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Mercy launches new women’s health initiative

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Toledo Free Press
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For Every Woman is a health initiative by Mercy. Photo courtesy Molly Luetke Datson.

Mercy has launched a program to unite women across Toledo in an effort to improve their health and spiritual well-being.

The program, “For Every Woman,” will start off on the Web with health pointers from the hospital’s nutritionist and physical therapist and will eventually grow out into exercise meetings at places such as Wildwood Preserve Metropark, said Andrea Price, president and CEO of Mercy.

“Women take on many, many roles: we are the mother, the daughter, the wife, the sisters, the counselors and even spiritual advisers and the list can go on and on,” Price said during a July 12 press conference.  “We always talk about how do we balance, but it’s really not about balancing, it’s about juggling.”

This leads many women to neglect their personal needs, she said. Experiencing the juggling act herself, Price said she started thinking about the program about a year ago.

Mercy will use foreverywomanbymercy.org, (note: Website no longer active) Facebook and Pinterest to connect to interested women. The four areas that the program seeks to address are: stepping up exercise, strengthening work and life balance, enhancing spirituality and improving nutrition.

The program is free to users.

The idea is that a woman is more likely to engage in healthy activities if she is encouraged by a group of other women shooting for similar goals. And improving health doesn’t always have to mean logging endless hours at the gym, said Donna Copeland, a Mercy physical therapist. She offered a couple examples of small changes that might make a difference. These include parking as far away as you can from your destination to force yourself to walk more, pacing while you talk on the phone and doing jumping jacks during commercial breaks if you watch television.

The program’s kickoff took place at Wildwood Preserve Metropark.

“We recognize the importance of having not only a clean, balanced and protected environment but also recognize the importance of having a balanced, active lifestyle,” said Stephen Madewell, director of Metroparks of the Toledo Area.

Levis Commons hosts Sand-Tastic!

By
Brigitta Burks
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The Town Center at Levis Commons turns into a beach July 13-15, 2012, for the second annual Sand-Tastic! Summer Festival.

Visitors can partake in live music, sand carving, inflatables, face painting, chalk art and other summer activities at the three-day funfest.

“Sand-Tastic! will offer fun for people of all ages. Kids will love the giant sandbox and clowns, while adults can unwind to the sounds of live music,” said Casey Pogan, marketing director for The Town Center at Levis Commons, in a news release. “The festival also showcases the talents of one of our area’s most accomplished sculptors, and allows amateurs to try their hand at sand carving too.”

Sculptor Chad Hartson and his team from Ice Creations plan to construct four 8-ton sand sculptures on patio areas around the center. Hartson and his team members will also present throughout Sand-Tastic! To try their own hand at sand art, eventgoers can play in a sandbox complete with shovels, pails and other tools.

The festival schedule:

July 13

  • Noon-8 p.m.: The sculpting team turns sand into masterpieces and the sandbox opens.
  • 1-1:45 p.m.: Sculpting lessons/demonstrations in the sandbox.
  • 4-7 p.m.: Sidewalk chalk artists.
  • 6-8 p.m.: Live music by Groovemaster.
  • 6:30-8 p.m.: Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. O 7-8 p.m.: Amateur Sand Sculpting Contest.

July 14

  • Noon-8 p.m.: The sculpting team turns sand into masterpieces and the sandbox opens.
  • Noon-2 p.m.: Craig Wise will present balloon-twisting on the boulevard.
  • 1-1:45 p.m.: Sculpting lessons/demonstrations in the sandbox.
  • 1-3 p.m.: Face painting by Tip-Top the Clown.
  • 4-7 p.m.: Sidewalk chalk artist.
  • 5-7 p.m.: Caricature artist.
  • 6-8 p.m.: Live music by the Toledo School for the Arts steel drum band.
  • 6-8 p.m.: Brodava Salon helps get your hair ready for the beach.

July 15

  • Noon-4 p.m.: Check out the finished sculptures and enjoy a final day of play.

For more information, visit the website www.shopleviscommons.com/.

