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Lutherans open Thrivent to all Christians

By
David Yonke
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For the first time in its long history, Thrivent Financial is not just for Lutherans. The 111-yearold financial services firm began taking applications this month from all Christians.

“We feel like we’re being called to serve more people,” said Dick Moeller, chairman of the board.

The change from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to just Thrivent Financial was not a simple response to declining membership in the Lutheran church, Moeller said, although that factor was discussed during the lengthy transition talks.

It’s more about having a longterm strategy to share the company’s Christian business principles with more people, he said.

“I believe we’ll look back 50 years from now and believe that that was the single most important thing in this decade for Thrivent in terms of the changes that have come about,” Moeller said. “It will open many, many new doors for us in terms of our ability to expand and help our members and communities.”

The Minneapolis-based Fortune 500 company has provided more than $17 billion to members in its history and will now be able to broaden such efforts, CEO Brad Hewitt told the 1,600 members at the March 13 regional meeting at the Henry Ford Museum.

Moeller said many members had expressed wanting their relatives who were Christians but notLutherans to be able to benefit from Thrivent’s insurance policies and financial services.

The company will use the Apostles’ Creed — a statement of Christian belief dating back to the 4th century — as the determining factor in whether a person is eligible to join Thrivent.

Sears preps for re-election run marked by health care discussion

By
Bailey G. Dick
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Barbara Sears will run for her fourth term as representative of Ohio District 45. The election is May 6. Photo courtesy Barbara Sears.

State Representative Barbara Sears is confident going into what could be her final election.

“I’ll work, and I’ll win,” Sears said of the challenges facing her in the coming months.

Sears is facing Tea Party activist Scott Allegrini in a May 6 primary election for Ohio House District 47, which includes many of Toledo’s north and west suburbs, as well as almost all of Fulton County.

Sears was first appointed to the position in 2008 to replace Mark Wagoner, who was appointed to state senate. She is currently serving her third term in office. She is the Majority Floor Leader.

Sears got her start in politics serving on Sylvania City Council alongside her father. She was also the co-owner of Noble and Sears, an employee benefits and financial planning firm. She currently works as the senior vice president of employee benefits at Roemer Insurance.

Given her background in insurance, Sears has spearheaded legislative projects concerning healthcare on the state floor. She was assigned to committees dealing with insurance, health and aging, and health and human services.

“I have, for the speaker, quarterbacked pretty much all things having to do with health insurance, workers compensation, and those issues,” Sears said. “Probably 80-90 percent of what I do down there is health-related, just because somebody’s got to take control over that area.”

Sears will need to draw upon her knowledge of healthcare during her upcoming election, as one of the hot-button issues of her race will be the topic she knows best.

As a Republican, Sears has drawn some criticism for her support of Medicaid expansion in Ohio, in accordance with the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare. One of her harshest critics has been Allegrini.

“If you expect your representative to fight to keep Obamacare and its mandates out of Ohio, than you should vote for me.  If you support Obamacare and expanding the reach federal and state government into your healthcare, then you should vote for Barb Sears,” Allegrini said. “Healthcare is the most basic of personal liberties, and when she is so wrong on such a key issue, how many other issues will she be wrong on?  With the federal government so wildly out of control, the next few years will be more important than ever before, as the state governments may need to make stand against the overreach of those in [Washington] D.C.  We will need elected officials in Ohio that can see the big picture and know the importance of protecting Ohioans, and I will do that.”

Sears said she doesn’t agree with how her fellow conservatives are reacting to her position on Medicaid reform.

“The interesting thing is that prior to the Medicaid issue coming up, the conservative groups were inviting me into their functions and wanting to hear from me. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called too conservative for the district I serve,” Sears said.

“From a fiscal standpoint, from a family values standpoint, and from a human capital standpoint, the Medicaid expansion makes sense. I get the fact that the expansion came with the Affordable Care Act,” Sears said. “I was part of the team that said we should not do a state exchange, and I think the feds are 100 percent wrong for doing what they did with the Affordable Care Act.”

Sears pointed to cost-cutting by reducing what she called “silos” of care in state-run institutions and incentivizing families to become employed and remain intact.

“Expanding Medicaid is just the right thing to do. Businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, Right to Life groups, all these groups are supportive of it for either the financial reason, the human capital reason, or quite frankly, the moral reason,” Sears said.

Sears said she believes she will win the May primary, and believes she has the support of the majority of her party.

“I don’t think the Republican Party thinks I’m not conservative enough. I think a fraction of the party thinks that. Scott’s a fine guy. He helped me campaign. He said he agrees with me 99 percent of the time, but that 99 percent isn’t enough,” Sears said. “I think that mainstream Republicans agree with me.”

Aside from the healthcare issues surrounding the campaign, Sears is looking forward to enjoying her remaining time in office.

“I love this. This is the most enjoyable thing in life for me. I learn about new things I’ve never been exposed to,” Sears said. “We live in a very diverse state. On any given day, I can start with health care reform and can end up talking about agriculture or scrap metal issues, and that’s all before lunch.”

