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| Lima police officer not guilty in deadly raid LIMA, Ohio Police officers filling the cramped courtroom breathed a sigh of relief, and family members of Sgt. Joseph Chavalia gasped and whispered, Thank God. And those who loved Tarika Wilson cried out in anger and frustration as a judge read the two not guilty verdicts for Sergeant Chavalia yesterday. Were supposed to take this with a smile? Were supposed to believe in justice? asked an incredulous Ivory Austin II, whose half-sister was shot to death by the veteran police officer during a Jan. 4 drug raid at her home. After hearing 3½ days of testimony in Allen County Common Pleas Court, the jury of four white men and four white women deliberated a little more than three hours before returning the not-guilty verdicts for misdemeanor charges of negligent homicide and negligent assault. The jury had been charged with determining whether Sergeant Chavalia, 52, was negligent when he fired his fully automatic rifle from a dark stairway at a shadowy figure he said he believed was firing at him. His three shots killed Wilson, 26, and injured her 1-year-old son, Sincere, who was in her arms. The youngster, who was hit in the shoulder and finger, had to have one of his fingers amputated because it was all but shot off. Lead defense attorney Bill Kluge one of four attorneys representing the sergeant said afterward that he hoped the jurys decision would settle the unrest and distrust of police that erupted in the wake of the shooting of Wilson, who was biracial, by the white police officer. We hope this will bring peace to the community, Mr. Kluge said. We tried to explain why Joe used deadly force that night. As of late last night, Lima police said no verdict-related disturbances had been reported. Mr. Kluge said no officer wants to kill another person yet many of the SWAT team members who took the stand during the trial testified that if they were placed in Sergeant Chavalias position, they would have done exactly what he did. The defendant himself took the stand last week and unapologetically told the jury that as he neared the top of the staircase moments after the SWAT team burst into the Third Street house, he spotted movement down the hallway behind him. He said he saw a shadowy figure he believed to be an adult move in and out of a bedroom doorway, appearing at the same time he heard gunfire. He returned fire. There was absolutely, positively no doubt in my mind right then and there that whatever this was is shooting and theyre trying to kill me, he told the jury on Thursday. As it turned out, the gunfire had come from the kitchen where two members of the SWAT team had fired at two pit-bull dogs let loose on the officers by Wilsons boyfriend, Anthony Terry, who was the target of the raid. Police found no weapons in the house but discovered Wilsons five other children in the bedroom where she and Sincere were shot. Since the fatal shooting took place seven months ago, police remained mum about the circumstances. Even after Seregant Chavalia was indicted by an Allen County grand jury in March, no one would say why the sergeant fired at the unarmed woman and her child. The trial provided that answer, but it was hard for some to swallow. Weve got to do better. Weve given people the license to kill, Jason Upthegrove, president of the Lima chapter of the NAACP, said afterward. The Rev. Arnold Manley, pastor of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, said he came to the trial to see justice prevail but that did not happen. As a pastor, Im hurt deeply that we can walk away from this and say justice has been done, he said. How do I go out to tell the people on the streets, Let the law prevail? How do I say that? White man justice. Black man grief. It constituted a threat Mr. Kluge refuted allegations that the shooting was racially based. Whether the shadowy figure behind the door was white, black, from Mars or from Venus, it doesnt matter, he said. It constituted a threat. Police officers are permitted to use deadly force to defend themselves or others from imminent risk of death or serious injury or to prevent the escape of a fleeing, dangerous suspect. Still, it was difficult for family members of Wilson to believe that the 5-foot, 2-inch mother of six presented a deadly threat. Mr. Austin said it didnt help that the jury had no people of color sitting on it. Who could actually relate to my sister on that jury? he asked. You need people from all walks of life. Special Prosecutor Jeff Strausbaugh said he did not believe the jurys racial makeup had any impact on its verdict because there wasnt any type of racial motivation involved in the case. The jurys verdict is what it is, and I will respect their verdict, he said. Mr. Strausbaugh said he believed the jury was influenced strongly by the judges legal instructions in which they were told they could not consider the officers action with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, but had to look at the case from the officers perspective at the time of the shooting. Sergeant Chavalia, who remains on paid leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation to be completed by the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, made no comments afterward. Mr. Kluge said it was unlikely Sergeant Chavalia would be working as a police officer in Lima again, but declined to say whether he was planning to retire. Lima Police Chief Greg Garlock said he was relieved. A lone protester Obviously, I am pleased with the verdict of not guilty. Our feeling was there was no criminal conduct exhibited in this matter, he said. After the verdicts were read about 5 p.m., a lone protester carried signs reading, Police accountability now and Liberty and justice for some? Maria Williams, who held the signs, called out to passing motorists, Another police acquittal. Can it be justice for Tarika? Stop police brutality now. Stop it now. Ms. Williams said she was there for Wilson and other victims of police violence. Im the voice for Tarika right now because she couldnt be here. We have to be the voice for the voiceless, she said. How can it be that a mother and her baby die at the hands of a public servant? Mr. Upthegrove said the verdicts didnt surprise him but sickened him. He was dismayed too to see the handful of people who showed up in support of Wilsons family. You can look around and see a total of about 15 people here, he said. Its another example of how theres very low value on a black life in this community. In closing arguments yesterday, Mr. Strausbaugh told the jury that the fact that Sergeant Chavalia fired the weapon that killed Wilson and injured her son was undisputed. The only issue, he said, was whether he acted negligently, meaning he showed a substantial lapse of due care when he pulled the trigger. Mr. Strausbaugh said in his mind the officer was indeed negligent: Sergeant Chavalia did not identify his target, which was in fact an unarmed mother with a baby in her arms. He said Sergeant Chavalias contention that he thought the gunfire came from the bedroom was inconsistent with the testimony of the officer standing just one step behind him on the stairs who told the jury he thought the gunfire came from downstairs. There wasnt so much as a verbal threat that came out of that room before he fired, Mr. Strausbaugh said. He said the officer should be held accountable; otherwise you end up with a situation like this where officers are never wrong. Boyfriend gets blame Mr. Kluge told the jury Anthony Terry was to blame for Wilsons death, Sinceres injuries, and for putting Sergeant Chavalia in front of a jury on criminal charges. He also put some of that blame on Wilson herself. Why would she put those children in that position? I dont know the answer to that, Mr. Kluge said. Love is a strange thing. He said Wilson could have changed the course of events if she had identified herself to the officer. Instead, he said, she moved in and out of the doorway in a classic shoot-and-cover stance. Why didnt she yell out, I have children here. Im unarmed. I have children here, please? We dont know, Mr. Kluge said. Contact Jennifer Feehan at:jfeehan@theblade.comor 419-353-5972. |
| Grandmother files lawsuit in Lima shooting case A family member of the woman who was fatally shot during a police raid at her home seven months ago filed a lawsuit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Toledo against the City of Lima and police Sgt. Joseph Chavalia, claiming a violation of civil rights. Darla Kaye Jennings filed the lawsuit on behalf of Sincere Wilson, her 1-year-old grandson who was injured when his mother, Tarika Wilson, 26, was shot. The lawsuit asks for compensation for Sinceres injuries as well as seeking an end to "police abuse by requiring that high risk search warrant executions be limited to situations where they are truly needed and where the least amount of force necessary to the situation is employed." The lawsuit was filed a day after Sergeant Chavalia was found not guilty for misdemeanor charges of negligent homicide and negligent assault. After 3 ½ days of testimony, the jury deliberated for about three hours before returning the verdicts. The charges were a result of a drug raid held at Wilsons home on E. Third Street in Lima on Jan. 4. Lima police officers executed a search warrant looking for Anthony Terry, who was arrested at the home. An unarmed Wilson was holding her son just outside a second-floor bedroom when officers entered the home. Her five other children were in the upstairs bedroom. According to the lawsuit, the shooting that led to Wilsons death and her sons injuries was "excessive, unreasonable, and completely unnecessary." The lawsuit further said that Sergeant Chavalia acted "negligently" when he used deadly force. During his testimony at the trial, Sergeant Chavalia said that he believed he was in danger when he entered the home and saw a "shadowy figure" down the hallway at the same time that he heard gunshots. It was later determined that the gunfire had come from the kitchen where two members of the police SWAT team had fired at two pit bull dogs let loose on the officers by Terry, who was Wilsons boyfriend. Attorney Derek Sells of the New York City-based Cochran firm vowed at a Tuesday press conference with Ms. Wilsons weeping family and friends that Mr. Chavalias criminal acquittal would not be the end of this case. "The fight for justice is not over," he said. "Were committed to achieving complete justice and vindication for the loss of Tarika Wilson." |
