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Kuron: Hats Off to Harrison! 

By
Toledo Free Press
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Once on vacation, my friends and I popped into a little Manhattan hat shop. We all got a kick out of taking on the persona of the different styles as we tried them on. A fine suede number had one friend looking for his horse, pardner. A velvet beret gave his girlfriend a yearning for brushes, paint and a trip to France. I left the shop sporting both a narrow-brimmed straw hat and a new-found Spanish accent, bragging that my coffee was 100% Columbian. 

Well, due to the heroic wearing of many figurative hats during his career, William Henry Harrison would eventually rise to become the 9th president of the United States. And one of his campaign stops was right here in Perrysburg, Ohio in 1840.  

Before all the presidential politicking began, Harrison wore the governing hats of Ohio State Senator, U.S. Representative and Senator from Ohio, U.S. Ambassador to Columbia, and Governor of Indiana. Prior to his governance years, Harrison wore both military and diplomat hats. 

Back in 1791, a young Harrison enlisted into the still adolescent American army at Fort Washington in the new city of Cincinnati. Just three years into his military career, he found himself fighting as an ensign to Mad Anthony Wayne along our Maumee River at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. As Wayne negotiated the peace treaty after that fight, Harrison studied the emotions, tact, and personalities involved. Some espouse that Harrison’s most-valued service might have been in the years after this episode when his diplomat hat was firmly in place. He endured some fiery encounters but negotiated several Indian treaties and diffused many other heated situations throughout our region. 

Perhaps his most stellar performances, while wearing his military hat, occurred right here in our backyards from 1811-13. He was involved in confrontations at Tippecanoe (Indiana), Fort Meigs (Perrysburg), Fort Seneca (Tiffin), Fort Stephenson (Fremont), and finally at the infamous Battle of the Thames(Chatham, Ont.). 

On June 11, 1840, Ol’ Tippecanoe, as he became known after his defeat of Tecumseh’s village along the Indiana river of that name, sailed into Perrysburg aboard the Commodore Perry, and was transported in a two-horse carriage to the ruins of the fort he defended 27 years earlier. It was a tremendous campaign rally. His was one of the slickest efforts for the highest office to date.  

How adroit were Harrison’s spin doctors? Very! First they molded Harrison’s reputation and nickname into one of the first slogan’s ever used in a presidential race, “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!” At that time, the country was generally disgruntled with Democrat incumbent Martin Van Buren, many dubbing him Martin Van Ruin because of the depression they were suffering through. (Yeah, Tricky Dicky was not the first derogatory political nickname!) So, Van Buren, who was a bit of a dandy – dressing in stylish clothes and known to drink fine wine, had to divert the electors’ attention away from his poor record. His handlers thus portrayed Harrison as a backwoods farmer living in a lowly log cabin and preferring cheap hard cider over the good wine of cultured society. Harrison’s spinners took this intended slam and spun it right back, creating the Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign which successfully toured the country from city to city, including Perrysburg. 

The common man ate it up; and drank it up too! Hard cider was freely dispensed to the crowd that day. Harrison’s campaign roadies donned their hats, well, coonskin caps, and proceeded as they did at most rallies, to build a 25’ x 40’ log cabin from local buckeye trees. Harrison, et al, paraded through the streets amidst the cheering and singing of the local “Buckeyes”; a term solidified for Ohioans by Harrison’s use of buckeyes extensively in his campaign. Attendees even participated in contests, like bringing to town the largest log. A team from Swanton won with a 50-footer! Finally, there were the speeches, concluding with Harrison’s. This gala event is still celebrated in downtown Perrysburg every September as Harrison Rally Day! 

Curiously, Harrison had the shortest presidency in history, dying of pneumonia after only one month in office. This was due in part to his giving the longest inauguration speech in history, nearly two hours, in a blustery snowstorm, without wearing an overcoat, gloves… or a hat!   

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Frank Kuron is author of the War of 1812 book, “Thus Fell Tecumseh.” Email him at [email protected] 

 

Bugle Call: Upcoming Events 

*Fort Meigs will host the next in their monthly Bentley Lecture Series presentations on Thursday, September 20. Nautical archaeologist, Ms. Carrie Sowden will speak on, “Archaeology of the War of 1812 on the Great Lakes”. The presentation is free and meets in the Fort Meigs Visitor Center, 29100 W. River Road in Perrysburg at 7:30 p.m. 

