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Greek-American Fest set for Sept. 7-9

By
Brigitta Burks
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Toledoans have the chance to share the local Greek community’s dances, faith, music — and most importantly food — at the 42nd annual Greek-American Festival on Sept. 7-9.

“It’s a fun time. It’s an opportunity where we open our doors to the great people of Toledo and welcome them as our guests and share our culture, our faith with them,” said the Rev. Aristotle Damaskos, dean of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

The food and pastries are the most popular offerings at the festival, said George Sarantou, the festival’s publicity chairman and Toledo city councilman. The festival was started in 1970 after two restaurateurs observed successful Greek festivals in other cities.

“[The festival] has gotten bigger and better. There are more food offerings than ever, more pastries,” Sarantou said.

Three $10 dinner platters will be available at the food tent and other items like rice pudding, chicken oregano and shish kabobs will be offered a la carte during the festival. Gyros and saganaki, flaming cheese, will be offered at the fast food tent. Pastries like baklava and macaroons will be available in the community center and beer and wine are offered at the taverna.

While he enjoys the lamb shanks, Damaskos said, “There are a lot of foods I like. I’m a spiritual leader, but they call me the spiritual eater.”

“Greek people by their nature are very welcoming. When you go to a Greek home, you cannot leave a Greek home unless you’ve been eating something that’s been offered to you,” Sarantou said.

Sarantou

Festival-goers can learn how to make Greek food themselves courtesy of cooking demonstrations. Becky Skiadas will demonstrate how to prepare saganaki at 7 p.m. Sept. 7. Presbytera Ann Hadgigeorge will prepare tiropitas (cheese pie) at 6 p.m Sept. 8 and Roula Manton will demonstrate karithopita (walnut cake) at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 9. George Kamilaris will prepare pastichio (Greek lasagna) at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 9.

The popular cookbook compiled by Holy Trinity parishioners “Olives, Feta, Phyllo & More” will also be available at the festival. The cookbook contains more than 500 Greek and American recipes and information on why the parishioner chose to contribute that recipe.

“[The cookbook has] obviously chocolate-chip cookies as well as baklava,” Sarantou said.

“It has really been received well,” Damaskos said. “I use it all the time when I cook. My wife does, too.”

The Hellenic Dance Company will also perform at the festival. The dancers have been practicing all summer and will wear Greek costumes.

“People love to see those very colorful, imported Greek costumes,” Sarantou said. “They just do a fabulous show.”

The shows, featuring different age and skill levels, are 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sept. 7, 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sept. 8 and 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sept. 9.

The Detroit-based band Levendes will perform during the festival as will the Cleveland-based Olympus. When the bands aren’t playing, a CD will keep the music going, Sarantou said.

There will also be chances to learn about Greek culture at the festival. At 8 p.m. Sept. 7 in the community center, Dawn Anagnos will present “Greek Language 101” and at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 8, she will present “Greek Culture Olympics.” At 1:30 p.m. Sept. 9, Seminarian David Mynihan will showcase ““My Big Fat Greek Orthodox Baptism.”

Damaskos will run tours of Holy Trinity at 6 p.m. Sept. 7, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8 and 3 p.m. Sept. 9. Self-guided tours are available from noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 7 and 8 and noon-7 p.m. Sept. 9. The cathedral was built in 1919.

Sarantou said he expects 20,000-25,000 people to attend the festival.

“Everyone really enjoys sharing Greek culture,” Sarantou said. “There’s not a large Greek community in Toledo, but it’s a very strong Greek community.”

Adult admission is free 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 7 and $4 the rest of Sept. 7 and Sept. 8. Admission for adults is $1 Sept. 9. Children younger than 12 get in free with a guardian. Funds from the festival help with Holy Trinity’s ministry and outreach. Festival entrances are at Walnut and Superior streets and at Summit and Walnut streets. Festival hours are 11 a.m. to midnight Sept. 7, noon to midnight Sept. 8 and noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 9.

SBA administrator celebrates success of YZ Enterprises

By
Duane Ramsey
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Karen Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, tours the Maumee manufacturing facility of YZ Enterprises with company president Yuval Zaliouk. The facility makes Almondina cookies. Toledo Free Press photos by Joseph Herr

Karen Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, came to the Toledo area Aug. 23 to help the Zaliouk family celebrate plans to expand their business, and their company, YZ Enterprises, with the help of an SBA loan through Huntington Bank.

