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Local organizations join Giving Tuesday movement

By
Matt Liasse
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After the long shopping weekend that follows Thanksgiving — Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday — local organizations hope area residents will set aside some money to donate to local organizations during Giving Tuesday.

Interim Executive Director Jill Bunge of Food for Thought said the Toledo nonprofit is hoping to raise enough money on Giving Tuesday to buy a box truck. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni

Interim Executive Director Jill Bunge of Food for Thought said the Toledo nonprofit is hoping to raise enough money on Giving Tuesday to buy a box truck. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni

The national Giving Tuesday campaign, set for Dec. 2, aims to create a day of giving and “raising funds and awareness for important causes everywhere,” according to givingtuesday.org.

The campaign was started in New York two years ago by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation. Since then, community foundations across the country have gotten involved.

The Toledo Community Foundation is planning an initiative offering a matching grant for charities that register locally.

“We think it’s a win-win,” said Keith Burwell, president of Toledo Community Foundation. “It fits our mission of promoting philanthropy in the community.”

Burwell said the donated money goes directly to the organizations.

“This is not a fundraising campaign for the foundation in any way; it’s directly for the organizations in our community,” he said.

Steps and guidelines for local organizations wanting to participate in the campaign are detailed on toledocf.org.

“We start with Thanksgiving. We go to Black Friday, we’re told to spend, spend, spend. We go to Small Business Saturday, we’re told to spend, spend, spend. We go to Cyber Monday, we’re told to spend, spend, spend,” Burwell said. “We think it’s a great idea, on a Tuesday, to go right back where we started to give a little thanks and give back.”

Food for Thought is among the many local organizations participating. The Downtown-based nonprofit is looking to purchase a box truck with funds raised on Giving Tuesday. The organization currently loads their items by hand and is looking for a more efficient way.

A used box truck with liftgate would cost around $8,000, said Jill Bunge, interim executive director at Food for Thought.

“It’s a tangible item that we can source at a reasonable cost and it will allow us to do our food pickups much easier,” Bunge said. “It’s something that, as we’re looking to increase service, would be such a huge help and save the backs of our drivers.”

Bunge added that she has been in talks with other people in the area who would benefit from using the truck as well.

Bunge said Giving Tuesday offers a great way to kick off the giving season by supporting a local organization that provides “a gateway between poverty and prosperity” by serving meals to people in need.

“It’s more than just the food. We try to engage folks [and] have a conversation,” she said.

Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is promoting the gift of girl power. Funds raised on Giving Tuesday will provide financial aid for the organization. The Girl Scouts have a policy of not turning away anyone who wants to join the organization and financial aid helps make that possible.

Funds will also support volunteers and outreach efforts.

“Giving Tuesday is just a way to celebrate giving and celebrate how philanthropy can change the world,” said Major Gifts Manager Erin McPartland. “That’s at the heart of what we do … we’re building future philanthropic leaders.”

The Girl Scouts are encouraging supporters to share why they donated on social media networks using #GiveGirlPower.

Lupus Foundation

The Lupus Foundation of America, Greater Ohio Chapter is also involved in Giving Tuesday. The group works to educate people about lupus and give support to those with the disease.

A local group meets at the Washington branch of the Toledo Public Library from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every fourth Saturday of the month. This group will benefit from the funds as well.

“It’s really important for people to keep in mind that there are a lot of nonprofits out there,” said Marnie Burke, vice president of programs and patient services.

Bittersweet Farms

Whitehouse-based Bittersweet Farms will also be involved for the second year in a row.

The organization is looking to fund its growing horticulture program, which “enables individuals with autism to learn valuable work skills and benefit financially from the sale of Bittersweet’s natural and nutritious products,” according to a news release.

Bittersweet’s board of directors will match the first $1,500 donated. The organization is also in need of gardening tools.

More organizations

The number of local organizations involved with Giving Tuesday is growing by the day. Burwell said the goal was to have 200 groups, and he is confident they will meet it. The full list can be found at toledocf.org.

Other organizations involved at press time include: A.D.A.M.S. House, The Arts Commission, Cherry Street Mission Ministries, Hannah’s Socks, Partners In Education of Toledo, Planned Pethood, Heartbeat of Toledo, UpTown Association, Toledo School for the Arts, Habitat for Humanity of Wood County, Metroparks of Toledo Area, Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Ohio Theatre & Events Center, Children’s Theatre Workshop, The iTaalk Autism Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Kidney Foundation of Northwest Ohio, ProMedica Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo, The Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Ohio, Special Olympics Toledo Public and more.

