Home Blog Page 235

‘Playing Nightly’: New documentary features Toledo musicians

By
Toledo Free Press
-
0

Five prominent Toledo musicians are the subjects of the new documentary, “Playing Nightly.”

Jeff Stewart, Johnny Rodriguez, John Barile, Bobby May and Kyle White are featured in the film, which will premiere March 5 in Maumee. Toledo natives Jason Hamilton and Mike Malone produced the film.

Hamilton, also a director, started making a film about a guitar player years ago, but the project’s financing fell through. However, he still wanted to make a film about professional musicians.

Toledo musicians, from left, Bobby May, John Barile, Mike Malone, Kyle White, Jason Hamilton, Jeff Stewart and Johnny Rodriguez. Toledo Free Press Photo by Joseph Herr.

“Sometimes we have a concept or are given a concept of what ‘making it’ is. What we lose sometimes is that people are making a living doing what they love and that’s pretty cool,” he said.

Hamilton and Malone, also a videographer, first worked together on 1998’s “The Toledo Conspiracy,” the first 35-mm feature film shot totally in Toledo.

Malone, a member of the band Locoweed, also brought his own experience as a musician to the film.

“It was a labor of love, I’ll tell you, it really was,” he said.

Toledo itself is also an integral character in the film.

“A lot of people, my wife for one and her sisters, think that this is a great thing for Toledo because it looks like Toledo is a really boppin’ town,” Malone said.

While the crew was filming a segment on May and Barile at Ye Olde Cock n’ Bull, a Toledo Mud Hens game got rained out.

“So it looks like there’s people walking around in the rain; that’s how happening Toledo is,” Malone said with a laugh.

Stewart, a busy singer/songwriter, added, “That’s how it is now. It’s starting to happen now a little bit. It’s happening in waves.”

“We have the ability to make a living here with our trade. People talk about how there’s so many gigs here. We can do that; we can work as much as we want and be comfortable.”

Barile, who has shared the stage with Jethro Tull and Foreigner, said he hopes the film gets big so people can see the quality of musicians Toledo has to offer.

“There’s awesome, awesome musicians in Toledo. I’ll put them up against any musicians in the country,” he said.

“[The musicians in the film] are all fantastic musicians and it takes a more or less special type of person to play music seven or eight times a week.”

Rodriguez, a longtime performer on the Glass City music scene who has performed with The Drifters, said with a chuckle, “I felt kind of humbled by the fact that I was featured [in the film].”

The musicians also said Hamilton and Malone put them at ease during the interviews and filming.

“They’re such easygoing guys. It was easy to get right into the plan,” said May, who is the inspiration for Crystal Bowersox’s “Grey Haired Rock Stars.”

White, who has been playing in Toledo for 15 years, said, “I didn’t feel weird or intimidated by it or anything. Just because these guys are so cool and made me feel really comfortable.”

Stewart said everyone came across authentically in the documentary.

“Once you started talking, Jason’s very good at making it conversational so you really started forgetting about the camera,” he said.

Hamilton said he allowed the musicians to tell the story rather than have a narrator.

“The interesting thing that we do with this is there’s no narration and we try to take the interviewer out of the equation totally … it’s a little different from a standard documentary you might see,” he said.

May chimed in, “And if it’s a huge success, can we do our own voices on the cartoon series?”

The producers plan to use any donations gathered at the Maumee premiere to enter the documentary into film festivals to build acclaim.

“The more we have of that, it will create a certain amount of awareness. With a documentary, you’re not going to see a lot of theatrical releases, but you can have an avenue for Netflix, iTunes, for those kind of structures,” Hamilton said, adding that he plans to continue to explore the Toledo music scene in future works.

Hamilton said his favorite part of the film is “when you hear people talk about their families and that life and kind of [developing] their original voices … that’s wildly interesting.”

Barile said his favorite moment of filming was talking about “his greatest performance” — playing guitar for his then 25-minute-old daughter Aria. She is now three and already a musician.

Hamilton said that while filming, he learned how close-knit Toledo musicians are, something the musicians also echoed.

“I thought it was awesome to be included with a group of such inspiring musicians who have been inspiring me musically over the years,” White said.

Hamilton and Malone also noted that the Toledo community has been supportive of the project. Many bars let them hang posters in their businesses, they said, and about 15 Toledo bars are featured in the film.

Barile credited Toledo with enabling him to perform for a living.

“People have always supported me on both a personal and professional level,” he said, later adding, “I can’t imagine having to wear a tie.”

“Playing Nightly” is 73 minutes long. The film will be shown at 7:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. March 5 at the Maumee Indoor Theatre, 601 Conant St., Maumee. A red carpet photographer will be on hand and a donation of $5 is suggested for attending.

May and Barile will play at an after-party at the Village Idiot, 309 Conant St., Maumee.

For more information, visit leatafilms.com.

Answering the call: McNamara enters mayoral race

By
Erin Holden
-
0

While a group of supporters and onlookers tightened their coats and stamped their feet against the cold, Toledo City Council President Joe McNamara appeared unaffected by a recent 30-degree morning in North Toledo, despite wearing just a suit and tie.

“We’re here today as a nod to Toledo’s past, to present a vision of Toledo’s future,” McNamara said Feb. 12, standing outside Fire Station 3 on Bush Street to officially announce his mayoral campaign.

“Toledo will keep me warm,” McNamara later joked to a reporter who asked if he was cold.

McNamara, an at-large councilman elected in 2006, chose the spot near the historic Vistula district because of his efforts to fix and reopen the station.

Echoing the famous words of Martin Luther King Jr., McNamara said he was “moved by the fierce urgency of now” to declare his candidacy.

“Some of my political associates have cautioned me that I should just run for another four-year term on Council or to run for something else and then run for mayor when covered, but I can neither sit back for another four years and watch Toledo continue to decline nor take some other position just to stay in elected office,” McNamara said.

Calling City Council “a dream job,” McNamara said he is proud of his record there, but feels he could do even more to help the city he loves from the mayor’s seat.

McNamara, who is also an attorney and practices law Downtown, said Toledo’s next mayor needs to be driven by a bone-deep passion for the Glass City.

“For this person, being mayor of Toledo is not a job, it’s not a paycheck, it’s not a path to PERS (Public Employees Retirement System), it’s not a stepping stone to higher office, it’s not something one does because they are retired from another career,” McNamara said. “Being mayor of Toledo during these difficult economic times is a calling, it’s a need, it’s a passion. It’s a burning desire to help this community and build the best future possible. I’m here today to tell you I feel this passion in my heart and in my bones.”

Toledo City Council President Joe McNamara announces his campaign for Toledo mayor on Feb. 12 at Fire Station 3 in North Toledo. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney.

McNamara didn’t mince words about Toledo’s struggles, but also never wrote it off as hopeless.

“We have to be honest. We are losing this city,” McNamara said. “We lose this city with every kid who fails to graduate from high school. We lose this city with every kid who does graduate high school and moves away from Toledo. We’re losing this city with each home foreclosure and with every job that moves to the suburbs and every shooting that happens in our neighborhoods.

“Toledo deserves better. Toledo deserves safe, clean neighborhoods. Toledo deserves a strong public school system. Toledo deserves to have economic opportunities where anyone who is willing to work hard can raise a family and provide a better life for their children.

