Home Blog Page 233

Letters to the Editor, Mar. 3, 2013

By
Dock David Treece
-
0

How to be one of those “lively nonagenarians”

TO THE EDITOR,

In the Feb. 10 Toledo Free Press, Connie Springer wrote that traits leading to successful aging are probably innate, but they can be emulated to break negative habits of isolation that can lead to dementia and instead be a lively nonagenarian. There are many groups and programs available throughout the Toledo area that will help to develop the traits and habits demonstrated by the lively nonagenarians Springer interviewed. But a program that will encourage a majority of those traits is Lifelong Learning at Lourdes University, which offers a large variety of classes and lectures to help challenge and stimulate the brain.

From the New Testament and Vatican II to classes on Russia, Vietnam and the Civil War, students engage in lively discussions and although some courses do require a textbook no tests or graded homework are given. To encourage interest in national and international issues, Great Decisions and Hot Topics are offered. The large variety of art classes — from Fused Glass to Pysanky Eggs to Silk Paintings — offers the opportunity for new challenges and engaging with people of a wide variety of ages, all traits of lively nonagenarians. Members and nonmembers of Lifelong Learning are invited to attend the theater, symphonies, lectures and road trips, all of which allow for important connection to friends and involvement in enjoyable activities.

I am new to this group, but have been overwhelmed by the wonderful people I have had the privilege to meet. Whether they are a retired executive, teacher, librarian, police officer or scientist, all share some common traits: They enjoy life, people and most of all, learning new things.

LYNDA HOFFMAN
Interim Coordinator,
Life Long Learning
Lourdes University

Casino steakhouse earns Forbes four-star rating

By
Dock David Treece
-
0

Hollywood Casino Toledo’s Final Cut Steak & Seafood recently proved it really is a cut above the rest as it was awarded a four-star rating by Forbes Travel Guide — the only restaurant in Ohio, Michigan or Indiana to receive that distinction.

Four-star restaurants ”impress with attentive service and exceptional facilities,” according to startle.com, the new online home of the iconic travel guide. Formerly known as the Mobil Travel Guide, Forbes Travel Guide went online via Startle in 2011, marking the last year of publication for the traditional printed guide

This year’s guide lists only 133 restaurants four-star restaurants and only 28 five-star ratings in the country.

“These are exciting restaurants with often well-known chefs who feature creative, complex foods and emphasize various culinary techniques and a focus on seasonality,” the website stated. “A highly trained dining room staff provides refined personal service.”

Earning a Forbes four-star rating has been an often-stated goal of Director of Food and Beverage Marc Guastella since the casino opened less than a year ago on May 29.

Final Cut debuted a new menu in January, featuring American Wagyu beef, cob and lobster dishes as well as appetizers like housemade tater tots and roasted bacon.

The Palace Restaurant in Cincinnati received a recommended rating, meaning it ranked just below four stars. The MGM Grand Detroit hotel and its Immerse Spa both also received four stars, the only four-star hotel and spa in the region.

For more information and a full list of winners, visit startle.com/about/awardwinners.

Buchanan: Remembering a strong history of local innovation

By
J. Matthew Buchanan
-
0

Can you name three Toledo-based innovations that changed the world? I’ve asked this question of many fellow Toledoans over the years. Unfortunately, the answers haven’t varied much — people almost always respond quickly with general references to “Jeeps and glass.” Beyond that, they struggle. Naming a third always proves difficult, even for die-hard Toledoans.

This ought not be the case. Toledo has an amazing history of world-changing innovation that should be a source of pride for all of us. Residents of most cities similar in size to Toledo can point to a few companies that have introduced well-known products in the past, but we’ve got so much more. Several Toledo companies have literally created new industries right here in our hometown. Several others introduced innovations that radically and permanently changed the course of their industries. Toledo has played a critical role in the development of everything from bicycles to interchangeable mufflers and from fountain pens to medical devices.

After doing just a small bit of research on the issue, I’ve discovered numerous examples that make picking a third example less difficult. Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Thanks in large part to a lightweight wire wheel made by Toledo-based Gendron Iron Wheel Company, Toledo was once known as the “Coventry of America” after Coventry, England, then the center of the British bicycle industry.
  • In the early 1900s, Toledo became the center of the fountain pen industry when the Conklin Pen Manufacturing Co. introduced a unique self-filling pen; Mark Twain endorsed the famous Conklin Crescent Filler as his pen of choice.
  • Three seemingly unrelated industries — medical devices, cosmetics and paint-spraying equipment — are connected by innovations in fluid dispersion from Toledo’s own DeVilbiss family.