Hays: The trap of holding on

By
Pam Hays
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I heard a story recently about the difficulty of catching Ring-Tailed Monkeys in Africa that are caught for zoos around the world.  They don’t fall prey to more conventional methods of trappings, so a more creative approach was needed. Right about now, you are thinking that you have come across an article from National Geographic!  You haven’t!  Hang in there with me for a minute and I will segue from monkeys in Africa to traumatic brain injury!

The Zulus on the continent of Africa had to do two very important things before they could even begin to figure out how to trap a Ring-Tailed Monkey.  They had to learn about them and they had to develop a great understanding of them.  The Zulus found through their observations, that the Ring-Tailed Monkey just LOVED a certain melon that was native to the African Continent. The monkeys would spend much time finding these melons and then gnawing at the melon’s outer rind to find their way to, not the pulp, but the seeds!  They would dig in with their hands and grasp the seeds and devour them for hours on end, going from melon to melon. 

So, the Zulus figured out that the melon was what the monkey sought more than anything.  The melon became the trap.  But it wasn’t enough to just put them out, the monkey would run away and go find a different melon.  What the trappers did that worked was to cut a small hole in the top of the melons, the monkey would then come to the melon, reach in for the seeds and grab them.  But, how was that a trap you might be asking?  The monkey loved the seeds so much that they refused to let go of the seeds.  Their balled up fists could not fit through the hole to release them from these large melons.  They would scream and fight to get the melon off of their hand, but to no avail.  It was more important to hold onto the seeds and remain trapped, than to gently open their fists, let the seeds go and find freedom. 

Maybe there is a fear that another melon might not come along, or maybe it is because no one ever taught a monkey how to let go if trapped in a melon.  Maybe you can see now where this story fits in with the life of someone who has a traumatic brain injury.

At some point many survivors reach a point in their rehabilitation where they have to make some tough decisions.   Clinging to the “seeds” in their lives after TBI  only keeps them stuck in the “melon” of negative thinking like “I used to be able to do that”. “If I try harder I will be like I used to be.” “No one will ever love me like this”. “Is my life always going to be like this?” “Is life worth living if I can’t be like I was before?” This self-talk prevents survivors from finding the freedom to explore a new life; a life that now includes traumatic brain injury.

At The Arms Forces we see our veterans traps and we do all we can to ensure that their lives are not stuck and gently help them open themselves up to release the seeds that are holding them back from a life that is free from stigma; free from the bondage of never believing they are “good enough”; free to have a life that includes a degree of comfort, peace, self-esteem, meaningful work, loving relationships and understanding.

I can’t repeat this enough.  The journey for a TBI survivor can be one that goes from “extreme adversity to joyful renewal”! I am reminded of that every time I look at my own life as a severe TBI survivor. Ring-tailed monkeys and TBI…….who would have thought????

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Over 1.7 million civilians have a brain injury each year. Depending on where you get your information, it is reported that 300-500,000 veterans have received a BI since 2000. Brain injury affects more than the other top 5 health issues in our country added together! The World Health Organization predicts it will be the No. 1 health concern in the world by 2020. Protect the head!

Baumhower: Magical, mighty Myles

By
Jeremy Baumhower
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Photo courtesy Tiffany Eckert.

A beautiful thing happened on the way to a Cracker Barrel.

I envision this all beginning like the floating feather in the movie “Forrest Gump.” A $20 bill magically leaves a wallet or a purse and floats around the sky until it decides to land in front of a young child, an 8-year-old boy named Myles Eckert.

Young Myles hit the child’s version of a winning scratcher that brisk Friday morning. There are only a few ways children gain money: birthdays, holidays, crazy aunts and losing teeth. The fact that this wasn’t a special day and he maintained all of his teeth made the discovery of a greenback all the more meaningful.

Myles instantly imagined the various ways this newfound fortune could be spent. For about two minutes, or the time it took his family to walk inside the restaurant, Myles fantasized playing the soon-to-be-purchased LEGO Movie Xbox 360 game.

Myles’ mental shopping spree ended when he noticed a man in uniform eating lunch with his family.

What happened next is now Cracker Barrel lore. Myles asked his mom for a piece of paper and a pencil. She found a small piece of yellow paper and obliged his request. Little did he or anybody else know that the following words he put down on that piece of paper would change so many lives:

“Dear Soldier, My dad was a soldier. He’s in heaven now. I found this $20 in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It’s your lucky day! Thank you for your service, Myles Eckert, a gold star kid.”

As Myles summoned the courage to hand Ohio Air National Guard Lt. Col. Frank Dailey the note with the money inside, the same winds that carried the $20 bill to land at his feet had to shift directions once again.

Everything changed when Myles paid it forward that day. 

Myles’ mom, Tiffany Eckert, had taken him and his sisters, Marlee and Berkley, to the Cracker Barrel that morning to celebrate the upcoming birthday of someone who was clearly there in spirit.

Myles is the son of the late Army Sgt. Andy Eckert, who was killed in Iraq in 2005 when Myles was only 4 weeks old. Andy left behind a wife and two young children. 

Tiffany went from the wife of a soldier to a single mom of two babies in the flash of a roadside bomb. For the past nine years she has raised her children with simple beautiful mantras: Kindness always wins, you get better not bitter and pay it forward.

