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Mayor Bell cuts ribbon; casino opens doors

By
Caitlin McGlade
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Mayor Mike Bell is flanked by Penn National Gaming officials and a couple of showgirls as he cuts the ceremonial ribbon opening Hollywood Casino Toledo while native son Jamie Farr emcees from the podium. Toledo Free Press photo.

The din of the chattering dealers rose and fell with fevered anticipation.

The employees, the politicians, the media personnel and the business people walked the granite floors of Hollywood Casino Toledo on May 29 with much urgency, mingling among models clad in feathered headdresses and musicians preparing to belt out the casino’s first tunes.

The commotion fell silent for 25 minutes as hundreds of people leaned toward a black and gold ribbon that symbolized the culmination of months of hard labor and planning.

“M*A*S*H” star and Toledo native Jamie Farr set the tone.

“William Randolph Hearst would envy this right now,” Farr said.

Farr reflected on how Toledo has changed since his childhood days inthe North End some  70 years ago.

“The closest thing we had to something like this was George’s Cigar Store on Superior Street,” he said. “It was a front; you’d go in there and buy cigarsand of course you’d go to the backroom and that’s where all the gambling was done. This, I think, outdoes it.”

Farr stood at a podium under the casino’s high ceilings, surrounded by220 televisions, 2,002 slot machines, 60 table games and 20 live poker tables.

Mayor Mike Bell called the place “unbelievable,” saying the casino is one of the elements that could help turn the city’s economy around.

“You walk in and see people who are smiling because they’ve been unemployed for so long and now they’re going to be able to actually take care of their families,” he said.

The casino hired 1,300 employees, 90 percent of whom are Northwest Ohio locals. Law mandates that Ohio casinos pay a fixed tax of 33 percent of their gross revenues, of which 51 percent will be distributed among Ohio’s 88 counties with half of each county’s share going toward its largest city if the population exceeds 80,000.

Thirty-four percent of the revenue will fund public school districts. Five percent will go tohost cities, 3 percent to Ohio Casino Control Commission, 3 percent to the Ohio State Racing Commission fund, 2 percent to state law enforcement training and 2 percent to  state problem gambling fund.

The casino collected at least $100,000 during a May 24 VIP night alone. Proceeds went to charity.   General Manager Richard St. Jean awarded both the Boys & Girls Club of Toledo and the YMCA checks for $50,000 from the earnings.

Bell cut the ribbon after the crowd counted down from 10. Doors opened to the public shortly afterward.
Dealer Robert Navarre, who awaited players at a Big Six table, said this is his first dealing gig. But he’s no stranger to casinos.

“I’ve wanted this to come here for a long time, I’ve gone to Vegas 10 years in a row so I’ve been ready for this for a long, long time.” he said. “This is better than Vegas — Vegas has nothing on this casino here.”

Officials said 15,000 people visited the casino on its first day

Letter to the editor, June 3, 2012: Roether

By
Dock David Treece
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TO THE EDITOR:

I am writing as a concerned citizen about a gap in services regarding veterans of the Armed Forces in the State of Ohio. The specific rule, Ohio State Veterans Service Commission Rule 5901.08, acts as a barrier for Ohio veterans to access much-needed services.

“Each applicant for financial assistance under sections 5901.02 to 5901.15 of the Revised Code shall be a veteran, an active-duty member of the armed forces of the United
States, or the spouse, surviving spouse, dependent parent, minor child, or ward of a veteran or active-duty member of the armed forces of the United States, who has been a bona-fide resident of the county in which application is being made for at least three months.”

According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans’ nearly 20 percent of the homeless population are veterans who served their country.

Ohio has the sixth-largest veteran’s population in the country, and according to the Cherry Street Mission, a local homeless shelter, an estimated 30,000 vets experience homelessness in Ohio annually.

I have been instructed that when the rule was adopted in 1994, it was an effort to prevent duplication of services. However, 18 years later in a much more technologically sophisticated society, tracking services provided to Ohio veterans electronically should be much more feasible.

By decreasing the amount of time required for veterans to access services, and properly accounting for services provided to each homeless veteran, Ohio can become a national leader in the fight to serve those who have served us.

