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EPIC Toledo to host T-Town Dash on July 12

By
Brian Bohnert
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EPIC Toledo will host its inaugural T-Town Dash on July 12, 2012.

The event will take place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Quimby’s at the Park in Downtown and will feature a scavenger hunt designed to help improve leadership, creativity and problem solving skills for young professionals in the Toledo area.

“Our goal was to get young professionals into Downtown Toledo,” said Desmond Strooh, EPIC Toledo communications coordinator. “We wanted to showcase what Downtown Toledo has to offer, why businesses are in Downtown, as well as to help young professionals improve their leadership skills.”

Participants in the T-Town Dash will be randomly assigned to teams of four. Each team will begin at Quimby’s, navigating to secret locations throughout the Downtown area by solving clues.

At each location, team members will have specific tasks to complete to garner points, with the ultimate goal of finding the final location where prizes will be awarded.

So far, there are 100 total points for the event, but all locations and activities are being kept secret.

“Speaking in broad terms without giving too much away, all clues are location-based and all activities may involve things like finding a specific person, taking a photo with them or doing an act of service for someone,” Strooh said. “It’s all very random. It’s a very cool event.”

EPIC Toledo is expecting 100 people to sign up. As of July 3, 67 people had registered for the event. Registration for the T-Town Dash is $5 per person and is open to anyone who wants to participate. Deadline for registration is July 11. All money received goes to food and drinks provided at the final location.

Last year, EPIC Toledo’s Leadership and Professional Development Committee hosted a similar scavenger hunt for committee members only. Katie Rofkar, committee co-chair and CEO of Nemsys, a technology support firm, said the success from that event lead to ideas for the much larger T-Town Dash.

“It went really well. The venues were wonderful and it was a lot of fun,” Rofkar said. “There were some people who rushed through to get their points, but there were a lot of teams who really took the time to talk to people. They didn’t care if they won or lost, they just loved being able to talk to the business owners and professionals and learn from them. Some of them said they got a lot more out of it than just winning.”

While the T-Town Dash is a point-based event offering prizes for winners, Strooh said the main focus of the event is networking and sharing ideas with fellow professionals.

“It is point-based, but it’s not point-based,” Strooh said. “It’s not so much about how many venues you go to, it’s about how many people you talk to.”

The geographic location for the T-Town Dash has expanded in relation to last year’s event. No longer just in the Warehouse District of Downtown, participants will navigate through Summit Street, onto Madison Avenue, to Michigan Street and down to Lafayette Street, among other locations, Strooh said.

Planning for the T-Town Dash began in February with committee co-chairs Rofkar and Blake Underwood, a professor at Bowling Green State University.

“It was originally just for the 30 people in our committee but we came up with the idea to open it up to all of EPIC and to make it so anyone can participate,” Rofkar said. “We have non-EPIC members, and even people from Akron and Cleveland. We have people from hairdressers to CEOs and businesspeople. It’s great exposure for Toledo.”

EPIC Toledo was created by the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. The organization works to “attract and retain young professional talent” to Toledo. EPIC stands for “engaging people, inspiring change,” according to the organization’s website.

Currently, EPIC Toledo has more than 1,300 members.

“EPIC Toledo is an organization that seeks to accelerate the influence and leadership skills of young professionals in the greater Toledo area,” Strooh said. “We have three main pillars, which are networking, community impact and leadership and professional development.”

Quimby’s at the Park is located at 25 S. Huron St. Registration for the event can be completed online at www.epictoledo.com.

Obama touts auto loan success during Maumee stop

By
Caitlin McGlade
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President Obama talked about the economy during a July 5, 2012, campaign stop in Maumee. Toledo Free Press photo by Joseph Herr.

At least 500 people packed the Wolcott House lawn Thursday morning but they hardly made a sound until about 11:30 a.m.

And then there was no silencing them.

The mere mention of President Barack Obama’s name ignited chant of “Four more years,” accentuated with much whooping, hollering and fist pumping. When Obama took the podium to kick off his “Betting on America” tour, he acknowledged that the chaotic nature of campaign season might make it tempting to tune out political news.

“I understand it’s not always pretty to watch,” Obama said. “There’s been more money flooding into the system than we’ve ever seen before, more negative ads, more cynicism and most of what you read about or hear about in the news has to do with who is up or down in the polls instead of what these issues actually mean for you and for America.”

The Republicans have raised more than $266.7 million for the presidential campaign and the Democrats have raised more than $255.2 million, according to the Federal Election Commission.

‘Betting on America’

Obama continued by saying that he believes in an America where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded through generations.

“I lived it, that’s my biography,” he said. “I had grandparents who served us in World War II… I had a hardworking mom who raised me and my sister right but also had some help so that we could end up going to the best schools in the country even though we didn’t have a lot of money.”

But, he said, this ideal was in jeopardy during the 2008 election. He commended his followers who joined him during that campaign, the folks who had witnessed people who “behaved irresponsibly make out like bandits” just before the economic crisis struck. He assured his listeners that the crisis did not change America’s character — and that his campaign’s mission is to bring back a sense of security that has been lost.

