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Union leader concerned about TPS abuse report procedures

By
John McCartney
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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
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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.

Port increases president’s contracting authority

By
Toledo Free Press
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The Board of Directors for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority unanimously voted to increase President Paul Toth’s contracting authority from $25,000 to $100,000 on Feb. 28.

“Last time we changed the (contracting) authority, it was back in the ’90s and obviously things have changed and gotten more expensive,” Toth said, adding that the amendment allows the Port Authority to move “at the speed of business.”

“What really brought [the amendment] out was just the market,” said Matt Sapara, chief operating officer for the Port Authority. “It becomes more and more difficult for us to retain our agility when we’re trying to get these projects completed.”

The materials from the Feb. 28 meeting echoed Toth’s and Sapara’s statement: “The cost of doing business has increased, rendering this threshold to be more frequently exceeded than when it was originally established.”

Before the amendment increasing his contracting authority was passed, Toth was able to enter contracts and select providers of goods, equipment, material and services of up to $25,000 without board approval. Now that amount changes to $100,000.

“It is recommended that the threshold be increased to $100,000 to enable the President to more efficiently commence those projects and secure those goods and services that are not financially significant,” read the board’s materials. Anything above $100,000 still requires a resolution from the Board of Directors.

Toth said that contracts must still be within the Port Authority’s budget. He also said that $100,000 was in the ballpark of other port authority presidents’ contracting authority amounts.

The amendment also changed the signing requirements of checks, drafts, notes and bonds. Before the amendment passed, both the fiscal officer (which Toth is considered) or an assistant fiscal officer and a board member had to sign any checks, drafts, notes and bonds of $25,000 or more. Checks less than $25,000 only required the signature of either the fiscal officer or a board member, according to documents. With the change to the policy, the dual-signing requirement is now just for amounts of more than $100,000.

Sapara said he didn’t see any resistance to the amendment at the meeting, which Toth was unable to attend.

“We’re very fortunate that there’s a good relationship between the board and staff and there’s checks and balances in place,” he said, adding that Toth is still required to report on his decisions to the board.

Before the amendment, Toth was required to report on contracted expenditures of $10,000 to $25,000 to the Board of Directors every quarter. Now with the increased amount, Toth must report on expenditures from $10,000 to $100,000 every quarter.

Rathbun: Adjustments to FDIC

By
Gary Rathbun
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In my last column I discussed FDIC insurance and what some of the psychology involved does to the behavior of depositors as well as the banks. In this column, I want to spend some time talking about alternatives to the FDIC coverage and an alternative to individual bank solvency.

On Feb. 19, I had the privilege of having Hester Peirce from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University on my radio program, “Eye on Your Money.” We were able to spend some time talking about her research and commentary on the Dodd-Frank legislation and the devastating effect it is going to have on the economy. (You can listen to the podcast at privatewealthconsultants.com)

We mainly talked about two points in our conversation: First, instituting a deductible on the FDIC coverage and second, something called double liability for bank reserves.

Most of the insurance that you and I have in our lives has some sort of deductible or co-insurance, which is similar. What would happen if the FDIC insurance on your bank accounts had a deductible of, say, 5 or 10 percent? Would you be more interested in the overall finances of the bank? Would the bank be more diligent if it knew that potential depositors were going to scrutinize their balance sheet before putting any money in the account?

As it stands today, the investor really doesn’t need to be concerned about the financial condition of the bank they are depositing in as long as the account is under the $250,000 limit. After that, no one even looks at the financials, the lending practices or the people involved. Furthermore, the bank — knowing that no one cares about the financials — doesn’t need to concern itself with the amount of risk it takes because the government will provide the safety net if anything doesn’t work out as planned.

Having a deductible would go a long way toward fixing some of these issues. We have a deductible everywhere else, why not on our bank accounts?

Double liability is a concept that has been around for a long time and was in place before FDIC came along. Double liability simply means that the shareholders of a bank could be called upon to contribute additional capital to the reserves if needed. The amount required was generally a small percentage of the original share amount but additional nonetheless.

Prior to the Glass-Steagall Act, double liability was very effective in protecting bank creditors, including bank depositors. In fact, during the first four years of the Depression, very little depositor money was lost while double liability was in place.

Reintroducing double liability for financial firms would cause investors to increase the risk-monitoring by bank shareholders and managers. Shareholders — not federal deposit insurance — would be the primary bearers of losses resulting from poor risk management. This would greatly change the way depositors and investors in banks would approach their decisions.