Please contact one of your state representatives to endorse this important initiative!
Sen. Edna Brown
(614) 466-5204
Ohio Senate 1 Capital Square
Columbus, Ohio 43215
[email protected]
Sen. Mark Wagoner
(614) 466-8060
Ohio Senate 1 Capital Square
Columbus, Ohio 43215
sd02@ senate.state.oh.us
Rep. Michael Ashford
(614) 466-1401
77 S. High St
Columbus, Ohio 43215
[email protected]
Rep. Teresa Fedor
(614) 644-6017
77 S. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
[email protected]
Rep. Barbara Sears
(614) 466-1731
77 S. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
[email protected]
Rep. Matt Szollosi
(614) 466-1418
77 S. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
[email protected]
Thank you for your support.
Robert Roether,
Chairman,
Remembrance Inc.
P.O Box 12435,
Toledo, OH 43606
(419) 270-2655

ProMedica ‘Classic’ expands focus to include heart, vascular

By
Toledo Free Press
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The Classic,” ProMedica Toledo Hospital’s only annual fundraiser, has supported its Breast Care Center for the past two years, but this year’s event has a new focus: Heart and Vascular Institutes.

“We wanted to do a fundraising golf event back in 2009,” said Mary Sabin, executive director of the Toledo Hospital Foundation. “But we wanted the event to have a twist. We will have ‘celebrity’ golfers from the hospital this year competing in a wacky nine-hole putting contest.”

Every two years, ProMedica Toledo board members and event volunteers direct funds received from The Classic to a new branch of the hospital in order to meet the needs of the facility’s 11 clinical areas.

Right now, the heart health of Lucas County is one of the most pressing medical issues.

“Heart and vascular health tends to stay in the background [of medicalawareness],” Dr.  James Bingle, president of ProMedica Heart and Vascular Institutes, said. “The truth is,  we in Northwest Ohio have a troubling pool of people in high risk of heart disease. As such, we take it upon ourselves to educate the area.”

Heart disease and stroke accounted for 34 percent of Lucas County deaths from 2006-08, according to the 2011 Lucas County, Ohio Health Assessment Project commissioned by Healthy Lucas County for the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio.

The report also stated that approximately 34 percent of Lucas County adults have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, 27 percent with high blood cholesterol and 35 percent were obese — three known risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

In 2011, 24 percent of Lucas County adults were reported as being current smokers — a rate that exceeds the smoking rate the United States.

The American Cancer Society stated last year that tobacco use was the most preventable cause of disease and early death, but still accounts for approximately 5.4 million deaths each year.

“Those staggering statistics are why we are redirecting the fundraiser to the Heart and Vascular Institutes,” Sabin said. “This way, we can inform and help the members of the community take care of their hearts.”

ProMedica board members believe that despite the redirection of funds to the Heart and Vascular Institutes, The Classic’s success of the past two years will continue to grow.

The Classic raised nearly $200,000 for Breast Care Center during the course of two years.

ProMedica wasable to use that money to purchase a new ultrasound machine and acollection of blanket warmers for the clinic.

The Breast Care Center’s stereotactic breast table also received a MultiCare Maximum Comfort Kit, which is a foam unit designed to enhance patient comfort during procedures.

“We’ve had extraordinary support from our community,” Sabin said. “About 50 to 60 sponsors, a mix of both corporations and individuals, are already involved for this year’s event. I expect us to make $200,000 this year alone.”

The money raised at the event will help the Heart and Vascular Institutes open new programs, increase researchand raise further awareness through education.

The clinic, created only a year ago, specializes in cardiology and both cardiac and vascular surgery.

“We are extremely happy to be the receiver of this event’s fundraising,” Bingle said. “The money will truly raise the quality of our care. Up-todate research and education keeps everyone attentive to new solutions.”

The Classic event will include a dinner and a putting competition. Live entertainment and a reception area will be available for guests who are not competing. The top golfers on the leader board will have the chance to win multiple prizes, including two tickets to the 2013 Masters golf tournament practice round or the opportunity to “design a golf course” with Arthur Hills, a renowned course designer.

A live auction will also be held with several items up for grabs, such as a pair of Detroit Red Wings tickets and a week-long stay at a condo in Fort Myers, Fla.