“Great companies are built by great people. We’re here to celebrate a great company and the entrepreneurs who built it,” Mills said at a press conference held at YZ Enterprises in Maumee.

“We’re helping small businesses to what they do best. We’re working with entrepreneurs to help them grow. Our job in government is to put the wind at their back,” Mills said.

Mills recognized the Zaliouk family for planning to expand its business and marketing of its Almondina brand cookies. YZ Enterprises plans to expand its 18,000-square-foot facility, where production has maxed out at 100,000 cookies daily. The additional production line will double that production.

Karen Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, tours the Maumee manufacturing facility of YZ Enterprises with company president Yuval Zaliouk.

“We’re proud to join a long line of businesses that have benefited from SBA by partnering with the SBA and Huntington Bank to put delicious healthy cookies on every table, not just in America but around the world,” said Yuval Zaliouk, president and CEO of YZ Enterprises.

Mills toured the company facilities with Zaliouk and saw how the cookies are produced and packaged firsthand. Mills, her official party and other guests at the press conference sampled Almondina cookies and received a gift bag of them.

YZ Enterprises refinanced their existing loan with an SBA loan to improve its cash flow. The company also received two additional SBA loans that totaled $608,000 for expansion.

The SBA loans are being used to cover the construction loan of $350,000 for the expansion to its facilities and refinancing the company’s debt, according to Tamar Zaliouk-Markham, vice president of finance and treasurer at YZ Enterprises.

She reported that work has already begun on the air-conditioning in the first phase of the project and they expect to have construction of the loading dock completed before winter arrives. She is the daughter of founders and owners, Zavul and Susan Zaliouk.

Zaliouk-Markham reported that the company has 30 employees, including six new workers hired this year. They plan to increase sales and hire an additional five people in 2013 following the expansion.

Zaliouk-Markham worked with Tina Kern and Jeff Banks of Huntington Bank to put together the SBA loan package.

“We support small business with passion. It’s our advocacy since we believe that small business drives the economy,” said Jeremy Guitierrez, senior vice president and Northwest Ohio market manager for Huntington.

“SBA loans are an important tool in our kit. Huntington is the number one SBA lender in Ohio and number three nationally in number of SBA loans,” Guitierrez said.

Zaliouk said that, without Huntington Bank, which has supported their business since it was founded in 1989, “we wouldn’t be here today.”

Mills reported that the SBA had a record year in 2011 in Ohio in terms of SBA loans granted.

“President Obama wants to make sure that small businesses have access to capital. The president says ‘where small business succeeds, America succeeds,’ ” Mills said.

Karen Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, speaks at YZ Enterprises as business owner Yuval Zaliouk listens. “We’re here to celebrate a great company and the entrepreneurs who built it,” Mills said. Photo by Joe Herr

As SBA administrator, Mills travels regularly, at least once a week to a total of 40 states so far, to keep in touch with small businesses.

Zaliouk, a former conductor of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and his grandmother are excellent examples of Mills’ statement. He enjoyed his grandmother Dina’s cookies as a boy growing up in Haifa, Israel.

As generous as she was in giving away her recipes, Grandmother Dina kept the one for the “petit gateau sec,” meaning dry little cookie in French, a secret until the end of her life. She finally revealed the secret to her daughter, Ahuda, Zaliouk’s mother, he said.

“Your grandmother was an entrepreneur and a great cook,” Mills said to Zaliouk. “Entrepreneurs come from all walks of life.”

“Grandma Dina was a smart little cookie and is guiding us today from above,” Zaliouk said.

Grandmother Dina “could not have imagined that would be making her cookies here in Maumee for sale around the world,” he said.

His family began making the cookies for sale in the kitchen of their home in the late 1980s. He and Susan founded YZ Enterprises in 1989 and built the current facility in Maumee for the business, opening it in 1995.

The original all-natural Almondina cookie is made with almonds and raisins with no cholesterol, added fat, salt or preservatives. Since the original recipe, they have added nine additional flavors and introduced three new flavors in 2012, Zaliouk said.