McGinnis: Go, cart

By
Jeff McGinnis
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It doesn’t matter how many times I have made the decision, I always seem to get it wrong.

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It comes at the least opportune time. It comes after a long trip around Big Brand Name Department Store, grabbing groceries for the week, deciding what deodorant is best (and then settling for the cheapest).

It comes as I approach the last hurdle between myself, my car and my home, secure in the knowledge that I won’t starve or stink for another week.

It comes at the checkout line.

I stand, as always, paralyzed by the choice in front of me. Two lines, seemingly identical. Pushing aside the question of why Big Brand Name Department Store is content with the idea of having roughly 5,000 registers with only two open at any given time, a larger decision looms: Which one should I stand in?

I don’t consider myself unintelligent. I’m often dense and stubborn, sure, but reasonably equipped to make rational and well-informed decisions. But every time this relatively simple query is placed before me — a 50/50 chance to choose which line will finish faster and thus get me home without any more delay than necessary — my lifetime batting average is around .000. If the Riddle of the Sphinx involved a need to checkout quickly and only two registers to choose from, I’m forced to conclude I would be Minotaur Chow faster than you could say, “debit or credit?”

Quickly, my mind runs through the possibilities. The line on the left is shorter. Logic suggests it will proceed more rapidly and thus allow me to exit the store faster. But the man at the end of the line has a cart bursting to the brim. He’s either buying for an entire family or a frat (the presence of beer seems to favor the latter). It may take him until Halley’s Comet next swings by to simply unload the cart.

The right line, while longer, seems to feature customers buying fewer items. But there, smack-dab in the middle of the menagerie — a little old woman. Aww. So sweet. It’ll also take her longer to load and pay for the handful of things she’s purchasing than even Mr. Frat on the right will take. She’ll probably even pay by check. She looks like the type who’d pay by check.

I stand paralyzed for an instant, scanning the scene for some hint of expedience, like a shopping version of “Where’s Waldo?” Have I checked out with these cashiers before? Are they engaging each customer with pleasant but time-wasting small talk or getting to the matter at hand? Is another register opening soon? I pass my gaze along the line of unoccupied lanes, hoping for some sign of a guardian angel, beckoning me toward her now-operational paradise.

There is nothing. I turn to my two available options, keeping a eye in my peripheral for anyone who might be trying to cut in front of me, forcing my hand. I pause. And then, finally, I decide. The whole ordeal has taken but a second or two, but I have put more thought into this decision than I have my last few tax returns. Confident with my choice, I roll my cart to the end of the line and wait. I glance beside me at the adjacent line. I nod politely, as if to say, “Sorry, but I’ve got the good lane this time.”

This thought is never correct. Invariably, the other lane is much, much quicker than mine. Maybe my cashier is slow. Maybe Mr. Frat Guy unloads his cart with the speed of Barry Allen. Maybe the sweet little old lady has finally gotten a debit card. But no matter what, my choice is wrong. I could switch lanes, conceivably, but the faster lane — the lane I didn’t choose — is already filling up with new shoppers who have learned from my mistake. Besides, it would feel like cheating to move at this point. I’ve made my bed, now I have to stand, awkwardly leaning on my cart until it’s time to get out of it.

Of course, I haven’t always gotten it wrong. It just feels like it. Often, it seems as though the mind chooses to focus on the negative things that happen — those petty annoyances that cramp an otherwise happy series of events. And there’s a world of things to be happy about. I’ve just finished a perfectly acceptable shopping experience. Heck, I have enough money to be shopping in the first place. If the worst thing that happens is that I have to wait a few minutes longer at checkout, I’ll happily accept that.

When the guy I pity-smiled at passes in front of me, headed to the door, purchases complete, while I haven’t even cleared the tabloid racks yet — that still ticks me off, though.

Jeff McGinnis is pop culture editor at Toledo Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JeffMac813.

Review: ‘Kronos Rising’ offers a story with teeth … giant teeth

By
Toledo Free Press
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If you’re a fan of big monsters, this is definitely a story for you. Max Hawthorne’s “Kronos Rising” takes readers on a roller coaster ride of gigantic scale. We’re talking prehistoric big.

The heroes of the novel are Jake Braddock, the sheriff of a small coastal Florida town, and Amara Takagi, a marine biologist.

‘Kronos Rising’ by Max Hawthorne

Then there’s the monster. The first clue readers get about its size comes from Amara researching a fragment of the creature’s tooth. According to her calculations, the whole tooth would weigh about 8 pounds. The approximate size of the monster, when we finally encounter it, is more than twice the length and width of a typical city bus. This titanic beast is fast and vicious — at one point it takes down a massive bull sperm whale with little effort.