Guests can also participate in the “Raise the Paddle” auction, where individuals can bid on various healthcare packages that will be donated topatients in need. The funds raised will go to help underinsured or uninsured patients pay for their prescription medicine and transportation to the hospital.

“Raise the Paddle” raised almost $20,000 last year and the money was used to fund mammograms for patients unable to afford them. Those funds helped 50 women receive mammograms who would have otherwise gone without the screenings, said ProMedica Toledo spokesperson Tedra White.

Businesses looking for another way to donate can register to be sponsors for The Classic. Sponsorship packets can be downloaded from ProMedica.org. The third annual event will take place at the Belmont Country Club in Perrysburg on May 30. Businesses and individuals who are interested in being a sponsor for the event or placing a donation can contact Sabin at (419) 291-7473 or [email protected]. O

Rathbun: Facebook an illustrative look at IPOs

By
Gary Rathbun
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I am so glad that the Facebook initial public offering (IPO) is complete. I was never a big fan of this offering and was able to talk most of my clients out of purchasing the stock on May 18.

Now we can sit back and let the finger pointing, Monday morning quarterbacking, rationalizations and lawsuits begin.

First, let’s look at how the IPO was put together and some of the warning signs that caused me to lack excitement about getting in.

One of the early warning signs for me was all of the hype that the investment banks and the media were putting out. You have to remember that this is a company that really doesn’t  produce anything. It mines data for advertisers.

But as General Motors stated a couple of days before the IPO, the advertising dollars being spent were ineffective in selling cars.

I know that I am part of a generation that doesn’t use Facebook personally so I don’t see the need or usefulness of the site but I still think it is important to create a product that
investors understand.

Another warning sign was the fact that Facebook has only made a profit in the past couple of years. There is no real long-term track record of sustainable revenue and profits.

One of the other big points was increasing the amount of shares offered in the IPO. The number of shares was increased by 25 percent in the last week before going public. Simple reasoning would suggest that the price be adjusted lower to compensate for the “inflated” number of shares but instead Morgan Stanley raised the price to around $38.

Both of these actions were based on the response to all of the hype in the marketplace. Morgan Stanley stated that the demand was very strong and that it would not be a problem selling the additional shares even at the higher price.

In fairness, it wasn’t much of a problem selling the additional shares on the
first day; on the secondday, however, the story was a little different.

I am not going to get into all of the accusations about insider information, inappropriate short selling, Chinese walls and Morgan Stanley buying shares to support the price.
Already, lawsuits are being filed and it will be interesting to see what information comes to  light and what the court rules. I will comment on those events as they unfold, either here or on my website.

Suffice it to say that we will be looking at this offering for many months and it will definitely affect the next social media IPO that decides to go public.

Finally, the saying, “buyer beware” still comes to mind. One can make an argument that false information may have been put out, but why would you not question the information when the source is the company that will benefit from selling you the stock?

You should always question the information as well as the source. A couple of columns ago we talked about an adviser working from a fiduciary standard on your behalf and this is a classic example. I advised my clients to avoid Facebook because of the research my company did and the sources I used to get reliable data.

If your adviser makes money on the transaction, you need to ask yourself the fiduciary question. Is he/she acting in my best interest or is he/she recommending this because they make money?

Gary L. Rathbun is the president and CEO of Private Wealth Consultants, LTD. 

GenoaBank unveils remodeled Oregon branch

By
Morgan Delp
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GenoaBank revealed its newly renovated Oregon branch office in a ceremony May 22 among Oregon city officials, community supporters, bank employees and clients.

GenoaBank was founded in 1902 and its board of directors voted to open a branch inOregon in 1988.

Staci McDaniel, marketing manager for the bank, said the Oregon branch was last remodeled in 1998 and “was due for an upgrade.”

The independent community bank has six branches across the area, and hopes to bring all branches up to date in celebration of the organization’s 110th year, McDaniel said. She said they are currently working on revamping the Genoa branch, which is the bank’s headquarters.

Martin Sutter, president and CEO of GenoaBank, said that Maumee is next on the list to undergo renovation. He said that they’re getting readyto break ground at the Conant Street location and the project will be started in the next month.