Lt. gov. discusses Ohio’s future during Bowling Green visit

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Toledo Free Press
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Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor speaks at the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce Mid-Year Meeting and Awards Program at Stone Ridge Golf Club. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor discussed Ohio’s economic progress, as well as the future of state’s health care and small businesses during a visit to Bowling Green on July 10.

Serving as the guest speaker for Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce’s Mid-Year Meeting and Awards Program at Stone Ridge Golf Club, Taylor addressed many key issues facing Ohio voters as they approach the upcoming election, mainly job creation and the Ohio government’s economic progress.

Most of her focus was on the current health care system throughout the United States and the passage of President Obama’s health care reform. After considering whether to implement a state-run health care exchange, Taylor said Gov. Kasich and his administration have decided not to pursue the option.

“At this point, we are not going to set up a state-based exchange,” Taylor said.

The governor’s office has until Nov. 16 to inform the federal government of any plans to start its own program or leave it up to the government to do so. In implementing a state-run health care exchange, Taylor said administrative and operative costs would range from anywhere between $30 million to $40 million a year, with no direct benefit to Ohioans due to the recent upholding of the health care mandate.

“Based on all the information we have available for us today, the reports we’ve done, the information that is scant out of Washington about how we are required to comply, we have made a decision that we do not think it is in the best interest of Ohio citizens to do a state-based exchange at this point,” she said.

Not only does President Obama’s health care reform impact individual households, but it also has an effect on small businesses. Taylor said for any small business that covers its employees through health insurance, premiums could rise anywhere from 5 to 150 percent, on top of the average increases that already take place.

Speaking as the director of the Department of Insurance, Taylor also expressed concern over the state’s the insurance industry, both as a means of job creation and as a means of health security for Ohio citizens. She said Ohio’s insurance industry is the 19th largest in the world, with 216,000 direct jobs in the field, as well as 270,000 agents and brokers, making a total payroll impact of $10.3 million.

“It’s a significant industry, one that is doing very well in Ohio; but, one that we’re very interested in growing and creating more jobs in the industry,” she said.

Going hand in hand with creating more jobs, Taylor is concerned with the future generations of Americans living under the weight of the heavy fiscal changes taking place. Thinking of her own family, Taylor said it is her duty to keep the prospect of the “American Dream” alive for all Ohioans.

“I have a 21-year-old and an 18-year-old son, and I know all of the opportunities I had here in Ohio and how important I have always felt to be able to achieve whatever it is I’ve wanted to achieve,” she said. “And I can commit to you today that I will do my part every day to make sure that every future generation of Ohio will have that same opportunity that I had.”

Szyperski: Weathering the storm

By
Shannon Szyperski
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It started out as a sunny, sweltering summer day, an all-too-familiar scenario as of late. My children had friends over for the afternoon and we committed to inside play as temperatures threatened to hike their way up to the top of Mt. 100 Degrees.

By late afternoon, however, the weather gods had taken on an even more ominous tone of intimidation.
A few raindrops quickly boiled up into a fast and furious summer storm. Within a few minutes, the trees in front of our house were leaning at an awkward angle, decent-sized hail began to fall from the sky and our power was no more.

Despite the absence of tornado warnings, I decided to lead the little five-piece band of children at our house into the protective hollow of our basement for safety.
As we re-emerged from our zone of security, my son, Jack, quickly noticed a medium-sized tree branch, obviously out of place, sitting in the back corner of our yard. I peeked out for a better look and quickly discovered that our neighbors’ handful-of-trees yard now appeared fully forested due to a large, halved tree repositioned on its side.
Their grassy yard from earlier in the day had turned into a single chaotic vision of leaves and limbs. Whoa.
As it happened, my middle daughter, Laney, had knocked my cellphone out of commission earlier that day with the help of half a gallon of pink lemonade. I was actually rather
enjoying the day off from incessant beeping until I realized that, post-storm, we were now completely devoid of home-to-outside-world communication options.
Were my family and friends OK?
Were they wondering if we were OK?
Were we OK?
Each minute dragged on like an hour as I gathered my troops and quelled their morbid curiosities about our dire situation. Did this mean no TV? No Wii? No computer? Gasp! All we had left at that moment was whatever charge remained on our family’s lone iPod Touch. Still, no Internet capabilities. Alas!
We huddled together in group apprehension as we contemplated how we would ever manage to meet up with the outside world again. Do we go on foot? Do we go by car? Do we await a good knight in shining armor to stage a valiant rescue?
Ten minutes or so later my husband walked in from work, I snagged his cellphone and texted our guests’ mom to let her know that all was well. We then decided to indeed go exploring on foot.

