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Thirsty Houligans lament ‘Xmas in Jail’ on CD

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Toledo Free Press
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Thirsty Houligans is Mic Graves, Kevin “Kehhab” Haberkamp, Sean McMahon, Christopher Zielinski and Kev Tufts. Photo courtesy Mic Graves

“Xmas in Jail” — Thirsty Houligans’ contribution to the American Red Cross benefit CD “Red, White & You, Too!” ­— boasts a country flair that ventures to the fringe of the band’s trademark music style. They call it “Rust Belt Folk ’n’ Roll,” a blend of Irish and Appalachian folk, alternative rock, old-school country and rockabilly.

“It’s a little different than most of the stuff we do — [it] leans more toward country, but I’m really happy with how it turned out,” said Mic Graves.

Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller, who produced the benefit CD, said the Houligans’ song inspired the “Christmas in July” portion of the CD.

“I loved the track but it didn’t fit with the [TFP Make-A-Wish benefit   CD] holiday theme,” Miller said. “Put-in-Bay’s Christmas in July is a fun part of summer, so pairing the Houligans with the Extra Stout version of ‘Christmas in Killarney’ struck me as a quirky and fun touch.”

The lyrics describe how the ex-wife of a “bad old boy” nags him on Christmas Eve about a past mistake, namely spending Christmas in a county jail after getting arrested for drunk driving.

“The lyrics are nothing from personal experience, but everybody knows somebody like that, at least I do,” Graves said.

“I wrote the song on a spring or summer afternoon a few years ago sitting on a sofa in Tokyo, Japan. I don’t know why. Maybe I was feeling a little homesick.”

Graves said he never noticed anything spectacular about Toledo until he left it behind to live in Tokyo for nine years.

After deciding to come back to the Glass City, Graves introduced “Xmas in Jail” to one of his former bands but it didn’t go anywhere. After bringing the Toledo-inspired song to Thirsty Houligans, it was an immediate hit.

“People really like it. Some of the guys would like to play that song at every concert, but I have this thing about confining Christmas songs to Christmas,” Graves said.

“Xmas in Jail” is one of Thirsty Houligans’ many original compositions. The five-man band also plays popular covers.

The members of Thirsty Houligans feel ecstatic that “Xmas in Jail” will be “part of something bigger” as a part of “Red, White & You, Too!,” Graves said.

The CD is available at all local Frisch’s Big Boy and Ralphie’s restaurants for $10, which includes a $4 coupon to those eateries. One hundred percent of sales goes to the American Red Cross of Northwest of Ohio.

Arts Commission’s SoundTrek celebrates local music’s past, present

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Toledo Free Press
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If your taste in music is eclectic and you want more bang for your buck, The Arts Commision’s SoundTrek ’14 will blow your mind. For a $10 advance wristband, locals can watch 37 regional bands play from 7 p.m. to midnight July 19 art venues in UpTown. According to Ryan Bunch, performing and literary arts coordinator for the Arts Commission, this event, now in its fourth year, celebrates the city’s rich musical history.

“A couple years ago we received some funding from the Toledo Community Foundation to help increase opportunities for local performers,” Bunch said. “One of the things the performers were telling us was there’s not a lot of opportunities for them to perform and get paid for doing so.”

This inspired Bunch and his associates to create an event which highlights musicians of all backgrounds and skill sets in order to increase their fan bases and further their careers.

Dolfish, a singer-songwriter in Cleveland Heights, will join the lineup again this year at the Ottawa Tavern.

“He loves the city and has agreed to come back for this,” Bunch said. “He headlines all kinds of events and is really well-known in his genre. ”

Larry Meyer, drummer for acoustic Americana band Old State Line, uses his experience as a musician when serving as a volunteer on the planning committee.

“Playing the festival every year has given me some insight into things that need to be in place in terms of infrastructure, providing a [production assistant] in each venue, and things like that,” Meyer said.

Old State Line will play at The Attic on Adams, which Meyer claims is a rare opportunity since the venue typically doesn’t host live bands.

“It’s really exciting to be part of the festival and to play, but the trade-off is having that block of time spoken for and not being able to go out and see as many other bands as I’d otherwise like to,” Meyer said.

Meyer also stated the beauty of the event is mixing well-known bands in with lesser-known bands, providing opportunity for networking.

Other bands include Nathan Roberts & the New Birds, DJ What the Bleep and Katie’s Randy Cat. The full lineup can be viewed at www.theartscommission.org/programs/soundtrek.

Bunch added any one of these performers can be the next big thing.

A few participating venues are Ottawa Tavern, The Truth Art Gallery, Manhattan’s and Wesley’s.

Although one of the biggest challenges in organizing SoundTrek is coordinating schedules between several bands and venues, Bunch credits the community as a whole for making the event work so well.

Bunch said there will be an after-party at Wesley’s and many other venues will have events following the festival.

Meyer added, “It’s really nice because it’s so concentrated. All these bands are playing at venues on one line of sight up and down Adams Street. It’s like a big party.”

Wristbands to SoundTrek are $10 in advance, $15 the night of show or $5 for individual venue admission. Purchases can be made at www.theartscommission.org or by calling (419) 254-2787.