“What’s holding us back from meeting our challenges is not a lack of ideas, it’s not a lack of solutions, but we’ve got a stalemate in Washington between these two visions of where the country needs to go,” Obama said.

He said his opponent believes that prosperity comes from the top down.

“I think they’re wrong about their vision,” he said.

He pointed to loose regulation on Wall Street as the catalyst for the economic crisis. He also called out Romney for a statement he made about “letting Detroit go bankrupt” when the automobile companies nearly failed. The government provided General Motors and Chrysler about $80 billion in loans in 2008 to save them from collapse.

Since then, the companies have declared bankruptcy, begun repaying the loans, started to turn a profit and have rehired many of those laid off during the crisis. All of this came along with employee sacrifices and restructuring. Many of the rehires took pay cuts or surrendered bonuses and extra days off.

“I want goods shipped around the world stamped with ‘Made in America,’” Obama said, later adding, “As long as I’m president, I’m going to be waking up every single day thinking about how we can create more jobs for your families and more security for your communities.”

Obama outlined some of his successes in office, including passing health care reform with the Affordable Care Act, helping homeowners refinance their houses and pulling troops from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

He invigorated the crowd by naming the reasons motivating him to run.

“I’m running because I believe, in America, nobody should go bankrupt because they get sick,” Obama said. “I’m running because after a decade of war, it’s time to do some nationbuilding at home.”

Above the din of cheering, Obama told his supporters he wants to use half the money the country has used in war to “put people back to work” by rebuilding roads, bridges and schools.

‘A Hell of a Job’

Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Marcy Kaptur were among those who spoke before the president took the podium.

Strickland credited Obama for keeping the country out of a Great Depression-sized crisis and Brown asked his audience to find five undecided friends and “make them (their) projects” for the next few months.

Tim Pawlenty and Bob Latta on July 5. Photo by Brian Bohnert.

Ina Sidney, a steering column manufacturer, introduced Obama. She has worked at the Toledo Machining Plant in Perrysburg for about 16 years but a few years ago she found herself out of a job. She said she and her co-workers were told to quit what they were doing and leave, and security personnel stood by as they packed up to make sure no one took anything. While that was heartbreaking enough, she said, the worst part was hanging in limbo during those few months before she got her job back. She credits the auto industry loans and Obama’s support of the middle class for her turnaround.

“I think he did, excuse my French, a hell of a job considering the mess he walked into,” she said.

Carol Myers, a 59-year-old Toledo-area resident, said she is also pleased with Obama’s performance thus far. She said he’s kept all of his promises by, for example, passing health care reform and pulling troops from the wars.

Janet Russ Jones, a Maumee resident, isn’t so sure she approves of all that the president has done. She is undecided as to whether she’ll vote for Obama in the election.

“We have to control the spending,” Jones said. “I like the programs he has in mind but sometimes we have to bite the bullet like we do at home.”

The Democratic Party has led presidential elections in Lucas County for years, scoring more than 60 percent of the vote for its candidate for at least the last two elections, according to records at the Lucas County Board of Elections.

‘Promise Gap Tour’

Hours before Obama spoke in Maumee, three prominent Republicans set up in an attempt to defy those numbers. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty addressed supporters of Romney at the Courtyard Marriott hotel in Maumee. The two were joined by Republican Representative Bob Latta.

The event, dubbed the “Middle Class Promise Gap Tour,” began  around 8:30 a.m. and focused heavily on Obama’s perceived broken promises to middle-class Ohioans. The speakers discussed issues ranging from health care and the national debt to unemployment and what they described as China’s poor trade practices.

Obama noted during his speech that his administration filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against China’s trade practices.

“[Obama] is dubbing his tour the ‘Betting on America’ tour. Well, of course, we should all bet on America, but we shouldn’t double-down on Barack Obama,” Pawlenty said. “His presidency has been a losing hand for Ohio and for America; and, I think we should dub his tour “The Broken Promises Tour’ for America’s middle class.”

Highlighted were economic promises the president made during a 2008 stop to the Buckeye State. Pawlenty addressed Obama’s promise to lower the nation’s unemployment rate in the United States and increase economic stability amongst manufacturing and agricultural jobs in the Midwest.

“When the President was running last time he said if he can’t get this economy turned around it should be a one-term proposition. We agree,” Pawlenty said. “He said he would cut the nation’s budget deficit in half. He didn’t cut it in half, he nearly tripled it. They predicted the unemployment rate nationally would go to about 5.6 percent. It went not just to 8 percent or 10 percent, but higher. Another broken promise … And now today  he’s going to come through Ohio and talk about the importance of manufacturing when during his time as president, 559,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in America.”

Among the aforementioned suffering Ohio businesses is Nagle Companies, a local refrigerated truck business. Ed Nagle, CEO of the company, said Obama’s presidency has forced him to downsize from 80 to 28 trucks, taking both money and job security away from himself and his employees.

“[Obama’s presidency] has been detrimental, not only to us as a company, but also to all the families out there,” Nagle said.

Latta criticized the Obama administration for not exploring natural gas, oil, nuclear and electrical energy enough as energy sources.

