has, he said.
“To this day our community still mourns the loss of these two fine men who without doubt deserve the title of heroes,” Collins said. “We will not mourn, grieve or heal alone. We will do so as a family.”
Santiago thanked the Machcinski and Dickman families for “letting them be part of our family.”
“They were truly brothers in our hearts and they remain brothers in our hearts,” he said. “Right now there’s a hole in our hearts because of their absence.”
Among those in attendance was Machcinski’s brother, Rick, a firefighter at Fort Wayne Fire Department in Indiana. He declined to comment afterward, except to say thank you to the Toledo community for their support.
“It’s tough,” Santiago said afterward. “I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances, but I’ve developed relationships with two extraordinary families that have gone through this with grace and dignity.”
Santiago thanked the public for their “kind words, hot meals and donations to our foundation.”
“You reached out to us so many ways,” he said. “I can’t thank you enough.
“The public has been a big supporter of ours not only the day of and the week after, but throughout the year so it was important for our department to acknowledge their support and thank them,” Santiago said after the ceremony. “I think to a large degree they felt our pain, they felt our loss,” he said. “In times of crisis like this, numbers help. We felt that all along and we still do.”
Santiago also thanked the Toledo Police Department for its “vigorous assistance in the investigation of this fire.”
Pvt. Stephen Machcinski’s brother, Rick, right, listens to a speaker during a memorial service in Toledo on Jan. 26. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney
The owner of the apartment building, Ray Abou Arab, 62, of Oregon is charged with aggravated arson, aggravated murder and tampering with evidence in relation to the fire. He most recently appeared in court Jan. 27, but a trial date has not been set.
“I believe with your help you’ve situated us well to hopefully obtain justice when the time comes,” Santiago said.
A bell was rung three times for each of the firefighters and a tribute video was played before the ceremony concluded.
“It’s been a long year,” said Capt. Jeff Romstadt, president of Toledo Firefighters Local 92. “To all the citizens, the organizations, the businesses, I cannot say thank you enough.”
Sy Kreais, who leads a block watch group in North Toledo near Fire Station No. 3, was among the community members who came to the memorial.
“[Toledo has] the greatest and best firefighters, not only just at my station, but the whole city,” Kreais said. “I call it my station because it’s my neighborhood. I’ve lived there for almost 60 years.”
Machcinski and Dickman were stationed at No. 3, although at the time of the fire they were operating out of No. 13 on the East Side because No. 3 was closed for renovations. It reopened and was rededicated in June, and features memorial plaques in the kitchen and at the entrance to the garage.
Also at the ceremony was Michelle Eck, whose son Pvt. Mike Eck is a firefighter and member of Dickman’s graduating class. Eck, who lives near Cleveland, took the day off work to come to Toledo for the memorials.
She held a sign she made that read “We Salute Our Heroes” and wore a shirt with the class motto Dickman penned.
“It hit so close,” Eck said of Dickman’s death. He and her son were similar in age and both had young children. “When I saw those pictures [today], I started crying. I brag back home how wonderful the city of Toledo responded. It was really nice to see the whole city respond.”
Pvt. James Dickman’s Sisters, Caitlin Dickman, Left, and Libby Cheney, stopped at a vigil At the fire site to thank attendees and organizers. Toledo Free Press photos by Sarah Ottney
Private Mass
Later that afternoon, a private memorial ceremony for families and fire department personnel was held at Toledo’s Historic Church of St. Patrick.
The ceremony consisted of several readings from TFD chaplains, several family members speaking, a video tribute and “a quiet ending,” said TFD Public Information Officer Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld. Media was not permitted inside the church.
Hertzfeld said the ceremony is part of the healing process, a step on the journey to a “new normal.”
“It’s a very, very sad day. It brings back some very painful memories for a lot of folks,” Hertzfeld said. “When you suffer a tragedy to the depths that we did, I think it makes that healing process take so much more time. There’s so many things that keep it going, that keep those wounds open. It’s our hope that today is the start of the healing process for all of us, especially the families.”