Sharp: Hobby Lobby lessons

By
Kenneth Sharp
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T  he Hobby Lobby opinion announced at the close of the Supreme Court’s term has ignited a firestorm between deeply divided sides. What is missing from the debate is how the decision illuminates how our system works.

The decision pertains to “closely held” corporations — privately held companies that have 50 percent or more of their stock value held by five or fewer individuals (according to the Internal Revenue Service definition). Closely held corporations still employ a great number of people, perhaps as many as 29 million, according to figures from the U.S. Census  Bureau (according to the Pew Research Center).

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So why do the few shareholders in a privately held corporation get to tell the employees what will be paid for under a government-mandated insurance program? Again, working back from the decision, the grounds were laid by the Affordable Care Act, The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the Constitution. The main focus was on the RFRA, enacted in 1993, signed by President Bill Clinton and passed by a unanimous House of Representatives and a nearly unanimous Senate (three dissents). As usual, this law was intended to clean up the mess from earlier sweeping legislation including the misguided and horribly costly War on Drugs.

In a particular example (Employment Division v. Smith), two Native Americans were denied federal benefits for the use of peyote (a traditional natural drug) in religious ceremonies. The RFRA was intended to allow, without federal government intrusion, free exercise of one’s legitimate faith. The Hobby Lobby decision wasn’t judicial activism by the Court, as it usually isn’t. Congress has created more than enough laws with more than enough loopholes to allow nearly any opinion by the Court. Also, as usual, a sweeping government answer has created more problems.

Does Hobby Lobby exercise religion? This brings in the thorny issue of corporate personhood. This is not a new issue and has been before the Court numerous times since the 1800s. The government wants to encourage business. It recognizes freedom of assembly and that when people act in concert toward a specific goal certain rights are beneficial

To that end, among the rights afforded, corporations are allowed to sue and be sued, own property and enter into contracts while the shareholders are not liable beyond their investment for debts. In fact, the U.S. Code § 1, states, when determining the meaning of an act of Congress, “the words ‘person’ and ‘whoever’ include corporations, companies, associations, firms, partnerships, societies, and joint stock companies, as well as individuals.”

However corporations have been denied Fifth Amendment privileges against self-incrimination and the right to vote, as these were determined to be strictly individual rights. So the Court has now determined that the free exercise of religion is a collective as well as individual right for some corporations. But what of the employee’s rights when government mandates? Here we go further down the rabbit hole. Hobby Lobby’s owners aren’t denying access, just refusing to pay.

The real question that needs to be asked is: Why are employers involved in employees’ health care at all? Back to government interference — this time during World War II. When the government established wage controls for the war effort, businesses began to incentivize workers with health benefits to attract and retain workers. Eventually this led to the expectation of these benefits and began to include subsidies from the government to corporations for providing them.

What is the Hobby Lobby lesson? That sweeping government answers to problems like wage controls, drugs, religious freedom and health care often create greater harm than the problems they sought to solve. They do so by concentrating power and further reducing the choice of the individual. The result is usually dependence and calls for more government action.

The Court sought a narrow answer to a question that never should have been presented. Corporations are a fiction of government and government is a fiction of the people. Government is also nothing more than force. To answer how we wish to use that force, we must answer how we wish to be used by that force.

Kenneth Sharp can be reached at [email protected].

Naval Armory at Bay View Park: A return to glory?

By
Lou Hebert
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The Naval Armory at Bay View Naval Armory Park closed to the public in the 1980s. Photo by Lou Hebert

One of my personal missions in recent years has been to help identify some of the local treasures that have been lost in Toledo. I look for buildings and structures that help define the city’s past but have been left to the cruelty of benign neglect and the ravages of time. Some may be worth saving. Others not so much. But as the city debates and argues about the “blight” that has become a far too common part of the city’s landscape, let’s make sure we don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, for there is value in rediscovering and preserving many of these icons of the city’s past.

Hebert-Lou_WEBThe list of these “lost” treasures is impressive. The Erie Street Market or Toledo Civic Theater formerly Toledo Civic Auditorium building, The Spitzer Building, The Toledo Police Department range house at Detwiler Park, the decaying Pythian Castle and the grand Burt Theater on Jefferson Avenue, the old Toledo Edison steam plant on the riverfront, the historic Lucas County Sheriff’s residence, Fire Station No. 3 in North Toledo, the Ohio Theatre on Lagrange St. … the list goes on.

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One building that holds some future promise for rediscovery is currently an empty shell that needs immediate attention if it is going to avoid the pain of a wrecking ball. It may well be one of our greatest treasures: The Bay View Naval Armory Park.

Since it closed to the public in the 1980s, not many people have been inside the armory, which resides along the banks of the Maumee River tucked behind the Toledo Yacht Club, not far from the Bay View Retirees Golf Course and the Toledo waste-water treatment plant.

But once you’ve seen it, you’re not likely to forget it. It is impressive. Displaying the traditional “Navy” look of the 1930s, it offers a touch of Art-Deco and an eye-catching semicircular front portico of reclaimed sandstone.

During its heyday, it was one of this city’s grand places to have dinners, see shows, hear bands, and dance. These attractions were of course, in addition to its regular use as a Naval training station and induction center during World War II.

While there have been some discussions as to what its future holds, I have learned that there is renewed interest to give this monument to our civic pride a new tomorrow.