The world now knows how effective her words and life lessons are.

The beautiful part is how this story went completely viral. Unlike many parents after a child does a good deed, Tiffany did not race home to brag on Facebook about her son’s pay-it-forward moment. It was the opposite: Dailey’s family did.

In a very “Forrest Gump” way, the Facebook post from Dailey’s family got the attention of CBS Evening News reporter and Toledo native Steve Hartman.

Hartman’s “On The Road” segment telling Myles’ story has been shared more than 500,000 times on Facebook and viewed more than 20 million times online. The three-minute-long video touched every heart that watched it and soon after, the emails asking for the Eckerts’address started flooding in to me. 

It was just the week before that I had shared the story of Myles’ 10-year-old sister, Marlee Eckert, and her misery caused by a father-daughter dance at her school. My email address was the only contact people could find while Googling the story.

As my inbox was flooded with people wanting to send a card, some money and or a video game, Myles’ mom was politely asking to not have their address shared. She did not allow Myles to tell this story for them to profit in any way. I respected her decision, but that didn’t stop the emails from coming. I finally asked Tiffany if there was a way to turn these people’s thank yous into something bigger.“Every email I receive wants to give Myles’ money or send a video game,” I told her. “They are not going to stop.” I even offered my help. 

Soon random packages started arriving at the children’s school. It was then Tiffany started a conversation with both Myles and Marlee. During the next couple of hours, both children agreed on the way they wanted to pay it all forward again. Tiffany texted me the words “Snowball Express” and the floating money moved once again.

Snowball Express is a national military children’s charity that hosts a weeklong vacation around the holidays for Gold Star children — the military name for children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. The kids get to be around other children dealing with the same loss and it gives all who attend a sense of comfort. It’s a big family. There is no cost for those who attend; even the flight to Dallas is covered. In recent years, funding for this special retreat has gotten scarce. The young Eckerts saw an opportunity with Myles’ newfound viral fame to pay it forward, having no idea what or who would come next. 

I set up a Crowdtilt page to collect online donations for Snowball Express in the name of Myles and Marlee and within hours the website’s brass recognized the power behind the message and contacted me. They became a vested partner and a great vehicle for Myles’ story to evolve.

We now had an address to send those people wanting to send Myles money.

Within a day of the campaign being launched, Tiffany was flooded with media interview requests. She sent another text to me; this time it contained only one word: “Ellen.”

The Eckerts and Daileys packed up and flew out to Burbank, Calif., on a Tuesday morning to visit the host of the Oscars and the new queen of daytime television, Ellen DeGeneres. Learning of the story and the new campaign for the Snowball Express, Ellen had decided she wanted to help Myles pay it forward. In front of millions of people across the country, she interviewed Myles and Lt. Col. Dailey. If you watched your TV set closely, I swear you could see that $20 dollar float down right onto the set.

It wasn’t $20 — it was $20,000, a LEGO Movie video game, a trip to LEGO Land and, for the Daileys, a six-night vacation to Hawaii. Ellen won that day – and reminded me that my eyes make water on occasion.

While they were in California, the Eckerts learned of a company that also wanted to help. Dallas-based Highland Capital Management was so moved by this story and the beauty of Snowball Express that it offered to match every dollar donated through Memorial Day, up to $1 million.

The $20 floating bill that started this journey at a Cracker Barrel in Maumee and traveled to California and back could end up landing in Dallas as $2 million. Every mile this piece of currency ventured found another floating $20 to join it. 

In retrospect, it seems Myles is the perfect name for Andy’s son. It only took 8 years and 48 weeks to confirm it. 

I learned there are a lot of big hearts and open wallets in this great country we call America. I have also learned the identity of a magical boy from Waterville that has the power to turn a $20 bill into a nation’s restored faith in humanity — “Mighty” Myles Eckert.

Jeremy Baumhower can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeremytheproduc.

Pounds: Mr. Pounds Goes to Washington

By
Tom Pounds
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It was great to spend a recent few days back in the nation’s capital. It has been a few years since I had made a visit to Washington, D.C., and was there to support the more than 20,000 people who live with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We were there to push legislation that would support people with MS and other afflictions that make people immobile. This was also an opportunity to visit my sister, Virginia, who has worked on The Hill since she left college 30 years ago. She is a great resource for behind the scenes tours and this year she showed us the Capital Building. My fiance, Liljana, had never been to D.C. so that was an added bonus, as we listened to some amazing stories from our country’s history.

The best part of the trip, especially since my son Austin is in the army, was a visit to Arlington Cemetery. I have a grandfather who is buried there and its an amazing place. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the JFK grave site are both moving things to see.

We did some of the Smithsonian museums and that was a treat. The Air and Space Museum was the best experience, with the Spirit of St Louis hanging there as well as the Apollo 11 capsule that carried my hometown hero, Buzz Aldrin, who was the second man to step foot on the moon.

The other sites we were able to see on our brief visit included the Lincoln Memorial, the World War 2 memorial and the Vietnam Wall, as well as the Korean War monument.