| Lucas County voter turnout expected to peak at 30 percent Voter turnout had reached 19.3 percent by early Tuesday afternoon in Lucas County, as voters weighed in on the Anthony Wayne Local School Districts two levies. About 28 precincts from Lucas County have voters weighing in during this special election, said Marty Limmer, information services director for the county Board of Elections. Elections officials expect turnout to peak around 30 percent before the polls close at 7:30 p.m. Officials in Wood, Lenawee, and Monroe counties said voter turnout rates have yet to be tallied, but overall participation is expected to be low. Wood County voters in 24 precincts will decide the fate of a 1.5-mill replacement levy for the Way Public Library in Perrysburg. Residents also will vote on a 5.63-mill continuing operating levy for Lake Local Schools. Terry Burton, director of the Wood County Board of Elections, said school elections often draw varying participation rates. Library issues are more unusual, he said. "Anything over 25 percent in the county would probably be considered a pretty decent election for an election of this type," he said. No figures were available from Lenawee and Monroe counties in Michigan. Voters there will decide local tax issues and party representatives for the November election. Polls in Michigan close at 8 p.m. Fulton, Henry, and Hancock county voters will also decide school tax issues in Tuesdays election. |
| "Junior" Gotti indicted on conspiracy charges TAMPA, Fla. - Federal authorities in Tampa have indicted John A. "Junior" Gotti on conspiracy charges linking him to cocaine trafficking and three slayings in New York. Federal prosecutor Robert O'Neill announced the indictment of the 44-year-old Gotti and five other men at a news conference Tuesday morning. Gotti the son of the late Gambino family crime boss John Gotti was arrested at his Long Island, N.Y., home and is expected to appear later Tuesday in Manhattan federal court. O'Neill said the slayings occurred in 1988, 1990 and 1991. If convicted, Gotti faces life in prison. |
| McCain coming to Lima on Thursday LIMA, Ohio - Presidential candidate John McCain will make a campaign swing through Lima on Thursday. The presumed Republican presidential nominee will appear at Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, 7 Town Square, for a town hall meeting at 11:30 a.m. The public will be allowed to enter into the event at 9:30 a.m. The Arizona Senator is touring the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant Tuesday afternoon, but he will not make a public appearance. The operations of the facility will be shown to Mr. McCain by Jack Davis, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer of Detroit Edison, the operator of the plant. |
| Attack on messenger a diversion Ombudsman Jack Lessenberrys recent column about Toledo Catholic Diocese officials challenging the objectivity of The Blades religion editor, David Yonke, left me wondering if this isnt this another example of shoot the messenger used as a tactical diversion. Do diocesan officials really think that no one remembers when their public relations director publicly discredited Jane Does allegations against now-convicted murderer Gerald Robinson after she spoke up? Do Catholic church leaders really think no one remembers their smear campaign alleging violations of confidentiality against their own review boards psychologist, who went to law enforcement to report crimes? What about the church official sanctioned by the state social worker licensing board for publicly challenging a survivor and youth ministers stability in working with kids after he spoke up? Whats Jane Doe need to make her complaint viable? Credibility. Whats the hallmark of a psychologists profession? Confidentiality. Whats paramount when working with kids? Stability. Whats required of journalists? Objectivity. When diocesan officials attack the character of the messenger, its the cheapest damage control available. Why? Because it shifts, even if only momentarily, the focus away from the ongoing clergy sexual abuse scandal and cover-up by top diocesan officials that has spanned decades. Lets not forget the two no-knock search warrants executed on the bishops office when church leaders cried victim and foul play. Arent three books, one documentary, and two docu-dramas illuminating sex crimes against local kids, cover-up, and collusion much more telling? How does discrediting every person who dares to speak the truth about the sex crimes and cover-up within my diocese protect kids or negate whats still happening? Claudia Yvonne Vercellotti Co-DirectorToledo SNAP Chapter Spokesman upset at the wrong things Toledo Catholic Diocese spokesman Sally Oberski is upset again. The last time she was upset The Blade reported that the Revs. Frank Murd and Tim Kummerer were arrested for public indecency in the 1990s. She wasnt upset that these priests had been secretly working around children with few people knowing of their arrests. She wasnt upset that Father Murd had admitted engaging in sexual activity in a public place. Come to think of it. Ms. Oberski is never publicly upset about the crimes or sexual misconduct committed by priests. She never publicly discusses the immorality of their conduct. She never discusses how these priests have broken their promises of celibacy, betrayed their positions of trust, and harmed people. But she is upset again and has resorted to the tired old tactic of blaming the messenger. Usually she is upset with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and other advocates. Now she is upset with The Blades religion editor, David Yonke. Whos she kidding? Ms. Oberskis job is defending the indefensible and amounts to little more than spinning clergy sexual crimes and misconduct. In the case of Father Kummerer, she used her position to plead that priests who are arrested for public indecency dont deserve humiliation. In the case of Father Murd, she reminded us that despite his admission he may be returned to ministry. Last year, she used her position to remind us that the Rev. David Nuss did not violate the Dallas Charter because his sexual misconduct did not involve a child. When will Ms. Oberski stop blaming the messenger and starting using her position to do some good? Linda Waters Sandusky Obama had chance to lead by example Recently, Barack Obama said he was ashamed that foreign visitors who vacation here speak several languages. I had noticed that too, but never felt inclined to learn Spanish as he admonished us to. On his recent trip, do you suppose he conversed in Arabic while in Iraq and Afghanistan or German when visiting there? You would think, as with all politicians, he would lead by example. Gerald E. Wojcik Maumee Media interpretation is a real fairy tale Two years ago, Sen. Barack Obama said leave Iraq because we have lost. Now, President Bush says leave Iraq because we have won. Most of the media report this as Mr. Bush having come around to Mr. Obamas position. All we need is Lewis Carrolls byline. Jim Duggan Sylvania Obama not learning from his mistakes Go back in time. Things in Iraq were going badly; Osama bin Laden declared it the central front in his war against the West; al-Qaeda was winning, and sectarian violence was rampant. John McCain said surge in more troops and use new counterinsurgency tactics. In other words, win the war. Barak Obama said pull out. In other words, surrender. Fast forward to the present. Mr. McCain was right. Al-Qaeda has been routed: over 90 percent are killed or captured. Civilian and military casualties are vastly reduced. Sectarian violence is nonexistent. The economy is booming. There is great political progress: 15 of 18 benchmarks mandated by our Congress have been achieved. Mr. Obama was wrong. Yet he said recently that, knowing what he knows now, hed oppose the surge again. Even now, Mr. Obama does not believe that we should win in Iraq. We should get out, he says, regardless of anything. Afghanistan is more important, he says. We should send more troops there. Has he ever looked at a map? With the worlds second-greatest oil reserves our enemies Iran and Syria to the east and west and the oil fields of Saudi Arabia to the south, Iraq is the most strategically important country in the Middle East. And Baghdad, for centuries the capital of the Caliphate, is of incalculable historical and cultural importance throughout the Islamic world. NATO is running the show in Afghanistan. Why doesnt Mr. Obama try to persuade our precious European allies to bear more of the burden there? Maintaining the dearly bought victories our troops have won in Iraq requires a commander-in-chief with sound judgment. Mr. Obama has not learned from his mistakes. He is unfit for the presidency. Michael OBrien Bradner Place the blame on Pelosi, Democrats Regarding a July 24 letter to the Readers Forum in The Blade, the writer must have been bitten by the same rattlesnake he thinks bit Phil Gramm, the Republican ex-senator from Texas. He says, Just remember that all of this happened on the Republican watch. Does he fail to remember that we have a Democratic Senate and House that block anything the Republicans attempt to bring to the floor? Maybe he should put the blame where it belongs, on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic cohorts. Joyce McJilton Wauseon Candidates always run 2nd to money The only thing worse than the way the networks baby Sen. Barack Obama would be for a middle-class working individual to run for president. I believe the networks are fairly certain Mr. Obama will be elected and they want to be on the in with him. They want to be what they consider insiders in the millionaires club hopefully being the first to obtain interviews and breaking information. No matter who wins, they will only come in second to the real winner money. Gary Brents Weston, Ohio Who will rope in maverick McCain? Recently I saw a John McCain political ad on TV that referred to him as a maverick. Do we really want a maverick for president? Who knows. Maybe he will pick a cowboy as a running mate to keep him roped in. ROBERT J. KAYE Manitou Beach |
| Let the real games begin AFTER a political prologue, the Olympics are set to open in Beijing on Friday, shifting attention from the games as a tool of transformation for China to the athletic contests themselves. The award of the summer games to China by the International Olympic Committee in 2001 was, from the start, a controversial decision. China has a dubious human rights record and a notoriously high level of atmospheric pollution, which prompted pledges by the Beijing government to make improvements. It was perhaps unrealistic on the part of the IOC and the world to expect a lot. Chinas Communist government has been heavy-handed in dealing with any political opposition since it took power 58 years ago. Its pollution is an unfortunate fallout of the tremendous economic growth that has been under way for decades. In recent months, the government reacted badly to signs of resistance by the Tibetans and remains obdurate on the Falun Gong and the Uighurs. Its response to the earthquake in Sichuan province was, at first, impressive, but then the government hamhandedly quashed the protests of parents on shoddy schoolhouse construction that raised the casualty rate. The latest issue to flare up is the violation of Beijings pledge to allow members of the international media covering the Olympics unfettered access to Internet sites. As much as the Chinese like to spin reality, they still have a largely authoritarian state. Nonetheless, it is now time for the Olympics to begin and it makes sense for everyone to shift attention to the games. For the athletes who have prepared for their moment on the world stage, the host nations handling of political critics or the environment is not the main focus. Nor should it be for the spectators and TV viewers. Everyone can return to those weightier topics when the torch is extinguished. |