The Oregon renovation consisted of adding and remodeling individual offices for bank employees to meet with clients. Sutter said that “because we’re growing substantially in the Oregon community, we were running out of office space, which is a good problem.”

Regina Barber, customer service teller at the Oregon branch, has had to work through the construction since the project’s beginning in January, because the bank stayed open during the remodeling.

“The renovation went very well, I don’t think it really bothered a lot of our customers,” Barber said. “[The construction company] cleaned up after themselves. We had to clean up a little bit, like do some dusting, but it helped us also refresh our atmosphere at the bank.”

Michelle Quilter, Oregon branch manager, said that a need for increased privacy was a main reason for the bank’s new look.

“People want to work with people that they know and trust. Part of trust is privacy, [which is necessary] in order to provide our customer with what they need,” Quilter said. “They can  come in, we can shut the door, we can sit and talk to them, and develop a real relationship with them that lasts. That’s what we want.”

“Private offices are important for the customers,” Sutter said. “They don’t want to talk business out in public.”
“We’ve also moved GenoaFinancial, which is an insurance and alternative investmentproduct service group, to this facility and … we’ve added a few lenders so we’ve renovated the office space to give our branch manager space to make sure we take care of customers,” Sutter said.

McDaniel said that the addition of GenoaFinancial to the Oregon branch was a factor in renovating, in order to help with the additional staff and clientele it brings.

When GenoaFinancial was first launched in March 2011, it was housed at the Crossroads branch for the first few months before moving to the Oregon branch, McDaniel said.

Five employees of GenoaFinancial will now be housed at the Oregon branch, McDaniel said.

Quilter said that with the addition of GenoaFinancial, the Oregon branch will now be a full service bank.

“We’re a large enough facility wherewe can do it all here,” Quilter said. “We can meet all of our clients’ needs.”

Quilter said that anything from starting a small business to opening a checking account to planning for retirement can now be handled all at the Oregon location.

Rick Jaques, small-business owner of Simply Green Lawn Care Service, attended the opening ceremony.

“We went to GenoaBank for a business loan to start my company and they were unbelievably helpful throughout the whole process of getting me started and walking me all the way through it, so that’s why we’re here,” Jaques said. “I’ve gone to a couple of the bigger banks and they weren’t nearly as willing to work with us as they were here so that’s why we ended up here. We’ve been here ever since, everything of ours is here.”

City of Oregon Council President Thomas Susor said that “as corporate America and corporate banking takes over the world today, small communities want to cling to that local bank, the friendships and personal touch with local banks.”

Susor said he believes that GenoaBank is committed to the Oregon community.

Miller: Branding Toledo at the casino

By
Michael Miller
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The Hollywood Casino Toledo is magnificent. The décor, technology and customer service efforts rival anything in Lucas County.

One of the impressive elements of the casino is how carefully branded the word “Toledo” is.

It’s on the gaming tables, the cards, the card-shuffling machines and on most every surface. There are some local institutions that drop “Toledo” from their names but the casino embraces its host city.

One of the many electronic screens has an homage to Jamie Farr and his “M*A*S*H” legacy. In the private room of the Final Cut steakhouse (which features a spectacular glass-wall view of the river and trees), a Katie Holmes dress is displayed alongside outfits worn by Halle Berry, Elvis, Tony Curtis and Ann-Margret.

Toledo is shown respect in the casino and patrons will always know exactly which city they are visiting.

But there is another way the Hollywood Casino Toledo could honor the Glass City — by offering Toledo-themed games among its 2,000 slot machines. It’s cool to have such movie themed choices as “The Hangover,” “Sex and the City” and the Toledo exclusive “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” games, but here are some suggestions for more specific Toledo-themed slots.

Mayors of Toledo: Each pull of the handle brings up three windows with rotating images of Toledo mayors past and present. Three Mayor Mike Bells or Donna Owenses or Charles M. Dorrs and you’re a winner!

If the windows show three Carty Finkbeiners, a casino attendant walks up to you, takes your remaining money and roughs you up a bit.