The nonprofit historical group the Last Patrol is talking with the current owner, Roger Homrich Jr., about purchasing the 100,000 square-foot building and the surrounding property to become a regional training center for young cadets from the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps and other maritime training for young people. It would be called Liberty Station and would host thousands of young people to train there every year from across the country. And because of its sheer size and history, it would also be used as a museum venue for this areas’ proud and formidable Navy and Coast Guard heritage. In future years, its deep water frontage could easily accommodate a military museum ship.

The Last Patrol

The Last Patrol is a group of like minded Toledo-area folks, headed up by brothers John and Jeff Nowakowski, who are also very active in the local Sea Cadets program based in Perrysburg Township. The Last Patrol was originally formed to teach and preserve military history and to display that history on the homefront. One of their early goals was to bring a retired Navy or Coast Guard ship to the area, as a floating museum, but that has yet to happen.

Their most recent attempt to acquire the Toledo-built USS Storis, a WWII era Coast Guard cutter, ended late last year when the U.S. government sold the historic Storis to an Australian salvage company, which towed the ship to a cutting yard in Mexico, where it has already been cannibalized for salvage. No doubt that it would have made an impressive display in Toledo, had it been allowed to come home to the city where it was built at the shipyards on Maumee River. Alas, it was not to be and I will write about the tragic demise of the USS Storis in the future.

Naval airman relief on the Upper exterior of the Bay View Naval Armory. Photo by Lou Hebert.

Naval airman relief on the Upper exterior of the Bay View Naval Armory. Photo by Lou Hebert.

Undaunted by the loss of the Storis, the Nowakowski brothers and the Last Patrol remain determined to not only tell the story of the American military, but also to expand the group’s mission: To create a national youth training center at the historic Bay View Naval Armory for the Navy’s Sea Cadet Corps and the Navy League Cadet Corps. Their vision is to create a place where not only the Cadets could train and learn, but would also be a training venue for other youth groups such as local schools, the Sea Scouts, the Girl and Boy Scouts, the Young Marines or the Civil Air Patrol. Students would be housed on a special dormitory barge moored along the riverfront.

While the vision for this center certainly has a big “wow” factor, it will take more than dreams to bring this aging icon back to life. It will require lots of work and time and of course, lots of dollars. Millions in fact. $6 million to $10 million, for a start. But the Nowakowski brothers don’t view the huge price tag as a impossible obstacle.

John and Jeff and other members of the Last Patrol think it can be done through a combination of community support, donations, sponsors, grants and naming rights. John says he and his brother Jeff are committed to this project. “Our parents instilled in us a great love for our nation and our history. Me being a Marine, also helped. We tried doing the museum idea … but then we got involved with the Navy Sea Cadets and saw how much it helped the kids. The idea of combining our dreams with a program that just does good for the community just seemed to make sense.”

The first hurdle is obtaining the money to buy the armory from its current owner, the Homrich family of Monroe, who bought it from the City of Toledo in 2004 for about $100,000. Their hopes of turning it into a boat storage facility never materialized, although they made numerous repairs to the building to keep it from falling into irreversible disrepair. The price tag for the Last Patrol would be about $600,000. John Nowakowski is not sure exactly where that initial acquisition money will come from, but believes that if the Last Patrol can get the word out to the community about their vision and plans for Liberty Station they feel strongly that it could trigger a wave of support to get the money to buy the armory property. Once that is done, then they’ll have something tangible to work with and show to the public.

Here’s what they would see. Built in 1935 and 1936 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the four-story Bay View armory was designed as a training facility and process center for the Navy prior to World War II. Interestingly, like many area structures built by the WPA during the lean years of the Depression, much of the structure was built using salvaged materials from other local historic buildings that were not preserved. The legacies of those old Toledo structures still live on in the brick and sandstone that grace the impressive façade of armory.

The interior of the armory was designed to reflect the interior of a ship, and even featured a ship’s bridge that overlooks the massive drill and parade deck on the second floor . It is so large that it became one of the city’s largest venues for public events during the 1940s and ’50s. Even through the 1960s, the armory’s deck was still being used for high school proms and graduation ceremonies, in addition to its regular schedule of dinners and other public events. The 7-acre grounds upon which it sits, also provides a lush park-like surrounding of greenery, trees and a magnificent view of Maumee Bay and the Maumee River.

But, sadly, the interior and exterior need a lot of labor and love to restore it to a useable condition. The roof has lingering weak spots and some of the façade stone and ornate detail work has been loosened and lost to time and gravity. The interior, I am told, is not much better than it was when I got inside to take photos while the city still owned it 10 years ago. Water damage, cracks in walls and rusted metal are the common sight in the warren of rooms and work areas of the building. But vision and leadership require looking past what something is, and seeing what something can be. That will be paramount here. And certainly what John and Jeff Nowakowski possess as they look beyond the busted windows and the peeling paint of the once-grand armory is a shiny dream. They believe others in the community will see it with them and join them to make it a reality.

Email Toledo Free Press columnist Lou Hebert at [email protected].

Downtown walking tour to highlight food, art, history

By
Jeff
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DiAnn Guerrero, left, and Mallory Guerrero of Toledo Flavors Food Tours. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney

A local mom and daughter team are set to launch a Downtown walking tour showcasing the neighborhood by way of its food while also highlighting its art, architecture and history.