Pawlenty bemoaned the Affordable Care Act, calling the future of health care in America bleak.

The stipulations of the Affordable Care Act include a personal health insurance mandate, (although certain low-income Americans qualify for subsidies), a law that allows grown children to stay on their parents’ insurance until they reach 27 years old and a clause that prohibits health insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions.

Jindal expressed concern about  Obama’s “broken promises,” calling the president’s current tactics a distraction from his political shortcomings.

“The president cannot run entirely on his record so he’s going to try to distract us; but we’re smarter than that,” Jindal said. “We’ve had enough of broken promises. We can’t afford another four more years of on-the-job training.”

Many concerned Republicans shared the same sentiments. Frank Como, a Wood County resident for nearly 30 years, said he was not impressed with Obama’s first term. He said Romney’s background as a businessperson gives him the financial experience to lead the U.S. back to economic success.

“[Obama] spends money on anything and he throws money on anything,” Como said. “I think [businesspeople] have more care about money. In business, you have to have a plan or a policy put in place if you’re going to spend money. I think Romney will look at where money should be spent and how it should be spent.”

A Lucas County resident for most of her life, Sandy Boellner said her focus is less political and more social. While her vote will undoubtedly depend on a variety of social and political issues, she said her biggest complaint against the president is his “pro-choice” affiliation.

“If you don’t have a right to life in this country, what do you have?” she said. “There have been over 50 million babies since Roe v. Wade that would’ve been part of the workforce by now. They would have been a part of Social Security, or helping to support Medicare and contributing to our country.”

As for the Democrats’ historic success in Lucas County? Latta said he surmises that voters are ready for a change.

“We’ve got people between 18 and 29 with a 12.1 percent unemployment rate in this country, and people coming out of school with large debts on top of their heads and a 53 percent unemployment rate right now. What has this president done?” Latta said. “When I go out and talk to a lot of different groups, I’ll ask this one question a lot: ‘How many of you in this room think that your kids are going to have a better future than you?’ and I’ve been to meetings with over 200 people and not one of them raised their hands. This is the first generation in American history that doesn’t believe the next generation is going to be better off.”

After the Maumee stop, the Romney bus hosted a 12:15 p.m. rally in Parma, Ohio, followed by a stop in northeastern Ohio in the Mahoning Valley.

‘Exhilarating’

Obama left Maumee for Sandusky shortly after his speech. From there, his campaign traveled to Parma as part of the “Betting on America” tour.

At the end of his speech, many of the audience members ambled away looking dazed and bearing enormous grins. Susan, 70, and Patrick Grove, 71, of Sylvania said they waited in line for more than two hours beneath the blazing sun Monday to secure tickets. Patrick canvasses neighborhoods two to three times a week and Susan makes phone calls for the Democratic Party.

“He’s exhilarating,” Susan said. “He makes you feel rested and inspired, it makes me happy to hear him talk.”

Toledo Free Press writer Brian Bohnert also contributed to this story.

Toledo man recalls service as WWII Naval aviator

By
Jeff
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Naval aviator Alex Rapp, now 94, was stationed on the USS Yorktown and flew a Grumman TBF. Toledo Free Press Photo By Sarah Ottney

Toledoan Alex Rapp made it through World War II unscathed, but not for lack of action.

The Naval aviator, now 94, was stationed on the USS Yorktown and flew a Grumman TBF.

“That was a rugged airplane. It could take an awful beating,” Rapp said. “Our job was to sink ships, blow up hangars, blow up airfields, anything we could destroy. We were all over that ocean. I estimate I killed about 2,000 Japanese myself. It’s a big ocean. They had lots of places and we bombed them all.”

One place in particular he recalls is Truk Lagoon, now known as Chuuk Lagoon, in the Caroline Islands.

“Truk was a big installation in the middle of the Pacific,” Rapp said. “It made our Pearl Harbor look like a little hole in the wall. It was a powerful place. We attacked that four times. Oh boy, that was a dangerous place.”

Although never injured, Rapp had several close calls.

One came when he was lined up for takeoff too close to the end of the carrier’s runway.

“We were supporting landings at Saipan and I was the first of six planes to take off from the carrier, just after dawn. I got down to the end of the deck and I only had 69 knots. It takes 72 knots to fly, so I’m sinking down right to the ocean,” Rapp said. “It takes patience and nerve just to hold everything steady and I finally got that plane up in the air. The dangerous part was I had depth charges. If I would have hit the water, they would have blown me right up. When I came back, the flight officer came up to me and said, ‘I apologize to you. I only gave you 300 feet for takeoff and it should have been 330 feet.’ I could have punched him in the nose.”

Another time, Rapp left with a group of 150 pilots on a bombing mission to Kwajalein, an atoll in the Marshall Islands, but when they arrived at the specified location, the intended target was nowhere in sight. They soon located the ship further down the coast, but getting there used extra fuel.

“I got right down on the water, right at the ship, dropped the bomb and went over,” Rapp said. “I could see a guy shooting at me from the stern of the ship and, when I went over, why, he hit me underneath and blew a hole in the plane. But that was the easy part.”