However, the greater monsters in the book are the humans who want to hunt the beast down and kill it. These characters were your standard two-dimensional bad guys who early on seem destined to end up as monster chow by the end of the book.

For the most part, “Kronos Rising” is a solid read. Hawthorne is good at writing action sequences and keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. That said, Hawthorne’s handling of characters in the story was rather simplistic and two dimensional. But this is a book about a giant monster.  I wasn’t expecting Hemingway.

Reminiscent of “Jurassic Park” or “Jaws,” “Kronos Rising” shows Hawthorne really did his homework to bring the creature to life in the story. He occasionally writes from the viewpoint of the monster in a way that pulls readers in.

Overall, this is a book worth picking up, especially if you’re a fan of monsters or prehistoric animals. It’s a good adventure story and a pretty easy read, which doesn’t slow down or bore the reader. I would give it 8 and a half out of 10 giant fossilized teeth.

“Kronos Rising” is published by Far From the Tree Press Publishing. For more information, visit kronosrising.com or maxhawthorne.com.

— Dave Graham

Retirement Guys: What are you most thankful for?

By
Mark Clair & Nolan Baker
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I (Mark) can recall a couple of Thanksgiving family gatherings at which each member had a chance to say what they were thankful for.

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It can seem kind of awkward to be put on the spot to talk about such personal thoughts in front of a group.  Especially if there are guests (perhaps the daughter’s boyfriend that you are not impressed with) that you don’t want to share anything emotional.  Yet, it might be the patriarch or matriarch of the family who says you are going to do this exercise, so you may not want to let them down or look stupid and may really not have a choice.

When we get beyond the corny awkwardness of that question, and really start thinking about it, we all have a lot to be thankful for. I am thankful for the nice easy chair that reclines that I get to sit in each evening after a busy day. My feet have to be up to achieve optimum comfort. My dad used to refer to this as his “toes pointed heavenward.”

I am also thankful just to be here. To be anywhere. As some say after someone greets them with, “Nice to see you,” “It’s nice to be seen.” It’s a good thing to wake up each morning to another day when you realize that no one knows what tomorrow might bring — good or bad.

Do you sometimes feel like life is passing you by? Once you realize life is short,  you can focus on what is important. We here at The Retirement Guys have the goal and philosophy of not only helping our clients plan for the future, but also to have fun and enjoy life now. We use an approach called The Retirement Game Plan (you can find a summary at www.retirementguysnetwork.com).

Here are five things The Retirement Guys are thankful for:

  1. Our faith in God that gives us hope for what happens when we are done here on Earth.
  2. Loving, taking care of and enjoying time with our family members.
  3. Our work. The Retirement Guys value each of you as clients, listeners of our radio show on 1370 WSPD (Saturdays at 1 p.m.) and readers of Toledo Free Press.
  4. This great country that gives us the freedom to live the way we choose.
  5. Our troops who continue to sacrifice to allow us to live the lives we are living.
  6. There are many more to list, but we are out of space. Give us a call if we can help. When you think retirement, think The Retirement Guys.

For more information, tune in every Saturday at 1 p.m. on 1370 WSPD or visit www.retirementguysradio.com. Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. NEXT Financial Group, Inc. does not provide tax or legal advice. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537. 419-842-0550

Holiday gifts sought for abused, neglected kids

By
Joel Sensenig
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As Black Friday approaches, the holiday shopping season is getting serious.

But a local agency hopes shoppers also give serious thought to helping out Northwest Ohio youth who may not have so many presents under the tree.

WTOL-11 News anchors Emilie Voss and Jerry Anderson are among the media supporters of Lucas County Children Services' Holiday Gift Drive for 2,500 Lucas County children who have been abused or neglected. Toledo Free Press photo and cover photo by Christie Materni

WTOL-11 News anchors Emilie Voss and Jerry Anderson are among the media supporters of Lucas County Children Services’ Holiday Gift Drive for 2,500 Lucas County children who have been abused or neglected. Toledo Free Press photo and cover photo by Christie Materni

Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) is in the midst of its eighth annual Holiday Gift Drive, which will provide presents for 2,500 children who are victims of abuse and neglect. The drive benefits children living in foster homes and those living with relatives while their parents receive LCCS services as well as children still living at home with parents in the LCCS system.

“They’re facing more than one adverse factor in their life,” said Clare Armbruster, president of Friends of LCCS, a nonprofit organization that supports LCCS. “We like to think if they get a few presents, they feel like at least someone cares about them and makes their holidays a little brighter.”