Our innovation history even goes beyond the introduction of new products based on local inventions. Several Toledo companies imported new ideas from elsewhere, bringing growth and jobs with them. Universal joints, electric auto lights and the Etch-a-Sketch were invented elsewhere but were innovated in Toledo. Even our lawyers have innovated over the years — Owens Corning’s PINK was the first successful registration of a color as a trademark.

Considering this plethora of examples, how can it be that we’re so unfamiliar with our bright and extensive innovation history?

It’s simple: We’ve forgotten.

As a community, we’ve forgotten that Toledo once thrived on disruptive innovation rather than suffered its consequences. We’ve forgotten that we used to import new ideas and leverage them into new businesses, growth and jobs. We’ve forgotten that we were once viewed as the hometown of great inventors and industrialists who introduced world-changing products. We’ve forgotten the great business stories behind the names we’ve always known  — DeVilbiss, Stranahan, Owens and many more.

We’re lucky, though, because we have that history. As a community we can, and should, reconnect with it and embrace it proudly. We should openly and actively celebrate the innovative spirit that fueled Toledo for decades. We should teach our innovation history to younger native Toledoans and communicate it proudly to new folks we welcome to the community. With a little effort, we could even use our proven innovation track record to direct our future. Embracing our history just might prove an important first step in repeating it.



J. Matthew Buchanan is a registered patent attorney, owner of Buchanan Nipper LLC and president and a CEO of Daystream Inc. in Perrysburg.

Local breweries, bars put Toledo on craft beer map

By
Dave Kubacki
-
0
n Jon Koester, brewer at Maumee Bay, said the craft beer scene in Toledo has grown DURING the past three years. Photo by Dave Kubacki.

For years, Glass City beer lovers haven’t had craft brews to fill their steins and snifters, but thanks to local breweries and restaurants, that’s no longer the case, local experts said.

According to the Brewers Association, the number of larger breweries in the United States has grown from about 500 in 1990 to 2,126 as of July 1. While many recognize the household names of Budweiser, Coors and Miller, it is the smaller, craft breweries that have exploded in growth during the past 20 years. As of July 1, there were 2,075 craft breweries in the U.S. Paul Traver, co-owner and head brewer of Toledo’s Great Black Swamp Brewing, said that Toledo is just trying to catch up.

“Depending on what part of the country you compare it to, the craft beer scene in Toledo is three years, five years or almost a decade behind what everyone else in the country is doing,” Traver said.

“However, in the last three years, Toledo has made leaps and bounds with not only the availability of craft beer in bars and retail, but also consumer knowledge has increased as well. It is a big commitment on the part of retailers and bars to dive in as you have to educate your staff. It’s amazing how much ground the city has made up in a short amount of time.”

Maumee Bay Brewing Co.’s head brewer, Jon Koester, echoed Traver’s take on Toledo’s place in the craft beer scene.

“In the last three or four years, it has really grown,” Koester said. “Honestly, when I started, it was kind of sad working here and seeing how little craft beer was out there. Sure, beer stores like Joseph’s Beverage Center and Marino’s had great selections, but there wasn’t much good, craft beer on tap to be found. Now, all these bars are going local and getting beers from Maumee Bay, Great Black Swamp, Sugar Ridge and other states such as Michigan and California.”

Across the United States, craft beer is becoming more readily available due to increased demand and popularity. Growth of the craft brewing industry in 2011 was 13 percent by volume and 15 percent by dollars compared to growth in 2010 of 12 percent by volume and 15 percent by dollars, according to the Brewers Association. Retail dollar value in 2011 was an estimated $8.7 billion, up from $7.6 billion in 2010 and the market share was 5.7 percent by volume and 9.1 percent by dollars. With so much craft beer momentum, Traver said there are still obstacles to overcome for craft beer in Toledo.

“Bud Light has a foothold in Toledo like nowhere else,” Traver said. “It’s hard to break that.”

However, restaurants like Perrysburg’s Swig are making a name for themselves by providing more options. According to co-owner Tony Bilancini, drink choice is often rooted in tradition.

“Northwest Ohio is a working-class area of Ohio,” Bilancini said. “It is automotive- and factory-based. We have a lot of strong, hard-working blue-collar workers. With that comes American beer like Coors, Miller Light, Schlitz and Stroh’s. Most people are brought in and drinking what their father or grandfather were drinking.”

While Bilancini isn’t trying to change that tradition, he said he recognizes craft beer’s place in Toledo and the city’s growing interest. According to Bilancini, craft beer provides an opportunity for conversation.