City Council Word Scramble: The images of Toledo City Council members scroll by, while an audio quote from a recent meeting plays through the slot machine speakers. Match the face of the councilperson with the quote that is playing without breaking into laughter or tears and you win a free play on …

Wheel of Suburbs: Grab that handle and watch the images of suburbs spin by. Match up Sylvania or Perrysburg and win. Hit three Ottawa Hills images and the jackpot pays double.

Education Crapshoot: Place yer bet on your child’s future and let the wheels spin. Hit matching private schools and graduate to the “College Roulette” machine. Hit three Toledo Public Schools images and your outcome could be anything from “dishwasher” or “newspaper columnist” on the low end to “CEO ” or “software engineer” on the high end. Charter schools are wild cards.

Gay in the Glass City: You never know what you’re going to get in this game. On one spin, you could win domestic partner benefits. On the next spin, one of your icons may be mocked as a crossdresser. Spin again and see great community support for Pride Day. Spin once more and see your state ban gay marriage. The drama!

Red Cross vs. Food and Commercial Workers union: Draw matching images of bags of donated blood to win. Odds of winning are low, as images of strike signs tend to interrupt the blood supply.

Development Wild Cards: Insert dollars and make an investment in Toledo. Potential  winnings include abandoned movie theaters, closed shopping malls and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of undeveloped waterfront property. Increase your chances of winning by inserting yen.

Roll the Dice on County Reorganization: Take your tax dollars and play this slot machine, based on the proposal to reorganize county government under a county executive. Will the county win by consolidating power? Or will reducing the number of elected officials be a bust?

Page One: Pull the lever to see which story will dominate the news. Are there dogs in trouble? Is there a courthouse in jeopardy? Match three subscription cancellation notices and the slot machine spits out a pile of rare, collectible
coins paid for with state funds.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star.

Baumhower: Congratulations, graduates! Now, don’t be stupid!

By
Jeremy Baumhower
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Dear graduating class of 2012:

As you are inundated with uninspiring graduation speeches and duplicate copies of Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” I would like to drop some serious knowledge on you. I am sure everyone around you is offering advice as to what comes after high school, how to pursue your goals and live the American Dream.

I want to focus on something many fail to discuss in these commencement ceremonies — I want you to live to see the end of summer and fall. I want you to survive.

You feel on top of the world, you’re invincible, the future is wide open andyour dreams are finally ready to be pursued. The stress of your senior year is behind you, the pressure has been lifted and you are ready to get on with your life. You have 90 days left to be a kid and have fun!

Many of you are planning and preparing for the move to college, choosing courses totake, deciding what to pack and how will you continue to date the person you are involved with, etc. Those who are staying here might be looking for full-time work or preparing for fall classes at UT, BGSU,Lourdes or Owens Community College.

The one thing all of you have in common is the excitement for the upcoming graduation party season. Which kids are going to have a family party versus a “cool” family party … you know, the one that will have a keg of beer and some booze. This is where my advice begins.

Every year, June brings fatal car accidents involving current or graduating high school kids. These accidents can happen anywhere and at any time, from rural areas to any suburb of Toledo. They are often the saddest of tragedies because a family goes from celebrating your tremendous future and hard work to planning your funeral.

In almost all of the cases they are completely avoidable if you simply listen to my words: Don’t drive drunk; don’t drive late at night; don’t drive distracted.

Those words are often over preached by known hypocrites such as teachers and guidance counselors and, sadly, fall on deaf ears. I know some to most of you are going to drink illegally and some of you are going to drive later at night than you have before.

I know some of you have checked your phone twice since you began to read this column, so I know you will probably be tweeting, texting, Facebooking, playing Words with Friends or Draw Something all while driving.

You are going to be stupid.

Put these together in any combination and factor in your inexperience with driving, and it spells the perfect formula for tragedy.

Here is how to stay alive, pursue your dreams and find out what life is
truly about.

If you are at a party late at night, juststay where you are; crash on a couch, grab some floor or have a parent/older sibling pick you up. Even if you have not had one sip of alcohol, the roads are filled with people who have, especially late at night.

Your parents may be furious at you for missing curfew, they will be pissed because maybe you had a drink, but if they are yelling at a live you, they are not crying over a dead you at the coroner’s office.