| Politics and the election IN POLITICS, as in stand-up comedy, timing is everything. That principle was brought to mind by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service raids last week on several locations in and around Cleveland, including the downtown offices of two veteran Cuyahoga County Democratic politicians. The federal agents a small army of nearly 200 reportedly were seeking evidence of wrongdoing on the part of public officials in the awarding of county construction contracts. Such finagling would not be surprising, given that the patronage-fed world of Cleveland politics has, for many years, been engulfed by a cesspool of corruption. But it was the timing of the sweeping raids three months before the November election that was curious. In particular, the feds searched at least six homes and businesses and the offices of Frank Russo, the county auditor, and Jimmy Dimora, one of three county commissioners, who is chairman of the county Democratic party. Carted away were dozens of boxes and filing cabinets filled with documents relating to county projects. At the least, Mr. Dimora is going to be spending a great deal of his personal time in the coming months dealing with the aftermath of the raids. We wouldnt be surprised if he finds himself the subject of criminal charges. What he wont be doing as much of is organizing the huge turnout of Democratic voters that is crucial if Barack Obama is to win Ohio and the presidency in the November election. No Republican has won the White House without winning Ohios electoral votes. And cutting into the Democratic margin in Cuyahoga County is essential to John McCains chances this year. Before the partisan howls commence, it must be pointed out that suspicion over just this sort of political shenanigan is justified because of the extraordinary lengths the Bush Administration has gone to pack the Justice Department with reliable Republicans even in jobs that are supposed to be nonpolitical, career posts. The guns, God + gays operation run by underlings of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is but one vivid example. Another is the sacking a couple of years ago of several assistant U.S. attorneys around the country who didnt show the requisite amount of zeal demanded by GOP operatives in pursuing local Democratic officeholders suspected of wrongdoing around election time. So it is entirely plausible to suggest that someone in Washington communicated with someone in Cleveland about the need to get going on that pending investigation of local government corruption in Cuyahoga County. The reaction of Cleveland cognoscenti to last weeks raids was Its about time, or sentiments to that effect. Taxpayers, already infuriated at county governments bloat and arrogance, must feel especially disgusted today, intoned the Plain Dealer in an angry editorial. Indeed, the federal crackdown may well be justified. But it is not beyond the pale to suggest that the timing of the action has as much to do with throwing Democratic politics into disarray in a key Ohio county as ending corruption thats been no real secret there for years. |
| Cover-up at the Port THE people of Toledo and Lucas County deserve to know all the facts surrounding the firing last week of James Hartung as president of the Port Authority. That would be true even if the port board had not taken steps to ask voters to renew a $2.2 million tax levy at the Nov. 4 election. The levy is in doubt now that the board has lapsed into cover-up mode and is refusing to release the report it used as a basis to dismiss Mr. Hartung for cause. In claiming lawyer-client privilege the report was written by a law firm retained by the board the port directors are treading on thin legal ice and they are on even more uncertain footing in the court of public opinion. If Mr. Hartung did something so serious that he deserved to be summarily fired, the public deserves to know the details. Its a reasonable inference that the board, under its chairman, William Carroll, anticipated the controversy and had its investigation conducted by the law firm precisely so it could claim legal privilege. This is the same tactic and the same excuse the board used in February to conceal the facts surrounding the forced resignation of James Mettler as the ports vice president of new project development. Mr. Mettler was pushed out of his $100,000 a year job with a highly questionable $40,000 severance package. The public still hasnt been told why Mr. Mettler left, and this appalling affront to the public and the spirit of Ohios open-records law must not be compounded in concealing the details of the Hartung dismissal. If the board doesnt come clean on both matters, its fair to assume, the public will not look kindly on renewal of the 0.4-mill tax levy, which the directors last week agreed to put on the ballot, even as they were ushering Mr. Hartung out the door on a unanimous vote. That vote, which included directors considered to be among the port presidents most sycophantic supporters, shattered the myth of Jim Hartung as somehow indispensible to the region as an economic development guru. Now those same directors are, for some reason, trying to protect themselves by refusing to let the public know why they did what they did. Even if the report were covered by attorney-client privilege and The Blade strongly insists that it is not the board would be under no obligation to keep it secret. Many of the board members are private business people, but they must remember that when they do port authority business they are considered public officials and must abide by the open-records law. That means dropping the cover-up and giving the taxpaying public what it deserves the full story. Otherwise, those same citizens might not be so generous with the Port Authoritys tax levy come Election Day. |
| UM sweating, feeling good ANN ARBOR - Terrance Taylor was still sweating profusely an hour after leaving the field. Fellow defensive lineman Will Johnson already needed a change of shirts just minutes after changing and walking into the Commons at Schembechler Hall. This was the aftermath as Michigan kicked off its first fall practice yesterday afternoon with coach Rich Rodriguez at the helm. "It was intense," Johnson said. "It was a good first day. It was intense. It was hot, muggy. But we're all in good shape even though we're a little sweaty. Everybody's tired because we started working out at 8 in the morning lifting [weights]." The Wolverines know now what to expect from Rodriguez and his emphasis on elite conditioning. The day began early for the players in the weight room, followed by practice in the afternoon with Motown hits blaring from speakers to greet the players and conditioning drills at the end. "I don't think I've ever ran more in my entire life," Michigan quarterback and Adrian graduate Steven Threet said. What hasn't been decided and likely won't be until the season begins, if then, is the starting quarterback position. Threet, a redshirt freshman, is locked in a battle with sophomore Nick Sheridan and true freshman Justin Feagin. Rodriguez said he likely will opt to go with a two-man rotation at quarterback to begin the season but added it may not be decided until well after the Wolverines' opener against Utah on Aug. 30. "It's going to be a competition that may continue to go throughout the season," Rodriguez said. "I hope that we'll have at least two that we feel that we can win with. That's the goal. Not so much as finding a starter as finding two that we feel we can win with." Rodriguez pointed to the week leading up to his team's matchup with the Utes as his target to settle on his two quarterbacks. Sheridan and Threet appear to be the front runners so far, but Feagin isn't far behind. "I thought Steve [Threet] did some good things today," Rodriguez said. "I thought Nick Sheridan had a really good day, and Justin Feagin showed a few things as well." Sheridan and Threet, who are training camp roommates, spent the summer working out together and individually to speed their adjustment to Rodriguez's spread option offense. "It's a competition, but being roommates that doesn't change anything," Sheridan said. "We're still normal guys and teammates, so it's not awkward at all." Threet acknowledged the seriousness of the quarterback competition but said he also realizes the importance of all the quarterbacks working together to learn this new system. "All of us are trying to do what we can to get on the field and play and show the coaches that we should be the guy," Threet said. "As much as I would like to know [who the starter is going to be], at the same time I think it takes a little pressure off of us, to be honest, because we're not worried about that right now. "We're just worried about going out and doing the best we can every play and trying to get better every practice." GRADY PRACTICES: Junior running back Kevin Grady, who was arrested last month for drunken driving, practiced yesterday. Rodriguez had said earlier that Grady would be suspended indefinitely and would need to meet certain criteria to be reinstated with the Wolverines. "He's still suspended as far as actual games, but he's practicing," Rodriguez said yesterday. "He's done enough to earn his status back on the team but he's not done enough yet to warrant playing time." PRESEASON RANKINGS: Rodriguez also addressed the Wolverines' No. 24 preseason ranking in the USA Today coaches' poll, despite returning only one starter on offense. "Who cares?" Rodriguez said. "They probably shouldn't even take a poll until October. The reason why we're probably ranked there [even though] we lost a lot of players is because of the reputation of Michigan, I would assume. But it don't matter." Contact Zach Silka at: zsilka@theblade.com. |