Meanwhile, the group of carriers the planes had taken off from came under attack by the Japanese and radioed to say they were moving out. Already low on fuel from the miscalculated bombing location, the pilots would now have farther to fly to make it back.

“We were expendable,” Rapp said. “They left us, but we finally caught up with them. We all landed while the Japanese were attacking. We got aboard the carrier and had to find places to hide. I had 23 gallons of gasoline left and these other guys had less. They were patting me on the back saying, ‘Boy, you were terrific to save all that gas.’ So we made it back, but that was a rough day.”

TBFs were designed to carry torpedoes, but the pilots used bombs instead because it was safer. To minimize their chances of being shot down, the pilots would dive at more than 300 mph toward their targets.

“You’d try to get as fast as you could go,” Rapp said. “With torpedoes, you had to fly low and slow, but with bombs, you could go in fast and still have a lot of speed to get out of there.”

Rapp recalled dropping a torpedo only once, near Saipan.

“There were nine of us loaded with torpedoes and we chased this destroyer and caught up with it and attacked it,” Rapp said. “Five planes attacked from the port side and four planes came in from the starboard side and we bracketed that ship. They hit at almost the same time and it was the biggest explosion I’d ever seen. Just like that, it disappeared.”

One time, the pilots loaded their planes not with bombs or torpedoes, but with food. After helping Marines take control of Eneweitok Atoll in the Marshall Islands, Rapp’s ship had moved on to another mission when they got word the Marines had run out of supplies.

“We were about 1,000 miles away, but we sailed back there and loaded up 11 planes and brought them 11 tons of food,” Rapp said. “The runway was made out of coral and it was just as white as can be. I was flying in and thought to myself, ‘Boy, this is beautiful. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.’ The food came from our ship. We ate a lot of rice after that.”

Rapp was the oldest of eight siblings. All four of his younger brothers also served in the military.

“We were all over the world,” Rapp said. “It must have been tough on our parents, all the boys being gone. I think about it once in a while, but my mother and father were tough people. They were immigrants from Europe.”

His brother Gene was drafted into the Army and was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked.

“He said it was terrible and we were not prepared for anything,” Rapp said. “He was at Hickam Field and the Japanese shot up all the planes that were on the runways.”

Knowing they would soon be drafted, Rapp and another brother, Joseph, joined up.

Joseph served in the Army and Air Force with a B-29 photographic intelligence unit.

“His group had more pictures and knew more about Japan than the Japanese did,” Rapp said.

Rapp’s two youngest brothers later served during the Korean War.

Singer-songwriter Edwin McCain uses music to cope

By
Vicki Kroll
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Edwin McCain will perform at 8 p.m. July 12, 2012, at the Ark in Ann Arbor. Photo by Brian Nelson.

When life was blowing up around him, Edwin McCain found solace in song and wrote “Boom.”

“My mom got ovarian cancer, my wife got breast cancer, and my father got prostate cancer, all within about a six-month window, so it was all kind of piling up. And at the time, my son was injured in an accident. It was one of those kinds of moments where it tests your mettle,” he said.

“We just kind of bonded together, put our backs against each other and stood strong through it all, and that’s kind of what that song’s about. I wrote that line, ‘Love’s when it’s hard’ on a piece of paper in my truck when I was at the hospital, and it ended up being a song.”

“Boom” is on McCain’s 2011 disc, “Mercy Bound.” He worked with friend and songwriter Maia Sharp on the CD, which also features lighter moments, including “Strange Angel.”

“There’s a line about the Virgin Mary on a cinnamon roll. There’s a coffee shop in Nashville that had a cinnamon roll that looked like the Virgin Mary and then they actually ended up shellacking it and sending it on tour around the world. I found that ironic that there was a cinnamon roll that did considerably more touring then some musicians in Nashville,” McCain joked.

The singer-songwriter grew up in Greenville, S.C., and began singing early.

“I think church choir is pretty much like Southern day care,” he said and laughed. “And I sang along to my sister’s records, a lot of Earth, Wind & Fire, a lot of folk music, so that’s where I was influenced.”

It was the late 1990s when McCain’s breakthrough came with “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask For More.”

“We were in a climate of the last hurrah of the music industry, and at the time, all of our cohorts — Dave Matthews, Hootie & The Blowfish, Kid Rock, all label mates — everybody was having huge success, so we were hopeful that that would happen for us and happy when it did,” he recalled. “I’m incredibly lucky and it was really great timing that was involved in the good fortune of our career.”

He’s amazed that the rain continues to fall “angry on the tin roof” with “I’ll Be.”

“How long that song has been on the radio and how it just continues to go and go and go, and how it’s spread to different parts of the world, that’s been the surprise,” he said.

McCain will perform at 8 p.m. July 12, 2012, at the Ark in Ann Arbor. Tickets are $20. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

“We’re bringing the full Monty; we’re bringing the full band on this run, so it’s going to be a good time,” he said and laughed.