 

 

Joe Jackson delivers diverse tribute to ‘The Duke’ 

By
Toledo Free Press
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Joe Jackson tried for a unique interpretation of Duke Ellington's work in his tribute, "The Duke." Photo by Frank Veronsky

No brass — that was the one rule Joe Jackson had while making a disc to honor jazz legend Duke Ellington. 

“I decided not to use any horns because I didn’t want it to sound anything like Ellington and his band. Sometimes you just have to make certain rules and limit yourself in some ways because then it opens your imagination in other ways,” he said. 

Released in June, “The Duke” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Album Chart and the Billboard Current Jazz Album Chart. Jackson serves up fresh takes on 15 of the big band leader’s classics over 10 songs. 

“The more I listened to other people’s versions of Ellington music, the more I thought no matter how good they were, they really didn’t go far enough; they were too close to the originals,” Jackson said during a phone call from New York. “So this idea just gradually grew on me of a whole project of new interpretations of Ellington.” 

And the singer-songwriter definitely used his imagination. Consider “Caravan.” 

“I’m not a fan of Ellington’s lyrics, I mean, he didn’t write them himself anyway. A lot of his songs have really cheesy lyrics that were added after the fact,” Jackson said. “And ‘Caravan,’ the tune is so strange and exotic and mysterious, and as soon as you add the dopey English words to it, it spoils it for me. It’s one of the reasons why you never really hear it sung even though the tune is quite familiar.  

“But I thought: What if it was sung in a different language? A language that was maybe more in keeping with the melody? And I had worked with [Iranian singer] Sussan Deyhim before — that was one of the first ideas I had for the record. So I contacted her, and she was very interested in the idea of translating it into Farsi.” 

For “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” Jackson sings with punk icon Iggy Pop. 

“I was just going to sing the song myself, and at one point I started experimenting lowering the key, lower than I normally would, and I just suddenly heard [Pop’s] voice in my head,” he recalled. “And I thought, that’s weird, why am I hearing that? And I went and put on one of his records, and the song ‘The Passenger’ turned out to be in exactly the same range.  

“And I thought, that’s an interesting idea, I wonder if he’d do it? I thought he might because I’ve met him a couple times; he’s a pretty cool guy and is open to doing different things. And he had fun doing it.” 

The British musician enjoyed the no-brass challenge. 

“I used a string quartet on three tracks, but in other cases, the guitar or keyboards. There are a lot of different colors on the record that are taking the place of the horns,” he explained. “Regina Carter’s violin, for instance, is a big sort of voice in this. She’s touring with us as well, which I think is very exciting.” 

 Jackson is touring to support “The Duke” this fall with a limited number of U.S. shows. He will play at 8:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Tickets range from $35 to $65. 

Since his “Look Sharp!” 1979 debut, Jackson — like Ellington — has experimented with all kinds of music. He was part of the pop, punk, new-wave movement with hits “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” and “I’m the Man.” His smooth styling surfaced on 1982’s “Night and Day,” which featured “Steppin’ Out” and “Breaking Us in Two,” and 1984’s “Body and Soul” that included “You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want).” 

“I don’t even really think of it in terms of styles, and that’s one of the things I admire about Ellington: He had no respect for musical categories or genres. He said there’s only two kinds of music — good and bad. And I’ve always kind of felt like that,” Jackson said. 

“If I just allow myself to be free and spontaneous and just make music, that’s the way it comes out — it comes out very eclectic.” 

Retirement guys: Things ain’t like they used to be

By
Mark Clair & Nolan Baker
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You have probably heard the old expression, “things ain’t like they used to be.”  It is pretty obvious to most that today we are living in a different time.  Things are a lot different then they used to be in many ways.  One of the big ways things are different is in the area of planning for retirement.  In the past you could work for a company your entire career, have a pension, health benefits, and be confident that Social Security would be there.  My Grandpa Clair worked his entire career at General Motors and retired with financial security.  Things are different for many people in the work place these days.  Because of negative economic conditions, many workers who were relying on their 401k’s saw the balances severely damaged by the stock market collapse in the early 2000’s and again in 2008.   Additionally, many companies have downsized to leave workers out of work mid-career.  