The tree in our neighbors’ yard, which miraculously left anything of importance untouched, quickly paled in comparison to the tree that laid completely across our road about a block down. We ended up spending a good chunk of power-free time watching cars drive most of the way down our street, turn around and drive right back from whence they came.
There was no denying we had entered “Little House on the Prairie” mode.

We quickly learned that, electronic entertainment aside, there really is a lot to think about, or rather a lot we often don’t think about. Food without the ability to heat or cool, 100 degree days without air conditioning or fans, dirty laundry without the use of a washer and dryer and dark bathrooms with no light source were interesting pieces of the from-progress-to-primitive puzzle before us.
We also quickly realized how much everything we have ever learned is intimately tied to which era of modernization our world happened to be in when we entered
it.

Having that which has become second nature to us so quickly taken away leaves us, frankly, stupefied. I wandered around my house flicking light switches that I should have known wouldn’t work, “checking” a computer that wasn’t on and then, conversely, walking outside to wonder if my car would still function during the power outage. Having to switch gears is all very confusing at first.
Still, it can also be for the better in some respects. We enjoyed talking to neighbors as we all desperately sat in our hot cars trying to restore charges to our all-important cellphones and other miscellaneous devices. We spent time checking on family and even invading the homes of the “lucky” ones still running on electronic juice.

It was an eye-opening and not completely horrific 27 hours, yet I am fine living another five years or so in the metaphorical dark before I need another reminder of just how good I have it.
Shannon and her husband Michael are raising three children in Sylvania.

Jazz legend to bring laid-back style to Toledo

By
Vicki Kroll
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Michael Franks brings his laid-back jazz style to the Stranahan July 21, 2012. Photo courtesy Shanachie Entertainment.

Nobody has more fun writing songs than Michael Franks. Listen to any track and you’ll hear his witty wordplay.
From “Now That the Summer’s Here”: “I can spare some wherewithal/ Listening to Ahmad Jamal/ ‘Poinciana’ says it all/ Now that the summer’s here.”
Or “Island Christmas”: “While others plod through ‘Jingle Bells’/ We’ll roam the beach collecting shells/ I understand flannel pajamas/ Are not allowed in the Bahamas.”
And, of course, “Popsicle Toes”: “You got the nicest North America/ This sailor ever saw/ I’d like to feel your warm Brazil/ And touch your Panama/ But your Tierra del Fuegos/ Are nearly always froze.”
“I like to spend a lot of time with a composition; it’s a very enjoyable part of my career,” Franks said. “I’ve always tried to emulate the great era of American song, the people that I considered to be the greatest — like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Gershwin-type writers, Harold Arlen.”
The mustachioed musician has been creating quintessentially cool songs for nearly four decades — and performing them with distinctive delivery.
“I just sing the best way I can. It’s not so much an affectation, that’s just the voice,” he said during a call from his home in Woodstock, N.Y. “I love Peggy Lee and Mose Allison and people who I guess in the past I’ve been sort of grouped with, which is a pleasure.”
In 1975, the singer-songwriter’s relaxed style flowed into the music world with his second album, “The Art of Tea,” which combined jazz, pop, soul and R&B. Producer Tommy LiPuma tracked down Franks’ wish list of musicians for the record.
“I’ll never forget this — [LiPuma called and] said, ‘OK, we’re all set.’ And I said, ‘Well, who did we get?’ And he said, ‘We got The Crusaders (guitarist Larry Carlton, keyboardist Joe Sample and bassist Wilton Felder) and (drummer) John Guerin,” Franks said and laughed.“I was afraid as well as being happy and excited because, wow, I’ve got to work hard to play with these guys and practice all these tunes.”
That 35-minute vinyl classic went smoothly. “We recorded that album in 12 hours, which is just amazing to me now,” the jazz superstar said. “Now it seems
I spend 12 hours on two vocals.”
His 2011 disc, “Together Again,” also features an array of guest artists, including guitarist Chuck Loeb, pianist Gil Goldstein, saxophonist Eric Marienthal and trumpeter Till Brönner.

