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Szyperski: Sebastian the Great

By
Shannon Szyperski
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One August morning more than 10 years ago I woke up to find our two cats nestled up against my belly, one on each side. Considering they had never done such a thing before, I had a strong feeling that they knew something I didn’t. The two feline friends we had come to love almost like children seemed to be subtly letting me know that our first child of the non-furry variety was less than nine months away. They were right.

Having our cats be the ones to unveil our parenthood was quite fitting, for it was Sasha and Sebastian who first introduced us to the world of household chaos and sibling conflict. Sasha, our black shorthair, embodied everything we imagined our future family life to be — a calm, warm and loving slice of heaven on Earth. Sebastian, our orange longhair, then came along as the living expression of everything our future family life actually would be — an unpredictable journey of sneak attacks and random yelping.

Sebastian, the adorable kitten we adopted to ward off the loneliness we assumed Sasha was experiencing during our long work days, instead terrorized her relentlessly from day one. The fast friend we had imagined for Sasha quickly became a fast fiend and we couldn’t help but wonder if we had made a big mistake.

Sebastian’s reign of terror during the early years even spilled over onto us. Many, many a night we would wake up with the cutest, most playful little orange kitten clamped forcefully down upon at least one of our unsuspecting toes. The brutal middle-of-the-night, sorry-I-mistook-your-feet-for-mice-again wake-up calls were actually good practice for the curious, who-needs-sleep children we were destined to have soon after.

Throughout the years, we came to know all of Sebastian’s idiosyncrasies. His obsessive-compulsive nature constantly manifested itself in new and interesting ways, from avoiding his food dish unless not a speck of white was showing at the bottom to licking his fur cleaner than we kept anything else in our entire house. He could wildly jump higher than our shoulders during playtime and then lovingly curl up in our lap when he sensed that we needed him most. Whether good or bad, we learned to accept him for what he was and came to realize that his presence in our family was always a perfect gift and never a mistake.

I can’t believe he’s gone.

As the thought occasionally crossed my mind that Sasha may not have too many years left in her, I never considered that our younger, full-of-life Sebastian might go first. Even when he began to slow down and look a little thinner, I just didn’t think of it as a prelude to an ending. I wasn’t ready to lose him.

In less than a week, Sebastian went from his normal self, welcoming guests at the front door, to huddled under a table with a frail frame and a face I barely recognized.  When our vet confirmed that things didn’t look good, we took our three children in to be with him as a family one last time. Mike and I then went back alone the next day to accept the inevitable. As we tearfully held him on his last day, I couldn’t help but recall holding him as a new kitten at his very first vet appointment, never imagining a day 12 years later when we would sit and be with him as he took his very last breaths.

The week before his end, my 3-year-old had walked up to me out of the blue without explanation and said, “Sebastian’s gonna die.” Assuming she had picked something up from a random TV show, I reacted somewhat angrily and quickly explained that we don’t say things like that. He wasn’t sick, we didn’t consider him old and she really wasn’t all that involved with him, so I couldn’t imagine why she would ever utter such a thing.

I didn’t reflect upon her declaration until the day after Sebastian was gone. Could she have known it was time for him to leave our world just as Sebastian had known it was time for her brother to enter it? Whatever the exact meaning, I can’t help but think at moments like this that there is some sort of framework and purpose to it all. When I stare at his still-fur-covered chair, hardly able to handle no longer seeing him in it, I find solace in the fact that he may be out there somewhere prancing around with the ease of a kitten and playfully terrorizing parts of the universe we have yet to reveal.

Shannon and her husband, Michael, are raising three children in Sylvania.

Two Chick-fil-A’s set to open in region this fall

By
Toledo Free Press
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Mike Herrick, local owner and operator of Chick-Fil-A franchises, poses at the Perrysburg location. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr

On Aug. 1, hundreds of Chick-fil-A customers formed lines around the food court at the Westfield Franklin Park Mall in support of the chicken chain. Two months later, two new locations are preparing to open in the Toledo area.

“Because of the receptivity of the Toledo community, [Chick-fil-A] felt like we needed to grow by 200 percent in a very short amount of time in order to service the demand for our product,” said Jonathan Winn, who will operate the 4260 Sylvania Ave. location, just outside the mall.

The other new location will be at 10315 Fremont Pike, Perrysburg. Owner/operator Mike Herrick, who used to run the Chick-fil-A in the mall food court, is transitioning to the Perrysburg location. Chick-fil-A business interns will run the mall location, formerly the only Chick-fil-A in town, until Nov. 1 when a new owner comes in.

Each location is more than 4,000 square feet and includes a play area and double drive-thru lanes. About 200 employees are being hired at the two new restaurants, which will be closed on Sundays as is chain policy.

Herrick’s franchise is slated for a Nov. 1 debut and Winn’s location is set to open Nov. 29.