All in all there is no place like it on Earth. Even with the discord in Washington today, it is always an honor to be in the nation’s capital to see firsthand the history and legacy that shapes and guides our country.

Toledo Free Press published Tom Pounds’ grandfather is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.


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

Irish bars anticipate annual spike in business for St. Pat’s

By
Toledo Free Press
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They may not anticipate a pot of gold, but several owners and managers of local Irish pubs do expect a spike in business for St. Patrick’s Day.

Andy Katafiasz, owner of OB’s Tavern on Tremainsville Road in West Toledo, said St. Patrick’s Day accounts for between 11 percent and 14 percent of the bar’s annual revenue.

“One day out of the year, [OB’s] transforms itself into the biggest party in town. … ‘Everybody has to stop by OB’s,’ is what everybody tells me,” Katafiasz said of the 800-square-foot tavern, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Many firefighters, including one who plays the bagpipe, regularly come to OB’s, he added.

“It’s awesome to hear the bagpipes in that little place,” Katafiasz said.

Green beer, drink specials, koozie favors and a special Jiggs dinner are also planned.

Bill Kline, general manager of The Blarney Irish Pub in Downtown Toledo, said even if the weather isn’t great, he expects a crowd at the establishment’s annual party.

“I don’t think the weather’s going to deter folks. Everybody has cabin fever,” he said.

However, weather does have some impact on St. Patrick’s festivities. Last year’s two-day St. Patrick’s Day events at The Blarney drew in more than 7,000 patrons, Kline estimated. However, he recalled the particularly warm St. Patrick’s Day in 2012, where 7,000 came on one day alone.

The pub is hosting Shamrockin’ The Blarney 2014 St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, a four-day celebration starting at 9 p.m. March 14. The festivities include a heated tent on Huron Street on March 15 and 17. A portion of the party proceeds go to Local 92 Firefighters Charities and Project iAm, a local charity that raises money for children who have autism.

The Blarney is also offering an Irish brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 16 and an Irish breakfast starting at 7 a.m. March 17. For more details about cab and hotel packages related to Shamrockin’, visit www.theblarneyirishpub.com.

St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Monday may also impact business, said Jeff Lark, owner of Shawn’s Irish Tavern locations in Waterville and Sylvania.

“Sometimes, the best day [for St. Patrick’s Day to fall] is Wednesday or Thursday,” Lark said. “Typically, people are anxious to get out a bit earlier because it’s getting toward the end of the week.”

Lark said he anticipates bigger crowds during the weekend leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.

In addition to green beer, Shawn’s will offer drink specials, entertainment and favors. An $8 Jiggs dinner is available from the afternoon of March 16 through 17. To learn more, visit www.shawnsirishtavern.com. A third Shawn’s Tavern is located at 4400 Heatherdowns Blvd.

Mulvaney’s Bunker Irish Pub & Grub, re-opened on Dorr Street, opened in August so this year will be its first St. Patrick’s Day under new ownership.

“We will end up doing easily three times the amount of business we would originally do,” predicted general manager Matt Killam. He said although the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically viewed as bars’ busiest days, St. Patrick’s Day is the focal point for Irish pubs.

He’s not too worried about the weather, either.

“Even if it’s 35 degrees, it will feel tropical to most people,” he said, adding there will be heaters on the patio. In addition to drink specials, there is also a DJ lineup, a Jiggs dinner and starting at 5:30 a.m. March 17, a kegs and eggs breakfast. To learn more, visit www.mulvaneysbunkertoledo.com.

Remembering Ms. Disney: Karen Dotrice Nalle reflects on making ‘Mary Poppins’

By
Jeff McGinnis
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Karen Dotrice Nalle played Jane Banks in “Mary Poppins.” Photo courtesy Karen Dotrice Nalle.

She called him “Uncle Walt.”

Decades after his passing, Walt Disney is a bit of an unknowable figure for modern audiences — families who have grown up with the classic films he helped create. For most people who watch “Snow White,” “Fantasia,” “Pinocchio” and more, the man who made it all possible is simply a legendary figure. They have no sense of the human being at his core.

It isn’t like that for Karen Dotrice Nalle. Born in Guernsey in the United Kingdom, Dotrice Nalle was the daughter of two actors and ended up becoming part of the family business almost by accident. After being sighted by a Disney scout in a play, she was brought to California with her family to work in the company’s films. There, she came to see the then-53-year-old Disney as a bit of a father figure — one who treated his young stars with respect befitting another adult.

One day, Karen was visiting Disney in his office when inspiration struck. “I said to him, ‘You know, Uncle Walt, your desk is so far away from the door, where people come in. And I’ve got a great idea — I can help you,'” Dotrice Nalle said in an interview with Toledo Free Press Star.

“‘Why don’t we move your desk closer to the door, so you won’t have so far to walk?’ And he was great, because he didn’t treat me like a kid. And he said, ‘Karen, let me tell you something — it’s over here for a reason. Because by the time those cigar-chewing executives have had to cross the floor and get to my desk, they’ve changed their mind about what they were going to ask me.'”

Dotrice Nalle was only eight years old when she was chosen in 1954 to star in what had become a passion project for Disney — his long-gestating adaptation of P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins.” Karen was cast as Jane, one of the Banks children, in what would become a smash hit that made her a recognizable face worldwide.