| Big Ten branded by Bucks As its teams enter training camp and prepare for the 2008 season, the Big Ten's reputation as a powerhouse college football conference is still taking hits on the national front. The 3-5 record in last season's bowl games, coupled with Ohio State's second straight loss in the national championship game, seemed to intensify the salvos. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who has been to the title game three times in his seven seasons directing the Buckeyes, said that while he might understand the origin of some of the bad vibes sent the Big Ten's direction, he thinks it is unfortunate that the league would be downgraded simply because his team lost in the final game of the bowl season. "I know from our standpoint where it comes from. It's that we played in the national championship the last two years and haven't been successful," Tressel said. "Should that paint a picture of our whole conference? I don't think so." Tressel, whose team is ranked No. 3 nationally in the first ESPN/USA Today 2008 coaches poll just released, has gone 23-3 the last two seasons, including an 11-2 mark in 2007 in what was projected to be somewhat of a rebuilding year. He hopes the Buckeyes and the Big Ten Conference are judged on their body of their work, not a single game here and there. "I think our guys love to compete, and I hope they've learned lessons from those two games," Tressel said. "Hopefully, they've learned lessons from the other 24 games they've been a part of over the last two seasons, too. But it also makes me feel a little disappointed that our performance in two championship games, I guess, brushes with a wider brush, or whatever they say. But I don't think it's unfair. But what I think doesn't matter. What happens in the games matters." Illinois coach Ron Zook said at the recent Big Ten preseason football meetings that what the conference needs to do is win the big one, and the criticism will stop. "I'm sure nationally that we have [taken a hit] a little bit, and I think it's so important - I heard coach Tressel say this - it's important that we go win," Zook said. "There's not a whole lot we can say until we go win. There's no doubt in my mind that the Big Ten Conference is a great, great conference. Now until we go do that, then there's not a whole lot we can say. I think it is important that we take care of business that way." Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema gets irritated by the criticism targeting the Big Ten, and even that specifically targeting Ohio State, since it focuses on just a couple games and not what Bielema considers a more accurate big picture. "No one can argue with Ohio State's past history and tradition," he said. "They put themselves in the national championship game in back to back years. Obviously, things didn't fare well for them in those games." On the plus side, he cited Michigan's bowl win last season over a Florida team that was "a heartbeat away" from playing in the national title game, and Wisconsin's recent bowl victories over Auburn and Arkansas, and its narrow loss to Tennessee. "So if you want to group and gather, make sure you have all the things gathered together appropriately, because I really believe the Big Ten conference is strong as ever, and we go out and play anybody on any given day." A recent ESPN.com piece reflected the national disdain for the Big Ten and Ohio State, its preseason favorite to win a fourth straight conference championship. The story on the Web site named the Buckeyes as the country's most-hated team. Ohio State senior defensive back Malcolm Jenkins is not surprised by the tone of some of the remarks that are directed at the Big Ten, and the Buckeyes. "I'm not shocked by it at all," Jenkins said recently. "I think there's a lot of people around the country who just don't like Ohio State. If it's because of our success, that's fine. And if it's due to the fact we lost those championship games, well then I can't fault them for that either. People have strong feelings about college football. That's just the way it is." Contact Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6510. |
| Davis impressive in Redskins debut Fred Davis made his first visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton over the weekend. The Toledoan, who is a rookie tight end for the Washington Redskins, enjoyed every minute of his stay. He walked through and looked over plenty of football history, including busts of the 247 members of the Hall of Fame. He watched the latest induction class that included two former Redskins greats - Art Monk and Darrell Green - deliver emotional induction speeches. Then the Redskins' second-round draft pick out of USC went out in his pro debut and had a team-leading three receptions for 23 yards against the Indianapolis Colts in the Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium on Sunday night. "It felt good to finally get your feet wet a little bit and to go out and make some plays," said Davis, reached by telephone. "The game was in Ohio, my family was there and even though it was a preseason game I was excited to play." Wearing the Redskins' No. 86 jersey, Davis matched fellow teammate and tight end Todd Yoder for most catches against the Colts in the NFL's preseason opener. The 6-foot-4, 257-pounder, who recently signed a $3.5 million contract that included a $1.8 million signing bonus, showed the kind of route-running and pass-catching skills that made him the John Mackey Award winner, given annually to college football's top tight end. His first reception was in the first half, a quick pass near the middle of the field he turned into an eight-yard gain. He caught two more passes in the Redskins' 30-16 victory. "It was just a little something," Davis said of his first reception in a NFL contest. "I just tried to turn it up the field. After that I wanted to go deep for a pass." Davis was greeted by approximately 15 family members and friends who made the 3 1/2-hour trip from Toledo. Redskins first-year coach Jim Zorn was pleased about what he saw from his rookie tight end. "I wanted to try to get him the ball a couple times," Zorn said. "He not only caught it, he turned up the field and showed he was a tough runner after the catch." It's only the beginning for Davis, one of three draft selections made by the Redskins during the second round to help their passing game. Rookie wide receivers Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma) and Devin Thomas (Michigan State) are all expected to contribute, but they were held out of the game due to hamstring injuries. "They definitely drafted all these players [in the second round] for a purpose," he said. "The expectations are high here. We have a lot of talent at each offensive position. Our offense is stacked." Davis recognizes plenty of work must still be done before the Redskins play in the NFL's nationally televised regular season kickoff contest against the NFC East rival and defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants on Thursday, Sept. 4. And Davis, who played under former NFL coach Pete Carroll at USC, continues to work on the transition from college to the pro ranks. "It's kind of tough mentally because it's a little different from college," he said of training camp. "It's not been so bad [physically] because it does remind me of college except we have two-a-days every day instead of every other day. It can wear you down, so you have to get adjusted to it. "You're playing with older guys who have families and are married. As far as football, people have much better technique than in college. Coming from a school where I came from I think helped prepare me." Besides the Redskins uniform colors being similar to those he donned at USC, Davis said there are similarities with his NFL coach and college coach. "Zorn definitely reminds me of coach Carroll a lot with the energy he brings. And he's always excited and you can go to him and talk to him about anything," Davis said. Among the topics Davis has sat down with Zorn and discussed a few months ago was his missing a mini-camp practice after oversleeping the early morning session. Davis explained to Zorn what happened after not being able to fall asleep before switching rooms in the hotel where the Redskins were housed for the mini-camp. "I wasn't used to having a roommate and I was still adjusting from California time, but it was my fault," he said. "We had a long talk and everything is good. I told him it wouldn't happen again." Davis is not the only Redskins player with Toledo roots. Veteran linebacker Khary Campbell, a Southview and Bowling Green State University product, is in his seventh season in the NFL and fifth with the Redskins. "If I need to know something about the team and how things work I can go ask him," said Davis, who met Campbell for the first time in Toledo a few days after he was drafted by the Redskins. Washington's trip to Canton will not be the only time Davis plays close to home in his first season in the NFL. Washington will play against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Oct. 26 and will visit Cincinnati to play the Bengals on Dec. 14. In the meantime, Davis plans to continue to work his way through the preseason as one of the newest Redskins. "It's fun just being around this team," he said. "Washington, D.C., is a great place to be in and I'm definitely grateful to be here. And I feel like I can definitely help this team." Contact Donald Emmons at: demmons@theblade.com or 419-724-6302. |
| Findlay's Kraus commits to Bowling Green State University BOWLING GREEN - Northwest Ohio has been assured of another four years of Luke Kraus. The Findlay Trojans incoming senior yesterday committed to play basketball at Bowling Green State University during a campus visit, both he and his high school coach confirmed. Kraus, a point guard, said he came away impressed by the sincerity of Louis Orr and his coaching staff, along with the direction they have set for the program. Per NCAA rules, college coaches are not allowed to comment on recruits. "I believe in them and they believe in me," Kraus said. "When I arrived there it just felt like home. They're going to take really good care of me and make me a real good basketball player for my next four years of college, and possibly after college." Kraus, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, is the two-time defending player of the year in the Greater Buckeye Conference and was named third team All-Ohio last year. While leading an inexperienced team to a league title as a junior, Kraus averaged 22 points, four rebounds and three assists. He will become the second Falcon point guard with local high school ties, joining St. John's Jesuit graduate Joe Jakubowski, who is coming off a strong freshman season. "I think I can go in there and back him up my freshman year," Kraus said. "I can contribute a bit and help the team." Kraus said he also fielded offers from Boston University, Fairfield, Findlay and Bucknell. "Everybody that I talked to likes his toughness, his competitiveness and the fact that he plays hard," Trojans coach Jim Rucki said. "I think he's really improved his shooting, and that's what kind of made people have a deeper interest in him." |
