Home Blog Page 159

Pounds: Won not done

By
Tom Pounds
-
0

Kudos to Toledo City Council for approving — by an overwhelming majority — ProMedica’s proposal to move its headquarters Downtown.

.

.

With the 11-1 vote Jan. 20, the project has cleared perhaps its biggest hurdle, but much more work remains. There is still more discussion to be had, more agreements to hammer out. Now is the time to keep this momentum and spirit of cooperation moving forward.

Next, ProMedica and the city must agree on a development contract, expected by April. Judging by issues brought up at recent Council committee meetings, topics likely to be considered include whether and what kind of minority inclusion, park restoration and grounds maintenance provisions might be added.

The main players may be busy moving forward, but some opponents are still looking back. The sticking point for many green space advocates is ProMedica’s plan to build a six-story parking garage on part of Promenade Park, and the vote has quieted but not ceased calls for alternate parking options. Many, including Judge James G. Carr, aren’t convinced ProMedica fully considered other options. There’s talk from others of collecting signatures to try and put the issue to a vote.

After the Jan. 20 meeting, Robin Whitney, ProMedica’s vice president of property acquisition and development, told Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Sarah Ottney that she hasn’t given up hope of convincing skeptics.

“I hope one day when we get this project done they’re going to like it,” she said. “That’s really still my goal. I think we’re going to be improving the park and really making it an amenity and I believe that we can still do that. I haven’t given up hope that I can get them converted and be supportive of what we’re doing.”

Some may never accept the loss of green space, particularly to a parking garage. But ProMedica would be wise to take the time to fully and transparently address those lingering concerns and try to put those questions to rest. As Carr said during last week’s Council committee meeting: “Persuade me.”

On the flip side, I haven’t seen this many business and community leaders united in excited over a development in a long time. Mud Hens/Walleye President and CEO Joe Napoli, Fifth Third Bank President Robert LaClair, Steve Cavanaugh of HCR ManorCare and Richard Hylant of Hylant Group are just a few of the longtime Downtown stakeholders who testified to Council that the deal was the most exciting thing they’d seen come along in decades.

Officials with the Downtown Toledo Improvement District and Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce both report an uptick in interest in other Downtown properties. “We keep hearing it will be a trickle-down effect when they move Downtown; I really think it’s going to be a roaring cascade effect,” Cindy Kerr, executive director of the Downtown Toledo Improvement District, told Ottney. “I already see the needle moving.”

After their Sugar Bowl victory, Ohio State players donned T-shirts stating “Won not done,” claiming laurels for the accomplishment while also acknowledging their next challenge: the title game. Millions of Buckeye fans watched that game through their fingers as OSU seemed determined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with a series of fumbles.

Let’s not fumble now.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].

Scholarship fund provides options for low-income families

By
Matt Liasse
-
0

Toledoan Rhonda Willhight said it was always important to her that her children receive the best education, no matter the cost.

“I wanted them to have access to the best teaching,” she said.

With the Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund (NOSF), which awards scholarships for private school tuition and expenses for homeschooling, affording that education is a little easier. This scholarship is available to students from kindergarten through eighth grade in Lucas, Wood or Fulton counties.

The fund’s mission statement reads: “Education offers hope. We believe that all children, regardless of their economic circumstances, deserve access to quality educational opportunities. We believe that parents should have an opportunity to choose the best school for their children. We believe that with choice comes a sense of ownership and involvement.”

“You just want to have an option as a parent,” Willhight said. “Based on where you live, you only have one option.”

After hearing about the program from a friend, Willhight applied and received $1,100 when daughter Loren was in the third grade and began attending Maumee Valley Country Day School.

Loren, now in fifth grade, still receives the scholarship. Willhight said the process is easy and NOSF provides answers to any questions parents may have.

NOSF is currently accepting applications for the 2015-16 school year. NOSF partners with the Children’s Scholarship Fund and awards scholarships to parents, granting them the right to choose where their children are educated — regardless of their income.

“Families should not be limited by income as far as their school choices,” said NOSF Executive Director Ann Riddle.

The amount awarded to each student is based on household income. The average scholarship for the 2014-15 school year per child is $1,121, according to a news release. The maximum amount awarded to students is $1,500, which can be renewed on an annual basis.

The guidelines for eligibility generally follow the federal free or reduced school lunch program. Parents are required to pay a minimum of $500 toward the student’s tuition each year.