“The cookies are unique in that they are delicious and healthy,” he said.

Their first customer was The Andersons in Maumee, according to Zaliouk. Almondina cookies are now available locally at The Andersons, The Fresh Market, Giant Eagle, Kazmaier’s, and Walt Churchill’s Markets, and at Wal-Mart and other retailers in all 50 states and Israel.

Mills was scheduled to visit Ballreich Brothers in Tiffin, a family-owned company that has produced potato chips since 1920, on Thursday afternoon.

Szyperski: Marriage, Part III: Unsolicited Advice

By
Shannon Szyperski
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I find it interesting that the U.S. Census Bureau is not the keeper of marriage and divorce statistics in the United States; the National Center for Health Statistics is. Further digging quickly gives an answer as to why. There is a documented relationship between marital status and health. Research shows that it’s healthier to be married than to be single. However, it is also healthier to remain single for life than to find yourself single once again after the loss of a spouse through death or divorce. 

Considering the U.S. divorce rate continues to teeter around the 50 percent mark, marriage preservation does not seem to be our strong suit. Yet, as the marriage of gay couples settles into acceptance, adding legions of new members to our club, it is as important as ever to find a way to make marriage work. When taking the health benefits of partnering up for a lifetime into account, coupled with the fact that we’re not the healthiest bunch around, the issue seems even more urgent. 

While marriage veteran status used to take 25, 40 or 50 years to establish, I feel comfortable declaring myself as such after only 13 successful years, given our current state of marital underachievement. Although I truly believe that every marriage is unique and that different strokes work for different folks, there are some key elements that can set a healthy pulse for a good marriage. 

Go All In: At a time when it is acceptable, and even sometimes suggested, that married people keep separate bank accounts, maintain their own last names and sleep in different quarters, there is still something to be said for forming a truly joint venture. Founding a marriage as a a co-op demonstrates that we are invested in the relationship as a team rather than as individuals. Maintaining independence from the start may make it easier to separate if things don’t work out, but a willingness to put it all on the line at the outset says you’re in it to win it.  

Expect Change, Accept More of the Same: Entering marriage with the belief that you will be changing the things you don’t necessarily like about your partner is to set yourself up for certain defeat. People do change over time and having a spouse offers us a unique opportunity to remodel certain behaviors, hopefully for the better. However, it is best to pair a willingness to embrace change as it comes with a pledge to also accept your spouse as they were when you first married them. Personal transformation often comes in unexpected forms and keeping our expectations open allow us the greatest chance of growing together instead of apart. 

Don’t Bow to Peer Pressure: It doesn’t seem to make many “How to Have a Happy Marriage” lists, but surrounding yourself with other happily married couples is statistically the safer way to keep your own marriage rock solid. While one study found that someone with a divorced sibling is 22 percent more likely to get divorced, multiple studies have found that having divorced friends increases your odds even more. One study pegged your risk at a 75 percent increase while another study found friends of a divorcee to be 147 percent more likely to get divorced themselves. This so-called “social contagion” effects even married friends two degrees of separation from the divorced couple and can result in divorce clusters. 

Build a Support System: Don’t just surround yourself with other married couples, learn from them together and lean on them. Take note of couples who are already ahead of you in the game and doing well. Find out what works for them and figure out how to incorporate their best advice into your own relationship. As a culture we spend at least 12 to 20 years preparing for our intellectual pursuits but very little time preparing for marriage. Yet, a troubled marriage can make our intellectual successes suddenly lose meaning and significance. An institution that carries so much weight in other aspects of our lives is no doubt worthy of constant attention and improvement. 

I’m not convinced that marriage is necessarily harder than it ever was, but I do believe that we are now often ill-prepared to make the most of it, unsure about how to fix it or unwilling to fix it when it breaks down and too quick to give up on it altogether. For something that is such a consequential part of our physical, mental and emotional health, not only as individuals but as a culture, batting .500 is simply not acceptable. 

Shannon and her husband, Michael, are raising three children in Sylvania. Email her at [email protected]. 

