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Pounds: Court sides

By
Tom Pounds
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After consulting with a number of local attorneys and people familiar with our courts, we have found some consistent and interesting arguments for candidates in the upcoming Nov. 6 elections.

Justice of the Supreme Court: Consensus is that Terrence O’Donnell is a good justice and should prevail over Mike Skindell, who is well thought of, but we are told he has no judicial experience.

Justice of the Supreme Court: We back William O’Neil and his perspective on not taking money from those litigants who might appear in front of him, and he has the necessary experience. However, we have been urged by some attorney acquaintances that “Justice Robert R. Cupp has done a good job and you don’t change horses without a reason.”

Justice of the Supreme Court: Yvette McGee Brown, a political appointment of former Gov. Ted Strickland (she was his 2010 running mate), has not served on the bench for roughly 10 years. We are told she never practiced law other than for the government, which some may consider a negative. Brown was the first African-American to become a Supreme Court Justice in Ohio, and many believe her life experience brings a needed perspective to Ohio’s highest court. She is running against Sharon Kennedy, who was endorsed by the Toledo Chamber of Commerce. Kennedy is a sitting judge who practiced privately, though it really is a shame that neither Brown nor Kennedy has court of appeals experience. Our sources urge a vote for Kennedy.

Lucas County Court of Common Pleas: Myron Duhart has performed well enough to retain his seat. We are told he appears to have the ability and personality to be a good judge. A number of our business community friends, especially Republicans, are supporting Ken Phillips. Phillips also came highly recommended by our source, but they maintain the “don’t change horses without a reason” philosophy and recommend Duhart.

Running unopposed for Lucas County Court of Common Pleas are James D. Jensen (who was opposed in the primary), Stacy Cook, David Lewandowski, James D. Bates, Connie F. Zemmelman, Linda J. Jennings and Gary G. Cook.

As one of our sources said, “It is a sad day that none of the other common pleas court judges have any competition. Contested elections have a tendency to keep judges grounded in the real world (having to be nice to people). After running a couple of times unopposed, their robes tend to get so tight that it cuts off the circulation to their brain.”

Clerk of Court of Common Pleas: Veteran Democrat J. Bernie Quilter is a clear, experienced, competent choice over Republican challenger Constantine Stamos. In other related races, prosecutor Julia Bates and sheriff candidate John Tharp are running unopposed.

 

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. 

Rathbun: Business owners, be aware

By
Gary Rathbun
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In the past several months, several new disclosure rules have been put in place for business owners who have a pension and/or profit-sharing plan. The rules revolve around disclosing the actual fees and expenses that are deducted from a participant’s account. The business owner/employer, in his fiduciary role, is responsible for gathering the information and disseminating it to his employees on a quarterly basis, no later than Nov. 14.

These rules are intended to provide the participant with more information about the fees and expenses associated with his or her account. Personally, I think this is a good thing; more information is usually better in making long-term decisions. Additionally, a 1 or 2 percent difference in expenses over the working life of an employee can make a significant difference to the ending value of the account at retirement.

The rules, of course, have a lot of details about how the information is presented. The delivery of investment-related information must be in a format that enables employees to “meaningfully compare” investment options in their plan.

The plan fiduciaries, that is the employer, must use “standard methodologies” when calculating and disclosing expense and return information, thus facilitating an “apples-to-apples” comparison.

A second rule that goes into effect is a different disclosure of information that is to be made available to the plan fiduciaries. (Yes, no matter what anyone else tells you, you as the employer are a fiduciary on the plan to your employees.) This disclosure is from your service provider to the plan fiduciary regarding all their agreements and compensation.

Your duty, as the employer and fiduciary, is to determine whether the agreements and compensation of your service provider are reasonable. Although this may sound like a difficult task with very little basis for reference, the fact is, this is a very difficult task with very little basis for reference.

Most employers have no idea what this benchmarking entails and what the penalties are for failing to do this and documenting the results. They certainly don’t get much help from the person who sold them the plan.

Most people in my business are simply salesmen who don’t really know what it means to be a fiduciary, let alone agree to be a co-fiduciary in writing. Many people think that fiduciary is one of the seven words you can’t say on television.