Friends of LCCS volunteers are responsible for collecting new, unwrapped toys dropped off in boxes stationed at 52 businesses throughout the Toledo area. They will also help wrap the thousands of gifts.

Those unsure of what to buy a child should remember four things, Armbruster said: Disney’s “Frozen” toys, Legos, action figures and gift cards, the last being the most desired gifts for teenagers.

“We’re finding there will be a huge demand for ‘Frozen’ merchandise this year,” she said. “We’ve even been going out trying to buy some of it already because it’s really been disappearing. If someone is standing around the store with no idea what to buy … I’d recommend that.”

The drive received a major boost recently when Trans-Siberian Orchestra donated $11,023 to the holiday campaign. The band donated $1 from each ticket sold during their recent two-show appearance at the Huntington Center to the gift drive.

“It was a huge surprise to be selected because there are a lot of children’s charities, but I think it was a natural tie-in because their show is all about Christmas and this money was designated for the gift drive,” Armbruster said.

Even with the large cash donation, Friends of LCCS still has plenty of work to do, with thousands of children to provide presents for.

Students at St. Patrick of Heatherdowns have already been helping out with the drive, gathering toys and gift-card donations.

Through Dec. 17, toys can be dropped off in marked boxes at the LCCS offices, 705 Adams St., or at any of the following businesses: Allshred Services, 3940 Technology Drive, Maumee; Barnes & Noble, 4940 Monroe St. (books only); Brondes Ford, 5545 Secor Road and 1511 S. Reynolds Road, Maumee; The Town Center at Levis Commons (selected retailers); all Toledo-area Burger King locations; all Toledo-area Family Video locations; all Lucas County Kroger stores; Toledo Auto Care, 4544 Monroe St.; Woodcraft, 5311 Airport Hwy.; and all Yark Automotive locations.

Other community partners are Toledo Free Press, WTOL-11, Bennett Management Corp. and 101.5 The River.

“We are a community-oriented company, and to be able to be a part of a successful program such as the [LCCS gift drive] is worth more than words can express,” said Beverly Benner, vice president of administration and marketing for Bennett Management, which owns and operates all Burger King restaurants in the Toledo area.

“We invite the public to stop by any local BK and to drop off a toy or two,” Benner said. “Our Burger King restaurants will also be accepting monetary donations from the day after Thanksgiving through Sunday, Dec. 14.”

WTOL-11 news anchor Emilie Voss said it’s gratifying to watch the community step up and support the drive each year.

“These kids in our community deserve to have a special Christmas,” Voss said. “For me, I love knowing these kids are going back to school and can talk about their new toys just like their friends.”

Voss’ co-anchor Jerry Anderson agreed.

“I love that this toy drive puts smiles on the faces of kids who may not have had a lot of reason to smile in their young lives,” Anderson said. “Yet, while I know that happens, I don’t get to see it. What I do get to see is the generosity of all of those folks who drop off toys.”

“People are so kind,” Anderson said. “They don’t make a big deal about it. They often just quietly drop in their toy and would simply stroll away were it not for our TV crew stopping them to say ‘Thanks.’ It does my heart good.”

Bari Soash, an executive producer at WTOL-11, said the station will push for donations on several days throughout the drive, including a Black Friday event at Franklin Park Mall, where shoppers can drop off toys or cash donations. WTOL-11 will broadcast live from the parking lot in front of Forever 21. The station will also broadcast live and collect for the drive from several Kroger locations Dec. 12.

“It’s a great thing that everyone can do in this community,” Soash said. “You’re already out shopping for your loved ones, and picking up one extra gift can really make a local child’s Christmas. It’s something great that we’re happy to be a part of.”

Kellie Holeman-Szenderski, regional market manager at iHeartMedia, said 101.5 The River has been involved with the drive for a number of years.

“As Toledo’s Christmas music station, we know our audience is very giving and we believe strongly in giving back to the community,” Holeman-Szenderski said. “All of the money and toys raised help give the many needy children of Lucas County something to smile about during the holiday season.”

Mary Beth Zolik and Rick Woodell of 101.5 The River are among the meida supports of Lucas County Children Services' Holiday Gift Drive. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni

Mary Beth Zolik and Rick Woodell of 101.5 The River are among the meida supports of Lucas County Children Services’ Holiday Gift Drive. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni

She said Mary Beth Zolik and Rick Woodell of 101.5 The River will broadcast live from the Burger King location at 4870 Monroe St. near Franklin Park Mall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 13 to raise money and collect toys for the drive. Allshred Services of Maumee will also be at that location during that time, shredding up to five boxes or bags of documents for those who make a donation.

