News 2008-07-21 Andanh.com

Port flap raises questions about mayors motivation
The mayor who once labeled a neighboring city as a Peyton Place has turned back the covers on a melodrama rivaling that famous tale of small-town pettiness right in his own city but is also facing questions about his own motivations.
Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has demanded an investigation into allegations of an extramarital affair involving James Hartung, president of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, the agency that oversees economic growth in the region. At the same time, some are wondering whether Mr. Finkbeiners championing of morals isnt simply a reaction to being left out of the loop over a series of recent development projects. How is it that Carty Finkbeiner is suddenly the morals police officer here? asked Brian McMahon, a developer who has clashed with Mr. Finkbeiner over a proposal for an intermodal hub near the Toledo Express Airport. Mr. Finkbeiners publicized accusations involving Mr. Hartung have forced an inquiry into the culture of the port authority, Toledos lead economic development agency.
There has been a mess in place and there has been for the last few years, Mr. Finkbeiner said during a news conference on Wednesday. It needs to be brought to a cleansing position, cleaned up, eliminated so they can move forward without any of that which has taken place in the last few years. On July 11, Mr. Finkbeiner went public with an accusation he had heard from recognized persons in our community that Mr. Hartung had had an extramarital affair with Kathy Teigland, a former administrative aide to U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (R., Ohio) who had been hired to serve as a lobbyist for a consortium of Lucas County governments, colleges, and economic development agencies. Mr. Finkbeiner said Mr. Hartung had been aggressively lobbying him during 2007 and 2008 about paying a $25,000 bill from Ms. Teigland for her lobbying work. After Mr. Finkbeiner rebuffed his efforts, saying the city couldnt afford it, Mr. Hartung started approaching the mayors underlings about the matter. In a terse note Oct. 16, Mr. Finkbeiner said Ms. Teigland had earned nothing. This year we have a $10 million budget deficit, Kathy delivered nothing. I dont believe we owe Kathy a penny, the mayor wrote.
The city later paid $5,000 to the Legislative Consortium and declared the relationship terminated. Mr. Finkbeiner called on port authority Chairman William Carroll to investigate accusations of the affair. In a letter released July 11, the mayor said he had a concern about the reputation and/or moral fiber of the port authority. He also wrote that somethings very wrong about the chief sponsor of a lobbyist having an alleged extramarital affair with that same person. The mayor went a step further Wednesday and called for an outside inquiry. Mr. Carroll has hired an investigator. Mr. Hartung has been silent about the accusation. Kevin Greenfield, an attorney for Mr. Hartung, said his client was cooperating with the investigation of the alleged affair. [Mr. Hartung] has fully complied with all of the terms of his employment duty, and he will keep doing so, Mr. Greenfield said. Ms. Teigland has not returned telephone calls from The Blade.
Mr. Hartungs quest for funds to support Ms. Teiglands services as a lobbyist also met resistance from at least one other member of the consortium as her contract wound to a close. Steve Weathers, president of the Regional Growth Partnership economic development agency, said he didnt want to contribute when Mr. Hartung appealed to him for funds to support Ms. Teiglands work in 2007. But he concluded that the growth partnership had made a commitment, and so he provided a $25,000 contribution. As for Mr. Hartung and Ms. Teiglands behavior, Kathy and Jim were always at the highest professional standard, Mr. Weathers said. To me, if somebody has committed to this they should pay what they owe and then move on. This is not worth all this, he said. Mr. Weathers said Ms. Teigland was frustrated because the partners couldnt agree on their priorities to take to Washington. Those meetings there was a lot of attendance, but nobody could agree on anything, Mr. Weathers said.
Private behavior The mayors indignation at what he sees as a moral failing on the part of Mr. Hartung contrasts with some of his comments in the past when he has been critical of those who judge other peoples private behavior. In May, 1997, while addressing an audience of Toledo boosters, Mr. Finkbeiner described Perrysburg, where he once lived, as Peyton Place, an apparent reference to the 1960s tale about sex in small towns. The mayor later apologized for the remarks. And in July, 2007, in the midst of a dispute over claims that a Democratic Party golf course fund-raiser had included strippers, Mr. Finkbeiner suggested critics of the event were being moralistic. Sometimes the finger-pointers turn out to be slightly less goody-two-shoes than they made themselves out to be, Mr. Finkbeiner said. Politicians ought to be careful because we live in a fishbowl. Hes not the king Two businessmen who have been involved in discussions with the city and the port authority concerning the possible development of one or more intermodal terminals in Toledo facilities where freight is transferred from one mode of transportation to another, typically in shipping containers offered an alternative scenario for the timing of Mr. Finkbeiners criticism of the port authority president. The mayor increasingly is being shoved to the sidelines of economic-development discussions, developers Mr. McMahon and David Hall said. Most recently, they said, Mr. Finkbeiner was not invited on a July 1 port authority trip to Nova Scotia to meet with business leaders there who are developing a deepwater port that could team up with Toledos port or others on the Great Lakes to handle containerized freight traveling between the midwestern United States and overseas ports.
Mr. Finkbeiner is lashing out because hes not the king, Mr. McMahon said. Mr. Hall, a Streetsboro, Ohio-based developer who has been involved in several proposals to build new freight-handling facilities in the Toledo area, said there often are disagreements between government and the private sector over development projects, but Toledos mayor introduces what Mr. Hall calls the the wacko factor. Matt Sapara, the port authoritys economic development director, offered a similar assessment in a memo he sent to Mr. Hartung after Mr. Finkbeiner complained last month that he wasnt receiving timely updates about progress on a proposed coke works on the Oregon-Toledo city line. Mr. Sapara wrote that Mr. Finkbeiner betrayed the confidentiality of candid reports he had received, making the projects more complicated. The project sponsors have related to me several very uncomfortable and heated discussions with the mayors office, Mr. Sapara wrote. Due to these actions, I have been instructed by the project sponsors to not share detailed information with the city of Toledo. A widening rift Mr. Hartung said last week he was mystified by the widening rift between the mayor and him. I wish I knew, Mr. Hartung said. Last time I left Carty, it was very collegial. I have no idea of any motive. City Councilman Mike Collins said he thought the allegations arose after Mr. Finkbeiner clashed with Mr. Hartung about the development of intermodal transportation in Toledo. Mr. Hartung and Dr. Lloyd Jacobs, president of the University of Toledo, were part of the nine-member delegation to Nova Scotia that U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) led but Mr. Finkbeiner was not a part of. He didnt have any role in it, Mr. Collins said. He would find that patently offensive.
Carla Firestone, the port authoritys current communications director, said Mr. Hartung had given a presentation about the Nova Scotia project to a Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce meeting that Mr. Finkbeiner attended, during which he mentioned the upcoming trip. The mayor would have been invited on the trip had he expressed any interest at that time, the spokesman said. It wasnt a purposeful thing; it just seemed like there was no interest there, Ms. Firestone said. A different route Mr. Finkbeiner is a supporter of intermodal transport in the region, but he has often taken a route different from that of Mr. Hartung and the port authority, setting up his own committee to investigate the issue. He also has blasted Mr. McMahons preference for developing such a facility on land near Toledo Express Airport, which the port authority owns. Mr. Hartung confirmed that the mayor had excluded Mr. McMahon from a meeting last year during which the intermodal concept was discussed among city and port authority leaders. Im not sure to what extent the mayor feels Brian is a credible resource, the port president said. According to an aide, Elizabeth Phillips, Mr. Finkbeiner refused The Blades request for an interview Friday. Instead, he issued a statement saying that he is concerned that a vital public institution is being damaged in its functioning and its public image by a lack of leadership, candor, and integrity. The only way to restore those values is to confront the current problems head on, to find out what happened, find what needs to be done to repair the damage, and then to do those things. The city can accept nothing less. Past issues Mr. Hartung and Mr. Finkbeiner two of the most important figures in this regions economic development have a history of butting heads. Mr. Hartungs name has been floated as a possible opponent for Mr. Finkbeiner in the upcoming election, although Mr. Hartung said he has no interest in running for office. In October, 2007, Mr. Finkbeiner announced he would be pulling out of the Lucas County Improvement Corp., a county economic development agency that Mr. Hartung has supported. But some officials noted that Mr. Hartung and Mr. Finkbeiner have worked together on some projects. Theyve cooperated and disagreed on projects, Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said, citing the Marina District project as an area where the city and the port authority have worked well together. Many Toledo City Council members felt the controversy could hurt the regions job-creation efforts. It is not the mayors place to point fingers and shout out accusations on anybody. He has a history of doing that, and he continues to do it, Councilman Michael Ashford said. This is the wrong message to economic developers, especially in this region. Mr. McMahon said he too is worried that the conflict will torpedo ongoing economic development efforts,like the Nova Scotia project. They could just say, Were not going to step in this mess, Mr. McMahon said. It doesnt help. It doesnt show cohesive direction for the community, Mr. Carroll, the port directors chairman, said of the ongoing strife. Blade staff writers Tom Troy and Alex M. Parker contributed to this report. Contact David Patch at:dpatch@theblade.comor 419-724-6094.