Because we are living in a different time, it is vitally important that you take control of your situation and try to become as self-reliant as possible.  It is unlikely that the government, your employer or anyone else is going to “bail you out.”  By utilizing The Retirement Guys 4 Strategies For a Successful Retirement, you can put yourself in a position for a much higher probability for success so that you can experience the retirement that you have in mind, whether it is sitting on the couch or getting our there and focusing your energy on what is near and dear to your heart.   

While it may be true that “things ain’t like they used to be,” we must realize that things in the past weren’t always rosy.  We remember happy positive things, but the fact is that our parents and grandparents struggled with some of the same challenges we face.  Things like making a living, putting food on the table and taking care of our families.  It may be that my Grandpa Clair had the advantage of career-long security by working for one company his entire career, but he had to get that job to begin with and he had to show up everyday and punch the time clock and do his work.  His generation also faced dealing with a World War that interrupted and seriously interfered with a potentially successful career.  We now have a somewhat different set of challenges to face in our time.  What I (Mark) have realized is that we can learn important things from those who have come before us to help us become successful in our endeavors.  Our parents and grandparents have set the example for us to follow of hard work, discipline, integrity, perseverance and sacrifice.  They told us to, “do the right thing,” “be a leader” and “work hard.”  Applying these lessons learned and combining it with today’s new technology and certain “action steps” will go a long way to helping us achieve our goals.  

Action steps that can be taken are what we call the “4 Strategies For a Successful Retirement.”   

1. Implement the Independent Income System 

     Making sure each of your accounts is designed for a specific purpose.  Don’t just throw all of your money into an investment and hope that it does well.  Take into consideration what the purpose is for each of your accounts, time frames, appropriate levels of risk, need for income, need for growth and protecting what you have.   

  1. TakingControl Of Your Future IRA Tax Liability 

     Take action before the tax rates and the laws change. If you have reached retirement you now need to know the most efficient way to take retirement account money out.  Do you know the rules?   Things like Required Minimum Distributions, Roth Conversions, Re-characterization, etc., are critical rules to understand.  Formulate plan for the new “distribution phase” of your life.  

  1. Use the Tax Laws to Increase Your Children and Grandchildren’s Inheritance  

     Creating a multi-generational stretch-out plan.  The rules changed a few years ago allowing a non-spouse beneficiary to “stretch out” paying the taxes over and individuals life expectancy.  This can prevent the tax ticking time bomb from exploding in your heirs’ faces that may cause them to have to pay income taxes on all the money in your retirement account at once.  This may mean hundreds of thousands of dollars lost in unneeded payments to the IRS.    

  1. ProtectYour Assets From the High Cost ofLong Term Care Expenses 

The biggest fear that many retirees have is their life savings being wiped out by the high cost of long-term care. By using the concepts of Leveraging and Arbitrage (we call it Levertrage) learn how you may be able to create dollars to pay for long term care without ever buying traditional long-term care insurance.  This could help protect your assets for you or your spouse should one of you need care.  The last thing you want is very little money left to live out the later part of your life. 

You know what to do.  Take action!  Apply these principles.  As always, we wish you the best. 

 

 

 

 

Mayor declares Sept 14-16 Startup Weekend Toledo 

By
Toledo Free Press
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Toledo Mayor Michael Bell officially declared Sept 14-16 as “Startup Weekend Toledo” in recognition of the event of the same name being held for area entrepreneurs and start-up business enthusiasts at the University of Toledo’s College of Business and Innovation.  

Mayor Bell urged citizens to join him in recognizing the organizers, judges, speakers, and sponsors of Startup Weekend Toledo for helping to build a robust entrepreneurial community in the City of Toledo.  

Deputy Mayor Paul Syring will attend Startup Weekend on Sunday, Sept. 16, and will hand out prizes to the winners at 7:30 p.m.  

Startup Weekend Toledo organizers emphasized that the final presentations and awards ceremony is open to the public. People are suggested to arrive at 4:30 p.m. to get a seat for the presentations from the weekend competition starting at 5 p.m. with the awards at 7:30 p.m.  

For more information, go to http://toledo.startupweekend.org.  