“You can’t get bored talking about beer,” Bilancini said. “It’s not religion; it’s not politics; it’s not your ex-wife and it’s not your good friend. It’s like gossiping right in front of someone and not needing to be embarrassed about it.”

Both Traver and Koester said Toledo is still a bit behind most of the country in the craft beer scene. For breweries like Maumee Bay Brewing Co., Great Black Swamp Brewing and Sugar Ridge Brewery, the question becomes how to compete with big breweries and established regional craft breweries like Bell’s Brewery and Founders Brewing Company.

Traver said local breweries can offer options other breweries cannot.

“For us, our focus has always been small bars and restaurants, locally owned,” Traver said. “We needed to let them know we were local and what we could do for them as a small brewery. They don’t need a delivery schedule with us or have a standing order with us. Because of where we are located, if you run out of beer on a Friday afternoon, we can get it to you by 5 p.m. For a small bar, if they have an empty tap, they aren’t making any money and we understand that.”

Both Maumee Bay Brewing Co. and Great Black Swamp Brewing hope to continue expanding in 2013. Maumee Bay will increase its bottle offerings with pub favorites such as the brewery’s double India pale ale Amarillo Brillo and their Total Eclipse Breakfast Stout, Koester said.

Great Black Swamp Brewing will work on higher gravity bottling with very limited draft. The business recently met with a coffee roaster for an imperial coffee stout and is also working on an imperial India pale ale as well, Traver said.

The goal is to not only put Toledo on the map, but also to help Ohio’s craft beer reputation, he said.

“We would like to have more name recognition in Toledo,” Traver said. “Michigan has a stronghold on what’s going on in the Midwest and I would like our brewery to start chipping into that. Actually, I would like to see all the Ohio breweries start chipping into that.”

Koester said it’s important to understand how to manage your growth.

“You don’t want a huge growth all at once,” Koester said. “You want steady growth; otherwise, you’ll end up irritating your distributors by not having your products available. You have to take it slow. That’s how the other successful breweries have handled growth.”

Bilancini said some restaurants and bars will continue to establish themselves as players in the craft beer scene and some will not. For Bilancini, he just wants a place where craft beer is part of the conversation.

“That’s the thing about this bar,” Bilancini said. “I can walk around and talk to anyone. There are no strangers. There are just friends you haven’t met yet.”

Sharp: Libertarian Perspective: Economics and politics

By
Kenneth Sharp
-
0

Sequester, minimum wage and jobs — it is all about the money. When looking at the headlines and the roles Democrats and Republicans have taken, one wonders if they even have a basic understanding of economics or the platforms their parties claim. Even John M. Keynes knew government involvement had its limits. The Democrats have become hawkish on military spending and the Republicans are running as fast as they can from spending cuts.

First, let’s look at sequester and what it means in terms of our government spending. In the debt ceiling round of dysfunction in Washington, the White House and Democrats proposed, and the Republicans agreed to, an automatic cut in spending that would occur if they did not reach another accord. This cut in spending is actually a decrease in the increase of spending to all the affected areas. Nowhere will any agency have less this year than last year. Of the examples touted in the news and from the government’s own reports as being on the chopping block, some are no longer agencies (The National Drug Intelligence Center) or are state-owned (Boca Raton Airport). Why are we paying for these?

The amount of spending sequestration represents with regard to the total allotment is miniscule (I avoid the term “budget,” as we haven’t had one in years). It is estimated at 1 to 3 percent of more than $1 trillion in spending. Those are huge numbers. Cuts as large as $85 billion have been discussed. Surely that would wreak havoc upon our floundering economy, hurt job growth and promote a zombie apocalypse. Not so much, when put in perspective. The idea that even a 3 percent cut in overall spending must come at the expense of vital programs is untrue.

The sequestration as written was intended to force Republicans to concede. It targeted programs generally popular in Republican circles (military) as well as popular with the general public (education, transportation). We see this tactic locally all the time, especially with school levies. They exclaim, “We must cut athletics, special education, extracurricular activities and we will bring harm to our teachers unless we get more funding.” There is never a real discussion of how and where the current funding is being spent (this is why a full audit of Toledo Public Schools is important).

Even more recently, scare tactics like the release of illegal immigrants by a department are meant to spur us (them) and it should. We need to demand full audits of all agencies, the Senate and House offices, The White House and certainly the Federal Reserve. We cannot afford these bloated entities. This will take years to accomplish so it is important to start now.