Toledo Flavors Food Tours will officially kick off July 10. The three-hour tour will be offered 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays and will include tastings at six Downtown eateries as well as stops at several Downtown businesses and plenty of historical and architectural highlights along the way.

Culinary samples will include a hotdog and pickles from Packo’s at the Park, a Garbage Salad from Grumpy’s, a danish from All Crumbs Artisan Bakery, fair-trade coffee from Downtown Latte, shepherd’s pie from The Blarney Irish Pub and charcuterie and grape juice from Veritas Cork & Craft, a wine bar opening soon at the Commodore Perry Building. Between food tastings, groups will stop at Fifth Third Field, Erie Street Market, Shared Lives Studio and public art installations like The Arts Commission’s artist-designed bike racks, frogs and yarnbombs.

DiAnn Guerrero of Graytown has been thinking about starting a food tour in Toledo for years, but the business started coming together earlier this year when she and her daughter, Mallory Guerrero of Sylvania, went on a food tour during a family trip to Las Vegas in March.

“My mom likes to go on food tours and she’s done quite a few of them,” Mallory said. “She was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if Toledo had a food tour?’  On the plane ride home we had hours to brainstorm the possibilities, and a month later we were actually starting one. It was just a ‘Wouldn’t it be cool?’ kind of conversation that turned into a full-fledged business.”

“I had actually been thinking about it a long time before then,” DiAnn said. “I’d traveled with some friends to New York, San Francisco, Knoxville. We had done food tours and we always thought it would be cool for Toledo to have one, but the timing never seemed right. Years went by and, with all the stuff happening Downtown now, I thought, ‘Maybe now’s the time.’”

A Garbage Salad from Grumpy’s is one of the tastings on the Toledo Flavors Food Tour. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney

To prepare, they attended a food tour seminar in Chicago, then started doing research and talking to restaurants. They also sought information and advice from The Arts Commission, Downtown Toledo Pub Club, the Toledo Warehouse District Association and others.

The goal is to introduce more people to what’s available Downtown and help them feel comfortable there, Mallory said.

“Unless you live or work Downtown, a lot of people are reluctant to come down here outside of an event,” she said. “We just want to help educate people that there is a lot to do down here and it’s really not a scary place and has a lot to offer.”

Some food tours only involve restaurants and are more like progressive dinners, Mallory said, but all DiAnn’s favorites have also incorporated history and architecture, so that’s what they wanted to bring to Toledo.

“That in my mind is the best kind of food tour,” DiAnn said. “The ones I’ve liked the most have been the ones that have gotten us acclimated to the downtown or the city, especially in bigger cities like Chicago or New York, where they take you on the side streets and make you feel like you would be comfortable going back and walking to one of those locations from your hotel.”

DiAnn, an accountant, handles the business side of the venture, while Mallory, who works in human resources and has more than 12 years experience as a server and restaurant manager, is the tour guide.

Grumpy’s launching its Grumpy’s on the Go food truck last month was good timing for the tour, Mallory said.

“We really wanted Grumpy’s to be part of the tour, but they aren’t open on Saturdays, so we were really excited when they decided to open Grumpy’s on the Go because it allowed them to be part of the tour,” Mallory said. “We’ve gotten a lot of really good feedback from that.”

The Blarney General Manager Bill Kline said he was excited to hear about the venture.

“It’s a fantastic way to showcase The Blarney and all the fabulous Downtown hotspots,” Kline said. “We are all for encouraging new business Downtown and assisting those that assist us in bringing new business. It really was a no-brainer.”

Toledo Flavors Food Tours will be offered 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays starting July 10. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney

As word has spread, some restaurants and businesses have approached them.

“The Mud Hens actually contacted us,” DiAnn said. “We knew we’d obviously talk about the Mud Hens during the tour, but we didn’t think they’d actually meet with us so we didn’t initially reach out. When they called us and wanted to share their story with us, we were very excited about that.”

Among comments from participants overheard during a recent “practice” tour were: “Wow, I never noticed that till she pointed it out,” “I never had fried pickles before — delicious,” “I’ve never been down here before” and “I’m going to come back here for sure.”

Randy Lake of Westmoreland, who works with DiAnn, took the tour with his wife, Janna, and their neighbor Cindy Cook.

“I thought three hours was going to be too long, but it was perfect,” Janna said. “I cannot wait for Veritas to open and I will come back to The Blarney for the shepherd’s pie.”

“I just liked learning the history of Toledo. There were a lot of things I didn’t know,” Cook said. “As far as food, that danish pastry was really good.”

The tour will likely change as they learn new information or other businesses want to get involved, Mallory said.

“I’ll never proclaim to know all there is to know about Toledo, so as the tour evolves I’m sure I will become even more educated and people on the tours will probably know things I don’t and can add to the conversation,” Mallory said.

The tours will be offered through September, possibly longer depending on weather and interest, Mallory said. Cost is $42 for adults and $30 for children 12 and younger and participants will receive several tour-exclusive coupons to Downtown restaurants. Each tour group is limited to 10 people. Gift certificates are available.

For more information or to make reservations, visit toledoflavors.com or call 866-736-6343.