 

 

 

Treece: Why Demographics Matter 

By
Toledo Free Press
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Those who follow our writings have heard us mention John Mauldin several times before. He is a brilliant economist with one of the most widely subscribed to newsletters in the world. This week in his “Outside the Box” segment he featured a piece by Harry Dent Jr., an investment newsletter author who has also written several books on economics and finance. In his piece he commented on the relationship of Baby Boomers (Generation X) to Echo Boomers (Generation Y) and what this relationship means for the markets. 

Dent pointed out an interesting fact that not many people may realize: Baby Boomers outnumber their successor generation. According to the Census Bureau, the 45+ age bracket has increased nearly 35% since 1960, from 29.3% of the total US population to 39.4% of the total US population. Conversely, the 44 and under age bracket has declined from 70.7% of total US population in the 1960s to just 60.5% today. The median age has also increased from 29 to 37. 

Dent comments on how generations go through gaps. In your late teens to early 20’s, the average American is single. From 22-30 the average American is married, has a young family from 31-42, has a family and college aged children from 46-50, and become empty nesters/retirees at 50+. These statistics do not always hold true, which can create these gaps in generations which occasionally result in the preceding generation outnumbering the successor.  

Dent took this theory and applied it to the inflation vs. deflation argument that many economists and financial analysts have been debating for the last 3 years. Dent proposes that the Echo Boomers do not produce goods, but merely spend money…which is a fairly good argument considering the unemployment rate of college graduates right now. Spending without producing is an inflationary action. If money turns over in the economy without an equal rise in GDP, the action is inflationary.  

However, Baby Boomers have been working and producing for decades now, and instead of frivolously spending their cash they have been paying off loans and deleveraging their debt. This is a deflationary action. If debt is paid down then it reduces velocity which results in deflation.  

Which generation has more impact? One is deleveraging and the other is spending and loading up on cheap debt as much as possible. The goal of the Fed is to try and find an equilibrium that allows for the massive deleveraging of the Baby Boomers to offset the increased debt burden being taken on by the Echo Boomers. Dent commented, and we believe he has an interesting point, that the Fed has continued to pursue low interest rates and cheap debt because they fear deflation and have seen firsthand what it can do to an economy. Remember, in the 1930’s the Fed raised rates in order to restrict monetary growth, which some argue led to the Depression.  

Dent also comments on the fact that at the top of the 2008 bubble, the federal government was running a $14 trillion deficit and the private sector was running a $42 trillion deficit. Since then, corporations have been holding on to cash and deleveraging as fast as they can in efforts to obtain low interest loans in the near future.  

There is a wild card which Dent failed to mention in his argument, and that was what impacts QE2 will have on inflation or deflation. Following 2008 the Treasury pumped billions of dollars into the Fed in an effort to increase borrowing and economic activity. This money has been “sitting in the cellar” because corporations have not been borrowing, they are sitting on cash and deleveraging. Once corporations have paid off high interest notes and begin to borrow cheap money, that is an inflationary action which could have some unexpected outcomes for the US economy and the global markets.  

We have written before that we will likely experience both inflation and deflation in the near future. We currently are experiencing deflation, but in tolerable doses. The question to ask is how much deflation will we experience before inflation kicks in and where will the inflation stop? For readers interested in Mr. Dent’s piece, please email [email protected] 

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

 

Global economic forum to attract up to 200 foreign investors 

By
Toledo Free Press
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The 5 Lakes Global Economic Forum to be held Sept. 24-26 at the Park Inn in Toledo is expected to attract 150 to 200 foreign business people and investors to the first–time event held in conjunction with the University of Toledo.  

The majority of the foreign investors are expected to come from China with interest in investing in commercial real estate or seeking to open facilities in the U.S., according to the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP), a partner in holding the event with 5 Lakes Global Group, Jobs Ohio, City of Toledo and UT.  

Participation in the event is by invitation only through 5 Lakes Global Group, a company formed by Simon Guo, who has been involved in Chinese investments in the Toledo region and trips to China by local business and government officials.  About 200 local representatives, mostly from many companies sponsoring the event, are expected to accept invitations to attend.  

“I think it’s an unprecedented event. We’re very excited about the opportunities for Toledo and Northwest Ohio that could come out of it,” said James Lindsey, president and legal counsel for Louisville Title. 