A Toledo Police helicopter flew over the church and three bells tolled just before 3:03 p.m., the time of the first Mayday call from the fire. TFD asked the community for a moment of silence at that time.
Of course, service calls don’t stop just because there’s a memorial going on. Halfway through the ceremony, four firefighters left the church and got into a rig parked outside to respond to a medical call.
Vigil
That evening, a small group of former residents of the burnedapartment joined other neighborhood residents to pray, sing hymns and hold lighted candles at the site of the fire. The apartment building at 528 Magnolia St. has since been torn down.
The vigil was organized by former resident Tracy Bishop, who said she lost everything in the fire.
“I just wanted to honor our fallen firefighters who lost their lives that day,” Bishop said. “It’s pretty emotional. I’m just looking for a little closure. I just want the firemen and their families to know that they’ll never be forgotten.”
Pastor Patricia Smith of nearby Trinity Faith Tabernacle offered a prayer at the vigil.
“It’s tragic but yet bittersweet that men stood in the gap to give their lives,” Smith said afterward. “A lot of families were affected — those that lost everything they had and those that lost their family. We’re praying for them. God will strengthen them as they go through this hard time. It’s a hard time when you lose somebody and when you lose all that you have. You need the strength of the Lord.”
Dickman’s sisters, Libby Cheney and Caitlin Dickman, who live near Mansfield, and his aunt, Gale Dickman, stopped at the vigil to thank attendees and those who organized it.
“It’s nice to meet people from the community and the people that they helped,” Cheney said. “It’s nice to be around people he was around his last few days. Everyone’s lives are busy so for them to take time out of their day to come and pay respects and not forget is very touching.”
Cheney said she visited the site once before, in the spring, before the building was razed. She was numb then, she said; this time she felt different.
“The emotions are more raw this year, because even though you don’t want to face reality that this has happened, you can’t shut yourself out all of the time,” she said. “This just makes it more real, unfortunately.”
Live Your Dream
The Dickman family recently started a nonprofit called the Live Your Dream Foundation in honor of Dickman. The foundation will provide scholarships to aspiring firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and others as well as help cover the needs of on-duty firefighters, Cheney said.
“We’re working on trying to focus our energy on something more positive,” Cheney said.
To donate, visit the GoFundMe site at gofundme.com/kq08dc or any Huntington Bank. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page at “Live Your Dream Foundation.”
TFD Pvt. Dennis Kookoothe brought the Dickman family members to the Jan. 26 vigil at their request.
“It’s fantastic,” Kookoothe said of the vigil. “These people lost everything they had and they are still here. It affected so many people.”
Kookoothe is assigned to the same station as Machcinski and Dickman were but worked a different shift so he was off the night of the fire.
“I knew Stephen and I got to meet Jamie,” Kookoothe said. “I was one of the lucky guys who did get to meet Jamie and know him.
“He loved [his job]. He would come in with a smile from ear to ear every day. It was just a shock [to hear about the deaths].”
Kookoothe said he stopped by Magnolia Street himself early that morning.
“It’s hard. There’s nothing easy about it,” he said of the anniversary.
Bishop said she hopes to organize a vigil every year.
“It just makes me grateful for them to continue to honor Jamie and Steve,” Cheney said. “It’s something tremendous. It’s an honor.”
Today my heart is hurting for Stephen Machcinski’s and Jamie Dickman’s families.
.
So much pain was caused a year ago. Heaven stole two heroes from us, with few realizing what was given in exchange. Two lives lost, one city found.
Both men were destined to become firefighters. They were born with a sense of courage that most of us could never envision. While most people run away from burning buildings, they dreamed of running into them.
Steve and Jamie were family men. They were exactly who we model our sons to be. Faith, family, duty, friends: the four values these two men held closest to their hearts.