Natives support Republican goal of drilling for oil
When 10 Republican congressmen 9 of them freshmen facing a crucial re-election in November set boots on tundra today in Alaska, theyll meet with native villagers who will likely agree with them on the need to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
But political opponents and environmentalists say the GOP journey to one of Americas northernmost outposts is a junket and a public relations stunt. The Republicans, including Reps. Bob Latta of Bowling Green and Jim Jordan of Urbana, Ohio, say the trip is a fact-finding mission. But they also admit its an effort to generate public support for expanding Americas domestic supply of oil by drilling in the known reserves of ANWR. Several residents of the small native village of Kaktovik who were contacted by The Blade Friday by telephone said the majority of the residents lean in favor of drilling for oil because of the economic benefit it would bring their community. More people support it here than dont, said Adam Linn, administrator for the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation.
We dont care for environmentalists. Weve got our own criteria. As long as the animals are not harmed and we can still hunt them, thats fine, Mr. Linn said. A gallon of milk costs $9 here. Thats how high the cost of living is. If they open ANWR, itll cut down on our prices. The trip, which began Friday in Washington and ends tomorrow night, takes the GOP House delegation to Colorado, Fairbanks, the oil town of Deadhorse at Prudhoe Bay, and the native village of Kaktovik. On Friday, the American Energy Tour visited the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., where the group viewed projects including plug-in electric, solar, and hydrogen-fueled vehicles and a wind-to-hydrogen project.
The trip is being funded and facilitated by the Bush Administration. President Bush hascalled for drilling in the coastal plain of the 19-million-acre wildlife refuge north of the Arctic Circle. The best estimates of the volume of oil beneath ANWR are about 10.6 billion barrels a lot of oil, but a fraction of the total known reserves in the world of 1.2 trillion barrels. Some estimate that, if fully developed, ANWR could produce 750,000 barrels of oil daily compared with current national daily consumption of 21 million barrels of oil. Everything helps, and 10 billion barrels is not an insignificant amount, said Michael Steel, press secretary for Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio), the House minority leader who organized the trip.
A political issue Recent polls show that the American public supports drilling in ANWR, and Mr. Steel predicted most Democrats in Congress would vote for it as well. It is the House leadership that is avoiding letting that happen, he said. Critics of the congressional trip abound. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) issued a statement linking the House Republicans with the failed policies of President Bush. She said oil companies already have leases to drill on 68 million acres on land and off shore that they have not exploited. Opening new lands to drilling wont save Americans one penny for at least a decade, Mrs. Pelosi said, again calling on Republicans to support her call to release oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) called the trip a junket and a public relations stunt at taxpayers expense in an election year. The Boehner-led delegation wants to send pretty pictures back home when the picture isnt pretty at all, Miss Kaptur said in a prepared statement, adding that families are being stretched to the limit while oil companies revel in historic high profits. Whats next on their agenda for Big Oil, drilling in Lake Erie? Miss Kaptur asked. Mr. Steel said hes heard no calls for sinking oil wells in the Great Lakes. An up-close view Residents of Kaktovik, the small village at the northern tip of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, support drilling by 78 percent, according to a survey done several years ago. Marie Kaveolook, a part-time school aide, said the community is united in opposing off-shore drilling from ANWR. But she said the technology of accessing and transporting oil is improving. It would help a lot because the cost of living here is very, very, very, very expensive, Ms. Kaveolook said, quoting the price of a round-trip to Fairbanks at more than $700. There are no roads leading out of Kaktovik. She said the village has seen numerous fact-finding delegations come and go. They come every year. They just ask the same old questions. It seems like to me its the same old thing every year, Ms. Kaveolook said. They should have done this 20 years ago. A town resident who opposes drilling is Merylin Traynor, who moved to Kaktovik 14 years ago and manages the Waldo Arms hotel. I would say [opinion is split] 50-50. I think some of our younger people want to keep it as it is, so they can go hunting and fishing as theyve learned from childhood, she said. She admitted the development would be an economic benefit for the people in Kaktovik. The locals here could have jobs, Ms. Traynor said. She said the perception that the coastal plain is a desolate wasteland might be understandable for people who are used to seeing trees. Its beautiful here. Weve got fields of flowers right now. The birds nest here. Weve got polar bears, she said. A sacred place The native Gwichin people who live about 150 miles south, also in the refuge, are said to oppose drilling. Emilie Surrusco, a communications coordinator for the Alaska Wilderness League, based in Washington, said the Gwichin consider the Coastal Plain a sacred place where the caribou birth and nurse their young. The Gwichin people have been depending on the porcupine caribou herd for thousands of years, and without the costal plain they wouldnt survive. Its a huge issue to them, Ms. Surrusco said. She said the 2,000 acres cited by proponents of drilling as the total size of the drilling installations dont explain that it would be a total of 2,000 acres made up of widely separated drilling facilities connected by roads. Theyd have to connect the various wells that are spread out across the coastal plain. Theres nothing there. Its really the biological heart of the refuge. Theres a lot of wildlife that live on the coastal plain, Ms. Surrusco said. Nature and development Mr. Linn said the Kaktovik village owns 90,000 acres in ANWR and expects to reap lease payments for the use of the land, as well as benefit economically. He disputed Ms. Surruscos predictions about the porcupine caribou herd, saying the Prudhoe Bay drilling to the west has not harmed the caribou. They say the caribou die off. But those guys live hundreds of miles away. Weve seen it in Prudhoe. Theres caribou right there in the oilfields, Mr. Linn said. A written position of the Kaktovik community that it says has been held for 20 years states: We would support oil exploration and development of the coastal plain provided we are given the authority and the resources to ensure that it is done properly and safely. Without the necessary provisions to ensure this protection, we would not. Contact Tom Troy at:tomtroy@theblade.comor 419-724-6058.

Lucas County Fair marks its 150th year
As county fairs go, the one that kicks off its 150th year this week in Lucas County is not the biggest, oldest, or most well-attended in northwest Ohio.
Yet one unique distinction the Lucas County Fair could claim is that it is the regions most urbanized: farmland surroundings long gave way to subdivisions of houses and apartments; the family barn became a two-car garage. And being what insiders call a city fair is not so beneficial for bringing in large numbers of agricultural and livestock exhibits two enduring mainstays of county fair culture. When it comes to attendance numbers, a sore spot in recent years, the fact of the matter for fair board President Dave Pruss is there are now too many other nearby festivals and summer events for the fair to capture attention as it did in yesteryear. The fair attracted more than 100,000 annual visitors in the early 1980s. Last year, it drew about 40,000.
In contrast, the rural Fulton County Fair counted a record 281,091 visitors last year when its own 150th anniversary celebration dominated local community calendars. Back then you didnt have all the entertainment in the Toledo area going on, Mr. Pruss said. Its rough competition when youre in a city fair. But city-slicker life hasnt dampened hopes this year in Lucas County for a successful six-day fair that will educate and amuse both spectators and exhibitors and hopefully keep finances out of the red. Mr. Pruss predicted the determining factor for turnout will again be the weather, since rain could keep tens of thousands of people at home. The Lucas County Agricultural Society, which operates as the fair board, also hopes to draw a larger crowd for this years 150th anniversary.
Back in time As far as is known, the fair has been held almost every year since 1858 and in at least four locations. The only break in the annual tradition occurred in 1917, the year the fair board sold its location in present-day central Toledo to buy the fairgrounds in Maumee off Key Street in what at the time was Adams Township. Nearly half a century later, a story in The Blade explained the mystery of this missing fair, which by then was causing much confusion. The article quoted L. Wade Fullington, the 1964 fair manager, on his recent discovery in the record books that there was no money left in 1917 after the Lucas County Agricultural Society finished making payments on the 122-acre Maumee land and had built its grandstand, so the fair was postponed a year.
The new site was known as Fort Miami Fairgrounds, and contained a horse-racing track that remained popular for decades during weeks of the year between the fair. In 1929 it became the first horse track in the country to install night lighting. Yet by the early 1960s, auto racing had moved to Toledo Speedway and harness racing to Raceway Park. The county soon took control of the fairgrounds and built the Lucas County Recreation Center, which, in 1965, became home to the Toledo Mud Hens in Ned Skeldon Stadium. Today, the fair board rents about 40 acres of the original grounds year round and during fair week gains control of the full site, Mr. Pruss said. Through the decades, musical acts, and entertainment have come and gone. The more eccentric have included a greased-pig contest, a strong-man competition, and the 1976 visit by a traveling miniature White House. For this years event, nearly 250 livestock have been signed-up, more than 140 fair vendors are registered, and there should be 15 different mechanical rides for visitors, fair officials said. The fair budget is about $275,000. Urbanized counties In addition to Lucas County, other urbanized counties in the state face similar challenges come fair season. David Stephan, board president of the Cuyahoga County Fair, which includes Cleveland, said residents in and around cities have so many entertainment options they are not as inclined as those in rural areas to consider the fair as a big yearly event. Nevertheless, Mr. Stephan said his fair manages to bring in between 150,000 and 180,000 people during a year with good weather. And to compensate for the lack of farms in the Cleveland area, the fair pays farmers in other parts of the state to show their livestock at the Cuyahoga County Fair. In Lucas County, though, with declining attendance came occasional money troubles during the 1980s and 1990s. To raise revenue, the fair started selling beer. A loss of tradition Today some veteran fair-goers, such as Peggy Brown, an adviser for the Anthony Wayne Trailblazers, a 4-H group, believe the event has lost touch with its roots. Its become more of a carnival atmosphere, said Mrs. Brown of South Toledo, who has been involved in the fair for nearly 40 years. The saddest thing is the fewer animals and less emphasis on the agricultural elements. For Mrs. Brown, this decline gained speed about 25 years ago following the demolition of an old animal showing barn. The buildings replacement, Recreation Hall 2, was built to accommodate show animals but has never been used for that purpose, Mr. Pruss said. Another longtime 4-H volunteer, Vicki Ryan of Monclova Township, said the animals that do appear at the fair are often exceptional. We dont have as many livestock at our fair, but we do have quality, she said. When you dont have a whole farm of animals, then if one of those kids is going to buy just two steers or two pigs, or even one pig to show, they are going to take such good care of it. So over and over again, as Ive seen the decline in the number of livestock, Ive seen the quality increase. Mrs. Ryan said she has also seen the gender integration of 4-H and FFA groups. Girls and boys now participate in competitions once reserved for the opposite sex. Before the 1970s, for example, most female 4-H groups did homemaking skills like cooking and sewing. Back to the country? The newly organized Lucas County Agricultural Society had its first county fair in 1858 at the fairgrounds on West Bancroft Street in Toledo. The August, 1871, fair was held at Put-in-Bay as a joint festival by the Lucas and Erie county agricultural societies, according to information compiled by a former fair board secretary. Sometime in the later portion of the 1800s the date is unclear the fair moved to several dozen acres of ground in what is now central Toledo. This Dorr Street location, between Parkside Boulevard and Upton Avenue, was called the Tri-State Fairgrounds, and thousands would journey either by horse and buggy or the old Dorr Street streetcar line. As the citys residential and industrial neighborhoods grew along Dorr Street, the fair moved to the once rural setting of present day Maumee. Fair board officials said they would be open to moving the fair again ideally out of the city and back to the country. If we could find someone who could give us a hundred plus acres, we probably would be out of here, fair board Secretary Kathy Wenz said. Contact JC Reindl at:jreindl@theblade.comor 419-724-6065.

Toledo TV weatherman arrested
Local television weatherman Mike Morrison was arrested early Sunday on misdemeanor charges of public indecency, intoxication, and resisting arrest, a police report shows.
According to the report, police arrested Mr. Morrison, 41, at 1:10 a.m. at 18 Main St. in East Toledo and took him to the Lucas County jail, where he was held for several hours and released. Police gave an address of 6015 Nebraska Ave. for Mr. Morrison, who is chief meteorologist at WUPW-TV, Foxs Toledo affiliate. He joined the station in 2006 after stints in Grand Junction, Colo. and Corpus Christi, Texas.

Friends mourn man killed in East Toledo
With her father by her side, Bianca Salinas yesterday placed a red rose on a makeshift memorial in the grass near the corner of Idaho and White streets in East Toledo, where a 19-year-old man was fatally shot Friday night.
Kenneth Kimble, of 721 Raymer Blvd., who his family and friends knew as Kenny, was shot once in the torso and died shortly after arriving at St. Charles Mercy Hospital. The bullet pierced his heart, Dr. Maneesha Pandey, a Lucas County deputy coroner, said.
"I don't know why this had to happen," said John Salinas, who often played basketball with Mr. Kimble and his younger brother Shannon. They were friends of his daughter.
"I am totally lost and confused. It hasn't sunk in yet." The shooting occurred just outside the St. Thomas Aquinas Church Festival about 10:10 p.m. after Mr. Kimble and another man apparently began fighting, police said. Mr. Kimble lived about a block from where he was shot. Mr. Salinas said he had spoken with Mr. Kimble earlier in the night at the festival. Toledo police Detective Bob Schroeder said there are varying accounts of what occurred before the shooting.
Several witnesses have reported that there were about five or six black males on one side of the street and about a dozen Hispanic males on the other. "Some witnesses have said it was gang-related," the detective said, stressing he could not make that conclusion at this point. Detective Schroeder said the street was "wall to wall" with people when the shooting occurred, sending people running and screaming in panic. "It was mayhem," he said.
No one has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
Tyler Kimble said his older brother, who played basketball at Waite High School, had aspirations of playing professionally.
He idolized Yao Ming, a center for the Houston Rockets who averages 22 points a game.
At 6 feet, 2 inches tall, Mr. Kimble stood about a foot-and-a-half shorter than his favorite player.
But Tyler said that didn't keep his brother from dunking the ball.
"He had a good dunker," Tyler said.
Sharon Collins lives on Idaho, a few houses from where the shooting occurred.
She was on her porch with a neighbor Friday night when she saw a large crowd of people approach the corner of Idaho and White.
Ms. Collins said a few people exchanged punches, and then most of the people took off running.
While on her way to alert police of the fight, Ms. Collins said she heard a gunshot.
She turned around to see the victim fall to the ground.
A news release from the St. Thomas Aquinas Festival announced that, beginning last night, children under the age of 18 would not be allowed on the festival grounds after 8 p.m. unless they were accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The release states that the tragedy that occurred near the festival Friday night "deeply concerns and saddens us."
It goes on to say that providing a safe environment for all those in attendance has always been, and remains, a primary objective for the festival. The festival continues today.
Contact Laren Weber at:
lweber@theblade.com or 419-724-6050.