“I end up writing in the first person and it’s probably 90 percent originating from my personal feelings or observations,” Franks said. “On this record, the title song was about our dog, Flora, and then ‘Charlie Chan in Egypt’ was about the experience of being in airports and seeing these poor kids come home from the Middle East sort of broken, if not physically broken, kind of spiritually broken, and I guess their families financially broken too, and trying to make a comment about that.
“I seldom make any social comments; the only other time in fact was the title song for [1987’s] ‘The Camera Never Lies,’ which was about apartheid, which was still existent in South Africa.”
On the lighter side, “Mice” chronicles his adventures of finding freeloaders in the 1791 farmhouse he lived in at the time.
“Three times I thought the same ones were just reappearing after I’d taken them far away and released them, but I couldn’t figure out how to tag them, so I don’t know if that was true or not,” he mused.
Franks will perform at 8 p.m. July 21 at Stranahan Theater; the concert will also spotlight Brian McKnight. Tickets range from $49.50 to $69.50.

‘Millionaire’ stop garners more than a thousand contestants

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Toledo Free Press
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Contestant hopefuls jump for T-shirts tossed to the crowd at "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" tryouts in Perrysburg, Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr

Matthew Gonzalez keeps a skee ball machine, a water blaster game and a hot dog stand in his garage.
He is not in the carnival business, nor the food truck industry. He owns a hair salon. He is, however, in the business of game show hopping. He can thank “The Price is Right” for the small arcade in his garage, a cruise trip and celebrity networking.
Gonzalez has also landed a spot on “Deal or No Deal” and competed in the obstacle course show “Wipeout.”
So when producers from “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” pulled into town, he made sure he was one of the first eager contestants to audition at 7 a.m.
“You only live once,” he said. “I work all the time. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, so what the heck, why not play?”
Gonzalez did not pass the initial test Wednesday, but that hardly hampered his enthusiasm. He went back to audition in the evening for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’s” special Movie Week.
Gonzalez was one of 1,600 people who turned out for the “Millionaire” auditions Wednesday at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons. Contestants waited in a line that wrapped around most of the building by 6 a.m.

Contestant hopefuls wait in line to get into the tryouts in Perrysburg. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr

The show’s producers administered tests starting around 7 a.m. The “Millionaire” hopefuls had 10 minutes to answer 30 questions. If they passed the test, the producers called them back for one-on-one interviews  where they had to answer questions about themselves.

Gonzalez said he has mastered the qualities game show producers seek when looking for future television guests. He attributes his past game show picks to his boisterous personality, high energy and integrity.
“You have to be able to sell yourself,” he said.
He’s got it.
“We are looking for what will distinguish you from other people — we want people from home to be able to root for you,” said Geoff Rosen, supervising producer. “What’s your story? What makes you unique?”
The Toledo area was the second stop of six the “Millionaire” producers will make to find contestants for the next two seasons.

This is the first time the producers have visited Toledo. The show always runs auditions in New York City, but typically auditions in six other locations around the country to meet a range of people, Rosen said.
“We really love the idea of going to smaller towns rather than big cities because you find such great people in these small towns,” Rosen said.
Toledoans, who turned out in numbers that exceeded expectations,
impressed him.
“There will be some people from today’s audition who will appear on the show,” Rosen said.
That’s good news to Tracey Launder, a 51-year-old grandmother of four who has been a loyal “Millionaire” viewer since the show began. She is an old pro at the 30-question test; she flew to New York City for a previous season’s auditions and passed. She didn’t make the cut after the interviews, she said.
She passed the test Wednesday morning — one she said was more difficult than the previous test she took.
Many of the test-takers walked away looking dazed, describing the timed test as extremely difficult. During one of the sessions, an audible laugh escaped one of the contestants. Some others anxiously scratched their heads or stared at the
ceiling. Some did not break focus from their papers, their eyebrows pressing heavily downward in concentration.