Additionally, “too big to fail” would no longer be part of our vernacular with regards to financial institutions. The taxpayer would no longer be the safety net for banks and other financial institutions that wish to take on inappropriate risk with depositors and investors money.

Will either of these things happen? Doubtful. No one wants to take responsibility for their own decisions, be it banks, investors or depositors. As long as the attitude of a risk-free financial life prevails there will be no long-term solution to the financial institutions’ problems.

Gary L. Rathbun is the president and CEO of Private Wealth Consultants, LTD. He can be heard every day on 1370 WSPD at 4:06 p.m. on “After the Bell,” everyday on the Afternoon Drive, and every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening at 6 p.m. throughout Northern Ohio on “Eye on Your Money.” He can be reached at (419) 842-0334 or email him at garyrathbun@private wealthconsultants.com.

Retirement Guys: Found money

By
Mark Clair & Nolan Baker
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Don’t you just love it when you slip on your jacket, check the pockets and find $20? Who doesn’t, right? One of the favorite parts of our job at The Retirement Guys is to help people find money when it comes to their investments. Finding money for clients is a two-part process that involves looking at the money going out and looking at the money coming in. Once we get started, money can usually be found in a lot of different ways.

Here are just a few ways that you, too, can find money.

Money going out

1. Buy the right investments in the right accounts. Consider holding tax-favored investments in taxable accounts. Many times, we find investors who own fully taxable accounts have investments that are 100 percent taxable each year. Instead, if the investments were shifted to a tax-free municipal bond, tax-advantaged real estate investment trusts or energy investments versus fully taxable strategies, less would go to taxes and more could be kept by the investor.

2.  Get life insurance policies that leverage money and provide long-term care benefits. Health care costs can wipe out the average family and even those with millions of dollars shouldn’t pay dollar for dollar for health care costs. Instead, leverage your money with insurance.

3. Cut investment fees and expenses. Sometimes it takes some work to add up all of the fees and expenses that are both disclosed and undisclosed in investments. Yet, once the effort is put in, wasted fees and expenses can be eliminated.

4. Eliminate debt. We talk with people all of the time who have a mortgage, credit card or car loans that cost anywhere from 4 percent to 15 percent; yet, they also have large balances in accounts that are earning less than 1 percent. By paying off the debt, they get to keep more of their hard-earned money.

5. Max out Roth IRA contributions. Roth IRAs offer the opportunity to get 100 percent tax-free growth and income for life. Roth IRAs aren’t just for young kids; they are a great option to consider for investors of all ages.

Money coming in

6. Old annuities. Minimum guaranteed rates in many older fixed annuities are much higher than what the average investor could get in other current safe accounts. Be sure to review how surrender changes could apply if any money is added into older annuities before you invest.

7. Life insurance policies that focus on maximum cash value can be a great approach. Insurance policies not only offer guarantees but indexed universal life insurance policies allow the account owner a higher potential return than most other fixed investments. Consider policies that don’t lock up your money.

8. Save in a company retirement plan. According to Aon Hewitt, 46 percent of American workers age 20-29 who have access to a pre-tax 401(k) retirement plan do not participate in the plan. Not only is it a mistake to not save for retirement, but the employee could also be missing out on free money if the company offers a matching contribution.

9. Pay attention to yield. Most investors focus mainly on the performance of their account. Although performance is important, the average investor has little control over the performance of the stock market in the future. Instead, focus on what can be controlled by concentrating on which yield can be increased by the proper investment selection. More yield from dividends and interest means more annual income.

These ways to find money do not consider your particular situation or risk tolerance. They should be used as a starting point in getting a comprehensive review done prior to making any changes. What we often find is that the average person is able to find money in several ways. So check out these nine ways with your money. Then visit us at ToledoFreePress.com and share with us some other ideas on how you have been able to find money.

Insurance guarantees are based upon the claims-paying ability of the insurance company. To qualify for the tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings, a Roth IRA must be in place for at least five tax years, and the distributions must take place after 59 ½ or due to death, disability or first-time home purchase ($10,000 lifetime maximum). Depending upon state law, Roth IRA distributions may be subject to state taxes.