The money is delivered to the school in three installments once awarded, giving those families who may not be satisfied with the school they chose a chance to transfer, Riddle said. Siblings can be included as well.

After being awarded a scholarship students must maintain a 90 percent attendance rate and remain current with their portion of the tuition.

The students who receive the scholarships can choose from 27 private schools in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.

“One school doesn’t fit all,” Riddle said. “Obviously all children are different, which is the beauty of children. … Different sites of learning are better for different types of children. This gives parents the opportunity to expose [their children to] different types of learning.”

Since 1999, NOSF has awarded $10.8 million in scholarships to 12,900 students. All funds are raised locally and matched by the Children’s Scholarship Fund, a national organization based in New York.

According to NOSF,  97 percent of its scholarship recipients have graduated from high school, with 95 percent attending some college.

NOSF is one of 27 partner programs nationwide assisting students by providing scholarships.

“NOSF is a wonderful organization that helps parents who want a private school education for their children,” said Andrea Puhl, principal of St. Aloysius in Bowling Green, said in a news release. “As a result of their scholarships, we are able to spread our tuition assistance even further.”

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is May 29. For more information, visit www.nosf.org or call (419) 720-7048.

Treece: Hope for Toledo

By
Ben Treece
-
0

This week we wanted to take some time away from focusing on economics and center the discussion a little closer to home.

.

.

On Jan. 20, Toledo City Council made one of the most important votes for the city in the past decade, and thankfully they got it right.

We are thrilled with the possibilities that come with ProMedica’s move to Downtown Toledo, but the implications go much further than what this means for their operations and their employees.

The benefits of ProMedica’s move are too numerous to summarize in one column, but will include more tax revenue for the city and more business volume for various retailers and restaurants Downtown.

Those are the immediate short-term benefits; however, this vote sends a deeper message to the business community, and to money outside Northwest Ohio about Toledo. This vote shows that Toledo is open for business, and that we stand by our century-old slogan, “You will do better in Toledo.”

For far too long, our community has lacked significant development for a multitude of reasons, which is another list that is far too long to explore in this short column.

For years our read has been that business leaders find it nearly impossible to efficiently set up shop in Toledo while simultaneously attempting to navigate the bureaucratic red tape, media firestorms, various community boards and City Council.

The ProMedica vote shows the business community that we are ready for development, open to new ideas and willing to help cultivate them.

Frankly, the fact that we had even one dissenting vote is a bit of an embarrassment, but at the end of the day, Council voted correctly. It was heart-warming to see our elected officials stand up to protesters and former community “leaders” who implied we should not take the opportunity to develop our waterfront but rather should keep it available in case something better came along.

That is not how business is done, but that is exactly how it has been conducted in this town for far too long.

If Toledo properly markets the success of this deal, the possibilities are endless. We could see money flow in from throughout the region to help develop our underutilized exposure to Lake Erie West, or even international dollars to help revitalize Downtown.

Council made the right move to work with ProMedica on this deal. Now the ball is in ProMedica’s court to help turn Downtown around. We have faith in them and their vision. We only hope that this is just the beginning of a Downtown renaissance, and that ProMedica will provide a glowing example of a business that gave Toledo a chance, and Toledo answered the call.

Godspeed ProMedica. We are excited to announce that Toledo is open for business.

Ben Treece is a 2009 graduate from the University of Miami (Fla.), BBA International Finance and Marketing. He is a partner with Treece Investment Advisory Corp (www.TreeceInvestments.com) and licensed with FINRA through Treece Financial Services Corp. The above information is the opinion of Ben Treece and should not be construed as investment advice or used without outside verification.

Disabled city residents to get help with trash pickup

By
Erin Holden
-
0

Toledoans who need help maneuvering their trash and recycling bins to the curb can now formally request assistance.

The Solid Waste Accommodation Program (SWAP), which was announced during a news conference Jan. 20, is a collaboration between the Lucas County Commissioners, Republic Services and the Toledo-Lucas County Commission on Disabilities. It has been reviewed by the Department of Justice and meets all requirements established by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To request assistance, call Republic Services at (419) 936-2511. Applicants will be sent a request form after which a supervisor from Republic will visit their homes to determine customized solutions.

The announcement expands and formalizes an informal referral program initiated by the City of Toledo with Triad Residential Solutions, an assisted living organization for developmentally disabled individuals. The informal arrangement was continued by Republic Services after the company took over waste collection in the city.

Other Lucas County municipalities served by Republic already have contractual arrangements for services, said Paul Rasmusson, senior area manager for municipal services with Republic Services.