Winn and his family moved to the area about two and a half months ago after operating a Canton Chick-fil-A for three years.

“Our plan for coming to Toledo is to be here the rest of our lives, to be able to retire here,” Winn said. “That’s why we moved up to be here, just to be part of the fabric of the community in a big way.”

Before signing on with Chick-fil-A, Winn was a college and young adult pastor.

“One of my students said, ‘Man, you are just like one of the owners of a Chick-fil-A restaurant that we know. You should think about doing this.’ And so I researched it, hung out with a couple owners … got to know the business a little bit and decided this was something I wanted to give my life to and give my career to long term.”

Herrick had been with the mall Chick-fil-A for 21 years. Although there will be some changes, such as going from 900 square feet to more than 4,000 and from about 40 employees to 90, Herrick is confident.

“The basic idea of service is still the same. You’re still going to take care of customers the same, but the whole service model changes,” he said.

Despite his history in the area, Herrick still had to apply for the owner/operator position along with about 260 other applicants. Although Chick-fil-A owns the property and equipment, the franchise owners, like Winn and Herrick, own the business license and employs the workers.

Herrick said he was excited about the new locations and that Chick-fil-A was also looking into opening an Airport Highway location in the future.

“I’ve been the only game in town. I haven’t had any friends. Now I’ve got friends,” Herrick said and laughed.

That wasn’t always the case — Woodville and North Towne Square malls had locations that closed in the ’90s. Westfield Franklin Park Mall’s location opened in 1984 and Herrick came onboard in 1991.

The controversy

Herrick was at the helm of the mall location during Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day on Aug. 1. Controversy sparked after the chain’s president Dan Cathy offered his thoughts on same-sex marriage on “The Ken Coleman Show.”

“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage’ and I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about,” Cathy said.

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and allied community along with mayors of major cities like Boston, Chicago and San Francisco lambasted Chick-fil-A in turn. To support the chain, former Arkansas governor and FoxNews personality Mike Huckabee rallied for an appreciation day. In response, customers formed lines with hours-long waits at Chick-fil-A’s nationwide.

Herrick declined to share specific figures from the day, but did say it was record setting and extremely busy.

“It was like surfboarding on a tsunami. You’re just holding on for dear life, hoping to get to the other side,” he said. The mall location stayed open until 10:30 p.m. to finish serving customers and Herrick had to travel to Columbus the next day to replenish supplies.

Winn emphasized that Chick-fil-A didn’t market the day, but that it was a grassroots effort.

“We’re thankful for whatever stage God gives us in order to serve our food and be an impact in the community. And that was just somewhat of a bigger stage,” he said.

Winn added, “Dan was speaking his personal views on the biblical definition of marriage and that was not representative of the 1,000-plus owners that we have as a chain or the company.”

1,600 locations

The company has more than 1,600 locations across the country and has reached $4.1 billion in sales. Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant in 1946 and the first Chick-fil-A debuted in 1967.

Winn estimated that 80-90 new locations open every year. Both owners said they didn’t think boycotters had slowed down sales.

“It was the highest August we’ve ever had. We were up double digits in sales. September, we’re up more than normal so it has continued. Some of it is publicity,” Herrick said.

Herrick said of the boycott, “People don’t run to boycott Ben & Jerry’s or Starbucks because they support issues that maybe I object to. I love Starbucks and I’ll spend my money there.”

He added of same-sex marriage, “From my political views, it really clashes with my spiritual views because I’m a libertarian.”

“From a libertarian point of view, I don’t care. Just so long as your rights don’t infringe on my rights and just as long as you don’t cost me any money to enforce your rights or you don’t hurt or hit anybody.”

Gay and bisexual individuals work at the area Chick-fil-A, he added.

Winn said everyone should feel comfortable eating at Chick-fil-A.

“Chick-fil-A has had a policy now for the last 60 years since Truett opened his first restaurant in 1946, that we’re going to do our best to serve every customer irregardless of religious affiliation, age, gender, sexual orientation, and that’s really been our philosophy and our standard. So that’s going to continue to be what our policy is here in the greater Toledo area, to serve the diverse culture of Toledo residents,” Winn said.

Not comfortable

Sherry Tripepi, executive director of same-sex marriage advocacy group Equality Toledo, said she wouldn’t be comfortable at a Chick-fil-A.

“I want to spend my money and support those organizations that stand for equality for all people, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, and it doesn’t appear that Chick-fil-A does. So, no, I would not visit one of their franchises,” she said.

Winn and Herrick said they do not consider sexual orientation when hiring employees.

“We’re going to take a look at people-oriented applicants that have a driven passion to treat everybody with honor and dignity and respect, to go the extra mile in meeting the needs of the customer, to really seek leverage making emotional connections with customers,” Winn said.