Mall cleanup is better use of money
The Blade on July 6 included a story detailing the state of disrepair and maintenance backlog at "America's front yard," the National Mall in Washington. The mall's maintenance problems are a small part of the National Park Services well-documented $6 billion dollar maintenance backlog.
Now, U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green) and a contingent of Republicans are being flown on Air Force jets to Colorado for a tour of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Then they'll fly to Fairbanks, Alaska, for a day and then on to Kaktovik and Deadhorse on Alaska's North Slope. The purpose? To open the North Slope to oil drilling. The trip is being paid for by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
What is wrong with this picture? Several things come to mind. If seeing the North Slope is valuable to our elected representatives, why are no Democrats included? How much will this trip cost? As a voter and taxpayer, I question the decision to sponsor this trip, especially since the National Park Service is part of the Department of the Interior. The money might have been better spent on the National Mall - maybe to clean the muck from the Reflecting Pond.
Or they could have invited me on the trip. I'd have love to go to Alaska at taxpayer expense.
Sue Morgenroth
Monclova Township
Oil companies profit from ANWR reserve If, according to Rep. Bob Latta, policies such as oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge "now enjoy overwhelming support" by the American people, said people should be aware of some important facts.
It would take at least 10 years to see any production from proposed drilling in ANWR.
According to "Official Energy Statistics" from the federal Energy Information Administration: "ANWR oil production is not projected to have a large impact on world oil prices. the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could neutralize any potential price impact of ANWR oil production by reducing its oil exports by an equal amount."
If oil exploration in ANWR would not help consumers, who would it benefit?
The same companies who are enjoying record profits during the current crisis: BP, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips to name a few.
Cassandra Edwards
Potomac Drive
Drilling isn't answer to our energy crisis Everyone is talking about doing more drilling for oil and natural gas. Sen. John McCain, who first supported saving endangered areas, now says drill, drill, drill.
Even if they do drill, many of the experts say, it will still take up to 10 years before even one barrel of oil could be pumped out of the ground.
We humans have raped the land and ignored what will happen down the road. Drilling isn't the answer. There are other means to find energy but the government has dragged its feet for so long, it's almost too late.
Bruce Whalen
Fredonia Avenue
Bush declared war on the middle class The stock market is now about 20 percent below its value level before George W. Bush became President more than seven long years ago. It is obvious that the tax cuts for the wealthy made by Mr. Bush and the Republicans contributed to our economic woes. After all, Japan lowered the tax rate on capital gains and its stock market is worth about half of what it was more than 15 years ago.
It is hard for me to believe that President Bush and the Republicans would purposely sabotage our stock market, knowing it would cripple the world's top economy. But the alternate implies that our elected officials are so foolish they'd make major tax changes without first studying the effect these changes would have on the economy.
What kind of leader takes audacious action without first thinking through the consequences?
When George W. Bush proudly proclaimed he was a "war president" six years ago, I didn't realize he had declared war on America's middle class.
Ken Close
Orchard Tree Lane
Free market is able to take care of itself Both Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain want to tax the windfall profits or excess profits of the oil companies. This is one more of the numerous reasons I couldn't vote for either of them.
What they miss is that in a free-market economy there is no such thing as excess profit, and if we are not operating in a free market, politicians such as those two are the reasons.
The free market always works because it is the only moral economic system. Unlike other systems, it is a voluntary exchange between the producer and the consumer. It is consumer-driven and price-regulated.
In a free market, before I trade my dollar for a product or service I have to value the product more than the dollar or what it will buy. The exchange is always a win-win or it doesn't take place. We often hear of big business as a negative, but in a free market, competition quickly enters the market to take advantage of a money-making opportunity. This increases supply and brings price and profit back in line.
The problem with the energy crisis is that government entered the picture. Government has pandered to the radical environmentalist preventing us from drilling and preventing us from building refineries and nuclear-power plants. Lobbyist lawyers have thrown lawsuits against alternative energy, and freedom of the market has been removed.
When government creates a problem, the solution is always more government. Americans seem suicidal as they keep electing those at the federal and local levels who fail to understand the therapeutic value of the free market.
Jim Boehm
Drummond Road
Not everything old should be preserved Please. Give it a rest. Other than The Blade and a few diehard preservationists, no one is concerned about the Seneca County Courthouse. Every nuance of this "story" does not require a front page story and yet another editorial.
Ohio has 88 counties with 88 courthouses. It's not necessary to preserve every one of them. The people of Seneca County have voted against restoration. Not satisfied, a few preservationists led by The Blade now want to spend state money - my money - on this unneeded project.
If these few people in Seneca County want to see an old courthouse, let them come to Lucas County or one of the other counties that has a restored courthouse. If The Blade's editors want to see one, they can walk across the street.
As even The Blade will occasionally admit, not everything that's old must be saved. Sometimes, the old must make way for the new. This is one of those times.
Joseph E. Pflager
Maumee
Courageous editorial gave hope to cynic Bully for The Blade's blistering July 13 editorial calling on Gov. Ted Strickland to intervene and save the historic Seneca County courthouse. Sometimes it takes naked courage to do the right thing, defying convention and the go-along, get-along attitude that plagues our nation.
As an ex-newspaperman, I take off my hat to you. I've long grown disillusioned with the state of the media today, pandering to the powerful, and favoring entertainment and celebrity news over what is truly important. Imagine if our eastern seaboard papers, located in the nation's power centers, exhibited such courage; our nation would be a far better place to live.
Your editorial restores a little bit of hope that has left my cold cynic's heart. Thank you.
Steve Lindsey
Keene, N.H.
Lining up for iPhones Over the years, we have seen news photos of the long bread lines that appeared during the Great Depression in the early 1930s. Now we hear daily from the news media, various politicians, and pundits that we are in a recession and seeing very tough times.
I didn't realize how right they were until, alas, I saw - all over the United States - the long lines of people waiting for iPhones. How sad. Helen McWilliams Sylvania

Sharing the roads
RECORD-high gasoline prices are encouraging many Americans to abandon their love affair with sport-utility vehicles, pickups, sports cars, and the like, jilting them for more dainty models that sip rather than guzzle precious fuel.
Some drivers have gone a step further, leaving their four-wheeler parked in the driveway and jumping instead onto bicycles, mopeds, motor scooters, and motorcycles to go to work, school, or even a night on the town.
But as the recent accident involving the daughter and son-in-law of Ohio State University President Gordon Gee makes clear, travel at the rate of 100 miles per gallon - or even free - can be dangerous.
Dr. Rebekah Gee and her husband, Dr. Allan Moore, were injured a week ago when the Vespa motor scooter they were riding collided with a Land Rover in suburban Philadelphia. Police have not indicated who was at fault in the accident but that hardly matters. With ever-higher fuel prices likely to be the norm, more and more scooters, mopeds, motorcycles, and bikes are going to be sharing the road with cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans, meaning that two-wheel and four-wheel drivers need to be aware and wary of each other's presence.
The current fuel crisis, while bad for the price of almost everything and devastating on sales of new and used SUVs, pickups, and other low-mpg vehicles, has a number of positive results, not the least of which is that more people (and especially teenagers) are driving fewer miles and, according to reports, dying less frequently on the nation's roads and highways.
At the same time, more bicycles, mopeds, scooters and motorcycles on the road will undoubtedly mean a surge in the number of injuries and fatalities involving two-wheeled vehicles, injuries and deaths that often could be prevented by a little heightened awareness on the part of drivers of cars, vans, and trucks.
The problem, as every bike, moped, scooter, and motorcycle rider knows, is that they're essentially invisible. Drivers often just don't see people on two wheels - even when they're looking right at them - and therefore turn in front of them, cut them off, move into their lane, or pass too close.
The resulting accident seldom injures anyone encased in the passenger compartment of a Chrysler, Jeep, or Toyota but can be devastating for the bike rider who has nothing between himself and the road except a helmet and a pair of jeans.
The solution is greater attention to safety by the drivers of both vehicles. Two-wheel operators have to be acutely aware of their vulnerability and drive as if they really can't be seen. Four-wheeled vehicles must tune their awareness to register the presence of two-wheelers.
Certainly, a generation or two ago, when every kid under the age of 16 owned a bike and rode it everywhere, drivers were more attuned to the fact that they were sharing the roads. With bicycles, mopeds, and motor scooters selling like hotcakes, those days have returned, and we are all responsible for making sure that saving gas does not cost lives.

Sell 'em Brussels sprouts
THE sale of Anheuser-Busch, which makes iconically American Budweiser beer, to the Belgian firm InBev is not necessarily another death rattle for the American economy, but it does carry some negative symbolism.
American companies are sold to foreign buyers all the time. Sometimes the sales get rolled back if the asset seems to have strategic importance. One example: the attempted sale of the management of a number of important American port facilities to a company held largely by the government of the Persian Gulf state of Dubai.
The sale of Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion appears to have been a straightforward commercial deal. The Belgians generally make good beer, so it is unlikely that the taste of A-B's product will become less palatable. The question in this case is whether the American psyche has suffered a blow because of the sale of this quintessential American company to foreigners.
The people of St. Louis, the longtime beer capital for A-B and the Busch family, are - pardon the expression - crying in their beer over the sale. Even though InBev assures them otherwise, they fear a loss of employment, not an unreasonable fear given that the American economy has shed nearly a half million jobs since the beginning of the year.
Another aspect of the sale is the fact that Cindy Helmsley McCain, wife of the Republican candidate for president, owns one of the country's largest distributors of Anheuser-Busch products. This is probably not a conflict-of-interest issue, but if Sen. John McCain were elected it could require some fancy financial footwork on the first family's part to keep their interests apart. Mrs. McCain's company has in the past been an active lobbyist on a number of issues.
Will U.S. sales of Budweiser drop if the company is no longer American-owned? We doubt it. It is likely that sales of Budweiser, like those of Toyota, Honda, and other foreign-owned products, will depend on the quality of what the company is selling rather than its nationality.
As far as we can tell, the slogan is still likely to be "This Bud's for you," not "Ce Bud, ci est pour toi."