There are currently 121 Toledo residents who receive help with trash collection from Triad, said said Hillary Moore, the organization’s adult day service coordinator. Most are elderly; others have disabilities. Short-term and long-term plans are available. Six new people were added just this week, she said.

The work is performed by three minimum-wage employees with developmental disabilities along with their job coach, Moore said.

“It’s a win-win,” Moore said. “They enjoy being out working and the elderly enjoy having them. For all the headache and pain and cost it can be, it’s a great service to the community and it’s good for them to be helping others.”

Currently the service is provided by Triad at no cost and that’s not expected to change, Rasmusson said.

“We’ve left it very wide open because we don’t know if we’re going to get much growth,” Rasmusson said. “When there’s been some exposure in the media prior to this, we’ve seen a few more inquiries, but honestly our numbers have not changed since the day we took over. I didn’t even want to give the commissioners a number. I spoke of a variable and a fixed. Beyond that I don’t want to start charging. [But] call me in a month.”

Moore said Triad is happy to help, but she’s hoping some funding might be arranged in the future to help cover gas and wages.

Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said an amendment to the county’s contract with Republic Services would allow the service to be funded up to $25,000 if needed.

Tim Harrington and Ernie Brancheau, both Toledo-Lucas County Commission on Disabilities members, praised the announcement.

“It’s a good day for everyone involved,” said Harrington, who is executive director of The Ability Center of Greater Toledo.

Prior to the switch to the large wheeled containers, individuals were able to put plastic garbage bags on the curb or use their own smaller garbage containers, Harrington said.

Brancheau, who uses a wheelchair, said his neighbor takes his garbage and recycling to the curb and he doesn’t plan to change that arrangement, but wanted to make sure others get the help they need.

“We needed to make the system more accessible for those with disabilities,” Brancheau said. “We have people out there who don’t have the resources, don’t have the neighbors they can trust or they are too stubborn and don’t want to ask for help. I think it’s going to be a really good service.”

Gerken said he knows there are more residents who need help.

“What that number is we don’t know yet. But we know there is more,” he said. “We were doing it, but we need to do better and we’re poised to do better.”

Local woman channels loss into Garment Collective

By
Ashley McMahon
-
0
Sales from Breen Holt’s apparel company Garment Collective help provide safe, steady work to women in Nepal. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni.

By Ashley McMahon

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer

[email protected]

Big dreams can lead to tangible realities. This mantra is proving true for Breena Holt, a 30-year-old mother of four who took a tragedy and turned it into a masterpiece.

Sales from Breen Holt’s apparel company Garment Collective help provide safe, steady work to women in Nepal. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni.

i

In 2012, Holt’s life changed forever when her 2-year-old son Ezekiel suffered his first seizure during a family trip to the Toledo Zoo. After months of seizures and an obvious deterioration in health, Holt and her husband Andrew learned that “Zekey” suffered from Batten disease.

“My typical 2-and-a-half-year-old son was slowly becoming uncreated by seizures,” Holt said.

The disease is inherited through genetic material from both parents, according to the Batten Disease Support and Research Association. It causes drastic changes to a healthy child, causing seizures, visual impairments, dementia and loss of motor skills.

“It was a devastating time in our lives,” Holt said.

To cope, her family, which also includes son Cyrus, 8, and daughters Eisley, 7, and Bexley, 3, moved from Columbus to Toledo to be close to family. The Holts moved in with Andrew’s parents, where Zekey spent the remainder of his life in a comfortable room with a gorgeous view.

“Zekey was given a bed next to a floor-to-ceiling window, so it was a beautiful area,” Holt said.

She said her son was in good spirits and kept smiling through the disease, adding, “It was such a beautiful thing to see during all the chaos because he just showed how much God was near him.”

While caring for Zekey, Holt took to blogging. She wanted to share her story with others and help community members dealing with struggles of their own. She received positive feedback from readers and eventually connected with a woman who inspired Holt to start an apparel company, Garment Collective.

“Since I was young, I was very picky about my clothes. I now see it in my girls, which cracks me up,” Holt said. “I was obsessed with fashion magazines. It was always in my blood. I took those career tests and I came out to be a fashion designer.”

The woman knew about Holt’s love for fashion and connected her with two missionary couples working in Nepal to free women from slavery and human trafficking. Part of that work is providing alternative employment to women in the region.

“It’s beautiful work they are doing over there and I was blown away,” Holt said. “I thought my dream was gone. I’ve always had this artistic thirst.”