“I feel very blessed. Disney gave me a gift — he picked me out of the blue. It could have been any other little girl. And I made three films for them, and they were always such happy experiences,” Dotrice Nalle said. “What kid wants to miss out on magic? He was magic, the set was magic, everything that he did for us.”

Such a remarkable rise for a young performer who didn’t necessarily ever want to be an actress. “I didn’t really want to participate, actually. It was the family firm — we could have been dentists, we happened to be actors. I don’t know if there’s many five-year-olds who say, ‘Ooh, mummy, I want to be a dentist.’ Or an actor. I just sort of fell into it. I had a great time, absolutely. Ultimately, it just wasn’t for me. I’m kind of a private person, so being out there in front of people wasn’t my ultimate cup of tea,” Dotrice Nalle said.

“I was really lucky. So I feel a bit of an ingrate, because I sort of got everything — which is kind of unfortunate that I didn’t want it more. I loved the fans, I loved the crew, I loved being on set. But the whole notion of being an actress just wasn’t for me.”

She left acting at a young age with an eye on becoming a mother (she eventually had three children), though she has never quite ended her connection with Hollywood. She married producer Edwin Nalle in 1994 and still lives in L.A. — strictly for the weather, she insists with a chuckle.

“As an adult, having made a specific choice that, okay, that was fun, quit while you’re ahead. I’ve always been surrounded by the business, I’m married to a guy who’s a TV producer, my family are actors still — so I’ve never left the profession, and I never want to. I think it’s the most exciting game there is.”

But as the 50th anniversary of “Mary Poppins” is upon us, Dotrice Nalle is beginning to reconnect with the memories of her past. For the first time, she’ll be doing a few appearances at conventions and other events in the days to come. She recently attended a screening of “Poppins” at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood — the first time she’d actually seen the whole movie, believe it or not. And she was also at the premiere of “Saving Mr. Banks” — which inspired new reflections on a wonderful time of her life, and the caring, childlike man who made it possible.

“He didn’t baby you, or talk down to any of his actors — and I know Hayley Mills felt the same way,” Dotrice Nalle recalled. “I think he was more our age than his own age.

“What a gift to be given in life, considering I am a non-theatrical type of person. What a gift to be given, that somebody is ever going to remember me for something.”

Casino’s new poker boss bringing fresh outlook to table

By
Toledo Free Press
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Hollywood Casino Toledo poker room manager Ken Lambert Jr. will host Hollywood Poker Open in May. Toledo Free Press photo by Dave Willinger.

It is said that if you stand in New York’s Times Square long enough you will meet everyone you have ever known. It could also be said that if you sit in a casino poker room long enough you will see just about everything there is.

Had you been sitting in the poker room at Hollywood Casino Toledo a few of weeks ago, you might have noticed a lanky, bespectacled stranger wearing a sky blue suit strolling among the tables, chatting with the floor boss and dealers on break. That man was Ken Lambert Jr., new to Toledo but hardly new to poker rooms.

Since mid-February, Lambert has served as the casino’s new poker room manager. It is the latest job title for a man whose poker pedigree reaches back three decades all the way to Jack Binion’s storied Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas, where a teenage Lambert got bit by the casino bug in the late 1970s while working as a busboy. It was his father, Ken Lambert Sr., who got him his start. When Ken Jr. was old enough, he taught himself to deal, passed an audition and was hired at Vegas World. Since then, Lambert has been involved in some aspect of running poker rooms from Las Vegas to Oklahoma to Mississippi and now Toledo.

Lambert was hired to turbo-charge Hollywood Casino Toledo’s poker room — great news for regional poker aficionados, amateurs and pros alike, and also great news for the casino and Greater Toledo, whose bottom line and general entertainment economy, respectively, stand to gain significantly from the hiring.

As Lambert rolls out plans to expand poker tournaments at Hollywood Casino Toledo and initiate events designed to draw players from across the region, he expects his efforts will “kick it up a notch” in the casino’s 20-table poker room.

Penn National Gaming, which owns Hollywood Casino Toledo, had been searching for someone who was “the right fit for the property,” said Jeffrey Goodman, vice president of casino operations at Hollywood Casino Toledo. The poker room manager slot had been vacant since last year, Goodman said, and the casino was not only seeking a replacement with extensive poker knowledge but a person with “great poker business acumen.” Some company officials knew of Lambert, who had semi-retired from the gaming life a couple of years ago, and put forth his name as a candidate for the job.

Goodman, who has been with Hollywood Casino Toledo from its start in 2012 and employed by Penn National for 12 years, said Lambert’s job “is to increase traffic and revenue in the [poker] room.”

The company tracks poker revenue for its own management uses but declined to release those numbers to Toledo Free Press. However, Goodman said poker room business had been “a little stagnant over the past couple months,” with most business coming on weekends, Friday through Sunday during the day, Goodman said.

According to monthly figures released by the Ohio Casino Control Commission, gamblers at Hollywood Casino Toledo wagered $10.8 million on table games in January and $12.9 million in February. Gamblers wagered a total of $234.3 million on slot machines during the same time period.