“We support the LCCS Toy Drive every year because it allows us to make a positive impression on youth,” Woodell said. “Some of these kids might otherwise have a negative or defeated attitude about their future. This one gesture is proof that people do care and that Christmas, and what it stands for, is real.”

Those who would like to help out by making an instant donation can text BESTGIFT to 41911. They will then be prompted to select either a $5, $10 or $50 donation to the drive.

Armbruster hopes people find it in their hearts to include children in LCCS services in their gift-giving habits.

“These kids have had a really rough life so far,” she said. “I realize it’s just presents, but it’s a way we can show we care and that they’re not forgotten.”

Ottney: Giving back

By
Erin Holden
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About six years ago, I went Black Friday shopping for the first time, just to see what all the fuss was about.

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What a rush! I didn’t go crazy early or vie for any big-ticket items, but I did pore over newspaper inserts, made a game plan and managed to snag some great deals. I felt like I finally understood why people look forward to this annual tradition.

About three years ago, I took things a step further, spending my first overnight in line at a local electronics store. I have to admit, it was exhilarating to walk away the next morning with two huge TVs at a fraction of their normal cost. What a revelation that I could basically cash in nine hours of cold and boredom for a several-hundred-dollar discount on major electronics.

But what made that experience even more gratifying was both TVs were gifts and I knew my relatively painless night outside would translate into joy on Christmas morning for people I love.

Each year, it seems Black Friday gets earlier and earlier, with more and more stores offering presale discounts on Thanksgiving itself, if not earlier. It’s also extending in the other direction, with Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday also trumpeting deals.

Offering an alternative voice is a national movement called Giving Tuesday. The campaign aims to create a national day of giving, “raising funds and awareness for important causes everywhere.”

“We start with Thanksgiving. We go to Black Friday, we’re told to spend, spend, spend. We go to Small Business Saturday, we’re told to spend, spend, spend. We go to Cyber Monday, we’re told to spend, spend, spend,” Toledo Community Foundation President Keith Burwell told Toledo Free Press. “We think it’s a great idea, on a Tuesday, to go right back where we started to give a little thanks and give back.”

The Toledo Community Foundation is offering matching grants for registered charities, with donated money going directly to the organizations. At press time, more than 180 local organizations were on the list, which can be found online at toledocf.org.

What an amazing opportunity to transform the pressure to spend into something that will have a much more lasting impact.

LCCS Holiday Gift Drive

This is also the time of year when holiday gift drive donation boxes pop up for a variety of excellent causes.

Lucas County Children Services is in the midst of its eighth annual drive. The agency is hoping to collect enough gifts to make sure 2,500 local children who are victims of abuse and neglect will have a happy holiday.

New, unwrapped gifts can be dropped off at 52 area locations through Dec. 17. People can also text BESTGIFT to 41911 to make an instant donation to the drive. (Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor of the drive.)

Santa to a Senior

Kids aren’t the only ones who might not have a merry Christmas this year. There are also gift drives planned for local seniors who might not get a visit from family or a single wrapped package of their own this year, including Be a Santa to a Senior, sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care.

“It is heartbreaking to think of the senior members of our community spending the holidays all by themselves, without any gifts or any way to celebrate the season,” said Scott Rozanski, CEO of the local Home Instead office, in a news release.

Organizers hope to collect 200 gifts by Dec. 10. Trees with ornaments featuring names and gift requests can be found at Genesis Village, 2429 S. Reynolds Road, or the 2925 Glendale Ave. Walmart (starting Nov. 28). For more information, visit BeaSantatoaSenior.com or call (419) 472-8181.

As we enjoy the sparkle of the season, let’s also remember those around us who might not have those holiday joys to look forward to as well as the hardworking organizations who support them.

Sarah Ottney is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @sarahottney.

Pounds: Taxing responsibility

By
Tom Pounds
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Last year at this time, our readers held history in their hands as Toledo Free Press became the first weekly newspaper to publish Lucas County’s delinquent land tax notices, at significant taxpayer savings.

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This year, we’re doing it again.

Inside both this and the Dec. 7 issue of Toledo Free Press, you’ll find a special insert containing the list. The section will also be available online at www.toledofreepress.com in our free digital edition and at publicnoticesohio.com.

The county’s delinquent land tax notices are required by law to be published each year by a newspaper of general circulation.

“The most important reason why this ad has to occur is to protect property rights,” Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez told Toledo Free Press earlier this year. “When we’re saying, ‘You’re delinquent to the point where we can take your property,’ this becomes the last call to the public to get in here and pay your taxes.”