Adrian's Threet living a dream at UM
ADRIAN, Mich. - Jewel Threet is a father who wants to know how any set of parents could dream this.
Dream that their youngest son, who watched Michigan beat Southern California in the Rose Bowl with his mother on Jan. 2, 1989 - the day he was born - might actually quarterback the Wolverines.
Imagine that their boy would call the signals for the team they had season tickets to watch play eight years before he was born.
Think they could raise him in their house on Lake Adrian in Michigan and have him grow up to be THE MAN for the tradition-rich football factory 35 miles away in Ann Arbor.
This is about to be reality for Threet and his wife, Pam. Their son, Steven, is the odds-on favorite to debut at quarterback as a freshman for the Wolverines in their 2008 season opener against Utah on Aug. 30.
"How do you dream that?
Seriously, you don't," Jewel said. "Never even dreamed it," added Pam, UM class of 1975.
New coach Rich Rodriguez has yet to name Threet as his starting quarterback - challenges from sophomore Nick Sheridan and true freshman Justin Feagin still abound - but most signs point to the Threets' son being under center against Utah.
If indeed it is Threet who's making throws and otherwise directing Rodriguez's spread-option offense, the town of Adrian, all Michiganders loyal to the Wolverines, and the program's national following will be counting on him. Threet, of course, wants nothing more than to be in that spot. But did he ever think he'd be here, at least up until the point when he transferred from Georgia Tech to UM before last season? "No. Not really. I mean, football wasn't even in the picture for me," Threet said. "I liked watching, but my brother never played, my dad never played, so I never envisioned this when I was younger." Picking a sport Steven Threet is the son of a baseball player. Jewel, pitched, played third base, shortstop and the outfield for Adrian College, graduating in 1975.
The Threets' first son, Jay, played baseball at Purdue and then Bowling Green. Their second child, Kristin, was a softball player at Eastern Michigan.
Steven, the baby of the family, never laced up football spikes until the eighth grade. Before then, it was mostly baseball and basketball for him.
"I made a deal with one of my friends, where if he agreed to play basketball I would come out and play football," Threet said.
So Threet became the quarterback at then-Springbrook Middle School, where he remembers throwing lots of passes for coach Roy Gonzalez. He liked football so much that he stuck with it in the ninth grade, and he lettered in three sports his sophomore year at Adrian High School - earning all-conference selections in football and baseball.
"By the end of my sophomore year, I liked football better than the other two," he recalled.
Threet dropped baseball as a junior. The springs and summers were to be spent traveling to football camps at places like Toledo, Michigan, Notre Dame - places he could polish his skills and showcase them to college coaches.
He went on to throw for 4,824 yards and 49 touchdowns in three years for Adrian coach Phil Jacobs' program. And at 6-foot-5, those college coaches he visited in the summers were interested.
"He had a big frame and a very strong arm. It was inevitable that colleges would find him," Jacobs said.
As for his friend who first turned him on to playing football, Threet can't remember his name.
"I just remember he ended up not coming out for basketball," Threet said with a laugh. "The deal worked out for me in the end."
Cheering for blue Threet's parents began using their friend's UM season tickets in 1981. In 1983, the Threets purchased their own set and joined the Victors Club.
"They were on the 42-yard line, section 26," Pam recalled.
Steven's earliest, fondest memory of going to UM games is of something that didn't even happen at the Big House. He remembers being 8-years-old and watching Charles Woodson make a one-handed interception in a 1997 game at Michigan State.
Jewel took Steven to several Wolverines games a year, which sometimes included bowl games. They were at the Rose Bowl in 2005 and attended the coaches' luncheon, and Steven was picked from the crowd to represent UM in sort of a cheer-off, if you will.
"Stevie was on stage and later talked with [former UM coach] Lloyd [Carr] about it, that was pretty cool," Jewel remembered.
Some Rodriguez detractors say the new coach isn't a "Michigan Man." No one could've said that about Threet - until it came time to pick a college.
While there was some mutual interest between Threet and UM, the Wolverines already had a commitment from Ryan Mallett, and were recruiting others at the position.
Georgia Tech and Wisconsin recruited Threet hard, while Indiana, Illinois, Michigan State, North Carolina State and Mid-American Conference schools also showed interest.
In the end, Threet, who was rated the ninth-best quarterback recruit in the country by Rivals.com, said UM wanted him to wait a little longer before he made his choice. He chose Georgia Tech.
"I know the Threets were always Michigan fans. Stevie was always a Michigan fan," Jacobs said. "But they were looking for the best fit, first and foremost. They gave Georgia Tech a try."
Returning home Of course, Threet's tenure with the Yellow Jackets was over almost before it began.
He enrolled at Georgia Tech in January, 2007, and announced his transfer to UM in July.
"The coaches who recruited me were gone," Threet said of former Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator Patrick Nix. "They had brought in new coaches and it just didn't feel like the place for me."
Jacobs called himself "the communicator" between the Threets and UM, working to bring them together.
Per NCAA rules, Threet had to sit out the 2007 season because he transferred. He took in the games on the sidelines, watching as Chad Henne played his final season and Mallett filled in as his backup.
We all know what happened from there. Carr retired, UM replaced him with Rodriguez (and with Rodriguez came a totally new style of offense), and Mallett transferred to Arkansas.
Unless there's an upset or an injury in the coming weeks, it appears the prestige and pressure of being UM's starting quarterback will fall on Threet's shoulders.
"I was here last year and was able to talk to Chad quite a bit," Threet said. "I was able to be on the field and see what it's like. It was different because I was in street clothes, but it won't be completely new, either."
The competition Here's what we know about UM's quarterbacking scenario as fall camp approaches Aug. 4.
Threet is 6-5 and 230 pounds with a strong right throwing arm, and was hotly sought after as a prep quarterback. Sheridan is 6-1 and about 200 pounds, is the son of a former UM assistant who now coaches with the New York Giants, and as of spring practice was not on scholarship.
In the Wolverines' spring scrimmage, which was open to the media, Threet took every single snap with what is widely regarded as the first team. Rodriguez said afterwards that Threet and Sheridan were still competing for the job, but it's hard to get around what was on display in the scrimmage.
There's also Feagin, a true dual threat from Florida who may be more suited to run Rodriguez's spread-option scheme, but the Wolverines' first practice in August will be Feagin's first as a college athlete. For him to start against Utah would be a remarkably quick transition, but it's not out of the question that Feagin could see some playing time early.
So with all of these variables, perhaps this is why Threet, who considers questions from reporters before giving answers, said the pressure of playing at the Big House hasn't hit him yet.
"There's more pressure on 'if' I'll be the quarterback," Threet said.
While some pundits anointed Feagin as the answer at quarterback by midseason, others point to 2009, when Rodriguez recruits like Kevin Newsome (Chesapeake, Va.) or Shavodrick Beaver (Wichita Falls, Texas) should be on campus.
Threet said he welcomes the immediate and future competition.
"If anything it helps just to make sure you know you've got to keep working," he said. "The last thing you want is to go into your freshman season complacent."
Around Adrian At the local chiropractor's office and pizza shop in and around Adrian, people are talking about Steven Threet.
They go up to Threet's parents and ask about their son, wondering how he's doing and if he's up to the challenge.
"My sister told me I need to get thicker skin," Pam said. "I'm proud of him no matter what he does."
Those who approach the Threets and inquire about their son are kind, but some bloggers, talk show hosts and magazine scribes haven't been as nice. They raise questions about Threet's lack of experience and ability to run Rodriguez's offense, and look forward to the days when Rodriguez's recruits take over.
But in Lenawee County, the talk is much more positive.
"This is a big deal," said Brian Phillips, 43, of Sand Creek, Mich., at the Fricker's in Adrian. "I work over at Merrilat Industries, and there are a lot of parents of kids who went to Adrian. This is all we've been talking about. Wait until August."
Another Adrian grad, Kellen Davis, starred as a tight end at Michigan State and was drafted in the fifth round by the Chicago Bears in April.
But this is different. This is a quarterback. This is Michigan.
"This is a big, big job he's hooked onto," said Denny Schar-
er, 53, of Sand Creek. "I hope he can fulfill everybody's expectations." Contact Joe Vardon at:
jvardon@theblade.com or 419-410-5055.

Orioles rally twice, beat Tigers 11-10
BALTIMORE - Two improbable comebacks produced one extremely uplifting victory for the Baltimore Orioles.
After Ramon Hernandez tied it with a homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, Luke Scott homered in the 10th to carry the Orioles past the Detroit Tigers 11-10 Saturday. The Orioles trailed by six runs in the first inning and entered the ninth down by one. And somehow, Baltimore snapped a stretch of nine straight losses in one-run games. "People who have been watching the club all year have seen similar type events like this," manager Dave Trembley said. "I tell you, every time it happens it just makes you a little more proud to be around these guys because they will not quit. They will not quit at all." Baltimore has come from behind in 29 of its 47 wins this season, but not like this. Not after trailing 6-0 in the first inning, or 10-9 in the ninth against a Detroit team that was 41-1 when leading after eight innings. "It feels great," Scott said. "We were fortunate to come out on top."
Scott's shot off Freddy Dolsi (1-4) cleared the 25-foot scoreboard in right field and landed on Eutaw Street, an estimated 420 feet from the plate. It was Scott's third homer in two games, and he marked the occasion by sliding into home before his teammates mobbed him. Scott got the chance to be a hero because Hernandez homered on the first pitch in the ninth from Joel Zumaya. "It was a great game. You get emotional after you're losing, come back, they get ahead, you come back and then you win," Hernandez said. George Sherrill (3-4) worked the top of the 10th, which ended with Placido Polanco being called out trying to score on a two-out single by Gary Sheffield. The replay indicated Polanco beat the tag by Hernandez, who took the throw from center fielder Adam Jones. "We get the benefit of looking at replay and he was clearly safe. That's the breaks," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "The umpire was right on top of the play and he just missed. But that doesn't excuse blowing the lead like we did." Miguel Cabrera homered and had four RBIs, Jeff Larish also homered and Polanco had four hits. But it wasn't enough. "I don't think it's any more disappointing than any of the other ones over the course of a season," outfielder Curtis Granderson said. "You also have to give them credit. They definitely didn't quit after the start we got." Melvin Mora homered in a third consecutive game for the Orioles, and Kevin Millar went 3-for-6 with two doubles. After letting a 6-0 lead become a 9-7 deficit, Detroit moved back in front with a three-run sixth against Dennis Sarfate. Polanco hit an RBI single and took third on a double by Sheffield before Magglio Ordonez greeted Fernando Cabrera with a sacrifice fly. Matt Joyce then hit an RBI double. In the bottom half, Fernando Rodney struck out pinch-hitter Jay Payton with the bases loaded and two outs. Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera gave up six first-inning runs, then allowed one unearned run and one hit over the next four innings before being lifted. Cabrera supplemented the Tigers' four first-inning hits by issuing two walks and hitting a batter. Ordonez opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly, and Miguel Cabrera followed with his 17th homer to make it 4-0. Joyce then drew a walk, and Larish hit the next pitch into the right-field seats. In the bottom half, Nick Markakis singled ahead of Mora's 14th home run. An error by Daniel Cabrera preceded a run-scoring grounder in the second inning by Miguel Cabrera, making it 7-2. But Baltimore scored six runs on eight hits in the third to take an 8-7 lead. Brian Roberts doubled and Markakis singled before Mora, Millar and Scott hit RBI singles to chase Nate Robertson. Aquilino Lopez then yielded run-scoring singles to Hernandez and Brandon Fahey, and Roberts capped the uprising with an RBI double. Robertson gave up seven runs in 2 1-3 innings. In his previous six starts against Baltimore, the left-hander was 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA. The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth but got only one run, on a sacrifice fly by Hernandez. Notes:@ Robertson is winless in five starts since June 21. ... Markakis and Mora both went 2-for-2 against Robertson after coming in 1-for-11 and 1-for-16 respectively against the left-hander. ... Roberts became the first Oriole to get two doubles in one inning since B.J. Surhoff in 1999.