| Louisville breezes by Mud Hens LOUISVILLE - Aaron Harang hung six shutout innings on Toledo as the Louisville Bats blistered the Mud Hens 11-0 last night. The crowd of 8,820 at Louisville Slugger Field witnessed the second-most lopsided loss of the season for the Hens, who were routed at Rochester 13-0 July 22. The defeat dropped the Mud Hens six games back of International League West-leading Louisville. Harang, sent down from Cincinnati on a rehab assignment after going on the disabled list in early July with a strained right forearm, handled the Mud Hens with ease. "He threw very well. His fastball had life to it," Louisville manager Rick Sweet said. "He was free and easy and he felt good. Whether he's ready to go back, that's their call. But he looked healthy to me." Meanwhile, Toledo starter Yorman Bazardo had trouble finding the strike zone as the Bats rocked him for 10 runs on eight hits over 31/3 innings. Louisville finished with 13 hits to Toledo's seven. "We had a tough time getting them out," Toledo manager Larry Parrish said. Bazardo's control problems began in the second inning. He walked three to load the bases, then on a full-count pitch with two outs he hit No. 9 hitter Paul Janish to force in a run. The next batter, Chris Dickerson, cleared the bases with a double to right field as Louisville took a 4-0 lead. The Bats scored once in the third. Adam Rosales used three bats, he broke the first two, for a leadoff double to center field. He moved to third on Kevin Barker's groundout, then scored on Drew Anderson's single. The Bats' onslaught continued in the fourth. Michael Griffin singled with one out, then Janish doubled down the third base line to score him. Dickerson followed with his fourth RBI of the game on a single to center. Then Rosales delivered an RBI double to chase Bazardo (4-8). Ian Ostlund came on in relief and walked the first batter he faced, struck out the second, then gave up a two-run single to Ryan Hanigan. The runs were charged to Bazardo. It was the third straight loss for Bazardo, but the thing that made this a bizarre outing was the four walks. He had walked a combined six in his last five starts, and he hadn't allowed more than four runs in any of those outings. Two plays in the sixth inning epitomized the night for the Mud Hens. In the top of the inning Freddy Guzman grounded out to second, but he never got out of the batter's box. He slipped and watched the throw to first from his knees. Then in the bottom of the inning right fielder Brent Clevlen lost a fly ball in the twilight and it hit the ground behind him. Louisville forced Toledo to use five pitchers. "We've got a couple scouts in town and they've seen everybody in the bullpen, some of them twice," Parrish quipped. |
| Jeep plant mulls shift to a 4-day workweek Officials from United Auto Workers Local 12 and Chrysler LLC have discussed a production switch at Toledo's largest manufacturer that could institute a four-day, 10-hour workweek for most employees. The result of the switch, if implemented, would mean most hourly workers would have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off while working 10 hours per day each Monday through Thursday. It also might mean less overtime. "It's still in the investigative phase," said Mary Beth Halprin, a spokesman for Chrysler. "We haven't made any decisions yet." Such a workweek would allow Chrysler to save significantly on energy costs, and save employees money by cutting their commuting costs by 20 percent, Ms. Halprin said. "There is a strong connection between the environmental and cost benefits to running a shorter schedule per week," Ms. Halprin said. "It's definitely a new trend." She could not say how much potential savings the automaker might obtain. About 2,200 people work at the Toledo Jeep Assembly factory making the Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro, and 1,100 work at the factories next door making the Jeep Wrangler. Workers at the Liberty and Nitro factory have been idled because of weak demand for the vehicles, and aren't due to return for three weeks. UAW's leader at Toledo Jeep, Dan Henneman, confirmed that discussions have taken place but said many hurdles would have to be ironed out before a proposal was taken to the membership. The local's contract with Chrysler makes provisions for such a change, which could impact overtime opportunities for UAW members. "In this economy, if this can help the company and it gives us three days off a week, I think it's a good thing for everybody," Mr. Henneman said. It was unclear whether workers on the Wrangler line might change because the union holds different contracts with the individual suppliers that cooperatively build the vehicle, and some of those contracts currently would make the switch cost-prohibitive. Businesses of all types and sizes have moved to alternative scheduling or four-day, 10-hour work schedules as a way to help employees and employers deal with the spiraling costs of energy. Depending on the industry, such schedules can cut commuting and energy costs and improve productivity in certain instances. The additional day off can also be a boost to employee morale. Ms. Halprin said Chrysler is studying whether to make the switch at other facilities as well. Automakers have tried such four-day, 10-hour scheduling before. Ford Motor Co. has several assembly plants around the nation that work such shifts, but most others do not, even when local language allows it, a spokesman said. Chrysler has been studying alternative work schedules under pilot programs for some time. The privately held automaker is currently running such a program at its parts depot centers, which distribute auto parts to its network of automotive dealerships, Ms. Halprin said. It also previously tried the 4-10 schedule at its assembly facility in Newark, N.J. "This year, with the rise in gas prices and the business environment as a whole, it has increased the interest level" in alternative scheduling, Ms. Halprin said. However, she said the company and the union would notify Jeep employees first before such a change would be implemented. Contact Larry P. Vellequette at: lvellequette@theblade.com or 419-724-6091. |
| Husband, wife switch first, third places for July First came Kramer vs. Kramer. Now get ready for Stacy vs. Stacy. In an odd development in The Blade's Stock Market Game, last month's third-place contestant, Dan Stacy, has traded places with last month's leader - his wife, Diane Stacy. Last month's second-place contestant, Michael McHaffie, of Waterville, remains in that spot through the end of July despite the flip-flop by the Stacys, who reside in Gibsonburg. "How dare he!" Mrs. Stacy, 54, said with faux indignation after learning her husband had pushed her to third place. "She wasn't too happy about this," Mr. Stacy, also 54, said with a laugh. "I've got my camper ready outside to sleep in in case she kicks me out of the house." Overall, the stock market took a beating in July. Mrs. Stacy's portfolio value is $54,749, up 37 percent for the year. But at the end of June, her husband's portfolio was at $62,555. Only 118 participants finished July above the starting hypothetical $40,000. The Blade's so-called dartboard picks, chosen at random by four members of the business news staff, having risen to $42,172 ranked in 70th place out of 875 entrants. Contestants had to divide their hypothetical stake equally among two stocks from the New York Stock Exchange and two from Nasdaq, each worth at least $5 a share, by Dec. 31, 2007. The portfolio with the biggest gain by the end of this year wins. First prize is $200 in cash and a three-day/two night trip for two, including transportation and hotel, to Chicago, Toronto, or Tampa during 2009. Arrangements will be made by contest co-sponsor Central Travel of Toledo. Second place receives $300 in cash and third place $200. Mr. Stacy's standing at the top is a first for him. He has entered all of The Blade's stock contests but never rose higher than third. He leads even though his energy stocks slumped 11 percent. His picks are First Solar Inc., Fording Canadian Coal, Oracle Corp., and Swift Energy Co. The market was down 14 percent for July, negative commentary flowed from the Federal Reserve, the general economy slowed, personal consumption was weaker, and jobless claims were at their highest since 2003, said Christina Wegner, a financial adviser with Smith Barney's Toledo office. The brokerage is a co-sponsor of the contest and tabulator of the results. "It was a very rough month," she said. In June, contestants could switch one of their four stocks for another stock. About 100 did so, but only two in the top 20 were among them. One who switched was Mr. Mahaffie, who dropped Ever- One who switched was Mr. Mahaffie, who dropped Ever-green Solar Inc. for James River Coal Co. His other three picks are Alpha Natural Resources Inc., Hess Corp., and Dryships Inc., and his portfolio was up 37 percent at $54,628. Another contestant, Harold Hamilton, of Northwood, dumped semiconductor firm Teradyne Inc. for CF Industries, which makes fertilizer. The move lifted him to fifth place from 14th. Mr. Stacy said he planned to drop software maker Oracle, but missed the deadline. "What I would have changed to, I'm uncertain," he added. Mrs. Stacy's portfolio, which stayed unchanged, has Canadian Solar Inc., Emcore Corp., Alpha Natural Resources, and National Oilwell Varco Inc. Ranking 4th through 10th are: Leonard Giesige, of Hamler, Ohio, whose portfolio is $53,320; Mr. Hamilton, $52,914; Mary Schultz, Blissfield, Mich., $52,643; Garry Mills, Waterville, $52,217; Donald Graham, Oregon, $51,217; Jim D'Lamater, Olivet, Mich., $50,807, and Steve Scheltz, Columbus, $50,537. Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128. |
