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| Police kill Toledoan wielding 2 handguns Gail Cole followed closely behind her husband yesterday as he walked along North Detroit Avenue, explaining to a 911 operator that he had a gun and threatened to harm her and himself, police said. Shortly after she made that call, Toledo police officers approached Allen Cole, 40, of 6255 Telegraph Rd. about 1:10 p.m. near North Detroit and East Crawford Avenue. A sergeant and two officers tried for more than five minutes to get Mr. Cole to put down his gun. At one point, he pointed the weapon toward his chest. Across the street, his wife begged him to listen to the officers, said Louie Perry, who witnessed the incident. VIDEO OF POLICE NEWS CONFERENCE AND SCENE "She was screaming, 'Lay down, listen to the cops. Think about your kids,'•" Mr. Perry, 29, said. Mr. Cole pulled a second gun from his waistband, pointed it toward the officers, and was shot at least once by police. Mr. Cole did not fire either of his guns. He was taken to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Just before the shooting, Mr. Cole argued with his wife at a relative's house near where the shooting occurred, police said. Deputy Chief Don Kenney said nine shell casings and Mr. Cole's two guns were recovered at the scene. Sgt. Keith Miller and Officers Susan Surgo and Edward Gust, who fired the shots, have been placed temporarily on administrative leave. The shooting will be reviewed by the department's firearms review board, a standard procedure when an officer fires his or her service weapon. Chief Mike Navarre said last night he didn't know which officer fired the fatal shot. The incident was recorded on a police vehicle dashboard video camera, but the chief declined to release the videotape, citing the ongoing internal investigation. He said the video shows Mr. Cole had one gun in his right hand and was gesturing with his left hand. Mr. Cole then took a second gun from his waistband and raised both weapons - identified as a revolver and a semiautomatic gun. "The officers fired immediately when that second gun came out," Chief Navarre said. He said information about the incident provided to police by witnesses and officers is supported by the video. Chief Navarre said although it appeared to be a case of a person committing suicide by provoking police, it was "too soon to draw that conclusion." During an afternoon news conference with several of his top commanders, the chief said a preliminary investigation revealed the shooting was justified and the officers fired in self-defense. Mr. Perry and Jamel Jomaa, 18, who work at a nearby auto salvage yard, watched from several hundred yards away as officers repeatedly ordered Mr. Cole to put down his gun. "They told him a million times to lay down," Mr. Perry said. Paula Hoard, 41, was on the porch of her home on Crawford when she heard gunshots. Curious, she looked down the street and saw a man fall to the ground. In March, Mr. Cole was charged by Toledo police with criminal trespassing after he walked into Grogan's Towne Chrysler in the 6100 block of Telegraph with a gun. Although Mr. Cole had a concealed-carry permit, the gun was on his hip and visible to people. Car dealership employees called police because Mr. Cole refused to leave, Chief Navarre said. Mr. Cole was convicted in June, given a suspended 30-day jail sentence, and placed on probation for one year, Toledo Municipal Court records show. Adam Pullen, 18, who was at Mr. Cole's house last night, said Mr. Cole, who was his uncle, has a son that is his age and a 16-year-old daughter. He said Mrs. Cole and her children were at a funeral home last night making arrangements. The officers involved in the shooting are department veterans. Sergeant Miller, 50, was appointed in 1982 and works in field operations. He and Officer Bruce Helppie, who also was on the scene yesterday, were hurt seriously almost 25 years ago when they responded to a domestic dispute in the 700 block of Ewing Street in March, 1984. Sergeant Miller, who at the time had been with the department for two years, was shot three times in the neck and chest. Officer Helppie was wounded in the head, left arm, and left leg. Appointed in 1997, Officer Surgo, 37, works in the community services bureau. Officer Gust, 54, was appointed in 1977 and works in the traffic section. Contact Laren Weber at: lweber@theblade.com or 419-724-6050. |
| Brunner will lend hand to Lucas County Board of Elections Ohio's chief elections officer says she will provide "transitional support" to the Lucas County Board of Elections because of concerns over leadership with the presidential election less than four months away. In a letter to newly appointed county Elections Director Linda R. Howe and board Chairman Patrick Kriner, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said she would personally participate in weekly conference calls. Ms. Brunner requested that the director, deputy director, and two board members of opposite parties participate in the weekly call. The Lucas County elections office emerged from state oversight in 2006 under then Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. The current scrutiny from Ms. Brunner is less controlling. "Since ending administrative oversight, the board appeared to be functioning adequately under the leadership of Jill Kelly and Dan Pilrose [Jr.]," Ms. Brunner wrote. "However, with less than four months before a presidential election with predicted record turnout, neither Mr. Pilrose nor Ms. Kelly is available to the board for day-to-day leadership and direction." She acknowledged that the board had difficulties during the March, 2008, primary election, including reprinting and remailing absentee ballots, voter confusion with the return mailing of absentee ballots, and several problems with touch screen voting machine programming. Ms. Howe yesterday said that her first three days on the job were busy and she was meeting with members of the elections office staff, who have been handling a large volume of voter registrations. The elections board was the last in the state to report results from the March 4 election. Confusing instructions on absentee ballot documents may have contributed to 921 voters' ballots being invalidated for technical reasons. The board also is facing a lawsuit filed this month in Ohio's 6th District Court of Appeals that accused it, under Ms. Kelly's leadership, of failing to comply with public-records requests that were submitted by Kelly Bensman, an associate of Lucas County Republican Chairman Jon Stainbrook. That suit was filed July 8, two days before Ms. Kelly informed Mr. Kriner that she intended to take a leave. The four-member board of elections swore in Ms. Howe on July 17 to replace Mr. Pilrose who stepped down as elections director June 30, citing medical reasons. Ms. Kelly had been left in control after the resignation of Mr. Pilrose. Still undecided is whether the board will fill the post of deputy director, with the current deputy director, Ms. Kelly, on sick leave for an unspecified length of time. Mr. Kriner said he was grateful the secretary of state is taking a close interest in the elections office "during its transitional time." He said the office is preparing for the Aug. 5 special election during which the Anthony Wayne Local Schools is asking voters to approve two 3.3-mill levies. Mr. Kriner said preparations for the November election are on track. The state assumed oversight of the elections board in 2002 after conducting an investigation that revealed several problems, including the misplacement of a local option question, a lack of training for staff, and an alleged report of lost voters on the voter registration file. A subsequent investigation in November, 2004, also revealed administrative mismanagement and problems in staff training. Contact Ignazio Messina at: imessina@theblade.com or 419-724-6171. |
| Advisory cites cell-phone health risk PITTSBURGH - The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Cancer Centers has issued an advisory to about 3,000 faculty and staff about the possible health risks associated with cellular-phone use. "Recently I have become aware of the growing body of literature linking long-term cell-phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer," Dr. Ronald Herberman said in the memo yesterday. "Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell-phone use," he wrote in the memo. The advisory suggests certain measures to limit exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by the devices, such as shortening the length of conversations or keeping the phones away from the head by text messaging or using headsets or speaker-phone options. It also recommends that children not use cell phones except in emergencies. Developing organs "are the most likely to be sensitive to possible effects of exposure," the document says. Dr. Herberman said in an interview he hoped the suggestions would spread to others within the University of Pittsburgh and its medical center, as well as to the general public. He noted other countries have recommended limits on exposure and in Canada, public health officials in Toronto advise young people to limit cell-phone use. There is growing support for limited use, but it is not universal. There is nothing wrong with taking precautions, but "the bottom line, at this time, is that there is no conclusive evidence tying cell-phone use to brain cancer," said Dan Catena, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society. Dr. Herberman believes he is the first U.S. cancer center director to approve the release of such an advisory. Some of the concerns about cell-phone use have come from preliminary data from the 13-country study of cell-phone use and tumors known as the Interphone study, said Dr. Louis Slesin, editor of Microwave News, which tracks research related to cell-phone safety. Release of the overall findings has been delayed for more than two years. But a group of European countries reports an elevated risk for certain brain tumors among long-term cell-phone users, particularly on the side of the head where the phone was used, he said. A separate group of Swedish researchers reported similar findings, Dr. Slesin said. It wants makers to provide phones "with the lowest possible risk" and to "encourage consumers to use their devices in a way most compatible with preserving health." But others question the need for action: "The overwhelming majority of studies published in scientific journals around the globe show wireless phones do not pose a health risk," said CTIA-The Wireless Association, a group representing the industry. The Block News Alliance consists of The Blade and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Contact Joe Fahy at: jfahy@post-gazette.com |
| 58 workers detained for immigration violations in northern Ohio Federal authorities yesterday "administratively arrested" 58 Mexican citizens working at eight branches of a northern Ohio restaurant chain, including one in Oregon, for immigration violations. The arrests at the Casa Fiesta restaurants were the result of an investigation in progress for more than a year, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement branch of the Department of Homeland Security said. Greg Palmore, an immigration agency spokesman, said yesterday he could not provide a breakdown of how many people were arrested at each restaurant. Besides its Oregon location, 1705 South Wheeling St., employees were arrested at Casa Fiesta restaurants in Fremont, Norwalk, Sandusky, Vermilion, Ashland, Oberlin, and Youngstown. Fifty-four men and four women were detained. Three of the women were released on their own recognizance on "humanitarian grounds," but all will have to appear before federal immigration judges, who will determine whether they may legally remain in the United States, the immigration agency said. The agency said it has established a telephone number, 216-535-0510, that families of those detained may call for information about their relatives' status. No charges were filed yesterday against the restaurants, but Mr. Palmore said the investigation is continuing. |