Gamblers wagered a total of $1.81 billion at Hollywood Casino Toledo in 2013, with about 10 percent, $159.4 million, coming from table games. Toledo has the fewest table games — 80 — of any of Ohio’s casinos.

The casino reached out to Lambert, 51, who was living in his home state of Indiana, reconnecting with family after the nonstop duties of a Vegas casino official and the peripatetic lifestyle of a World Series of Poker tournament manager.

The self-described workaholic — who opened the Mirage casino on the Vegas strip in 1989 and is known for being the first person to run a World Series of Poker event outside of Las Vegas — said when Hollywood Casino Toledo called it made him realize he still had a passion for the game. That passion along with a desire to provide for his new wife, whom he married in December, made Lambert eager to end his hiatus and come to work in Toledo.

Hollywood Poker Open

One of Lambert’s first duties has been to help finalize the Toledo satellite events for this year’s second annual Hollywood Poker Open tournament. The $2,500-seat tourney will take place at Penn National Gaming’s M Resort in Las Vegas on June 27-29. Area poker players can vie for a $4,000 prize, including a seat at the tournament, hotel accommodations and spending cash, at each of three Hollywood Casino Toledo satellite events to be held the last three Saturdays in May (May 17, 24, 31).

The structure of the satellites will be a $125 buy-in with unlimited $50 rebuys during the first two hours of play. The maximum number of players for each event is 160, and Hollywood Casino Toledo is guaranteeing five seats to the HPO from each of those satellites.

“That’s a pretty strong guarantee,” Lambert said.

He also defended rebuys, a standard tournament option that often stirs heated debate in the poker world. Rebuys are not designed to make money for the casino but rather make it worthwhile for players to participate, Lambert said.

“Nothing worse than a guy driving here from Cleveland gets a bad beat put on him and he’s out,” he said, giving a hypothetical example of why he favors rebuys.

With the structure in place for those May satellites, “that guy has an opportunity to make his drive worthwhile,” Lambert said, noting the $50 rebuy does not entail a second round of administrative fees.

Lambert said there would also be a free roll tournament for regular players at the casino’s poker room. Players who log enough hours in cash games or play in enough tournaments this spring can sign up for a chance to play their way into the HPO. Details would be forthcoming soon, Lambert said. The free roll would be held in advance of the three satellites, he said, and likely be structured in two flights on the same day to avoid a repeat of last year’s inaugural event when a long line of applicants were turned away.

So why should Lambert — veteran of Vegas, former protégé of Jack Binion, friend of Doyle Brunson, whose rolodex contains the phone numbers of countless famous professional poker players — be content to pace the poker room at Hollywood Casino Toledo? Lambert said he loves the property, citing its newness and state-of-the-art technology, including the mammoth rear-projection TV screens in and around Scene sports bar.

Lambert is already thinking outside the poker room box. He has ideas for large-scale tournaments that would require additional, temporary seating beyond the 200-player capacity of Hollywood’s poker room. He also said he would like to reach out to celebrity players like Todd Brunson, Vanessa Rousso and the flamboyant Robert Williamson III to participate in poker room events at Hollywood Casino Toledo.

Lambert conceded that the lack of a hotel on the Hollywood casino property is a drawback. While he called it “tough to overcome the room situation,” Lambert predicted the big events he envisions for Toledo would “fill up every hotel in Rossford and down the road.”

Lambert’s “wish list” for the poker room includes player amenities, such as food. But Lambert also is interested in expanding the menu of poker room action to include higher limit Texas Hold ‘em games, ante-only Hold ‘em tournaments and a high-low split Omaha game. Those changes cannot happen overnight – new games require state gaming commission permits – but Lambert, who is licensed in eight states to run gambling operations, doesn’t foresee regulatory roadblocks and is confident the changes will take place during the year.

By the way, that first World Series of Poker offsite event was a charity tournament at the ESPN Zone in Times Square in 2005. So you could have met Lambert had you been standing in that maelstrom of the masses nine years ago. Either way, should you run into him on the poker floor at Hollywood casino, feel free to introduce yourself. Lambert has built his brand on a reputation for taking good care of players. Just bear in mind your interlocutor has already heard, from amateurs and top pros alike, thousands of bad beat stories — so spare him yours.

Anthony Wayne Bridge set to close for 19 months

By
Erin Holden
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The Anthony Wayne Bridge will closet at 7A.M. March 17 for 19 months. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney.

One of Toledo’s most iconic landmarks is set to go out of commission for the next 19 months, leaving many area residents and business owners apprehensive yet resigned.

The Anthony Wayne Bridge — more commonly called the High Level Bridge — will close to both vehicles and pedestrians at 7 a.m. March 17 and remain closed until September 2015 as it undergoes repairs. It’s the first longterm closure of this duration in the bridge’s eight-decade history, said Theresa Pollick, public information officer with Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), District 2.

Every day, more than 26,000 vehicles cross the 3,215-foot-long span. The structure, which connects Downtown with the city’s East Side over the Maumee River, is the last cable suspension bridge on the state highway system in Ohio, Pollick said.