| Investors agree to purchase Norwalk NORWALK, Ohio - A buyer has been found for a 106-year-old Huron County furniture manufacturer whose abrupt closing threatened the livelihoods of 500 local employees. The deal followed the resumption of operations last week at Norwalk Furniture Corp., the city's largest manufacturer and second-largest employer. The firm, which has 900 employees companywide, halted operations July 21 after slumping sales prompted Comerica Bank, Detroit, to threaten to cut off financing. Investment firms IRG Capital Group LLC, Akron, and Blackbird Capital Partners, Cincinnati, agreed yesterday to buy the firm for an undisclosed price, said spokesman Joe Mosbrook. Details were not released. "These investors are committed to building on the great tradition this company has represented for more than a century, and both have a long history of doing business in Ohio and investing in Ohio-based companies," Domenic Aversa, acting chief executive, said in a written statement. Additionally, Comerica has agreed to continue financing for the firm. The sales agreement was reached after the Ohio Department of Development agreed to provide a $2 million low-interest loan. Officials in Fulton, Miss., where Norwalk Furniture operates another plant, agreed to provide a similar loan. Charles Rowe, Jr., president of IRG Capital, will become interim chief executive until a permanent replacement is found. Norwalk, founded in 1902, makes high-end upholstered furniture sold under the Norwalk, J. Raymond, and Hickory Hill brands. The firm's sales chain includes five company-owned and 52 franchised stores. It said weeks ago it had an $8 million drop in sales from 2006 to 2007. It had about 50 employees in a factory in Cookeville, Tenn., and about 300 in Fulton, Miss. The Norwalk plant's assets have a book value of $36 million, a company spokesman said. "Financial issues triggered by the national housing crisis caused Norwalk to temporarily suspend production until the company could procure capital needed to implement a restructuring plan," executives said. The company spokesman was unsure when the sale will be completed. |
| 2 Toledo-area firms win awards as exporters Cauffiel Technologies Corp., Toledo, and Krendl Machine Co., Delphos, are among the 2008 Governor's Excellence in Exporting Award winners. Gregory Rufty has joined Dillin Corp., Perrysburg, as vice president of restaurant operations. Granger Souder, Jr., has joined Toledo's Xunlight Corp. as vice president and general counsel. Steve Baginski has joined Hercules Tire & Rubber Co., Findlay, as executive vice president of finance and administration. Keith Wandell has been named to the Dana Holding Corp. board. He is president and chief executive of Johnson Controls Inc. The Blade has hired Jeff Pezzano as retail advertising manager. Business Achievements, with news of management promotions, corporate board appointments, and awards, runs each week. Send announcements to Business News Desk, The Blade, P.O. Box 921, Toledo, OH, 43697-0921. Write "Business Achievements" on the envelope. |
| Cooper Tire, Libbey Inc. swing to losses for second quarter FINDLAY - Higher commodity costs and weaker tire demand led Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. to report a second-quarter loss yesterday of $22 million, or 38 cents a share, compared to a profit of $18 million, or 25 cents a share, during the same period in 2007. The aftermarket tire manufacturer said it had record sales for the quarter of $773 million, up 6 percent from $730 million for the period a year ago. The Findlay company said it had to deal with costlier raw materials and utilities and slower sales of tires in North America. The quarterly loss was the firm's first since 2006. "It's a tough quarter," said Tony Cristello, a Richmond, Va., analyst at BB&T Capital Markets. The company, he said, should be helped by lower commodities costs once gasoline prices ease after the summer travel season. e Larger tax payments at Libbey Inc. led to a loss of $2.1 million in the second quarter, compared with a profit of $4 million in the prior-year period. The Toledo tableware manufacturer said sales increased 9 percent to $225 million from $207 million a year ago. Excluding taxes and interest payments, quarterly profits decreased slightly in the past quarter to $19 million from $21 million. The decrease was blamed on higher natural-gas costs and reduced production at a plant in Mexico as a result of renovation work. |
| White, Keys introduce us to latest James Bond epic "...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. TUESDAY, AUGUST 5 SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED: Although Amy Winehouse had previously been rumored to be the voice of the next James Bond theme, we now receive word of a duet - Detroit's own Jack White and Alica Keys. Hear it Nov. 7 when the 22nd James Bond film - Quantum of Solace - makes its North American release. (KC) ASIAN GAME SHOWS: Hockey helmets and a giggling studio audience means somebody's going to fall hard. We start with a game of Human Tetris and end with 'Vic Romano' sending healthy, young spandex-clad athletes out to tear a hamstring in binoculars soccer. (LB) NO. 4: Flight of the Conchords is a New Zealand comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The Conchords, "formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo" examine the Issues (Think About It). (KC) MONDAY, AUGUST 4 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: No doubt politicians welcome a friendly bump from entertainers who jump on their bandwagons, but sometimes maybe not so much. Ludacris gives Barack Obama a friendly shout-out rap style and, well, Obama's not so happy with it. (RL) WOW: Never say these guys aren't athletes. As this year's X Games continued this weekend, people still couldn't forget about skateboarder Jake Brown's four and a half story plummet last year. (RL) JAY LENO CAN RELAX: Even though the world's oldest joke has been discovered, it's not very funny. (RS) THIN SLICING Have some Thin Slices to contribute or comment on? Rod Lockwood Kevin Cesarz ARCHIVES Week 1 Slices Week 2 Slices |
| Morgan Freeman Remains in Serious Condition JACKSON, Miss. Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman was hospitalized in serious condition Monday after the car he was driving left a rural road in the Mississippi Delta and flipped several times. Freeman, 71, was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn., about 90 miles north of the accident in rural Tallahatchie County. The actor "has a broken arm, broken elbow and minor shoulder damage, but is in good spirits," according to a statement from Donna Lee, Freeman's publicist. A hospital spokeswoman said Freeman was in serious condition but would not discuss his injuries. "He is having a little bit of surgery this afternoon or tomorrow to help correct the damage," Lee's statement said. "He says he'll be OK and is looking forward to a full recovery." Freeman, who won an Oscar for his role in "Million Dollar Baby," is among the stars in "The Dark Knight," now in theaters. His screen credits also include "Driving Miss Daisy." Freeman and a companion were traveling on a dark, two-lane highway that cuts through the expansive farmlands of the Mississippi Delta when the car ran off the side of the road shortly before midnight Sunday, authorities said. The vehicle flipped several times but landed upright in a ditch alongside Mississippi Highway 32, about 5 miles west of Charleston, not far from where Freeman owns a home with his wife. Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Ben Williams said rescuers had to use the jaws of life to remove Freeman from the car. "He was lucid, conscious. He was talking, joking with some of the rescue workers at one point," said Clay McFerrin, editor of Sun Sentinel in Charleston, who arrived at the scene soon after the accident happened. McFerrin said it appeared Freeman's car was airborne when it left the highway. Bystanders converged on the accident scene trying to get a glimpse of the actor, McFerrin said. When one person tried to snap a photo with a cell phone camera, Freeman joked, "no freebies, no freebies," McFerrin said. Williams said Freeman was driving a 1997 Nissan Maxima that belonged to Demaris Meyer of Memphis. "There's no indication that either alcohol or drugs were involved," Williams said. He said both Freeman and Meyer were wearing seat belts. The woman's condition was not immediately available. Freeman was born in Memphis, Tenn., but spent much of his childhood in the Mississippi Delta. He is a co-owner of the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale. "I'm definitely concerned," country singer and fellow Mississippian Steve Azar, whose video for his hit "Waitin' on Joe" featured Freeman, said Monday. The two have also worked charity events together. "He's been the best ambassador our state has ever had." "He could live anywhere in the world and he came back home," Azar said. "I just think it shows a lot about him as a person and how grounded he is." The hospital where Freeman is being treated is commonly known as The Med, and is an acute-care teaching facility that serves patients within 150 miles of Memphis. |
| Fresh fruit: use seasonal favorites in contemporary salads and desserts There is no time like the summer to get your fill of fresh fruit. Not only is fresh fruit a wonderful dessert for any meal, you can also pair it with other ingredients to make incredible salads. The classic Waldorf Salad with apples, celery, and mayonnaise was created at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in the 1890s. More than a century later, it is as dearly loved yet rarely found in restaurants. One exception is Maggie's Family Restaurant in Perrysburg, where reader Marilyn Dubielak of Tiffin loves the Waldorf Salad with the outstanding ingredients. Maggie's Waldorf is made with apples, celery, pineapple tidbits, nuts, and raisins, and has the restaurant's signature mayonnaise-based dressing. It is served on Thursday nights and on the Sunday salad bar, which comes with entrees, according to general manager and chef Michael Dyer. A contemporary version of the classic salad is the Blueberry Waldorf Salad, a good, easy, and pretty salad. Its thick blueberry dressing is drizzled over the fresh blueberries and apples, baby spinach, celery, and pecan or walnut halves. Blueberries, which are still in season, are only 80 calories per cup. Right now Lodi apples, a tart, summer fruit, are in season locally. Jersey Mac is another summer tart apple, but it is sweeter than Lodi, according to Marlene MacQueen of MacQueen Orchards in Holland. She told me the apple crop is lighter than last year but good. The Blade also used Lodi apples when we tested the Fresh Apple and Carrot Cake for the story below. Sometimes you don't know whether a fruit salad is salad or a dessert. Nectarine Salad with Blue Cheese and Raspberry Vinaigrette is from Salad Makes the Meal by Wiley Mullins, a.k.a. the Salad Man (Rodale, $17.95). Made with radicchio separated into whole leaves, ripe nectarines, seedless green grapes, blue cheese, and raspberry vinaigrette garnished with walnuts, this is a very pretty salad with different flavors. It's perfect to serve company. The raspberry vinaigrette is simple to make. "You may want to double or triple the vinaigrette ingredients for later use," says recipe tester Kay Lynne Schaller. "The blue cheese mixes in nicely with all the other vinaigrette ingredients." We found the raspberry vinegar at Giant Eagle, but you can also make your own. In Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile & Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of (Book Peddlers, $8.95), author Vicki Lansky recommends a quick fruit-flavored vinegar by adding 2 tablespoons preserves or jam to 1 cup red