| Smoke-ban foes support effort to gain exemptions Nearly two years after voters passed Ohio's smoking ban, some Toledo area business owners and private club officials are backing a legislative effort to exempt some bars and other establishments. Ohio's draconian smoking ban has financially hurt bars, private clubs, and other businesses, said Pam Parker, co-founder of Opponents of Ohio Bans. A drop in wholesale liquor sales, closures, and other ill effects are proving it to lawmakers, she added. "If we don't get our businesses back as business owners, we're not going to have anything," Ms. Parker told about 75 people during a meeting last night in Sommerset Hall, 2458 Tremainsville Rd. "This is our last shot," she said. Opponents of the smoking ban long have held that voters were confused by the ballot's wording, which led them to believe family-owned businesses and private clubs would be exempt. Two bills were introduced in June in the state legislature to exempt more businesses from the smoking ban, which prohibits smoking in most establishments. The Ohio Senate version - which would allow smoking in family-owned businesses, private clubs that are nonprofit, and all outdoor patios - has a better chance of approval, said Pat Carroll, president of the Buckeye Liquor Permit Holders Association. The Senate bill defines family-owned business as those that are not publicly owned or traded; have a president or chief operating officer from the family who has controlling interest, and are located in free-standing structures or separated from other businesses by firewalls. The other bill, introduced in the House, would exempt stand-alone bars from the smoking ban. Stand-alone bars must not be located within or share common entrances with enclosed areas where smoking is prohibited, and they cannot derive more than 10 percent of gross revenues from food sales, the House bill says. Smoking ban opponent Bill Delaney, owner of Delaney's Lounge in West Toledo, said the groups may organize a rally in Columbus after the legislature is back in session. He asked those attending last night's meeting to start gathering signatures in support of the Senate bill. "We need to get the truth out," Mr. Delaney said. "We have to let people know exactly what's going on." He added: "We need everyone behind us. We need more and more behind us." Ms. Parker said public health groups first went after smoking, which is weeding out the number of bars. Their next targets will be alcoholism and obesity, further hurting bars and other establishments, she said. She also questioned the motivation of the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to fund smoking bans. It also is one of the biggest institutional shareholders in Johnson & Johnson, which makes smoking cessation patches, she said. "How has this been allowed?" Ms. Parker asked. Contact Julie M. McKinnon at: jmckinnon@theblade.com or 419-724-6087. |
| Kirk - ANWR |
| Gramm says: Don't worry, be happy Phil Gramm, the Republican ex-senator from Texas, suggests we stop whining, that times are not as bad as we think. He should have that rattlesnake bite taken care of. The stock market has gone into the dumper and thousands of people are out of work. The war in Iraq has gone badly ever since it was declared, and much of the world hates us. You can't drink the water or breathe the air. Airlines are going broke and gasoline costs more than $4 per gallon. Some banks are on the brink and groceries cost more and more each week. America's automotive industry is in deep trouble and personal bankruptcies are at an all time high as are mortgage foreclosures. The Iranians have double-dog dared the United States and there is no end in sight to the troubles in the Middle East. While much of the world is starving, corn is being turned into ethanol. If these are indications that times are not so bad as Mr. Gramm suggests, then we should stop worrying and be happy, as a certain song suggests. Just remember that all of this happened on the Republican watch. Do you still need reasons for voting Democratic this fall? John J. Burkhart Eleanor Avenue Kaptur should have gone to ANWR too Rep. Marcy Kaptur did not go with the other congressmen to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Not going on this trip provided her the opportunity to criticize those who did. How can a person in her position make an intelligent decision and not take a few days and visit that area? She would then have been in a position to evaluate and see for herself. Why did she not go? Was it because she would have to report favorably on what she saw and learned? The majority of the people who live in the village of Kaktovik, near ANWR, support drilling for oil. It would help their economy and provide a win-win situation for all in trying to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Miss Kaptur's statement that this trip was a junket and public-relations stunt makes her look very foolish and immature for a person in her position. James R. Bard Bryan, Ohio Latta trip shows he's looking out for us Three cheers to Rep. Bob Latta for traveling to the Arctic National Wildlife Refiuge to see just exactly why all those leftist media and Al Gore, save-the-planet-at-all-costs types are so against drilling there. Just maybe he is looking out for us for a change. With low-income and fixed-income citizens slowly going down the drain from high oil prices, there doesn't seem to be anyone in Washington who thinks there is an urgency to fix the problem. We are tired of the old rhetoric of alternative energy being the answer when it is curently cost-prohibitive. Sure, we should continue working on alternatives. But Bob, if you think you will get fair coverage in The Blade about your trip, forget it. And you won't get a peep from the three major TV networks since the anchors are with Barack Obama in the Middle East. Gordon Nunamaker Curtice Alaska tour a waste of taxpayer dollars So Rep. Bob Latta went to Alaska. What did he hope to accomplish there besides wasting tax dollars on another needless junket and racking up frequent flier miles on the taxpayer's dollar? Where is the financial responsibility? There is nothing he can learn there that he doesn't already know here. When the average Joe is having a hard time affording gas to go to work, much less take a vacation, our elected officials are off hither and yon spending our money like drunken sailors. Where will the next globe-trotting "fact-finding" mission take him? I say, stay put and attend to the matters of your district. Alaska does not need you any more than it needed the Exxon Valdez. Marylyn Lucas Northwood Time for Congress to make decision Now that President Bush has lifted the ban on offshore drilling, Congress has a decision to make. Does it continue to give credence to left-leaning environmental groups (the minority), or does it listen to the American public (the majority) and follow the President's lead? Our "energy dependence" upon Middle East countries is America's new form of terrorism. I contacted both Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Sen. Sherrod Brown on energy issues and received the same bogus response from both: We need to invest in alternative energy sources, open up the national reserves, and not worry about offshore drilling. They claim that offshore drilling will not produce any measurable results for years to come. I don't know if they think we are all stupid or what, but if we start drilling today, of course we will not get oil to market immediately. It will take years. But I plan on being around for years. In the meantime, we can address the issues of alternative energy sources to help supplement our dependence on fossil fuels. Do they think we believe that if we discover a car that can run on wind power next week, it will be brought to market overnight? It will take years for it to be brought to market and then more years to bring the cost down to a point where people can afford it. As for the national reserves, what a joke. We have about a two-month supply. Barack Obama "scoffs" at John McCain's suspension of the gasoline tax, claiming it will hurt highway funding. I ask, what good are highway funds when nobody can afford to drive? Mike Webber Colony Drive Shortsighted answer will have bad results The fire gets a little hot and all we hear from some is to build more nuclear reactors, drill in more offshore sites, and, in further searches for oil, desecrate a pristine northern wilderness. Let's play on the public's fears and squeeze every last drop and dollar from the soil before we begin to explore alternate sources of fuel and energy. We've fought hard to keep our environment clean and pollution free. Has anyone forgotten Chernobyl? Do you understand the extent of the environmental disaster we call modern China? Are we to choose jobs over conservation and the risk of permanent damage from pollution? Think hard about the direction we are going and the paths that shortsighted individuals would like us to take. Don't let the sign say "Humans: failed experiment." These are serious times and careful choices need to be made to thwart potentially fatal consequences. Wade Born East Streicher Street Bush response left much unanswered President Bush once again blamed Congress in general and Democrats in particular for the gasoline crisis. He lifted the ban on drilling in protected areas and urged Congress to do the same. Had the President made himself available for questioning, he might have been asked: 1) Why haven't oil and gas companies developed resources on the 68 million acres of federal land and continental shelf where they already hold leases? 2) Do you believe that oil and gas companies should receive tax relief and government subsidies given their enormous profits? 3) If drilling takes place on these protected lands and waters, how long will it take to produce enough to reduce prices? 4) Are you considering reducing the Strategic Reserve to increase supply? 5) Does it bother you that the oil and gas companies complain about environmental restrictions on drilling when they haven't been willing to use their profits to develop properties they already hold? Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to ask these questions. Edward J. Nussel Glaston Oaks Court Whiner column a winner I'm a first-rate whiner and never have I so thoroughly enjoyed that status and laughed so hard as when reading Reg Henry's column in The Blade on July 17 offering a whiner's apology. Way to go, Reg. Even the most ardent, Bush-loving, dyed-in-the wool Republican might want to join our esteemed group after reading his tongue-in-cheek column. Virginia M. Nichols Sylvania |
| Fog over ANWR IT WAS appropriate that the plane carrying Reps. Bob Latta, Jim Jordan, and eight of their Republican congressional colleagues never got to land at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Their minds were made up before they began their "American Energy Tour," so nothing they saw on the ground in Alaska would have mattered. In fact, they could just as easily have conducted their "fact-finding" junket from their Washington offices and saved us all a little money. Speaking to the Toledo Rotary Club after his return, Mr. Jordan, who represents Ohio's 4th District, said he didn't see any caribou, polar bears, or even "Bambi," just "the most barren desolate place with 10.4 billion barrels of oil waiting to be brought to market." Mr. Latta, the 5th District representative, told Blade politics writer Tom Troy that the GOP delegation did see happy caribou co-existing contentedly at the airport in Deadhorse, Alaska, near the existing Prudhoe Bay oil fields. We are not surprised that these myopic lawmakers couldn't see wildlife from a plane, in the fog. They didn't want to see them in the first place. And the oil? Government studies indicate that it may - or may not - exist in the quantity they so optimistically claim. As Inupiat native Robert Thompson noted, politicians see and hear what they want to justify their desire to drill for oil. But leave aside the predetermined and self-fulfilling nature of this latest waste of taxpayer dollars. Forget the insult to the intelligence of the American people inherent in Mr. Jordan's "Bambi" reference. Ignore the fact that even if drilling were to begin today, not one drop of ANWR oil would reach the market for many years and the impact of that oil on gasoline prices would be negligible at best. The other really big falsehood that's been floating around for years in connection with ANWR drilling proposals, repeated by Mr. Latta, Mr. Jordan, et al, is that drilling would impact only about 2,000 of the refuge's 1.9 million acres. But what is meant by drilling's 2,000-acre "footprint" would actually be something quite different from the tiny red spot shown on maps of what Mr. Latta called ANWR's vast "tundra desert." What he didn't reveal is that those 2,000 acres wouldn't be all in one place. They would be made up collectively of the ground supports for dozens, maybe hundreds, of raised drilling platforms that would be scattered throughout ANWR's coastal plain. Unlike Prudhoe Bay's concentrated fields, ANWR crude is believed to be contained in many locales. Neither does the miniscule 2,000-acre "footprint" hyped by the pro-drillers include the miles and miles of roads and pipelines that would have to be built to connect the wells to other oil facilities, nor the facilities themselves, nor the hundreds of square miles near the roads and pipelines that would be adversely affected by their presence and the traffic they carry. If Mr. Latta, Mr. Jordan, and others want to debate opening ANWR for oil exploration and drilling, that's fine. But let that debate be open and, above all, honest. Perpetuating misinformation to play off the fears of people hit hard by the rising price of fuel and other consumer goods is unseemly, even in an election year. In the end, drilling in ANWR isn't about inconveniencing a few caribou as these shills for the oil industry, masquerading as members of Congress, would have the public believe. It's about destroying one of this nation's most precious natural areas for little, if any, economic gain. |