The truth is that this is where the solution for employers can be found, i.e., with an adviser who truly specializes in these plans, who knows not only how to follow the rules but has worked directly with the regulators to solve problems and is willing to take on the responsibility of being a co-fiduciary with the employer.

The Department of Labor has hired more than 500 new enforcement agents to look at employer plans and conduct audits. Are you ready? Have you done an internal audit on your plan to prepare for the Dept. of Labor? Do you know what your fiduciary responsibility entails? Does your adviser share in the responsibility in writing? Have you created an ongoing process to stay in compliance?

Interestingly, we have already been involved with several plans that have been audited and have worked with the Dept. of Labor and the employer to satisfy requirements. It won’t be fun if you are not prepared.

All of these new rules are geared to benefit and protect your employees. I think the process is good because it continues to lay the groundwork for less dependence on Social Security and more on private funds. The bad thing is that it does put more responsibility on the employer and some employers will simply say that the plan is not worth it and not provide a plan at all.

Additionally, the penalties for not fulfilling this responsibility are severe and cannot be brushed off as something to deal with when or if it happens. Prepare for the Department of Labor requesting information and do a self-audit with a qualified professional adviser now.

 

Gary L. Rathbun is the president and CEO of Private Wealth Consultants, LTD. He can be reached at (419) 842-0334 or email him at [email protected].

Baumhower: Tigers’ run is much more than just sport

By
Toledo Free Press
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I thought out loud, “Please don’t send in Papa Grande. JV has got them to the ninth, please Jim, no Papa Grande.”

Then Jimmy Leyland walked out to the mound with one out in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, to take the ball from his ace. As the skipper began his slow trek, he lifted his left arm, notifying Phil Coke that his services were needed. My prayers were immediately answered.

My family room has become more of a church lately, except for the occasional excessive swearing, where my son and I pray to the baseball gods with simple requests like, “Please give Delmon Young the strength to not swing at the first pitch,” or “Please give the skipper the ability to hear my thoughts and the courage to follow my every direction.”

My La-Z-Boy, soiled with beer stains following blown saves in the American League Division Series, acts like a very comfortable pew and nearby wood acts as an “anti-jinxing” knocking place. The rules of the church and my family room are very similar. Do not talk during the game unless directly asked a question. Yelling is allowed during appropriate moments. Cursing is allowed at any age level if done immediately and without proper thought. If you or your actions “jinx” the Tigers, you will be excommunicated from the Baumhower family forever or until your jinxing has been reversed.

In 1984, a 9-year-old version of myself was given the equivalent of “baseball crack” as the Tigers had the dream season. PASS Sports filled our living room almost every night, an additional cable purchase that I still have no idea how my dad got approved by my mom. I remember wanting to eat  only Lay’s Potato Chips because they came with a circular, exclusive Tigers’ baseball card. Jack Morris, Kirk Gibson, Chet Lemon and Lance Parrish were a huge part of my family that year and became a part of the fabric of my life. Then a magical thing happened and the Tigers beat the Padres to win the World Series.

The next year came and I was convinced the Tigers would win it again but somehow they came up short. This trend has continued ever since, with some occasional moments of hope, like 1987, 2006 and last year.

The 2006 World Series appearance and loss to the St. Louis Cardinals was a breakthrough in my life and family. After numerous disappointing seasons through the 1990s and of course the dismal 2003 season, I had sworn off baseball. I was married, we had a young son who was struggling to communicate (we had just  been given the diagnosis of the “A” word for him) and had his baby sister.

Baseball seemed almost a waste of time, as it distracted me from fatherly duties. Having a 4-year-old son with obvious social issues can give any father concerns; my biggest fear was that this sweet-souled boy would be bullied when he went to school.