 

 

Village Players kick off fall season with topical play

By
Matt Liasse
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Director Carol Ann Erford said any similarities between the school violence in “From Up Here” and the recent United States shootings are coincidental.
The show, written by Liz Flahive, opened off-Broadway in 2008, according to www.playbill.com. It follows Kenny, who was suspended after bringing a gun to school.
Even though it has dark subject matter, Erford said it is funny, and makes more sense when the audience realizes why Kenny had the weapon.
“It’s a drama with a lot of humor,” Erford said. “I don’t think anyone will come out depressed; they will come out hopeful. It’s not a total downer.”
The play, running Sept. 7 to 22 at The Village Players Theatre on Upton Avenue, has adult language, but because of its timeliness, Erford said some younger teenagers should see it, just accompanied byan adult.
Erford has worked with The Village Players on and off for 20 years,but only started directing five years ago. She will be directing two mor plays at The Toledo Repertoire Theatre later this season.
Erford liked the way the teenagers and adults react to Kenny in “From Up Here,” which is why she was interested in directing it. Work on the play began in July.
The cast is divided between teenagers and adults. Erford has worked with or seen almost the whole cast before and said they are “really on the ball.”
Other cast members include 14-year-old Cassandra Bodenmiller playing Lauren, Kenny’s sister, and Samantha Rousos as Kenny’s mother, Grace. “I feel like I also teach, especially the teenagers,” Erford said. “They’re learning new sets of rules. It’s interesting to see how they handle it.” One of the youngest cast members, Daniel Hojnacki, is 15 years old and is playing the 17-year-old Kenny. Hojnacki said he was interested in playing the darker role.
“It’s topical,” Hojnacki said. “It sort of ties in well with news stories.”
The shooting at “The Dark Knight Rises” midnight showing in July happened after Hojnacki had the role, but it made him look into it more. No one really understands the people behind massacres, he said.
Hojnacki said the part demands more body language than spoken lines.
“The challenge is to relate … without saying too much,” Hojnacki said. “You still have to be in your character when you’re not talking.”Hojnacki has been acting with The Children’s Theatre Workshop, a theater group for youth 5 to 18 years old, for two years. He said he liked the idea of playing a more mature character central to the storyline.
“This character is not a cartoon, he’s a human being,” Hojnacki said.
Hojnacki also said the script doesn’t give much direction, so the actors have to be more involved in their roles. They have to “figure out the motives behind each line.”
“Danny is his own man and has his own ideas,” Erford said in an email. “He surprised me with the professionalism he has brought to the show. He takes suggestions and directions earnestly.”
Guests will be treated to new renovations at The Village Players Theatre on opening night, said Vice President of Development Chris Jagodzinski.
The theater has new paint and seating and promises a better performance with their new sound and light booths.
“Guests can look forward to a whole new look when they walk in our lobby,” Jagodzinski said in an email. The renovations have taken about two months and will be complete before opening night of “From Up Here.”
“The Village is thrilled about the first show,” Jagodzinski said. “The majority of our cast is new to The Village Players Theatre and rehearsals have been going wonderful … the cast has been putting in numerous hours rehearsing and working together.”
Opening night of “From Up Here” was Sept. 7. Tickets are on sale through the website thevillageplayers. org or by calling (419) 472-6817. Tickets will also be available at the door. Regular admission is $16 and seniors and students cost $14.

Gloriana riding high on success of second disc 

By
Toledo Free Press
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Gloriana. Photo courtesy PFA Media

Talking with Rachel Reinert, it’s clear Gloriana is on its way — and going there fast. 

The singer speaks quickly. Her excitement is evident, her enthusiasm contagious. 

“ ‘(Kissed You) Good Night’ just ended up being the breakthrough single for us on this record. It’s just such an amazing experience for us to go through with our highest-charting single of our entire career. I was actually just told that we have now surpassed over 800,000 copies sold of the song,” she said.  

Reinert is talking about the hit from the band’s second disc, “A Thousand Miles Left Behind,” which was released July 31 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Album Chart and No. 10 on Billboard’s Top 200. Those stats likely were from “(Kissed You) Good Night,” which shot up to No. 2 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart. 

“We’ve been a band now for five years, and we’ve been through a lot of ups and a lot of downs and just so many experiences, and to finally get to this point it feels really great,” she said. “We’re definitely firm believers that everything happens for a reason; we just feel like we’re in a really good place right now.” 