| Standing up to intimidation RATHER than be castigated as anti-union, Judge Denise Cubbon, of Lucas County Juvenile Court, ought to be hailed for her valiant resistance to labor intimidation in the face of a ham-handed attempt by the United Auto Workers to organize her office's employees. That fact is that Judge Cubbon, a Democrat who was first elected in 2004, is not anti-union. She proved that last year when she agreed to recognize the UAW after a majority of the court's employees signed union cards. But she rescinded that approval in June after a couple of her family's cars were vandalized after contentious negotiations broke down. In short, she is refusing to back down in the face of the kind of thinly veiled intimidation that thankfully doesn't happen much any more but which still gives unions a bad reputation. The UAW angrily denies it was behind the vandalism, in which tires on the Cubbon family's cars were flattened. However, the methodical manner in which the vandalism was carried out and the timing of the incident indicate that it was anything but coincidental. In addition to resisting intimidation, Judge Cubbon is showing good judgment in refusing to be stampeded into accepting a contract with wage increases that could be costly to taxpayers, and which she contends might force her to lay off some workers. That stance puts her at odds with Commissioner Pete Gerken, who is playing two key roles - one as union advocate and the other as a public official charged with spending taxpayer money wisely. With Mr. Gerken, it is sometimes hard to tell where each of these roles begins and ends, and which side he's on. In this case, Judge Cubbon cannot be faulted for declining to go along with contract terms she says were agreed to by Mr. Gerken without advance consultation with her. No doubt about it, a contract with juvenile court division employees would be a foot in the courthouse door for the UAW. It would be the first union contract for any division of the county's Common Pleas Court. In these tough economic times, however, more attention must be paid to the burden placed on taxpayers by the ever-increasing demands of public-employee unions. Toledo may be a "union town," but we are confident that a majority of discerning residents support Judge Cubbon for her thoughtful and courageous stand. |
| Desire for change THAT the American public is upset with its elected officials in Washington is hardly a news flash. It is no surprise that only 12 percent of those surveyed in a recent Gallup Poll have confidence in Congress as an institution. That's the lowest confidence rating since Gallup started asking the question 35 years ago. The reasons are obvious: There seems to be no end in sight to high gasoline prices or the war in Iraq. Add distress over the housing crunch and growing unemployment and people have every reason to complain. When they do, Congress is an easy target. So is President Bush, whose job approval rating is around 30 percent these days. But he's doing way better than Congress, whose job approval rating is a pitiful 18 percent. These rock-bottom ratings worry members of both political parties. Texas Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling says Congress has "an approval rating below bubonic plague and head lice," and the public unfairly blames the GOP because it was in charge on Capitol Hill for such a long time. Democrats fret that Republicans use procedural maneuvers to block key votes on legislation, so they get blamed unfairly for not getting much done now that they're in the majority. As Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow puts it, "The strategy of the Republicans has been to stop anything from happening." This fall's elections would seem to be a likely time for voters to take out their anger on congressional incumbents, except - and it's a big exception - that Americans typically hold their local member of Congress in pretty high regard. It's all those other guys who are useless. This is a trend pollsters confront regularly, and it is borne out by the fact that more than 90 percent of congressional incumbents get re-elected. Considering the deep gloom that seems to permeate the country, this may be the year that proves the exception. |
| Big Ten coaches, stars invade Chicago CHICAGO - While Amway salesmen and hedge fund traders meet in conference rooms on the levels above, the football coaches and star players from the Big Ten will gather two floors below the busy street level at the Hyatt Regency Hotel here today, to give the football season its unofficial/official start. Each summer, the league hosts a two-day, preseason session with the media, and the Big Ten essentially takes over the lowest level of the sprawling convention center. Ohio State is expected to be the favorite to win this year's conference title when the Big Ten releases the results of its preseason media poll. The Buckeyes have won the last two league crowns outright, and shared the title the previous year. Ohio State will be represented at the conference event by coach Jim Tressel, senior linebacker James Laurinaitis, senior quarterback Todd Boeckman and senior defensive back Malcolm Jenkins. National pundits envision a middle-of-the-pack conference finish for the University of Michigan under first-year coach Rich Rodriguez. Today will mark the first time Rodriguez is publicly available for questions since he agreed to pay - with the help of UM - $4 million to his former employer, West Virginia University, to satisfy a buyout clause in his contract there. Rodriguez will likely also get questions about the low expectations for his team, his players' ability to adapt to his schemes - especially his spread-option offense - and some of the wars of words he's engaged in through the media with Tressel and Purdue coach Joe Tiller. With Rodriguez to help field some of those questions will be senior tight end Mike Massey, senior defensive end Tim Jamison, and senior cornerback Morgan Trent. "I don't know [right now], but a year from now, at least I'll know in my mind where we're at," Rodriguez said in May of his own expectations for the Wolverines. "Two years from now I'll really know where we're at. Right now, I'm as clueless as most, with the exception of 15 practices in the spring. "It's a blank canvas in a lot of respects. The low expectations, whatever. I don't worry about that." The Big Ten hosts a kickoff luncheon for fans here tomorrow, and the 37th annual installment of the event sold out, with more than 1,700 expected to attend. The players and coaches hold an autograph and photo session first, with the luncheon following. "The luncheon is the greatest preseason promotion of the sport in the country," said Big Ten associate commissioner Andrea Williams. "We are excited to welcome our fans, bowl and television partners and corporate sponsors to the city of Chicago for this outstanding event." |
| Sylvania native Parsons ready for second Olympics Setting the alarm clock for a reasonable time. Eating healthy, but not entirely healthy. Seeing more of his longtime girlfriend. This was all very appealing to a worn out Scott Parsons in 2005. The early morning kayaking training was becoming boring and tiresome, and thoughts of declining skills began creeping up in Parsons' mind. He considered quitting for about a year following the 2004 Olympics, while still training, although not consistently. His father assumed Parsons was done, and Parsons' competitors hoped he was. But Parsons wasn't done. "I'm sure I would be pretty happy had I stopped after Athens," Parsons said. "I definitely would have had a happy life had I stopped." He's also glad he didn't stop. Refreshed and refocused, Parsons, a Sylvania native and graduate of St. John's Jesuit, has returned to the pinnacle of his sport and will compete in his second Olympic games next month in Bejing. Parsons, 29, and his four U.S. teammates will leave tomorrow for San Jose before heading to Bejing on Friday. The kayak competition is scheduled for Aug. 11-14. "He's raced pretty well so far this year," U.S. coach Silvan Poberaj said. "He seems to be in pretty good shape, but if you're familiar with slalom, it's pretty hard to predict what will happen in the race." Parsons, who lives in Bethesda, Md., finished sixth in 2004, about which he was "content." He qualified for this year's games in part because of a bronze medal finish at the world cup in Augsburg. "Given the size of the race [in 2004] and the importance that's placed on it, I had two runs that I was pretty happy with," said Parsons, who is ranked ninth in the world. "I could have done better, but I definitely could have done worse." Parsons considers the venue in Bejing "one of the most challenging courses in the world." He finished third there at a test event a year ago and has trained in those waters several other times. Similar to alpine skiing, a whitewater kayaking course consists of 18 to 25 gates. Six of the gates are marked as upstream, requiring paddlers to progress in an upstream motion. A two-second penalty is elicited for coming in contact with a gate. Since the Athens games, the international federation that governs kayaking revolutionized the sport by reducing the minimum size of the boats from four meters to 3.5 meters. This seemingly could have hindered Parsons, a veteran entrenched in a normal routine. Turns out, the rule changes invigorated him. "That was exciting and got me interested again," Parsons said. "The technique and strategy have changed a lot with these new designs. They're shorter, quicker, and more fun. Whatever apathy I had was sort of erased with the excitement of learning new techniques." Parsons began competing at about 9 years old, following in the steps of his elder brother, Brian, and father, Bill. Since there is no whitewater in Toledo, Parsons would often head elsewhere to train, although he was also known to put his kayak in the waters of Oleander Park in Sylvania. "We would put together training plans and he would do it before school, and we're talking about grade school," Bill Parsons said. "I'd come home from work and he'd be watching kayaking videos, trying to learn things just from observing. He wasn't forced to do it because that's a formula for failure. We knew that he wanted to do it and we gave him aggressive training schedules." Soon Parsons' lifestyle will begin to parallel 2005 when he wasn't so aggressive. He'll train a little but doesn't plan to make another run at an Olympic team or even compete in major competitions. Instead, Parsons plans to relax, enjoy life, and he hopes to go back to work where he makes prostheses for wounded war veterans. With likely just one more significant race to go in his career, Parsons isn't thinking medal or bust. "I just want a result I'm happy with," Parsons said. "A medal would be great for sure, but I don't want to place too much importance on that." Contact Ryan Autullo at: rautullo@theblade.com |
| Optimism reigns at Browns' camp BEREA, Ohio - On coach Romeo Crennel's whistle, the Cleveland Browns sprinted across the field en masse as hundreds of fans dressed in various shades of brown and orange hooted and hollered as if they had just witnessed a Derek Anderson-to-Braylon Edwards touchdown pass. As training camp officially opened, a loud air horn pierced the air. Moments later, an unexpected chant rose from the aluminum bleachers ringing Cleveland's practice fields. "Su-per Bowl! Su-per Bowl!" went the cry. Around here, they're dreaming big. With expectations higher than they've been since the late 1980s, when Bernie Kosar was under center, the Browns embarked yesterday on a 2008 season many believe has the potential to carry into 2009. So bad for so long, the Browns, yeah, you heard right, the Browns, have become a trendy pick to make a championship run this season. "It feels good," said Edwards, who made the Pro Bowl after catching 80 passes and scoring 16 TDs last season. "At the same time, we know what we have to do and what is being called upon us to do. Last year, we were knocking at the door for the playoffs. So to go from not making the playoffs is a big step. But if we play our cards right and take it a game at a time, we have a chance to at least be in the running." In the running. That's what the Browns have been building for. After winning just four games in 2006, they went 10-6 last season with a high-scoring offense and just missed making the playoffs. It was an unexpected turnaround for a franchise in disrepair since its 1999 expansion return, and it came after general manager Phil Savage traded starting quarterback Charlie Frye following a 34-7 season-opening loss to Pittsburgh. With a roster of rising stars including Edwards, Anderson, tackle Joe Thomas, tight end Kellen Winslow and others, the Browns are summer chic. It remains to be seen what will happen this fall and winter, when they tackle a killer schedule that will include five prime-time TV appearances. For now, though, the Browns have believers. Before camp began, Crennel, who is entering his fourth season, spoke with his team about managing the presumption that they belong among the league's best. "I said people are going to be talking to you about the tough schedule, but the schedule