“You’re gonna see 16-year-old men pulling out chairs for moms with their kids. You’re gonna see college-aged young ladies helping moms carry their babies out to the table for them and getting them all situated,” he added.

Both restaurants will have a “First 100” event the day/night before the openings. The first 100 customers, who will need to camp out overnight, will receive 52 coupons for free meals. Activities will be planned throughout the day and meals will be served.

“It’s just gonna be party time,” Herrick said, adding that he’s met people who have been to 32 “First 100s” and a couple who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at one.

“I mean that’s dedication. You can’t tell me it’s for the free Chick-fil-A for a year. It’s more than that. It’s almost like a cult following,” he said.

To learn more, visit www.face book.com/PerrysburgPlazaChickFilA and www.facebook.com/Chick FilAToledo.

Baumhower: The extinction of the ‘Happily Ever Afters’

By
Toledo Free Press
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My heart was recently broken when I learned that another of my “couple” friends are in the process of getting a divorce. Our children go to school and play sports together, their kids are a part of my extended family, my “Jackies.” My kids broke the news to me, as the announcement filled their school’s hallways, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It felt as if my divorce was happening again.

Are “Happily Ever Afters” going extinct in the suburbs?

It’s been more than two years since my divorce was finalized. I fought for the last year to save my marriage, when I should have been working on it the previous 10. I am an excellent father, but I was a horrible husband. My battle to stop the divorce was ultimately for our three children. I could just see their future lives and I wanted to save them from it. Why fill their lives with heartache, when daddy simply needed to manage his ADD better?

My ex-wife and I had somehow fallen out of love. I was too blind to see it, she was too resentful to forget it. The busyness of a suburban schedule somehow hid the ongoing true feelings that were filling our SUV as we drove to baseball, soccer or dance. Our not-so-obvious previous attempts at fixing a failing marriage with children, both planned and unplanned, confused our hearts with the love of our babies, but not each other.

The words “single parent” carry a certain stigma, a cliché, something that may be completely outdated. “Single parent” used to clearly mean … the father was not present, there was no man in the house, often indicating some type of a mother’s financial struggle. Somewhere in the evolution of technology and relationships, the words “single parent” began to be used as a description by divorcées with joint custody of their children. One failed marriage with children creates two single parents because half of the time we are, in fact, a single parent.

An epidemic is happening in the suburbs, and no one seems to be noticing. Couples with slightly grown children (age 5 and older) seem to be fleeing from each other with nothing but self-interest at heart. Facebook and technology have made it so easy to see how green the grass really is, that people are forgetting about the roots they have planted.

Any child of the 1970s or 1980s can agree that there was maybe one kid in your entire grade with divorced parents. Now many times there are only one or two children in a classroom with a single family home. Can you imagine how teachers have to manage the new co-parenting schedules, the pick-ups, drop-offs, the communicating with two houses? The school’s copy machine used to be filled with copied tests or upcoming lessons, now it’s filled with copied parental communications and waivers.

If you are one of those parents currently dreaming of finalizing your divorce, or just filing for it, allow me the privilege of describing to you what life is like once you’re a “Suburb Single Parent.”

In most cases today the children’s visitation schedule is almost equally split, meaning you will miss up to half of your children’s lives. They become dual citizens of multiple homes, our new-age lil’ nomads, living out of the transition bag filled with previously worn clothes, bills, iPods and Nintendo 3DSs. Often when you do have a shared schedule, your time with your children is booked so full with sports to grandparent visits, you just end up driving your minivan or SUV the entire time. And let me not forget to describe the constant feeling of “competing” with your ex’s time spent, the whole “Mommy took us to see a movie,” and “What special things are we going to do this weekend, Daddy?”

Your kids’ lives become a seven-day-a-week promotional tour with appearances at the mall, grandma’s and the local soccer field. The chaos rarely stops.

Then the chaos quickly turns to silence and, for myself, the “you” time is often the hardest. The once deafening constant commotion becomes your catch-up time for cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping and of course dating.

A common cause of divorces today is the desire to date someone new, find your heart or fall in love again. Imagine trying to sort out and sift through the douchery or potential psychos, to date them in your down kid-free time, all while trying to protect your most loved ones. It is nearly impossible. When simultaneous “kid-free” weekends are a plus to your new relationship, then we as a society are doomed.

My advice for those considering trying the greener grass is to not. If there is even 1 percent of you that believes you still love or could possibly fall back in love with your current spouse, than it should become your mission to explore every avenue on how to make your marriage work.

Your children deserve the effort. Our babies will never know the strength of love in a single-family home if we continue to quit the marriage the second we’re bored, or when our high school crush “pokes” us on Facebook.

The only lessons these quick divorces are teaching our children are how to properly organize a social calendar and how not to offend mom or dad.