This seems dramatic because it is. I am talking Life and Death with you. I am not trying to be unrealistic. These words are coming from a man who celebrated with the best of them and was lucky to survive. I have seen enough grieving familiesin the month of June, I’ve been to enough funerals. I simply want you all to survive.

Congratulations and don’t be stupid. The world will be yours if you are smart enough to survive.

Toledo Streets newspaper offers alternative to panhandling

By
Morgan Delp
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Lawrence Staler patrols the area in front of the Toledo Municipal Courthouse on North Erie Street on Monday through Friday, stopping clerks, judges, police officers and others going in and out of the courthouse.

But Staler is not begging or scamming for money. He is working for a better life by selling newspapers that aim to empower and provide opportunities for homeless and impoverished people.

Toledo Streets was founded in 2009 as an all-volunteer project of 1Matters, the local community funded organization responsible for Tent City, Veterans Matter and other programs designed to aid the homeless and underprivileged.

Ken Leslie, a former panhandler and founder of 1Matters, said he believes that selling these publications not only gives people on the streets employment, but builds their esteem as well.

“We believe if the compassionate community stops giving to panhandlers we can stop supporting the behavior that takes their esteem down another notch, replacing it with behavior that builds esteem each time you support the vendor by buying a paper,” Leslie said.

“Sooner or later, whether they want to or not, they soon recognize how good they really are.”

Staler is one of Toledo Streets’ eight vendors and has turned his life around since starting the job, Leslie said.
Staler was imprisoned in Texas for 13 years prior to his move to Toledo, where he is on probation for not paying child support. Now, on a good day, Staler makes $35-$80, which he puts into his new bank account and uses to pay off his child support and pay tithe at church, he said.

Staler, who lives at the Cherry Street Missions, said he has sold more than 1,000 papers since he started vending.

“I had no idea how to sell papers, I had no idea how to talk to anybody because I was a convicted convict,” Staler said, referring to his first day of vending.

“I sold 10 papers in an hour and bought 20, sold them in a couple hours, bought 30, and now I start buying anywhere from 40-60.”

Staler said he attributes his success in sales to his knowledge of the product. He said he reads each issue, which covers topics about poverty and community issues, from cover to cover, so he can inform potential buyers about pieces that might be of interest to them.

Staler and the other vendors buy their papers from Toledo Streets Managing Editor Amanda Moore, who publishes an issue once a month, then sells them for 25 cents to vendors on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the Downtown area, Staler said. The vendors then sell them for $1 throughout the week.

Staler said that sometimes people will give him $1 or even five, and not even want a paper.

“I had one guy and he came out of the courtroom mad and he cussed me out, and I told him ‘God bless,’ and he goes to his Hummer,” Staler said. “He came [back] and had what I thought was a five and he said, ‘Can I please have a paper?’ and I took the five, gave him a paper and said ‘God bless you’and he gets to the Hummer and I open it up and it’s a fifty!”

“I ran over there and said, ‘Hey! You know what you gave me?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, a $50’” Staler said. “‘Why?’ ‘The spirit told me you needed it. Plus you gave me two God bless you’s so we should be just about even here, shouldn’t we?’”

Staler said he feels blessed because of the kindness he has experienced from other people.

“God blesses me in a lot of ways. Hot dog vendors will give me a hot dog or a soda here and there. I’ve had people give me T-shirts and don’t even charge me nothing,” Staler said. “I got clerks here, a magistrate, some cops and a couple lawyers who regularly  buy papers from me, or just give me money.”

Inside the Toledo Streets publication, there’s a vendor code of conduct with 10 specifications, which include rules about not selling under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not selling other products along with the paper and respecting the space of other vendors.

“The agreement is that if a vendor has a specific area he works at all the time, and if he or she’s not there, another vendor can be there but as soon as the other person shows up, they gotta leave,” Staler said.

Toledo Streets is a member of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) and International Network of Street Papers (INSP). 1Matters has funded the startup of three street publications, the other two being Groundcover News in Ann Arbor and Thrive in Detroit.

Ken Leslie said he hopes to expand the “Make Change, Don’t Give Change”campaign, which is the panhandling alternative initiative of 1Matters.