Gloriana formed in 2008 when brothers Tom and Mike Gossin, both singers and guitarists, moved to Nashville and met Reinert and Cheyenne Kimball. The quartet’s 2009 debut single, “Wild at Heart,” hit No. 15 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart, and the band’s self-titled disc reached No. 2. In 2010, Gloriana won the Academy of Country Music Award for top new vocal group. 

“We got asked to be a part of Taylor Swift’s first major world tour, and it was just such an incredible experience. But being that we were so green … we didn’t know what to expect,” Reinert said. “I don’t think it was appreciated as much as we appreciate things now, being that we’ve been through some stuff.” 

Last year, Kimball left the group. 

“We’re still us, we’re still Gloriana. We still do all the harmonies; everyone takes turns singing and you can hear everybody’s individual voice,” Reinert said during a call from the tour bus, which was rolling from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, Calif. 

“But we’ve really evolved and grown up a lot over the past few years. On [‘A Thousand Miles Left Behind’], we all wrote or co-wrote every song off of it — all the songs are really very personal to us.” 

Like “Where My Heart Belongs.” 

“I wanted to capture the essence of an innocent childhood. And for the first five years of my life, I lived in a town called Marietta, Georgia, and those were just some of the best memories I’ve ever had as a child: Me and my brothers running around in the lawn, you know, with Ninja Turtle underwear, just being carefree and enjoying life and just being kids before you really know anything about anything,” she said. “It’s kind of my happy place.” 

Gloriana’s next single will be “Can’t Shake You.” 

“It’s a song Tom wrote with Stephanie Bentley and Jim Slater,” Reinert said. “It’s a song about being from a small town and breaking up with someone and there only being a handful of bars to go to, running into the person but not wanting to, but kind of wanting to at the same time.” 

Gloriana will bring its golden harmonies to UT’s Music Fest Friday, Sept. 14. The band will take the stage at 9 p.m. at the free, public event in the grassy area south of the Memorial Field House, adjacent to Centennial Mall.  

The country stars are happy to shine alongside Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and The Band Perry. 

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that people are responding so amazingly to the guy-girl dynamic in bands. I think that there’s just something about it that makes it really special. You get to sing songs that have the two different perspectives, and I think people relate to that,” Reinert said. 

What’s it like to be the only woman in the group? 

“It’s so easy. It’s me and 10 guys on our bus — our band and our crew, Tom and Mike,” she said. “It’s very drama-free, very easygoing. And the guys are all very protective of me. We have a good time; it’s always very fun.” 

 

 

 

Database of grants, loans available

By
Jeff
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The 2012 edition of the “American Grants and Loans Catalog” was recently
released. New this year is access to an online version of the database, which is
updated daily and fully searchable.
The document contains more than 2,800 financial programs, subsidies,
scholarships, grants and loans offered by the federal government as well as more
than 2,400 programs funded by private corporations and foundations.
“From insuring honey farmers to supporting innovation in the medical field or
for students who are looking for financial aid toward their educational goals, the
variety of funding is limitless,” according to information on the publisher’s website.
The CD version is $69.95, a one-year online subscription is $119.99 and the
printed version plus online access is $149.95.
The catalog covers a wide range of benefits and services, including agriculture, business and commerce, community development, consumer protection,
cultural affairs, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment, labor and
training, energy, environmental quality, food and nutrition, health, housing, income security and social services, information and statistics, law, justice, and
legal Services, natural resources, regional development, science and technology
and transportation.
Content includes a Web link to the program announcement page, a Web link
to the program administrator, information about program authorization, objectives and goals of the program, types of financial assistance offered, uses and
restrictions, eligibility requirements, application and award process, regulations,
relevant guidelines and literature, contact information and more.
For more information, call (888) 341-8645 or visit grantsinfo.us.

Zoup! franchise owner invests in new Toledo location

By
Matt Liasse
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The new Zoup! location in Talmadge Town Center. Photo courtesy Kaye Brazier

Kaye Brazier regularly ordered the tomato bisque at Zoup! before deciding to open her own franchise.  