Lindsey said that Louisville Title is a sponsor (bronze) and supporting the event. The company has been involved closely with 5 Lakes Global Group said Lindsey, who made two trips to China with the Toledo delegations.  

One of its employees, Tracy Sallah, manager of commercial accounts, local and national, is serving as chairperson of the executive planning committee for it on a volunteer basis.   

Guo and Sallah are currently in China, lining up successful investors there to attend the economic forum.  

Three types of foreign groups are expected to attend the economic forum, according to D. Paul Zito, vice president for International Development at RGP.  

The first group includes investors seeking to invest in commercial real estate. The next group of foreign direct investment prospects, manufacturing, technology and service companies, are looking to open facilities and create jobs in the U.S. The final group offers interest in the educational, medical and science fields.  

Government officials from China are expected to attend and add relevance to the strategy of the organizers, Zito said.  

The Chinese government is supporting foreign investment in China and foreign investment by Chinese investors. The China Investment Promotion Agency, which Zito said is similar to the U.S. Department of Commerce and Ohio Department of Development, is working with companies in China to grow.  

“I would not have anticipated China would be so open to international trade and investment in 2012,” said Zito, who works with Chinese companies wanting to locate in Northwest Ohio. 

“It’s more advantageous for those companies to have operations here in the U.S. to make just-in-time deliveries as part of the supply chain here,” he said.  

Zito cited three potential benefits for Toledo and Northwest Ohio region from the economic forum. First is the potential for investment by foreign companies in commercial real estate, locating operations and creating jobs in this region.  

Next is the tremendous amount of media exposure on it on national and international levels such as the article in The Economist and the number of foreign correspondents expected to attend.  

The forum has drawn substantial interest from national and international media and organizers expect to host six to eight international correspondents, according to John Gibney of RGP.  

The event was reported by The Economist in August with the headline, “Working partners – Unexpected co-operation and investment beside the Maumee River.” 

The mention of the Toledo event by The Economist is so valuable in the global market, according to Zito, who managed the State of Ohio’s European office in Brussels, Belgium, for 13 years before joining RGP 10 months ago.  

The last benefit is the “spirit of collaboration within the business community with education and governments to showcase this area to global partners,” Zito said.  

“It’s very rare to see city and local governments working together with business, education, and private economic development agencies to have a united front to promote economic development as we have in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan,” Zito said.  

UT is the sole Platinum Sponsor of the 5 Lakes Global Economic Forum. Gold Sponsors include Block Communications, Fifth Third Bank, Hollywood Casino, and Huntington Bank. Silver Sponsors are Owens Community College, ProMedica, Rudolph Libbe/Gem Inc., Findlay Wise Wealth Management, and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. Numerous other local companies are Bronze Sponsors of the event.  

The 5 Lakes Global Group is a consulting firm serving as a cross-cultural business platform linking international enterprises together to enhance business growth in the most effective way by utilizing the resources and support unique to the Northwest Ohio region.  

Cost to participate in all seminars and events at the forum is $599 per participant pass. The passes are issued in the company name and are transferrable.  

To register for the event, go to http://fivelakesglobal.com/event-registration. More information and a schedule of events can be found on the registration pages there.  

 

 