Extra Stout brings holiday spice to Red Cross benefit CD.

By
Jeff
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Ellen McCarty of Extra Stout remembers hearing “Christmas in Killarney” played around the holidays at her Irish-born grandmother’s house in Toledo in the 1950s.

Extra Stout

“Most of us with Irish backgrounds will have similar memories,” she said.

All six members — Ellen, her husband Mike McCarty, their nephew Tom Moeller, Marty Brogan, Tom Troy and Renata Burgett — have Irish roots. Irish-Americans John Redmond, James Cavanaugh and Frank Weldon wrote the traditional Irish Christmas song in 1950, Ellen said. It became a hit when sung by Irish tenor Dennis Day. Since then, the song has been covered by many others, including Bing Crosby and The Irish Rovers.

McCarty said Extra Stout’s version, which appears on this summer’s American Red Cross benefit CD “Red, White & You, Too!” “Christmas in July” section, was modeled after The Irish Rovers version.

“It just makes you happy. It makes you want to dance, makes you want to sing,” Ellen said. “We did kind of put our own touch on it. We have a great fiddle player (Burgett) so we made sure we made that a strong part of the song. I think it adds so much to the song. We also have some really good vocals so we wanted to make sure that was accentuated.”

The group, whose name comes from the label on a bottle of Guinness, is working on its third album.

“The music is pretty much an expression of joy and stems from our common heritage. We try to get everybody [in the audience] to participate. It’s sharing the joy,” Brogan told Toledo Free Press last year.

The McCartys both said it’s an honor to use their music to give back.

“I am really big into helping anybody and I think the rest of the band feels the same way,” Mike said. “It makes you feel good when you can do something with the talent you have that is really going to be a benefit to someone else.”

Children’s charities focus of annual golf tourney

By
Toledo Free Press
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Volunteer coordinator Heather Warga oversees more than 1,000 volunteers at the Marathon Classic each year. Toledo Free Press Photo by Christie Materni

The attention of the golf world turns to Northwest Ohio once a year during the LPGA’s Marathon Classic, set for July 17-20 at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania. But for tournament staff and hundreds of local volunteers, preparing for the tournament is a year-round job — one they take extra pride in because it helps raise millions of dollars for area children’s charities.

From parking cars to quieting crowds to serving food, it takes about 1,000 volunteers to operate the tournament, said Heather Warga, who has been volunteer coordinator since September 2002.

More than 75 percent are returners, she said. About 10 percent have been volunteering more than 20 years, including a few who have worked since the start of the tournament in 1984. Ages range from those in their mid-80s to Warga’s 6-year-old son, who will help hand out water bottles. Charities and sponsors are providing about 300 of the volunteers, including about 140 from title sponsor Marathon Petroleum. Most come from Northwest Ohio, but they also hail from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and even Texas, Warga said.

“It’s the only local tournament where you can see athletes at the level of Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie, Stacy Lewis and, if they hit the ball near the ropes, you’re 2 feet from them, not nosebleed level,” said 70-year-old Lee Meserve, a Bowling Green State University professor who has volunteered at the tournament since it moved to Highland Meadows from the current Stone Oak Country Club in 1989.

“For some reason I didn’t go to the tournament the first year it happened. The second year, I was there four days. The third year I went every day. I thought, ‘If I’m gonna be there the whole time, I might as well give them my time.’ It’s just a really fun way to help the community.”

Since 1984, the tournament has donated $8.1 million to more than 100 Northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan children’s charities. Last year, 23 charities shared $378,000 in proceeds.

“The best thing about my job is I get to work with so many awesome people who take time out of their summer to volunteer,” Warga said. “We have become a family. We are all in this for one common goal and that is to be able to give back to our community and the deserving charities who are making the difference in children’s lives every day.”

Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio and the Jamie Farr Scholarship Fund are charity recipients every year. This year’s other charity recipients are Anne Grady Services, The Arts Partnership of Hancock County, CASA Volunteer Association (Monroe), CASA Volunteer Association (Toledo), Camp Fire Northwest Ohio, Children’s Hunger Alliance, Christian Clearing House, Down Syndrome Association of Greater Toledo, Findlay Family YMCA, The First Tee of Lake Erie, Friends of the Findlay-Hancock County Library, Gliding Stars of Findlay, Junior Achievement of Northwestern Ohio, Mobile Meals of Toledo, Putnam County Educational Service Center, Putnam County YMCA, Ryan’s Place, Specialized Alternatives for Families and Youth, Special Kids Therapy and United Way of Hancock County.

Ronald McDonald House staff members and volunteers operate the 10th hole each year. The organization houses the families of children who come to Toledo for medical care.

“We certainly are very proud to be able to be a part of it,” said president Chad Bringman. “It’s fun to be out there for the week, to mingle with the community and the golfers, and at the same time knowing we are supporting so many organizations.”

The Down Syndrome Association of Greater Toledo plans to use funds raised from the tournament to launch Smart Start, an educational workshop for parents on how to get their kindergarten-age children with Down syndrome ready for school, said Executive Director Richard Harris.

“It’s already a nationally recognized program, but we’ve never had the funds to start it here,” Harris said. “We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity.”

Gliding Stars of Findlay is an adaptive ice skating program for individuals with disabilities.