Holt was amazed that an opportunity to pursue her designing dreams had sprung from Zekey’s story.

“It was Zekey’s story that connected me with the manufacturer out in Nepal,” Holt said. “I knew right away it was God. Here God’s taking this terrible thing and brings good out of it. That’s what he does. He’s out for redemption in our life.”

Holt connected with the missionaries in Nepal in 2013. Zekey died on March 23 of that year.

“To find that in a time of such sadness, to get that glimpse of hope during that time was so amazing. I knew that I could take it and run with it,” she said.

Right now, Holt has a Kickstarter fund that has raised nearly $24,000, surpassing her goal of $20,000. These funds support the creation of Holt’s “Redemption for All” T-shirts, which are ethically sourced and produced by the women in Nepal.

The theme of the shirts comes from Holt’s belief that everyone deserves redemption.

“We’re all meant to be redeemed. I believe that is what God wants for all of us. And specifically, I think about these women who are literally living out redemption. They had terrible lives before, but look what they’re doing now. I hear these stories and it’s just amazing,” she said.

Holt independently creates her designs before sending them over to the women and their team. Once the team in Nepal receives the designs, a third-generation pattern-maker creates the patterns. Next, the women begin creating the shirts with ethically sourced fabrics.

“They make sure wherever they source the fabrics, there wasn’t slavery there either,” Holt said.

The finished products are then sent back to Holt and she sells them on her website. In order to ensure the workers are paid fairly, Holt said she pays them before she receives anything.

“I get charged enough per shirt in order to pay the women well and for them to make a profit on their business,” Holt said. “I don’t even get the shirts until I pay them, and then they send the shirts over.”

Currently, Holt is one of 35 artisans who work with the missionaries in Nepal to create jobs for the women and keep them out of slavery and trafficking. The mission’s 10-year goal is to create between 5,000-10,000 jobs for women in Nepal.

Even though she hasn’t met the women, Holt said, “I have a heart for them because I know my sales are bringing them work.”

Holt will use the funds raised from the Kickstarter campaign, which ends Jan. 24, to produce the first line of Redemption for All T-shirts.

Holt hopes to eventually open a storefront in Toledo and create a full line of ethically produced women’s clothing, including skirts, boleros, blouses and casual T-shirts.

“I want customers to walk in the store seeing many options that you love and feel beautiful in, that you feel so good about purchasing because you know no one was treated badly,” Holt said. “You’re giving new life and hope to the women creating these designs. That is my dream. I’m just ecstatic for that day to come.”

One notable detail on the Redemption for All T-shirts is a tag dedicated to Zekey that reads “Ezekiel 11:19,” a reference to both Zekey’s birthday and the Bible passage, that states, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

This is a friendly reminder to supporters that you can’t tell the story of Garment Collective without talking about Holt’s late son.

“His life could bring so much joy to so many people,” Holt said. “I’m following my dream and helping these women out of trafficking. How could I not follow that? How could I not honor my son?”

For more information, visit garmentcollective.com.

Archer: Experience the magic

By
Jennifer Archer
-
0
Area students practice filming a performance by ‘American idol’ contestant Keri Lynn Roche of Ann Arbor during last year’s Shorties U. Toledo Free Press file photo by Sarah Ottney.

Just over a year ago, I embarked on an adventure with the Sylvania Community Arts Commission. I call myself a creative, not an artist. Not a brave risk-taker by any means, but someone who when moved is willing to take a chance.

The adventure: Shorties U.

.

The reason: to give kids in Northwest Ohio (and as far north as Detroit) the chance to spread their creative wings and learn how to make a little art in the world of film.

In 2013, as the SCAC was preparing for the first annual Tree City Film Festival, we were approached by Toledo Free Press columnist Jeremy Baumhower about encouraging kids to use the digital devices they know and love to make movies, and enter them into our first annual “Shorties,” a kid-driven film festival for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

As they say: build it and they will come. And they did — in droves — to walk the red carpet and see their short films shown on the big screen. In our wrap-up of the 2013 Shorties, we decided to find a way to help these budding filmmakers as they tried their hands at the art of filmmaking. We recognized that we were challenging these kids to create something, but we weren’t helping them figure out how to create. As a result, Shorties U was born.

Shorties U is a four-week workshop, held on four consecutive Saturdays at Sylvania Northview High School from 9 a.m. to noon. During the series, 50 students in grades 5-8 learn about the art of filmmaking from area experts.