Cuyahoga River Valley — Our very own national park

By
Toledo Free Press
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A waterfall at Cuyahoga River Valley National Park. Photo by Judy Pfaffenberger

Did you know that just two hours from Toledo near exit 173 of the turnpike between Cleveland and Akron is Ohio’s first and only national park? More good news is that no entrance fee is required.

In September, my husband and I made a day trip there and enjoyed it very much. The park has many hiking trails but the two easiest ways to explore are by bicycle and steam train.

The closest part of the park to that turnpike exit is about 10 minutes away at Boston Store. We took our bikes and just wanted to get a little taste of what the park had to offer. The ranger at the visitors’ center there recommended that we take the Towpath Trail south and then return on the train. That trail follows the Cuyahoga River in some places but mostly follows the old canal that ran parallel. I had assumed since it was a towpath trail, it would be completely flat. For the most part it was, but there were slight grades here and there.

We went only about eight miles since we are not fast riders and it was already afternoon when we started and certainly didn’t want to take a chance on missing the train back. So we rode south to the Indigo Lake Station, which was the second railroad stop from where we started. We were there on a Friday and not much traffic was on the trail. I read that weekends can be pretty crowded in season.

We had packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed eating it while sitting on a bench by the beautiful blue lake. That way we would be on hand when the train came. The schedule is posted at the visitors’ centers and also at the stations. The day we were there, the train came by a station in one direction about every two hours. The prior information we found on the Internet said that the price was $2 to put a bike on the train and ride back to our starting point, but the price was actually $3 — still a great bargain by our thinking. Snacks are available for purchase on the train.

No bike rentals were available where we were in the park but a list of rental information is available at www.nps.gov/cuva.htm.

Taking the train on the full scenic excursion costs from $20 online and $18 walk-up. You can board the train at Canton Lincoln Highway Station or Rockside Station in Independence.

After our ride, we wanted to check out two waterfalls and the two places where it is possible to overnight in the park. Stanford House and Farm used to be a youth hostel but is now a budget inn. Not all of the rooms have private baths and prices start at about $50 for a double. It is located quite near Boston Store. About five miles from there is Brandywine Falls, located next to Brandywine Inn which is in the $200 per night range. The top of the falls is near the parking area, but getting a good view of them requires quite a few steps down and then back up on a wooden walkway.

Our last stop before heading home was to see Blue Hen Falls. This was only about a mile from Boston Store. The walk was about a quarter mile each way to see falls that were not nearly so high as Brandywine but over a picturesque rock formation. There is a trail but no boardwalk here.

All in all it was a fairly inexpensive and enjoyable excursion not too far from home.

Szyperski: Fifteen shades of spoiler alert

By
Shannon Szyperski
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I’m a big pop culture fan. Although I don’t love each individual offering pop culture has to give, I do love at least knowing what is out there making the rounds.

Not being a fiction reader and certainly not being a BDSM (I’ll let you look it up if you’re not familiar with the term) fiction reader, I was less than intrigued by the quick ascent of E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

As I became one of the seemingly few women who didn’t yet understand the torturously intriguing ways of Christian Grey, the burden of not knowing simply grew too heavy for one woman to bear. Of all the women I know who have read it — and the club is quite large — not one seemed willing to give me a play-by-play. I was left with only one choice.

That’s right; I read it. I’m not really changed for the better or worse because of reading it, but I did find it interesting. So many questions asked, some eventually answered and some not. In fact, I was left with so many questions that I just might need to read the next two books in the trilogy. I’m sure the author intended it that way. My most burning questions and observations include:

1. Are there really people who can’t help but bite their lip repeatedly throughout the day?

2. If your breathing “hitches” that frequently, shouldn’t you consult a pulmonologist or something?

3. Is there any possibility that after the three books are read by 92 percent of the female American population that the U.S. will finally acknowledge once and for all that “grey” is the rightful spelling?

4. Is there such a thing as gray eyes and how in the world do they darken based on mood? Sounds like there might be a demon involved or something.

5. Why is there so much everyday (i.e., outside of the bedroom) gasping, especially by a man? I bet I’ve heard my husband gasp two times tops in the 16 years I’ve known him and I’m certain both times had to do with one of our children falling off of something.

6. How in the world does a 2011 college graduate who is going into publishing neither own nor desire her own computer?

7. Is “laters” really an expression?

8. Is there any possibility, any whatsoever, that a 22-year-old woman would opt to wear a ponytail on a first date? Would she opt to wear pigtails …ever? I don’t even recall the last time I saw a child wearing them.

9. Is there any likelihood that a straight, childless 26-year-old billionaire CEO would know how to braid hair?

10. Do 20-somethings know who Bruce Springsteen is?

11. Did James really  “put pen to paper” as the author description claims? Does she not own a computer either?

12. Why would a character be so constantly opposed to being touched when he is being touched in some capacity on nearly every other page of the book?

13. Are “my sex” and “there” appropriate (i.e., not lame) terms for a grown woman to be calling her lady parts? Seems lame.

14. Does anyone else agree that detailed descriptions of wine and food and multiple references to Audi don’t add all that much to the story and only prolong the unraveling of Mr. Grey? I suppose it is supposed to be a torturous novel.