UT schedules speaker series on medical history

By
Dock David Treece
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In conjunction with its current exhibition, “Medicine on the Maumee: A History of Health Care in Northwest Ohio,” the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections at the University of Toledo has scheduled a series of talks for the fall semester on aspects of local medical history.
All talks will take place on Wednesdays and be held in the Canaday Center, located on the fifth floor of Carlson Library. Listed by date, speakers and topics are:
✯ Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. — Joanna Russ, archivist for ProMedica, willspeak on the history of  hospital-based nurse education in Toledo in the 20th century. The talk will look at how nurses were trained in these schools, which were in existence at most area hospitals until the 1960s, when nursing education moved to universities.
✯ Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. — Dr. Joan Duggan, professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences, and director of the Ryan White HIV Center, will lead a panel discussion on the history of HIV in Northwest Ohio, with a focus on the early days of the epidemic from 1981-95. The panel will include five participants representing the spectrum of persons infected — and affected by — HIV in our community during this time period.
✯ Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. — Dr. Anthony Comerota, director of the Jobst Vascular Institute at ProMedica Toledo Hospital, will present at a talk titled “A Man, His Work and His Legacy — Conrad Jobst.” Comerota will discuss Jobst’s contributions to the medical field and his impact on the generations that followed. He invented Jobst elastic stockings in 1950 while living in Toledo. The stockings were a major medical advance in improving circulation in limbs, and his estate endowed the Jobst Vascular Institute.
✯ Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. — Dr. Carlos Baptista, associate professor of neuroscience in the UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences, will discuss the process he uses to preserve medical specimens through plastination. He will explain how the process, developed by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, replaces water and fat tissue in specimens with polymers. Baptista is president of the International Society for Plastination, and several of his preserved specimens are on display as part of the exhibition “Anatomical Art: The Internal Beauty of the Human Body,” which can be viewed in the art gallery area outside the Canaday Center.
✯ Oct. 24 at 3:30 p.m. — Dr. S. Amjad Hussain, UT professor emeritus of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery and columnist for The Blade, will give a talk, “From ‘M*A*S*H’ to the Great Black Swamp: The Life and Works of John Howard M.D., an American Original.” Howard served on the faculty of the Medical College of Ohio until 1993, and died in 2011. Hussain will discuss Howard’s accomplishments as a surgeon, researcher, teacher and writer.
✯ Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. — Dr. James Ravin, Toledo ophthalmologist and medical historian, will present a talk titled “The Magician With a Meningioma.” It will focus on the life of Cleveland magician Karl Germain and an operation performed on him in 1916 by noted 20th-century neurosurgeon Dr. Harvey Cushing to remove a brain tumor.
A reception will follow each free, public talk.
The exhibit “Medicine on the Maumee: A History of Health Care in Northwest Ohio” will be on display in the Canaday Center through Friday, Dec. 28. The free, public exhibit is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment.
For more information, contact Barbara Floyd, director of the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections, at (419) 530-2170. ✯

Owens welcomes first Fulbright scholar 

By
Toledo Free Press
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Fulbright scholar Farzona Rahimova of Tajikistan shows Deborah Gavlik where her country is located on the world map in the Office of International Programs and Services at Owens Community College.  Toledo Free Press Photo by Duane Ramsey  

Farzona Rahimova traveled from Tajikistan to become the first Fulbright scholar at Owens Community College. 

Owens applied for the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program and was selected by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, a division of the Institute of International Education, to receive one of about 50 grants awarded annually. 

Rahimova will teach at Owens for two semesters, through May 2013. 

“Owens Community College is honored to be selected as a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program participant. We are proud to welcome Farzona Rahimova to the U.S. and Owens as the school’s first Fulbright scholar,” said Deborah Gavlik, director of International Programs and Services at Owens. 

Rahimova will have opportunities for professional development through interactions with local business leaders and faculty at regional four-year universities, including the University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University, as well as with faculty, administrators and staff at Owens. 

She will also make presentations outside the classroom about her home country, one of the former Soviet republics, including her observations of the differences in living and doing business in the two countries, Gavlik said. 

Gavlik said she thinks the Fulbright Scholar program will not only benefit Rahimova, but broaden the global perspective of the students and entire Owens community as well. 

“We want our students to have a global connection in business,” said Gavlik, who said there are about 100 foreign students currently attending Owens full-time. 

Farzona Rahimova

Rahimova arrived Aug. 6 at Toledo Express Airport with her younger son after a 28-hour journey flying from Tajikistan to Istanbul, Turkey, from Istanbul to Chicago, and from Chicago to Toledo. 

It was Rahimova’s goal to return to the United States when she applied for the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program. She previously lived in the U.S. for two months in 2006 when she participated in an internship program at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. 

 “I live in a developing country and want to share our culture and business opportunities with similarities and differences in business by sharing my job experiences,” Rahimova said. 

Rahimova is an advocate for education and her passion includes her involvement in development of business education and entrepreneurship for families headed by women. She helped Junior Achievement Tajikistan develop school curricula on applied economics for schools. 

She served as a part-time business trainer at the National Association of Business Women of Tajikistan where she provided start-up business planning for women. She also taught at the Institute of Economy and Trade at Tajik State University, providing expertise in economic geography, business planning, small business management and international economic relations. 