This year, participants will work in groups led by industry mentors to learn hands-on how to make a short film. In addition to the short films participants will make during the series, students will walk away with the knowledge and confidence to meet the challenge of making their own short films to enter into the 2015 Shorties, part of the third annual Tree City Film Festival. The 2015 festival will include movie screenings at the Sylvania Historical Village Railroad Depot, which will be converted into a movie theater for the weekend of April 17-19.

I love going to the movies. I love the feeling of a theater filled with people laughing, gasping, crying and celebrating the stories that are told and shared on the screen. Never would I have begun to imagine how much more the magic would mean to me after watching these kids learn about how to make that magic. It was a joy to see them recognize that ­— no matter how shy or uncertain or unartistic they may feel — they can tell a story, they do have a voice, they can create something that can make an entire theater feel something. Watching these kids learn, watching them create, watching them soar — it is worth it. It is magic.

Join us. Sign your student up today or come to the 2015 Tree City Film Festival and watch the magic in person. For more information, visit www.sylvaniaarts.org or call (419) 517-0118.

Jennifer Archer is executive director of the Sylvania Community Arts Commission.

Area students practice filming a performance by ‘American idol’ contestant Keri Lynn Roche of Ann Arbor during last year’s Shorties U. Toledo Free Press file photo by Sarah Ottney.

Upcoming Web series ‘Can you Keep Up?’ styled after ‘Kardashians’

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0
From left, Sally Mullins, Minnie Scarlet, Paris Kennedy and Tenere Williams of the upcoming Web series “Can You Keep Up?” Photo Courtesy Minnie Scarlet

Actress Minnie Scarlet is only 21 years old and she’s already amassed an impressive resume, with roles in films and the series “Sons of Anarchy” under her belt. But her most recent project is also her most personal, because beyond almost anything else, she loves doing comedy.

From left, Sally Mullins, Minnie Scarlet, Paris Kennedy and Tenere Williams of the upcoming Web series “Can You Keep Up?” Photo Courtesy Minnie Scarlet

“I actually grew up loving the stage; theater and improv were my favorites,” Scarlet said in an interview with Toledo Free Press. “I never saw myself doing film seriously until about a year or two ago but I’ve definitely always been a performer. I also love making people laugh and comedy is my favorite genre to perform, so a comedic Web series seemed like a doable challenge that I’d have fun with.”

The planned Web series is called “Can You Keep Up?” and it’s heavily inspired by another of Scarlet’s unlikely obsessions — the Kardashian family. She said she adores following the trials and tribulations of Kim, Khloe and their ilk, and one night, while hanging out with fellow performer and adult model Paris Kennedy, inspiration struck.

“Me and Paris Kennedy watched ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ the first time we ever met and we bonded over it because we both loved it,” Scarlet said. “We also both think we’re the most hilarious people in the world so of course we joked around … about making a parody and started calling each other Minnie and Paris Kardashian. Then I wrote a script! The rest is history.”

The show will focus on a rather oddball, fame-obsessed family in faux-reality docudrama fashion, just like the series that inspired it. The teaser trailers now available on YouTube demonstrate a style that is not too far removed from “Arrested Development,” in terms of mining humor from somewhat bizarre people doing somewhat bizarre things.

The sisters, played by Scarlet and Kennedy, are joined by a wannabe rapper played by comedian Tenere Williams and the matriarch of the family, Kris, played by veteran comic Sally Mullins.

Mullins met Scarlet through Kennedy.

“Within a week she had contacted me with a Kardashians parody in mind and said she wanted to wrote a cool role for a funny older woman. She liked my stand-up and it was so flattering and very impressive when she got a meeting together and handed this fun role to me.

“We get along very well. It’s fun. Like I said, I’m sort of Paris’ mom as far as entertainment and I have really taken to Minnie, mad respect and love. Tenere is just beautiful on the inside and out. I’m almost scared to add more players.”

The final form of the series is still being fleshed out, as Scarlet works on the script and her fellow actors begin to nail down their characters. The teasers now online were filmed separately from the main body of the series, to give fans a taste of what’s to come. Scarlet said developing the characters has very much been a collaborative process between herself and her cast.

Minnie Scarlet, left, and Sally Mullins will star in “Can You Keep Up?” a planned Web series based on “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” Photo Courtesy Minnie Scarlet

“We’re actually still somewhat in that process. We filmed things a couple of different ways, then edited it in ways that they thought were best. It’s so difficult to predict what will work and what won’t. It’s a trial and error thing but I think we mostly have it all down. I had the actors fill out and talk to me about this character development worksheet,” Scarlet said with a laugh. “So theater class, but it helped a lot.”