They have been told they were made with love, but mommy and daddy no longer love each other. As if love somehow has an expiration date.

If you do not want to repeat the same mistakes I’ve made, simply learn how to love someone other than yourself. Use Facebook as a medium to show how much you love each other and this will ultimately discourage the random “pokings” from past lives. Instead of texting each other all day while working, have a no communication order, like they did before the cellphone.

Grandma and grandpa have been married for 50 years because grandpa didn’t drive grandma crazy all day with texts. This communication freeze will allow you to have an actual conversation at the dinner table.

My last words of advice are: Do not cheat. Physical or emotional affairs only screw your children. Although the orgasm or attention fills a recently created void, it simultaneously put an even bigger void on your children’s perception of love. And no matter how many times you tell them you love them, your actions have told them more.

I am sorry, Kelli.

Barhite: Scholar says Muslims likely scared, but will rebound from mosque fire

By
Brandi Barhite
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BGSU scholar Marne Austin believes the fire intentionally set at the Perrysburg mosque will only further cement the Muslim community’s resolve to practice their faith.

“The community is resilient and they are some of the most intelligent people I have met,” she said.

Austin is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the School of Media and Communication who is focusing on the topic of Muslim identity in an anti-Islamic environment. We became friends while I was getting my master’s; I began to admire her when I saw her passion for interviewing Muslim women as part of her doctoral research.

“What saddens me most about it is the fact that it happened in an otherwise peaceful community,” Austin said. “The Muslim population has been here for decades. They are well-regarded and contributing members of society.”

Austin said the mosque is left open to the public because local Muslims want to be transparent and welcoming. The accused arsonist from Indiana violated that ideal by going into the mosque Sept. 30 and setting fire to the prayer area.

“This is a particular community that shows great integration, and the women I have interviewed don’t report any outright anti-Muslim sentiment,” Austin said. “It is sad because if there is one place where things are good for them, it could be here.

“Unfortunately, it shows that the best of places are subject to hate.”

While Austin said it is too early to label this a hate crime, she said any violence is a hate crime.

“It doesn’t have to be toward a certain group or religion. The fact that someone had to plan it and do it, it is hate.”

Austin has been encouraging Facebook friends to change their profile photo to the mosque. She is glad the arson is getting front-page attention, but wishes more Muslims would be asked — or willing — to be interviewed. If more people hear the Muslim perspective, they will realize this is impacting their friends, co-workers and neighbors, she said.

The Muslim women she has seen on Facebook are questioning why this is happening, while also asking for prayers.

“It would be a lie to say they won’t be impacted or won’t be scared. If this happened to a school or synagogue, people would be impacted, but I think they will be resilient and keep going,” she said. “They are going to pray outside the mosque; they are going to pray in their homes.”

And most notably, “Their first thought will be to pray for the man who caused the fire, not vengeance,” Austin said.

 

Frogapalooza: Disco bash to benefit Habitat for Humanity

By
Brigitta Burks
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Eventgoers can catch some “Saturday Night Fever” to benefit Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity at Frogapalooza Disco Bash on Oct. 20, 2012.

“We want people to dress up in their best disco attire with their platform shoes,” said Gary Ross, one of the developers behind Frogtowndeals.com, the business behind the bash. A portion of ticket sales will benefit Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Ross runs the sales part of Frogtowndeals.com, a website for local businesses that offers daily deals à la Groupon. His partner Todd Gagné runs the technology side of things and Brent Fink backs the pair up.

“Part of what our company wants to do is really help and work with the community and charities. We really want to be involved. This is just the first thing that we want to do,” Gagné said. “[Habitat does] so much for the community and there’s a lot of people involved with it and it brings communities together.”

During the past 20 years, Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity has built 150 homes for needy families with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers.

Frogtown launch

The Frogtown website officially launched in July and recently partnered with Clear Channel to feature deals on the radio. Frogtown is under i2M, a social media management and text marketing company.

The Clear Channel partnership has the possibility of eventually catapulting the business to a national level, Gagné said. Still, being local is an important part of Frogtown. If the company expands, it will use its locally based model.

“People love the local aspect of this thing. That’s very important for people to support local. That’s where our big difference is from LivingSocial or Groupon is,” Ross said.

“I’m here. I’m local. I’m here for the customer and they can get ahold of me,” he added. “I like the warm and fuzzy, where you can actually be there for them.”

Another big part of the business is its amphibian mascot — which is usually Gagné in a frog costume.

“People love it. We go to events and people come and hug the frog,” Ross said. “One thing that we are that nobody else is is a lot of fun.”

The business originally started as Glass City Deals before its owners decided on something cuddlier.

“There’s a lot of other companies out there that do what we do, but nobody’s doing it the way that we’re doing it,” Gagné said.