15. You all realize that the perfect, wish-he-were-mine guy you’re clamoring over is both a fictional character dreamed up by a woman and  seriously messed up? Right? Just checking.

I know, I know. Read the other books.

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

Pounds: Feed Lucas County Children 2012

By
Tom Pounds
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Through July 14, 2012, when you shop for supplies at Walt Churchill’s Markets, you will see store employees wearing the badge you see on this page. You will be asked to make a two-second decision that could make a lifetime of difference.

At dozens of sites every summer, Feed Lucas County Children (FLCC) provides more than 242,000 meals in about 11 weeks. FLCC Executive Director Tony Siebeneck said the meals are recognized as some of the healthiest in Ohio, using fresh fruit, whole wheat bread and low sodium.

Inspired by an initiative suggested by Columbia Gas of Ohio Communications and Community Relations Manager Chris Kozak, Toledo Free Press is again partnering with Columbia Gas of Ohio and Walt Churchill’s Market to do more than talk about this crucial problem; we are going to actively try to make a difference.

Through July 14, there will be a “Round Up Hunger” drive at the Walt Churchill’s locations at 3320 Briarfield Blvd. in Maumee and 26625 Dixie Hwy. in Perrysburg (currently, there is no program similar to FLCC in Wood County, a situation Siebeneck is assessing).

During the “Round Up Hunger” campaign, when you purchase groceries at a Walt Churchill’s Market, you will be asked if you can “round up” your purchase to the next dollar. That change, from 1 cent to 99 cents, will be donated 100 percent to FLCC.

We are in great debt to our partners for recognizing the need to help FLCC and for stepping up with their time, energy and resources.

We are not so naive to think we can eliminate hunger in our county, but we can, in cooperation with you, make a difference in thousands of lives during these challenging economic times.

We hope you are compelled by our series to offer whatever you can during the “Round Up Hunger” campaign, to help us show these children they are not invisible to us — that we know they need us, and that we are here for them.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at [email protected].

Round Up Hunger campaign returns to Walt Churchill’s Market

By
Toledo Free Press
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Round Up Hunger sponsors Tony Siebeneck, Chris Kozak and Walt Churchill. Toledo Free Press Photo by Joseph Herr

After last year’s Round Up Hunger campaign raised $5,975 for Feed Lucas County Children (FLCC), Executive Director of FLCC Tony Siebeneck is excited to see its return and hopefully, growth.

“I think we’re going to see more funds raised because the public is getting more informed on the child hunger issue,” Siebeneck said.

The campaign will occur over over a two week period, July 1-14. During this time, customers at both of Walt Churchill’s Market locations (3320 Briarfield Blvd. in Maumee and 26625 Dixie Highway in Perrysburg) will be asked if they want to “round up” their total purchase amount to the next whole dollar, with the difference going to help FLCC build their new community kitchen.

Columbia Gas of Ohio, Toledo Free Press and Walt Churchill’s Market partnered to sponsor this campaign.

“It gives everyone the chance to feel like they’re making a difference. Even if it’s a small amount out of someone’s budget, when we put it together, it can make a difference,” said Chris Kozak, communications manager at Columbia Gas.

Kunal Dawar, assistant store manager and grocery director at Walt Churchill’s Market in Maumee said that last year, one customer donated $50.

“You can definitely give more if you so choose,” Dawar said.

FLCC aims to feed children that live below the poverty line in Lucas County by serving free, nutritious meals at various community locations throughout the day. FLCC serves the community all year long, but its busiest time of the year is summer. Since 2002, the organization has fed more than 700,000 children 18 and younger. This summer, FLCC is serving from over 80 countywide locations.

“I was so impressed with what [Tony] does, and the impact he has on the lives of children across Lucas County. It’s inspiring to see someone do something that has that impact. We’re honored to be a part of the program,” Kozak said.

FLCC had made such an impact on the area that the organization was recently called upon to speak to the state Senate on child summer hunger.

“I did a conference call when the Senate was in session because they wanted a real understanding of the summer hunger issue and they were impressed by the Lucas County program,” Siebeneck said. “Out of the [88] counties in Ohio, about 10 have no food program in place during the summer for kids.”

Siebeneck said that with the creation of the organization’s new community kitchen, where all the meals are prepared and distributed, FLCC could possibly be the first county in Ohio to end summer hunger. Twenty-four thousand kids live at or below the poverty line in Lucas County, and this kitchen would be able to feed 20,000 children a day, Siebeneck said.

“We already have the building (for the new kitchen) identified,” Siebeneck said. “Right now we just need every living soul to re-direct their philanthropy to this kitchen, just for one year. It will give back for decades down the road.”

The new kitchen will continue to provide healthy, FDA-approved meals, Siebeneck said.

“When the Ohio Department of Education released higher standards (for school meals) in January and February, we were already meeting or exceeding 95 percent of the standards,” Siebeneck said.

On any given day in June, the number of meals delivered may be 3,400, but it drastically increases to about 6,000 in July, for no identified reason, Siebeneck said.