“At the end of our season, we have an ice show,” said Executive Director Cindy Bregel. “It’s a very emotional event because a lot of times a lot of our stars do not get the opportunity to be in front of an audience, performing and hearing applause. We will be creating a really nice sustainable future for Gliding Stars with the help of the Marathon Classic.”

Mobile Meals of Toledo plans to help cover costs for its Weekender Meal Program for kids, said Executive Director Maureen Stevens.

“We hope to raise funds to feed about 1,500 children at one school for an entire school year,” she said.

Volunteers

Grounds Chairman Jeff Easton of Sylvania Township started volunteering when someone asked him to help. He had some ideas to improve efficiency and soon found himself chairman of the crew responsible for roping and staking the course and erecting light structures, portable toilets, signs and more. Nineteen years later, he’s still on the job.

“Whenever I get frustrated, I think of all the children in our local area who benefit from that tournament and that’s a wonderful thing,” Easton said. “It’s great for the community and great publicity for the area.”

The task of making sure all the players get where they need to be falls to Dan Balduf, 60, of Curtice, a retired City of Oregon employee in his 26th year as a tournament volunteer. As director of transportation, he picks up players and other celebrities from the airport, shuttles them to their hotels and takes them anywhere else they need to go.

“It’s fun to meet the golfers right up front when there’s no pressure on them, when they’re right off the plane in a relaxed condition,” he said.

Unlike most crews, the transportation volunteers are least busy during tournament play.

“That’s our downtime, when players are playing,” Balduf said.

Weather-delayed flights have found Balduf sleeping in his car in a parking lot. His farthest trip was to the airport in Cleveland.

“It was a Swedish golfer in her first year and she didn’t know how far that was,” Balduf said. “My wife says I’m crazy. It’s a lot of volunteer hours for one week, but I enjoy it.”

Paul LaCourse, 69, of Toledo, a retired Lake Erie charter boat operator, has been volunteering with the Ronald McDonald House on the 10th hole since he retired 13 years ago.

“I’m a huge sports fan and I love golf,” LaCourse said. “It’s a great way to see the tournament, get inside the ropes, talk to the players and get involved.

“If something great happens on the course like a hole-in-one or an eagle, we hear about things like that over the radio. News travels pretty quickly.

“I’m on the hole seven days from daylight till dark. It’s getting a little harder for me because I’m getting up there in age and the sun gets pretty hot, but I enjoy it so much. I’d be out there watching it anyway, so I figure I might as well put in my time.”

Volunteerism for the tournament has dropped over the past few years and it’s particularly challenging to attract younger volunteers, Warga said.

“The hard part is to get people to commit the first time, but once they come out, they usually stick around for quite a few years,” LaCourse said.

Meserve estimated he spends at least 100 hours at the course during tournament week.

“There are people who are really committed to this and it’s not because of the benefits for you as an individual; it’s what the tournament does for kids’ charities in Northwest Ohio,” Meserve said.

‘The Great Flood’

Among the most memorable tournaments for many longtime volunteers was 2006, or — as most refer to it — the year of “The Great Flood.”

“Weather is definitely a huge factor for us because no matter what the tournament has to go on,” Warga said.

That year, heavy rain caused standing water and the creek running through the golf course to overflow. Scaffolding and bridges were built over flooded areas and volunteers pitched in extra hours squeegeeing water off the fairways.

“I remember people coming from the neighborhood on rafts. That was crazy. That’s a sight you’re not used to seeing,” Warga said. “I just remember thinking, ‘There’s no way we’re going to be able to finish this,’ but so many people pitched in that year to make it possible, people from all the different golf courses around Toledo and the surrounding areas. It was amazing.”

Last year’s weather challenge was heat — “hotter than the hinges of hell,” as Meserve described it.

“I try not to look at the weather. It makes me nervous,” Warga said, laughing. “But I broke down last night and looked at the forecast for this year and it was really good.”

Jamie Farr

Many longtime volunteers met or got to know Toledo native Jamie Farr during his years of hands-on involvement with the tournament, which bore his name until last year.

“He’s a really nice guy. The City of Toledo is his heart and soul,” Meserve said But they are also excited to be part of the tournament’s future with Marathon.

“It’s found a new path and a new course and I think it’s going to be more successful than ever, and I think we’re all excited to be part of that,” Easton said.

Kids Zone

Admission for children 17 and younger has always been free with the purchase of an adult ticket, but this year will feature activities for kids, said Director of Marketing Jim Decker.

NASCAR driver Richard Petty will sign autographs 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. July 17. July 18 will feature mascot day (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and a photobooth (10 a.m. to noon). July 19 will offer a golf clinic with the pros (4-5:30 p.m.) and a Find Pink Panther social media contest. July 20 will offer face-painting (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and photos with the trophy (11 a.m. to noon). Scavenger hunts and a golf simulator will be offered 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 17-20.

Police, fire, military

All active-duty police officers, firefighters and military members will be admitted free along with one guest.

“That’s what this tournament is all about, is giving back,” Tournament Director Judd Silverman said. “To be able to allow active service people into the tournament is just another way to help the community and provide an opportunity for people to come out and enjoy the greatest women golfers in the world.”

Local active military members will be spotlighted July 20 at the 18th green.