Then it happened. I stumbled upon a Tigers game and it caught his eye. He was mesmerized. This excitement snowballed into an immediate shopping spree at Dick’s, and our game of catch began. Then the greatest thing occurred. Our game of catch turned into conversation and ultimately an obsession. The progress he made from memorizing baseball card stats, which he actually was reading, to imitating Mario Impemba’s play-by-play was the breakthrough we were praying for. The 2006 World Series was a turning point for him, almost a confirmation of his love. The game, in fact the very team, that was a huge part of my childhood was now a huge part of his.

I had often explained to women that the Detroit Tigers were my mistress, but in actuality they have always been a part of my family. Some families “summer” in Maine, the Carolinas or Florida. We “summer” in the “D.”

I have no idea what to do if 2012 becomes the year of the Tigers.  I had always hoped my son would witness such a special year, so he would be cursed for life as a Tigers fan, as I was in 1984. The moment feels incredibly closer than in the 28 previous years. I honestly think I would cry a little if it happened — probably a lot. I know for some it is only a game, a “pastime,” but for some of us, it is much more.

Nov. 1 will mark the one-year anniversary of my son’s Papa Bob’s passing. He was a man who shared his love of the Tigers with his grandson, confirming it was OK for men to love a team or a sport. Nov. 1 is also the scheduled date of Game 7 of this year’s World Series. My religious beliefs have evolved from my Catholic upbringing to a loose self-fitting set of thoughts. I choose to believe in karma, signs and that everything happens for a reason.

There will be no greater test of my faith than if the Tigers are in a Game 7 scenario, because I know someone  upstairs will be pulling strings for his grandson.

I wanted to dedicate these words to the memory of those Tigers fans who couldn’t wait the 28 years to see this. I know they are helping from somewhere, where ever you believe them to be.

God bless these boys!

 

Benefit planned for local man injured in explosion

By
Matt Liasse
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Galen Orner III has always been a fighter. His wife of almost 10 years, Josie, has a picture of him as a kid, showing his muscles and making a growling face like a bear.

“It just reminds me of something from ‘Rocky’ or something,” Josie said.

On Aug. 23, Orner’s fighting side was in full force. While working at Stoneco Inc., an asphalt production company in Maumee, he was using diesel to clean a drum, a piece of equipment that can reach 700 degrees, when an explosion left 63 percent of his body with third-degree burns.

“That’s what was said,” his mother Tina said. “We don’t know for sure.”

Josie, who was home at the time, got a call immediately after the accident. When she arrived at his work, Orner was already bandaged up and surrounded by paramedics.

“I was literally sick to my stomach,” Josie said. “You don’t actually know what that saying means until you feel that.

“It’s the strangest thing,” she said. “When I got on the expressway, I felt like everything was in slow motion. To the point where the lady next to me when I was merging on, she spilled her coffee and I watched it. … [I saw] every little drop fall in her lap.”

The Orner Family.

Since that day, Orner has been at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center. He spent four weeks in a medically induced coma. Josie stayed beside his hospital bed every day.

“Times before when I had anything happen I’ve always had Galen there, so it was OK to cry and break down and be a mess,” Josie said. “My thing is, I just want to stay in bed. And I knew I couldn’t do that. So, I guess it was just something that you say, ‘OK, you [have] to be the strong one now.’”

Orner has already had five surgeries with one more scheduled. His right hand and arm, left leg, lower right leg and abdomen have been grafted, cadaver skin has been put on both legs and a tracheotomy performed to help him breathe. There is still a chance he will lose his right hand.

Despite the many surgeries, Orner is doing well, his family said.

“He’s done a lot already and he’s progressed really fast,” Josie said. “We’ve been lucky with that. He heals really well and the doctors are just really surprised by how well he’s been healing.”

The doctors’ goal is to have Orner home by Thanksgiving, but there are no guarantees.

“He just seems to be very high-spirited, very willful,” his father Galen “J.R.” Orner said. “He’s very positive. I look forward to when we can get a chance to get him home. I think he has a strong will and that’s probably why he’s weeks ahead in his healing time. [That attitude] is something he’s carried all his life.”

This is not the first time J.R. has had a family member severely burned.

“My father was burned [with] third-degree burns on his legs when I was a kid and I got to see him work through that,” J.R. said. “Yes, it took a year, year and a half to get 100 percent on his feet. These things were going through my mind and I know Galen can do that.”