In October 2011, Gov. John Kasich signed into law Ohio House Bill 153, which broke the monopoly daily publications held on legal notices purchased with public money.

The bill eliminated the limitation that linked charging for newspapers with being permitted to publish legal notices. It opened the legal publication business to any newspaper of general circulation that publishes at least once a week and meets other criteria, including containing at least 25 percent editorial content, being published continuously for at least three years and the ability to add subscribers to its distribution list, all of which Toledo Free Press satisfies. The bill also requires a participating newspaper to offer its best classified rate.

Allowing newspapers such as Toledo Free Press to publish these notices is intended to ensure that the best rate offered by any participant in this market will be competitive. The result has been substantial savings for all who are required to publish legal notices.

A number of agencies have begun taking advantage of our lower rates to reach Lucas County taxpayers, including the Village of Ottawa Hills, City of Toledo, City of Sylvania, Monclova Township, Lucas County Metropolitan Housing Authority, Toledo Public Schools, Metroparks of Toledo Area and Washtenaw County.

During a special meeting Nov. 19, the Lucas County Commissioners voted to award this year’s contract for publishing the delinquent land tax notices to Toledo Free Press after the Auditor’s Office reviewed submitted bids and recommended Toledo Free Press’ as the “lowest and best.”

We are pleased to print and distribute this list for the second year, at significant savings for Lucas County taxpayers. We are proud that the county chose us for this important task and are confident we will do a great job, as we did last year.

Tom Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].

Toledo Area Artists Exhibition on display at TMA through Jan. 4

By
Erin Holden
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A curated exhibit of regional artwork opened last night at Toledo Museum of Art (TMA).

The free exhibit features 73 works by 28 artists, selected from a review of 462 portfolios. Mediums represented in the show include sculptures, paintings, drawings, video works, installations and ceramics.

The 95th annual Toledo Area Artists show at Toledo Museum of Art opens Nov. 21 and runs through Jan. 4. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney

The 95th annual show was curated by TMA Mellon Fellow Halona Norton-Westbrook. Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight, a former Toledo Museum of Art fellow and a three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism, was this year’s juror.

This exhibition will be on display at TMA’s Canaday Gallery through Jan. 4.

The 2014 TAA artists are: Andrew Borowiec of Akron; Dennis Wojtkiewicz of Bowling Green; Charles Mintz of Cleveland; Corrie Slawson of Cleveland Heights; Laura Alexander, Molly Jo Burke, Leah Frankel, Nathan Gorgen and Andrea Myers, all of Columbus; Jefferson Nelson of Liberty Center; Julie Friedman of Medina; Sandra Jane Heard of Perrysburg; Michael Arrigo, David Eichenberg, Timothy Gaewsky, Ben Grazzini, Natalie Lanese, Zak Lyons and Michael Sheets, all of Toledo; K.A. Letts and Katie St. Clair of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Jason Carter of Berkley, Michigan; Kenneth Thompson of Blissfield, Michigan; Heather Macali and Margi Weir of Detroit; Joshua Newth of Farmington Hills, Michigan; Chris LaPorte of Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Chet Geiselman of Muncie, Indiana.

“Swilind,” an acrylic and photo collage by Katie St. Clair of Ann Arbor, left, was awarded Best in Show, the show’s top prize. Next to it are a series of photographs by Charles Mintz of Cleveland. The show’s juror, Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight, said the two works are different but “speak” to each other. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney

“We were very pleased by the wide range of work and the high caliber of the work being produced in this region,” Norton-Westbrook said in a news release.

“Given the nature of the show, there isn’t necessarily coherence among works, although I did notice certain things have been installed in ways where some works talk to other works in their vicinity,” Knight said during a media preview of the show Nov. 21. “I’m of the opinion that interesting works of art speak in two ways: They speak as loudly as possible in the voice of the artist but they also — really interesting artists tend to want to have their work speak to other art. I see art as a conversation among artists through the vehicle of the work they do and that gets reflected in the way this show is installed.”

One example Knight offered was “Swilind,” an acrylic and photo collage by Katie St. Clair of Ann Arbor, which is installed next to a series of photographs by Charles Mintz of Cleveland. St. Clair’s painting was awarded Best in Show, the show’s top prize.

“Visually they don’t look alike, but both of them are about this kind of melancholic poetry of collapse,” Knight said.

Knight also pointed to “City Band,” a massive pencil on paper drawing of a marching band by Chris La Porte of Grand Rapids, Michigan, which hangs across from a series of small oil painting portraits by David J. Eichenberg of Toledo — both examples of what Knight calls hyperrealism.