is the schedule and we're going to play the schedule," Crennel said after putting his team through a light, one-hour workout. "I told them that everybody expects a lot from us because of what we did last year. And I told them that we are going to embrace that. That beats the alternative. "Around here for a long time there were no expectations, so we're glad that people have some confidence and want to see us do good and we're going to try to prove worthy of those expectations." Unlike a year ago, when Crennel determined his starting quarterback for the exhibition opener with a coin flip, Anderson is No. 1 on the depth chart with Brady Quinn again serving as his backup. That could change with an injury or if Anderson plays poorly in Cleveland's first four games, a rugged stretch with home games against Dallas and Pittsburgh followed by games in Baltimore and Cincinnati. Anderson, the big-armed 25-year-old from tiny Scappoose, Ore., may never match Quinn in popularity but he's growing on Cleveland's fans, some of whom chanted "D.A., D.A." during the camp's opening practice. Anderson threw 29 TD passes and for 3,787 yards last season, and feels he can put up even bigger numbers now that he's more comfortable in second-year coordinator Rob Chudzinski's passing-friendly system. Anderson cracked last summer in his head-to-head competition with Frye, and there's no guarantee he'll maintain his hold on the starting job with Quinn poised to steal it if given the chance. But on the first day of camp, the Browns and their fans were bathed in a belief that this could be a special season, one that could end with the club's first Super Bowl trip. "It has to be," said Dan Cordle of Thornville. "Phil Savage said two years ago to give him three years and we'll be there. This is it." When practice ended, Crennel, who received a two-year contract extension during the offseason, huddled his team before sending them over to the ropes to sign autographs for fans who can't wait for the Sept. 7 opener against Dallas to arrive. "There's a lot of optimism," said Quinn, who grew up in suburban Columbus rooting for the Browns. "That's something you need to have. However, it's our job now to convince people. That's what we're working towards. "Saying it is one thing and proving it on the field is something different." |
| Mud Hens fight back from 9-0 deficit to Rochester but lose ROCHESTER, N.Y. - That sound you heard from New York around 10 p.m. last night was Rochester Red Wings manager Stan Cliburn exhaling. The Red Wings built a 9-0 lead through seven innings but had to hold off a late surge by the Toledo Mud Hens before prevailing 9-6 at Frontier Field. Toledo scored six runs in the eighth and had the tying run at the plate in the ninth with one out, but Bobby Korecky struck out Kody Kirkland and Max St-Pierre to end it. "That's a dangerous, dangerous club over there," Cliburn said. "No lead is safe." Jason Pridie, who hit two homers for Rochester, agreed with Cliburn. "They could hit 12 homers in a row," he said. "We're happy to get the win." For much of the game, the Mud Hens were being thumped for the second night in a row. They lost 13-0 on Tuesday, managing just two hits while committing five errors. Rochester's Alejandro Machado opened the bottom half of the third with a fly to center that was misjudged by Brent Clevlen for a double. Ryan Jorgensen followed with a grounder to third. Mike Hessman fielded it with his bare hand and threw on the run, with the ball striking Jorgensen in the back. Machado came home on the error. "We misplayed that ball, then made that error, but after that [Rochester] just hit the ball," Mud Hens manager Larry Parrish said. Pridie hit a two-run homer to lead Rochester's six-run fourth inning, and when Jorgensen and Pridie opened the seventh with homers off starter Anastacio Martinez, it was 9-0. Martinez (2-3) allowed the nine runs on 11 hits in 61/3 innings. The right-hander's earned-run average rose to 5.13. Toledo's 21-inning scoreless streak ended with a six-run explosion in the eighth inning. Former Cincinnati Reds closer Danny Graves loaded the bases on two hit batsmen and a walk, and Michael Holliman's infield single brought in Toledo's first run since the fourth inning of Monday's 6-4 win over the Red Wings. Graves mercifully was removed after walking Kirkland to force in another run. Graves threw 17 pitches - just four for strikes. Tim Lahey induced St-Pierre to line into a double play, but Freddy Guzman ripped a three-run double to right-center and Timo Perez made it 9-6 with another double. That brought up the dangerous Clevlen, who struck out against Korecky to end the big inning. In the ninth, Hessman singled with one out and Hollimon followed with a double, but Korecky fanned Kirkland and St-Pierre for his 14th save. "It was nice to see some runs," Parrish said. "Graves struggled, and that got us started." The Mud Hens committed two more errors and have 10 in the first three games of this series, which concludes with an 11:05 game this morning. Toledo's Chris Lambert (10-5, 3.10 ERA) takes on Kevin Mulvey (3-8, 3.97) in a matchup of right-handers. The Mud Hens return to Fifth Third Field tomorrow night to take on the Pawtucket Red Sox, who own the best record in Triple-A at 63-41. |
| Lions' Campbell finds he's in the Army ... NOW ALLEN PARK, Mich. - Caleb Campbell was a day away from practicing with the Detroit Lions and taking a step toward his dream of playing in the NFL. "He was issued a helmet, ready to go," coach Rod Marinelli said yesterday. Now, Campbell is closer to joining his fellow West Point graduates in Iraq or Afghanistan. The U.S. Army revised its interpretation of U.S. Department of Defense policy two weeks ago regarding soldiers playing professional sports, requiring cadets to complete two years of active duty before applying for a release. Campbell and the Lions didn't officially receive notice of the change until the eve of training camp. "It's unfortunate, but it doesn't mean Caleb Campbell's dream is dead. It just means it will be delayed," Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb told the Associated Press. "We want to take care of soldiers and dashing their hopes is not what we intend. But it is what it is." Edgecomb said minor league baseball players Nick Hill and Milan Dinga, former West Point standouts, will be allowed to finish their seasons before eventually joining their units. Campbell agreed to contract terms, but the seventh-round pick did not sign the deal. The Lions will retain his rights until the 2009 draft, but he will not be eligible to play until 2010. "Obviously, he's disappointed," said Marinelli, a Vietnam veteran. "But I obviously know what he's about. He got his orders and he's ready to report." When Detroit drafted Campbell in April, it created a lot of publicity and led to some debate about whether it was fair for a cadet to play pro sports while classmates were at war. "There were a lot of questions. Why is this kid going to be able to pursue this opportunity?" Campbell recalled in April. "I had a lot of guys come up to me. I think initially they were confused. They didn't understand the aspect of this whole situation. But it was never anything vulgar, just a lot of questions, a lot of curiosity from my fellow cadets. "Now that they understand the policy, they understand how this is going to benefit the Army. Whenever I'm settled in, I will report to the local recruiting station in the area and I will take it very seriously. It's my job in the United States Army. This is how I'm serving my country." The buzz might have also made the Navy and Air Force bitter because their graduates were playing under different rules under the same Department of Defense directive, which was implemented in 1994, reiterated in 2007 and again just a few days after the NFL draft. "The policy has not changed," Department of Defense spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said. Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter ruled last month that Mitch Harris must serve a five-year active duty commitment. Harris, a 22-year-old pitcher with a 95-mph fastball, was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round in this year's draft. Harris acknowledged being surprised by the ruling because Campbell was being allowed to pursue football while completing his military service as a recruiter and in the reserves. "Army has redefined the Alternative Service Option to include playing professional sports," Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk has said. "Our coaches are now operating under a significant handicap when recruiting head to head with Army. It may not be reflected on the playing field today, but I can guarantee you that it will result in a competitive disadvantage down the road." The Air Force agreed, saying the academies recruit cadets from the same pool of candidates. Last month, the Army embraced the advantage. "The real advantage for the Army is just the amount of publicity we get," Edgecomb said in an AP story published on June 13. "When you think about it, who's the best recruiter for the Navy you can think of? David Robinson. He's called the Admiral, for goodness sake. The attention that we get in our primary demographic to have someone playing sports who's in the Army, that's where in the Army see the advantage in this program." Robinson, before he became a superstar center with the San Antonio Spurs, served two years of active duty for the Navy after graduating from the academy in the 1980s. He benefited from a policy that allowed him to apply for an early release to pursue "an activity with potential recruiting or public affairs benefit to the Navy and Marine Corps." In 1986, Navy running back Napoleon McCallum played his rookie year with the Los Angeles Raiders while stationed at the Long Beach, Calif., naval base. The Army changed its policy on July 8, but it wasn't until July 23 that the Lions received a letter from U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jonathan P. Liba, informing them in writing that Campbell had to cease playing football in order to perform "full time traditional military duties," until at least 2010. LIONS MOVES: The Lions have at least agreed to terms on contracts with all their draft picks except Jordon Dizon. The players who have agreed to terms: first-round offensive tackle, Gosder Cherilus, third-round running back Kevin Smith and defensive tackle Andre Fluellen, fifth-round receiver Kenneth Moore and fullback Jerome Felton, and seventh-round defensive tackle Landon Cohen. Cliff Avril, a defensive end drafted in the third round, signed a three-year contract on Monday. |
| Liriano dominates Mud Hens as Rochester romps ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Minnesota Twins say Francisco Liriano isn't ready to return to major league baseball. The Toledo Mud Hens say the Twins are a little crazy. Liriano dazzled and confounded Hens hitters last night, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 in seven innings, and the Red Wings breezed to a 13-0 victory over Toledo at Frontier Field. "That's the most we've been shut down," Toledo manager Larry Parrish said. The loss, as ugly as possible, dropped the Mud Hens two games behind Louisville in the International League West. They committed five errors and allowed 16 hits, including three each by Howie Clark and Trevor Plouffe. "We didn't waste anything tonight - hits, pitching, defense," Parrish said. "It was one of those games where you go, oh, boy, that was a bad one." A bad one when they were at the mercy of a great left arm. Four months into his comeback from Tommy John surgery in 2006, Liriano has been dominating IL hitters since June. He is 9-0 with a 2.37 earned-run average in his last 10 starts. In the 35 innings that comprise his last five starts, he has allowed only one run, 19 hits and five walks while striking out 42. Last night he was at his best. He struck out the side in the first, two more in the second and didn't allow a baserunner until Erick Almonte doubled into the corner in left with one out in the third. The only other hit was a broken-bat bloop over third base by Jeff Larish in the seventh. "I think the numbers speak for themselves," Larish said. "He proved why he had the success he had in the past." The Twins haven't promoted Liriano because they haven't needed a starter. Their four kids - Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker, Glen Perkins and Nick Blackburn - as well as ageless veteran Livan Hernandez have been solid and kept them in contention in the American League Central. "I'm ready, I'm just waiting for them to give me that opportunity," Liriano said. His manager agrees that Liriano is ready for big-league hitters. "Absolutely," Red Wings manager Stan Cliburn said when asked point-blank. "I don't think he can throw any more dominating than that, to do that - give up two hits and strike out 10 - with a lineup that's stacked with hitters. "That's a big-league lineup over there. He got ahead with the fastball, he moved feet. You saw a lot of bent knees tonight." Liriano was the IL rookie of the year in 2005 and was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 2006 before injuring his elbow. His agent, Greg Genske, squawked loudly last week that the Twins needed to promote his client. "You ask our guys and I think they'll tell you he's ready," Parrish said. "He's ready, I think he's shown that," Plouffe said. "It's been a pleasure and I hope we don't see him back again." The Hens second the idea. Not that the Red Wings needed Liriano to dominate last night. They led 2-0 after their first two batters. Jason Pridie tripled off Virgil Vasquez (6-10) and Clark followed with a homer to right. Three errors, a walk and doubles by Matt Macri and Alejandro Machado and Plouffe's sacrifice fly produced four unearned runs in the third, and four more hits in the fourth produced three runs for a 9-0 lead. By then the Hens had four errors. "At that point I told them in the dugout, get it all out in one game," Parrish said. |