18-hour days

Despite all the fun, Gagné and Ross are currently putting in 16-18 hour days to make their business a success.

“It’s a challenge because all of our revenue goes back into the company,” Gagné said, adding that going to bed at 3 a.m. and waking up at 8 a.m. is not uncommon for him. He is also working to develop a social media presence and smartphone applications for Frogtown.

Gagné, a Waterville native, used to work in real estate and Ross, a Toledo native, was once in print advertising. The pair encourages businesses to think of daily deals as a form of advertising.

“It’s a unique way to advertise because you only pay for what people are coming in for,” Gagné said. There is no upfront cost for companies and if someone purchases a deal, Frogtown takes a portion of the revenue. Most deals offer services for half off.

Frogtown is partnering with Costume Holiday House and Attitudes A Salon to help outfit eventgoers for the party.

Staying true to the ’70s theme of the Disco Bash is important to Frogtown.

“We want it to be what it was then. Oh God, help us all,” Ross said and laughed.

The website will also offer dinner deals the day of the Disco Bash to encourage a “date night.” The party conveniently falls on Sweetest Day, Ross pointed out, adding that surprises, raffles and contests are in store.

The Disco Bash is 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Oct. 20 at The Premier, 4480 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo. Tickets are $25 each or $300 for a VIP table of 10 at FrogtownTickets.com. A cash bar will be available.

Sharp: You decide

By
Kenneth Sharp
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After eight years of a Republican president, two wars, the Patriot Act, financial meltdown,bailouts and uncontrolled government spending and borrowing, just to start a list, Americans wanted a new course. They wanted hope and change.

They elected President Barack Obama and they got expanded military action in at least three other countries (Libya, Yemen and Syria), the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), continued bailouts, more quantitative easing (printing money) and more government spending and borrowing, just to start.

Now we are told that our choices are four more years with Obama or to elect Republican Mitt Romney.

Both candidates are openly hawks on Iran. Both openly support the NDAA, which includes the indefinite detention of American citizens without trial. Both support drone strikes, which have been used to assassinate American as well as foreign citizens (though no kills yet on American soil).

Both would increase the deficit significantly, even projected over a large time span. Both have gained significant campaign contributions from Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and other bailout recipients. Both follow crony capitalism instead of free markets.

Both want federal control of health care (your body). Granted, the levels are slightly different. Romney calls for repeal and replace.

Both condone mass incarceration for nonviolent offenses that have led us to imprison more of our citizens than any other nation. A great portion of that includes incarceration for nonviolent offenses like marijuana, which 100 years ago would not have even been a crime and that many Western nations feel is a health rather than criminal issue.

Obama has admitted to marijuana and even cocaine use and says he supports the reform of drug laws, yet his Justice Department has conducted more raids on medical marijuana dispensaries than did the Bush administration.

So in states where the citizens have voted to allow their neighbors relief from chronic pain etc., Obama is using federal law and agents to stop and arrest them. Obama is using the IRS in a similar fashion.
Both candidates have similar immigration policies. Again, Obama talks one game and plays another. His administration touts a record number of deportations while Obama courts the Hispanic vote with the promise of gateways to citizenship. Both see gridlock as advantageous in blocking the opponent and yet see government as the solution.

Both parties like to divide us as it guarantees their election. They win and we lose.

Our future is evident across the Atlantic. California and Illinois will be our first Greece and Spain. Calls will come for more bailouts, printing more money (without regard to the inflation that must accompany it) and for more regulation. The insistence on raising taxes (only on the rich … to start), the need for more or continued wars to improve GDP output and to lessen the labor pool that causes social unrest at home are just the start.

We have become too good as consumers. We accept their marketing. We believe what they say and not what they do. We project our desires onto candidates and do not see how they are part of a bigger machine.

I have heard people complain about the loss of jobs, money and liberties and then they turn around and say they cannot support a candidate who will actually obey the Constitution or end corporate/government cronyism like the bailouts.

They say now is not the time to vote on principles like illegal detentions, drug reform, TSA at airports, the sale of raw milk, warrantless searches and seizures or the deficit. This I hear from both sides of the aisle.

Guess what? It is still the same aisle. An aisle doesn’t really have sides, just edges.

The time to vote principles, not party, is now. It has always been now. It is how we should have voted in the last election, the one before that and so on.

There are more than two viable candidates for president, not that they would let you know. It is up to you to do the research and find who actually supports your values. Then vote for them.

For me that ticket is Gary Johnson/Jim Gray, the Libertarian candidates. I have given you only a short list of how the two major parties are no different. Only their marketing makes them seem far apart.

We can continue to be good nonthinking consumers — to be led and be servants of the state — or we can be critical thinkers and act for ourselves, to lead and be citizens of the state. Where is America heading?
You decide.