“But to have this future, we need to invest in ourselves now. We need to get the next election right. To breathe new life into the city, we need to breathe new life into the 22nd floor of [One] Government Center.”

McNamara, a Democrat, will face Mayor Mike Bell, a political independent in office since 2010. Alan Cox, a union president and neighborhood development specialist, and minister Opal Covey have also announced plans to run. Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez has said she is considering, but has not officially declared.

Job creation

A major focus of McNamara’s administration would be creating jobs for Toledo residents, in part through economic development incentives.

“Studies on economic development repeatedly point to a self-evident fact: When people are gainfully employed, the entire community benefits,” McNamara said.

The more people working, the more money the city will collect in taxes, he said. Income tax collections were at their highest in 2007, totaling about $169 million. A year later — as the economy soured — collections dropped by nearly 10 percent, only to continue sinking by almost another 10 percent in 2009 before rising again in 2010. In 2011, the most recent available report, the city collected about $153 million.

Creating economic opportunities would be McNamara’s main “weapon” for fighting poverty, blight and crime.

“Toledo is facing many serious challenges and no matter how you look at it, the root of those problems is poverty,” McNamara said. “Poverty is growing in Toledo and this is unacceptable because the median income of our population affects everything.”

Economic development is the area where Bell has been the weakest, McNamara said.

“The City of Toledo’s economic development decisions have to be smart. We have to do better,” McNamara said. “We have to stop shooting from the hip and focus our sights on creating good-paying jobs for those who live in the city limits.”

McNamara said “the jury is still out” on the sale of the Marina District to Chinese investors, which Bell helped orchestrate.

“We hope they do something with it, but what jobs have been created?” McNamara said. “Selling city assets to foreign investors is not the same thing as promoting investment, as creating jobs, and that has to be the focus.”

Organized labor has to play a role in reaching that goal, McNamara said.

“The blaming of organized labor for our economic woes by some local and state politicians is wrong, counterproductive and politically motivated,” McNamara said. “It has to stop.”

Public safety is another area Toledo needs to improve, McNamara said, noting there are fewer patrol officers on the streets today than in 2009.

“We need to continue to hire police classes, not just to keep up with retirements, but to get back to our authorized strength,” McNamara said. “While new crimefighting technologies and strategies are promising, nothing compares to having a robust police force that can build community relationships and proactively address crime.”

The city also needs to balance removing blight without compromising the essence of its historic neighborhoods, he said.

“One of Toledo’s most amazing strengths is the diversity and uniqueness of its neighborhoods, but one of Toledo’s greatest challenges is the stability in the future of its housing stock,” McNamara said. “We have to be vigilant in removing blight but wary of the tear-down mentality that threatens the very building blocks of our historic neighborhoods.”

Family legacy

McNamara said he is passionate about upholding his late father’s legacy of service to Toledo.

McNamara was 6 when Dan McNamara, a former city councilman and Lucas County auditor, was killed in a freak traffic accident in 1983 where another car’s tire came through the windshield of his own.

Although his father was a Republican, McNamara has said their core beliefs are the same.

“When I read [his 1978 campaign manual] for the first time, I felt a very strong connection to my dad and what he believes,” McNamara told Toledo Free Press last year. “The desire to serve the public to the best of your ability is universal and is apolitical.”

McNamara’s mother, Jill Kelly, a former director of the Lucas County Board of Elections and former assistant Lucas County prosecutor, and his wife, Valerie Moffitt, who works for a community development corporation, are also inspirations, he said.

“Giving back to the community is a way of life in my family and we treat it like a calling,” McNamara said.

Bell’s response

Bell said he welcomed McNamara as a challenger.

“I do commend him for stepping up and committing to the race because these races are not easy,” Bell said.

However, the mayor took issue with several of McNamara’s assertions, including that his administration has been lax on public safety.

“Crime rate has been reduced by 18 percent in the last year and we’re on track to hire more police and firefighters than have been hired by anyone in the strong mayor form of government, so I think we’re committed to safety,” Bell said.

Counting the 30 firefighters and 50 police officers proposed in his 2013 budget, Bell will have hired 172 firefighters and 165 police officers since 2010, according to numbers provided by his office. That’s compared to 10 firefighters and 32 police officers hired by Mayor Jack Ford from 2002-2005 and 15 firefighters and 30 police officers hired by Mayor Carty Finkbeiner from 2006-09. Finkbeiner also hired 75 firefighters and 126 police officers during his first term from 1994 to 1997 and 69 firefighters and 93 police officers during his second term from 1998 to 2001.

Bell also disagreed with McNamara’s statement that he is disconnected from Toledoans.

“I think anybody who has ever seen me out anywhere would disagree with that,” Bell said. “As my staff commonly says, it commonly takes me 10 to 20 minutes to get out of a room. So I don’t believe I’m disconnected.”

Bell cited the Jeep plant expansion and Hickory Farms moving from Maumee to Downtown Toledo as examples of economic development that have taken place while he has been in office.

“I think that’s a good movement of people and money into Toledo, not to mention a lot of smaller businesses that have moved into the Downtown Toledo area,” Bell said. “So I think we’ve done a good job.”

Bell also noted that real estate prices on houses have increased 15 percent in the past year and revenue is up nearly $20 million since 2010.

Comparing himself to McNamara, Bell told a Blade reporter Feb. 12, “I have more spinal cord than he has.”

Asked to expound by Toledo Free Press, the mayor said he was referring to the common understanding of the term backbone.

“Tenacity. The ability to make a decision and stick with it,” Bell said. “I’m not trying to be insulting, but I believe he would be more wishy-washy. Easier to influence. And [he’d] probably take us back where we just came from.

“We have worked very hard the last few years, not only locally but nationally and worldwide,” Bell said. “For many people that has been a very uncomfortable experience. Many people would like to leave things how they were in 2010, with an unbalanced budget in the red and no idea how we were going to fix it. What I had to do was create some major changes in the system to make sure our budget was in balance. I don’t believe he has the ability to stand firm enough on decisions like that to be able to protect the City of Toledo.

“I just look forward to the election period,” Bell said. “It’s going to be fun.”

Largest campaign loan

According to end-of-year campaign finance reports filed in Lucas County on Jan. 31, McNamara leads Bell in fundraising efforts.

McNamara reported $57,258 in contributions during the last six months of 2012, for a balance of $69,524. Bell reported contributions totaling $11,340 during the last six months of 2012, ending the year with $46,701 in his campaign account.

However, McNamara also continues to carry the largest outstanding loan by far, with $112,902 in personal loans to Friends of Joe McNamara reported, dating from 2006. That’s compared to no outstanding campaign loans for Bell.

Potential mayoral candidate Lopez raised $27,745 in the last six months of 2012, ending the year with a $47,209 balance. Her report lists an outstanding loan of $7,600, dating from 2004.

Supporter excited

North Toledo resident Chuck Sorensen attended the Feb. 12 announcement and said he appreciated McNamara’s fight to save the local fire station and supports his bid for mayor.

“I’m excited at the prospect,” Sorensen said. “There has definitely been an increase in poverty and I’m concerned about the level of crime. I like his focus on economic benefit for the city.”

For more information, visit www.joefortoledo.com.

Ottawa Hills teen remembered as kind, smart, positive

By
Erin Holden
-
0

When the Ottawa Hills High School (OHHS) girls’ basketball team traveled to Gibsonburg on Feb. 7, a familiar face was missing from the student section.