Started every game as UT defender
In Their Words is a weekly feature appearing Sundays in The Blade's sports section. Blade sports writer Zach Silka talked with Tom Duncan, a Bowsher graduate who was a defensive back for University of Toledo, including the first two seasons of the Rockets' 35-0 run.
Tom Duncan has been gone from the University of Toledo football program for some time now, but two of his impressive records still stand nearly 40 years after they were set.
Duncan holds the record for the longest interception returned for a touchdown (93 yards) and the most career interception return yards (217).
He started every game in his college career after being the only sophomore starter on the defense in 1968.
After finishing with a 5-4-1 record in Duncan's sophomore season, Toledo went undefeated in during his junior (11-0) and senior (12-0) seasons, the latter of which he was a captain.
Duncan was named to the All-MAC first team in his final year and was invited to play in the Senior Bowl.
After college, Duncan signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots but was cut in training camp. He then played two seasons with the Columbus Bucks, a minor-league affiliate of the Chicago Bears, before trying out with the New York Jets and then spending one season with their minor league affiliate, the Bridgeport Jets in Connecticut.
A native of Toledo, Duncan was an All-City League performer in football and track at Bowsher. He has been inducted into the Rebels and Rockets halls of fame.
Duncan works as a color analyst for football, basketball, baseball, and softball games on the local BuckeyeCable Sports Network.
"I GUESS I was a little
nave. I was recruited by most of the MAC schools and maybe a couple Big Ten schools. [Toledo defensive coordinator] Jack Murphy started recruiting me when I was a junior. He showed me a lot of attention. He showed that they were interested, which I was always impressed with, and anybody else that recruited me, I always seemed to be secondary. I was recruited as a quarterback. They told me if I didn't play quarterback, there's a possibility I could play running back, wide receiver or defensive back. I ended playing as a freshman as a quarterback [on the scout team] before freshmen were eligible. Then in spring ball, they switched me from quarterback to running back and then they decided on defensive back. "THE CHAMPIONSHIP seasons we had, I played with a lot of great guys. And not only guys that were good but also a lot of guys that were from the city of Toledo so that made it even more special. I played in 23 of the 35 games of the undefeated streak."
"When you think of being undefeated now, you think of all the guys you shared that with and you played with and how special they were. It's just a great moment that you'll always have because you're always going to be undefeated. You're always going to have that record so that's a great feeling. The experience going into that was incredible because we knew we had a good team, and every week we seemed to get better and better. We were never overconfident, but we had a confidence about us.
"We just had all the right players like the Chuck Ealeys, and the Mel Longs, and the John Niezgodas, guys like that. Everybody was kind of a leader. I was a captain my senior year, but we could have had 40 captains for that matter. We had a lot of really good leaders, and the challenge never got overwhelming to anybody. We just said we're going to get better next week. We'll improve every week. It was kind of an interesting situation because we never let it get to our heads as we continued to win. We just got the point that we had no choice but to win now. We just have to win every game. It was just a great experience. It was a great attitude experience with the guys because everybody was on the same page as far as their approach to the game. We had a lot of different personalities on that team, but we all came together when it was time to play.
"[TOLEDO] HAD a good defense for a number of years. When I was a freshman, I had to play against the first-team defense on the scout team. They were great defenders. My sophomore year we ended up 5-4-1 but we still had a great defense. We lost four games by a total of 17 points. Just that experience, it built momentum. My junior year we had Curtis Johnson, who won Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins, and it just kind of snowballed. There was a sense of pride. We just weren't going to let anybody score on us.
"We had goals set by our defensive coordinator Jack Murphy basically to play a perfect game. Anything less than that, we weren't satisfied with and we bought into the program. Of course Frank Lauterbur was there, and he was a very demanding coach. Defensively, we just kind of built an attitude that we didn't want to give anybody first downs. We didn't want them to score. My senior year, in 11 games we gave up 69 points, so that was less than a touchdown a game. We just had a pride about us. We just had the right personalities and great athletes. We had an attitude that nobody could mess with. We didn't want to let each other down.
"We had good ball players [with the Bucks and B-Jets]. That was before the arena leagues or anything like that. They had a smaller roster in the NFL, so there were a lot of good football players that had nowhere to go. Minor league football was big. We got paid a couple hundred bucks a game. It was a really competitive situation. It was a good fit for me.
"AFTER MY TRYOUT with the Jets, they told me they couldn't keep me on their roster but they didn't want me to go away so they asked me to play for the Bridgeport Jets. I played with a lot of guys that moved on and played in the NFL or some guys had played in the NFL previous to that. It wasn't a situation where you had a bunch of guys with beer bellies out there running around. These were very skilled athletes. There just wasn't enough room on the NFL rosters for them. They had to do something. It was for the love of the game and you did it because you really enjoyed doing it.
"Three [UT] teammates of mine, I got those guys all together, and we rented a beach house for the summer in Fairfield, Conn. We were right on Long Island Sound, and we just had a blast. It was a lot of fun, and the guys from Ohio were a big hit out there. We had guys from all over the country [on the team]. It was a lot of fun, and we had a lot of fun along the way."

Hens rough up Pawtucket ace
PAWTUCKET, R.I. - For the third consecutive night, Pawtucket Red Sox faithful squeezed into McCoy Stadium eager to catch a glimpse of rehabbing slugger David Ortiz.
And while the personable designated hitter didn't disappoint by hitting a towering solo homer in his second at-bat, his third of the series, it was the Mud Hens who flaunted their offensive prowess in a 13-5, 16-hit win over the Eastern Division leaders.
Held to a pair of hits the previous night, the Mud Hens, bolstered by homers from Erik Almonte and Clete Thomas, exploded for nine runs through the first two innings, paving the way for their first win of the four-game set. Toledo improved to 1-4 against the Paw Sox on the season.
The Mud Hens struck early against knuckleballer Charlie Zink, getting a one-out, RBI single from Brent Clevlen in the top half of the first to take a 1-0 edge. Later in the inning, Almonte took Zink deep to left center with two on base. Zink, who began the day as the International League's ERA leader with a 2.22 mark, ran into trouble again in the following inning, giving up an RBI single to Derek Wathan before Thomas unloaded a grand slam to right center for a 9-0 advantage. Zink worked 12/3 innings before being pulled in favor of righty Jose Vaquedano.
"We got out quickly against him," Parrish said. "Obviously he's been pitching much better than that, but tonight we came out and hit him. We hit a lot of knuckleballs during BP, but I don't know if that had anything to do with it."
Thomas finished with three hits and five RBIs to lead the Mud Hens.
"He's the key for us right now," said Parrish of Thomas. "We're short a few players now and we need him to step up, and he did that tonight."
Toledo was again without Mike Hessman, who didn't make the trip because of the death of his grandmother.
Toledo starter Chris Lambert entered the game with a streak of 14 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. The righty worked six innings, allowing nine hits while striking out eight in earning the win. "They swing the bats, they have good stats, and I think a couple of our [pitchers] were being awful careful," said Parrish. "This is a good hitters ballpark, and when you put that together with a team swinging the bats, you better be more aggressive." Toledo pushed two runs across in the top half of the seventh, receiving and RBI base hit from catcher Dane Sardinha and a sacrifice fly from Kody Kirkland. Toledo added to the rout with a pair of runs in the seventh and tacked on solo runs in the following two innings.
With the score 9-2 in the last half of the third, Ortiz touched up Lambert for his third home run of the series, lifting a 3-1 offering to right center field and narrowing the Hens lead to six.
Lambert fanned Ortiz (1 for 4, with two strikeouts) with one on and one away in the last of the fifth before George Kottaras laced an RBI single in the fifth, closing the gap to 9-4.

Castroneves wins pole in challenging format
LEXINGTON, Ohio - The best way to describe yesterday's qualifying format for the Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course might be musical chairs at 120 mph, in 100 degree heat.
It was a grueling test of speed, endurance and survival - just to set the field for today's IndyCar Series race.
"This is for sure the most challenging qualifying format I ever experienced," a spent Ryan Briscoe said after he qualified second, joining Team Penske teammate and pole-winner Helio Castroneves on the front row.
The qualifying on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course consisted of three competitive sessions run in quick order. First the 26 cars were divided randomly into two groups and each group spent 20 minutes on the track. The top six from each group then moved into a second round of runs over the rolling course, with this lasting 15 minutes.
The top six from that elimination round moved into a final, 10-minute session that determined the front three rows of today's starting grid. The IndyCar Series likes to refer to the format as "fast and furious" - and former series champion Tony Kanaan admits it is a crowd pleaser, albeit a very draining one.
"If the fans are happy, we'll go out there and we'll kill ourselves with qualifying attempts," Kanaan said after qualifying in the fifth position. "We ended up qualifying without a breath, not even time to debrief with my engineers. So give me five minutes. Myself, I like the old format. I like the single-lap qualifying a lot because either you're in or you're out. If you make a mistake, you're out. That makes it more exciting for us."
Castroneves, who won the pole here for last year's inaugural IndyCar Series race on the track that sits in a distinctly rural setting just down the road from the tiny village of Steam Corners, said any one of the top six could have emerged as the polesitter.
"It was extremely close. I wasn't checking the time because I didn't want to check. I just wanted to keep driving, but everybody was really, really close," Castroneves said. "When you're talking about thousandths of seconds, it's very difficult to describe out there speed-wise. It was a tough run."
Castroneves, who won here twice in the now defunct CART Series, said having the two Penske cars up front today will be an initial advantage, but a lot of other factors will quickly come into play.
"It's so difficult to pass because the air and turbulence here affects the car in preparation for you to overtake someone," said Castroneves, who finished third here a year ago.
"The key is going to be finding the right time to pit, saving of fuel, but not being overtaken. That's why I'm saying, sometimes starting on the front, it might risk the win. But hey, we're going to take a chance tomorrow and hopefully we can make that happen."
Marco Andretti and Justin Wilson sit on row 2, while Kanaan is joined in the third row by IndyCar Series points leader Scott Dixon, the winner of last year's event here.
Andretti said the strategy for today's race will differ a lot from the ultra-aggressive mood of the qualifying runs.
"The difference from the race is that the biggest thing in the race is if you can't overtake somebody - you might be faster - but if you can't overtake, you just kind of save fuel, so you're not charging half as much as we are in qualifying," he said.
Former Indy 500 champion Buddy Rice starts seventh, Ohio native Graham Rahal 14th and Danica Patrick 20th.
Contact Matt Markey at:
mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6510.