Her course in international economic relations was taught in English. She also worked on the translation of a “Global Business Ethics” textbook and teacher guide. 

Rahimova began studying English in fourth grade since English is the global scientific language. She also speaks Tajik (similar to Persian or Farsi) and Russian. 

She is studying toward a PhD in business administration and doing research on home-based businesses for women in Tajikistan. She said she hopes to learn more about that subject while in the U.S. 

Her father is a university professor who translated an economics book from English to Tajik and her mother is a teacher who teaches the Tajik language to middle and high school-age students. 

Her eldest son, Jahongir, 16, speaks Tajik, Russian, Turkish and English. He is in the U.S. as a high school foreign exchange student outside Portland, Ore., for the academic year. Her younger son, Amir, 13, accompanied her to Toledo and is attending Perrysburg Junior High School. 

Her husband, Olimjon, who is a director of finance and grants for the Tajikistan government, will join them in the Toledo area Sept 14. He plans to spend the school year with his wife and son while interacting with the business community in the area, Rahimova said. 

Rahimova said she is grateful to the faculty and staff at Owens who helped her with furniture and household items for the family’s apartment. 

“We had a great response from campus to help her set up a household,” Gavlik said. 

The office of International Programs and Services provides experiential learning opportunities to international students from around the globe, including Brazil, Canada, China, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, South Korea, Venezuela and other countries, Gavlik said. 

Eight foreign students are attending Owens this fall through the Community Colleges for International Development program supported by the U.S. Department of State. Owens has also established several new study abroad programs in countries such as China, Greece and Peru, Gavlik said. 

For more information, visit www.owens.edu.  

 

Local Muslims protest embassy attacks

By
Dock David Treece
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The United Muslim Association of Toledo issued a statement condemning the murder of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Libya. On Sept. 11, during a reported protest against the film “Innocence of Muslims” in Benghazi, Libya, militants stormed the U.S. Consulate.
“We demand action from the Libyan government to bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible. We strongly condemned the attacks on the United States Embassies in Benghazi and Cairo. The Islam teaches us preservation of life and property,” said the news release from S. Maseeh Rehman, president of the United Muslim Association of Toledo, and S. Zaheer Hasan, public relations chair.
“[Prophet Muhammad] displayed such restraint during the worst circumstances of his life. We hope that Muslims all over the world will follow his example and not succumb to the provocations induced by the heinous documentary produced by the outfit in California, by taking law and order in their own hands. Muslims are advised to walk away expressing peace when ignorance cannot be dealt with in a civic manner. By doing otherwise, they are only playing into the hands and desires of such hateful elements in our society who have no respect for the feelings of others,” the statement read.
The film reportedly depicts the Prophet as gay, supportive of pedophilia and dumb. The video has sparked other protests in the Middle East this week. Protesters in Yemen assailed the embassy and protesters in Cairo also attempted to overrun the U.S. Embassy there.

Complaint against former Willard & Kelsey CEO associate in court Sept. 18; seeks return of property

By
John McCartney
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The “concealment of assets” complaint filed by the estate of William R. Mitchell, former CEO of Willard & Kelsey Solar Group, LLC, returns to Judge Jack R. Puffenberger’s Lucas County Probate Court, Sept. 18, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. 

The case centers on James Muller’s claim that Helen Hart, of 2203 Glenview Drive, Maumee, and a former associate of Mitchell, has, according to Probate Court documents, “concealed, embezzled or conveyed away money, goods, chattels, things in action or effects belong to the estate” of Mitchell “in fraud of the rights” of Muller and others interested in the estate. Muller, Mitchell’s former stepson and the estate’s executor, is represented by attorney David Dennis. 

A second interested party, Willard & Kelsey, filed a separate case Feb. 13 in Combined Court (LaPlanta County District Court and Denver Probate Court) in LaPlata County, Colo. requesting repayment of $591,743 Mitchell owned the firm at the time of death, July 26, 2011.  

The Colorado court document states that during his employment, Mitchell “took draws from” Willard & Kelsey and created “a receivable due to the company. Mr. Mitchell directed the accounting firm that he retained to show the [$591,743] he received as advances, and not income, obviously for the purposes of avoiding federal and state income taxes” on his earnings. 