| Clevlen blasts 2 homers as Mud Hens top Wings ROCHESTER, N.Y. - What looked like a typical knock-the-ball-around Rochester rout early turned into a tight game late, but the Toledo Mud Hens held on for a 6-4 victory at Frontier Field last night. "We sort of won in spite of ourselves tonight," said Hens manager Larry Parrish, whose club won its third straight despite making three errors. "We didn't play very good defense at times and then [shortstop Matt] Hollimon made a really nice play when they had a little action going in the eighth. That was big." Hollimon, who threw high over first base on a grounder earlier in the game, ventured deep into the hole to get a force out and help quell a Red Wings rally after Jason Pridie's solo home run had trimmed Toledo's lead to 6-4. Reliever Clay Rapada then induced two groundouts to end the threat. Closer Blaine Neal worked out of a two-on, one-out situation in the ninth inning, set up by Clete Thomas' dropped fly ball in center field, to earn his 24th save and make a winner out of starter Eddie Bonine (10-2), who just came off a five-game stint with the Detroit Tigers. "He pitched real good," Parrish said. "It's bad for him but good for us that he's back here." Right fielder Brent Clevlen again powered the offense, launching a pair of home runs in the first two innings as the Hens built a 5-0 lead. He lined a 2-and-2 curveball over the left-field wall in the first and then sent a 1-and-0 fastball over the right-center field fence off Julio DePaula (1-5), a right-hander who allowed five runs on seven hits before leaving after just two innings. Clevlen's towering, two-run shot was his third straight home run and fourth straight consecutive hit going back to Sunday's 8-4 win in Pawtucket, where he singled in the sixth inning and hit a solo homer in the ninth. His red-hot run cooled in the seventh when he popped out to shallow center field. He had walked in the fourth and grounded out in ninth, going 2-for-4. "Over the last four games I really didn't feel that great. I blooped a couple in, here and there," Clevlen admitted. "Really my last at-bat before we came here, I felt better. I just didn't have that good feeling. I was battling. I didn't have that right rhythm." Clevlen wasn't the only Hen who feasted on foul pitching by the Wings, who rank 10th in the 14-team league with a 4.19 earned-run average. First baseman Jeff Larish went 2-for-4 and made a couple of solid plays in the field, including digging out a Hollimon throw and snaring a low line drive over the bag by Howie Clark. Thomas also went 2-for-4 and lead-off hitter Freddy Guzman continued his assault at the plate and on the bases. Coming off Sunday's IL-record four-steal effort, he swiped two more and went 2-for-5. He's 5-for-12 and hit in three straight games. Rochester got a run back in the second inning, when Garrett Jones homered off Bonine to make it 5-1, and Hollimon's errant throw led to a pair of runs in the third. Clevlen honored Mud Hens outfielder Brent Clevlen was named the International League batter of the week, making him the second consecutive Toledo player to earn a weekly honor. Hens pitcher Chris Lambert was recognized last week as the IL pitcher of the week. Clevlen was singled out for his play from July 14-20, a period shortened by the All-Star break. The Hens' all-star outfielder batted .400 (6-for-15) with three homers, five RBIs and six runs scored in four games. Last year, Clevlen was also named the IL batter of the week for his play following the All-Star break. Syracuse pitcher Scott Richmond earned honors as the IL's top pitcher last week. Also, the Tigers recalled pitcher Zach Miner. Taking his roster spot was infielder Jeff Larish. |
| Kalahari water park a violations leader SANDUSKY - Kalahari Resort, considered the nation's largest indoor water park, has been slipping and sliding its way to less illustrious distinction for safety. The Ohio agency that oversees amusement parks cited Kalahari for five of the six safety violations it has issued since 2005, the year the water park opened in Huron Township outside Sandusky. Beach Waterpark near Kings Island received the only other citation during this period. Kalahari's citations vary from too few lifeguards to "careless and unsafe" operation of its Zip Coaster ride. They resulted in the Department of Agriculture's amusement ride safety division assessing a total of $64,500 in fines. "Kalahari, out of all the water parks, has the most violations here in the state," said Cindy Brown, agriculture department spokesman. After reaching settlements, the resort company has paid $5,500 so far for its violations. An administrative hearing is pending on a $55,000 fine from a March inspection. The resort is one of five Sandusky-area water parks, and company officials say it draws a million customers a year. It is one of two Kalahari Resort water parks; the original in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., opened in 2002 and was named for a desert in Africa. The Sandusky-area resort expanded in December to a national record-setting 173,000 square feet - more than 3 1/2 football fields - of indoor park area, with winding tube slides, a 12,000-square-foot wave pool, and rides for surfing and bodyboarding. On their March visit, state inspectors discovered that 14 fewer lifeguards were on duty than were required and found that two lifeguards lacked up-to-date certification. They also observed four children in the wave pool who were too small to be there without flotation vests. Daylene Stroebe, corporate director of water park operations for Kalahari, said yesterday that the company takes the violation notices seriously and that the Sandusky park last week began an automated program to notify managers when lifeguards' certifications are due to expire. "We have no desire to be anything but be safe," Ms. Stroebe said. Rick Root, president of the World Waterpark Association, said all U.S. water parks are extremely safe considering the number of customers. Nationwide, about 3,500 unintentional drownings occur annually, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mr. Root said that two or three of these drownings occur in water parks. "With well more than eight million visitors to U.S. water parks, that's a pretty impressive safety record," he said. Among Kalahari's violations was a 2006 incident in which a 10-year-old girl suffered head trauma on the Zip Coaster when her raft struck an attendant who had wandered onto the track to retrieve a co-worker's visor. The Columbus Dispatch has reported a complaint filed with the state last summer by a Newark, Ohio, woman who said she broke her back on a Kalahari water slide and said that despite the injury, resort employees tried to lift her into a wheelchair. Jason Herrera, a director of the Amusement Safety Organization, a nonprofit that studies and reports on the amusement park industry, said, "Of course it's a big park, and there are going to be issues, but what courses of action are they going to take to correct these problems?" Contact JC Reindl at: jreindl@theblade.com or 419-724-6065. |
| Upgrade at Lima refinery up in air A year after Husky Energy Corp. purchased a Lima, Ohio refinery, it is still studying how to upgrade the plant to process heavier crude oil. The company, of Calgary, Alberta, said in a quarterly financial report last evening that its conceptual study is completed but more planning is needed before a specific project and dollar cost are known. "No one's talking dollars yet," spokesman Graham White said. "We are working on how to do it." The firm bought the refinery for $1.9 billion from Valero Inc. with the possibility of processing heavier crude from oil sands formations near Alberta in western Canada. Possible investment was $2 billion to $3 billion. But its initial plan to send bitumen in a pipeline to Lima was altered when Husky struck a $6 billion deal in December with BP PLC to process that even heavier crude at BP's suburban Toledo refinery. Bitumen is a form of crude oil mixed with sand, water, and other impurities. Husky engineers said Lima can be modified to process heavy crude, which then would be sent to another facility to be refined into gasoline and other fuels. The heavier crude is between bitumen and the crude Lima currently processes. The company, however, needs both Lima and the BP refinery in Oregon for its goal, Mr. White said. "At this point, our production of heavy oil is tremendously greater and our requirement for heavy oil refining is much greater," Mr. White said. Heavy crude stocks are somewhat nearer the surface and slightly easier to extract from Husky's eastern and central Alberta oil sands fields, he said. But the refining process is more complicated and expensive. In the December deal, BP agreed to spend $2.5 billion to upgrade its local refinery, with Husky kicking in $3.5 billion. Processing of the new oil would begin in 2015. The work would bump the refinery's capacity to 170,000 barrels a day. Mr. White has said the Lima investment is likely to exceed $2 billion. It was not clear how soon a decision would be made on doing the upgrade, or when the cost would be revealed. The refinery processes 160,000 barrels a day. |
| LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE IN NORWALK Sarah Oldaker, laid off after 13 years as an employee of Norwalk Furniture Corp., gathers job information at Norwalk High School. Employment counselors met at the school yesterday with employees of the privately held company that announced Friday that it was suspending operations, idling more than 500. |
| GM falls further back in race to retain world sales crown DETROIT - General Motors Corp., battling to keep the global sales crown it has held for 77 years, fell further behind Toyota Motor Corp. during the second quarter, figures released yesterday show. GM sold 2.29 million vehicles, a 5 percent decrease from a year earlier. Toyota had 2.41 million sales, an 1.8 percent increase. Last year, GM trailed in the first quarter and narrowed the gap in the second before topping Toyota by 3,100 sales for the year. "There was not quite enough sales volume in these emerging markets to offset weakness in North America, more specifically in the U.S.," GM's chief sales analyst, Mike DiGiovanni, said in a conference call yesterday. "The short-term outlook remains challenging." U.S. sales for GM fell 21 percent during the April-June period, and Toyota's dropped 7.8 percent. The United States has been a drain on both automakers as record gasoline prices curb demand for larger vehicles such as GM's Chevrolet Tahoe sport utility vehicle and Toyota's Tundra pickup. GM's sales in North America dropped 20 percent to 963,929 during the second quarter. Toyota didn't provide regional figures. GM's total increased 15 percent in the Asia-Pacific region, 2.5 percent in Europe, and 18 percent in the Latin American-Africa-Middle East region. Automakers have been struggling to maintain sales momentum as fuel prices soar. Toyota has a reputation for high-mileage cars such as its hit gasoline-electric Prius hybrid, but it is still facing the challenge of sluggish markets in the United States, Europe, and Japan. |
| Stock repurchase extended by Rurban DEFIANCE Rurban Financial Corp., which operates State Bank & Trust, has extended its stock repurchase program by a year. The original program, announced in April, was to last 15 months and to buy up to 250,000 shares, or about 5 percent of the companys overall shares. The firm said it has purchased 113,500 shares. The rest will be purchased when appropriate, but the time frame now extends 12 months beyond the original deadline. Company executives said the repurchase program should underscore its position that the stock is undervalued. The stock has been trading at about $10 a share on Nasdaq. |