or white wine vinegar. Let stand 1 week before using. There is no need to strain it. Different salads Tomatoes, which are a fruit of the vine, are one of America's favorite "vegetables" thanks to a government classification dated from 1893 for trade purposes, according to The Food Lover's Companion. A twist on the traditional tomato salad is the unique recipe from Mr. Mullins in Salad Makes the Meal for Fried Green Tomato Salad. Green tomatoes aren't often found in the supermarket. They are more likely from your garden or the farmers market. Slice green tomatoes and coat each in cornmeal and then fry in batches in a little canola oil. Place a wedge of lettuce on each of 4 plates. Lean tomato slices against the wedges alternating with green and red slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with Buttermilk dressing and garnish with mint. Peaches, plums, and nectarines are good sources of vitamin C. Naturally sweet and juicy, peaches are growing in orchards all around us. Picked from the tree, they ripen beautifully on your kitchen counter in a bowl of basket. Don't let them sit in a paper bag or plastic, and don't refrigerate until they are ripe. Chances all they'll be eaten or used by then. Grilling fruit is a summer trend. Top grilled peaches, plums, or nectarine halves with low-fat frozen yogurt. Or glaze grilled peaches with a glaze of balsamic vinegar and a little sugar. Remove from the grill and top with goat cheese and drizzle a little more balsamic vinegar glaze. Peaches are great for including in a picnic basket or to make a juicy salsa with some diced onion, fresh cilantro, and lime juice. Savor with baked tortilla chips or grilled chicken. Fruit in desserts Here's a great peach dessert perfect for picnic baskets. Mini Vanilla-Almond Peach Cupcakes with Fresh Peach Frosting is a fabulous recipe that kids (and adults) will love. Peach season is beginning locally. Flamin' Fury is among the first of the crop. By the end of the week, Red Haven peaches will begin, according to Mrs. MacQueen, who says they have a good peach crop. A half-peck is $7.95. We are also in the midst of fresh California fig season. Fresh figs will be plentiful until mid-December. Brown Turkey and Black Mission Figs with a robust sweet flavor will be available until late fall. Then Amber-colored, delicately sweet Kadota figs will be abundant through October, while the fresh Calimyrnas, known for pale yellow skin and nutty, sweet flavor, are available July through September. When ripe, fresh figs don't have to be cooked. When my daughter's girlfriend had an August wedding there were fresh fig halves on the appetizer table in a fruit display; it was delicious and refreshing. Note that figs are great in salads with greens and blue cheese drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. When purchasing figs, look for the softest figs but avoid figs with fermentation odor, as they are overripe. Fresh figs are delicate and should be kept refrigerated. Eat as soon as possible. Figs hold in the refrigerator for up to five to seven days. Upside Down Fresh Fig Cake is a fabulous and beautiful cake from Outstanding In the Field by Jim Denevan with Marah Stets (Potter, $32.50). The week we tested the recipe, figs were 8 to a package for $5 at Meijers. The recipe is a twist on the classic pineapple-upside down cake. When figs are not in season, you can use dried figs by reconstituting them in warm water or red or white wine for 30 minutes. But trust me, buy and enjoy fresh figs now. Kathie Smith is The Blade's food editor. Contact her at food@theblade.com or 419-724-6155. |
| Jonas Brothers, 'Gossip Girl' score at the Teen Choice Awards LOS ANGELES - Gossip Girl has six more reasons to say OMG. And so do the Jonas Brothers. Both the sudsy CW show about a group of tawdry prep-school students and the squeaky clean boy band swam away with multiple surfboard trophies at Sunday's 10th annual Teen Choice Awards. The awards, which were selected by over 30 million votes cast online by teenagers, honor celebrities in TV, film, music, sports, and fashion. Gossip Girl was lauded with six awards: TV drama, breakout show, breakout male actor Chace Crawford, breakout female and TV drama actress Blake Lively, and TV villain Ed Westwick, who plays the antagonistic Chuck Bass. "I feel like I'm still a teenager because I'm perpetually in high school," Crawford said backstage. "And I'm 23." The awards show at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal Studios Hollywood was hosted by 15-year-old teen queen Miley Cyrus, who picked up three awards. Cyrus kicked off the ceremony with a performance of her new single "7 Things." She later grooved with friend Mandy Jiroux and their dance team M&M Cru as part of a dance-off with Adam Sevani and Jon Chu's dance troupe ACDC. Fergie and the audience later crowned Cyrus' crew as winner. Throughout the taped ceremony, the Jonas Brothers appeared on stage to field questions from teenagers on Web cameras. At one point, the trio were strapped to harnesses and hoisted over the audience. The Camp Rock stars received six awards: choice breakout group, love song, music single, song of the summer, male red carpet fashion icons, and male hotties. Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and Gossip Girl weren't the only attendees who sailed away with multiple awards. Will Smith stopped by to pick up three surfboard trophies - one for Hancock and two for I Am Legend. Chris Brown accepted five music awards: choice music male artist, R&B artist, R&B track, rap/hip-hop track, and music hook-up for his Jordin Sparks duet "No Air." Other winners included The Hills star Lauren Conrad as TV female reality star, and David Beckham as male athlete. The soccer player's youngest son, Cruz, unleashed a spontaneous break-dancing routine on stage following his pop's acceptance speech. "He went on tour with the Spice Girls," Beckham later said. "He learned some moves from them." |
| Blueberry Waldorf Salad 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries, divided ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons marmalade 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt 4 cups baby spinach 1 tart apple (e.g. Granny Smith), cored and thinly sliced 2 ribs celery, cut into 1½-inch matchsticks, about 1 cup 1/3 cup pecan or walnut halves, toasted To prepare dressing: In a blender container, combine ½ cup blueberries, oil, marmalade, lemon juice, mustard, and salt; blend until a smooth, thick dressing forms. In a bowl, toss spinach with apples, celery, pecans, and remaining ½ cup blueberries. Arrange equally on four serving plates. Just before serving, blend dressing again until smooth, adding 2 teaspoons of water if it is too thick; drizzle over salads. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings Source: U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council |
| Nectarine Salad with Blue Cheese and Raspberry Vinaigrette 1 head radicchio, separated into whole leaves 4 ripe nectarines, peeled, pitted, and sliced 4 cups seedless green grapes, each halved 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled Raspberry Vinaigrette (below) ¼ cup roughly chopped walnuts Arrange radicchio leaves on a large serving platter and top with nectarine slices. Sprinkle with grape halves, then blue cheese. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, sprinkle with walnuts, and serve. Raspberry Vinaigrette 13 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar 1tablespoon raspberry preserves or jam Salt and pepper to taste Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined. Yield: 4 servings Source: Salad Makes the Meal, by Wiley Mullins |
| Mini Vanilla-Almond Peach Cupcakes with Fresh Peach Frosting For the cupcakes: 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 2 eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract ½ cup low-fat milk 1 fresh peach, pitted and diced For the frosting: 1 peach, divided 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1½cups powdered sugar, divided ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Tiny mint leaves, optional garnish To prepare cupcakes: Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line 36 mini muffin tins with paper wrappers; set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat for 2 minutes more. Add eggs and extracts, beating well after each addition. Stir in half the dry ingredients, then half the milk; repeat and mix until well-combined. Stir in diced peaches and spoon batter into prepared muffin thins (they will be very full). Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in tins for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. To prepare frosting: Peel and mash or puree half the peach. Beat butter and ¾ cup powdered sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Blend in 1½ tablespoons peach puree and extract, beating for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Gradually add remaining sugar, adding more peach puree if a thinner consistency is desired. Spread equal amounts over each cupcake. Dice remaining peach half and sprinkle over cupcakes. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired. Yield: 36 mini cupcakes Source: California Tree Fruit |
| Upside-down Fresh Fig Cake 12 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons honey 8 to 10 fresh figs, stems removed, cut in half 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs ½ cup whole milk Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides. Line bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in the brown sugar and honey until smooth. Pour the sauce into the prepared cake pan. Arrange figs, cut sides down, in concentric circles over the sauce. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter with sugar and vanilla until lightened in color and texture, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating until well-combined after each addition. Beating on low speed just until combined after each addition, add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with milk in 2 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Spoon batter evenly over figs. Bake cake until golden and a skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer cake to a rack and cool in the pan for 50 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides of the pan to loosen. Place a serving platter on top of the pan and invert the cake. Gently lift off the pan and remove parchment paper. Spoon over the cake, any of the sauce that has run off and serve warm. Yield: 8 servings Source: Outstanding in the Field, by Jim Denevan with Marah Stets |