“Both of them have a photographic quality, but that photographic quality I think is deceptive because this image which does derive from a photograph is very different from the actual photograph,” Knight said. “One of the obvious differences between a photograph and a drawing is a photograph is largely instantaneous and this drawing (‘City Band’) probably took a year. So you see time in it, in a way you don’t see time in a photograph.

“Doug,” on oil painting by David J. Eichenberg of Toledo. Photo Courtesy Toledo Museum of Art

“And here’s a portrait (by Eichenberg) of a guy who works with his hands, clearly, and it’s a handwork portrait of a guy who works with his hands,” Knight said. “The historical style is kind of a traditional renaissance motif, of an aristocrat in profile, and aristocrats tended not to work with their hands. I also love the way his eyes are shaded with his glasses, which for him are to aid in perception, which is also what we are trying to do looking at the painting.”

TMA has gotten some negative pushback from the artistic community regarding the exhibit, particularly with how few artists were chosen for this year’s show.

TMA Director Brian Kennedy said the show — like the museum and the art world itself — have changed over the years. To pointed to other controversies in the show’s history, including 1978 when photographs were accepted for the first time and 1991 when video was accepted for the first time.

“My hope is in all of this, we’ll be just very thoughtful,” Kennedy said. “And being thoughtful is being open to critique and welcoming it and listening and then dialoguing and continuing to adapt, to come up with a model that works. And maybe that will be impossible. Maybe the nature of art today is it will continue to change each time.”

TMA is one of the only major art museums to offer a juried art show for regional artists each year.

“It’s pretty special this still exists,” Norton-Westbrook said. “And part of that is keeping it fresh each year.”

Upcoming events related to the exhibition include:

  • 3 p.m. Nov. 22: Gallery talk featuring artists Laura Alexander, Michael Arrigo, Andrew Borowiec, Molly Jo Burke, Leah Frankel, Nathan Gorgen, Natalie Lanese and Chris LaPorte.
  • 3 p.m. Nov. 23: Gallery talk featuring artists Sandra Jane Heard, Heather Macali, Charles Mintz, Jefferson Nelson, Joshua Newth and Michael Sheets.
  • 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4: “Toledo Writes: Readings by Toledo area writers” hosted by Ryan Bunch, performing and literary arts coordinator at The Arts Commission.
  • 3 p.m. Dec. 6: Gallery talk featuring artists David Eichenberg, Zak Lyons, Andrea Myers, Corrie Slawson, Kenneth Thompson and Katie St. Clair
  • 3 p.m. Dec. 7: Gallery talk featuring artists Tim Gaewsky, Chet Geiselman, Ben Grazzini, K.A. Letts, Margi Weir and Dennis Wojtkiewicz.

For more information, visit toledomuseum.org.

UT theater gives Swedish tale ‘Miss Julie’ modern twist

By
Toledo Free Press
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In the world of theatre, few plays can be considered as transformational and groundbreaking as August Strindberg’s “Miss Julie.” Originally written in 1888, the tragic tale of an upper-class woman desperate to escape the trappings of her world through an affair with a servant has resonated with audiences around the world for over a century, surpassing all boundaries of culture and language.

Now, the University of Toledo Department of Theatre and Film brings Strindberg’s tale to life once more in a new production of “Miss Julie,” directed by Associate Theatre Professor, Cornel Gabara, from a new translation of the original Swedish text by Daniel Thobias, Assistant Professor of Theatre. The show began its run on November 21 and will continue with a second weekend of performances, December 5 through 7.

“I’ve been translating things here and there, mostly modern pieces,” Thobias, a native Swede, said in an interview with Toledo Free Press. “And I wanted to try something a little more difficult. And Strindberg is — it’s not modern Swedish, but it’s not that far removed, so it’s not too difficult to translate. So I wanted something that people knew about.”

“Strindberg describes ‘Miss Julie’ as the first true Swedish Naturalistic play,” Gabara said. “Starting from this statement, I consider this play to be about a woman who tries to live ‘truly’ to her nature, in spite of differences established by different social classes, gender relationships and religious dogma.”

For writer Thobias, “Miss Julie” is a text that has had resonance throughout his life — he was first introduced to the play in grade school in his native Sweden, where it is a standard. But he saw deeper themes in the text that he felt would be easily relatable to a modern English-speaking audience, if only for a language barrier — and not just between Swedish and English.

“I’ve read a lot of other translations, and overall, they were done quite a while ago. They are old, because they were done a long time ago, and the English in and of itself feels old-fashioned. And when people see a play like that, and the English comes across as old-fashioned, they think the play, in itself, is old-fashioned,” Thobias said.