Senior Brian Hoeflinger made it a point to come to every game, home or away, and was known for his exuberant clapping, said classmate Grace Petro, a varsity basketball player.

“He could clap on anything — his leg, his cheeks, other people — and he always dressed up [to match the game’s theme],” Petro said, smiling at the memory. “You just expected him to be at every girls’ game. I think he only missed one game. He was usually one of the only students there. He felt bad the girls’ team didn’t have many supporters. He just loved going to everyone’s games and supporting them.”

Three days after Hoeflinger’s death, Petro teared up instantly at the mention of her friend’s name.

She and the rest of the OHHS community were left in shock Feb. 2 as word spread that the popular 18-year old had been killed in a car accident the night before.

Smart, positive, goofy and kindhearted are words that come up again and again when people describe Hoeflinger. The Ottawa Hills resident, who previously attended St. John’s Jesuit High School, transferred to OHHS for his senior year and seemed to transition seamlessly into the student body, said OHHS Intervention Specialist Sharon Abendroth, whose son Matthew played golf with Hoeflinger.

“He walked into our school less than a year ago, but you couldn’t
tell,” Abendroth said. “He fit into our family very well. It was a natural fit and it felt like he’d been here for years. You couldn’t ask for a better kid to join your school.”

‘A good kid’

Ottawa Hills superintendent Kevin Miller said Hoeflinger was “a good kid involved in good things.”

“He was a very present young man, a great personality,” Miller said. “Just a personality that endeared himself to the people around him. That’s what I know about Brian. He was just a very vibrant young man.

“We’re a small school system,” Miller said. “Our average class size is about 75 and about two-thirds of every class has been here since kindergarten. It can be hard for a new student to come in and fit into the friendships that have been formed for many, many years, but Brian did that with ease.”

Academics were important to Hoeflinger, who carried a 4.5 GPA and made several references on his Twitter account in January to taking advanced placement classes, including AP English and AP Calculus, doing homework and staying up late studying.

Memorial items were placed at the site of the Feb. 1 accident.
Photo by Sarah Ottney

Hoeflinger also displayed a creative side, Miller said, recalling a self-portrait made as part of a digital photography class assignment depicting him crouching beside his golf bag.

“It was unusual and showed a great eye, so he was not only intelligent, but creative,” Miller said.

The OHHS golf team competed at the Division III state golf tournament in October, finishing fourth. Hoeflinger was named first team all-conference and second team all-district.

Abendroth said Hoeflinger was a mentor to her son, a sophomore golfer.

“To my son, he was a leader, a mentor, a great role model, athletically and academically,” Abendroth said. “I don’t know if it’s because he had younger siblings or what, but he was able to connect with kids of all ages. It was a gift he had.”

Hoeflinger has three younger siblings:brother Kevin, 15, and sisters Julie, 14, and Christie, 11.

Although he coached him for only one season at OHHS, golf coach Jim McGill had known Hoeflinger for years through his involvement with the Toledo Junior Golf Association, where Hoeflinger played and McGill is a director.

“Brian was such an awesome kid and an integral part of the team,” Mc-Gill said. “He befriended the entire team, including all the younger kids. He had tremendous golf ability and in terms of being a leader, he led by example and character.”

Senior Elizabeth Noble said everyone at OHHS liked Hoeflinger, even those — like her — who didn’t know him well.

“He was just a happy light in the halls,” Noble said. “All his friends want him to be remembered as the goofy, happy, smiling person he was.”

In honor of Hoeflinger’s goal of attending the University of North Carolina to become an orthodontist, Petro, Noble and the other OHHS cheerleaders wore light blue bows in their hair featuring the initials “BH” and a heart at the boys’ basketball game at Maumee Valley Country Day School on Feb. 5. There was also a moment of silence and many Maumee Valley players wore light blue socks.

Petro and Hoeflinger became fast friends after meeting last spring.

“The one thing he would always tell me is he wanted everyone to love each other and just get along. He was always positive about everything no matter what,” Petro said. “You could really just tell he cared about other people. Obviously everyone cares about others, but you could just tell when he talked to you that he cared about you and others.”

Petro helped organize a surprise party to celebrate Hoeflinger’s Dec. 28 birthday. On the day of the party, Hoeflinger tweeted: “It’s my birthday! I’m 18 years old and happy as hell! Can’t wait to see what the future holds :)”

The accident

Petro and Hoeflinger were both at a friend’s house on Feb. 1, hanging out watching a movie with about a dozen friends after the boys’ basketball game against Cardinal Stritch High School. The two didn’t talk much that night.

At some point, Hoeflinger left the house. Shortly before midnight, he was southbound on Edgehill Road in Ottawa Hills, driving a black 2008 Pontiac G6 registered to his mother, when the vehicle left the west side of the road, struck a tree near a bridge over the Ottawa River and caught fire, said Lt. William Bowers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Toledo post.

The crash was reported at 11:54 p.m. Feb. 1 by Sgt. Mark Kolasinski of the Ottawa Hills Police Department, who came upon the wreck during a routine patrol. According to the police report, Kolasinski found Hoeflinger unconscious in the driver’s seat, wearing a seat belt. He used a fire extinguisher to knock down some flames in the engine compartment before he and several other first-responders from various local departments worked together to free Hoeflinger “just as the vehicle [became] engulfed with flames.”

Shortly after midnight, Petro got a call from a friend who lives near Edgehill Road saying there had been an accident. Petro said her mind immediately jumped to Hoeflinger and she and some friends went out looking for him.

“I feel like we all had a feeling,” Petro said. “We just knew something wasn’t right. We were just hoping he was at someone’s house or somewhere else.”

They drove by the accident site about 12:30 a.m., but couldn’t get too close because police had blocked off the bridge. Besides Ottawa Hills Police, personnel from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Toledo Police, Sylvania Township Police, University of Toledo Police and Toledo Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene.

Petro drove past Hoeflinger’s house a few times, but he didn’t appear to be home. Around 2 a.m., a friend called to tell her Hoeflinger had died.

Hoeflinger had been drinking the night of the crash and was found to have a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.15. The crash remains under investigation.

“Brian made very few mistakes like that in life,” Abendroth said. “He was a hard worker, loved life, great family. Really had some neat goals.”

Vigil

The school’s annual Turnabout Dance, where girls invite guys, was scheduled for Feb. 2. Hoeflinger was planning to attend and had a date, Petro said.

The dance was postponed by school administrators, but the vigil that took place instead was completely student-driven, Miller said.

“Kids find ways to mourn in their own ways and one of those ways was to form a vigil,” Miller said. “If we just kind of step to the side, they will figure out how to get through this together. They were just sharing their thoughts and feelings and taking some time to honor a classmate.”

The vigil was attended by more than 270 people, representing several schools, Petro said. Hoeflinger’s parents, Brian and Cindy Hoeflinger, were also there.

“The enormous outpouring of love and support for Brian and our family has been overwhelming to say the least,” Hoeflinger’s father posted to his wife’s Facebook page Feb. 5. “We are realizing just how many lives one individual can touch in such a short lifetime and in such a positive way. There are no words to describe the appreciation and love we feel for everyone supporting us in this time of intense pain. But the memories of which are being shared with us through Brian’s friends in person and through Facebook are a testament to the love and joy Brian brought to so many people and how he touched their individual lives. Our entire family is realizing that Brian’s death was not in vain because so much good and positive energy has been instilled in so many people he knew. That’s how Brian was and that is how he will always be remembered!”