Visits with Orner are limited only to family members right now. Orner’s two children, Jonathan and McKayla, have gotten to see him twice.

“It’s just so hard for me to even go in there and see him go through all this,” Tina said. “I’ve gotten a lot stronger. I have my moments.”

A spaghetti dinner benefit for Orner will be from 1-6 p.m. Nov. 4, planned by extended family members. The event is open to the public and will be at Holland Gardens Banquet Hall, 6530 Angola Road, in Holland. It will include dinner, a silent auction, a bake sale, music and entertainment. The family will also be selling T-shirts and wristbands in support of Orner.

“Galen draws a crowd,” J.R. said. “It’s a wonderful thing. It’s love for no matter what whether someone’s healthy or someone’s sick.”

The idea for the benefit came from Orner’s sister, Heather Piasecki, and Josie’s sister, Nichole Delarosa. They came up with the spaghetti dinner without telling Josie.

“I’ve had so much great support from his family, from my family, even strangers,” Josie said.

The community has also come together in support of Orner. A few donated items in the silent auction include tickets for the Toledo Zoo’s “Lights Before Christmas,” tickets to the Connxtions Comedy Club and a gift card to Expresso Car Wash. The spaghetti served at the event will be donated by Bob Evans. Springfield High School, from which Orner graduated in 1998, has also lent support.

“I never expected so many people,” Josie said. “It makes you really appreciate that there are so many people out there that care still. Honestly, I was overwhelmed for a while when they were telling me everything that everyone was willing to donate. You don’t realize that there are still really good people out there. We’ve been really lucky with everything that everyone’s been doing.”

Tickets for the event are $10 for adults and $5 for children. They can be purchased in advance by calling (877) 798-5996. Anyone who cannot make the event but still would like to donate can do so at any Fifth Third Bank. Checks can be made to “Support The Journey – Galen III.”

“He’s the nicest, caring, most giving person that anybody will meet,” Josie said. “That’s why he has so many friends and family come out for support.”

Burnard: Yes, we are better off

By
Don Burnard
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Are we better off now than we were four years ago? In my opinion, the answer is absolutely yes. Four years ago in September 2008, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke met with Congressional leaders to demand a $700 billion emergency bailout, saying “If we don’t do this, we may not have an economy on Monday.” The Bush economy had completely imploded and nearly took down the world economy with it. By January 2009, our economy was shedding 800,000 jobs a month.

This was the hand Barack Obama was dealt. Due to economic policies similar to those in place just before the Great Depression, we had the Great Recession. The worst times in our lifetimes were upon the middle class. Main Street was called on, once again, to bail out Wall Street, after its greed and avarice caused the middle class to lose 40 percent of its net worth. In addition, we were fighting two unpaid-for wars, and saddled with the Bush tax cuts that grossly favored the top 1 percent. A smart poker player would have folded that hand in most cases. But Obama played the hand that was dealt him.

One of the problems we have in this country is an expectation that a politician can wave his hand or a magic wand or something, and undo eight years of unfettered free-for-all Republican rule. Much of this is due to the electronic age we live in, where we have access to vast amounts of information and opinion at our fingertips 24/7. I believe that this leads to an expectation that problems, no matter how great, can be solved as quickly as we can look things up.

Most people don’t have the attention span anymore to read more than a paragraph or two on any given subject, and if it has hard-to-understand facts and figures, forget it and move on. Bumper sticker slogans are much more the soup du jour for most of the public these days. The real world doesn’t work that way. The largest problems we face today can’t be addressed overnight and magically rectified at the speed the public would like. No person on earth, including Mitt Romney, is capable of these feats.

It is true that Obama made a lot of prognostications on how many and how soon many of these problems could be addressed in his campaign. Politicians have a tendency to do that. If Mitt Romney should be elected, and he can even read the list aloud of everything he’s promised to do on day one on day one, he’ll be doing well. But putting that aside, we have to look at the politics in Congress.