Discussion needs to be had on the idea of a $9 minimum wage. Having recently completed a college level introductory course in both macroeconomics and microeconomics, I can assure you they teach this concept early on. A price floor, which is a point that, by regulation, you cannot go below, has a definite effect on both supply and demand. In the case of the minimum wage, the supplier is the laborer and the demand or consumer is the business that would employ them. Recently, in these pages, a study by economists Card and Krueger was cited that states that a minimum-wage increase can strengthen job creation.

Economist Benjamin Powell recently debunked this oft-repeated study. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-powell/minimum-wage-merry-go-rou_b_2713136.html).

But the study doesn’t ask the right questions. The study shows that a minimum wage at or near the real equilibrium point will have little effect on unemployment. When the first national minimum wage went into effect in 1938 at 25 cents an hour, the prevailing wage for the majority was 60 cents an hour; it had little effect. That is except in Puerto Rico, where the average wage was 3 to 4 cents an hour. Forced to comply, the result was massive unemployment and businesses that went bankrupt. The example of San Francisco was brought up: it already pays more than the new proposed minimum and has an unemployment rate lower than the rest of California.

That is the free market at work. To say all of California, or all the states are homogenous is a mistake. To impose San Francisco rates on Fresno or Findlay would be devastating. If there is to be a minimum wage, it needs to be decided as locally as possible.

We must learn to ask the right questions. Right now the question we need to ask all our elected officials is, where is my audit?

Miller: Deadspun

By
Michael Miller
-
0

Circulation is the lifeblood of the newspaper industry. The Internet and digital distribution have dramatically increased the reach of publications, but counting the number of printed copies remains a major part of setting advertising rates and empirically measuring market penetration.

I do not play any tangible role in the circulation of Toledo Free Press (my job is to make and package the pizza, not deliver it), but my email address is the recipient of the flood of delivery requests and thank-yous and the drip of do-not-deliver requests. When such requests arrive, I forward them to Toledo Free Press President and Publisher Tom Pounds, who runs the circulation department.

During our eight-year history, we have dealt with circulation threats both external (saboteurs from competitors who tamper with delivered papers) and internal (from prosecuted ex-employees looking to pocket money from falsifying delivery route reports).

While I do not directly impact circulation, my livelihood (and the livelihoods of the dozens of Toledo Free Press employees) hinges on it. So when those numbers are called into question, it is serious business.

At 10:58 a.m. Feb. 22, Blade sports reporter Ryan Autullo posted on his Twitter account, @AutulloBlade: “At a coffee shop, and @ToledoFreePress just delivered their Sunday paper ‘the largest circulation in town’ two days before Sunday.”

It’s disturbing that a high-profile, professional reporter like Autullo could pack so much inaccuracy and misdirection in fewer than 140 characters. First, Toledo Free Press has never claimed to have the “largest circulation in town.” We have the largest circulation in the county.

It’s also odd that Autullo fails to understand the simple process by which a weekly publication dates its covers. Toledo Free Press is designed to reach readers on Sunday, so it is dated for Sunday. Delivery starts early to ensure the more than 86,000 copies reach their destinations on time. If you subscribe to any magazine, from TIME to Entertainment Weekly, you have probably noticed that the cover date is always a week or more ahead. That’s the system.

Most disturbingly, Autullo is mocking Toledo Free Press’ circulation statement, even though he must know something about the auditing process that allows newspapers to make such statements. Toledo Free Press is audited by the Circulation Verification Council. In Lucas County, Toledo Free Press delivers 76,341 Sunday copies. The Blade is audited by Alliance for Audited Media. In Lucas County, The Blade delivers 70,590 Sunday copies. These are facts, not opinion, and a high-profile, professional reporter such as Autullo — whose work involves stats and scores and numbers — should have some elemental grasp of the unassailable nature of math. Toledo Free Press is Lucas County’s largest circulated newspaper (You should also know that our number was updated for 2012; The Blade’s most recently released audit is apparently from 2011).

Autullo’s tweet was brought to my attention but as it was more confused than pointed, it did not warrant a direct response. Toledo Free Press retweeted his message without comment, to allow our followers to see the unwarranted aspersion for themselves.

I have no way of knowing Autullo’s motives for taking a swipe at us, but he certainly deserves compassion for having some tough days recently. On Feb. 12, the website Deadspin beat him to the public with the story behind the resignation of University of Toledo track coach Kevin Hadsell. In a clumsy and defensive attempt to salvage some dignity, Blade Managing Editor Dave Murray took a shot at Deadspin’s credibility — “The difference between the coverage of this story by The Blade and Deadspin is that [Blade reporter Ryan] Autullo is a professional journalist who has named sources and you can believe what he reports,” Murray posted on the story’s Facebook comments section. That resulted in an Internet frenzy from new media journalists who said Deadspin editors described Murray as “archaic,” “tin-eared” and an “***hole.”