The family has set up a Brian Hoeflinger Memorial Scholarship Fund through Huntington Bank. No further details were available at press time.

Somber return

The place where Hoeflinger’s vehicle left the road is on a curvy, quiet, wooded street, a little more than a mile drive from his home. Not far away a sign reads, “Please drive slowly, we [heart] our children.”

On Feb. 2, someone spray painted Hoeflinger’s initials and a heart in blue on a tree at the crash site.

By Feb. 5, dozens of flowers had appeared along with a green teddy bear and a stuffed dog. A note affixed to the tree with a pushpin reads “To: Brian, Stay Strong.” An oversized paper card proclaiming “WE [heart] U BRIAN!” contains notes from several schoolmates.

A rock outside Ottawa Hills High School was also spray painted with blue letters reading “RIP BH” on the front, “We [heart] You” on the top and a cross on one side.

The first few days back to school have been somber, Miller said.

“It’s been quiet,” he said. “We’ve tried very hard to bring some normalcy to the students’ lives because that’s very important, that there are activities and just a regular school day they can count on, but we balance that by being very sensitive to their needs. We had 19 counselors in the building on Monday and of course our own counselors remain available. It’s just balancing a sense of normalcy with acute sensitivity to the needs of our students.

“They say it takes a village [to raise a child],” Miller said. “Our entire community has come together to help us deal with this loss. Not just Ottawa Hills, but surrounding communities. His was a wonderful young life full of potential and we’re incredibly sad. When you go on a journey like this, if you can do it together, it makes it a little bit easier.”

Ohio author collects tales of ‘lively nonagenarians’

By
Erin Holden
-
0

A positive attitude and a willingness to try new things were common among the nonagenians Ohio writer and photographer Connie Springer interviewed for a book.

“There’s just a joy of life about them. They’re always ready to experience something new,” Springer said. “They said if they are asked to do something, they can get ready in 10 minutes. They don’t say ‘no’ or turn down an invitation. I thought that was really nice. Even a lot of younger people don’t really do that.”

Ohioan Connie Springer is author of ‘Positively Ninety.’ Photo courtesy of Connie Springer.

Springer, a New Jersey native who has lived in Cincinnati for 27 years, is the author of “Positively Ninety: Interviews with Lively Nonagenarians.” The book was a finalist in the Non-Fiction Narrative category of the 2012 International Book Awards.

Nonagenarians — people age 90 to 99 — comprise less than 1 percentof Ohio’s total population, but their numbers are growing, according to researchers at the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University Ohio. In 2010, there were 76,545 Ohioans age 90 or older; by 2020, more than 100,000 Ohioans are expected to have achieved this milestone.

“It’s fascinating to hear the stories of people,” Springer said. “One woman, who was 98 when I interviewed her, said she only stopped jumping rope a few years before. People do these amazing things. Just because you’re aging doesn’t mean you have to stop what you enjoy.”

Springer conceived of the project after watching her once-vibrant mother isolate herself after the death of her husband, something Springer feels contributed to her dementia and death at age 85.

“Over a decade ago my mother, in her 80s and saddled with dementia, lived in a nursing home surrounded by peers with vacant stares and immobile stances,” Springer wrote in the book’s introduction. “My view of aging became skewed. Do we all end up like this if we live long enough? I needed a different perspective.”

Her first interview was a friend’s 90-year-old neighbor, June, who attributed her long life to an optimistic bent and doing things in moderation, Springer said.

“Don’t dwell on your age,” the woman advised Springer. “Do as I do — just keep your body moving!”

Over a two-year period, Springer met with 27 more “lively nonagenarians,” located through word of mouth. A City of Cincinnati Individual Artist’s Grant helped fund the work.

Most were from the Cincinnati area, but some were from elsewhere, including Detroit, Boston and Washington, D.C. Springer spoke to each person for two to four hours, asking questions about their past, present and aspirations for the future.

She also took a portrait of each person.

Although she didn’t come away with the definitive secret to long life, Springer compiled a list of common characteristics she calls the 20 Personality Traits of Lively Nonagenarians:
O Flexibility (being willing to adapt to
new situations)
O Having a sense of humor
O Living simply
O Taking one day at a time
O Never turning down an invitation
O Doing things in moderation
(particularly in regard to food)
O Getting regular exercise
O Having an optimistic attitude
O Keeping mentally stimulated
O Being open to meeting new people
O Relating to younger people
O Being connected to friends and family
O Involvement in enjoyable activities
O Loving to read
O A “nothing can stop me” outlook
O Sharing and caring
O Not thinking about age
O Being interested in what’s going on
around you
O Never quitting learning
O Being just plain lucky (blessed with
good genes, good health and meaningful
relationships)

“My hunch is that these traits leading to what may be called ‘successful aging’ are not newly gained in later years but rather are ones that these individuals have demonstrated their entire lives,” Springer wrote in the book’s introduction. “Although the traits are probably innate, one might attempt to emulate one or more to change a negative or isolating pattern.”

Springer stayed in contact with many of the interview subjects. Eleven of the 28 have since died, she said.

“I think it was a good experience for them too,” Springer said. “Older people are so often not used for a resource. People don’t ask them questions about their past. It’s such a shame. There’s so much to learn from people’s experiences and how they coped with things. I feel like it benefited both of us as well as future readers and viewers. It’s very inspirational.”

Springer said she often hears from people that the project helped change their outlook on aging.

“They were feeling sorry for themselves and now they feel like, ‘What am I depressed about?’” Springer said. “It just changed their whole perspective.”

A traveling exhibition, currently on display at Northern Kentucky University, features framed color portraits and excerpts of text from the 28 interviews and is available for display.

To order the book or inquire about the traveling exhibit, contact Springer at [email protected] or (513) 871-1677. Cost of the book is $25 plus tax and shipping.

For more information, visit www.conniespringer.com.

Final Cut features new steak, cod, lobster dishes

By
Erin Holden
-
0

Hollywood Casino Toledo Executive Chef Brian Hein will soon debut “the next evolution” of Final Cut Steak & Seafood’s menu, adding a new variety of premium steak as well as cod and lobster dishes, appetizers and more.

Hollywood Casino Toledo Executive Chef Brian Hein and his team have developed several new menu items for Final Cut Steak & Seafood. Toledo Free Press Photo by Joseph Herr.

“It’s phenomenal,” said Hollywood Casino Toledo Director of Food and Beverage Marc Guastella of the new menu. “When we opened I think our product was outstanding, but this is really going to take it to the next level.”

The most significant change is the addition of American Wagyu steak, Hein said.

“It’s what I like to refer to as beef butter. It melts in your mouth,” Hein said. “Its rating (on a scale of 0 to 10) is 10-plus. That’s as high as you can get. It really represents [a tiny percentage] of the cattle in America. Obviously it’s not a steak you’re going to eat every other night, but to experience it is certainly a treat. If you have the opportunity and you’re a beef fan, I would strongly recommend coming in. It’s quite spectacular.”

American Wagyu is known for its high marbling content, which makes it extremely tender, rich and flavorful, Guastella said.