| Webseries will hold Heroes fans until September season opener "...as human beings we are capable of making sense of situations based on the thinnest slice of experience." Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink and The Tipping Point. GOING POSTAL is the Webseries finale of Heroes that concludes Monday. Fans will then just have to hang on until season No. 3 begins September 22 on NBC. The return date features a clip show to get fans familiar with the series and characters again, followed by a two-hour season opening episode. Track your Heroes. (KC) A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: Michael Hughes' souvenir pictures are fascinating studies in spatial relationships. (RS) CAUTION, HOT MIC: 10 celebrities who should have known that the mic was on (in honor of Jesse Jackson). (RS) WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 MILEY CYRUS might not be everywhere, but it sure seems like it, and now she's been immortalized in wax as a breathless British museum spokesman makes clear. (RL) COULD YOU MAYBE DRIVE A LITTLE FASTER? Race car drivers can be pretty temperamental, as Danica Patrick proves (again) in this throw-down with fellow driver Milka Duno. (RL) ANOTHER SHOT AT THE MUSIC BIZ: Paul Westerberg, always a contrarian, releases his new music as one really, long song. Probably not going to see him on American Idol anytime soon. (RL) COW TIPPIN' Country star Neal McCoy will push his "Rednecktified" agenda at the Lucas County Fair Saturday so get ready, and look for Brian Dugger's preview story in tomorrow's editions of toledoblade.com. (RL) VEGETABLES AND VITAMINS?: Could there be a real Batman. ScientificAmerican.com turned to an associate professor of kinesiology and neuroscience to decide if a real superhero is possible. Now, if you could just make him jailproof. (RS) TUESDAY, JULY 22 SAY IT AIN'T SHOW, JANET: The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that we must pay attention to Janet Jackson again. The court threw out a $550,000 indecency fine against CBS Corp. for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show that ended with Janet Jacksons wardrobe malfunction. The Janet Board is eerily quiet at presstime as fans have yet to form their own legal opinions. (KC) THE RED CANDY-LIKE BUTTON: Maybe it will drive you crazy, but the big red button is a weird exercise in psychology. Proceed at your own risk. (VR) DARK KNIGHT IN IMAX: Find area theaters showing The Dark Knight in IMAX. Digital re-mastering in IMAX starts by converting a 35mm frame into digital form at very high resolution, capturing all the detail from the original. (KC) ALTHOUGH WE MUST all wear pants in polite society, these are the songs that provide the inspiration. Songs to Wear Pants To is a site where Andrew makes songs based on your ideas. You went to college for a degree, but Andrew is earning a living crafting songs like I am A Sad Sad Toaster Made Of Glass. (KC) MONDAY, JULY 21 With a Friday gross of $67.6 million and massive Saturday and Sunday box offices, The Dark Knight continued its climb toward an all-time motion picture history record. TOLEDO'S DARK NIGHT: The Blade's Laura Bennett tracked the opening night buzz at the Franklin Park 16 Cinemas. HOW BIG? Media by Numbers has box office estimates, records, actuals, and summer-to-date totals for the latest in the Batman series. FIND the big screen trailer, showtimes, the coaster, and the comics. Joker fans: Don't forget your makeup, and check out Heath Ledger wearing his Joker prosthetics without makeup. (KC) ANOTHER ELECTION season, another series of Jib-Jab parodies are teed up and ready to go. (RL) SPORTS CELEBS are, yawn, just like the rest of us if Eli Manning's wedding photos are any indication. (RL) AT LEAST ONE CRITIC is not impressed with Katie Holmes' decision to appear on the ABC series Eli Stone. (RL) MARILYN MANSON meets Mickey Mouse in the world of weird rock fashion. (RL) WHAT'S THAT SOUND? The Blade's Ryan E. Smith explores the the pop culture world of popcorn (RL) THE DUDE ABIDES in Louisville where they actually they had a festival to celebrate the great cult film classic The Big Lebowski. (RL) JUST TWO WEEKS until the Black Keys play Toledo, in case you were wondering. (RL) WE KNOW, WE KNOW, Ohio State has the 'best damn band in the land,' but the coolest bands have capes and tricorn hats. (KC) EYE CANDY: See how many of these 19 famous photographs made with Legos you can name. (KC) NOTHING CAN STOP the Jonas Brothers, which 15-year-old Nick proves in this interview. (RL) MORE new releases on Blu-Ray - lots more. The format war seems over. Long live Blu-Ray. (KC) THIN SLICING Have some Thin Slices to contribute or comment on? Rod Lockwood Kevin Cesarz |
| Dragon boats make a splash; 45 vessels are expected for Saturdays festival When a dragon starts to look more like a caterpillar, you know youre in trouble especially if youre taking part in the seventh annual Great Maumee River Dragon Boat Festival, where more than 1,100 people are expected to compete in races on Saturday. The long, colorful boats with dragon heads and tails are supposed to slither gracefully across the water. When the 20 paddlers powering them get out of sync, however, they acquire more of a herky-jerky appearance that some call the caterpillar effect. For some boats, especially the winning ones, there can be an even greater faux pas after the race is over. Joanne McElheney, a volunteer and former participant for McElheney Locksmiths, has witnessed it before. Dont put your paddles up in the air and get all excited because the boat will tip over, she said. You get awful wet. The annual festival at International Park, whose racers zip past the Docks as part of the 500-meter races, expects to make a splash by drawing 45 boats this year. The competition begins at 8 a.m. and is scheduled to last until about 5 p.m. It is presented by BP with additional support from members of the Toledo Rowing Club. Proceeds benefit Partners In Education, a nonprofit group that promotes partnerships between area schools and businesses, government agencies, organizations, and churches. Teams come from a variety of local companies and groups that pay a minimum of $2,000 to enter each boat, which hold 20 paddlers, a drummer to set the pace, and a steersman. Past races have drawn enthusiastic participants and crowds of spectators to the free event. Its really fun to watch, said Steve Frushour, a referee for U.S. Rowing from Bowling Green who has helped out with past races. Its frantic, as you can imagine. Gretchen LeBoutillier, program coordinator for Partners In Education, said the races are an unusual happening in a place like Toledo. I think people come because its something theyve never seen before, she said. While the local festivities only go back seven years, the practice of dragon boat racing is one that can be traced back more than two millennia. According to the International Dragon Boat Federation, the boats were used in ancient China for religious purposes to appease the rain gods. More than 2,000 years ago, a great warrior poet committed suicide in a river to protest political corruption and people organized dragon boat races to commemorate his sacrifice. Modern competitions date to 1976 when the Hong Kong Tourist Association staged a dragon boat festival. Those who come for the races in Toledo can stay for plenty of other entertainment at International Park, LeBoutillier said. There will be food vendors, live music, and a childrens area with inflatables, games, a craft tent, and more. Additionally, the Chinese Association of Greater Toledo will provide various cultural activities, including martial arts demonstrations. The centerpiece, though, remains the races. McElheney remembers the amazing feel of being out in the water, skimming along in a 40-foot boat on an all-women team. I can not tell you how exhilarating it was, she said. The company has two teams signed up to compete this year, one all-women and one mixed. McElheney said the women have a special trick up their sleeves as they not only try to perform well during the days races, but look good too. We have a second outfit that we change into, just for grins. The seventh annual Great Maumee River Dragon Boat Festival takes place Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. at International Park across from downtown Toledo. Admission is free. Information: 419-242-2122 or www.partnerstoledo.org. Contact Ryan E. Smith at: ryansmith@theblade.com or 419-724-6103. |
| Restaurant review: Chowders N Moor ''' When last we visited the oddly named Chowders N Moor, the restaurant was little more than a beach shack shoehorned into a cramped block of stores on Watervilles Third Street. Painted in seasick ocean blue, it was known primarily for its long list of sandwiches. Well, things have changed rather dramatically since then. No, the relentlessly blue paint still saturates the walls, which are decorated with fish nets, bamboo poles, life rafts, starfish, and the like. The signature soups New England clam chowder and tangy white chicken chili still get top billing, and the music of Jimmy Buffett and the Beach Boys continues to fill the air. But the Waterville location has moved to a larger venue, and a second Chowders N Moor just opened in Holland. Beer, wine, and spirits are now sold at both restaurants, and the number of sandwiches has grown from 44 when we first visited the place in 2004 to 60 or more today. With the larger digs comes a nine-page menu that includes a full line of burgers, along with steaks, seafood dinners, Mexican fare on Mondays, and breakfast seven days a week. Still on the menu are a dozen salads in two sizes, and easily that many sweet drinks. ranging from cappuccino and yogurt smoothies to malts, shakes, and Italian cream sodas. Owners Tina and Tom Kuron opened Chowders N Moor in 2002, moving to larger quarters at South Street and Rt. 24 in downtown Waterville early last year. The new restaurant, on Airport Highway in Holland, opened last month. According to the eaterys Web site, all the recipes were created by Tina Kuron, and everything is made from scratch. In fact, much of the food does have a homemade taste, and the portions are generous. This time around, we found the lively white chicken chili, served with south-of-the-border garnishes and nacho chips, to be superior to the chowder, which bobbed with clams just this side of rubbery. Both are priced at $4.39 a cup and $5.99 a bowl. A 10-ounce New York strip steak ($16.99), served on a long romaine leaf, was good and juicy, accompanied by four butterfly shrimp ($4.99) that suffered only from the flimsy breading, which appears to be the same as that used for onion rings and lake perch. Sandwiches being the restaurants stock-in-trade, we tried several and werent disappointed. Most are available in half or whole portions. One exception was the whole egg sandwich ($7.49), a must-try club that lived up to the hype with fried egg, thick-sliced bacon, tomato, white American cheese, and a mild homemade deli sauce on ciabatta bread. Also gobbled down were a novel half-pound phat burger ($8.79) with cheddar cheese that included onion rings between the buns; panini-grilled corned beef and sauerkraut ($5.09/$8.89); turkey with artichokes, onion, tomato, and provolone ($5.29/$9.39), and a super chef club ($5.29/$9.39) containing tender chicken breast with bacon, cheese, and honey mustard dressing. The sandwich that produced the most wows, however, was Little Italy, a whole Italian combo ($9.39) combining ham, salami, pepperoni, sautéed mushrooms, and cheese on ciabatta bread, so thick and satisfying that it belongs in somebodys sandwich hall of fame. Contact Bill of Fare at:fare@theblade.com |
| Neal McCoys serious about his music, and having fun FORT LORAMIE, Ohio If youve been looking for Neal McCoy and havent been able to find him, you havent been looking hard enough because hes where hes always been: on the road. Oh yeah, we stay out here on the road to keep them from repossessing our bus, he says with one of those big McCoy smiles. Hes aboard that bus, backstage at Country Concert in Fort Loramie, Ohio earlier this month, one of the hundreds of festivals he plays each year. Saturday night, hell be on stage at the Lucas Country Fair. Despite not having a major hit since Billys Got His Beer Goggles On in 2005, McCoys still one of country musics top concert attractions. Hes part comic, part singer, and sometimes part Spider-Man. Hes been known to climb whatever he can find near a stage. Oh no, he chuckles. I dont climb anything anymore. Im too old for that. Hard to believe, but on July 30, McCoy turns 50. Still, hes putting one over on you when he says hes too old. His show hasnt slowed down since he got a record deal 20 years ago. He works out every day with his stair climber, which he hauls aboard his bus, and push-up bars. More than anything, he keeps fit by bounding around the stage every night. I dont have the same desire to get to the shows, but I still have the same desire to be on stage, he says. I still think Im as good as anyone, and Im going to work harder. I want to be good every night. To be a good performer, you need to be able to deliver your personality to the stage, and I try to be that same person on stage as I am off. By his own admission, sometimes people forget he can sing because they get caught up in his stage antics, but he has produced three platinum albums containing nine Top 10 hits and five No. 1 singles. Last month, he released The Very Best of Neal McCoy, which contains 19 songs, including his biggest hits Wink, The Shake, No Doubt About It, For a Change, and Theyre Playing Our Song. It also includes his current single, Rednecktified. Ive