Just hours after Autullo took his misinformed shot at Toledo Free Press, karma does what it does best. Deadspin updated its Hadsell story, describing The Blade as “the unofficial publicity arm of the University of Toledo” and reported, “For an idea of how The Blade has framed the story, here’s a tweet from reporter Ryan Autullo: ‘Hadsell tweet: We’ve learned he boozed, had relationships with coeds, and was great at his job. #mostguyswouldkillforthat’.”

One does not have to be a journalism school graduate or high-profile journalist to understand how inappropriate it is for a reporter who is covering such a controversial and upsetting story to publicly express his admiration for the person he is supposed to objectively write  about. Autullo has the right to glorify a man trusted with students who reportedly indulged in drinking and sexual relationships with those students, but stating that opinion undermines any trust in his reporting choices — both what he includes and what he leaves out.

Toledo Free Press, capitalizing on karma’s gift, tweeted a link to Deadspin’s update, with the hashtags #coffee and #coverdate.

Autullo responded: “Almost as inane as TFP’s outlandish circulation claims.”

We will probably never know why Autullo chose to wade into an 16-month-old multimillion dollar lawsuit, exposing himself and his employer to legal ramifications with such an easily disprovable statement. With one tweet, he went from jabbing to engaging in actionable disparagement.

His comments questioning Toledo Free Press’ audited circulation numbers open a number of unpleasant legal questions. On what basis does he say our circulation numbers are “outlandish”? With whom at The Blade has he discussed the topic, and what other falsehoods are the parties engaged in regarding Toledo Free Press?

Why, in addition to calling into question the veracity of Toledo Free Press, is he attacking and disparaging the methodology and data of the Circulation Verification Council (CVC)? CVC audits thousands of publications with combined circulations above 50 million; Autullo, as a high-profile, professional journalist, has publicly disparaged CVC and cast doubt on its work. I can’t imagine CVC president and CEO Tim Bingaman will react to that attack with good humor.

Autullo may also have violated his employer’s “Internet & Email Acceptable Use Policy,” which reads, “You must refrain from making any false or defamatory statements in any Internet forum or from committing any other acts which could expose this Company to liability.” But that’s a matter for Autullo’s employer to discuss with him.

Circulation is the lifeblood of the newspaper industry. When someone attempts to poison that blood with toxic disparagement, a swift and definitive response is warranted. There is enough bad blood between Toledo Free Press and The Blade without uninformed tweeters making matters worse.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at [email protected].

Pounds: Trashing Husted’s BOE road map

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0

“The only sure things in life are death, taxes and Lucas County having the worst election board in the State of Ohio.”



— Steve Fought, campaign manager for Rep. Marcy Kaptur

Six months ago, Ohio Secretary of State (SOS) Jon Husted, undoubtedly with an eye on the then-upcoming presidential election, placed the Lucas County Board of Elections (BOE) under SOS administrative oversight and assistance. That long-overdue move helped protect the integrity of the elections process from the BOE’s dysfunction and inability to rise above the severely flawed personalities in charge. In a report issued this week, SOS-hired consultants who evaluated the Lucas County BOE recommended that Director Meghan Gallagher and Deputy Director Dan DeAngelis be removed from office.

In their report, consultants Jim Ruvolo, a Democrat who served on the BOE from 1976-82 and from November 2011 to February 2012, and Jon Allison, a Columbus-based attorney and Republican, wrote, “We conclude that the Lucas County Board of Elections as presently situated is devoid of management leadership, is without most of the basic organizational structure, policies and procedures necessary to function as an accountable government entity and is culturally plagued by mistrust and fear.”

We have been saying that since August 2011 and have long called for Gallagher’s resignation. Jon Stainbrook, board member and chair of the Lucas County Republican Party, would also better serve the public by going back to whatever it is he did before applying his unique talents to staining the democratic process with conflict and obstinance. In a Feb. 26 letter to the BOE, Husted wrote, “With yesterday’s release of Mr. Allison and Mr. Ruvolo’s report and recommendations, you have been provided with a roadmap to place the Lucas County Board of Elections on track. My office has provided you with all of the tools and resources that we can reasonably provide.”

Predictably, at a Feb. 26 board meeting, no movement was made toward following the SOS recommendation. There is no indication that any of the SOS’s efforts will effect change, or that any confidence has been restored.

This era of BOE operation will be remembered as an utter failure, a humiliation on a statewide level and an example of managerial incompetence that lowered an already pitiful standard in Lucas County.