“We’re excited. This makes us very unique.  There’s really not many restaurants that offer that grade of meat,” Guastella said. “You can cut through it with a butter knife. It’s that tender and the flavor is outrageous. It’s just phenomenal steak.”

Final Cut will now offer three tiers of steak: Midwestern corn-fed steer, USDA Prime and American Wagyu.

“We’ve got three levels, which is very unique because a lot of steakhouses have at most two levels of beef,” Guastella said. “To have three levels is incredible and really gives guests at all price points the option to enjoy it.”

American Wagyu will be offered as a 12-ounce Kansas City Strip for $96, a 10-ounce Top Cap Ribeye for $89 or a 5-ounce Top Cap Ribeye for $45.

The meat will come from Idaho-based Snake River Farms, which supplies beef to many well-known  high-end eateries, including California’s The French Laundry and “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto’s eateries.

Another new entrée at Final Cut is the Georges Bank Cod, cooked with Asian noodles in a tagine, an earthenware pot with a cone-shaped lid commonly used in Mediterranean cooking.

“This is a bit unusual because we’re preparing this cod dish in a tagine with Asian fusion in a steakhouse, so we pretty much travel the whole world right there in that one dish,” Hein said, laughing. “The last step is to interject a little bit of applewood smoke into the tagine. Then at the table, you pull off the top and the smoke perfumes right in front of you and just jump starts your senses.”

Cioppino — a seafood stew featuring shrimp, scallops, mussels and crab in a tomato-based broth — is another new entrée.

“The cioppino we actually ran as a special and it was so successful we decided to put that on the menu,” Guastella said. “Especially in the wintertime, there’s nothing better.”

A lamb shank, featuring cipollini onions, wild mushrooms and port wine, is also a classic winter dish, Guastella said.

“The meat just falls off the bone,” he said. “It’s a very rich braised item, perfect for cold weather.”

A Maine Lobster entrée, featuring a one-and-a-half-pound lobster filled with Thermidor stuffing, is also new.

Perhaps the most surprising new appetizer is tater tots.

“We like to have a little fun with our appetizer section,” Hein said. “We pulled out of some of the traditionalist thinking and one of the items we’re putting on there is homemade tater tots. This is an adult version obviously, but we make them from scratch and we present them with homemade jalapeño jam, a mornay sauce and pork crackling from Tank’s Meats in Elmore.”

Another new appetizer is roasted bacon, artisan-cured by Tank’s Meats and featuring a maple glaze, arugula pesto and Russian dressing.

“The Russian dressing is a little bit different,” Hein said. “We put it on an anti-griddle, which is extremely cold, and it actually freezes. That’s how we put it on the plate. Then over the course of eating it, it begins to thaw and gives just a little bit of texture on the plate.”

Other new appetizers include carpaccio, a yellowtail snapper in a grape and leek emulsion, and a lobster chowder, which will replace the lobster bisque.

Sorbet, used to cleanse the palate between courses, is also new.

“We’ll be playing around with flavors, but the ones we have now are pomegranate lime, green tea ginger and lemongrass honey,” Guastella said.

Guastella and Hein said they pride themselves on offering something for everyone.

“We feel like guests are going to be very pleased not only at the quality of the product, but also at the eclectic nature of the menu,” Guastella said. “Our menu is packed. We have very affordable options, but also high-end exclusive options. I doubt there’ll be any option for a guest to say there’s nothing on there that they like.”

For more information, visit hollywoodcasinotoledo.com.

Commissioners to replace Medal of Honor plaque

By
Erin Holden
-
0

After it came to light that two Medal of Honor recipients had been inadvertently omitted from a Lucas County Courthouse plaque listing honorees with local ties, plans are under way to replace the plaque.

The Lucas County Commissioners recently agreed it would be appropriate to replace the plaque, said Commissioner Carol Contrada. Other options considered included modifying the current plaque or installing a second plaque next to the first, she said.

The current Medal of Honor plaque at the Lucas County Courthouse. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney.

“We cannot honor our veterans often enough and the people who have given their service to our community — given their lives to our country in many cases — deserve to be honored and remembered by their communities and by the county,” Contrada said. “This is completely the right thing to do. It is the right thing for all of us to do to remember.”

The current plaque, located on the second floor of the Lucas County Courthouse, was dedicated in 2003 during Ohio’s bicentennial and lists 16 names.

The two missing names — Civil War veteran Christian Albert, who died and is buried in Toledo, and World War II veteran Hulon Whittington, who died in Toledo — were brought to the attention of the commissioners in 2011 by Nick Haupricht. Haupricht is chairman of Remembrance Inc., a local group dedicated to building and refurbishing war memorials in Northwest Ohio.

Haupricht also lobbied for removing the name of Civil War veteran Charles Thompson, who was born in Wood County and appears to have had no connection to Lucas County.

“He is a passionate historian and researcher,” Contrada said of Haupricht. “He brought it to our attention that there were people missing and that someone was on the plaque that shouldn’t be and we immediately tried to figure out what we could do.”

Haupricht, a Vietnam War veteran, said he feels strongly about making sure memorials are accurate and all veterans are honored.

“I’m just trying to get the memorial corrected so our fallen comrades have their names somewhere,” Haupricht said. “It’s important to get things right.”

The historical research process was lengthy, but vital, Contrada said.

“It was frankly surprising that we had something of such permanence that missed two winners,” she said. “We decided the best thing to do was make it right. The historical work was really important. We had to doublecheck names, births, burials, places of enlistment. My opinion is it’s better to be right than fast.”

Contrada said there was some hesitation about removing Thompson’s name, particularly out of concern he would not be honored anywhere else. At the time, Wood County did not have a Medal of Honor memorial. In November, Wood County dedicated a Medal of Honor memorial that includes Thompson’s name, so the commissioners now feel comfortable removing his name from Lucas County’s plaque, Contrada said.

“We don’t know how Charles Thompson ended up on the Lucas County plaque except that, the farther back in time you go, the more difficult it is to have complete and accurate records,” Contrada said. “But now he is honored in the appropriate geographic location and we can move forward.”

The new plaque will list 17 Medal of Honor recipients who served from the Civil War to World War II who were born in, livedin , entered service in, died in or were buried in Lucas County.

The plaque will be made of bronze and cast by Toledo-based Architectural Arts. It will be paid for by the Lucas County Commissioners miscellaneous fund, Contrada said. The new plaque is expected to cost about $3,800.

“We’re very, very enthusiastic about this project,” said Contrada, who estimated the plaque would take three to four weeks to complete once ordered. “I’m looking forward to it being completed and having the record of some really great people from Lucas County corrected.”

Haupricht said he was hoping the new plaque would include more description of the actions leading to each recipient’s Medal of Honor. Contrada said that option was considered, but adding so much text made the metal plaque difficult to read. The commissioners instead plan to display supplementary information about the honorees in a matted frame near the plaque.

“That’s something Fulton County did, which is really cool, and that’s what we plan to do here,” Contrada said. “That way, if people have time and want to linger, they can read fairly detailed descriptions of the recipients. It really is very interesting and I think honors these gentlemen even more.”

Haupricht also said Remembrance Inc. is working on a plan to build a military memorial park in Lucas County that would include memorials for each war. The location will be chosen at a later date from among interested communities, he said.

“That’s down the road, but something we’d like to do,” Haupricht said.