Scarlet has recently launched a fundraiser on the website indiegogo.com, in an effort to give the final product a bit more polish. But even if the campaign doesn’t raise its full goal, Scarlet is still determined to bring “Can You Keep Up?” to life.

“I knew we would make the series, or at least try, funds or not because we all were having fun with it,” Scarlet said. “It just makes it a lot more of a legitimate goal with this fundraiser.”

After being slightly pigeonholed as the self-described “hot girl” in so many projects, it has clearly meant the world to Scarlet to garner a chance to be herself, and to bring something she loves to people.

“I bite my tongue kind of a lot in my everyday life and with this, I really don’t have to. I think all the jokes and actors are great, so it’s working out great for me.”

More information on “Can You Keep Up?” can be found on the show’s IndieGoGo page: http://bit.ly/1umQV14.

McGinnis: It’s Jeffy McG

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0

Prepare yourselves for a shattering confession: I hated, hated, hated the name Jeffy McG when I was first called it on 92.5 KISS FM. Absolutely loathed it.

.

.

There is a heavy dose of irony in the fact that I came to be known by this moniker at all. All my life, I’ve been pretty resistant to nicknames. Not in a standoffish way, really, though I’ve never particularly sought out a nickname of any sort. I’m more like nickname Teflon. Whenever someone would try to coin a new way to address me, the universe seemed to kick any such attempts to the curb. Nope, he’s Jeff. End of rather boring story.

A few individuals persisted, though. When you’re a kid named Jeff, most everyone tries their hand at calling you “Jeffy” once or twice. I never cared for it when my age was in single digits, and I certainly didn’t care for it any more once I crossed the double digit threshold. “Jeffy” just always felt so annoyingly condescending, even when I was at an age when everyone was quite justified in being condescending toward me.

By the time my high school journalism teacher insisted upon addressing me by the little better “Jeffrey!” — an homage to that famous Bill Cosby bit, years before referencing Cosby would become tasteless — I had worn through all patience for any variation of my name with a “y” on the end.

When I made it to college, most of my friends seemed to find my normal, everyday name perfectly acceptable, with one exception. A pal from the theater crowd seemed insistent on foisting the name “McG” upon me, as an homage to the director behind such titles as “Charlie’s Angels” and “Terminator: Salvation.”

I found this title even more repugnant than any variation on “Jeffy” my youth had foisted upon me. “McG” sounded simultaneously pretentious and lowbrow, however that might work.

So I largely remained my normal, non-nicknamed self until a little under five years ago, when my then-boss, Michael S. Miller, took me to a meeting with the then-host of the 92.5 morning show, Andrew Zepeda. They were looking for someone to act as the “American Idol” correspondent on the show, a position of some prominence since that was the year that Northwest Ohio native Crystal Bowersox was competing.

As we sat breaking bread and chatting about the specifics of the position, it all seemed to be going quite well. Zepeda said he felt his audience would “love” me, and when you’re still the amateur that I felt like, that’s an amazing high. As such, I barely even noticed the next sentence that came out of his mouth: “I think we’re going to call you ‘Jeffy McG.’”

And so it was. The sheer weight of the irony didn’t hit me until I was driving home — I would now be known to thousands of radio listeners by a moniker merging two different nicknames I absolutely detested. But oh well, I thought. It’s just a name. And I’m sure after a while it’ll fade away, and I’ll go back to my own name.

Cut to five years and a few hundred appearances on 92.5 later. I have been referred to as “Jeff McGinnis” exactly once in all that time, and that was my very first appearance. In the minds of thousands of listeners, I am now — rather permanently, I suspect — Jeffy McG.

The thing is, though, I don’t mind at all anymore. It’s remarkable what you can get used to in a name, I guess. To the majority of people who recognize my voice in “real life,” I’m not “Jeffy McG,” anyway, nor am I even “Jeff McGinnis” — I’m “That Guy from the Radio.” I never knew I had such a memorable voice until people would pick up on who I was after I said nothing more than “Thank you,” or “Could I have an order of McNuggets, please?”

I’ll never forget one encounter, though. I was at my day job, at the movie theater at Levis Commons. It had been a particularly horrible day and I was feeling every minute of the time between myself and the end of my shift. I sold a pair of customers some tickets and stood there, annoyed at the world for a bit. Then I heard a voice. “Are you … Jeffy McG?”