Contestant hopefuls had 10 minutes to answer 30 questions. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr

Toledo Free Press cannot reveal any test questions because the producers reuse those questions at other stops.
“I seem to be able to pull useless knowledge out of my head,” Launder said. “But then of course I couldn’t remember where I parked my car when I left.”
The show gives cash to guests who can answer a range of questions.
One-million dollar winners answer 14 questions.

Rosen said the writers aim for questions that cover the shallow ends of a multitude of topics, so that TV show guests don’t have to be complete gurus in all categories to know the answers. He pointed out that the past few winners included a truck driver, a teacher and a bartender.
The host, Meredith Vieira, has led 1,800 episodes and awarded more than $70 million to contestants.
People came to the auditions not only from Toledo but from Michigan, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Louisiana.

Fifty-two-year-old Patte Carter-Hevia woke up at 3 a.m. in Lansing, Mich., hit the road at 4 a.m. and was waiting in line by 6 a.m.

Bryce Fraser recently returned to the area from California, where he contracts with the military to simulate terrorist combat.
Neither passed, but both were glad they tried.
“What do you have to lose, fun?” Fraser said.

Vintage car show to feature classic originals

By
Jeff
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Fans of classic cars won’t want to miss the second annual Toledo Vintage Car Show this month.
The July 21, 2012, show will feature vehicles at least 30 years old and at least 90 percent original, said show chairman George Louthan, director of the Northwest Ohio Region Cadillac & LaSalle Club.
“None of the other shows in Toledo have that,” said Louthan, who plans to display his 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible at the show. “All the shows in Toledo are what I call combined shows. You have restored cars, original cars, street rods, street machines, muscle cars — just about everything imaginable that’s collectible in the way of an automobile. It’s a little bit unfair to the original cars. They don’t attract attention like the guy with $5,000 worth of chrome on his engine. This show was conceived last year to recognize and feature the original and restored cars of past eras. People like to see cars how they were from when they were manufactured, and this show is dedicated to that.”
The show is set for 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. July 21 at the Margaret L. Hunt Senior Center, 2121 Garden Lake Place, in South Toledo near the intersection of Arlington and South  Detroit avenues. Admission is free. Registration is from 9-11 a.m. Cost to display a car is $12 with preregistration by July 14 or $15 on the day of the show. Those who preregister will also get one free lunch.

Registration forms are available at the senior center, Beverly Auto Care at 3734 S. Detroit Ave. or by contacting Louthan at (419) 382- 7820 or [email protected]. The rain date is July 22.
There will be eight categories: 1927 and earlier, 1928-1934, 1935-1940, 1941-1948, 1949 1954, 1955-1960, 1961-1970 and 1971-1982.
New this year will be three categories for vehicles that appear stock, but have modern updates: vintage trucks(1910-1982), vintage sports cars (1910-1982) and modified stocks (1910-1982). Trophies will be awarded in each class as well as first-, second- and third-place trophies for best of show.
The show will also feature a DJ playing music from the 1920s through the 1960s, a 50-50 raffle, door prizes, vendor booths and more. Lunch will be available inside the senior center.
Proceeds from the show will go toward programming at the senior center as well as to local nonprofit Students for Other Students (SOS).

SOS is a peer-to-peer mentoring program started by Toledo area entrepreneur Ford Cauffiel, a member of several area vintage car clubs who owns about 20 classic cars. Cauffiel started SOS in Perrysburg in 1989. The program is now used in 21 school districts in six states, including Toledo Public Schools, Perrysburg Schools, Springfield Local Schools and Evergreen Local Schools.
“It’s a very simple program,” Cauffiel said. “We pay children to tutor other children. The idea is based on a highly efficient, cost-effective way of improving public education.
A struggling child will listen to another child before they will listen to an adult in many instances. The tutor gets as much out of it as the tutee. It gives the tutor an opportunity to make a little money and at the same time raises self-esteem. It’s great to watch a child learn and grow.”
Cauffiel said older people especially enjoy the vintage car show. “Senior citizens like to go back in time. They like to see the old cars. Old cars bring back old memories. It’s a form of history and art. It’s a form of connecting with the past,” Cauffiel said.
“There’s a lot of history in these different automobile companies. I enjoy the technology of the cars — how it’s improved and different technological advancements made over time.”
Supporting local clubs include Buick, Cadillac and LaSalle, Classic Chevrolet, Model A, Pontiac Oakland and Veteran Car Club, but the show is open to any make or model.
Sponsors include Taylor Cadillac, Cauffiel Industries and Beverly Auto Care. For more information, visit gotutor.org/index.shtml.