Startling price shrinkage in Toledo-area foreclosure resales
"The market is bad now," said Marshall Isenberg, who appraises properties for foreclosure sales in the county.
"Banks are willing to take a loss."
Real estate agent Ray Doster said mortgage lenders, who typically buy the properties in foreclosure sales, often are willing to sell at steep discounts. "There are some tremendous buys," he said.
But they rarely are willing to accept half of the asking price, he said. "They're not getting them that cheap."
Real estate experts say that another factor frequently affecting price is poor condition of foreclosed properties.
Whatever the cause, the small selling prices have important implications for the Toledo area - especially if they turn out to be indicative of slippage in housing values overall.
Values are used to calculate property taxes. If overall values are lower, that means lower tax collections and less money for schools and other agencies that depend on the income stream.
Auditor Anita Lopez, the county official responsible for setting values, said it is too soon to say how much values have changed in the housing slump.
Under Ohio law, she will update values of the county's 200,000 parcels next year based on recent sales prices. The update will follow by three years a comprehensive 2006 re-evaluation that included visits to properties.
Unlike that evaluation, however, the so-called "triennial review" raises or lowers values based on average selling prices in the neighborhood but doesn't look at properties individually, said John Kohlstrand, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Taxation.
Excluded from calculations are sales records for houses sold to family members and most involved in foreclosures, he added.
The state, which compiles separate sales records for each county, excludes any sale involving a bank or mortgage lender because such transactions usually take place under fire-sale conditions, officials said.
The Taxation Department has advised county officials that, under accepted guidelines, they may count sales involving homes sold by banks after foreclosures, but only if the transaction appears to reflect the home's fair value.
In Wood County, where properties were up for review this year, no adjustment was made in values based on a recommendation from the Taxation Department, Auditor Michael Sibbersen said.
Home prices overall are down across the Toledo area, according to reports from the Toledo Board of Realtors. But losses aren't as large as those suggested by sales of properties involved in foreclosures.
Average prices in June fell to $120,000 in Lucas County and $126,000 across northwest Ohio from $126,000 and $134,000, respectively, in June, 2007, according to the Toledo Board of Realtors.
Mr. Isenberg defended the seven appraisers who work for the sheriff's department. Homes involved in foreclosure actions don't always attract what they're worth, he said.
"It's a forced sale a liquidation. That's a factor."
Appraisers do not consider the amount owed on the mortgage, he said.
But Mr. Doster, an agent at Toledo's ReMax Preferred Associates who specializes in foreclosures, said appraisals are often too high.
Reasons, according to real estate experts, include the inability of sheriff's appraisers to get inside homes controlled by uncooperative home- owners. Another factor is unseen problems like stripped plumbing.
For this story, The Blade selected the July 11, 2007, date at random.
Examined were sales in which the house since has been resold. Foreclosure experts say such sales are a more accurate reflection of market prices than foreclosure auctions, where houses typically go to the lender for the mortgage balance.
Five dozen properties were scheduled for sale at the auction last year, but 27 either were withdrawn from the auction beforehand or drew no bidders.
Of the 34 properties that sold, a dozen still remain in the hands of mortgage lenders.
The remaining 22 are listed at a combined value of $1.8 million on tax rolls and are appraised for $1.7 million. They fetched $901,363 at resale.
A house at 1654 Macomber St. in central Toledo sold in May for $3,000, or 11 percent of the auction estimate and value listed on tax rolls.
Another central city property, at 1438 Prospect Ave., is listed at $21,000 on tax rolls and appraised at $24,000 for the auction but sold in May for $5,025.
Although such wide disparities were relatively rare, it wasn't uncommon for houses to sell for half of appraisals and tax values.
The house at 2705 Sherbrooke Rd. in West Toledo sold in April for $51,700, which compared to an appraisal of $115,000 and a taxation value of $181,500.
A condo unit at 2741 Pin Oak Dr. in southwest Toledo appraised at $69,000 and is listed at $87,500 for taxation purposes but sold for $42,000 in April.
A three-bedroom house built in 1976 at 327 San Jose Dr. in southwest Toledo fetched $55,138 in March after appraising at $104,000 and being listed at $105,800 on tax rolls.
Some selling prices were closer to the mark.
A home at 6906 Shooters Hill Rd. in Sylvania Township sold in March for $197,500, which compared to an appraisal of $229,000 and a tax value of $224,000.
A property at 3036 Pickle Rd. in Oregon appraised for $114,000 and with a tax value of $122,800 brought $83,900 at a sale in January.
Many of the houses involved in the 2007 sale were scooped up by investors.
"If the price is low enough, I don't see how a person can lose," said Gary Mulally, who owns rental properties in Jerome, Idaho.
He plunked down $3,000 sight unseen for the Macomber Street house, which he plans to fix up and sell.
He said he learned about the Toledo property "from friends that know how to get a hold of foreclosures."
He declined to be more specific. He has not seen the house, but has found a real estate agent to market it.
His purchase of the house was the second since it was acquired for $3,500 by mortgage giant Fannie Mae in the foreclosure sale.
Another buyer is Derrick Fuller, of One Way Properties LLC in Toledo.
He snapped up a home in Spencer Township for $12,000 that appraised for $70,000.
He buys to resell and to rent.
He bought 100 foreclosed houses last year but said he expects to purchase fewer than half that number in 2008. As the nation's credit crisis has deepened, most banks in the area have eliminated or reduced lending to real estate investors.
He often sees foreclosed properties that sell for a third of their taxing value.
"There are many deals," he said. "But these are distressed homes. Many need extensive renovations."
When houses sell for less than values used to determine property taxes, the county doesn't automatically make adjustments to reflect the selling price, the auditor said.
But her office welcomes challenges from homeowners who believe a value is inflated, she said.
Protests will be considered until Oct. 1 for 2008 taxes, which will be collected next year.
A number of properties examined by The Blade are the subject of challenges, she said.
"We have to assess each property individually," Ms. Lopez said.
"If we find it was involved in a distressed sale and is worth $10,000 or $50,000 more, we're going to make a recommendation for fair and equitable value for that property."
Contact Gary Pakulski at:
gpakulski@theblade.com or 419-724-6082.

TOLEDO-AREA'S FIRST SONIC DRIVE-IN
Initial work has begun for metro Toledos first Sonic Drive-In, which its developers say is to be one of four.
The restaurant in front of the Meijer store along U.S. 20 in Rossford is scheduled to open in mid-September. The next store is to be in Oregon along Navarre Avenue.

Toledo-area foodies will find lots to sample just a short drive away
Foodies will find three destinations within an hours drive of Toledo that are worth the price of the gas. Not only is there a food experience waiting at the end of the journey, but make sure to pack a cooler to purchase products that are not easily found close to home.
First, a trip to Grand Rapids for a tour of Providence Metropark Isaac Ludwig Mill off Route 24 should begin with a stroll down Front Street in the center of town where youll uncover a variety of food treats. Theres fresh fudge at Dandys Lane; old-fashioned candies at Olde Gilead Country Store; specialty foods, including Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad Dressing, jams, and jellies at Marys Apple Orchard LLC Gifts & Goodies, and a beautiful assortment of glassware and collectibles at Out of Hand Affordable Luxuries. With a variety of restaurants to select from, I had lunch at LaRoes where the Fiesta Salad a tomato stuffed with chicken salad is served with fresh melon and mini pumpkin muffins. The soup of the day was the creamy delicious artichoke spinach. Back over the route 578 bridge, wind your way to the mill where curator Laird Henderson and David Hummel give demonstrations. On the ground level of the historic mill, the sawmill cuts wood taken from the park system. On the second and third levels, the working gristmill grinds corn, wheat, and sometimes buckwheat, spelt, and rye. Tours are given daily by reservation. The original mill dates from 1822. As the top mill stone turns the damsel it bumps a shoe which drops grain into the millstone to grind the grain. The ground grain falls into an auger which carries the grain to a bucket elevator, taking it to the third floor where it falls out and is sifted to separate the shells. Shells of corn are too tough for us (to eat), but it is fed to chickens on a farm, Mr. Hummel told the school kids on a tour the day I visited. Wheat shells are called bran. That cornmeal at $2 a sack can be made into cornbread, muffins, hush puppies, tortillas, and even the summer fair corn dogs.A couple of years ago, I ground blue corn, Mr. Henderson told me. Oh, did it make good tortillas! Sometimes he works with legacy grains from Sauder Village in Archbold.
Isaac Ludwig Mill has milling and crafts demonstrations Saturday and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Combine it with a canal boat ride, which is $3 for children ages 2 to 12 and $5 and $6 for adults. Evening charters are available. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Shortened hours through October. Chocolate galore Next, visit Chocolate: The Exhibition at Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. which runs through Sept. 7. Heading toward the Henry Ford, a mere two miles from I-94 exit 206 at Oakwood Boulevard North, travelers pass through the quaint and well-kept Dearborn streets followed by the massive and well-kept brick walls of the Ford Motor Co. complex. On the left is the Dearborn Inn built by Henry Ford in 1931 to accommodate overnight travelers arriving at the Ford Airport, which was located opposite the inn on Oarkwood Boulevard in those years. It was the worlds first airport hotel and is now a Marriott Hotel. Its perfect for lunch. Although the buffet included entrees, salads, and side dishes, I opted for two appetizers, a good combination for a traveler: cool gazpacho and smoked Irish salmon rosettes with crostini, fresh field greens, diced capers, onion and chopped egg. At the Henry Ford, the chocolate exhibit has panels from the traveling exhibition from the Field Museum in Chicago with a strong focus on American innovations of chocolate. On the exterior, curator Donna Braden helped design nine cases featuring topics such as Hersheys, which mass-produced chocolate. [Milton S] Hershey has been called the Henry Ford of chocolate makers, she says. Other panels include the importance of the soda fountain, national chocolate innovations such as classic American candy bars, chocolate beverages including Bosco which dates from the 1950s, a holiday candy showcase, and local Michigan chocolates. Inside the bi-lingual exhibit with texts in Spanish and English, there are interactive displays and artifacts from the ancient Mayans to show how people discovered the cacao bean and processed it. A gift shop sells assorted chocolates and chocolate pasta and beverages. The Chocolate Cafe sells items by the piece: Triple Chocolate Brown Slab, Chocolate Fountain, Ganache Bar, Buckeyes, and a Chocolate Chip Cookie. Chocolate Cherry Walnut Hobo Bread is $5.75 per loaf. Visit the other exhibits at the Henry Ford as well as Greenfield Village. The Henry Ford Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $14 adults, $13 seniors, and $10 for youths; members and children four and under are free. For information, call 313-982-6001. Foodies paradise The Shops at KerryTown at 407 North Fifth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor include 20 locally owned businesses. Many of them have a food connection. At Durhams Tracklements Custom Smoked Provisions, 212 E. Kingsley St., T.R. Durham smokes fish such as rainbow trout, bluefish, haddock, and salmon, and meats. Varieties include the Original Highland Smoked Salmon, Pecan Wood Smoked, Thai Smoked Salmon, and Sea Salt Cured Smoked Salmon. Asian style miso/mirin/tamari salmon is marinade- cured and warm-smoked for a dense, moist, flaky texture. Prices are about $24 per pound. He also smokes meats such as duck breast, beef, pork, venison, tenderloin, lamb, or pork loin. I make a prosciutto cure for eve, he says about the adjacent restaurant owned by Eve Aronoff. The restaurant is open for dinner with French-based contemporary cuisine. Durhams Highland Classic Smoked Salmon is also sold at the popular Morgan & York at 1928 Packard, several miles away. The wine shop sells DArtagnan wild boar sausage, ground meat, French fresh duck foie gras and Hudson Valley foie gras, duck breasts, and a selection of artisan cheeses, pates, and breads from Avalon Bakery in downtown Detroit. French style pastry is available on Thursday through Saturday. Mr. Durham is a great promoter of the surrounding shops at KerryTown. At Everyday Cook, cookware and kitchen tools are sold. Cooking classes are given and lunch is served Tuesday through Saturday. Brendan McCall, graduate of Ottawa Hills High School, is the executive chef. The menu changes daily, says the University of Michigan graduate. There are six items: a soup, seafood, 2 meats, vegetarian entree, and dessert. Lunch ranges from $12 to $18. Everyday Wine features regional and value wines averaging $10 to $12 a bottle. They are wines off the beaten path from around the world, says Mary Campbell. For example, an organic white wine from Provence called Infine uses a grape you dont see often called Clairette. Sweetwaters Cafe has coffee, teas, and pastries. Monahans Seafood Market has fish and seafood and a lunch counter. Sparrow Markets has fresh produce, groceries, homemade sausages, Amish-raised poultry and grass-fed meats. Kosmo Eatery has American and Korean fare. Kathie Smith is The Blades food editor. Contact her at: food@theblade.com or 419-724-6155.