Harbor CEO leaving for position at national firm

By
Erin Holden
-
0

Harbor CEO Dale Shreve is leaving the Toledo-based agency this month to take the helm of a national alliance of behavioral health care agencies.

Shreve, who has been with Harbor for 33 years, including 13 years as its CEO, will move to Tallahassee, Fla., for a job as president and CEO of Mental Health Corporations of America (MHCA), an association of about 130 behavioral and mental health care providers, including Harbor.

Dale Shreve is leaving Harbor after 33 years.

Shreve’s last day at Harbor is Jan. 22. John Betts, Harbor’s vice president of adult services, will serve as interim CEO while a national search for a replacement is conducted.

“This comes at a great time for me both personally and professionally,” Shreve said. “[Harbor is] a great organization in great shape and will continue to be successful. It’s just when this dream job and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes along, you’ve got to pull the ring and go for it.”

Shreve said he will miss Harbor, but is excited for the new challenge.

“Harbor is my baby,” Shreve said. “I’ve watched it grow and I’ve been a part of that. I’m going to miss the Toledo community. I’m going to miss the Harbor staff and board. It’s a great group of people and one that has meant a lot to me and my family.

“While [MHCA] continues to be related to health care and behavioral health care, it’s a different aspect of that. I won’t be responsible for day-to-day service activities, but I’ll be responsible to help those organizations do those services as best they can.”

MHCA hosts meetings for professional development and networking.

“By meeting with organizations from different parts of the country that are addressing similar concerns but don’t see themselves as competitors, it allows members to pull together the resources they need to be successful at home,” Shreve said.

The 58-year-old Shreve, a Palmyra, Mich., native, started working at Harbor in 1979 as its assistant director. It was called Community Mental Health Center West then and had about 20 employees and a budget of less than $500,000, Shreve said. Today, Harbor has more than 400 employees in 12 Northwest Ohio locations and a budget of $25 million.

“It was a much different organization when I joined,” Shreve said. “It’s had different names and different roles, but I’ve been here that whole time.”

In 1985, Community Mental Health Center West became the West Center. Then West Center, which served primarily adults, consolidated with the Cummings-Zucker Center, which served primarily children and families, to form Harbor Behavioral Health Care. In 2009, the organization became simply Harbor.

The organization has grown beyond behavioral health to include family medicine, adult day care services for individuals with developmental disabilities, vocational programs for individuals with barriers to employment, programs for children with autism and their families, employee assistance and wellness programs, school partnerships and more.

“As we have grown, we’re serving more people and providing a broader range of services and doing a better job integrating those services and trying to address the complete needs of that individual,” Shreve said.

Harbor is one of five “Medicaid health homes” in Ohio.

“It’s not a physical home, but the concept of wraparound care, making sure you have a �?home’ where things get centralized,” Shreve said. “So often people with mental health problems don’t get the other care they need, so this health home effort is how we’re trying to pull this together. It’s an integrated care approach I believe is so critical in terms of making sure we don’t just talk about someone’s depression or schizophrenia, but tie it into everything else going on with that person.”

Betts, a Bryan native, has worked in the social service field for 39 years, 10 of those in his current position at Harbor.

Shreve and Betts met when they both worked at Harbor when it was known as West Center in the mid-1980s. Betts went on to work at several other social service organizations, including The Zepf Center, Quadco Rehabilitation Center, Lima State Hospital and Lima Juvenile Detention Facility, before returning to Harbor.

“Dale is a good guy, a very good guy,” Betts said. “He’s made Harbor what it is, which in my opinion is the No. 1 behavioral health facility in the surrounding area and, quite frankly, in Ohio. It’s because of his leadership and his vision and his innovation that Harbor is where it’s at.

“He’s definitely going to have a major positive impact on a larger scale at Mental Health Corporations of America by providing his talents to all the different providers throughout the country. Although sad for Harbor, I think it’s an excellent move for him and for the profession.”

Shreve said he is confident in Betts’ leadership ability at Harbor.

“I’ve known John a long time,” Shreve said. “He knows the organization and the staff knows him, so I think he’s very well equipped to step in and keep things going. He’s got the full support of the Harbor board and staff.”

Betts holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and physical education from Bluffton College and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Bowling Green State University. He also finished his doctoral coursework in psychophysiology at the University of Toledo, but never wrote his dissertation after deciding not to go into teaching after all.

“I’ve always been focused on the whole person,” Betts said. “That’s why I came back to Harbor and that’s why I’m here. I believe very strongly in the mission and vision and values that Harbor holds, which is to provide health, hope, happiness and opportunity for the people we serve and to be the best partner and provider of choice for the people we work with and the people we collaborate with.

“It’s somewhat daunting (to become interim CEO) because you’re taking over from someone who’s done such a nice job for so long, but there’s a lot of new and innovative things going on with Harbor and that makes it exciting.”

Betts is confident Harbor’s future is bright, since Shreve helped build a strong structure that will stand firm regardless of who is at its helm.

“That is Dale’s legacy at Harbor,” Betts said. “He’s built a structure with staff that’s outstanding and a depth of supervisors, managers and administrators that are going to continue Harbor’s mission, vision and values. And I’m sure we will obtain a leader that will continue the concept of innovation so we can continue to lead in the mental health field.”

For more information, visit harbor.org or mhca.com.

Restaurant Week Toledo to feature healthy options

By
Erin Holden
-
0

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience, say organizers of Restaurant Week Toledo.

Among the healthy dishes planned by local chefs for this year’s event are a sesame-seared Chilean sea bass at Rosie’s Italian Grille, a slow-roasted pork chop stuffed with spiced apples at Bar 145 and a chicken shish tawook sandwich at Poco Piatti.

One of the healthy options at Bar 145

The third annual Restaurant Week Toledo, set for Feb. 21 to March 2, will feature at least one healthy option at each of the 28 participating, locally owned restaurants, said Becca Gorman, co-chair of Restaurant Week Toledo.

Participating restaurants are Bar 145, Barr’s Public House, The Blarney Irish Pub, Bobby V’s American Grill, Burger Bar 419, Caper’s Restaurant, Gradkowski’s, ICE Restaurant and Bar, La Scola Italian Grill, Loma Linda, Mancy’s Bluewater Grille, Mancy’s Italian Grill, Mancy’s Steaks, Manhattan’s, Maumee Wines and Bistro, The Oliver House (Mutz, Maumee Bay Brew Pub, Rockwell’s and The Café), Plate 21, Poco Piatti, Registry Bistro, Rosie’s Italian Grille, Shorty’s True American Roadhouse, Tea Tree Asian Bistro, TREO, Ventura’s and Zinful.

Each venue will feature a special Restaurant Week menu priced at $10, $20 or $30. (Drinks, taxes and gratuities are not included unless specified.) A portion of the proceeds will benefit local nonprofit Leadership Toledo’s youth programs.

The catalyst for making Restaurant Week Toledo healthier was feedback from diners at last year’s event and the commitment was solidified when Medical Mutual signed on as a presenting sponsor, Gorman said.

“We hope people will feel they can participate fully in Restaurant Week Toledo with no regrets,” Gorman said. “We want them to try multiple restaurants and experience new dishes and new flavors all around town and still feel like they are taking care of themselves.”

