Chasing the musical Muse
How a testoterone-induced, jealous rage became Jello-o ‘s first song
The phenomenon of puberty, as we all know, is a challenging period for the human biped, both male and female. It comes with weird and sometimes inexplicable physical feelings, emotions that run all over the map, hair sprouting all over our young, heretofore smooth bodies, menstruation (for half of us), and the emergence of the libido.
It was this pesky libido of mine, along with a few of my fellow Old Orchard Elementary School cronies, that we dealt with in a way common to all of that age.
On a weekend night (heaven forbid, never on a school night!) we would gather at someone’s house (as I recall, it was either Marc B’s or Penny W’s) and seek shelter in the basement of that house. It was always couples, boyfriends and girlfriends, usually about 10 of us. No reason for single stragglers for this party, and way before the presence of any openly LGBTQ+ folk.
We all would find our way to the basement (avoiding any parental confrontation) and almost like lab rats, the girls would gather in one corner and the boys in another. There was music, provided by a record player (yes, but who changed the 45s when everyone got down with the gettin’ down?), and mostly mushy ballads to set the mood. I particularly remember a song by The Outsiders, Girl In Love.
Just a thought: make-out parties in the 21st Century! No more gettin’ up to put on a new record!! Now there’s Spotify, AppleMusic, et al. AND! Who’s gonna get the lights when everybody’s assumed the position? “Hey Alexa, TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!!!” Damn, I was born too soon.
At some point, about a half hour into the gathering, one brazen, cocksure guy (usually Marc B) would break from the dudes, walk over to the girls, in particular his girl, talk for a minute, take her hand, walk to a designated spot, lay down with her, and start making out. Simple as that. Not long after, the other guys would follow suit. My girl’s name was Linda. I had a very hard time initiating my first kiss – but that’s another story.
We called these sessions “make out parties.” Everyone knew what was gonna happen, and everyone knew the “rules.” As far as I know, it was just kissing – well, French-kissing, of course, but no groping, no dry-humping, no moaning, no orgasmic activity. Just kissing. Upwards of two hours! Lotta chapped lips!
Anyway, it was right before one of these gatherings that yours truly did something that got me grounded (I’m sure it was nothing!), and with all my newly implanted testosterone, I went off!! Knowing that my girl would be at this party without me made me berserk. I went down to the family basement, shouting and yelling, and with one empowered thrust, punched a hole in the wall (in all fairness, it was old drywall, this was no Herculean feat, just pure rage.)
The “grounders” (my parents) stayed upstairs and let me rant, whilst I screamed and yelled downstairs (see the aforementioned unexplainable physical feelings and emotions). My three brothers must’ve wondered what the hell my problem was.
After I’d settled a bit, but still thinking it was the end of my world, sure that Linda would think me a mommy’s boy, I picked up a guitar. When I think about it now, I wonder if that wasn’t the birth of my Muse. As is so often the case, and in a ‘solution’ as old as man, I channeled my feelings through music.
After doodling about for who knows how long, a melody started to evolve, borne of a simple two chord progression (A-G), and a melody humbly befitting a musically untrained, untalented eighth-grader. Still it didn’t match the rage I was feeling; it was soft and quiet, as though I hoped it would appease my girlfriend, and make amends for my absence at Lip Fest.
The first lines that eventually came out were “Gotta get out tonight/We gotta go/Gotta get out tonight/and watch that little girl go . . .” Apropos, no?
Gotta Get Out Tonight (duh) was learned and performed by Jell-o, my band at the time. It was our first original composition. We even recorded it on a primitive wire recording machine that my grandfather Laspisa owned. Grampa took it a step further and pressed a few copies of a 45 (the B-side was a group jam “original,” a rip-off of Paul Revere & The Raiders’ Steppin’ Out, that we called The Green Blues).
Sadly, and to my great dismay, there are no copies of those 45s anywhere to be found on this planet. What I wouldn’t give to have a copy!
There is something about bringing a song into the world that is magical, mysterious and invokes a sense of pride like nothing else. My visual art gives me a similar exultation, but not quite the same. It’s almost like having children that I brought into this world, showing them off when I perform them. The conjuring of a mixture of notes, melodies and words, all expressing what can be very personal feelings or opinions.
This brings to mind the concept of the Muse (yes capitalized!). Where does it all come from? Is it a higher power? Where in the brain does it occur? What makes a song/piece of art/what-have-you go in one direction and not another?