Tickets are available at Kroger stores or online at marathonclassic.com. Prices are $50 for a weekly grounds badge, $100 for a weekly clubhouse badge or $15 (Monday-Friday) to $20 (Saturday-Sunday) for daily passes. When purchased in advance at Kroger stores, the weekly grounds badge is buy one, get one free. All ticket proceeds go to the charity of your choice. Parking is $10 for the week or $5 daily.

“It’s just a nice community gathering to support some very deserving children’s charities,” Warga said. “At the end, when you see that result, that’s what it’s all about.”

Toledo Free Press Staff Writer Sanya Ali contributed to this report.

Four businesses named to EBE Hall of Fame

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Jeff
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From left, Kirk Kern of BGSU’s Dallas-Hamilton Center forEntrepreneurial Leadership, and Larry Davenport, Adam Davenport and Megan Stockburger of the Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame. Not Pictured is Ray Braun, of BGSU’s College of Business. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney

Four area businesses were recently named this year’s Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame (EBE HOF) honorees and the group also announced plans to form a group just for women.

Honored for business excellence are American Broadband + Telecommunications, Hanson Inc. and The Oasis Restaurant & Delivery. Honored for excellence in family business is Rima Manufacturing Company.

The EBE HOF recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs and business leaders who have built and sustained growing businesses and created jobs in the region, said Adam Davenport, EBE HOF chairman and president of Gorillas & Gazelles, founding sponsor of the event.

The companies will be inducted during a public ceremony Nov. 6 at The Pinnacle, 1772 Indian Wood Circle, Maumee. Networking will start at 5:30 p.m. with the first set of awards announced at 6:30 p.m. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served and a cash bar will be available. Tickets are $85 with various sponsorship packages also available.

The winner of the Davenport-Longenecker Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced at the event.

The EBE HOF began as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program in 1989, brought to the area by Adam’s father, Larry Davenport. In 2006, Gorillas & Gazelles founded the EBE HOF, which took over the inductions.

More than 700 people attended last year’s induction ceremony and the event grows each year, Adam said.

“That proves and validates that we are doing something really great for the community and people need to know about the positive aspects going on in this area,” he said. “Every year, I get so many calls and emails after the event saying, ‘Oh my gosh, I did not know those companies even existed.’ The motivation all of the honorees give year after year is just truly astounding.”

Nominees come from businesses within about 60 miles of Toledo and winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges.

“Particularly as our Fortune 500 base has diminished, the entrepreneurial base has done a marvelous job of filling in for it in Northwest Ohio,” Larry said.

Partnering with Bowling Green State University has been great for EBE HOF, he said.

The university brings about 100 students to the event as ambassadors and for networking and learning opportunities, said Kirk Kern, director of BGSU’s Dallas-Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“What we’re trying to do is get students started on the right track,” Kern said. “This gives them the opportunity to look to the future and say, ‘Listen, if I start my company today, five years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now, look where I could be and be recognized.’”

EBE HOF also partners with BGSU on its E-Week, or Entrepreneurship Week, in April, which features a startup business competition called The Hatch. As many as 12 student finalists chosen to go through a 10-week training course with BGSU professors and alumni entrepreneurs compete.

Starting last year for the 25th anniversary of the business awards, the EBE HOF started hosting speakers and other events throughout the year.

“A lot of people love that we did that,” Adam said. “One of the things we want to focus on this year is what we going to do for the next 25 years.

“Each year we get bigger and better and bring different ideas. There are a few things we have in the works this year that we hope are going to blow away the audience. They are going to say, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s not just the ceremony anymore.’”

Women of EBE

Also new this year will be the formation of Women of EBE, a branch of the EBE HOF for female inductees as well as member spouses. The group will officially start in August with a speaker planned for October.

Adam’s wife, Terra Davenport, came up with the idea and recruited EBE HOF executive committee member Megan Stockburger, owner of Events by Megan, and Michelle Beczynski, wife of 2013 honoree Ed Beczynski, to help organize the group.

“Our goal is to re-engage,” Stockburger said. “We wanted to engage these women to connect, discuss similar experiences, support local businesses and inspire relationships between each other.”

Larry said he knows the organization is in good hands moving forward.

“I’m very encouraged by the current leadership’s efforts to make it a year-round event and keep the HOF members active and I’m particularly encouraged by the addition of the Women of EBE,” Larry said.

The event is presented by BGSU College of Business’ Dallas-Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Other sponsors include Davenport, Hanf & Company LLC; BDO; Regional Growth Partnership; JobsOhio; and the University of Toledo.

“It’s the business event of the year,” Larry said.

For more information, visit www.ebehof.com or contact Adam Davenport at (419) 874-0000, Ext. 106, or [email protected].

Pounds: My Toledo, Buy Toledo

By
Tom Pounds
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When something you care about is attacked, it is natural to react with emotion and it can be difficult to refrain from striking back. Whether you are called to defend a person, institution or ideal, it sometimes takes a moment of reason — a chance to take a breath and look at the bigger picture — to prepare an appropriate response.

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I have been besieged by people asking if Toledo Free Press will respond to the recent media attention on so-called “blight.” There is no question that our city has a lot of work to do to pick itself up, dust itself off and infuse new life in many of its neighborhoods, but none of that can be accomplished by any mere media organization unless it chooses to offer solutions.