Gallagher is collecting an annual salary in excess of $85,000; what are voters getting for that investment? Gallagher’s epic failure to control the BOE and its most basic functions has resulted in acrimony and an unimaginable situation for the Secretary of State. There is no logical future for her as BOE director and no clear path for true reform until she resigns or is removed from office.

Husted has provided a solution. The BOE is ignoring it. Stainbrook and Gallagher may feel they have outlasted the SOS intervention and “won,” but Lucas County continues to be the loser as long as these two have a presence at the BOE.



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

Treece Blog: Non-sequester

By
Ben Treece
-
0

This week, Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi wrote an article detailing the sequester cut — what they mean and how we got to this point. Politics aside, Taibbi is a fantastic writer who received a lot of notoriety after covering the failings of Wall Street in 2008-09, and who wrote scathing articles critiquing both the Bush and the Obama administrations for allowing those events to happen and then bailing out those who put us in the mess.

While the term has appeared on the news a lot over the past week, many people are still confused as to what exactly the sequester is and how we got to this point. The idea of the sequester was first bounced around in 2011, back when the fiscal cliff was a still a big deal. Democrats wanted the wealthy to “pay their fair share,” and Republicans stood their ground saying they would not approve tax increases without substantial spending cuts.

In response, the White House proposed the sequester, thinking that a deal would be worked out down the road. Once 2013 began, Democrats got the 2 percent FICA tax increase they wanted, and at the time of this writing we are days away from the sequester deadline. Be sure to check out the Bipartisan Policy Center for some great information and history on the sequester.

Now Democrats are stepping up saying this would be a catastrophe and the sequester cuts were never intended to actually happen but were more a way to delay spending cuts until a time when a more sustainable compromise could be reached (code for Democrats saying they were hoping they would have taken a majority in the House and Senate during the 2012 elections so they could do whatever they wanted).

Taibbi makes some great points, especially that $85 billion in cuts per year (some reports actually read $109 billion per year) is not all that drastic, reminding us that the Federal Reserve gave Citigroup more than that in one month of 2009 alone.

Putting the cuts in perspective, according to the proposed 2013 White House Budget, total outlays of the federal government would total more than $41 trillion between now and 2021, when the sequester is set to end. This ends up being a 2.9 percent reduction in spending.

Now let’s look at it from a personal income standpoint. Let’s say you spend an average of $25,000/year, a 2.9 percent cut in your spending would result in a $725 savings per year. My point is that the cuts are not that drastic, but they are a start.

Of course, we have politicians pandering to different crowds saying that these “Draconian cuts” would be devastating to the fragile U.S. economy. Factcheck.org did a great job pointing out many of these inaccuracies.

Even Taibbi points out in his piece that parading Janet Napolitano around saying that several thousand border patrol agents will be laid off in an effort to terrorize those living in border states who have been victimized by cartel violence in recent years is unfair. “We hated it when George Bush threatened us with the specter of terrorist attacks to get what he wanted politically, so we ought to be hating this, too,” he writes.

What Democrats fail to realize is that this is exactly what the Republicans have wanted all along — spending cuts! Fiscal conservatives have been screaming for more than a decade that government spending has gotten out of hand and needs to be reined in, but no substantial cuts have ever been agreed upon. It is also no secret that the Republican Party on a national scale is in a bit of disarray. This could be the event that Republicans use as a “told you so,” for the next several election cycles. However, here is the kicker — the sequester was an idea that the White House was forced to make in response to Republicans standing firm on no tax hikes without spending cuts. If the sequester pans out, it will be a battle for credit that will certainly be fought on national nightly news programs and in long editorials of national newspapers.

Everyone should read up on the sequester. While the cuts are not as broad and severe as you have been led to believe, it is important to know how much is set to be cut, what the impacts are and what the benefits are. History shows us that a more cost-effective, efficient government is great for the economy in the long run, and it is about time we curtailed out-of-control federal spending.

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

Union leader concerned about TPS abuse report procedures

By
John McCartney
-
0

A union leader’s concerns with the procedures teachers and administrators use to report suspected child abuse or neglect failed to generate discussion at a Feb. 26 Toledo Public School (TPS) Board of Education meeting.

Rather, board members focused on the three-year contract renewal of four administrative cabinet members. Board President Brenda Hill asked to delay that vote because the board is in the process of hiring a superintendent to replace Jerome Pecko when he leaves his position July 31.