Since Gotta Get Out Tonight, I have written many songs, performed them and even released a few CDs (see below). Some I’m quite proud of while others suck (you’ll have that).
And so it was that primal lust as inspiration, in all of its raw, sloppy, directionless, pubescent form, morphed into yet another example of all that which makes rock n’ roll the great beast that it is.
A word about the music below:
C’mon was born from a car ride with my two sons. We’d go back and forth swapping multiple simile references to love. This version was recorded by The Coosters. The video was a high school art project, directed by Yasmin Naylor, starring her sister, Sierra Naylor.
Aerospace & Natural Science Academy
Aerospace & Natural Science Academy welcomes families at open house
TOLEDO – Interest among students and parents is booming at two campuses of the Toledo Public Schools’ Aerospace and Natural Science Academy, which has seen a dramatic enrollment jump in recent years.
The aerospace campus held its open house Wednesday, and the natural science campus opened its doors to the public on Thursday.
Both are part of the TPS magnet school programs, where students from across the district, and sometimes other Ohio districts, can take all of their classes that specializes in a topic or theme on one campus. Community partnerships, such as Toledo Metroparks, contribute to the workforce preparation experience.
Kurt Wicklund, senior director of the Aerospace and Natural Science Academy of Toledo, described it as a full high school, but the interest is most definitely in the practical skills.
“Our students get internships. They learn directly from people out in the field,” he said during the open house.
What’s new in career technology?
According to Wicklund, career technology education, also known as vocational education, has a long history in Toledo Public Schools. For example, the district’s aviation studies dates back to 1929, and the natural science center opened in 1976.
In the meantime, TPS administrators, such as Dr. Romules Durant, have been hosting family meetings at the grade schools to explain the options.
That’s how Karina Vea, a 7th grader from Toledo, and her family found out about the magnet school opportunities. Her father, Robert Vea, said he didn’t know there were so many choices within TPS. Karina said she enjoyed her first few days of class at the Natural Science Technology Center.
“It makes me excited to go to school,” she said at the open house.
As a result of the updates, total enrollment in the Aerospace and Natural Science Academy has tripled since it was organized in 2018, Wicklund said.
By 2021, according to school district records, there were 246 students in grades 9 to 12 in the program. There are now 450 students, roughly 225 at each campus, ranging in grades from 7 to 12.
What is different?
The student demographics of this career-focused magnet school academy are noticeably different than a traditional neighborhood high school.
For example, Wicklund said that ANSAT enrollment is open to any students from Ohio. The current student ratio is 65 percent from Toledo Public Schools, and 35 percent from out of the district.
But there have been significant updates in academic options, along with facilities and equipment updates, during just the past few years. Specifically, the ANSAT program started welcoming students from grades 7 and 8 as of this school year.
In addition, there are tradeoffs when picking a small magnet school instead of a larger high school. For example, Vea said his daughter won’t be able to take an art class at the natural science campus; but they have learned there is an art club that meets after school.
Aerospace campus
The aerospace campus is in two buildings at Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport. The academic building has classrooms, workshop spaces and a cafeteria whose windows look out over the airport runway. The hangar building houses four small planes that instructors and students use for training.
The sophomores are learning practical lessons in electricity, while the juniors and seniors get hands-on experience in building and working with drones.
Eric Parraz Jr., of Toledo is one of the 7th graders this year at the aerospace campus, said he has an interest in planes and would like to be a pilot, so he was excited to be accepted to the program.
“It’s an honor and a privilege, and now he’s in,” his father, Eric Parraz Sr., said about the magnet school option.
New resources this year include a row of computers set up as flight simulators.
“We’ve grown so much, we are redoing lab areas,” instructor Rick Naves said about the aerospace campus. “We’re bursting at the seams.”
Whether as a mechanic, pilot or other supporting roles, Wicklund said aviation is currently a career field where there is high demand for an interested and prepared workforce.
Over the years, alumni of the aerospace studies have continued their studies at Bowling Green State University, Kent State University and other schools, while others go on to become commercial pilots, explained Wicklund.
There’s also a track record of graduates going into the military, and at least one who was accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Natural sciences campus
The Natural Science Technology Center campus is on Elmer Drive near Toledo Botanical Garden. The updates this year include a new academic classroom wing to accommodate the increased number of students on campus.