Glass City Gourmet: Registry Bistro welcome addition to downtown

By
Toledo Free Press
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Registry Bistro is at 144 N. Superior St. in downtown Toledo. www.registrybistro.com

Registry Bistro, on the first floor of the renovated Secor Hotel, is another great addition to Downtown Toledo’s renaissance of attractions, special events and nightlife.
Erica Rapp, Chef de Cuisine, burst onto the Toledo dining scene with a handsome and minimalist space featuring a changing menu of New American Cuisine. For the uninitiated, New American Cuisine started in California as French-trained American chefs began incorporating fresh, local, seasonal ingredients along with more global influences to update American cooking.
Chef Rapp trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and hasa devoted audience in Toledo from her previous roles as the Executive Chef at the Toledo Museum of Art and at Diva Restaurant.

Unlike Diva, Registry is a bistro, an inviting place with a moderately priced menu that demonstrates the chef’s creativity with a focus on seasonal ingredients.
My dining companions and I started the meal with the Nibbles and Nosh. We enjoyed the Scotch Olives with Saffron Aioli ($8), Sprout and Fennel Roll with Smoked Brook Trout and a Verjus-Yuzu Dipping Sauce ($7). We also had Bistro Frites with cracked pepper and sea salt ($4) served with a Moody Blue Fondue.

The Moody Blue Fondue is a smooth, creamy and delicate blend of four cheeses that creates a single harmonious flavor, making a generous portion of crispy French fries quickly disappear.
The Scotch Olives are a take on Scotch eggs with hearty green olives stuffed with herbed goat cheese, surrounded by chorizo and coated with bread crumbs before being deep fried.
Sounds absurd. Tastes delicious. Especially when consumed with a Dirty Dill ($8), one of Registry Bistro’s signature cocktails. The Dirty Dill includes Hendricks gin, dry vermouth and a cornichon stuffed olive. All three of the appetizers were artfully plated and brought both original and subtle flavor combinations.
Moving on, we selected the Mixed Field Green Salad with Smoked Blue Cheese featuring Lacquered Walnuts and a citrus dill vinaigrette ($4). This is a plate of mesclun leaves with blue cheese and spiced walnuts, candied in maple syrup. While the citrus and dill flavors of the dressing are imperceptible, the candied walnuts are a sweet contrast to the sharpness of blue cheese. The Spice Lacquered Walnuts may be ordered as an appetizer for $5.
The night we dined at Registry Bistro, the day’s market soup ($5) was an elegant vichyssoise. Normally pureed and chilled potato soup, was prepared instead with sunchokes and a sprinkle of roasted duck confit that leaves a hint of orange rind. It takes hours of prep work to be able to make a soup with this complexity.
Chef Rapp’s talent lies in seamlessly balancing all of the tastes into one extraordinary flavor.

Part of the thrill of New American Cuisine is trying something unpredictable. While sitting at the bar another evening having a cocktail, one diner could be heard commenting on the Butcher’s Board with Charcuterie & Savory Cheesecake ($15),
“I’ve never even heard of any of these meats before, but they are all delicious,” the guest said.

This is the right attitude. Put yourself in Chef Rapp’s capable hands and try something that
defies your imagination.
The entrees are divided between “Light Fare” and “Main” and offer a range of game, fish, fowl and vegetarian dishes. They are priced between a $10 Midwest Meatloaf Burger with bacon jam served with brioche and frites and a $25 Hanger Steak with black garlic and butter presented with smoked roasted potatoes with bacon.