The case is filed in Colorado since the estate was first established there. 

Muller’s complaint in Lucas County requested the court to order Hart to return property including a 2004 Nissan Armada SUV, three computers, jewelry, credit cards, living room furniture, two flat screen televisions, a pool table, two exercise machines, golf clubs, phones, and clothing. 

Of particular interest to Muller are the three computers, one of which allegedly contains proprietary information belonging to Willard & Kelsey that Muller acknowledged Mitchell smuggled out of the company after he was terminated, Oct. 10, 2010, with the intent of trading that information for payment he believed he was due. Muller further contends that The Blade published information it obtained after one of its reporters met with Hart after Mitchell’s death. 

In a email he wrote to The Blade April 25 and provided to the Toledo Free Press Aug. 6, Muller informed an editor and reporter that Mitchell died owning computers now in the possession of his “supposed girlfriend” and that Muller “understand[s] that she has leaked to you certain confidential information relating to the affairs of Willard & Kelsey Solar Group, LLC and Mr. Mitchell’s personal business that belong to” Mitchell. 

Muller informed The Blade the information may be the product of a privileged attorney-client relationship that Mitchell did not waive during his lifetime and that the estate is not waiving in his death. Muller claimed “your use of that information is illegal, a breach of ethical duties, and transgress[es] upon property rights.” Mueller email “demand[s] a return of all information you have that belongs to William Mitchell, and that you not use any information obtained from his computer for any further publications” without Muller’s authorization. 

Muller said he never received a response to his email, but that the newspaper refrained from publishing anything else after receiving his email about the information Muller alleges it obtained from Hart.    

The Blade did not respond to repeated requests for a response to Muller’s statements. 

Hart’s lawyer, however, denied that his client, who he said had been engaged to Mitchell for five years, ever provided information she gathered from a computer. 

“She may have spoken to The Blade, but she didn’t take any information off [their one jointly-owned] computer,” attorney Sol Zyndorf said. “She doesn’t know whether or not the computers contained documents from Willard & Kelsey, but she assumes they did. 

“If she did give the The Blade information, it was off the top of her head from [what she knew] having spoken to him. You know, she and Will used to talk.” 

However, Robon said it is reasonable to assume Hart took possession of the computers since she and Mitchell were the only two living at the Glenview Dr. address when Mitchell died, and it is equally reasonable to assume she turned that information over to the Toledo Blade. 

“Here’s the situation in a lump shell,” Robon said. “There was information alleged to be on the computer that Mitchell was trying to use to create a basis for a lawsuit. And the Blade got the information. OK?  

“Now, did The Blade pay his ex-girlfriend for it? Did she volunteer it? Did they somehow squeeze it out of her unknowingly? I don’t know. But that’s the only way they would have gotten that information …” 

Zyndorf, who has repeatedly denied that Hart provided anyone with any computer data, said once Hart received the Probate Court’s “Citation to Produce Assets,” two of the three computers were placed in Mitchell’s vehicle, located at Hudson’s Automotive, 6415 Angola Rd., Holland, along with Mitchell’s personal property that Zyndorf said Hart and her daughter discovered in the attic of Hart home three months after Mitchell’s death. 

“The truck went to Hudson’s,” Zyndorf said. “She had those documents [on his side of the jointly-owned computer] downloaded professionally, and they are in the truck. And the two other computers that may have that information on them have also been out there since November, 2011. His attorney knew the computers were in the trucks because I sent emails” with verifications. 

Zyndorf also said Hudson’s Automotive’s owner assured him that all the property can be picked up without paying the SUV’s 14-month storage fee.    

“They know,” Zyndorf said. “We told them. She testified in Probate Court. Everything is there in the truck, but we don’t know how long they’re going to keep the truck there. It’s well over a year. 

According to a tow order, which Mitchell did not sign, the SUV was towed from Hart’s Maumee home to Holland July 20, 2011, although Muller contends Mitchell drove himself to St. Luke’s Hospital in that same truck, July 23, three days before his death. Muller also contends that he has phone records of three calls from Hart’s home to the Maumee Police Dept. on July 26 documenting that the truck that was allegedly towed July 20 was in Hart’s garage July 26. 

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