A healthy diet helps to prevent or lessen the negative effects of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and obesity, said Connie Beutel, manager of health promotion and wellness at Medical Mutual.

“Almost all restaurants have healthy options and a lot of that is about requests. There’s a movement and a trend, recognizing that it is possible to eat out and eat healthy, so I think you’re seeing that a lot more and this is a perfect fit,” Beutel said.

Many people are surprised healthy food can taste as good as less healthy dishes, said Mark Tooman, communications manager for Medical Mutual.

“I hope when people see these healthy options are available, they make the connection that they can eat healthy and still get delicious, tasty options at these restaurants,” Tooman said.

Beutel said she also hopes the healthy options will help people learn to navigate menus and recognize keywords signifying healthier dishes.

“There’s a lot of awareness that will come out just seeing things labeled  as healthy options,” Beutel said. “How it is prepared and what it is will stick in people’s minds that this is healthier.”

Rosie’s Italian Grille

Rosie’s Italian Grille in Toledo plans to offer not just one but three Healthy Option meals on its Restaurant Week Toledo menu.

For lunch ($10 including a small side salad), Rosie’s plans to offer grilled herb chicken with fresh sautéed vegetables marinated with homemade Sicilian herb dressing. For dinner ($20 including a small dinner salad), Rosie’s will offer the grilled herb chicken as well as a Cajun herb grilled Mahi Mahi with fresh vegetables or a sesame-seared Chilean sea bass with fresh vegetables finished with ginger sesame drizzle.

Eric Kish, chef at Rosie’s, said the sea bass is his favorite fish.

Rosie’s owner Phil Barone and chef Eric Kish both called fresh sea bass their favorite fish.

“It’s very moist. You don’t really need to do a lot to it because it’s really flavorful anyway,” Kish said. “It’s very simple and healthy and really tasty.”

The herb marinade is a tweak on an old family recipe.

“It’s very light, not overpowering,” Barone said. “I’ve never found anything better to marinate chicken or fish with. It just gives a little twist, keeps it nice and moist and it’s good for you.”

The Mahi Mahi has a little spice to it, Kish said.

“It’s got that same herb dressing on it, but then we spice it up with some Cajun seasoning as well,” Kish said. “Grilled — that’s the way you want to do it. It’s a steakier fish.”

The herb chicken dish features two 6-ounce pieces of tender chicken.

“It’s simple and healthy,” Kish said. “There’s a lot of flavor, but it’s not bad for you.”

Barone and two of his brothers started Rosie’s more than 30 years ago. The eatery is named after their mother and uses recipes she brought with her from her hometown in Sicily. This year will be the third time Rosie’s has participated in Restaurant Week Toledo.

“It’s grown,” Barone said. “The first year was kind of quiet. Last year, we were very busy and it was fun. I love it when things are hectic. The people I met were very friendly and very complimentary. They really enjoyed Rosie’s, some of them for the first time, which is good for us. It’s why we like to do specials like that, to bring in new people who may not have tried Rosie’s.”

Kish said he was happy to comply with the focus on healthy options.

“It’s what people want, especially now more than ever,” Kish said. “I just think that’s what it’s evolving to more and more. It’s just going to make it that much more popular.”

Bar 145

Chef Robby Lucas of Bar 145 said he enjoyed the challenge of coming up with healthy options.

“No chef likes to be handcuffed and be told, ‘This is what we’re doing,’” Lucas said, laughing. “But every chef likes a challenge so I think if we can get the Bar 145 identity across while staying within those guidelines then we’re better off for it. I definitely got excited for it.”

Lucas came up with an herb-roasted chicken breast with an apple and strawberry winter salad for lunch ($10) and, for dinner ($20), a slow-roasted bone-in pork chop stuffed with spiced apples and served with an arugula salad and a gelato dessert.

“We use an all-natural chicken — hormone-free, antibiotic-free. You can really taste that when you’re eating the meat itself.

“It doesn’t taste processed. It tastes like chicken,” Lucas said, laughing. “As often as people say that, I don’t think people realize what chicken is supposed to taste like.

“With the pork, we actually stuff the pork with the apples and as that cooks together it really infuses the flavor throughout the meat itself.”

Lucas said he’s used to being creative with healthy food because his girlfriend is a vegetarian.

“I assume it gets a little boring being a vegetarian, so I’m always thinking [of new ways to prepare food],” Lucas said and laughed again. “I absolutely love cooking proteins, but vegetables are kind of the unsung heroes in a chef’s world. There’s nothing a chef gets more excited about, especially our vegetables we buy from The Chef’s Garden in Huron. When I open up this crate of Ohio-grown carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and stuff like that, it really gets chefs excited.”

This will be Bar 145’s second year participating in Restaurant Week Toledo. The eatery opened in 2011.

“We had a great response last year,” said Lucas, who worked in Cleveland before moving to Toledo. “Restaurant Week in Cleveland is huge, so when they approached us and said they were doing one in Toledo we absolutely wanted to be part of it and we definitely wanted to do it again this year.”

Bar 145 is known for its burgers, especially its stack-your-own option, but Lucas would love if Restaurant Week Toledo helps spread the word about the rest of Bar 145’s menu, which changes seasonally and offers unexpected twists, such as duck wings in place of chicken wings.

“A lot of times people see bar in our name and they associate us with just bar food. Then they hear the burger in our tagline and think we just do burgers and we are so much more than that,” Lucas said. “Our burgers are great — I stand behind them 100 percent and they are amazing — but our menu encompasses so much more.”

How food is prepared goes a long way toward making it healthy, said Lucas, who started cooking when he was 9 at the Put-in-Bay restaurant his father managed.

“I’m not going to say we’re health-food oriented here, but we serve homemade food from scratch. We don’t have a freezer here. Everything you eat that day is prepared that day,” Lucas said. “Rather than shortening or fat alternatives, we try to use a lot of healthy oils and canola oils that lend themselves well to the flavors we’re trying to accomplish.”

Jake Guthrie, director of operations for Bar 145, recently moved to Toledo from Columbus and said Restaurant Week Toledo brings some of his former city’s “foodie” culture to the Glass City.

“I’m excited. Hopefully it gives people an opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and do something or try something they may not necessarily be prone to do,” Guthrie said. “It’s also one of those things that promote the culinary world in general, where people are excited to go out and dine. And what’s good for one is good for all.”

Poco Piatti

Poco Piatti, featuring Lebanese, Italian and Greek food, is already known for healthy dishes, said Elias Hajjar, owner of the Levis Commons eatery.

The name means “small plates” in Italian and refers to the communal tradition of sharing dishes around the table with everyone trying a little bit of each one.

“Mediterranean food in general is very healthy. We tend to use a lot more olive oil than butter, lots of vegetables, lots of lean meat,” Hajjar said. “We’ve always focused on being healthy and prided ourselves on offering our guests healthy options.”

For lunch ($10), Poco Piatti will offer a choice of chicken shish tawook sandwich, falafel sandwich or poco burger served with a choice of hummus, feta dip or lebanee.

For dinner ($20), diners can choose from two skewers of beef or chicken kabobs or salmon with a side dish. Dinner also includes a choice of chicken wrap, ara-yes or sauteed mushrooms and a dessert.

This is Poco Piatti’s third year participating in Restaurant Week Toledo, and each year has gotten better, Hajjar said.