The grand opening of the new Talmadge Town Center location is planned for October. Brazier, a Toledo native, has been training in Detroit to open her first business after working 32 years in construction.  

“The soup sells itself,” Brazier said. 

Featuring a different 12 soups daily, customer favorites include Chicken Pot Pie and Lobster Bisque. Zoup! has 110 recipes total, Brazier said. 

“You can come every day of the week and try something new,” Brazier said. 

Sizes range from 8 ounce cups and 12 ounce bowls, on average costing six to nine dollars. There is an extra-large option, Brazier said, which is 24 ounces.  

Zoup! is perfect for short lunch breaks, Brazier said, but does not limit to such. The wide range of soups takes many diets into account. Zoup! offers options that are low-fat (chicken noodle,) dairy-free (sesame noodle bowl,) vegetarian (tomato bisque and spicy Italian vegetable) and gluten-free (Zesty 3-Pepper.) 

“[Zoup!] is conscious of recipes for people who are conscious of their diet,” Brazier said. 

Zoup! also will introduce new soups to spice up the seasons, such as this summer’s gazpacho, a vegetable soup served cold. The fall season will feature new soups, including the Sicilian Pizza Soup, which has pepperoni, mushrooms, carrots, black olives and is topped with mozzarella cheese.  

“[At Zoup!] soup is more of a meal rather than an appetizer,” said Paul Gilis, who opened the Dussel Drive location seven years ago. “We work hard not to make bad ones. They don’t sell.”  

Gilis said his favorite soup changes depending on the day, but one of his favorites is the Cajun Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. He said the soup is flavorful and unique to Zoup! 

Customers receive French, multi-grain or sourdough bread with their soups, Brazier said. The menu also features salads, sandwiches and desserts daily. Combination meals are available for customers to pair a soup with a salad or sandwich, any way of their choosing.  

Other services Zoup! offers are catering for events and the “double-up” option, allowing customers to choose two different soups. 

Zoup! also recently started making their low-calorie, low-sodium chicken broth available to customers for purchase in glass jars. 

The soup isn’t all Brazier returns to Zoup! for.  The customer service is welcoming, she said.  

 “The customer service is genuine,” Brazier said. “It’s a culture like no other. It’s a great concept for Toledo.” 

As part of the guest service Zoup! strives for, customers are encouraged to try soups at the counter before purchasing, Gilis said. That is an act Brazier took advantage of.  

“I was able to try things I never would’ve ordered,” Brazier said, one of them being the Fire-Roasted Tomato Bisque.  

Brazier also said Zoup! is a “fast, casual dining” experience, rather than fast food. The Toledo location will only differ in size from the Maumee store, Brazier said. The layout of the restaurant will be the same. 

Zoup! is branching out from its current 50 stores, according to a press release.  

“We look forward to growing our brand and feeding the local appetite with one-of-a-kind soup creations consumers love, but wouldn’t make at home,” Founder and Managing Partner Eric Ersher said in a press release. “In good times and bad, soup carries powerful and intangible qualities that provide comfort and promote a genuine sense of well-being for many people.” 

Also in the press release, he promised Zoup! has a commitment to “uncompromisingly high standards” guaranteeing “authenticity and quality of every pot, bowl and cup served.”  

“It’s a higher quality product as far as soup,” Gilis said. “Everything is from scratch.” 

It was the selection of soups and the customer service that encouraged Brazier to open her own store.  

“I wouldn’t have thought of opening another franchise other than Zoup!” Brazier said. 

Treece: Retiring as a Millionaire 

By
Toledo Free Press
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Last week I came across a Facebook post that asked if retiring as a millionaire was possible. My generation tends to spend their money on “stuff” as opposed to saving for the future, so I was excited to see a 25 year old eager to save. I told him that it absolutely was possible. This week we shift our focus towards our younger readers who have an interest in putting their money to work for them, and how they can retire as millionaires.  

On paper, achieving the goal of $1 million is not difficult. If an individual contributed $20 per week for 50 years earning 10 percent on their money per year, they would have $1.3 million dollars at retirement. However sometimes it is difficult to find extra cash to put away, whether it is due to job loss or maybe a new home purchase. Fundamentally speaking, earning a million dollars by retirement if you are in your 20s is absolutely possible.  