Those attending the open house could look for a caiman that lives in a habitat enclosure in the greenhouse, and find newly hatched corn snakes in the classroom terrariums.
Senior Angel Gilbertson of Toledo was among those participating in a rope climbing demonstration during the open house. That’s a skill that urban agriculture instructor Bryan Ellis said is applicable to urban forestry.
Students also get hands-on lessons about hydroponics, wildlife sustainability and related topics. Every year in May, the campus hosts a plant sale for the public.
“Kids that come here, they’re interested in nature. They’re interested in the natural world,” said Ryan Ackerman, assistant director for the Toledo Public Schools’ Natural Science Technology Center.
Balance Pan-Asian Grille
Review: Award-winning local franchise founded right here in 2010
TOLEDO – Have you ever dreamed of owning your own restaurant, or becoming so popular and, well, organized, as to offer franchising opportunities? In this week’s edition of Flavor in the 419, we profile Toledo-based, award-winning Balance Pan-AsianGrille, whose co-founders Prakash Karamchandani (PK) and HoChan Jang (CJ) did just that.
Since 2010, they’ve worked to innovate new technologies across a range of functions including menu creation, customer engagement, operations and brand marketing. They’ve garnered attention from notable industry publications and have made the annual list of Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” multiple times, ranking #28 on this year’s list.
With restaurants in Toledo, Cleveland, Dallas and Denver, and an aquaponics facility downtown that grows fresh produce for corporate locations and other local restaurants, you should have plenty of opportunity to taste their modern Asian-inspired cuisine. If you’ve never tried Balance or are a long-time fan, I encourage you to indulge in their seasonal variety of flavorful appetizers, colorful rice bowls, inspired tacos and curated collection of bubble teas. Your taste buds will thank you and leave you craving more.
With seemingly endless combinations of fresh, organic ingredients, sauces, halal meats, vegan and gluten-free options, you will not get tired of exploring all that Balance offers. Ordering online, in-person or through their mobile app is quick and easy.
When I was there, I witnessed a steady stream of customers running in to pickup food they had ordered ahead. In the parking lot, I met one happy customer and his two dogs who were waiting for food to be delivered curbside.
Balance also provides catering options for your next graduation party, corporate function or special event. They have reimagined every detail of the restaurant experience to create consistently high-quality, nutritious meals, full of flavor, served fast in compostable packaging.
Don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself. Balance currently has locations locally in Perrysburg, Sylvania and downtown Toledo.
If you happen to see PK or CJ in the restaurant or on a catering run, or speaking at an upcoming event, say hello and thank them for bringing their best to our community!
Have more suggestions for food reviews? Comment below or contact Kevin Tiell at kevin@tiell.com.
Girl Named Tom homebound
Sunshine Communities celebrate 75 years With Girl Named Tom band
MAUMEE – A little background: Sunshine Communities is a community that has an agenda of supporting people with developmental disabilities. In 1950, Roy and Georgette Engler founded Sunshine Homes due to the dissatisfaction of the poor living conditions in the in-state institutions. Aiming for better living environments for children, the Englers used donated material and labor to build a structure next to their home that included a medical staff and care.
By 1978, Sunshine had expanded enough to include family care and vocational services that helped adults with disabilities who were working. As of today, Sunshine supports 250 individuals everyday with 430 employees, 50 nurses, 28 residual homes, and 60 vehicles that provide transportation.
75 years later, the community still thrives. A coffee shop in downtown Maumee named Georgette’s allows some of the community members to work in the public. The community itself holds jobs for their members, such as helping raise and take care of farm animals and horses. With a strong tie to the Mennonites, Sunshine is sponsored by the Mennonite Health Services, sharing core values and beliefs, like empathy, integrity, mutuality and a shared faith-centered mission.
On Sept. 7, Sunshine will throw their grand finale celebration in downtown Maumee, near Georgette’s, as it “aligns perfectly with our sunshine footprint and strengthens our connection with the community,” stated Sunshine Communities’ CEO Jason Abodeely.
To celebrate, Girl Named Tom, winners of the hit NBC TV show, The Voice, will perform.
Girl Named Tom, based out of Pettisville, Ohio have strong ties to the Mennonite community, a community that also has strong ties to Sunshine.