I ordered the Pan Roasted Corvina, a white fish similar to sea bass (aka corvina drum), with cannellini beans served with braised fennel and dandelion greens.
One of my tablemates ordered the Rabbit Potpie with carrots and English peas and the third ordered Pot Roast Ravioli that was also served with braised vegetables.

The entrees we ordered were all delicious. For my taste, salt overpowered the broth served over both the fish and the ravioli entrees.
I would like to see the summer menu place a greater emphasis on crisp and colorful summer vegetables, fresh garden herbs and main courses that are grilled or seared rather than braised or roasted. As the heat index surges above 90, I’d love to try Chef Rapp’s take on ceviche or maybe her preparation of a fresh catch from the Great Lakes. She can go back to potpie, fondue and pot roast as well as assorted wild game with earthy, roasted vegetables in the fall.

For those with dietary restrictions, the menu is well marked for vegetarian and gluten-free diets.
There is, of course, a great selection of homemade desserts. For $9, you may have a sampling of the sweets. My favorite is the rich and creamy chocolate stout and pretzel tart.
Chef Rapp does an outstanding job creating a comprehensive and food-friendly wine list. Wines range from “Old World” European red, white, rose, champagne and sparkling to “New World” varietals.

Wine may be ordered by the glass, by the bottle or in a half-bottle served in a whimsical vessel that reminds me of a glass beaker in a science lab. Our waiter, Brian, was engaging and knowledgeable about the wines and
food pairings.

The service at Registry Bistro is still a little clumsy but bears the hallmarks of proper training. I suspect it will continue to get even better as everyone becomes more comfortable with the shape of the dining room and the new menu.
Impress a date or client with Toledo’s sophistication, rekindle a romance, or just come on your own to discover the sensuality of New American Cuisine with a dinner at Registry Bistro. It’s a great place for a light bite before or after an evening at Huntington Center, Fifth Third Field, the Peristyle, the museum or the Valentine Theatre.

If you come with an open mind and an appetite for adventure, you will not be disappointed.

The Glass City Gourmet blogs at www.glasscitygourmet.blogspot.com.

Restaurants team for Aug. 8, 2012, Make-A-Wish benefit

By
Brigitta Burks
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About 30 Toledo restaurants will offer a chance to sample their delicacies at the Make-A-Wish Holland Gardens Night Out on Aug. 8.
“There’s just a good vibe about the whole event,” said Ellie McManus, development officer for Make-A-Wish of Northwest Ohio. “It’s so grassroots that it’s like a movement. It’s so cool.”
Lynne Carroll, life enrichment director for Arbors at Sylvania, organizes the event and gets restaurants to come on board. She started the first event in 2006 after encountering a distraught woman at Kroger.
“She was sobbing,” Carroll recalled.
Carroll learned the woman’s child had osteosarcoma, a bone tumor.
“Being a parent myself I was like, ‘What can I do?’” Carroll said. Since then, she has worked tirelessly in support of Make-A-Wish.

The organization is behind on granting 80 wishes, so community events like Carroll’s are a big help, McManus said.
“We’ve been encouraging community members to host events to raise funds to benefit Make-A-Wish,” she said. “[Carroll’s] just such a hard worker and so loyal and dedicated and she’ll just do anything to make it successful.”
The last event raised about $15,000, a number Carroll hopes to double.
Each wish costs about $7,500 with airfare being a major expense.
“I want to grant as many wishes as possible,” Carroll said. A suggested donation of $10 at the door is recommended for the event, which will also feature a cash bar, entertainment and an auction offering hotel stays, private dinners, massages and jewelry,
The participating restaurants range from independent Toledo eateries like Rockwell’s, ICE Restaurant and Bar and Bar 145 to national chains like Panera Bread, Applebee’s and Don Pablo’s.
“This is up there with Taste of the Nation, without $150 to get in,” Carroll said.
Applebee’s will present Make-A-Wish with about $9,000 raised from its Make-A-Wish star promo, where customers could purchase paper stars after their meals.
“Applebee’s is so better than spectacular to us,” McManus said.
Don Pablo’s also has a special promotion where any extra change thrown in the courtyard fountains of the Mexican restaurants is donated to Make-A-Wish. This raises about $100 every month.
According to studies, children whose wishes are granted perform better and accept their medical treatment better, McManus said. Recently granted wishes include a girl swimming with dolphins and a boy who wanted his own special space.