“But it really isn’t. When you read the original language, it actually comes across as fairly contemporary, actually. Even though the idioms and certain expressions aren’t used anymore, it still feels very vibrant and new. “

Gabara, on the other hand, came to the piece first later in life — through a Romanian translation while working at the National Theatre of Bucharest. But he too believed that the play’s story could resonate to Ohio audiences once Thobias suggested the project.

“When Daniel proposed a new translation of the play, I was immediately interested,” Gabara said. “Thus I had the opportunity to compare many different translations of the text, and I find that Daniel’s translation is particularly theatrical and contains a solid understanding of dramatic action. Due to the fact that he is a person of theatre — rather than a linguist or poet — he understands how language works onstage, and his language is more accessible to actors and audience. He has also captured a more contemporary feel without losing the original imagery and poetry. “

Beyond work on his new translation, Thobias has been heavily involved in the process of developing the final production, which was not his goal initially. “I wanted to be very hands-off on the project. Unfortunately, just because I’m a professor here, that was not possible,” he said. “Ideally, I just wanted to hand my translation over and just walk in for the opening. That’s what I wanted. But that can’t happen. Not only because of the collaboration with Cornell, but also, I am a mentor for the set designer. So, I’ve been heavily involved with that, I’ve been involved with publicity.

“I’m more involved than I want to be. But it’s also a lot of fun, obviously.”

In the end, as Julie stares out at a world that may no longer support individuals like herself, director Gabara believes that even though the class structure that Strindberg was depicting and deconstructing may be obsolete, the emotional core of the piece remains as relatable as ever.

“The play has endured more than a century because Strindberg was able to understand human nature, and human nature has not changed,” Gabara said. “We still love as passionately and hate as deeply; we act and react the same way as described in great works of all universal or ‘classic’ playwrights, from Euripides, to Shakespeare, to Chekhov, to Beckett, to Sarah Kane. Strindberg is among these great observers of humanity.”

New book unearths tales of locals buried at Woodlawn

By
Joel Sensenig
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A cemetery may not be one’s first thought to stop when researching the history of Toledo’s early movers and shakers.
But two local women may help change that with the release of their new book, “Toledo’s Woodlawn Cemetery.”

Rebecca Deck Visser and Renee Ciminillo Jayne, who have worked as docents at the 1502 W. Central Ave. cemetery founded in 1876 for the past several years, teamed up to write the book, published this month as part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series.

“There’s over 70,000 people buried here,” Jayne said. “Everybody knows somebody that’s here.”

Visser said the duo wanted the book to serve as a guide to local history — a history many people are not familiar with.

“There’s so much history here,” Visser said. “People have no clue. … You have names like Laskey, Upton, Secor. That’s Toledo.”

Through the use of more than 200 images of both the people buried in the cemetery as well as their (often elaborate, building-like) monuments, the book gives insights into Toledo history using names such as Libbey, Flower, Browning, DeVilbiss, Swayne and Ford.

Baseball Hall of Famers are buried at Woodlawn. A survivor of the Titanic is there. The man credited with establishing professional baseball in Toledo is on its grounds. The man who invented roller skates is within its gates.

“I’d like people to understand that everybody — it doesn’t matter if they’re a big name like Libbey or just a regular everyday person — everybody has made a contribution to Toledo’s culture in one way or another,” Jayne said. “The people we highlighted in the book, all of those people had something happen to them in life, either through hard work or some special skill or talent, that they were able to utilize to make Toledo a better place.”

The authors each have their favorite parts of the book.
Visser’s favorite part is the last chapter in the book, dedicated to the Lloyd brothers, Toledo stone cutters who created some of the most elaborate monuments in the cemetery, making it an outdoor art museum of sorts.

“People don’t really look at the art that’s in the stones,” she said. “That’s my passion.”

Jayne’s favorite part of the book was highlighting John Gunckel, whose stone pyramid memorial ranks as among the most unique, impressive monuments in Woodlawn Cemetery. Sometimes referred to as the “Father of the fatherless,” Gunckel dedicated his life to guiding the most undisciplined boys of Toledo onto the right path through his program, the Toledo Newsboys Association.

““He’s a person who, for a whole generation, saved these young boys from becoming societal dropouts. If it wasn’t for him, so many of these young men would not have been the responsible citizens they turned into,” Jayne said.

A photograph of some of these boys standing beside his memorial was given to the authors by a granddaughter of Gunckell for use on the cover of the book.

The 128-page, softcover book is available at Woodlawn Cemetery, area bookstores as well as major book outlets, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Its list price is $21.99.

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