Springfield Township shrine to popcorn is filled with antique machines and more
Before the taste, even before the smell, theres always the sound of popcorn. Its an intrinsic part of the popular snack, that exquisite sound of a heated kernel turning itself inside out after the moisture trapped within turns to steam and explodes.
Pop! That familiar echo is an even greater symphony at the J.H. Fentress Antique Popcorn Museum in Springfield Township. Here, it comes with more than a pop; theres a clink and a clank and a whir as an old-time popcorn machine goes to work. Owner Jim Fentress could use a microwave, but its a lot more fun to watch and listen as kernels drop into the circa 1925 machine, spin around a popping plate, travel down a conveyor belt, and move past rotating, buttering paddles before falling into a perfect popcorn pile at the bottom. I love mechanical things, the 58-year-old said. I mean, its just so cool!
While many are passionate about eating their popcorn, Mr. Fentress, is obsessed with the machines that made them in theaters and stores during the first half of the last century, particularly those from an Indianapolis company, Holcomb & Hoke Mfg. Co., Inc.. The former industrial education teacher and builder has about 30 popcorn machines and peanut roasters in his collection, not to mention hundreds of boxes, tins, and advertisements on display at the free museum he quietly opened on Hill Avenue last year. The only larger collection of such machines that Mr. Fentress knows of is housed at the Wyandot Popcorn Museum in Marion, Ohio. Its holdings include 51 popcorn poppers and peanut roasters from a variety of manufacturers. Brooks Brown, son of that museums founder and a board member there, understands the allure. He compared it to watching a Rube Goldberg machine.
Youve got all these moving parts that are just fascinating to look at and actually see running, he said. Its just an amazing thing to see the engineering that has gone into these things. The machines may not be widely remembered today, but they were hugely popular with past generations, according to Gale Martin, executive director of the Marion County Historical Society, which runs tours at the Wyandot Popcorn Museum. Today, a snack for us is very easy to come by. Its a fast-food world out there. These machines were the originals, she said. Theyre what started the whole snack food industry in terms of getting a snack food quickly and purchasing it off the street. Mr. Fentress started collecting about 25 years ago when he bought a popcorn machine from a friend whod had it in his living room. When he came across a popcorn box at a flea market soon after, things started to snowball.
Popcorn machines, about half of them in working order, are sprinkled throughout the 1,800 square feet of his museum. They are supplemented by shelves of other popcorn memorabilia, such as TNT Pop Corn containers and a prototype for a Hopalong Cassidy popcorn box that never was produced. Hanging on one wall, just around the corner from the museums small coat room/library, theres even a framed picture of popcorn icon Orville Redenbacher and his grandson. Its signed, To Jim From one popcorn king to another. Mr. Fentress is serious about his collection. When the Sylvania man went to Las Vegas last year to get married, he took two extra suitcases so he could bring back a peanut roaster. Everybody has their expertise, he said. I dont have everything but Im getting real close.
The Holy Grail that continues to elude him, though, is a Holcomb & Hoke popcorn truck. The company made six of them in Detroit and rented them out. To me, this would be the ultimate collectible, Mr. Fentress said. Holcomb & Hoke, which still exists as a maker of moveable walls and accordion doors, manufactured popcorn machines from 1913 until the Depression. Back then, one of its machines could have sold for as much as $1,250, or about the cost of two automobiles, said Vince Herndon, company president. It helped that Holcomb & Hoke was one of the first businesses to sell on credit and that vendors could make as much as $3,000 a year selling bags of popcorn. Today, one of its fully equipped models in working condition could sell for more than $12,000, said Mr. Herndon, whose company only has two working antique poppers and which has loaned some of its archival materials to Mr. Fentress. He actually knows a little bit more about this than we do, Mr. Herndon said. Mr. Fentress opened his collection as a museum after fixing up an old general store with his son. Its open to the public by appointment only, and hes happy to share all the information and enthusiasm he can. So far, a few hundred people have taken him up on the offer. I dont want to die with a lot of information, said Mr. Fentress, who is semi-retired. Hell even treat visitors to some popcorn, which tends to be dry because the machines do not use oil. People either like this corn or they hate it, he said. Im afraid I like the microwave stuff. The J. H. Fentress Antique Popcorn Museum is located at 7922 Hill Ave. Admission is free. Open by appointment only. Information: 419-308-4812 or www.antiquepopcornmuseum.com. Contact Ryan E. Smith at:ryansmith@theblade.comor 419-724-6103.

Falling for Niagara
It's a wow! It's a wonder.
Niagara Falls is a magnificent example of Mother Nature at her best, surrounded by hundreds of manmade attractions.
After a ride on the Maid of the Mist boat through the falls, which is a must on almost everyone's plans, the city of Niagara in Ontario and the surrounding region beckon with many entertainment choices for families.
The Maid of the Mist ride through the thundering waterfalls was the highlight of our three-day visit to Niagara. Each passenger was issued a plastic raincoat with a hood. Even then, those of us who chose to grip the railing for the best view, hold tight to our raincoats, secure the hoods, and protect cameras in plastic bags got drenched. The pounding, rushing falls were closer to the railing than we expected and the mist was heavier than pictures portray. It was a great half-hour adventure, well worth the $12.50 ticket, and even the six-hour drive to cross over the Canadian border into Ontario.
A destination for honeymooners, daredevils, and sightseeing tourists for more than a century, Niagara is like other wonders of nature. It remains the same; always there to tweak the senses with its magnitude while all around it, commercial enterprises pick up where the natural landscape leaves off. The one exception to Niagara's spectacular, constant water flow was in 1848 when an ice jam in the river stopped the flow for several days.
Collectively the area that attracts 12 million people a year and straddles the Canadian-American border is known as the falls. In categories they are the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
The Canadian Horseshoe Falls are the largest and the focal point of the Maid of the Mist ride. The falls are labeled Canadian, but according to the United States Geological Survey, one third of the falls are in the United States. The Bridal Veil Falls are located next to the American Falls between Luna Island and Goat Island.
Boat passengers learn through narration that the falls are a chapter in the ice age. According to Niagara Parks, the entire Great Lakes basin and the Niagara River are a legacy of the last ice age 18,000 years ago. As the ice advanced southward, it gouged out the basins, and as the ice melted it filled the basins. One third of all the fresh water in the world is in the four upper Great Lakes: Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Erie.
The overflow from these lakes empties into the Niagara River and is destined to plunge over the falls. Once over the falls the water flows down the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and to the Atlantic Ocean.
An island in the Niagara River splits the water flow. The smaller flow forms the American Falls and the larger flow forms the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The American Falls are five feet higher but the Canadian falls are twice as wide.
The Maid of the Mist is the most popular daytime excursion to see the falls, and we found the ticket and boarding system for the crowds to be well-organized. There are also helicopter rides over the falls by Niagara Helicopters. After dark the falls take on a totally different look when they are illuminated by colorful lights. It is customary to walk to see the lighted falls in the evening after dinner or perhaps before or after gambling at a casino.
The Journey Behind the Falls, the Niagara Spanish Aero (cable) Car, and the Great Gorge Adventure are other ways to absorb the beauty and magic of the falls. Ticket holders are taken by elevator to tunnels behind the falls in the Journey Behind the Falls. The aero car travels a distance of 1,770 feet, 250 feet above the Whirlpool Rapids. The gorge adventure takes visitors by elevator down to the Whitewater Boardwalk at the edge of the Niagara River Rapids.
Once visitors have seen the falls by day and by night and taken advantage of other water adventures associated with the falls, there are enough side attractions to cover an extended visit to Niagara.
While Niagara is said to still be a honeymoon destination, it is also popular with families. The area is commercial far beyond the falls. As an example, the Adventure Pass includes stops at the Butterfly Conservatory, the White Water Walk, Maid of the Mist, and the Journey Behind the Falls. Tickets include transportation. The Butterfly Conservatory is located at Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens where there are said to be 2,000 butterflies. Light fare is served at the Butterfly Caf.
Attractions within the city include theme parks, shows, exhibits, and souvenir shops that line the streets of Niagara in an almost carnival atmosphere and spill out of the city. However, visitors should remember that visiting Canada is not as inexpensive as it was a few years ago when the American/Canadian money exchange rate was in our favor.
In the Clifton Hill district in downtown Niagara, attractions that appeal to all ages include Guinness World Records, the Haunted House, Believe it or Not by Ripley, and the House of Frankenstein. Thrill-seekers can ride 175 feet high in gondolas on a Ferris wheel.
White beluga whales and amusement rides make Marineland a popular stop for families.
The Skylon Tower is a pricey place for lunch and dinner, but a ride to the top affords a panoramic view of the city and all of the falls. The three decks at the top of the Skylon are a revolving dining room, the Summit Street Caf, and an observation deck. The elevator attendant announces that it will take 52 seconds to go 520 feet to the top. There is a charge to ride to the observation deck.
Near the Skylon, the IMAX Theater claims to visually strap viewers in a barrel for a hair-raising ride over the falls.
Contact Mary Alice Powell at: mpowell@theblade.com
If you go:
•Adult Americans traveling into Canada are requested to show a birth certificate and photo ID or two pieces of current photo IDs at the border. For children, birth certificates are requested.
• Transportation: Taxis are plentiful in Niagara Falls. All-day shuttle passes are $6 and $1 for children.
• Information: www.niagarafallstourism.com
Falls Trivia
•The volume of water flowing over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is 600,000 gallons per second and over the American Falls, 150,000 gallons per second. Because of two hydroelectric plants that draw water into reservoirs before the falls, the volume can vary depending upon demand. The flow is greatest during the day in June, July, and August.
• The first daredevil to go over the falls in a barrel was a 63-year-old schoolteacher. In 1901 Annie Taylor was strapped into a barrel in a special harness. She survived the plunge over the Canadian Horseshoe falls. Five of the 15 people who have dared to go over the falls in various contraptions died.
• Of the several high wire tightrope walkers who traversed the Niagara Falls gorge, Jean Gravelet, a European known as the Great Blondini, entertained the crowds by crossing his rope on a bicycle, walking blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow, cooking an omelet, and carrying his manager on his back.

Teens will see Batman at the movies, but theyre passing up comic books
Just about every week, Matt Hyttenhove makes the familiar trek to Sylvania Avenue to hang out with a bunch of superheroes. And every week, the 16-year-old finds them at the Game Room, where thousands of their comic books line the walls and fill box after box.
Even in an age of high technology where PlayStations and the like reign supreme, Mr. Hyttenhove has come to love this cornucopia of comics. I read just about anything, anything I can get my hands on, the Start High School junior said. As a teenage comic book fan, Mr. Hyttenhove is the exception for an industry that has become increasingly tailored to a maturing fan base. While hordes of teens will line up to see The Dark Knight, the newest Batman movie that opened this weekend, its unlikely that many will have read about his adventures in comic books. Most of [my friends] have never read comics, Mr. Hyttenhove said. Thats no surprise to Charles Coletta, a pop culture instructor at Bowling Green State University who uses comic books in class and is organizing a conference on them for October.
Originally, when Batman came out in 1939 the audience was boys 12 and under, he said. I think the average age of a comic book reader today is mid-20s to mid-40s. Its gotten much, much older, he continued. Thats been a constant problem: how to bring new people in. Part of the issue is that there are so many other options for kids these days with the Internet and video games, but theres also the problem of distribution. A generation ago, comic books were cheap and they were everywhere. You could go to any pharmacy or corner store or newsstand and be guaranteed to find comic books, said Andrew Farago, curator of the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. Generally you have to go to specialty shops now. Once they were hidden away from casual shoppers even mainstream booksellers tend to sell only graphic novels, Japanese comics called manga, or bound collections of traditional comics it was easy for all but the hard-core fans to forget about monthly comics.
There are parents who dont even realize that there are still Hulk comic books being published, Mr. Farago said. The price has gone up too. What once sold for well under a dollar now requires buyers to shell out close to $3 for each monthly issue or more for collections. Throughout all of these changes, its adult fans who have stuck with the medium. Tom Peters of West Toledo got into comics as a kid, thanks to their ubiquity and media tie-ins. Im just in love with the art form, he said. Comics is the art between panels. Your mind is making the jump between whats going on between one panel and the next. Now 37 and with thousands of comic books in his collection, hes happy to report that the product has evolved with him. As I got older the industrys sort of been keeping up with me, he said. In the last 10 years or so, theres a significant body of work out there to appeal to a lot of different tastes and adult sensibilities. Art Spiegelmans Maus won the Pulitzer Price in 1992 and Alan Moores Watchmen was named to Times 2005 list of the top 100 English-language novels since 1923. Frank Millers Batman: The Dark Knight Returns caught up with the superhero in his 50s. Other comics have gotten more mature, too, with superheroes who get divorced, use drugs, and face other human problems. This doesnt help get a new generation of young kids interested in comics, though. For them, publishers like Marvel and DC Comics are trying a number of strategies, from unleashing titles aimed specifically at kids to putting more of their product online, according to BGSUs Mr. Coletta.
Locally, the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is hosting a Superman at 70! program at 7 p.m. tomorrow to honor the Man of Steel, who first appeared in comics in 1938. The event in the McMaster Center in the Main Library, 325 Michigan St., will feature video conferencing with comic book writers as well as a special exhibit of vintage comics and collectables. It was preceded earlier this month by events specifically targeting young people interested in the comic book industry. The Mud Hens are getting in on the act too. At the teams Aug. 11 game, thousands of fans will receive a free comic book as part of a partnership between Marvel and Triple-A Baseball. One might think that it would help that so many comic book creations have become central to American culture. Theyre featured on merchandise, on television, and at the movies. This summer alone has seen Iron Man, the Hulk, and Batman grace the silver screen. Unlike in generations past, though, these appearances arent driving consumers to buy comics. The comic movies really dont have much affect on my business, said Jim Collins, owner of J.C.s Comic Stop on Hill Avenue. They dont stress the point that they come from a comic book. Younger people might be more likely to check out the Spider-Man video game than the comic, and some moviegoers dont even realize that some movies were based on graphic novels/comic books, like Sin City, Road to Perdition, or 300. Local aficionado Eric Palicki, 29, who created a couple of online comics at www.ericpalicki.com, would at least like to see that change. These movies that are coming out, Id like to see more people using that as a springboard to actually experience the comic book medium, the West Toledo man said. From a storytelling perspective, [comic books] allow you to essentially make the movie with the biggest budget ever. Mr. Collins has another wish as he considers how best to get young people into stores like his, but he sounds incredulous even asking: A chip that destroys all PlayStations? Contact Ryan E. Smith at:ryansmith@theblade.comor 419-724-6103.