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

Culbreath: UT hockey team heads to championship tournament

By
Matt Culbreath
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Compared to football or baseball, hockey has relatively few fans. Compared to college football, college hockey’s fanbase is dang near miniscule. In this region, though, it does have its followers: Ohio State, University of Michigan, Michigan State and Bowling Green State University all have fantastic NCAA Division I programs that have seen players move on to the upper echelons of the sport. Those teams are gearing up for the final CCHA tournament, and we’ll hopefully see some of them at the Huntington Center at the Midwest Regionals of the NCAA Tournament on March 30 and 31.

Lost in all of that, though, is a scrappy team that plays in a public rink on Alexis Road that wears the midnight blue and gold. They may not be an NCAA team, but they’re starting to see success at their level.

The University of Toledo hockey team is not so much an official team as it is a student organization, but its history goes all the way back to 1965. It currently plays in the Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League (TSCHL), a Division II conference in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) (think the NAIA, but for hockey). Their history includes successes both past and present: an ACHA Division II National Championship in 1992, and league titles in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Last year, the Rockets blazed through the TSCHL tournament to win the league championship. This year, the Rockets shared the regular-season title with Dayton and head into the March 1-3 TSCHL Tournament as one of the top seeds, hoping to defend their title. The Rockets also had qualified for the ACHA Regional tournament, but lost a 3-2 heartbreaker to Virginia Tech in overtime.

Much of the team’s organization is built from within. Head Coach Matt Bollinger is a former player for the team. General Manager Greg Urig also spent four years on the ice for the Rockets before lending his services to building the program. According to Urig, the team would come and go based on whether or not there were enough people interested to actually field a team. Now, the structure is in place where the team is actually recruiting.

“It’s a matter of telling these kids that the level of play they’ll see here is about on the same level as they’d see in a Division III team in the NCAA,” Urig told me. “It’s still a collegiate level of hockey.”

I also talked to Mark Born, the father of Zack Born, one of the team’s offensive leaders. Mark was the one who originally reached out to Toledo Free Press, because he’s excited about the success the team has seen in recent years. “These are good kids, and this is good hockey that Toledo needs to see.”

It’s a little late in the year to take in the team now. They play their regular season games at the Team Toledo Ice House, but the regular season is already in the books. This weekend’s tournament will be held in North Canton, so if you’re up for a road trip, then hurry up; Toledo plays at 6:30 p.m. on March 2, and the Championship game is March 3 at 1:30 p.m.

Barring the roadie, you’re going to want to keep an eye out for this squad. Qualifying for the ACHA regional tournament was a Big Friggin’ Deal for this team, validating last year’s title and this year’s regular season championship. And spread the word: There are big-time prep hockey programs around here, and if a kid isn’t going to play for one of the big boys on the collegiate level, it doesn’t mean they still can’t play.



Matt “Shaggy” Culbreath is sports director at 1370 WSPD. Email him at [email protected].

Family Practice: Move over, Steve Martin

By
Shannon Szyperski
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I’m less than two months away from earning my “10 Years of Motherhood” pin. Technically, I think I probably earned it five or six months ago considering it’s been about 10 and a half years since I started with my first bout of morning sickness. Nonetheless, my oldest is about to turn a decade old and my motherhood will officially do the same.

As this monumental milestone inches closer and closer to reality, I suspect I’ll struggle to grasp  and accept its weight in more ways than one. I’m counting on fits of denial, phantom ticks of my biological clock seeming to beg for one more baby and two to four middle-of-the-night, where-has-the-time-gone panic attacks. Perhaps because we are just so busy on a daily basis or perhaps because the fits of denial have already begun, what should be a wicked tugging of the ol’ maternal heartstrings has so far manifested itself in a completely different way. As I soak up my three wonderful children each day, all I can seem to think of is, “I can’t believe I have been having to repeat the same thing over and over for almost ten years now!”

.

That’s right. I have been spouting off the same motherly instructions for 10 long years, many to no avail. “Brush your teeth.” “Put that away.” “Please eat something.” “Turn the TV off.” “Say ‘thank you.’” “That’s enough.” “Put your clothes back on right now.” Over and over and over again.

My inability to get through to my fairly good children after reiterating the same simple commands repeatedly every day for nearly a decade makes me realize that not everything is our fault as parents and that children aren’t necessarily steered into compliance by suggestions from parenting magazines. I’ve spent years, nay, nearly a decade working tirelessly to mold my children to the best of their abilities and I have yet to feel triumphant enough to take a victory lap or two.