“Obviously it has historical significance to Toledo,” Pollick said. “When you think of a bridge in Toledo you think of the Anthony Wayne Bridge.”

Compounding the traffic issues will be the Craig Memorial Bridge, which closed Jan. 15 for $11 million in painting and repairs, and, hampered by winter weather delays, will not reopen until March 27.

“We did our best to avoid it, but there will be an overlap,” Pollick said. “We’re working around the clock and squeezing about a third of the contract into a few months. There is a lot of work still to be done there.”

Henry Loughner, a tow truck driver with Boyz Automotive & Towing on East Broadway Street, said he drives across the bridge regularly.

“It’s going to make it a lot harder to get around to this side,” Loughner said. “And the traffic’s going to be crazy because the Craig Street Bridge is already closed out. It’s going to be a little hectic.”

Tim Williams, owner of Big Apple Deli on Woodville Road said he’s hoping for the best.

“You’re obviously nervous about it, but you can’t be upset about something that is progress and is going to improve the condition of the bridge,” he said. “It will make it more difficult for our customers, but our customers are a tough bunch. They come from all over and will get here come heck or high water — we hope anyway.”

Tony Whitaker, a student at Owens Community College, lives on the South End but walks the bridge two to three times a week to visit friends and his girlfriend on the East Side. He said the closure will cut his visits down to once a week unless he can find a ride.

For the past two years, Nicole Strong of South Toledo has been meeting a fellow Fremont Middle School teacher in Northwood to carpool to work. She will discontinue that when the bridge closes.

“It will take way too long to get to her place from mine so we will both just have to drive separate from now on,” Strong said. “I’ve been trying to find another teacher, but there’s nobody I know well enough or feel comfortable enough with carpooling so I’m on my own.”

Jeno DeLuca, owner of Complete Auto Repair on South Summit Street, said he’s afraid he’ll have to switch to a more expensive parts dealer to avoid the trip across the river to his preferred shop. However, he understands the closures.

“Yes, it will affect business,” DeLuca said. “It needs repaired, though. Have you seen it? It’s falling apart.”

Beatriz Garduno, owner of La Cachanilla Mexican Restaurant on South Summit Street near the foot of the bridge, said she’s hoping the closure will actually increase business.

“Last week, we had some construction people working on the bridge who came in and had lunch here,” Garduno said. “I’m hoping it won’t hurt us and might help us a little bit. It’s been a hard winter.”

Danielle Foltz, a cashier at the Valero gas station on the Downtown side of the bridge, said she’s hoping loyal customers and a popular 24-hour Subway will keep the station busy.

“A lot of customers ask about that. We don’t know yet,” Foltz said.

E.S. Wagner Company of Oregon will be the main contractor for the $28.7 million project. The entire concrete bridge deck will be replaced along with sidewalks, railings, street lighting, fencing and expansion joints. The lighting now on the outside sidewalks will move to the median. Substructure work will include repairs to the existing concrete piers and abutments and the addition of two new piers. The bridge will also undergo structural steel repairs to the towers and superstructure.

The most noticeable difference will be the replacement of two steel trusses on each end of the suspension spans with steel girders and the addition of two concrete support pillars, one on each side of the bridge, said Mel Williams, bridge division estimator project manager with E.S. Wagner.

There are 480 locations on the bridge that need steel repaired, including on the towers, the suspension span and the approach span, Williams said.

“A lot of the prep work has been fabricating the repair steel for the superstructure of the bridge,” Williams said. “We have to go in and take out the deteriorated steel, have new steel fabricated and go back and replace the deteriorated.”

Damaged portions of the concrete substructure will also be repaired.

On March 17, workers will begin about two weeks of preliminary work to prepare, Williams said. The next step will be to start taking the deck off the suspension span.

A crew of 50-75 workers will be working on the bridge at any given time, he said.

“It’s a very aggressive schedule to get the amount of work done that has to be done in that time frame,” Williams said. “We’ll work multiple crews and maybe even multiple shifts.”

The Anthony Wayne Bridge was built from 1929-31 for about $3 million.

In 1960-61, the bridge underwent an extensive rehabilitation, including a new deck, tower lighting upgrades and painting. It was repainted in the 1980s. Another major rehabilitation came in 1996-97, including a concrete deck overlay, suspender rope replacement, expansion joint replacement and painting, Pollick said.

Consultants from several companies spent three years, from 2009-12, inspecting the bridge’s structure and cables to determine what repairs were needed. Cables were tested to detect any breaks and the bridge was shut down for a day to take measurements without the weight of traffic.

Starting this fall, safety platforms were installed beneath the bridge.

“We’ve prepared for this one for a long time,” Pollick said. “We spent a long time dedicated to investigating what needed to be done with the bridge because of its age.

“We wanted to keep its historical integrity and do as much preservation work as possible,” she said. “But we had to make these changes to ensure the bridge’s span for the next 50 years.”

Darrel Hafner, owner of Hafner’s Sheet Metal & Supply on South Summit Street, said the bridge is “vital” to the area and it will be interesting to see how things go.