One was quiet, loyal, dedicated. A kid from the neighborhood, an uncle, a brother, a son. The other was loud, funny, ambitious, musical. A husband, a father, a mama’s boy. We can all picture each one of these men in our lives. We all know a Steve and Jamie; some of us knew Steve and Jamie.
The toughest part of their loss is the silence: not receiving text messages, the absence of conversation about the Tigers, the no-shows at birthday parties, barbecues and Christmas. The fear of someone hiding in your locker for a practical joke is no more. There is one more seat open at OB’s on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s the slightest nuances that haunt us the most.
Paige and Grant lost their dad. Grace and Brandon lost their uncle. A million tears have fallen in their memory.
Over the past 364 days, we have changed. We are different. We, as a city, are no longer victims of empathy, but believers and reborn Toledoans. We had taken enough; we’d been punched one too many times. We had been down for the count, maybe since M*A*S*H said goodbye.
Steve and Jamie’s passing woke a sleeping giant. It slapped us in our collective faces. It made us take inventory of our lives, inspired us to do better and stand up for each other.
Two men gave their lives out of love for our city. Their deaths were not in vain. Their final breaths somehow became our first.
Their sacrifice wasn’t for a human life, but rather to save the life of the city they chose to serve and protect. Steve and Jamie miraculously passed their courage onto an entire community, made us stand up in our darkest moment and wipe the crud from our eyes.
What an amazing final act of duty.
Rest in Peace Stephen Machcinski and Jamie Dickman.
We miss you.
Jeremy Baumhower of iheartglasscity.com can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeremytheproduc.
Maumee Valley Country Day School was rated second in the state for private schools by Niche, a school-ranking website. The school, which has 515 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 at its south Reynolds road campus, earned an A for academics and an A- for student culture and diversity. The School, founded in New York in 1842, has been in Toledo since 1884. Photo courtesy Maumee Valley Country Day School
Maumee Valley Country Day School (MVCDS) has been ranked second in the state for private schools by the website Niche.
Maumee Valley Country Day School was rated second in the state for private schools by Niche, a school-ranking website. The school, which has 515 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 at its south Reynolds road campus, earned an A for academics and an A- for student culture and diversity. The School, founded in New York in 1842, has been in Toledo since 1884. Photo courtesy Maumee Valley Country Day School
Niche’s Best Private High Schools list ranks private high schools in all 50 states based on an assessment of government and public data as well as surveys taken by teachers, students, parents and alumni.
With 515 students, MVCDS is a preschool through 12th-grade, nonreligious private school on South Reynolds Road in South Toledo. The school boasts a 9-to-1 student/teacher ratio. There have been 38 reviews written on the Niche website about the school and they are all positive.
Head of School Gary Boehm said the rigorous academics and the diversity of students are what set the school apart and give it its excellent rating. The school received an A for academics and an A- for student culture and diversity.
“The academic rigor is high and our students are smart and talented and our teachers really challenge them,” Boehm said. “We have some of the highest ACT scores in our area.
“Our diversity is rich and it’s a really warm and caring environment,” he added.
The school adheres to a child-centered environment, unlike other schools that gear events and curriculum toward adult preferences, Boehm said. The teachers get to know students and there are fewer rules and regulations. Student behavior is managed by setting high expectations and instilling feelings of responsibility, Boehm said.
“Everyone loves to live by their own expectations and responsibilities,” Boehm said. “It’s challenging and engaging. We challenge kids.”
As an example, Boehm pointed out the school’s Winterim program going on this month, which challenges students to explore and move beyond their limitations.
As part of Winterim, a group of students is in South Africa, where they are journaling and doing a community service project. Another group is focused on screenplay writing. Other students are studying the legal system and medical research.
“It keeps kids engaged by having innovative and interesting programs,” Boehm said. The school will host the program three times over the next year, he said.
Currently, Boehm is traveling around the country visiting alumni. He said that graduates of Maumee Valley Country Day School tell him the school has had a major impact on them, a big influence being the Winterim program.