Virtually from the start, the Republicans in Congress threw aside all concern for all but their wealthy friends, and did everything they could to make sure that the president could not effectively try to solve these problems. Their overwhelming zeal to “make Obama a one-term president” was the overwhelming factor in their legislative agenda. They made sure that any plans that would help the middle class and/or poor, or help bring unemployment down, or help keep people in their homes were defeated. They didn’t offer a single plan of their own to address any of these problems. Not one. Their abusive use of legislative chicanery was unprecedented.

What did the president manage to do with this hand and no help whatsoever from the GOP? We’ve created 5.2 million new jobs and have had 31 straight months of job growth. Think of where we could have been if the Republicans had shown even a smidgen of bipartisanship, instead of trying to ensure that middle America didn’t succeed. The only people who fared well throughout this whole economic malaise were the same characters that created it.

Most of us have at least regained our losses to our pension funds, etc. and gotten back to where we were when we tanked. Wall Streeters have made out like the bandits that they are, and if there is one shortcoming I can point to, it’s that many of these characters aren’t in prison. We did have some much needed reregulation of the financial industry. We are no longer in the Iraq war, which we never should have been in in the first place, and at least have planned a certain date to end the Afghanistan war.

During the Bush administration, the War on Terror was the overriding point politicians pushed on us, and Obama did what the Bush administration could not: He dispatched Osama bin Laden. Tens of millions of people now have access to health care who were not able to obtain it previously. So are we better off now? I think we are. Could we do better? Give us a Congress willing to do the people’s work, and I think we can.

Costume party to benefit local Goodwill

By
Dock David Treece
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Although the theme of the Ghoulwill Ball, a costume benefit for Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio, is old Hollywood, eventgoers can be as creative as they wish.
“Obviously if you come as a hot dog or something, we’re OK with it. Any costume you want to come in, we’re OK,” said David Takats, director of fund development and marketing.
The Northwest Ohio chapter has traditionally done a golf-outing fundraiser in the past, but was looking to do something more creative, Takats said.
“Some other Goodwills have done [Ghoulwill Balls] in the previous few years and it has been very successful for them,” he said.
Originally, the inaugural ball was set for last year, but plans fell through. This year is different with 25 sponsors already on board, Takats said.
“Goodwill is very well-received in the community, and what we do [in the community] and I think the uniqueness and fun leads the sponsors to want to get on board,” he added.

The Oct. 27 party begins at 7 p.m. at Brandywine Country Club, 6904 Salisbury Road, Maumee. There will be a cash bar and several different types of cuisine — Mexican, American, Asian and garden food stations will be available.
In addition to raffles and a costume contest, there will be other treats like a photo booth and a candy station.
“We’ve put together a really cool candy table with all these big jars and things around, where you can take candy home at the end of the night,” Takats said.
A dance teacher will also show the crowd how to do the dance from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. The best dancer will receive a prize.
Funk band Tantric Soul with Carmen Miller is set to perform at the benefit.
“[Miller’s] unbelievable. She’s like, imagine a young Tina Turner,” Takats said. Miller is also a board member for Goodwill of Northwest Ohio.
Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio helps people with various barriers in finding employment, Takats said. Forbes recently named Goodwill one of the top 25 most inspiring companies in the country.

Goodwill also has several retail locations for used goods throughout Northwest Ohio. For more information, visit http:// www.goodwillnwohio.com/.
Takats said fun is the No. 1 goal for the inaugural Ghoulwill Ball. He hopes people will “just enjoy themselves. Wear a fun costume; have a couple drinks, some food. Listen to a fantastic band and have a great night and hopefully by the end of the night, they think, ‘We really like Goodwill.’”
Tickets are $50 per person and $90 per couple. Tickets are $40 for individuals in groups of four or more people. Only those older than 21 can attend. To purchase, visit www.goodwill nwohio.com/ghoulwillball/.

Fall Festival returns to Levis Commons

By
Dock David Treece
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The Town Center at Levis Commons is celebrating the return of autumn on Oct. 20 with its Fall Festival.
From 3-7 p.m., activities like pumpkin bowling, cow-milking and hayrides will be available.

Imagination Station will also be on site to present “spooky science.”