In a statement from Abodeely, he shared why Girl Named Tom was a good fit for the event:
We approached Girl Named Tom due to their strong ties to the Mennonite faith, from which we built our core values in the 1960s. Mennonite congregations supported Sunshine Children’s Home, now Sunshine Communities, through quilt-making and other philanthropic efforts. Those relationships, and our mission, have stood the test of time, as we continue to create community through Anabaptist values. It’s come full circle, and we’re incredibly proud to remain deeply connected to our roots in Northwest Ohio 75 years later.
Abodeely wrote that “we wanted to bridge our past with the present. We host summer concerts each year on our campus, and bringing Girl Named Tom to Uptown Maumee alongside our friends, neighbors, and retail locations marks a new chapter in this tradition”
Beginning at 5 p.m., the event is free to the public and will be standing room only, but chairs are permitted with no umbrellas. Port-a-potties will also be on site, food trucks will be available.
Opening for Girl Named Tom at 5:30 p.m. is local band Chloe and the Steel Strings. Girl Named Tom will perform at 7:15 p.m.
Here are a few more details to know before you go:
- First aid will be located at Sunshine Studios
- Guests are asked to bring chairs
- Food trucks will be present
- This is not a ticketed event
- Jacky’s Depot will be offering signature Sunshine partnership ice cream flavors
Below is a map of the event:
Kid’s well-care visits
Well-care and physical exams necessary, encouraged for children
Parents often ask if their child still needs a well-care or physical exam if their immunizations are up-to-date.
The answer is yes, and there are several reasons that it is important to have an annual well care exam. For example, physicians can identify problems early and prevent chronic illness. It allows for parent education to promote healthy habits, anticipatory guidance related to the next developmental milestones related to age of the child, education and promotion of the importance of vaccinations, and providing vaccines if needed and parents are agreeable.
The well-care exam also allows for early identification of possible chronic medical conditions such as asthma, ADHD, anxiety, migraines, childhood obesity, high cholesterol, or early onset diabetes, among others. The visit also offers a time for parents and children/teens to ask questions related to their concerns.
Early diagnosis can help providers to begin treatment before there are complications and comorbidities related to untreated chronic medical illnesses. With the increase in childhood obesity, we are seeing an increase in childhood lipidemia, hypertension and diabetes.
Rates of anxiety and depression are also rising among children, so this also allows us to be proactive instead of reactive. The earlier we start treatment, the less likely there will be complications from these chronic illnesses, which increases the child’s chances of recovery and stability.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an annual well-child exam/physical exam every year starting at the age of three, including height and weight with a body mass index (BMI).
Other recommendations include an annual blood pressure screening annually starting at age three and at every visit for high-risk patients, vision and hearing screenings annually or every two years for school-aged children, a risk assessment for sudden cardiac arrest and death from ages 11-21, a universal screening for dyslipidemia with a lipid profile once between ages 9-11, and a screening for anxiety/depression beginning at age 12. (Source: AAP)
If your child has not had a well child/physical exam in over a year, make time to call your primary care provider and schedule their exam.
Time to buy or refi?
A look at mortgage rates, home loans and refinancing
I remember the first home my wife and I bought a home here in Toledo. We left the closing table high-fiving each other because we got a 30-year mortgage at 6.75 percent. It was a duplex, where we lived in half and rented the other half out, which basically paid our mortgage. We bought the house for $60,000 and sold it a few years later for $98,000.
Flash forward to today, and we are in our third home in another hot real estate market. For first-time homebuyers or anyone who purchased a house in the past year, it is a good time to pay attention to rates and be prepared.
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index during the first week of August 2024, there was a 35 percent increase in applications to refinance. Over the past 30 years, my wife and I refinanced our mortgage loan a few different times. I reached out to Liz Terwilliger, branch manager at Union Home Mortgage in Perrysburg to get some pointers on what to consider when refinancing.
Rates are just beginning to come down, so depending on where you’re sitting, you may want to wait to refinance.
Liz Terwilliger
“If your rate is in the eight’s or higher, it would not be a bad idea to look at doing something now. If you’re in the seven’s, I personally think it’s in your best interest to hang tight because rates are expected to continue falling throughout 2025.”
“What you want to avoid,” she went on to say, “is having to refinance more than once because there are costs associated with a refinance, and you don’t want to pay those twice. Finally, be cautious with lenders that offer a ‘free’ refinance. Typically, those programs do not offer the best market rate available. Many of those lenders will give a slightly higher rate to cover the costs of the refinance on the back end.”