Parent Amy Yustick has three children at MVCDS, two in the lower and one in the middle school. Yustick said the key behind the school’s success is that teachers work with the children at their level to help them achieve their personal best.
“The administrative team and faculty are genuinely interested in each child and in helping that person become the best person they can be. That takes a variety of forms depending on the grade,” Yustick said.
The student-to-teacher ratio is so small that teachers and administrators can get to know every student, which helps eliminate that sense of competition, she said. Yustick moved her family to Switzerland for a year and her children said they missed the diversity at Maumee Valley.
“My kids love going to school there, so they look forward to it every day,” Yustick said. “I was having lunch with my seventh-grader a month ago and asked what he liked about school. He was able to articulate it, he said: ‘All the homework is fun and engaging. I look forward to my classes every day.’ They all feel that way. It’s engaging and fun and they learn by doing.”
Founded in 1842 as an all-girls finishing school in western New York, it was moved to Toledo in 1884 where it became The Smead School for Girls. In the 1930s, the school became co-educational and adopted its current name and location.
Full disclosure requires that I tell you upfront that I attended a private high school and earned two degrees from a private university. My first teaching jobs were also in private colleges and I have a deep respect and affection for the nonprofit private sector in education. I’ve also served on the board of a well-known local private school and currently serve as a trustee for a private university. Full disclosure also requires that I tell you that I am a strong advocate for public education, as well. Truth be told, I am an advocate for all education — public and private.
Almost everyone agrees education is fundamental to a functioning democracy. Quality education is a private benefit, a public good and the foundation for America’s leadership in the world.
As good as it is, however, education in the U.S. has not maintained its global leadership position and has been slipping in comparison to education in other nations. For decades we proudly pointed to the fact that the U.S. was ranked No. 1 or 2 among nations in quality of education.
That is no longer the case. This is partly because other nations are putting a higher priority on education and supporting that priority with funding and higher standards.
Recently, I was stunned to see how far the U.S. has slipped in all major education categories including math, reading and science. Not only are we not among the higher ranked nations, the U.S. now ranks below average among OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations.
Consider these facts provided by the National Center for Education Statistics: Between 2009 and 2013, among nations, U.S. students slipped from 25th to 31st in math, 20th to 24th in science, and 11th to 21st in reading.
In the global economy those nations that have the best education systems will, over time, outperform those nations with weaker education systems in science and technology, economic growth and standard of living. The larger question is why we have allowed our nation’s schools to fall so far behind and, more importantly, what are we doing about it?
An issue of equal concern is the rapidly rising cost of tuition in both public and private colleges and universities. I’ve spent the past several years gathering data and stories on the impact of rising tuition and it is not a pretty picture. Not only are we pricing many young people out of the higher education market, but those that do persevere increasingly do so with borrowed money and leave their university — with or without a degree — with a near insurmountable debt.
I’ve talked with students, many still working on their degrees, who have accumulated debts of $40,000, $50,000 and some much more. I know graduate students who have loans exceeding $100,000. While the cost of higher education is growing, the real culprit in public higher education debt is the continuing actions of our legislatures to shift ever increasing proportions of the cost to our students and their families.
Ironically, the ultimate losers are our state and local economies. Students who leave their universities with huge debts are unable to buy cars, appliances, houses or afford an occasional vacation.
I am convinced, however, that we can successfully address these concerns and reverse these trends with greater understanding, stronger commitment and enlightened leadership. I would like to see my own community and state seriously tackle the challenges of K-12 student outcomes in math, science and reading as well as the cost of public higher education.
What would happen in Toledo and Northwest Ohio if our public officials — mayors, city council members, county commissioners, school board members and university trustees — came together and agreed to work with our business and civic leaders in a collaborative, concerted, strategic manner to make our education institutions a priority and the region an education model for the state and nation? Why not?
Dan Johnson is president emeritus at the University of Toledo.