At the Feb. 13 TPS Human Resources Committee (HRC) meeting, Hill brought to the committee’s attention that Don Yates, president of the Toledo Association of Administrative Personnel, had expressed concern over the number of TPS investigations, a review of how Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) caseworkers deal with referrals and the relationship between TPS and LCCS.

Cheryl Spieldenne, chief human resources officer for TPS, said in her report on the HRC meeting that Yates has expressed concern with LCCS being called in when there was an administrator involved in a child abuse or neglect investigation.

Board member Bob Vasquez, who said he has had the same responsibility to report suspected abuse and/or neglect in his professional career, reminded the committee that TPS has a policy for reporting.

“We must follow it,” Vasquez said of that policy. “If I am told that you believe a child is being abused, I have an obligation under the law to report it. It’s not up to me to do anything but report. It’s my legal obligation.”

Pecko told the committee  there had been a recent change in the reporting procedure districtwide and that all reporting must now go through the superintendent’s office. He also said that there would be LCCS staff training sessions later in the year.

Yates, who did not attend the HRC meeting, said Feb. 19 that his concern centered on the training sessions Pecko said would take place.

“I am concerned with the administrative review process, especially when administrators and teachers are involved,” Yates said. “I believe there may be confusion internally as to who does what investigation. We need to be able to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, especially when administrators and teachers are involved.

“On the flip side, however, there are referrals that are legitimate and there are cases that need investigation. We want to stress education so folks know what’s an appropriate referral,” Yates said.

Choice is not an option

Dean Sparks, LCCS’s executive director, referred to state law — Ohio Revised Code Section 2151.421, which identifies “school authorities, employees and teachers” as one of 15 professions “required by law to report if they suspect or know that child abuse is occurring.”

Ohio law is clear that choice is not an option for school personnel, Sparks said. The law requires immediate reporting of any known or suspected abuse or neglect.

“This is not a union issue,” Sparks said. “This is a state law issue. Failure to make a report of any abuse that should reasonably be suspected is a misdemeanor punishable by jail time and a fine.

“Let me couple this by saying we get lots of reports about a variety of people who care for children, like teachers, preachers, scout leaders, day care providers and foster parents, that never turn out to be true. So to say that it could be a career-ender for someone reporting [the suspicion of abuse or neglect] is a misnomer. It could be if somebody’s abusing children, and if they’re abusing children, we want it to be a career-ender.”

Sparks said all reports are confidential by law and LCCS does not disclose who made the report without that person’s consent.

Once investigated, Sparks said that cases are deemed “unsubstantiated,” “substantiated” or “indicated.”

Sparks said most letters that come across his desk are “unsubstantiated” allegations. “So that, in itself, is a protection for that educator,” he said.

“Anybody can say anything they want about any of us. And if we conduct an investigation and said it didn’t happen, then that never happened. That seems to me to be some protection from civil and personal liability for that person.

“And for everybody who goes through an investigation of child abuse or neglect as a perpetrator, it’s really uncomfortable. We understand that. There’s no way that we can ask those questions [comfortably]. But it really is for the protection of everyone.”

Sparks said in more than 70 percent of the cases referred to LCCS, “we find that it has not reached the level of abuse and neglect. “And that’s not just for teachers. That’s all together.”

No child in jeopardy

Yates further qualified his concerns Feb. 26.

“In years past, we’ve had speakers come in from [LCCS] to meet with school counselors, to make sure that teachers and principals and everybody is real clear about reporting requirements,” he said. “To me, that’s just a good way of making sure that no child is in jeopardy because somebody wasn’t sure or somebody had a question about a situation and they didn’t know who to contact. To me, that’s just a good of having a solid relationship between two organizations in charge of kids.”

Prior to 2009, Yates worked as a school assistant center coordinator, supervising counselors, special education teachers and psychologists. In that job, Yates said he was “pretty well plugged into” districtwide child abuse and neglect professional development classes.

“I’m not aware that we’ve done that recently,” Yates said. “At a Human Resources Committee meeting, I made the comment that I think it’s time to set that up again just to make sure that everybody knows what the requirements are.”

Background checks

In other business, the board agreed to pay the $22 fee for all employees Ohio Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) background checks at a cost of $63,140 to the district. The 3-2 vote approving this move was predicted by Cecelia Adams, board vice president, during the Feb. 13 Finance Committee meeting. Responsibility for the FBI background check will remain with the employee.

However, in presenting her committee report to the full board, Adams did not mention the 42-minute background check discussion that took place in the Finance Committee meeting. She asked the board to approve the related items in a bundle.

Before her motion could be seconded, Vasquez asked Adams why she had not disclosed the committee’s decision to bring the background check item to the board without a recommendation for a full discussion at the regular board meeting.