“We did a huge room redo. The whole basement had a room redone for him, kind of like a man/boy cave. He loves it,” McManus said. She estimated that her chapter has granted about 70 wishes this year.
Carroll has a new understanding of Make-A-Wish parents. Last year, her then 23-year-old daughter, Amy Radecki, returned from a trip with a painful neck and shoulders and a swollen left arm. She was diagnosed with a rare condition with an extra rib pinching an artery, which caused blood clots.
She is now OK after treatment, but Carroll said, “Now I really know how parents feel because I almost lost my own daughter last year.”
The support of Carroll and the restaurants means a lot to Make-A-Wish, McManus said. “Northwest Ohio is just amazing. It’s such a giving and kind, roll-up-your-sleeves kind of place to live and I’m just so proud of all of the assistance that we get. It just means so much to us,” she said.
Make-A-Wish Holland Gardens Night Out is 6-8 p.m. Aug. 8, 2012, at Holland Gardens, 6530 Angola Road. To become involved with your own event, contact McManus at EllieM@ makeawishohio.org.

Treece: Understanding your 401(k), your second-largest asset

By
Ben Treece
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0

For the average working family, their 401(k) plan is the second largest asset that they own, aside from their home. It provides them with an opportunity for future savings and a substantial source of income during their retirement years. In some cases, a 401(k) may be the only plan for retirement that a family has. Unfortunately, many 401(k) plans have failed their participants for a litany of reasons.
A company establishes a 401(k) plan strictly for the benefit of its employees. An attractive 401(k) will make a company more competitive when looking for new employees.
Many plans will encourage savings by offering matching contributions up to a certain percentage. Unfortunately, many of these same plans have failed to provide their participants with the guidance they need for a successful retirement, a deficit which could be devastating to their futures.
A common trend in the 401(k) industry over the past two decades has been the creation of an investing “easy button.” One way this perception has been advanced is through the sales of target date funds such as “Retirement 2020” funds.
These funds serve more as products and less as investments.

The idea behind offering these funds is simple; if a participant can easily see a fund closely catered to his or her retirement goals, then the adviser does not need to be present to assist in a self-explanatory choice.
If participants were approached regularly by their advisers, they would know that these funds tend to have a high exposure to bonds, which is a foolish investment when interest rates are at historic lows.

If advisors were doing right by those whom they are privileged to serve, they would offer a vast array of products and make themselves present on a regular basis to explain the pros and cons of each investment. Sadly, few participants know what funds they are even invested in, let alone who their adviser is.
We have been warning 401(k) sponsors and participants for months to keep an eye out for fee disclosures that regulators have told advisers to release by Aug. 1, 2012. Many participants do not know exactly how much they are paying in fees and what these fees pay for.
It is my opinion that once plan sponsors and participants receive these disclosures, they will be appalled by how high their fees are, how their fees have been layered to appear lower, and by how much their adviser is earning while rarely making an appearance to answer their questions. These fees are often negotiated without the participants having asay in how much they should pay or what the fees go toward.
All 401(k) participants should do their part to educate themselves if they are feeling neglected by their plan adviser. Seek the advice of an outside professional; many will even sit down with you and explain what you have free of charge. If you are wary about looking for advice outside of your plan, speak with your Human Resources (HR) Department and ask them for assistance. If your co-workers feel the same, voice your frustrations within the company. Remember, these
plans exist for your benefit.

If you do not feel that you are benefiting, then it is time for a change. Plan advisers and administrators can usually be changed with minimal work on the part of the sponsor within one month, if done properly. In today’s economic environment, your 401(k) is an incredibly valuable asset that requires careful attention in order to maximize your future earnings.
Take a moment, whether it is on your own time, with HR or with another professional, and analyze exactly what you have, and if it meets your expectations. If you are unhappy with your fund options, service or fees, it might be time to start asking questions and seeking better answers.
Ben Treece is a 2009 graduate from the University of Miami (Fla.), 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.

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