Leslie said people can help the cause by visiting toledostreets.org/coupons and downloading the printable coupons to hand out to panhandlers on the street. The coupons read,

“If you were selling Toledo Streets, I would be giving you $1 (or more) right now,” with information about how to become a vendor.

“It would be wonderful for all panhandling to be replaced with employment,” Leslie said. “For the record, we are not against panhandling, as people have the right to do it. But we know that in reality it does not help those who do it. When I was on the street I learned
it pounds you down. When you’re begging and scheming, esteem goes down. For every paper sold, esteem goes up, whether they want it to or not?

Kuron: “Colonel, make it a double, please!”

By
Toledo Free Press
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Several years ago I helped a friend paint his house. The idea of sacrificing a whole day off from work, to work, made me balk at first. However, I succumbed out of loyalty toward our friendship and the 12-pack he offered as payment. Vices do have an inherent lure, don’t they? Well, there was a bit of that in the U.S. armed forces during the War of 1812.

Alcohol consumption in our new, emerging country was widespread and prolific and there were few restrictions of its use in the military. In fact, it was used as an incentive to serve. At our own Fort Meigs, and other fortresses in our area, it was pretty standard procedure for every man to receive a gil of whisky or rum per day. A gil? Well, that’s four ounces, or what they called a “quarter-pint,” of hard liquor, packing at least a 100-proof wallop.

Don’t get the wrong idea, there was plenty of patriotism in the 1812 military and militia, and it wasn’t the simple lure of free booze that prompted them to risk their lives, but it did help make up for other deficiencies. Our young government was frequently lax in providing the troops with some vital items like clothing, firearms and even their pay. Alcohol, however, was almost always in-stock even if food wasn’t — the officers made certain of it. The warmth of a few shots probably saved more than a few lives of men who were nearly frozen in threadbare linen shirts during brutal wilderness winters. And wounded soldiers drew courage from it as they faced battlefield amputations and surgeries with no other anesthesia.

Consider that the attack of Fort Meigs came predominantly in the form of British cannonballs being fired across the Maumee River at our fortress. Their arsenal seemed limitless, ours very sparse. What to do? Well, our commander, Gen. William Harrison, offered an extra gil to any man who dared retrieve an enemy cannon ball that had missed its mark. Hundreds of balls were thus recovered.

Now it wasn’t that all these men were alcoholics, though surely many had built up a decent tolerance. Early Americans were raised on alcohol. The reason was not simply for the obvious pleasure. It was primarily a matter of health. Water was often contaminated with all sorts of bacteria and viruses causing disease and death. The frontiersmen didn’t quite understand the specifics, but they found that drinking fermented water solved many of their disease issues, and it sure tasted better.

Since our founding, until temperance movements began to have an influence around 1830, many families on the frontier had their own beer brewing equipment. On a weekly basis, the woman of the house would typically make a batch of hard cider or “small beer,” a low-alcohol stout sweetened with molasses. Men, women and children would routinely have a pint for breakfast. Men would usually have a pint or two at midday, again at dinner, and of course a nightcap.

Although regular drinking was a way of life, drunkenness was seriously frowned upon. There were severe penalties for a sentry who jeopardized numerous lives by being found drunk at his post. And no villages wanted a town drunk causing a ruckus. In a bit of irony, the use of spirits instead of water for health reasons, when consumed in excess, caused those individuals to lose any sense of hygiene, thus making them susceptible to life-threatening germs anyway.

Still another reason for regular consumption of whisky, rum, cider and beer was that it was the only way to keep the abundant excesses of corn, sugarcane, fruit and grains preserved. For the locals on the frontier, a drink was a cheap commodity, but it was also a very lucrative “export” to the East Coast.

Breweries making full-strength stout sprang up everywhere as the country grew. By 1810, 132 of them were in operation in the U.S. It wasn’t until 1838 that the first brewery in the Toledo area began selling its Buckeye beer at Consaul and Front streets, still a landmark today as the home of Tony Packo’s restaurant.