There are a few areas in which I would like to provide some words of wisdom to our younger readers… 

  • Student Loans: DO NOT miss payments. Student loans can hurt your credit score and make it very difficult to obtain a loan down the road. Continue to make your scheduled payments and if you can prepay the loan, great. Do not drain your life savings to pay off the loan tomorrow though, if your savings accounts can earn you more than the interest rate on your loan, you might as well allow your money to keep working for you. 
  • Study your monthly expenses: Whether you keep track of your receipts or use a software program to enter your payments and purchases (I personally use Quicken), look at how much you are spending a month and compare it to what your income is. Take that difference and put at least half of it into some form of savings, whether it is an IRA, a personal investment account or the bank. 
  • Employer sponsored plans are for your benefit; take advantage of them: Most 401(k)/403(b) plans have some kind of matching program. That is FREE MONEY; not even the best investment advisor in the world can give you free money. Invest whatever amount it is that gets you the maximum matching benefit, then with the rest of your savings open up a non-qualified account (personal or joint investment account) or open a Roth IRA (you cannot be actively participating in a 401(k) and have a traditional IRA). An outside investment account will give you more freedom and flexibility in your investment choices and will not face the restrictions that your 401(k) plan does. 
  •  Find a good CPA: A good CPA will cost you about $200-$400 per tax year, but their ability to find you savings and deductions is astounding. They can do what Turbo Tax cannot; it is a worthwhile investment, plain and simple.  

Above all else, you need a goal. Saying “I want a lot of money” is not a goal, but rather “I want my accounts to be valued at over $1 million by the time I am 60” is a goal, a very obtainable one at that. It requires discipline but it can be done. Sometimes, you need some help getting there; do not be afraid to ask for help. There are professionals who take care of everything from your investments and savings to your mortgage and debt servicing (financial planners), and there are professionals like us at Treece Investments who manage your qualified and non-qualified accounts so that you do not have to spend time stressing over the markets. Do not hesitate to talk to these professionals. Most do not charge for a sit down, and sometimes $1 spent today can bring you $2 tomorrow.   

 

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. 

 

 

Toledo filmmaker raises funds through Kickstarter

By
Jeff
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Local filmmaker Steven Boatman will travel to Los Angeles this winter to work on a feature-length independent film following a recent successful Kickstarter campaign. 

Boatman and Los Angeles-based actor/writer/director Russ Russo recently reached their $20,000 goal for the project, raising $20,880 via the online crowd-sourced fundraising website. 

Boatman will serve as director of photography for the project, which will film cross country from LA to New Jersey starting in January. 

The 23-year-old Toledoan lost his hearing from bacterial meningitis at age 1 and was deaf for four years before receiving a cochlear implant at age 5. Boatman was homeschooled until enrolling at BGSU to study visual communication technology.  He left BGSU after three years to pursue filmmaking full time. 

Boatman’s skills grabbed the attention of Russo in July at the Northwest Ohio Independent Film Festival in Lima, where Boatman’s five-minute narrative film “Mowing Through Misery,” a dark comedy about the frustrations of a man trying to mow his lawn, was screened. 

Boatman writes, directs, films, edits and acts in his films. He built most of his own equipment, including a dolly platform with metal pipe tracks, an 8-foot aluminum crane and a computer for video-editing.  

Russo, who often travels to film festivals across the country, said he was impressed by Boatman’s creativity and ingenuity. 

 “It’s as if one sense gave way to another sense, which was his eye. The camera was always moving, always presenting something and coming into the next scene. What he was doing was something on a studio level. It’s presented in a way that feels very much like a big Hollywood feel film,” Russo said. “I saw Steven’s film right at the end of the festival and I thought, ‘Wow I’m actually in the midst of writing something and that kind of filmmaking is what I picture.'” 

“Heat Wave” is a dark comedy that addresses modern day society, Generation Y friendship, moral decay, narcissism, self-discovery and more as two friends take a cross-country road trip. 

The film will include some up-and-coming actors, including Kiowa Gordon and Bronson Pelletier, who portray werewolves Embry and Jared in “The Twilight Saga”; Natasha Alam of “True Blood” and “Entourage”; Amanda Clayton from “John Carter”; Jessica Andres of “Liberator” and “Gossip Girl”; and more. 