He said the organization has outgrown its Downtown rented space in the old Macomber High School building on Monroe Street. Siebeneck said they will keep their old equipment and purchase some new, bigger machines, along with two more prep tables and two unloading docks for semi trucks. The approximately 200 volunteers that FLCC uses will remain the same, Siebeneck said.

The Perrysburg location of Walt Churchill’s Market is in Wood County, which will soon be receiving assistance from FLCC.

“Next year we already know we’re going to be feeding kids in Wood County, south of Rossford,” Siebeneck said. “The percentage of kids eligible for reduced and free lunches is climbing in Perrysburg and Wood County schools. We have already had two groups contact us, so we will be feeding kids there next summer. So the campaign will benefit Wood County as much as Lucas.”

Siebeneck said hunger doesn’t have any boundaries.

“Even if we take other communities like Sylvania, Maumee, Oregon, the number of kids falling into the category (of poverty) each year is increasing,” Siebeneck said.

Siebeneck said by supplying food to be served at area community organizations such as churches, schools and other centers, FLCC is providing the foundation for them to grow and increase its visibility in the community.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Siebeneck said.

For store hours and more information, visit waltchurchillsmarket.com and feedlucaschildren.org.

Honor Flight offers ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ trip for veterans

By
Toledo Free Press
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Veteran Jim Hansen waves flags in time to music at the June 20, 2012, welcome home ceremony for Honor Flight at Grand Aire at Toledo Express Airport. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney

Beaming from ear to ear and waving two American flags to the music of a concert band, World War II veteran Jim Hansen expressed himself perfectly, even though he can no longer talk.

The 90-yearold Toledoan, who served with the Navy in the South Pacific, exuded joy during a June 20 welcome home celebration at the Grand Aire hangar at Toledo Express Airport in Swanton following Honor Flight Northwest Ohio’s most recent trip.

The nonprofit organization flies veterans to Washington, D.C., free of charge to visit the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial and other military memorials. Each veteran is accompanied by a guardian.

“He found out he was going on his 90th birthday,” said Hansen’s daughter
Yielding of Sylvania. “It was his  90th birthday present.”

Linda’s husband, Wayne Yielding, was Hansen’s guardian for the trip, which included 74 World War II veterans and two Korean War veterans.

Two of the World War II veterans also served during the Korean War.

“The reception in D.C. was wonderful,” Wayne said. “It was pretty moving to say the least.”

Cherie Mourlam, assistant superintendent at Washington Local Schools, agreed.

“You just bawl all day,” said Mourlam, who accompanied 86-year-old World War II veteran Grover “Gene” Thorp of Fremont. “Then you walk in here and there’s the whole crowd and they’re clapping. He’s just so appreciative. He can’t believe it.”

Thorp, who served with the Army in the South Pacific, said he couldn’t pick a favorite part of the trip.

“Oh golly, all day,” Thorp said. “It was great. I can’t believe it.”

Don Marten is greeted at the June 20 Honor Flight welcome home ceremony. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney

World War II veteran Donnan “Don” Marten, 90, of Bowling Green said he had a great trip, despite a heat index higher than 100 degrees.

“It was hotter than the devil, but they (Honor Flight) deserve a lot of credit,” said Marten, who served with the Army in Africa and Italy. “It was nice. It was beautiful, especially the Iwo Jima Memorial (United States Marine Corps War Memorial).”

Marten’s daughter, Deb Marten of Bowling Green, said her dad considered backing out of the trip because of the extreme heat, but was glad he decided to go. Marten’s grandson, Dane Fisher, stationed at nearby Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, even took the day off to meet up with his grandfather.

“It was wonderful he got to make that trip,” Deb said. “He’s been really excited. He went back and forth with the heat, ‘Should I go?’ But it’s a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m glad he did. He’ll never forget it.”

Heroes’ welcome
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 606 is among the local veterans organizations whose members attend each Honor Flight send-off and welcomehome celebration.

“You’ll see some go up in wheelchairs and when they come back they’ll say they can walk off the plane,” said VFW Post 606 member Bob Newman. “They get so pumped up over there seeing that stuff. One guy this morning (June 20) said while boarding the plane, ‘Wait, wait, I want to walk.’ He used a cane and went very, very slowly, but he made it. So the guy behind him in a wheelchair said, ‘Well, if he can do it, so can I.’ That’s just the way it is.”

Jerry Newman, also of VFW Post 606, has flown three times as a guardian.

“It’s always nice to be out there by these guys. You hear a lot of history on these flights,” Jerry said.

Priority for Honor Flights is given to World War II veterans and those with terminal illnesses. Korean War veterans are put on a waiting list and taken chronologically by their application postmark date.

“It’s a wonderful way of giving back to the members of ‘The Greatest Generation,’ many of whom did not get a welcome home,” said Honor Flight Northwest Ohio board member David Chilson.

“Not everybody came back on a troop ship or through a train station. Many came back individually and were really never welcomed home or thanked for their service so this is a way of doing that.”

Chilson, a Navy veteran, has served as a guardian on nine Honor Flights.

“Honor Flight is much more than just seeing the memorials. It’s a chance to share the experience of the entire day with 70-some other veterans,” Chilson said. “What I hope they take away is that people still remember and are very appreciative for their service during World War II and during the Korean War and we still remember and honor them.”