Despite my best efforts (make that 80 percent or so of my best effort or so), we’re still combating messy rooms, nose picking, picky eating, food all over the house, inappropriate attire, writing on furniture, homework refusal, bathing refusal, bedtime refusal, most every other kind of refusal, forgotten toilet flushes, sibling rivalry, hitting, yelling, and the all-time classic, talking back. Every. Single. Day. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Fortunately, the years of experience have not left me completely without beneficial parenting skills, as I can name your toddler’s ailment in four symptoms or less and change a diaper with my eyes closed. Still, I can’t help but wonder at what point I’m finally going to get good at this. My bossy 9-year-old, school-hating 7-year-old and TV-addicted 3-year-old don’t quite move me to pat myself on the back for a job well done.

And then I remember a story a friend once told me. He spoke of how when, pre-children, he groaned at some friends with children for not being available enough and canceling plans at the last minute. “What jerks,” he thought. Upon having his own children and partaking in the 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year state of responsibility that is parenthood, however, he had an epiphany. “All of a sudden I realized,” he confessed, “that all of those years I was the jerk.”

Between his declaration and my ongoing realization that my kids aren’t and will likely never be parenting-magazine perfect, I’ve decided that much of raising children has to do with simply acknowledging what a jerk you’ve been most of the years prior. Even though I knew kids like the back of my hand before I even had my own, deep down I still had the notion that many a parent was doing it wrong.

Growing up, you think your own parents are doing it all wrong and then throughout young adulthood you can barely see children out in public without contemplating how superior your parenting skills are going to be to their parents’ skills. “My children will never be like that,” you oh-so-foolishly gloat.

Yet, here I stand, 10 years into the parenting gig and, despite both encouraging good choices and setting good examples, I can’t even get my kids to wear coats in the wintertime. That “10 Years of Motherhood” pin is no doubt going to be a reminder of how little I have it all figured out rather than a badge of wisdom. In the wise words of Michael Franti, “The more I see the less I know.”



Shannon Szyperski and her husband, Michael, are raising three children in Sylvania. Email her at [email protected].

Musicians come together for Acoustics for Autism

By
Brigitta Burks
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About 30 local musical acts will gather March 10 to rock out in support of Project iAm, a charity that provides scholarships to children with autism.

This is the sixth year of the event called Acoustics for Autism. The concert, which features three stages, is the result of founder Nicole Khoury’s hard work. The attorney started Project iAm after speaking with her best friend, whose child has autism, about the financial difficulties that families whose children have autism can face.

“I’ve seen the struggles of these families. They’re the people who need the money for their treatment and therapy and unfortunately there aren’t a lot of resources at all,” Khoury said.

Khoury’s band Arctic Clam is one of the bands playing at the show, which takes place at The Village Idiot and Buster Brown’s Lounge. Each venue features a stage and a heated tent will house kid-friendly activities and a third stage.

Many of the bands playing have been part of the event for years, Khoury said. Her band plays at 6:15 p.m. on The Village Idiot stage.

“It’s just an awesome, feel-good event. The musicians that are there want to support us and not because they want to put it on their resume,” Khoury said.

One of those musicians is Dave Carpenter, who will play with The Jaeglers at 8:15 p.m. on The Village Idiot stage. Carpenter helped co-found the concert six years ago.

Carpenter said when they started the event, he didn’t foresee it becoming as big as it is today.

“I jokingly say to Nicole, ‘It’s like pushing a snowball off a mountain.’ It just continues to build,” he said, adding that the musicians who keep coming back make it successful.

“I really want to highlight all the other musicians that have really helped us out. These musicians have donated their time on a Sunday.”

Playing on a Sunday is one of the things singer-songwriter Kyle White enjoys about Acoustics for Autism.

“It’s nice that it’s on a Sunday and I get to see all my musician friends,” White said. “We all play the same nights [the rest of the week].”

White, who has been involved with the annual concert since its start, also emphasized, “The energy’s always just amazing. All of the best music in the city is there in one day, so that’s always a bonus.”

White is set to play at 3:10 p.m. on The Village Idiot stage.

Another featured musician is John Barile, who is set to play with Bobby May at 3:50 p.m. on The Village Idiot stage.

“[Project iAm] does such a good job promoting [the concert] and it’s a great cause,” Barile said. “[Khoury’s] just a fantastic person.”

He said his favorite part of Acoustics for Autism is “the camaraderie of all us musicians coming together for a great cause.”

Jeff Stewart will play with the 25’s at 7:15 p.m. at The Village Idiot stage. Like Khoury, he has a personal connection to the concert’s cause.