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

Bugle Call: upcoming events (2012)

  • Visit Fort Meigs May 26-27 and see recreated battles, musket and artillery demonstrations, and camp life demonstrations during their “1st Siege 1813: War of 1812 Re-enactment & Memorial Day Ceremony.” On Memorial Day, a special wreath-laying ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. in front of the monument within the fort.
  • Visit Fort Meigs June 2 for a beautiful, musical summer evening in commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the 50th anniversary of the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra as it performs Melodies on the Maumee, a celebration concert.Visit www.fortmeigs.org or call (419) 874-4121 for complete details about all upcoming events.

Sanderling celebrates 10-year anniversary with TSO

By
Sarah Marie Thompson
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Stefan Sanderling conducts the Toledo Symphony Orchestra at it 2011 debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. Photo courtesy TSO.

The Toledo Symphony Orchestra’s (TSO) May 19 season finale featured Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 9 in E Minor,” music that brought Maestro Stefan Sanderling full circle.

The Dvorak piece was the first Sanderling conducted with TSO in his 2002 debut, and it closed the 2012 season on his 10th anniversary with the orchestra.

Sanderling said he has felt welcomed in Toledo since his arrival.

“When I arrived at the Toledo Express Airport, I walked off the airplane into the arrival hall, and there was a picture saying something like, ‘Toledo Symphony Orchestra welcomes you to Toledo.’ I thought, ‘This is a great place. This is the place I want to be,’” Sanderling said.

Sanderling

Kathy Carroll, TSO president and CEO, said Sanderling has brought a unique insight to the orchestra, allowing musicians to achieve their personal best and display that.

“It isn’t enough to just have people who are really good at what they do, but real leadership comes from making the best of that when you pull it all together. It takes a lot of balancing, insight and knowledge,” Carroll said.

Sanderling said the musicians he has conducted have progressed tremendously, with a great desire to improve.

“The orchestra wants to be better, and wants to achieve more. That is why we have such a wonderful relationship,” he said. “It is not just one side that pushes with the other side having resistance; both conductor and orchestra want the same thing, and that is to have a world-class orchestra in Toledo.”

Renewing the vows

Sanderling conducted Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 9,” better known as the “New World Symphony” in 2002.

“I looked at the program and I thought, ‘Isn’t it time for me, after 10 years, to repeat the Dvorak symphony?’ I love the symphony very much so its’ like renewing the vows. I think this was a good idea, and it worked out very nicely,” Sanderling said.

A standing ovation echoed through the Toledo Museum of Art’s Peristyle Theater following the performance, which also featured Tianwa Yang on violin.

“All of those people in the theater are experiencing something together and there is a power that happens when great music is performed at a high level. It is hugely impactful to bring a whole crowd of people to the same conclusion,” Carroll said.

Music at an early age

Sanderling, a native of the former East Germany, was born to Kurt and Barbara Sanderling in 1964. With parents whose occupations were conductor and musician respectively, Stefan was exposed to music at an early age.

After obtaining a degree from the University of Southern California, Sanderling returned to Germany, gaining accreditation as one of Germany’s youngest chief conductors.

He then returned to the United States to serve as the music director of the Florida Orchestra and later accepted his current position as principal conductor of the TSO.

Sanderling celebrates his 10th anniversary one year after the orchestra’s debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. An estimated 1,400 people traveled from the Toledo area to New York City to hear the TSO make its debut.

“The Carnegie Hall appearance was much more a consequence of our direction, our way, our path than it was a moment. We worked very hard the nine years before that and as a result we were are able to compete and sustain our high level of quality in Carnegie Hall,” Sanderling said.

Sanderling said the question is not in finding the relevancy of classical music, but rather how to show that, in fact, it is relevant.

“Classical music simply is relevant, and I am very grateful to Toledo, and the patrons of the TSO that they actually see this. Toledo is on the threshold of becoming an arts hub, and that is something wonderful. I am very excited to be part of it,” Sanderling said.

The Carnegie trip could be considered Sanderling’s highlight with TSO, but he said there have been several memorable experiences and every concert he conducts is a highlight.

“The beauty of being music director is that I only conduct what I really love, and really believe in. I have the right and the duty to look forward to every single program I conduct,” Sanderling said.

The TSO’s 69th season will commence this September and will feature several new scores and a trip to China. Sanderling said he plans to collaborate with local arts organizations to emphasize the symphony’s strengths.

A full schedule of the upcoming season can be found at www.toledosymphony.com.

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