World War II veteran Edward F. Lark of Toledo was scheduled to fly on June 20, but died in April. His folded flag was taken along in his honor and memory. His widow, Violet Lark, did not travel to Washington, D.C., but teared up as she carried the flag into the welcome home ceremony.

“They knew he wanted to go on this flight so bad and they said they would like to take the flag with them,” Lark said, adding that June 23 would have been the couple’s 67th wedding anniversary.

Army veteran Henrietta “Hank” Abrams, 87, said the trip was wonderful, but emotional.

“I cried so much today,” said Abrams, who served as a surgical technician in Texas and Iowa during World War II. “It was just wonderful. I really enjoyed it. It was amazing, it really was. I can’t really point out one thing. It was all just great.”

Navy veteran Marian Elfring of Swanton was a radio operator on the West Coast during World War II, while her husband, Marine Corps veteran Tony Elfring, served in the South Pacific, including at Iwo Jima. The couple made the June 20 trip together, accompanied by a mother-daughter team of guardians.

World War II veteran Walter “Bud” Rickheim Jr., of Temperance, said he loved the whole experience.

“It was a wonderful day, couldn’t be better,” said Rickheim, who served with the Navy in the Pacific. “It was all just great.”

The Honor Flight network, which includes 101 regional hubs in 39 states, was founded in 2005 and has flown more than 81,000 veterans to the memorials in Washington, D.C.

The Northwest Ohio chapter started in 2008 and has since flown 1,083 veterans. June 20 was the group’s 25th flight and the third of five scheduled for 2012. The next flights are Aug. 29 and Sept. 26.

For more information or to apply as a veteran, guardian or volunteer, visit honorflightnwo.org

Family has three sons at service academies

By
Erik Gable
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They went through high school playing the same sports for the same team, and now that they’ve graduated, the Wawrzyniak brothers of Sylvania are still playing for the
same team — their country.

Nicholas, Jacob and Scott Wawrzyniak all played football and hockey at St. Francis de SalesHigh School and all three are now in training for the armed forces, earning their degrees and their commissions at two of the country’s prestigious military academies.

Nicholas, 21, is entering his senior year at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Jacob, 19, is studying at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.; and Scott, 18, is about to join his oldest brother in Colorado Springs.

Nicholas said he was drawn to the military by the desire for something more challenging than a traditional college education. He found the combination of rigorous  academics, military training and mandatory athletics appealing.

“I was looking for a challenge as far as education goes,” he said. He’s majoring in systems engineering management and hopes to fly helicopters after graduation — a passion he discovered during an Air Force Academy summer program between his sophomore and junior years when he had a chance to fly with the 10th Helicopter Squadron in the Washington, D.C., area.

“I just fell in love with the idea,” he said.

Jacob considered the Air Force as well — in fact, he said, he applied to all four service academies — but decided on the Coast Guard Academy because it offered an opportunity to play football.

He also likes the Coast Guard because of its purpose, he said.

“I like the humanitarian mission and the Homeland Security, the defense part of it — stopping the smuggling of drugs and saving lives,” he said.

Scott, the youngest of the three brothers, said his first choice was actually the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., but the Navy told him he would need to attend a year of preparatory training before his four years of study, while the Air Force Academy would allow him to start right away. He said he hopes to cross-commission into the Navy after he graduates.

Scott said he’s always been fascinated by the Navy SEALs and would like to work in special operations.

“I love the competition,” he said. “I love being pushed to my full potential at all times, and there’s no room for error. You’ve got to be at the top of your game and you’re going to be part of the best team in the world at what they do.”

Scott and Jacob, who are only 11 months apart in age, have been workout partners since middle school.

“We’ve been pushing each other since probably sixth grade when we started working out together,” Scott said. “It’s always competitive — who can run faster, who can lift more — but always in a positive direction.”

Their father, Jeff, is an attorney with Affinia Group in Ann Arbor, and their mother, Kathy, teaches English at Penta Career Center in Perrysburg.

Jeff said the boys have always pushed each other. “There’s definitely some competitiveness amongst the three of them,” he said.

Military service runs in the family. The brothers’ maternal and paternal grandfathers both served in the Army, one of their great-uncles served with the Marine Corps at Iwo Jima and two other great-uncles served in Korea.

“It’s really been kind of a family affair,” their father said.

For their parents, seeing their sons go into military training carries some worry — but also no small amount of pride.

“There’s a little bit of angst,” Jeff said, “but when you think of the things kids do today in terms of putting their time and their effort behind, this is a doggone noble thing to do, so  we’re very proud of them.”

Jeff and Kathy’s youngest child and only daughter, Katie, will be a junior this fall at St. Ursula Academy. Her father said she’s considering military service too, possibly in the Coast Guard.

The oldest Wawrzyniak sibling, Nicholas, said the schools are selective and it’s not easy to get all the way through — which makes it even more meaningful to have both of his brothers and possibly his sister following in his footsteps.

“I’m very proud to be from that type of family,” he said.

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