“One of my best friends has a son that’s autistic and I know what he goes through,” he said. “It’s great to do this thing for the kids.”

He added that he is looking forward to playing at The Village Idiot.

“The Village Idiot is a small little community bar. … I’m looking forward to drinking the beer, eating the pizza and playing the music,” Stewart said.

The musicians also include The Eight-Fifteens. Pat Lewandowski, Calen Savidge, Brian Bocian, Zak Ward, Flabongo Nation and several others. DJ Sid will play between sets.

The concert also features chances for attendees to score some loot with a raffle, prize vault and silent auction.

Prizes include an iPad, an Ohio State University University of Michigan cornhole board with signed merchandise, a bat signed by Prince Fielder, a ball signed by Miguel Cabrera and a one-week stay in a Charleston, S.C., condo.

There is no admission fee at the door so all proceeds are made from donations and bidding.

Khoury said, “We don’t charge to get in. We hope you make a donation at the door, but you’ll never see us pushing stuff. I mean, I might have a cute little girl running around selling wristbands that you just can’t help but give her money, but we don’t sit there and say, �?Donate, donate, donate!’ We hope you come in and feel the love at the event and want to donate.”

Last year’s Acoustics for Autism event made about $15,000 and a second concert with Pittsburgh-based Rusted Root made $12,000.

Community partners also chip in for different supplies and prizes, Khoury said.

Last year, the nonprofit helped three or four families with treatment, therapy and other needs, she said. The criteria for receiving scholarship funds are available at www.aboutprojectiam.com/scholarships.php.

Khoury stressed that volunteering helps give applicants an edge.

“My main plea to people, parents who are applying, is get involved with this charity. We don’t ask for much of you; you know, volunteering for an event, or if you can’t get out of the house, I’ve got plenty of things for you to do at home. There’s a lot of grunt work that gets laid on my shoulders that I will happily delegate,” she said.

Those wishing to help with Acoustics for Autism can contact Khoury at [email protected]. To learn more and see a complete schedule, visit http://acousticsforautism.com/.

The Village Idiot is located at 309 Conant St., Maumee, and Buster Brown’s is at 313 Conant St., Maumee. Acoustics for Autism starts at noon March 10 and runs until 2 a.m.

Bill may allow Ohio adoptees to obtain birth certificates

By
Dave Willinger
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Bill sponsor Rep. Dorothy Pelanda, left, and Betsie Norris discuss the adoption bill prior to a recent hearing. Photo by Margaret Sabec.

An entire generation of adoptees in Ohio could finally be granted what some proponents of a bill — now in committee hearings in the state House of Representatives — say is a basic human right.

House Bill 61 and its counterpart Senate Bill 23 address what is referred to in Ohio adoption law as the “closed record period,” the years from 1964 to 1996, because adoptees born and adopted during those years are banned by law from accessing their original birth certificate.

That legal quirk resulted from the state’s closing such records in 1964, reflective of a trend at the time toward confidentiality. When a 1996 state law once again granted birth certificate access to adoptees there remained enough opposition to the change to prevent lawmakers from making those rights retroactive to 1964. Thus, a historical “doughnut hole” was created.

In today’s information society, driven by an ever-expanding Internet, preventing select adult adoptees from seeing their original birth certificates no longer seems the right thing to do in the view of many who advocate for adoption. Apparently, numerous state lawmakers agree. Besides the two sponsors for each bill, the Senate version has 10 co-sponsors while 25 co-sponsors signed the House bill.

If the new proposals become law, adoptees born in Ohio between 1964 and 1996 will have the right, upon their 18th birthday, to obtain a copy of their original birth certificate.

Proponent testimony is scheduled for March 6. The House Judiciary Committee will also schedule a hearing for testimony from anyone who opposes the bill, according to Rep. Dorothy Pelanda, R-Marysville, who together with Rep. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, sponsored House Bill 61.  Pelanda told Toledo Free Press she is as yet not aware of anyone opposing the legislation.

“No group, no individual has come forward to say ‘I’m opposing it,’” Pelanda said.

Pelanda views the new law as “giving adoptees a piece of their history.” In practical terms, that piece is the name of the adoptee’s birth mother. Pelanda, an adoption attorney for 30 years, noted that unmarried women who give birth are not allowed by law to provide information about the father for the birth certificate.

Pelanda is also an adoptive parent.