In the coming weeks and months, Toledo Free Press will use its modest resources to help turn the conversation back to the positive aspects of Toledo. Not as an act of denial, but as a contribution to the home we love.

On the editorial side, Toledo Free Press editors are working on a monthly series that will spotlight the many local neighborhoods that are successfully revitalizing homes and businesses. We recently spotlighted the growth of the Warehouse District, and that story will serve as a model for the spotlight we intend to shine on the pockets of resistance that are fighting decay and cleaning up.

On the advertising side, Toledo Free Press is initiating a new program, “My Toledo, Buy Toledo.” We are asking supporters and businesses to join this movement by adding a special “My Toledo, Buy Toledo” logo to their ads, as a sign of support for the city and its people. Your sales representative can share the details with you; there are special pricing structures and an advertorial spotlight feature that can make it clear you and your business support Toledo’s ongoing evolution toward better days.

Local business, not media, is the key to rebuilding our city, and “My Toledo, Buy Toledo” seeks to magnify that movement.

Yes, we have a very long way to go, and yes, there needs to be recognition and discussion of the sad state of some of our buildings and neighborhoods. But we also need to work together to celebrate the examples of people who are acting, not waiting.

It’s a small response, but with enough voices, maybe we can drown out the naysayers. It will require more than talk; spending money at our locally owned businesses is the most immediate and effective way to help. Talk to your sales rep about how you can show your pride and investment in Toledo through the “My Toledo, Buy Toledo” program.

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

Miller: Eight

By
Michael Miller
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Each summer, our family travels to South Florida to spend a week with my brother’s family. As my brother’s mid-June birthday is within a few days of the birthdays of my sons Evan, 8, and Sean, 6, we use some of the time to celebrate. Part of that is an annual photo of the boys, taken at the JCPenney portrait studio at Aventura Mall.

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Watching the progress of our boys from infants to pre-preteens via photo is exhilarating and unnerving. Film doesn’t lie, and the speed with which our sons are growing up is a powerful illustration of how quickly time melts away. It was particularly startling this year, when Evan’s solo portrait revealed a hard glimpse into what he will look like as a young man many years from now. It was jarring to see that glimpse into the future, to see how his features will mature and evolve.

I can’t explain it with any intellectual clarity, but I had an adverse, borderline nauseating response to seeing him projected so grown up so soon. It feels like just a few days ago when we brought him home from the hospital, wrapped in his birthing blanket, a tiny, helpless, crying baby 100 percent dependent on us for every mode of survival.

To see Evan and Sean grow is to understand how little influence we have on time and its impact on the circle of life.

During this June’s trip to South Florida, we took the boys on two wildlife adventures. Our first excursion was an airboat tour of the Everglades. I have been deep into the Glades a number of times but did not want to take the boys until I felt they were ready to follow the safety precautions and handle the sight of dozens of massive alligators swimming within chomping distance.

The Glades is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been. The air is humid and heavy; the sawgrass, swamp plants and trees look they were imported from another world; and the birds soar from perch to perch with no awareness of powerlines, utility poles and the signature violations mankind uses to pound wilderness into submission.

We witnessed a true “Wild Kingdom” moment when a large turtle ambling near the boat was suddenly snapped up and taken underwater by an alligator that did not seem to care he was being watched by a number of kids.

Having conquered the Glades, we later took the boys on another wildlife excursion — to Chuck E. Cheese for a birthday lunch. I did not check into it, but I wonder if Penn National Gaming owns Chuck E. Cheese as it owns Hollywood Casino Toledo. The Chuck is a perfect training ground for future casino patrons: It is loud, pulses with flashing lights and runs on the rhythm of people feeding coins in machines hoping to turn their token-by-token investment into a pile of winnings.

After their pizza lunch, we walked the boys around the games, letting them pump tokens into machines that required various feats of “skill” to win tickets that could be traded in for prizes. Evan loves rolling the solid brown ball into the skee ball targets, and as he did so, three much younger children strolled up and began taking his game balls from the tray and trying to snatch his tickets. I started to intervene but held back to see how Evan would handle the intrusion. I was proud of Evan as he not only calmly retrieved his tickets and game balls but reached into his pocket and gave each of the little kids a token so they could go on their own way. I smiled but did not say anything as Evan immediately went back to trying to turn $20 in tokens into $3 in prizes.

As we neared the end of our time at Chuck E. Cheese, Sean, out of tokens, approached Evan and asked for a few of his. Evan shook his head and said no.

“Now, why would you give those strangers a token but not share with your brother?” I asked.

Evan, who seemed surprised I knew about the incident, said, “It looked like they didn’t have any but Sean had as many as I did and it’s not my fault he used them all.”

There was a swirl of warm empathy and cold logic to his thinking, and I had to fight to keep from smiling as I admonished Evan to share a few token tokens with Sean.

As we herded the boys toward the door, the image of Evan in his from-the-future photo and his sophisticated token-handling combined to give me that odd sense of unease at how fast he and his brother are growing up.

I can’t wait to see the men they will become, but I’m not ready to let go of the little boys they are.

Which shows their old man may have some growing up of his own left to do.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and news director for Newsradio 1370 WSPD. Email him at [email protected].

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