Kids can also drive mini tractors and gators at a straw-bale racetrack sponsored by John Deere and Findlay Implement.
At 5 p.m. there will be a costume contest for the most creative, best team costume and best-of-show outfits.

Online registration is available at www.shopleviscommons.com.
All events are set by JB’s Sarnie Shoppe near the clock tower. The Town Center at Levis Commons is located at 3201 Levis Commons Blvd., Perrysburg. For more information, visit www.shopleviscommons.com.

Nick Muska to read at Oct. 25 event

By
Kyle Cappelletty
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Nick Muska has taken nearly 30 years of winter travels to Florida and Jamaica and turned the experiences into poetry.
He will read at Gathered Art Gallery and Studios, 23 N. Huron St. in Downtown Toledo at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 25.
Muska’s poem, “28 Sunsets and 3 All Night Taxi Rides,” is a sequential poem depicting every sunset in February and will be one of many featured at the upcoming event.
This February will mark the 30th year Muska has traveled to Florida and Jamaica to work on his collection of carefully selected poems.
“I would stay between two andfive weeks and write a journal every morning,” Muska said. “In the evenings I would go to my favorite spot on the beach and write poems inspired by my surroundings. After nearly three decades of visiting Jamaica and Florida I had quite a lot of poems to work with in putting together my book.”
For more information, visit www.gatheredartgallery.com

Country superstar McBride to sing at Stranahan

By
Toledo Free Press
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Country superstar Martina McBride. Photo by Randee St. Nicholas

When Martina McBride has a day off, she likes to stay home. 

“I catch up on stuff around the house. I like to cook, so I like to cook dinner for my family,” she said. “I love to read — just the normal stuff. I’m really pretty boring when it comes right down to it, honestly. There’s no awesome hobby that I have — like skydiving or anything.” 

But the Grammy Award winner has that awesomely powerful voice that soars and empowers on hits that include “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” “Independence Day” and “A Broken Wing.” That soprano also is heard on romantic songs, including “I Love You,” “One Night,” “Valentine” with pianist Jim Brickman and “Marry Me” with Train lead singer Pat Monahan. 

Her 2011 disc, “Eleven,” marked a renaissance for the music veteran. It’s McBride’s first release on a new record label, Republic Nashville, and she worked with a new co-producer, Byron Gallimore. And she signed with Morris Artists Management. 

“It just seemed time to make some changes in my career as far as management and record label, and it just was inspiring, you know, anytime you get surrounded by fresh energy and passion. It inspired me to make a record that pushed the boundaries a little bit,” she said during a call from her tour bus, which was leaving Rochester, N.Y. 

The four-time Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year and three-time Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist also helped write six songs. 

“I think it’s my most personal record,” the Sharon, Kan., native said. “I take ownership of songs like ‘Independence Day,’ songs that I’ve recorded before that I sang for so long, but there’s something different about writing your own words. And it’s kind of liberating to be able to write those words instead of waiting for someone else to come up with something you identify with, so I pulled from my own life.” 

She co-wrote “Teenage Daughters.” The mother of three laughed when asked if the girls thought she was cool. 

“I’m just their mom, the one who enforces the curfew and tells them to pick their clothes up off the floor, makes them be home for family dinner when they’d rather go out with their friends. What I do is so much a part of our lives that I don’t think they really think about it much unless they see me on stage or on TV.” 

Meanwhile her music inspires millions. 

“When I heard ‘Independence Day,’ it made me more aware [of domestic violence] and I wanted to do something to help. And the same thing with ‘I’m Going to Love You Through It,’ this past year singing that song, I’ve met so many [breast cancer] survivors and their caretakers and people who have told me their story, and it just makes the songs come to life and you want to do something to extend that experience of the song.  

“So we’re working with General Mills for Save Lids to Save Lives, which is a great, great thing that they’re doing; they’re donating $2.5 million to the Susan G. Komen Foundation,” she said. “It’s easy for me to do something like that and it makes a big difference.” 

McBride will perform an 8 p.m. show Oct. 27 at Stranahan Theater. Tickets range from  $37 to $75. 