Terwilliger said that essentially it looks like it was free, but the consumer pays in the long run. It’s almost always going to be more beneficial for a consumer to take the lowest rate they can, even if that means paying the closing costs.
The recent spike in interest rates hit mortgage rates in October 2023, when the average 30-year mortgage rate in the United States was 7.73 percent. As of Aug. 14, 2024, that rate has dropped to 6.47 percent.
For the homeowner who can afford a higher monthly payment and shorten the loan to 15 years, that rate has dropped to 5.63 percent. It is also important to note that rates can change daily, and a homeowner’s rate will depend upon the property type, down payment amount, and credit score.
Some future home buyers may be waiting if they anticipate that rates will continue to drop and real estate prices might go lower than their record highs. Being patient and finding the perfect house versus overpaying can be a good strategy.
In the meantime, since rates and the total cost is impacted by your credit and down payment, it is a good idea to check your credit and save up for a down payment. Federal law allows you to get a free copy of your credit report every year through annualcreditreport.com. Putting down more than 20 percent not only cuts one’s payment, but can help a home buyer avoid pricey private mortgage insurance, which protects the lender if a borrower defaults on their mortgage.
Checking the local real estate market, I reached out to John Mangas, a broker and co-owner at RE/MAX Preferred Associates.
He said, “With the downward movement with both 15- and 30-year mortgage loan rates, we are seeing homeowners returning to the market. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have estimated that there are 54 million mortgage-ready millennials just waiting for rates to drop to a level that they find acceptable. This will drive the housing market in the third and fourth of 2024 and beyond.”
As we navigate these fluctuating rates and market conditions, the key question remains: Is it time to buy or refi? With careful consideration and professional advice, you can make the best decision for your financial future.
Securities offered through Peak Brokerage Services, LLC Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB. Advisory Services offered through The Retirement Guys Formula, a Registered Investment Advisor. America’s Retirement Headquarters and The Retirement Guys Formula are separate and independent entities from Peak Brokerage Services, LLC.
Source: Mortgage Applications Increase in Latest MBA Weekly Survey | MBA
Women’s Equality Day at TPS
Women’s Equality Day honors the adoption of the 19th Amendment
TOLEDO – Students at Toledo Pre-Medical and Health Science Academy had an opportunity to discuss women’s right to vote, along with social expectations of today, during a Women’s Equality Day program Monday.
The discussion was led by Dr. Amerah Archer, acting executive director of Toledo Public Schools’ Department of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The other speaker was Sheena Barnes, a Toledo Public Schools board member.
Women’s Equality Day honors the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which extended voting rights to women, in August 1920. Events in the Toledo area marking the anniversary also included the Northwest Ohio Women’s Equality Day conference Monday at the Glass City Center.
“Voting is how we get things accomplished,” Archer told the students.
Eight high school juniors opted to attend the program, including Payyon Parker, Zaida Marino and Jaylyn Guilford. The chairs were placed in a circle upon invitation of Archer, who hoped the setting would spark discussions that might not otherwise happen in a classroom setting.
While the emphasis was on voting and women in leadership roles, they also talked about what it’s like to be a woman working in the medical careers.
Toledo Pre-Medical and Health Science Academy, a partnership of Toledo Public Schools and ProMedica, is a four-year high school at the Upton Avenue academic campus. The program is in its third year, and the oldest students are now juniors.
“Who do you think goes out to the polls more? It’s women!” Archer said when starting the discussion.
That was a surprise to Zaida. “I see more men running,” she said.
“You can all be an elected official,” Barnes said later, sharing her story of how she was invited to run for a school board seat. “We need more intelligent young women in office to keep fighting for our equity.”
To tie women’s history into the students’ career interests, Archer said that while women make up a majority of all those working in health careers, only about 1/3 of currently active physicians are women.
“Pursue the career you want to pursue. Don’t take it because it is the shorter route and you want to have kids,” Archer said, relating how she worked on her PhD part-time during her son’s toddler and preschool years.
Discussion topics also included who is expected to handle family responsibilities, depictions of women in popular culture, and social media trends featuring unrealistic physical appearances.
“You are beautiful already,” Barnes said.
Each student attending got a keepsake card from Archer, with a collage of women’s faces as the artwork. She invited them to write themselves an encouraging note to save, or perhaps give the card to another woman whom they wish to encourage.