“My daughter’s original birth certificate is precious to her,” Pelanda said, because it “answers in part who she is.”

According to a fact sheet advocating for restoring Ohio adoptees’ rights, provided by Betsie Norris, executive director of Adoption Network Cleveland, the intent of the 1964 state law sealing adoptees’ documents “was to erase any tie between the baby and the birth mother or birth family” and “was considered, at the time, the best way to ensure a successful adoption.”

The new legislation would not impact adoptees born after 1996. Its provisions would simply extend to adoptees born between 1964 and 1996 the same right to access birth records.

Norris, herself an adoptee, said the amended birth certificates are sometimes scrubbed of more than the birth parents’ information. In some cases, even the birth weight and time of birth are redacted.

Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life (ORTL), told Toledo Free Press his group supports House Bill 61 and its Senate counterpart.

Explaining the evolving thought process on this issue, Gonidakis said ORTL in 1996 opposed opening birth records to adoptees. Back then, Gonidakis was focused on law school at the University of Akron, but speaking historically, he said ORTL’s opposition at that time was based on “the fear” that “birth mothers might choose abortion over adoption” if they believed their confidentiality was not guaranteed.

Gonidakis said people today are being reunited thanks to information and records obtained through Internet searches by adoptees. The new law would streamline the process for those born from 1964 to 1996, said Gonidakis, who noted that birth parent information potentially can be important because of the medical history component.

Lucas County Probate Court Judge Jack Puffenberger told Toledo Free Press he finalizes about 220 to 250 adoptions each year. Puffenberger in February briefed a committee of the Ohio Probate Court Judge Association on the pending legislation during a conference in the capital.

Currently, adult adoptees born between 1964 and 1996 who want to obtain their original birth certificate must pay a $50 fee to file a petition with the Probate Court, which then determines if a release from the birth mother is on file, in which case the birth certificate is made available. In cases where no release is on file, Puffenberger said the petition can languish indefinitely.

“A lot of adoptees are confused about what rules apply to them,” Puffenberger said. The new law would allow adoptees to go directly to the Bureau of Vital Statistics to obtain their birth certificate. Judge Puffenberger said the new law “does not significantly impact the operation of our courts” but maintained it “will clarify the process” of adoptees obtaining their original birth certificates.

No opposition to the new legislation has materialized from birth parents who might oppose having their identities revealed, according to Pelanda.

One birth mother in Lucas County, Kate Oatis of Maumee, told Toledo Free Press she supports the new law.

As a single coed in 1980, Oatis got pregnant while away at college. “We were in love and had a relationship,” she explained. But personal circumstances ultimately led Oatis to give her daughter up for adoption at birth.

“The emotional toll is quite huge when you give away a child,” Oatis said. About five years ago she made contact with her daughter, a teacher in New York. But Oatis has regrets. “I wish I’d never done it now,” she said about giving up her baby for adoption. “It’s a trauma.”

Oatis, for whom “abortion was never an option,” recalls being counseled during her pregnancy by an anti-abortion group near her college. Today, she believes every pregnant woman who is considering adoption should hire her own counsel instead of relying on advice from someone representing a group that might have vested interests in placing babies with adoptive parents.

As for how other birth parents may view the new legislation, Oatis said, “I can’t imagine anybody standing up and saying, ‘Don’t give them the right to their birth certificate.’

“It’s always better to live in reality,” she said.

Bill sponsors Reps. Nickie Antonio (front) and Dorothy Pelanda (rear). Photo by Margaret Sabec.

Bob Dylan to perform April 21 at BGSU

By
Dock David Treece
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Legendary musician and cultural icon Bob Dylan will perform Tangled up in RED: An Evening with Bob Dylan at Bowling Green State University’s Stroh Center on April 21.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the programs and services of the American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio, including disaster preparedness, disaster relief and recovery assistance, support for military members and their families, health and safety training and more, according to a news release.

The Los Angeles-based folk-rock band Dawes will open the show at 6:30 p.m. Dylan will take the stage at 8 p.m.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. March 8 at the Stroh Center box office and at ticketmaster.com. VIP tickets are $125 and are available exclusively through the American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio, by calling (419) 329-2573. Student tickets are $25 and available with a student ID at the Stroh Center box office.

Dylan, who is perhaps best known for his era-defining work, including “The Times They Are A-Changing,”  “Blowin’ In the Wind” and “Like A Rolling Stone,” released his 35th studio album, “Tempest,” last fall.

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