Harley-Davidson hearse offers bikers one last ride

By
Kyle Cappelletty
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A local funeral home is giving motorcycle enthusiasts a chance to have one last ride in a Harley Davidson hearse.

Sujkowski Funeral Home Northpointe on Alexis Road bought a Harley Davidson three-wheeled motorcycle with a custom-made hearse trailer at the beginning of the summer, said Hilary Sujkowski, one of the funeral home’s owners. Sujkowski said he bought the motorcycle hearse from the Tombstone Hearse and Trike Company to give people a more personalized experience.

The hearse is made of fiberglass and steel in a design that Sujkowski calls “timeless.” He said he plans to keep the hearse in good condition so he can keep it for a long time just like the other cars used for the home. The motorcycle hearse costs $300 to use, which is the same price as a normal hearse at the funeral home.

The Harley Davidson hearse is offered by Sujkowski Funeral Home.

There are at least two motorcycle hearses in the state of Ohio and about 45 across the United States, said Clint Marlin, the president of the American Motorcycle Hearse Association.

Marlin, who has ridden motorcycles his whole life, said he started the organization to provide standards for motorcycle hearses. Although he is not in the funeral home or hearse profession, he was offended when he saw people using the vehicles for parties and other events.

“The reason we started the association is to promote legitimate, respectful motorcycle hearses,” he said.

Motorcycle hearses are not common, but they are gaining popularity, he said.

Families of police officers and firefighters who have died in the line of duty often choose to use motorcycle hearses, Marlin said.

So far, the Sujkowski Funeral Home has not used its Harley Davidson hearse for a funeral, but Sujkowski said he has been to different bike rides to promote it.

“Even the hard bikers appreciate it and give me comments on it,” he said.

Sujkowski said he expects more interest in the hearse once more people hear about it.

“I think a lot of people don’t know it’s here, but I think when people see it, it sparks a lot of interest,” said Jan Eckel, the funeral director.

Cope and Allegrini: Choose Freedom

By
Scott Allegrini
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Liz Cope and Scott Allegrini

The divisions facing America today are the greatest of our generation. At the core of this division is the question: Is man capable of ruling himself?

We, as a unified nation, have to answer this question, and determine the direction America will take and the country we want to leave to the future.
What do we mean by “ruling himself ”? Bythis phrase we mean the desire to control and  define one’s own destiny regardless of demographic. From the earliest age, to be encouraged to seek success and take pride in personal achievements. To govern the mind and body, rather than rely on another. To take advantage of equal opportunities, rather than expecting others to supply equal outcomes. To rely on self.

If we believe man is not capable of ruling himself, and does not desire these things, then from cradle to grave man will need a big government to provide for and, thereby, controlhim. Because when the government provides, it can also take away. When the government can take away something a man needs, or wants or values, he loses his independence.
Recently, President Obama, on his campaign website, introduced “The Life of Julia,” a slideshow portraying how Obama’s policies could help a woman throughout her lifetime. It began with Julia going to Head Start, then progressing through public school and on to college. The president ensures that she will get “birth control and preventative care, letting her focus on her work rather than worry about her health.”

The story goes on and on, telling us all the wonderful things that Julia can do, without worry, because of the numerous government programs that provide for her every step of the way. The implication is that none of these things would be possible without the government, and specifically, Obama.
But worse, the message is that Julia isn’t capable of doing for herself. She is deficient in some way, and needs constant care and assistance. The slide show does not, however, point out that government “help” also comes with real costs.
The U.S. is $16 trillion in debt and even if the rich were taxed at 100 percent of income, the bill could not be paid. And so, the burden will fall on the next in line — the middle class. The ones who pay for the programs but don’t qualify for them; the ones who say to their kids, “We can’t afford it,” but watch as debt after debt is piled on at the federal level.

This path for America is bankrupt both financially and morally, but under Obama’s vision, this is where America is headed.
Conservatives have a different philosophy.

Conservatives believe that man is capable of rulinghimself, and, like our Founding Fathers, believe that his rights consist of “Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness,” not excessive entitlement programs. We believe many Americans are afraid to try, because they are afraid to fail.

But failure is the greatest teacher. Thomas Edison failed while inventing the light bulb hundreds of times, but each failure was a lesson that brought him one step closer to success. Apple has invented and launched numerous products that have flopped, only to learn from those failures and go on to create global winners like the iPod and iPad.
We also believe that some Americans do not choose to try, because they don’t have to. With the big government programs we have today, and more on the way, there is little incentive. What would you rather do? Struggle, do without and work long hours while you invent a product or launch a new business, or collect a check?