I looked up. It was the customers I had just served, a man and a woman. I confirmed I was, and the biggest smiles came over their faces. They told me they were big fans of my segment and thanked me — actually thanked me — for entertaining them and keeping them up to date on pop culture.

It was a pick-me-up at exactly the moment I needed it most. I thanked them profusely then, and do so again now. And at that point it occurred to me that even doing something as relatively meaningless as a pop culture segment on local radio can help brighten someone’s day just a little. Just like they had brightened mine.

So whenever someone asks me, “Are you Jeffy McG?” these days, my smile is very genuine. And I happily respond, “Yes. Yes I am. Could I get some barbecue sauce for those nuggets?”

Jeff McGinnis is pop culture editor of Toledo Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @jeffmac813.

Toledo Council approves Downtown ProMedica deal

By
Erin Holden
-
0
A parking garage at Promenade Park, seen at left in the above illustration, remains a controversial part of ProMedica's proposed plan for its move downtown. Toledo City Council could vote as soon as Jan. 20 on the plan. Illustration courtesy ProMedica.

Toledo City Council voted 11-1 Jan. 20 in favor of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ProMedica, approving the company’s plan to move its headquarters downtown and build a garage at Promenade Park.

Councilman Jack Ford was the lone no vote, indicating he wanted clearer answers regarding the likelihood of getting minority inclusion and restoration provisions added to the agreement before he was comfortable  supporting the project.

ProMedica’s Robin Whitney said she hopes those opposed to building a garage at Promenade Park will be pleased with the park in the end. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni.

Two amendments were briefly discussed at the beginning of the meeting — Ford suggested a minority inclusion provision and Councilman Mike Craig suggested giving maintenance responsibility of the park to ProMedica — but both men pulled their amendments.

Council also briefly discussed an email from former Judge James G. Carr, which asked Council to consider adding a restoration provision, which would return the park to the city and have ProMedica responsible for razing the garage if the company left the site within 25 years.

Council agreed to discuss those and other topics during the next stage of negotiations, which is a development agreement.

RELATED: Read the ProMedica MOU Toledo City Council voted on here.

Illustration Courtesy ProMedica
Illustration Courtesy ProMedica

The next step is putting together a development contract, which is expected by April and must be approved by City Council. Construction could start as early as November, expected to be completed by 2017.

After the meeting, Robin Whitney, ProMedica’s vice president of property acquisition and development, said she appreciated hearing the perspectives of those who opposed a garage being built at Promenade Park, but hopes the end result will satisfy them.

“I hope one day when we get this project done they’re going to like it,” Whitney said. “That’s really still my goal. I think we’re going to be improving the park and really making it an amenity and I believe that we can still do that. I haven’t given up hope that I can get them converted and be supportive of what we’re doing.”

Before the vote, Ford questioned City Development Director Matt Sapara about Carr’s suggested “return, remediate and restore” proviso. Sapara said he had not yet seen the email.

“I’m not exactly sure what the development agreement will look like, but I know that there is still further discussions to be had,” Sapara told Ford.

Ford also questioned Sapara about his own suggested minority inclusion provision, which asked that ProMedica make “all reasonable efforts to meet and/or exceed a level of 15 percent of minority business enterprise participation in the selection of contractors and subcontractors in this project and to meet or exceed a level of 10 percent minority business enterprise participation in overall purchases, materials, supplies and services required as part of this project.”

“Can you tell us that the final agreement will have a strong minority inclusion plank in the agreement?” Ford asked.

“I can tell you, Councilman, there are other things that will be added to the development agreement that aren’t included in the memorandum of understanding,” Sapara said. “I know that ProMedica right now is working on that inclusion policy. I don’t know what the final agreement will look like, but I can tell you the development agreement will have to come back to Council for its consideration.”

“So is your answer you don’t know?” Ford shot back.

“The answer is there will be things in the development agreement that aren’t in the memorandum of understanding,” Sapara repeated.

“Neither one of his responses satisfy my concern,” Ford told Council. “I’m not going to bring them forward unless the majority of the Council is ready to say clearly they support minority inclusion in the first document and I was getting various reasons as to why now is not the time. When you look at the lack of minority inclusion in some of the big projects, I think it’s always the time. So I’m disappointed in that.”

Many Council members expressed support for such an amendment, but said it would be more appropriate during the next stage of negotiations.