released a lot of good ones that radio wont play. I figured Id release a bad one to see if radio will play it a little reverse psychology, he says with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. Rednecktified, about growing up in Texas, is already a fan-favorite at his shows. Although country radio hasnt shown him much love lately, it hasnt stopped McCoy from spreading his love around. He has received numerous humanitarian awards the last several years for his work with the East Texas Angel Network, a foundation he and his wife, Melinda, founded in 1995 to raise money to help pay the bills of terminally ill children in eastern Texas. Since 2001, he has also been on 13 USO tours, including one to Iraq in January. We go over there for our soldiers, to hug them, and to tell them we appreciate them. Ive got to admit its kind of selfish too because it makes you feel good. Its as good for us as it is for them, he says. Its hard to believe theres a selfish bone in McCoys body. Ask him about his greatest accomplishment, and he tells you about his children. His 14-year-old son is a fun kid, hes with McCoy on the road, selling merchandise and checking out the girls. His daughter just graduated from Texas A&M and is a special education teacher in Texas. Theyre what Im most proud of. Once you live long enough, you start concentrating on your legacy. They have really good hearts. If you can raise them to the point where they care about other people, youre doing all right. McCoy is doing all right professionally too. Not too many acts can sell out a show 20 years into a career. He gives all the credit to his loyal fan base. Ive been to a lot of wonderful places and met a lot of great people in country music, he says. I still enjoy performing for them and appreciate all their support. You cant be in this business without the fans. Neal McCoy will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Lucas County Fair on the grounds of the Lucas County Recreation Center on Key Street in Maumee. Tickets are $25, which covers admission to the fair. For information, go to www.lucascountyfair.com or call 419-893-2127. Tomorrow night, The Charlie Daniels Band will be performing at 8 p.m. at the fair. Tickets are also $25. Contact Brian Dugger at: bdugger@theblade.com. |
| Show pays tribute to Cousino A Tribute to Joe Ann Cousino runs Aug. 1 through Sept. 7 at 20 North Gallery, 18 North St. Clair St. The public is invited to an opening reception, 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. 3, at which Richard Cousino, the artist's assistant and casting technician and son, will give remarks, along with gallery director Peggy Grant. The show is a retrospective of work by Cousino, who died in December at the age of 82. She's best known locally as an instructor and creator of the Woman with the Birds sculpture presiding in the herb garden at Toledo Botanical Garden. Information: 419-241-2400. • Artist trading cards are being solicited for an exchange at Space 237, 237 North Michigan St. Cards must be received by Aug. 8 for a show beginning Aug. 15 and continuing through Sept. 12. The actual exchange will occur from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 12. Artist trading cards are miniature works of art usually created on card stock. They are originals and small editions that are self-produced. The gallery will also host an opening from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 15 for its upcoming Design show that will run through Sept. 19. Information: 419-255-5117, space237.com, and info@space237.com. • Sandra Knudsen, associate curator of ancient art, discusses what makes a great Greek vase at 7 p.m. Aug. 1 in the Toledo Museum of Art's Libbey Court. • Three to five public art pieces, ranging in price from $25,000 to $300,000, are being solicited for the under-construction arena in downtown Toledo. Artists must submit their qualifications by Aug. 11. Semifinalists will be invited to submit detailed proposals. Contact Adam Russell of the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, 419-254-2787 and arussell@acgt.org. • In the year since the Akron Art Museum's new John S. and James L. Knight Building debuted, the museum's membership rolls have more than doubled and nearly 100,000 people have visited, the museum reports. Membership was fueled by the museum instituting an admission fee. The innovative $35 million building tripled the museum's size, winning an American Architecture award, the Royal Institute of British Architects award, and an International Illumination Design Award. The museum also ended its fiscal year in the black. |
| Special events: Drums Along the Maumee this weekend The Toledo Humane Society's Bow Wow Bash is scheduled from 7 to midnight tomorrow in the Nairobi Pavilion at the zoo. The 21 and older crowd will dance to the music of Johnny Rocker and the Hitmen and enjoy a variety of grazing foods and drink. Raffles will be held throughout the evening, with all proceeds benefiting the Humane Society. The 5th annual A Midsummer Night Up on the Roof takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the rooftop gardens of the Main Library, 325 Michigan St. Presented by the Library Legacy Foundation, the event features live music by Hepcat Revival, a grazing menu, and a cash bar. It will be held rain or shine. See and hear fife and drum corps from across the country play military music from the 1750s through the War of 1812 in the Drums Along the Maumee event Saturday and Sunday at Perrysburg's Fort Meigs. Music starts at 10 a.m. each day and corps perform a massed ensemble at 4 p.m. each afternoon. Also scheduled are War of 1812 soldiers and civilians providing demonstrations of weapons and camp life, with hands-on activities for children. A Monster Jam takes place this weekend at Toledo Speedway, 5639 Benore Rd. Participating will be USHRA Monster Trucks, including Grave Digger, Safe Auto Minimizer, Escalade, Rap Attack, Bad Habit and Full Boar. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. both days. Gates open at 6 p.m. Fairs and festivals The Charlie Daniels Band headlines the Lucas County Fair at 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Lucas County Fairgrounds on Key Street in Maumee. Neal McCoy headlines Saturday (see story on page 4). Concert tickets are $25 and include fair admission. The fair continues through Sunday. Tomorrow and Saturday, gates open at 11 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.; rides begin at noon and end at 11 p.m. On Sunday, gates open at 11 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.; rides are from noon to 10 p.m. General admission is $6 and children 5 and younger are admitted free. Ride wristbands are an additional $5. Lenawee County Fair ends Saturday at 602 North Dean St. in Adrian, Mich. Lorrie Morgan performs tomorrow. Seneca County Fair continues through Sunday at 100 Hopewell Ave. in Tiffin. Monroe County Fair runs Sunday-Aug. 2 at 3775 South Custar Rd. in Monore. Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert will perform at 8 p.m. Monday. Wood County Fair takes place Tuesday-Aug. 4 at 13800 West Poe Rd. in Bowling Green. Jason Michael Carroll and Billy Currington perform Aug. 2. Wauseon Homecoming runs 11 a.m.-11 p.m. today-Saturday in downtown Wauseon and features amusement rides, games, food, and concerts. Stony Ridge Festival will be held tomorrow-Sunday in Stony Ridge. Highlights include a flea market with 200 vendors, music, food, and kid's rides. Hours are 4 p.m.-dark tomorrow, 9 a.m.-dark Saturday, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. 18th annual Thunderfest takes place at Festival and Promenade Parks tomorrow through Sunday. Sponsored by the Lake Erie Offshore Performance Association, 75 performance boats will dock for the weekend downtown at Portside. The event features a Poker Run on the river benefiting Operation Ohio. A Hip Hop Festival runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday in Promenade Park. The event, highlighting the talents of young Toledoans, includes activities, food and music, Williams County Antique Tractor & Craft Festival takes place tomorrow-Sunday at the Williams County Fairground in Montpelier. Hours are noon-9 p.m. Friday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. A Bluegrass Festival is scheduled from 1-8 p.m. Saturday at the Whitehouse Waterville Moose Lodge, 11900 Jeffers Rd., in Grand Rapids. Performers include Flatland Grass, the Clark Bros., Fulton County Bluegrass, and the Silvercreek Band. The event will be held rain or shine. Visitors are asked to bring lawn chairs. 40th annual Hamler Summerfest takes place tomorrow-Sunday at Hamler Summerfest Park, on State Rt. 109 in Hamler. Billed as an old-fashioned German festival complete with polka dancing, German food and a parade at 1 p.m. Saturday. Hours are 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, 5-11 p.m. Saturday, and noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Ohio State Fair opens Wednesday and continues through Aug. 10 at 717 East 17th Avenue in Columbus. |
| More than 100 artists to exhibit at UT show Using domestic hardwoods cut by Williams Sawmill in Gibsonburg, Michael Batdorf crafts furniture with a flair. I try to work with the natural edge of the tree, says Batdorf, who make tables, chairs, benches, and even beds from cherry, walnut, oak, hickory, locust, and sycamore. Hell be among more than 100 artists at Sundays Art on the Mall. The 16th annual event will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Centennial Mall in the heart of the University of Toledos main campus. Admission, parking, and live entertainment are free. The fair brings in about $18,00 to $20,000 for the UT Alumni Association and draws crowds of 10,000 to 20,000, depending on weather, said Ansley Abrams, director of alumni programming. Batdorfs one-of-a-kind pieces blend modernity with tradition: a granite-topped table may have legs that differ slightly, a bench may be made from a slightly-angled slab of wood. I work with what Ive been given, he said. His smaller pieces, such as turnings, may sell for $10 or $15; a five-foot-long, 30-inch-high table may carry a $1,500 price tag. Batdorf made a career from his sculptures for a decade, traveling to 25 shows a year throughout the eastern United States. I started thinking about a different career on my way to a show in Kansas City, he said, noting that his young family was growing and art fairs usually meant long weekends away from home. Married and the father of 7, 4, and 2-year-old sons, he does woodworking in a barn behind the familys Perrysburg home. UTs Art on the Mall is one of about six shows a year within a three-hour drive he limits himself to. His different career turned out to be teaching. A 1989 graduate of St. Johns Jesuit High School, he went on to earn an art degree from DePaul University in Chicago, followed by a construction certificate from the College of the Redwoods in northern California where he learned both framing and cabinetry. After undergoing an evaluation process with the state of Ohio, he became an industrial technology teacher. Its really fun being around the kids, said Batdorf, who will soon start his third year of teaching at Rossford High School. Hell join other Art on the Mall favorites such as jeweler Jenny Gorkowski-Klear, photographer Agnes Barnes, glassmaker Melissa Sullivan, metal artist Sharon Tobasko, and watercolorists Clela Stelnicki, Tom Durnford, and Kathy Palmer-Genzman. From a field of about 140 applications, 113 artists were selected, representing a broad variety of crafts, said UTs Ms. Abrams. Many of them have an affiliation with the university. About 175 volunteers assist guests and artists. A childrens tent will offer activities and games led by UT students who aim to be art teachers. Six food vendors will sell refreshments. Repeat visitors will notice the absence of many ash trees (and the shade they provided), removed because of the emerald ash borer. For seating, there are grassy areas and a few permanent benches, said Abrams. Kick-off will be Saturdays gala. 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Student Union Auditorium. A $50 ticket includes hors doeuvres with food provided by seven top restaurants and caterers, beer and wine, smooth jazz by the Dan Seeman Quintet, and a silent auction featuring pieces donated by many of the artists. A hand-blown vase made in the Netherlands for Libbey Glass, will be raffled. Art on the Mall is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the center of the University of Toledos main campus. There is no admission and parking is free. The most convenient parking is off Bancroft Street and Towerview Blvd. East in Lots 1-N and 1-S, or off Campus Rd. in Lot 13. A bit farther along Towerview Blvd. is Lot 10. Information: 419-530-2586. Contact Tahree Lane at: tlane@theblade.com or 419-724-6075. |