Dayna Kasten-Briggs, left, and her mother Sandy Kasten opened ceramics shop Simply Stated & Painted on Dec. 6. Kasten-Briggs died unexpectedly Dec. 14. Photo Courtesy Sandy Kasten
Toledo Free Press photo by Matt Liasse
“A moment lasts all of a second, but the memory lives on forever.”
This framed saying hangs on the wall of Simply Stated & Painted, a ceramics shop at 3322 Glanzman Road. It’s something that could be found on a magnet in a department store or in pretty typography on Pinterest. But for Dayna Kasten-Briggs, the words resonated.
Dayna Kasten-Briggs, left, and her mother Sandy Kasten opened ceramics shop Simply Stated & Painted on Dec. 6. Kasten-Briggs died unexpectedly Dec. 14. Photo Courtesy Sandy Kasten
In 2000, Kasten-Briggs suffered an arteriovenous malformation rupture while four months pregnant. She had to undergo a 10-hour brain surgery. Although she survived, the doctors didn’t think she would walk, talk or feed herself again. They were wrong.
“Everything was a miracle,” her mother Sandy Kasten said. “Once she cleared rehab, she could do anything.”
Her biggest symptom was her spotty memory; she would often tell the same story multiple times or forget where she put things.
Kasten-Briggs and Kasten opened Simply Stated & Painted on Dec. 6. The shop provides molded ceramics for people to paint, ranging from glass sock monkeys and coasters to candy dishes and more.
On Dec. 14, eight days after the shop opened, Kasten-Briggs died at home with no clear cause. She was 37. On that same day, her daughter turned 14 years old.
Family affair
When Kasten-Briggs’ marriage ended, her daughter decided to stay with her father. Kasten-Briggs became depressed and Kasten took it upon herself to cheer her daughter up.
Having “played” with ceramics for 20 years, Kasten decided to introduce the art form to her daughter. After only a few classes, Kasten said it became all she could talk about.
“She could relax,” Kasten said. “She would sit there and not have to smoke a cigarette.”
The two became a team and started looking for places to open their shop, while trying to create a business plan.
Toledo Free Press photo by Matt Liasse.
The shop opened after five weeks of preparation. Kasten-Briggs was excited about the venture.
“She was such a vital part of the shop,” Kasten said.
Kasten-Briggs maintained a lot of the shop. She was so busy it took her five weeks to finish a Spider-Man mug, one of the last things she made.
After her daughter died, Kasten had to quickly master the cash register and acquire passwords for all of their accounts. Every time the paper towel roll is empty in the restrooms, Kasten cringes because Kasten-Briggs always took care of that as well.
What she left
The shop has retained much of Kasten-Briggs’ essence. Her desk is still where she kept it. The music that plays (including Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Rihanna’s “Rude Boy”) was hers. An angel Kasten bought for her daughter and a coffee cup Kasten-Briggs made are displayed on a shelf.
The shop was opened with children in mind, as a place to host birthday parties. Kasten-Briggs loved kids and saw the shop as a place for them to be exposed to the art world, Kasten said.
“Kids mean a lot to us,” she said. “We want kids in here painting and doing clay because a lot of schools don’t have that now. A lot of the kids are missing out.”
For the price of the piece, ranging from $13.95-$59.95 depending on the size, customers can take as much time as they want to paint their purchases Kasten helps along the way.
She now works at the shop on evenings and weekends in addition to her full-time job at a law firm.
“If I wasn’t here, I’d be down in the basement painting or pouring,” she said. “The laundry gets backed up a little bit, I noticed today, but [having something for Kasten-Briggs] was more important.”
Simply stated
Behind the cash register, two glass plates that Kasten-Briggs made hang under another saying: “Life is measured by the moments that take your breath away.” Kasten added those words herself.
The shop closed when Kasten-Briggs died but reopened Dec. 21. Kasten said she wants the shop to stay open.
“[Kasten-Briggs] worked for it [and] it’s something I worked for and I think that’s what she’d want,” she said.