During the vote, Ford started to explain — “I’m voting no till I see the development agreement” — but was cut off by the rest of the roll call.

ProMedica is already working on a diversity inclusion policy, Whitney confirmed after the meeting.

“We have a diversity office and we’ve already been working on what our diversity plan is,” she said. “We don’t have that ready to share yet, but we’re certainly thinking broadly. As was stated today, we want to include women’s business enterprises and minority business enterprises as well, so we will certainly be able to share our plan in the very near future.”

Regarding park maintenance, Whitney said she was satisfied with the current MOU language, which calls for the city to maintain Promenade Park, but allows ProMedica to step in and supplement maintenance at its own cost if the city’s maintenance isn’t up to its standards. However, she said ProMedica is open to further discussion.

“I think the park maintenance is something we can continue to discuss,” Whitney said. “We thought the language (in the MOU) was the best of both worlds. We feel the city probably should be maintaining the park since they will be controlling it and doing programming in it, but that also gives us the ability to add to that and supplement it if we like. But we’re open to further dialogue on it.”

Whitney said she hadn’t seen Carr’s proposal regarding restoration yet, so couldn’t comment.

During remarks before the vote, Council President Paula Hicks-Hudson called ProMedica’s move a game changer and a “magnificent change” for Downtown Toledo’s waterfront.  Councilman Tom Waniewski said he was “disappointed by the last-minute jockeying” with amendments, and evoked Edward Drummond Libbey and Michael Owens, two of the pioneers behind Libbey-Owens-Ford, and the impact their investment and development still has on Toledo.

“This is really an opportunity for us to make history today. It’s not a vote for ProMedica or against ProMedica. It’s a vote for Toledo,” Waniewski said. “If you look at history, the Libbeys and the Owenses saw our water as an asset for their commerce and we’re still reaping the benefits of Libbey’s and Owens’ investments. Now we have another corporate partner who is attracted to the water for the commerce and to make a great campus setting for them. … This is an opportunity for us to repeat the history that the Libbeys and the Owenes started for us using that water. It’s time to move forward.”

Councilwoman Sandy Spang thanked the green space advocates, some of whom were in attendance at the meeting, who had spoken on behalf of saving Promenade Park during previous meetings.

“To those who spoke to the importance of preserving and enhancing our waterfront I want to thank you for being a part of the conversation,” Spang said. “You shed light on a principle that is important and that we must keep before us as we continue to develop Downtown.”

Revised site plan handed to Toledo City Council members for Jan. 20 meeting. Toledo Free Press illustration/image courtesy ProMedica.

Marvel’s secret won’t last long

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0

Is it a reboot? Is it a melding? Or is it simply an event? Marvel Comics isn’t saying exactly, but their announcement this week of a new, all-encompassing project called Secret Wars has already brought comics fans to the brink of tears and in fear for the Marvel Universe they’ve loved for years.

The title Secret Wars stems from an incredibly successful Marvel miniseries from 1984, wherein most of the company’s popular heroes and villains were waylaid by an omnipotent cosmic entity to an alien planet called Battleworld to do –  yep, you guessed it – battle.

In many ways, it kicked off comic book publishers’ obsession with the “event,” cross-universe stories that pull out all stops to not only draw in readers, but also dollars. The latest Secret Wars, beginning this year, promises that and more – if Marvel plays their cards right and avoid angering their core customers.

In a news conference, Marvel told reporters that their main Marvel Universe would collide with their Ultimate Universe, a line of books about an alternate reality begun in 2000. This collision, which they claim has been planned out for years, will create a new Battleworld, yet this time on Earth, not on an alien world.

In effect, all realities, every alternate dimension the company’s created over the last several decades, is fair game for claiming a spot in the patchwork Battleworld.

The kicker to all this is that Marvel also notes that this meshed-up, mashed-up brouhaha will continue past the main Secret Wars story – and that’s what’s made fans nervous and noisy.

The world of comics is a cyclical one, feeding off past glories while trying to attract new readers and maintain a semblance of a status quo. Marvel’s success at the movie boxoffice gives them some street cred to uproot their universes and play with them a bit, but perhaps only to a point.

The company’s top brass are being cagey about all the details, but some suspect that not everything’s written in stone yet with Secret Wars, and things may change depending upon retailers’ attention, attraction, and yes, purchasing.

Soon, it will no longer be a secret whether Marvel fails, or flies with their newest event.

1...158159160...304Page 159 of 304