If you replaced the word “government” with “parent,” what would you want your kids to do? Sit on your couch and eat the food you worked to provide, or get a job and pay for their own lives?
Following the belief that man can manage himself is the desire for limited government.
Like a meddling in-law or controlling parent, too much government is oppressive. Some government is good and necessary, such as police and fire forces, or military for national defense and border patrol, but other interventions, such as health care, need to be weighed carefully before they become an obstacle to freedom.
This November, Americans have a choice: the government-run “Life of Julia” or the personally managed life and destiny. A government “of the people” and “for the people” that rewards self-reliance, or a government of entitlement?

We choose freedom — freedom to build our lives with our own hands; freedom that encourages individuals to become anything they dare to be. And this is the America we hope others will choose and our future will inherit.

Baumhower: Sunday mornings get grayer

By
Jeremy Baumhower
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In a world of corporate radio, syndication and voice tracking, Suzanne Carroll is a beacon of light. Her irreplaceable energy has been filling Toledo’s homes for the past 17 years on Sunday mornings with her “Jazz Brunch” heard on 101.5 The River. On Sept. 9, Carroll shocked and saddened her audience when she announced she was taking a five-month leave of absence for health reasons.

Carroll is the not your normal everyday radio personality type and her “Jazz Brunch” is not your typical show, but don’t tell her legions of loyal listeners — they already know. Her soft voice and genuineness has made her a Sunday morning staple for many in Northwest Ohio.

Want to know the key to and greatest part of Carroll’s longevity? She pays for her time on the air. Not only is Clear Channel getting a top-notch, authentic jazz show, it is making money on top of it. Her 17-year arrangement allows her to sell her own advertising and this is where her true talents shine. Carroll is one of the very best at promoting, supporting and endorsing those businesses that have stood by and financially supported her show all these years, with sponsors that include Yark BMW, Jamiesons Audio/Video and The Optical Shop. Carroll proudly boasts that “‘The Jazz Brunch’ is The River’s No. 1 client.”

The “Jazz Brunch’s” last day before the five-month hiatus will also be the show’s 18th anniversary. This was not by accident, as Carroll is a big believer in meaningful dates and karma. In fact, an even bigger anniversary occurs the very same day she has planned her return. March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, will mark 19 years since Carroll was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and that is the very day she plans to relaunch her “Jazz Brunch.”

“Starting ‘The Jazz Brunch’ just months after my diagnosis with MS has been an amazing thing. Interacting with the music and our community over these bumpy health years has lifted me up and carried me through some very difficult times. I am sure these years would not have been the pleasure they have been without ‘The Jazz Brunch.’ I am looking for that to continue in the Spring,” stated Carroll via Facebook.

Carroll and I had worked together for a couple of years before she brought David Lander, aka Squiggy from “Laverne & Shirley,” into 1370 WSPD’s studio in the early 2000s to promote an upcoming MS event on the “Mark Standriff Morning News Show.” I had no idea that she was battling MS, or any disease; it floored me. When people dream of Sunday mornings, they often think of sunny, blue skies and warmth. This is the way Carroll had always been in the hallways of Clear Channel. I had no idea of the struggles and battles she was privately fighting, nor could I.

During a recent phone conversation, Carroll promised me that the “Jazz Brunch” will return. I made her promise. I never asked, nor wanted to know, what health scare could possibly keep this woman from her show, especially for five months. So if you are one of those who pray, I please ask you to think of her.

In a business filled with narcissists, egomaniacs and the mentally ill, Carroll’s absence on air and behind the scenes will be felt. Her upcoming five months of silence will be deafening.

On a personal note, Carroll was the person who made it “OK” in my mother’s eyes for me to work in radio. The very fact I knew and worked with her made my very low-paying job all right. For the past 17 years, Carroll’s voice has been the backdrop of my Sunday morning visits with my parents — my mother rarely misses a show.

Until St. Patrick’s Day, get well soon and hurry back.

Local author pens Heisman biography

By
Erin Holden
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At least once a week, John M. Heisman is asked if he is related to the legendary football coach.

“I’ll go to a checkout, plop my card down and [the clerk] will say, ‘Oh, Heisman. Like the trophy.’ About 50 percent of the time, they’ll say ‘You’re not related, are you?’ Then I have a decision to make. Do I lie and say no or do I tell the truth and, if they are a sports fan, get into a time-wasting discussion? If I got back all the time I’ve spent answering that question, I’d have another year of my life.”

The answer, of course, is yes.

John W. Heisman, for whom the Heisman Memorial Trophy was named, was the Toledo resident’s great-uncle. The trophy is awarded each year to the nation’s most outstanding college football player. Heisman has spent the past several decades researching and writing a book about his relative.

John M. Heisman of Toledo wrote a book about his great-uncle, John W. Heisman, for whom the Heisman Memorial Trophy is named. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney

“Heisman: The Man Behind the Trophy” will be published Oct. 2 by Simon & Schuster. The book was co-authored by ESPN’s Mark Schlabach with a foreword by University of South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier. A prerelease book-signing is set for 2-8 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Ward Pavilion at Wildwood Metropark, 4830 W. Central Ave.