| Great White looking forward to tour stop here Its been five years since their stage pyrotechnics accidentally ignited a deadly fire at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island, and Great White lead singer Jack Russell still reminds himself daily hes lucky to be alive. If the flames had gone left instead of right, it would have been me, Russell said in a phone interview from his Los Angeles home. Until the February, 2003, blaze that hurt 200 and killed 100 including guitarist Ty Longley Great Whites head-banging status hadnt wavered since their first mosh pits on the Sunset Strip in the early 1980s. Their Grammy-nominated single, Once Bitten, Twice Shy, tipped the Billboard pop charts at No. 5 in 1989 and cemented their mainstream status by the late 1980s. Early hits like the soulful power ballad Save Your Love and their cheeky anthem Stick It pleased live crowds enough to become staples on oft-revisited greatest hits albums which outnumber original records in the bands catalog of 32 releases. Since the tragedy, Russell is most often asked about another song the show opener that night was the 1991 single Desert Moon and it was interrupted as flames spread from the acoustic insulation behind the stage. Band manager Daniel Biechele served 22 months in jail for his part in the accident, because he staged the special effects without proper permission from club owners. The band has since lost touch with Biechele, but we wish him well and hope hes doing good Russell said. Russell publicly vowed never to play Desert Moon live again. Still, local fans might expect to hear the song when Great White performs in the parking lot of Toledo Harley Davidson, 7960 West Central Ave., at 3 p.m. Saturday. Russell now embraces the tune as part of the healing process. The group was touring with only two original members singer Russell and lead guitarist Mark Kendall at the time of the fire. When the original crew reformed in 2006, Russells Great White had been on the road for two years prior raising money for the families of those killed in the fire. You know as I healed, my perspective changed, Russell said, adding that the original members urged him to try the song again. They go, Look, its not the songs fault, the fans want to hear it. Something like that happens, theres not a formula or a book you can read, like, this is how you deal. I lost a lot of friends that night, people I watched grow up, he said. You heal from it to a degree. Its never going away, but I cant spend my life living that day over and over. I mean, thats not healthy either. I say prayers for the families. Out of the reunion tour came their 2007 album, Back To The Rhythm, which he admits might feel like a throwback to their early days. We are what we are, and were not straining to break out of that box. Its good to pay homage to where you come from, he said. Its more introspective looking as far as my lyrics go, but a couple songs that you really want to stay retro: Dont Take Me Down and Still Hungry. That could be why the band remains successful after 26 years on the road. Remaining firmly in the spirit of 1987 are their live performances, and, perhaps, Russells attitude about rock and roll. Decidely a technophobe, Russells shiny new iPod will likely remain wrapped in its packaging in a drawer. It was a gift. Forget music file-sharing, or the way Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead have allowed fans to remix their songs on their Web sites Russell doesnt do the Internet. Im kind of afraid of it, afraid of getting sucked in, he said, adding that friends get caught up all night in surfing the Web. It was bad enough when coke was out there. Russell attributes the bands staying power to their simple approach. Honestly, I think its the fact that our music is very honest. Its very bedrock. Its very blue collar, he said. I write songs for myself, Im not trying to be trendy. If anyone likes them, great, if not, oh well. Russell said hes looking forward to his date with Toledo, in part because Longleys family is likely to show. Longley grew up in Brookfield, Ohio, about 15 miles northeast of Youngstown. Besides, Ohio has always felt like a place that truly appreciates rock, Russell said. In Ohio we used to feel like a house band, Russell said, laughing. It was just a hub of rock at that time, and it still is, the Midwest. Great White plays Saturday at 3 p.m. in the parking lot of Toledo Harley Davidson, 7960 West Central Ave. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, at Toledo Harley Davidson and at Signature Harley Davidson, and at the door. They are $15 in advance, $20 the day of the show. Contact Bridget Tharp at: btharp@theblade.com or 419-724-6061. |
| Military's influence growing, but don't expect a coup d'etat TODAY we are going to explore one of those subjects that most Americans like to stay miles away from - the militarization of America. This subject, with the even more sensitive question inherent in it of whether there is a risk of a military coup d'etat in the United States, is generally the realm of either advanced liberal conspiracy theorists or foreign diplomats. "Coup possibilities" are, I can tell you, a subject that American embassies in almost every country in the world - with the exception of most of the European democracies, Australia, and New Zealand - review internally with some regularity. Here are some facts that support the contention that the American government is militarized, or, put another way, under increasingly substantive control by the U.S. military. The Department of Defense has benefited across the last eight years from an increasingly large proportion of the U.S. government budget. The amount has more than doubled from 2001 to what is requested for 2009. A new Northern Command, covering the United States, was created in 2002. The director of national intelligence is a former military officer. The director of central intelligence is a recently retired general. It is the unanimous assessment of the American intelligence community that defense intelligence bodies have now achieved dominance within that group of agencies, based - surprise, surprise - on their superior financial resources. The vice president of the United States is a former secretary of defense. Before achieving that office he was CEO of an important defense contractor. Our military is now a professional force, no longer larded with draftees who brought more skepticism and less devotion to the military as an institution than current forces do. The leadership of the armed forces now have served together and maintain much closer lines of personal and professional communication than previous modern officer corps. Tie that to the fact that many of those officers retire from the armed forces to find senior employment with U.S. defense contractors and one has a serving and retired corps of senior officers who have a very large stake in the status quo. Now, to think like senior foreign diplomats trying to make sense of this country, project that the current administration in Washington, probably the most pro-military, the most prone to seek military solutions to international political problems that the United States has seen in a century, and the one that has put the most money in the hands of defense contractors in the history of the country, will be swept from office next year. Then, to move sharply into the area of conspiracy theory, is there not some means potentially at hand to prevent that occurring, as it would bring the military-defense contractor gravy train to a halt? That's the kind of reasoning that lies at the base of some concerned e-mails I receive. So, is there something to worry about? Is the military-industrial complex that former President (and general) Dwight Eisenhower warned us about thinking about a grab? It would be in the name of national security. Its chances of acceptance would be enhanced if another war started - against Iran, with Israel's future at risk, for example. It wouldn't need to be a naked grab. November elections could simply be postponed, with President Bush remaining in office for a time because of America's heightened vulnerability. Remember that then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani tried that in 2001 after the 9/11 attack; it didn't work. Having made the case for how it might happen, I will now tell you why it won't. The first is the deep attachment of America's military, from top to bottom, to constitutional government. I had close working relationships with military officers for 38 years, including as the deputy commandant of the U.S. Army War College and vice president of the National Defense University. I do not know a group more attached to both the correct functional role of the military in the U.S. constitutional scheme of things or to the concept of civilian direction of the military. Recall that a senior Libyan army officer stood up in an officer's mess in the 1950s to announce a military coup. Another more junior officer went up to him, put his pistol to the senior officer's head, and announced that he was arresting him in the name of the Libyan king. The second constraint is that the power of the purse is tightly held by Congress. The military-industrial complex depends for its functioning on money appropriated by Congress. Cut that off and the military grinds to a halt. The third and perhaps most effective constraint is that most Americans would just laugh if the U.S. military tried to seize power, thus pulling the plug on the whole enterprise. The militarization of America in recent years is certainly an observable phenomenon, but a threat to U.S. constitutional government it is not, in my view. |
| Protect your lawn from beetles I was golfing with my daughter last week and ran into a few old friends. No, they weren't riding in the cart or hiking around the course. They could fly easily from hole to hole. It seems like we ran into each other around every turn. I stopped counting after colliding with a dozen of them. These old friends aren't actually old, but they are what you would call mature. Mature Japanese beetles. When you see the beetles flying around, you know it is time to protect your lawn from the larvae they will plant. Their babies start out as grubs and like to feast on your lawn. Ohio State University entomologists rate them as the most abundant landscape pest in the region. The beetles eat leaves and flowers. Their babies feed on the roots in your lawn. Those metallic green bugs start to emerge in June and July. The female will lay up to 60 eggs in just a few weeks. By the middle of August, most of the eggs are laid and will hatch about two weeks later. Once the larvae emerge, they are also very hungry and will start munching on the roots in your lawn. They dig deeper into the soil during the winter and come up in April again ready for a feast. Some people have luck hand-picking the grubs out of the soil. Don't bag bugs Scientists don't usually recommend using pheromone traps unless you are getting the entire neighborhood to use them. Those yellow bags call in bugs from many yards away, so you want to keep the traps as far away from your garden as possible. Controlling the grub population before they move in will give you a jump on next year. Biological controls such as bacterial milky disease will make the grubs sick. But scientists say you need to apply it for two to three years before the spore count in your yard is high enough to be effective. Other biological controls, like parasitic nematodes, are available. Some tests indicate they are only marginally effective on white grubs in turf. Tests show that products containing Heterorhabditis spp. seem to work better. The most effective chemical control comes from products like imidacloprid, also known as Merit ad halofenozide, usually labeled Mach2. These drugs act like diet pills for grubs, and the larvae end up starving themselves. One way to keep Japanese beetles from flying into your yard is to plant things that the adults don't like. Scientists say they won't feed on such plants as arborvitae, baby's breath, begonia, bleeding heart, boxwood, caladium, Chinese lantern plant, columbine, coral bells, coreopsis, cornflower, daisies, dogwood (flowering), dusty-miller, and euonymus. They will also avoid false cypresses, firs, forsythia, foxglove, hemlock, hollies, hydrangeas, junipers, kale (ornamental), lilacs, lilies, magnolia, nasturtium, poppies, snapdragon, sweet pea, sweet-William, violets and pansy, or yews (taxus). Trying to rid your lawn of grubs between September and April is tough. By then, scientists say, the grubs have stopped eating. You could always try a treatment of trichlofon and carbaryl, such as Sevin. Water your lawn well to make sure you get the chemical into the soil. |
| Smores for the serious shopper Campfires and smores go hand-in-hand, but who would guess that you could combine smores with shopping? That tasty little confection has gone beyond the campfire. Smores, made of a square of Hersheys Milk Chocolate candy, a puffy marshmallow toasted over the campfire, and a graham cracker square, have been a centerpiece of summer hot dog roasts and campfire cooking for more than 80 years, according to the Hersheys company. The gooey, sweet dessert can also be made over a grill preheated to medium. Theres even more smore fun for this humble, homey dessert. Last week, I visited the Godiva store at Westfield Franklin Park. I couldnt resist buying their dark chocolate smore for $3.25. The |