Adams said current TPS policy requires both; that in 2008, the decision to pay for both background checks was an emergency issue; and that she did not think there would be a need to do anything if that policy is to stay the same.

“Basically it is the responsibility of the employee,” she said.

Board member Lisa Sobecki immediately disagreed with Adams, saying that TPS should pay for the BCI background check and the employee should pay for the FBI background check. Sobecki cited the timeliness of the issue, saying employees “need to know when they come to work tomorrow what they will be expected to do.”

Sobecki also questioned whether the board had actually made the decision in 2008 or whether “this understanding may have been an administrative decision that was never brought to the board.”

Sobecki said she asked at the Jan. 22 board meeting that payment for background checks be put on the HRC agenda to be examined.

“Through discussion, HR discovered there was a policy issued and they had to look at whether they were going to change policy because the law had changed,” Sobecki said. “I, as a board member, said, ‘Wait a second. I was on the board at that time. I don’t recall this coming from the board. If it had, can someone show me? Is there a memorandum of understanding with your bargaining units? Was that agreement known to folks through a memorandum of understanding?’

“I don’t know if there’s one out there or not. One was not produced. All that could be produced was a letter that went out from Human Resources to the employees regarding their obligations, what was going to be happening, and the state law and what it is.”

‘Tough economic times’

Sobecki said the background check requirement includes bus drivers and food service workers as well as teachers and administrators.

“Ms. Hill referred to someone who has worked four years in the district working part-time making $9,000,” she said. “And $22 is important for someone who is possibly trying to get an education or paying off student loans or going to school or making a house payment.

“Those are what I look at because I value my employees and understand and sometimes can feel what they’re going though in these tough economic times. And they have worked tirelessly for us, not only in the position they are paid for, but also in their sacrifices on a very huge deficit that they didn’t create. That was my thinking through this whole process.

“And I agree with my colleagues that both of the checks are important. Actually, I wished that the state did the BCI check because it picks up things that the FBI check does not do. That’s a legislative thing in Columbus.”

Willy’s Salsa debuts several new flavors

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0
Bowling Green-based Willy’s Salsa recently debuted several new flavors, including Holy Frijoles Black Bean ‘N Corn Salsa and Just Peachy Salsa. Photo courtesy Dennis Dickey.

There is caution tape plastered on Willy’s Inc.’s website. Dennis Dickey, the brains behind Willy’s Salsa, warns his seven flavors of salsa are “highly addictive.”

“I get emails all the time,” Dickey said. “A lot of people [are] asking what I put in it. They’ll be joking. They’ll say, ‘Hey, we just finished a container of your salsa and now we’re driving across town to get another one.’ Once you start eating it, it’s hard to stop.”

But Dickey said there is no secret in the recipe. The seven flavors, the newest including Holy Frijoles Black Bean ‘N Corn Salsa and Just Peachy Salsa, are made from just a few ingredients.

“Everything that we do is off of one basic recipe,” Dickey said.“The sweet — all that is [added] is cane sugar. And the peach [is the] same thing; it’s cane sugar, peach flavoring … and we use chunks of peaches. The peaches are just for looks; they don’t really add any flavor.”

Dickey said the peach flavor is perfect to put on chicken or fish.

Willy’s Salsa also includes the original recipe in three versions: mild, medium and hot. Dickey likes the hot version best.

“We have the best hot salsa on the planet,” Dickey said. “That’s got habanero and serrano peppers in it. The hot is so good. I love to put it on a baked potato with sour cream and butter. I’ll even stop at Taco Bell, and I’m not even crazy about Taco Bell, but I’ll put a whole container of salsa on like five tacos and it’s really good.”

Dickey said the best feature about his salsa is the freshness. He does not keep his salsa in glass jars because, he said, glass jars of salsa have to be finished quickly or they grow mold.

The one-pound salsa tubs are available for just under $4 at several stores, including Kazmaier’s Market, Giant Eagle, The Andersons and Kroger. Right now, Dickey said between 500 and 600 stores sell Willy’s Salsa in Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

“We’re bigger [in Michigan] than we are here,” Dickey said. “That’s not the way it should be.”

Dickey’s goals do not stop there. Dickey added that in five years he wants to sell his company and retire.

“We’re going to be a national company,” Dickey said. “That’s my goal.”

Dickey originally worked at what is now InsideOut Home Recreation. He would bring his salsa to parties and his co-workers said he should start selling it. Later, he left his $80,000-a-year job to start Willy’s Salsa.

For more information, visit the web site www.willyssalsa.com.

1...232233234...303Page 233 of 303