“One of the things we tried to bring out in the book was the fact that his innovation created the American college football game as we know it now,” Heisman said. “There were other contributors — we’re not taking away from them — but he was a catalyst at a critical time in its development.”

Spurrier, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1966, said he was surprised to learn just how much Heisman contributed to the sport.

“Among other innovations, Heisman introduced the center snap, audible ‘hike’ signal, hidden ball trick and lateral passes,” Spurrier wrote. “Much of what Heisman invented nearly 100 years ago is still very much a part of the game today, which is quite remarkable.”

The book was also endorsed by a dozen other Heisman winners, including former University of Michigan receiver Desmond Howard, who won the Heisman in 1991.

“As recognizable as the statue is, many do not know the storied history of the man it was named after,” Howard wrote. “This book explores the life of a legend.”

Coach Heisman played football for Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated with a law degree.

“He was going to be an attorney, except for an injury to his eyes that kept him from reading for long periods, so he went to his next love — or actually his first love — which was athletics and football,” Heisman said.

His first coaching job was at Oberlin College in 1892. Heisman also coached at Buchtel College in Akron (now the University of Akron), the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (now Auburn University), Clemson College (now Clemson University), Georgia Tech, which he led to a national championship in 1917, the University of Pennsylvania, Washington & Jefferson College and Rice Institute (now Rice University).

Grades and character were just as important to the coach as playing ability, Heisman said.

“If they used profanity, he pulled them out of the game and sent them to the showers. They were done,” Heisman said. “He expected them to be gentlemen first, football players second.”

Heisman never met the coach, who died before he was born, but remembers a visit from Heisman’s wife, Edith. He grew up listening to his father talk about Heisman, whom the family called “Uncle Bill,” after his middle name, William.

“When Dad wanted to give a lesson in character, I heard a story about Uncle Bill. When he wanted to impart a story of manhood, I heard a story about Uncle Bill. When he wanted me to understand good sportsmanship, scholastic effort or gentlemanly behavior, I heard an Uncle Bill story,” Heisman wrote. “These stories were effective, entertaining and always hit the mark.”

The coach died in 1936. When his wife died in the 1960s, the coach’s personal effects were passed to Heisman’s father. Heisman started going through the papers in the 1970s, but stopped to marry and raise a family before beginning work again in earnest in 2003.

“I went through his trunks and put it all together. It took decades,” he said. “It’s so very surreal [to be finished]. I don’t know that my psyche has allowed me to acknowledge it yet. It feels like I’m still working. I haven’t really slowed down to enjoy this yet.”

Heisman played football for Genoa High School in the 1960s, where he said he was “outstandingly average,” and then played rugby at Ohio State University, experiencing a game much like the college football his great-uncle knew.

“It gave me an appreciation for where the sport came from,” Heisman said. “If you take away Heisman’s contributions, you basically have an orphan-child blend of soccer and rugby … and basically without the fan base we have now. It’s not the game we have now, not anywhere close.”

Heisman said the most surprising thing he learned was how active his great-uncle was in theater — regularly acting in plays as well as managing an acting troupe during the offseason.

“For years he actually made more money on stage than he did coaching,” Heisman said. “He was very shrewd and quite an entrepreneur. This guy went out, sized up opportunities and seized them. That was reflected in his coaching, in his acting and in how he went into communities and picked up sports columns and wrote for newspapers. He was sort of a Renaissance man.”

Although Heisman doesn’t usually attend the ceremony, he said he has become good at predicting the winner.

“I’ve been able to call it for the last several years, probably the last decade,” he said. “There’s only been a few surprises.”

He’s also met many of the winners.

“It would be easier to tell you the ones I haven’t met,” he said.

One of his most memorable interactions was with quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman in 2007.

“Tim looks you right in the eye. He’s very genuine. He wants to know what you have to say,” Heisman said.

Heisman was 12 years old the first time he saw a Heisman Trophy.

“It was pretty neat, but I’ve never been in awe of it because, if this is a memorial, then basically I’m looking at a tombstone,” Heisman said. “That’s the way I’ve always looked at it. It’s too bad everyone has forgotten what the memorial is for and who they are honoring.”

Heisman said he hopes the book sheds light on the history of football and the man behind the trophy.

“It’s going to give a depth and a richness to the heritage and the tradition,” John said. “I want people to understand a sense of history, a sense of the fact that this game we take for granted was basically a sandlot game back in the day.”

Heisman also hopes the book will clear up his connection to the coach.

“Hopefully I won’t be stopped at stores anymore and asked about my name,” Heisman said, smiling. “That’s my personal reason for writing this.”

For more information, visit www.coachheisman.com.

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