“We have always believed very strongly in community and eating locally,” he said. “When the opportunity came up to join together with other locally owned restaurants and help charity and promote our businesses at the same time, it was the perfect combination of win-win for us.

“The first year was good, but we were just getting the word out. The second year was much better for all the restaurants.”

Hajjar expects this year to the best yet.

“We’re excited to be a part of it. I really think it’s going to be great.”

Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor of Restaurant Week Toledo.

For more information, visit www.restaurantweektoledo.com.

Newsmakers: Casino answers critics with months of success

By
Erin Holden
-
0

Hollywood Casino Toledo General Manager Richard St. Jean has plenty to be cheerful about as the casino, which opened May 29, marks seven months in business.

Hollywood Casino Toledo General Manager Richard St. Jean reports success during the casino’s first seven months. Toledo Free Press File Photo by Joseph Herr.

Business is brisk while concerns about increased crime, traffic jams and gambling addictions have subsided.

“Early on, we did our best to assure local residents, businesses and government that a lot of what you hear [about casinos] isn’t necessarily true and won’t materialize,” St. Jean said. “[Rossford has had] virtually no incidences associated with those fears, aside from increased traffic on the Toledo side obviously coming up and down 75. And we’ve heard the same thing from [Toledo Police] Chief [Derrick] Diggs and [Toledo]Mayor [Mike] Bell, so all of our efforts to educate and inform everyone early on have now been validated by what they are actually seeing on a day-to-day basis. We’re very pleased they feel more comfortable with this neighbor in their backyard.”

Penn National Gaming, which operates the casino, is happy with the property’s performance, particularly the volumes, St. Jean said.

“Table games, poker and food and beverage in particular have far exceeded our expectations and slots is actually right around where we expected it would be,” St. Jean said.

Gamblers wagered a total of $126.7 million at Toledo’s casino in November, including $113.2 million on slot machines and $13.9 million on table games. Total wagers were down about 9 percent from the $138.8 million wagered in October, which was also down about 9 percent from the $153.1 million wagered in September, according to monthly reports from the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Taxable revenue in November was $13.6 million, down from $14.8 million in October, $15.9 million in September, $17.4 million in August, $19.1 million in July and $20.4 million in June, the casino’s first full month of operation.

“This dip in business month over month as we settle into the fourth quarter of 2012 was absolutely expected and we expect to ramp up as we head into 2013,” St. Jean said. “We looked at what we’ve seen at other grand openings, particularly in the Detroit market, and we’re really following those trends very, very closely.”

St. Jean said he is proud Toledo’s casino fulfilled its pledge to hire 90 percent of its workforce locally and to promote from within. So far, 55 team members have been promoted once, six have been promoted twice and two have been promoted three times.

The casino is exploring adding more entertainment options beyond gaming, such as a riverfront concert series, car show or food and wine festival.

“There’s still somewhat of a perception I hear that you must be a gamer to come to the casino, which is far from the truth,” St. Jean said.

Director of Food and Beverage Marc Guastella said expectations were high for the casino’s four eateries, but he feels all have delivered.

Guastella hopes Final Cut Steak & Seafood will earn a Forbes four-star rating when the next report is released in spring 2013.

“Four stars is very achievable for us and I’m confident we can achieve that,” Guastella said.

Brenda Schwind, vice president of the Rossford Business Association (RBA), said the casino is a “great partner.”

“Everybody I’ve talked to, even people who were really leery of the casino coming in, are impressed with the facility and I’ve heard nothing but good comments,” said Schwind, of Directions Credit Union. “I think people have been very surprised. They’ve proven to be a very good neighbor.”

Rossford Mayor Neil A. MacKinnon III agreed.

“I’ve been in business quite a while now and I know these guys are sincere and they are for real,” MacKinnon said during a recent Rossford City Council meeting. “I consider them friends and I consider them part of the fabric of the community. Their participation in the RBA has been phenomenal.”

Mayor Bell also feels the casino is a positive asset, said Public Information Officer Jen Sorgenfrei.

“The revenues are definitely aiding the city budget and they’ve been a good corporate citizen, contributing to local philanthropy and supporting community organizations,” Sorgenfrei said. “They are still finding their equilibrium, but remain a positive asset to the region.”

There hasn’t been a major influx of crime like many feared, agreed Rossford Police Chief Glenn Goss Sr. and Sgt. Joe Heffernan, who is public information officer for the Toledo Police Department.

“Whenever you have more people, you’re going to have more issues, but we haven’t had any major incidents that you can point your finger at and say, ퟀ�?That’s the casino’s fault,’” Goss said. “It’s still new. We’re still monitoring. We’ll have to wait and see. There could be good and bad down the road, but as far as law enforcement, it hasn’t really affected Rossford directly, which we’re thankful for.”

Penn National recently presented a $200,000 grant to Rossford’s police and fire departments. The company also donated more than $12,000 to help Rossford Police create a K-9 unit.

“I keep hearing people call them good neighbors, like a cliché, but truly they are,” Goss said. “I think we’re really fortunate to have the casino here.”

Bill McFarland, interim superintendent of Rossford Schools, said the district has had no issues with crime or traffic, as some parents feared.

“We really have seen no effect. We hardly know it’s there to be honest with you,” McFarland said.

“The hysteria and paranoia I think has long been forgotten. I think it’s functioning really well and I don’t think it’s having any negative effect on our community at all.”

Larry Eilert, owner of Larry’s Auto Center in Rossford, said he’s pleased with an uptick in business the casino has created.

“I’ve gotten more customers from there, especially the employee side of it,” Eilert said. “There is more traffic — but it’s a good traffic, not a bad traffic.”

Holley Bockelman, who owns Bock’s Place in Rossford with her father Bill Bockelman, said the casino hasn’t helped business as much as they were hoping, but it hasn’t hurt either.

“Really nothing has changed,” Bockelman said. “We thought it would be better. But the people who do come here are faithful. We get some of the casino workers later at night. Very, very seldom the out-of-towners. The locals will sometimes meet here and then go down there for a little gambling, some cocktails, watch a concert and then come back here. So that’s fun.”

Rossford City Councilman Larry Oberdorf Sr. said the casino has proved detractors wrong.

“A lot of people had apprehensions about Penn coming into this community and I think Penn has answered with good qualification all of those apprehensions,” Oberdorf said during a recent Rossford City Council meeting. “We haven’t had the traffic problems we had assumed or any of the other illicit things some people thought would happen. It’s really a professional organization. I’m extremely happy to have them in our locale.”

For more information, visit www.hollywoodcasinotoledo.com.

Donations Sought for Children’s Shopping Event

By
Dock David Treece
-
0

Local nonprofit Feet on the Street is organizing its fourth annual 12 Kids of Christmas shopping event.

Children are recommended for participation in the program by police department members, school employees, social agencies and family shelters, according to a news release.

The event is set for 8 a.m. to noon Dec. 21. The children will be served breakfast at the Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association Hall, featuring appearances by Santa Claus and Ronald McDonald. Afterward, Toledo police officers will help the children shop for Christmas gifts at Meijer.

After shopping, the group will eat lunch and be entertained by a visit from Spike the Toledo Walleye mascot, Christmas music from Kyle White, Jeff Stewart and Johnny Rodriguez, and animals from the Toledo Zoo.

For more information, visit feetonthestreet.org.
— Staff Reports

1...234235236...303Page 235 of 303