Biking to work brings wardrobe considerations
The eight miles Lukas Kummer rides his bicycle to work are as good, if not better, for the mind as for body.
I find my attitude is a heck of a lot better when I get to work, said Mr. Kummer. And at the end of the day, I find my attitude is a heck of a lot better when I get home. He makes the 20-to-30-minute commute from his home a mile east of Toledo Express Airport to Central Avenue and McCord Road at least four days a week in the warm months and an average of three days a week when its cold. Clothing and weather are special considerations for cycling commuters. Mr. Kummer, 35, wears a brightly colored jersey that wicks away the sweat, and padded bicycle shorts. And in a nod to workplace modesty, over his bike shorts he wears knickers pants hes cut down and hemmed to below the knee. Arriving at work, he hangs up the khakis and shirt he brought from home, checks his e-mail for five minutes while cooling down, and then heads for the restroom to change clothes. A computer programmer at Technology Group International, Ltd., he keeps a pair of shoes and flip-flops at work. There are signs that more Americans are getting to work via bikes, a trend fueled by mild days, environmental concerns, and the rising cost of gasoline.
Its unbelievable to me the change that has gone on over the past two or three years, said Brad Quartuccio, editor of Urban Velo, a cycling magazine. Mr. Quartuccio has biked to work for more than a decade currently a 15-mile trip and has noticed more and fuller bike racks at sites ranging from office buildings to grocery stores. Whether rolling along special trails, designated lanes, or crowded streets, for cyclists heading to work theres the added question of how to dress. Most people who bike to work dont do so every day because of inclement weather or schedules. But when they do, it can take a bit of planning. For 15 years, Howard Abts, has been pedaling to his pastoral assignments, all of which have been within six miles of his South Toledo home near Highland Park. He began biking year-round about six years ago, and 14 months ago, sold the family car. I can talk about environmental responsibility and economy and health and being less of a threat to ones neighbor, but I do it because its fun, said Abts, 58. His only change is into a pair of shoes left at work. Terry Plowman can get from his West Mifflin home to his downtown Pittsburgh job in about 45 minutes, when the weather is favorable. Mr. Plowman, 54, takes a change of clothes with him each day. Others, like John Burgess at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, keep a mini wardrobe at the office to avoid added weight on the bike. In nearly five years of biking, the professor has discovered that its best not to wear your work trousers on the 15-minute trip. Youll get grease on your pants, even when youre being careful, he said. And on a hot day, you get sweaty. Theres an added dimension for professional women, who may find it more difficult to manage cycling in a skirt or dress and a helmet that squashes hair. Sarah Abts, married to Howard Abts, traverses rough old city streets, and crosses the High Level Bridge in her 50-minute, seven mile ride to Owens Community College where she tutors in the writing center. On other days, even in the heart of the winter, she rides 10 minutes to the Scott Park campus of the University of Toledo, where she teaches English composition. In terms of cold, I can stand anything for 10 minutes, Ms. Abts said. Walking there takes 30 minutes, and the bus is a 75-minute trip. Once at Scott Park, she can hop a shuttle to the main campus. She finds the cyclists necessary awareness and response to the weather a healthy exercise. It puts me in touch with nature. It helps me keep things in perspective, Mrs. Abts, 56, said. Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes six years ago, intense exercise helps keep her blood sugar low. I need to move, said the petite woman who stands 4 feet, 11 inches tall nd weighs 100 pounds.
She sports a short, simple cut for her naturally curly hair, which rules out helmet hair. Without an office at which to leave clothes at either job, she rides in what she wears at work; usually slacks or culottes. In the summer, she tucks a sweater in her briefcase to keep her comfortable in air- conditioned buildings. I try to look presentable, she said. One hot day last week, she wore zip-off pants, zipping them down to shorts for the ride home from OCC. In winter she usually wears a turtleneck, suit jacket, and slacks. Her coat is a hooded windbreaker style under which shell wear a couple of extra layers. Footwear requires special attention, because she bikes in work shoes and they have to fit into her pedals toe straps. That means flat, closed-toe T-straps, or tied shoes, and appropriate boots. Barbara Brewton of Pittsburgh wears shorts or capris and a T-shirt and carries a change of business casual work clothes on her bike. Kim ODell, her coworker at the Heinz Family Foundation, keeps business suits and heels at the office to change into. Both began biking to work this summer a couple of days a week and are fortunate that their office has the convenience of showers, an iron, and an ironing board. Mrs. ODell, 47, who commuted by bike in Washington before moving to Pittsburgh in 1993, said her family of four sat down in January and decided we were going to reduce our energy usage and waste. Mr. Brady, the Venture Outdoors vice president who bikes from his home to his downtown office several times a week year-round, said comfort and being visible are the two key factors for bike commuting. [Biking to work] is a nationwide trend, and youre seeing increases all across the country, said Eric Boerer with Bike Pittsburgh, a nonprofit that promotes bike safety and public awareness. As a society, added Mr. Quartuccio at Urban Velo, I dont think were going to have any choice but to rethink our total reliance on cars for short trips. LaMont Jones, fashion editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, contributed to this story. The Block News Alliance consists of The Blade and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Contact Tahree Lane at: tlane@theblade.com or 419-724-6075.

Sounds: Randy Travis goes back to country
AROUND THE BEND Randy Travis (Warner Bros. Nashville) Travis' deep, resonant baritone seems to come from the floor below, and on this new release it's as mellow and smooth as ever. In his first country album in eight years, Travis returns to his roots - traditional country, mostly ballads, with heartfelt delivery and messages.
So far this century, he has concentrated on gospel albums, very successfully, too, picking up several Grammys and assorted awards for them. He now plans to alternate country and gospel releases. The 11 songs here are hard-core country, yet there's still a tinge of gospel in many of them.
Since his multi-platinum smash debut in 1986, "Storms of Life," Travis has etched his memorable, distinctive voice into the minds of country fans worldwide. Besides recording a large repertoire of hits that have become country anthems, he has appeared in many films and television shows. Music lovers can be grateful that he hasn't forsaken his main job.
- KEN ROSENBAUM
MODERN GUILT Beck (DGC Records) The world weighs heavy on Beck's narrow shoulders.
Ice caps are melting, he's feeling uptight, and he's lost. Or so he says on his new disc "Modern Guilt," an angst-ridden, 33-minute trip through the formerly fun singer/songwriter's tortured soul.
With Danger Mouse providing the beats and production help, the disc relies on Beck's penchant for '60s-era pop touches blended with contemporary noise. Beats bounce along in a fuzzy mishmash of radio-friendly melodies and strange, melancholy modernism.
The result is interesting, for sure, but not necessarily worth multiple listens. It'd be nice if the guy would loosen up a little, even though it's easy to feel guilty expecting him to return to the absurdist romps featured on his earlier work.
But it's also difficult not to hear "Modern Guilt" as a half-hour-long buzz kill.
- ROD LOCKWOOD
WALL-E (Soundtrack) Thomas Newman (Walt Disney Records) Eight-time Academy Award-nominated composer Thomas Newman has written an imaginative score for a movie soundtrack that - get this - blends elements of the 1969 musical Hello, Dolly! with science fiction.
The disc is further enhanced by an archived song by Louis Armstrong while closing with an uplifting new piece, "Down to Earth," which features a nifty collaboration between Newman and Peter Gabriel.
At nearly 80 minutes, it's long. A lot of the time is spent meandering through Newman's mostly orchestrated score, which has both a serious side and some moments of whimsy. Sure, it drags in parts, but it takes the listener on a cleverly cosmic journey with its boldness and finesse without anything too bizarre or off-kilter.
It's Newman's foray into the science fiction genre and, even with the need for a little tighter editing, he leaves his own mark while avoiding musical cliches or excessive sentimentality.
- TOM HENRY

Finding poetry in animal migrations
NO WAY HOME: THE DECLINE OF THE WORLD'S GREAT ANIMAL MIGRATIONS. By David S. Wilcove. Island Press. 245 pages. $24.95 From one of America's leading wildlife experts comes No Way Home: The Decline of the World's Great Animal Migrations, an engrossing collection of stories about how nature's superhighways have been impacted by human activity.
Princeton University ecologist David S. Wilcove writes lovingly about the beauty of migration while giving readers a look at the challenges for monarch butterflies, dragonflies, salmon, songbirds, bison, cranes, loggerhead turtles, wildebeests, whales, and other forms of life wired to roam.
The prognosis is grim due to the footprint of the Earth's sprawling population and the resulting habitat loss it has generated, compounded by climate change, pollution, and other factors, from dams to skyscrapers to cell-phone towers.
Wilcove articulates his theme with sound, level-headed reasoning backed by 19 pages of source citations.
His writing has the heart and passion the book needs; it is well beyond the dryness of a scientific journal but without emotional, flowery rhetoric, all at an appropriate tone for the layman. There's little embellishment. The facts speak for themselves and are presented clearly and authoritatively.
Wilcove, the author of The Condor's Shadow: The Loss and Recovery of Wildlife in America, plus numerous scientific and mainstream press articles on wildlife conservation, suggests the Earth is on the verge of losing some of the migration spectacles it has experienced for thousands of years.
In the case of salmon, extinction is not around the corner, he says, "But it seems increasingly clear that the only migration most salmon will make in the future is the journey from the fish farm to the canning factory."
What's at stake? More than tradition.
Migrating birds control populations of plant-eating insects. Salmon transfer nutrients from rich seas to nutrient-poor rivers when they swim upstream to spawn, die, and, ultimately, decompose in riverbeds.
Wilcove notes how a bird launching itself into a night sky - something done billions of times every spring and fall - may seem like "an act of faith or courage." Yet it's sheer instinct.
"That instinct tells the bird it is time to go, time to venture hundreds or thousands of miles to some other place where living conditions will be better for the next few months, as has been the case for generations upon generations of its ancestors," he writes.
"The bird travels without any knowledge of what may have happened to its breeding grounds, its wintering grounds, or any of the places in between since the last time it made the journey. It just goes," Wilcove continues. "In that respect, perhaps migration is an act of faith after all, a hardwired belief that there is somewhere to go and a way to get back."
Contact Tom Henry at:
thenry@theblade.com or 419-724-6079.

Addiction to oil: Will it ever end?
One man's wasteland is another man's paradise.
As I've said in past columns, renewed efforts to lift the ban on offshore drilling had better be a wake-up call for the Great Lakes region.
Now, with Rep. Bob Latta and 10 other Republican congressmen on an alleged "fact-finding" trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, there'd better be a jolt of caffeine running through your veins.
I'm not saying all drilling, even in sensitive areas, is bad. Perhaps history will sho