The singer who released her debut in 1992 has sold 18 million records and is the most played female artist on country radio for the past 11 years, according to both Mediabase and Broadcast Data Systems. 

 “I’m most proud of the longevity that I’ve been able to have,” she said. “The fact that I’m still able to do this after 20 years is more than I ever expected, and it’s a long career in a really crazy business, and I’m proud that I’ve been able to endure and hopefully stick around a few more years.” 

 

UT professor’s book details history of disabilities

By
Matt Liasse
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A week after Kim Nielsen signed the contract for her new book “A Disability History of the United States,” her teenage daughter became disabled.
“My daughter has a rare neurology disease and so is now a part-time wheelchair user,” said Nielsen, a University of Toledo professor. “It’s been a good
learning experience for my family.”

The book, published by The Beacon Press, was released Oct. 2. The book offers insight on both U.S. history and Nielsen’s personal life.
“I’ve realized that disability is part of my life in ways that I had not
even realized, but I think that’s the case for all of us,” Nielsen said. “The book means a lot to me.”
In the book, Nielsen, who holds a doctorate in history, explores the past of people with disabilities in America.
She also digs into the changing definitions of said disabilities. It is the first book to cover the whole timespan from the European arrival to the present day, she said.
Nielsen said she wrote her book for both a general and a scholarly audience. She said she hopes it’s approachable for anyone interested in history.
“History is about telling stories and telling them well,” she said. “[It’s an] interesting topic with lots of rich stories and interesting people.”

Kim Nielsen

At first, Nielsen was worried the book’s topic was “too much to bite off.”
“Probably all writers write in spurts,” Nielsen said. “You know there’s agonizing days where you work to write a paragraph and nothing will come at all.”
Nielsen said there was a lot of research required for the book and a lot of working with primary sources.
In the book, Nielsen wrote that disability is central to the history of the United States. She said that when we look at the history of disability, it forces us to examine our ideals ofcommunity and independence.
“People with disabilities have been ignored in U.S. history and yet they’ve been really integral to U.S. history,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen also uses storytelling methods in her book.
In one of the book’s stories, Nielsen wrote about a Civil War veteran who lost his arm before returning home to his fiancée, who left him because of it.
Nielsen included a poem the veteran wrote about the situation in her book.
“It’s written with so much humor that he became somebody that I really would’ve liked to have met,” Nielsen said. “He told the story with real grace and humor.”
Not every story in the book has humor to it though. Nielsen said that a slave ship sailing to America from Africa was overridden with a disease that left a lot of passengers
on the ship blind. When told this information, the captain gave orders to throw all the ill slaves overboard as “damaged cargo.”
“That story just haunted me for months and months,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen recently joined the University of Toledo as a professor in Disability Studies. Such departments are “new, but growing” on college campuses, said Jim Ferris, director of the School of Disability Studies.
The UT Disability Studies program was created as a partnership with The Ability Center of Greater Toledo (ACT), which sets it apart from other universities in the nation.
ACT is a nonprofit organization that aims to assist people with disabilities, according to abilitycenter.org. Ferris also serves as ACT’s endowed chair
in Disability Studies.
UT’s department has 90 students and will be hiring two more faculty members by the fall of 2014.
Ferris called Nielsen’s book “groundbreaking,” and “another step in creating a world-class program.”
Nielsen is teaching two classes this semester and more in the spring.
“I have marvelous students,” Nielsen said. “I’m enjoying them very much.”
Nielsen has written four other books, but said “A Disability History” was the book she learned the most from.
“It was the book that stretched me the most intellectually,” Nielsen said. “It’s nice at 46 to know that I can still learn new things and develop new skills and continue to better myself as a historian.”
Nielsen said it is impossible to say what her favorite book she has written is.
“Parents will never identify their favorite child,” Nielsen said. “I’m a little hesitant to do that.”
Nielsen said people have contacted her praising the book and telling her their personal stories of living with disabilities as well.
“That’s been really lovely, to see people connect themselves with the book and the stories that I’m telling,” Nielsen said. “All of us are part of this story.”

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