Kristina Michelle, host of The Reel Show on the Reel TV Network, interviewed Boatman at The International Indie Gathering Film Festival in Hudson, Ohio, where he earned his first award for “Mowing Through Misery.” 

The interview will air online for two weeks at www.ReelTVNetwork.com, beginning Sept. 4 at 4 a.m., 10 a.m., 4 p.m., and 10 p.m. 

Between now and “Heat Wave,” Boatman plans to stay busy with other projects, including freelance videography and as a cinematographer for “Huntsmen,” a local web series project of director and writer Gerald Hill. The “Huntsmen” team is seeking to raise $1,500 before Sept. 22 to cover expenses. Production will begin in early September. 

Boatman’s father, Glen Boatman, who helps with filming when Steven is acting, said he is proud of his son’s opportunity to work on a feature-length film. 

“He’s doing very well. Fortunately he has me to bankroll him, but this is going to be big payback,” Glen said, laughing. “He’s getting started now.”

Retirement Guys: Facts about buying long-term care insurance

By
Mark Clair & Nolan Baker
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As the Retirement Guys, we talk to people all the time about their concerns as they approach and reach the retirement phase of life.

When asked about their biggest concern, the majority of the time the answer is “not having enough” or “outliving my money.”
It is a fact of life that we all have to figure out a way to support ourselves. It especially becomes concerning when we are reaching the latter phase of life, as our strength and energy begins to diminish.
I (Mark) had the opportunity recently to visit my daughter Caitlyn at Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids, Mich. She asked me to bring her a small desk that we had at our house toput in her room at the sorority house where she lives.
The desk came in two parts and I was able to get it into the back of my car with no problem.

My wife Lisa said, “You got that in there all by yourself?” Yep. It wasn’t that heavy and with a little extra effort I was able to get the job done.

For some reason, I thought of my late grandfather who lived into his mid-90s. I remember him sitting while people tended to his needs because he had reached a point of not being able to do much. I wondered to myself if I would get to that point someday, where I could not perform the fairly simple task of putting something in the back of my car.
Which brings us back to the concern many have of “not having enough.” Typically, it is the thought of some type of health crisis and worrying about needing long-term health care and how to pay for it.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, about 70 percent of people older than 65 will require some type of long-term care services during their lifetime.

Let’s look at how we can pay for it. There are basically three choices.
Pay for it out of your own money, buy insurance to help pay for it or rely on the government after you have used all of your own money.

Let’s focus for a moment on the idea of using insurance to pay for it. We ask folks all the time why they do not have this kind of insurance and the typical answers are “it is too expensive” or “we don’t want to pay for something that we might never use.”

The Retirement Guys believe in using insurance to do what we call “leveraging.” Using what we have to create something bigger — in this case, creating a pool of money to use for long-term care.
When you buy a traditional long-term care policy, there are several decisions to make. First, how long do you want it to pay? It is typical to buy a policy that pays for a specific period of time, like five years. The longer it pays, the higher the premium.
Next, how much do you want it to pay? You can pick a daily amount like $200 a day and try to guess how much care would cost and how much you can afford to pay out of your assets or income to make up the difference if your insurance policy does not cover it all.

There is also what is called an elimination period. This is kind of like a deductible. There are a certain number of days that pass before the policy benefits start to pay, say 30, 60 or 90 days.
An inflation rider can be added to your policy to try to keep up with the inflation of care costs. Typically, the benefits are increased by 5 percent per year so that the amount of benefits you purchase today will not be as insignificant in the future as health care costs go up.

To qualify for the policy to start paying, you typically must need help with two of what are called “activities of daily living (ADLs).” These are eating, bathing, dressing, transferring and continence.
Should you buy traditional long-term care insurance? Maybe, maybe not. You should definitely meet with a professional to analyze your situation. If you wait too long, health or age may exclude you from obtaining insurance. There are other creative ways and newer types of nontraditional long-term care insurance products that may help you address this issue.

You can go to www. retirementguysnetwork.com to get more information. Bottom line —
look into it right away.

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