She said she finds peace in the shop. Her husband doesn’t spend time there because it reminds him too much of his late daughter, but that is what Kasten likes about it.
“We worried what would happen to her when something happened to us,” Kasten said. “This was our way of giving her something that she could do once we passed away, not vice versa.”
For more information, visit facebook.com/SimplyStatedandPainted.
Much like the hero of a summer blockbuster, Shorties U is on a mission to protect the future of cinema.
Two years ago, Jeremy Baumhower, a writer, producer and Toledo Free Press columnist, and Jennifer Archer, executive director of the Sylvania Arts Commission, introduced Shorties, a film festival aimed at involving kids in the arts.
Despite a great turnout, Archer and Baumhower felt there was something lacking in what was being offered to the kids.
“They’d gotten excited about making movies with their iPods, but we hadn’t given them very much direction or guidance in learning how to do it,” Archer said.
“Because of what I do, writing for a living and being a producer, I wanted a higher quality,” Baumhower added. “I came to the conclusion it was a great idea, but it might not have been fair in my mind to ask for higher quality when they had no idea what they were doing.”
The duo brainstormed and Baumhower came up with Shorties U, a four-week Saturday course that would not only teach kids how to point and shoot with a camera, but also offer a comprehensive course in the entire production process.
Baumhower imagined this as an evolution of their original intentions, the next step in teaching kids the craft behind cinema.
“We’re not limiting the curriculum to just movies,” Baumhower said. “It’s also how to take better pictures, how to write, how to draw storyboards. These are all things we did last year, and we had 50 kids, a huge response. It was just a normal theater camp, so to speak.”
The immediate flood of applications from parents as far away as Detroit, all wishing to further their child’s artistic aspirations, only backed up what Baumhower and Archer already knew: Kids of Toledo and the surrounding areas need an outlet for their creativity.
Now in its second year, the program continues to evolve as the team finds creative ways to boost enthusiasm.
This year, each kid will leave the course with an original short film they’ve taken all the way from concept to screening.
“We’ve kind of restructured the program a little more so they have a mentor who’s with them the whole process,” Archer said. “We pair them up with filmmakers each week, and they’re actually going to make a movie while at Shorties U.”
Graduates of the program are not only able to enter their two- to three-minute film into the Shorties Film Festival, but can also use what they’ve learned to create other movies before the festival’s entry deadline, Baumhower said.
“We’re putting on more of a TED talk-style approach with literally, I think, the most talented people the area has to offer,” he said. “The kids aren’t going to know exactly what to expect each week, and we want it that way. We want to really get them in the ‘wow’ factor.”
Although he can’t divulge all the details yet, Baumhower said people will be amazed at who the program was able to get involved in the mentoring program. Several local directors approached him, all of them eager to give back to the art scene by inspiring the next generation of auteurs, he said.
Part of Baumhower’s willingness to contribute to the education of young artists comes from being a father of four children.
“A lot of our life is spent around travel sports, and my kids have very different interests in art, and there’s never been anything to celebrate that,” Baumhower said. “Sometimes those kids tend to get left behind. There’s no weekend tournaments to do a film festival, and that’s what we’re trying to change, to give them recognition for thinking and creating differently.”
In order to maximize the program’s effectiveness, space is limited to the 50 kids who write the most compelling essays describing why they want to participate.
“So far we’ve had some really interesting insight into why parents are wanting to sign their kids up and why the kids are inspired to try the class,” Archer said.
“These are the 50 luckiest kids in the area because they get selected to do it,” Baumhower said. “This is something we’re only doing once a year, and we want to have completely energized kids who are excited, who will be really receiving of what it is we’re trying to do.”
Financial constraints shouldn’t hold parents back; Shorties U has a scholarship program, so no kid will be turned away, he said.
Applications are available at www.sylvaniaarts.org, and are due by Feb. 7. Shorties U begins Feb. 21.