“I would imagine it’s going to be a pain, but I also understand the need and there’s not much you can do about it,” Hafner said. “I’ve been trying to figure it out, but I think I’m better off just adding some gas to the tank and doing my thing. It’s going to be a little bit cumbersome, but I think we can get around it.

“I have about six commercial roofing contractors and 10 residential heating contractors that might have to go out of their way a little bit to get here, but we provide them pretty good service so I’m sure they’ll do it no matter where we’re at. You just gotta work around it and do what you gotta do.”

Oscar Ponce, who owns San Marcos Mexican grocery and restaurant near the bridge, said he’s hoping he won’t lose business when it’s not as convenient for people to get there.

“We are [worried], of course we are,” Ponce said. “We know it’s going to affect our customers, but there’s nothing we can do. People come here because they love our food so hopefully nothing changes. We depend on our customers so I hope everything goes fine.”

Oliver House General Manager Neal Kovacik and Jamie Ondrus of True Value Ondrus Hardware on Oak Street both said there were enough other bridges that they didn’t foresee losing business.

Work is scheduled to be completed by December 2015, but lane restrictions will also be put in place in spring 2016 for painting.

Councilman Mike Craig of District 3 said such closures are just part of the price of living in a city with a river running through it.

“I know there are businesses with concerns,” Craig said. “But you know what the alternative is? Let it go and then close the bridge permanently. ODOT is doing what they have to do to preserve the bridge.”

ODOT’s official eight-mile detour is across the I-75 bridge, but Craig said he’s not so sure people are going to stick to that route.

“Nobody who knows their way around the city is going to take that detour,” Craig said. “I would say probably 80 to 90 percent of traffic is going to detour to the MLK Bridge and that’s going to put a lot of pressure on Main Street.”

Jodi Gross, community builder at East Toledo Family Center, said her biggest concern is traffic cutting across through the neighborhoods and down residential streets.

TARTA has four bus routes that service East Toledo but TARTA actually rerouted its buses over the MLK Bridge in June 2012 in anticipation of this bridge closure as well as Hollywood Casino Toledo opening, said Steve Atkinson, director of marketing for TARTA.

Sgt. Joe Heffernan, public information officer with Toledo Police Department (TPD), said he expects the first 10 days to be the worst because the Craig Bridge will still be closed and because it takes time to adjust to new routes.

TPD will work with traffic engineers on the timing and cycling of lights near the intersection of Front and Main streets in anticipation of heavier traffic. Officers will also be enforcing weight limits for commercial traffic.

“I would just ask for patience,” Heffernan said. “This will work out. People will figure it out as time goes on. It will certainly be an inconvenience in the beginning, but keep your eye on the prize, which is a new refurbished bridge that will serve us for the next 50 years. It will be worth it in the long run.”

Pounds: Political business

By
Tom Pounds
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In the wake of business owner Sandy Spang’s resounding success in running for Toledo City Council, more dollars-and-sense-oriented people are stepping into local politics.

Marcia Helman, Lickity Split ice cream store owner, and Joe Celusta, a business owner for several years and most recently senior manager of True- North, are among those planning to run for the District 2 City Council seat vacated by Mayor D. Michael Collins.

Celusta, a Republican, told Toledo Free Press Managing Editor Sarah Ottney the future of the Southwyck property is a key issue for District 2 and Toledo.

“Southwyck is vital to the city just for tax revenue,” Celusta said. “It’s is very important to us because that’s where our future income is to support to the rest of the district. If we develop it, we get tax revenue out of the Southwyck area and that’s what fixes the streets.”

Helman also said revitalizing Southwyck needs to be a major focus.

“We need to set up a master plan, not let just anybody go in there and build anything,” Helman told Ottney. “It’s going to be a slow revitalization, but I would work with anybody who wanted to work on that.”

Helman is running as an independent with the support of Realtor Rob Ludeman, who so skillfully guided Spang through her first election.

The District 2 seat is being temporarily filled by Democrat Matt Cherry, a Sheet Metal Workers Local 33 worker, who was appointed in January.

Cherry told Ottney he plans to focus on economic development, neighborhood safety and the amenities that keep young families in Toledo.

“More jobs fix a lot of problems in a lot of aspects,” Cherry said.

It is encouraging to see more business owners invest in the leadership issues of our region.

I suspect the dominant voice in the election will belong to Toledo Public Schools Board of Education member Bob Vasquez. Vasquez, a Democrat and licensed social worker, told Ottney the skills and experience he developed on the school board, including reading multimillion-dollar budgets and making tough financial decisions, will help him on City Council.

“You don’t get into leadership positions just to go along,” Vasquez told Ottney. “You either lead or you go along, one or the other, and I feel that I lead.”

Another universal concern was over ongoing fund transfers from the capital improvement budget to the general budget.

“I haven’t heard anyone talk about plans to wean ourselves off that in the future,” Vasquez said. “And that does affect basic services, especially streets, because that’s capital improvement.”

I have long known and trusted Vasquez, but I remain open to the messages and ideas the other candidates will present. In any event, I am pleased to see this continuing trend of more business owners joining the political scene. The insight, responsibility and financial acumen business people can bring to the conversation are a crucial contributions to the future of our region.

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

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