| Song's impossibly faraway age quickly became here and now After last weekend, it's no longer a hypothetical question. I no longer expect the missus to chuckle when I repeat the refrain from a Beatles song: "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?" The kid is already there. He has arrived at the age that seemed impossible when the Beatles released "When I'm Sixty-Four" on their Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album on June 1, 1967. Young folks can't imagine the problems of aging. They aren't likely to save any money, start a financial plan, or even think very much about preparing for a long career - and perhaps an even longer retirement. And that's too bad, because they, too, will get to 64 someday, maybe too quickly. Along the way, they'll have to deal with financing their own children's education, maintaining adequate health insurance, mortgaging a home, and investing for retirement. Most will have to do it the hard way, because that kind of stuff isn't taught in many schools. And today's young generation will need to adapt to a rapidly changing global economy that may mean several different careers. I must admit that I was guilty of youthful complacency. I didn't start any sort of retirement plan until I was in my late 40s. I never thought much about health, either, until the aches and pains arrived. When Paul McCartney wrote the song, as a teenager in the late 1950s, 64 was considered a ripe old age (for men anyway), and only the optimistic could hope to live much beyond 70. Of course now, people live longer, and retirees tend to put more gusto into their senior years. McCartney composed the melody in late 1957 or early 1958, when he was 15 or 16 - in a baroque, "rooty-tooty" cabaret style that honored the music popular when his father, James, was a musician in the 1920s. He added the famous lyrics later, with a little help from the late John Lennon. Coincidentally, McCartney's father was 64 when the album was recorded in late 1966. In the summer of 1967, when the album was released, I was much more worried about reaching 24 than 64 - I already had my Army orders for duty in Vietnam. On June 1, 1967, many others also had things on their mind other than aging. Barack Obama was not quite 6 and about to enter public school in Jakarta, Indonesia. Hillary Diane Rodham was 19 and a student at Wellesley College, years before she met Bill Clinton. John McCain was a 30-year-old Navy pilot in the Vietnam War (later that year he would be captured as a prisoner of war). Two 42-year-old executives, Lee Iacocca, then at Ford Motor Co., and John DeLorean, then with General Motors Corp.'s Pontiac division, were making names for themselves in the automotive world. The winner of the U.S. Open golf tournament was Jack Nicklaus, 27. The most valuable player in the NCAA basketball tournament that year was UCLA's hotshot, 19-year-old Lew Alcindor (later to become pro player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Roger Maris, at the age of 33, got 10 hits, including a home run, to help the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series. One of the hit movies in 1967 was Bonnie and Clyde, starring 26-year-old Faye Dunaway and 30-year-old Warren Beatty. In the summer of 1967, Bill Gates, who later was ranked as the world's richest man 13 years in a row, was 11. Warren Buffett, who took over this year as world's richest ($62 billion), was 36. Mr. Gates, with an estimated stash of $58 billion, is now third richest. The song evokes stereotyped images of old age, "doing the garden, digging the weeds," knitting "by the fireside," and "grandchildren on your knee, Vera, Chuck, and Dave." But, of course, many seniors today are just as apt to be on the golf course, at the tennis court, doing volunteer work, or perhaps still on the job. Another thing has changed greatly in the last four decades: the divorce rate. McCartney's first marriage, to wife Linda, was a happy one until she died of breast cancer in 1998. However, his second marriage, to former model Heather Mills, was contentious. Ms. Mills was awarded $48.6 million in their divorce settlement this year. Perhaps many years from now a rock band will record a memorable little ditty that will remind young folk of the need to save money and mind their health. But in the meantime, Sir Paul, now 66, and I, and millions of others, have learned a lot about economics on our own in the last four decades. Yours sincerely. Wasting away. |
| Choose vinegars for their flavor Vinegar is a culinary ingredient that has so many uses, yet is often overlooked. If you add a tablespoon or two of vinegar to the water when boiling or steaming cauliflower, beets, or other vegetables, it will help their color, improve taste, and reduce gassy elements, writes Vicki Lansky in Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile & Very Good Uses You've Probably Never Thought Of (Book Peddlers, $8.95). Tips include adding a tablespoon of vinegar when boiling ribs or stew meat for extra tenderness, and using a vinegar wash for any meat, including poultry, to kill bacteria. For gardeners, here's a tip: Get rid of bugs in any fresh vegetable with a short soak in water with a good dash of vinegar and salt. The cucumber crop inspires the subject of pickling. Always use a glass or ceramic container when making pickles. Lansky advises using white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar with 5 percent acetic acid. Four percent acetic vinegar is weaker and should be used for salad dressing - it won't make good pickles. For years I only had white vinegar and cider vinegar in my cupboard. I've made dill pickles and sweet pickles with mediocre results, in my estimation. I've done better with a Refrigerated Cucumber Salad that's great for picnics. Then I added red wine vinegar to my cupboard when I started making my mother-in-law's marinated bean salad with five different beans: canned lima, French-style green, wax, garbanzo, and kidney beans. The wine vinegars - red wine, white wine, champagne vinegar, and even a pinot grigio vinegar - make great salad dressings, each with its own nuance of flavor. White wine vinegar can be flavored with tarragon or chive blossoms. The basic vinaigrette salad dressing proportion is 1 part vinegar to 4 parts oil, according to Lansky. Season with salt, pepper, dry mustard, or Dijon mustard, dried tarragon, garlic, basil, or other herbs (dried or fresh). Some people like a little sugar in the mix for sweetness. I think that white wine vinegar is much tarter than red wine vinegar. I bought my first bottle of balsamic vinegar in Louisville 20 years ago when I was working on a food story. It was a $10 variety, which was pricey at that time. Balsamic vinegar comes from Italy's Modena and Reggio Emilia areas. It's produced from white Trebbiano grapes which are cooked and concentrated into a must with a dark color and pungent sweetness from aging in barrels of various woods. Balsamic vinegars can be aged for 3 to 5 years (young), or 12 to 100 years. Balsamic vinegar adds flavor to dressings. This is the time of year to slice homegrown tomatoes and add little balls of fresh mozzarella and a chiffonade of fresh basil. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of balsamic for the best salad ever. Any leftovers can be added to a basic luncheon salad of greens; there's enough balsamic to flavor. Balsamic adds flavor to pasta salads, too, and it's a great dressing for roasted red and yellow peppers, which must be peeled once roasted and sliced. That dish is my Texas daughter's specialty and is quite labor-intensive, but she has the patience to make it. The newest in my repertoire is sherry vinegar. Some are aged for years, and while they are found in Spanish dishes, they are also in Cuban recipes. When I made a Cuban Black Bean Stew made with a ham bone last spring and flavored it with a little sherry vinegar, I froze two pints of leftover stew. This summer, when I baked boneless pork chops, I took out one of those pints of stew and served the pork chops with a couple tablespoons of the stew over each chop. The pork with the slightly sweet acidic sauce had unbelievably good flavor. It's a flavor to remember with a personality all its own. |
| Vintage rifles popular at Camp Perry matches CAMP PERRY, Ohio - What a difference 365 days make, to stretch an old song's lyrics, to describe the night-and-day contrast in weather for the popular M1A Rifle Match here. The inaugural edition of the M1A, named after the civilian version of the M-14 service rifle, was held in pouring rain and mud and a stout wind a year ago. Shooters had to blow accumulated water out of the rear gunsights to see their targets. In contrast, the second edition Sunday saw sunny and mild conditions with a north wind of little consequence. It made for a perfect day on the range. It was a "fun shoot" for such invitees as me, who once toted an M-14 in service days many rounds ago. But the serious competitors, well, can they ever shoot this fine "rifleman's" rifle. It was amazing to see some of the targets when taking a turn in the scoring pits; a lunch plate, or sometimes a saucer, would cover a string of shots fired from 300 yards. When the army introduced it in the 1950s the M-14 was so accurate that match targets had to be shrunk to accommodate its improved capabilities. Though it was succeeded by the M-16 and its variations in the 1960s, the M-14 still sees use where accuracy is a premium, sometimes with snipers. The M1A event is the last of what informally are called the vintage rifle matches here at the National Rifle and Pistol Matches. Springfield Armory, of Geneseo, Ill., which makes the best-known version of the M1A, is underwriting the M1A Match for at least five years, according to Mike Krei, director of the National Rifle Association's competitive shooting division. The NRA sponsors the annual National Matches in cooperation with the national Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and Ohio National Guard. The vintage matches began Thursday with the M-1 Carbine Match, in honor of the little low-powered rifle that officers sometimes were issued in World War II instead of Model 1911 .45 semiautomatic pistols. Friday saw the Springfield Rifle Match, remembering the 1903 Springfield and other military bolt-action rifles of World War I vintage. The M-1 Garand Match on Saturday gave the nod to the mainstay rifle of World War II and Korea. "The CMP Games are a lot of fun," said Frank Gill Jr., of Oil City, Pa., regarding the vintage rifle matches. He said that a group of Oil City area shooters used to be serious pistol competitors, but all of them were starting to show some veterans' wear and tear on wrist-elbow-shoulder joints. So they switched to the rifle matches. "You've got to lean into the future," said Gill, among several generous shooters on the firing line who offered advice, useful suggestions, and spare gear. Dan Summersett, of Port Clinton, was another shooter who spoke highly of these vintage matches. "I started out here when I was 12 in the NRA Junior School, and I was out of it for years and years. I came back five, six years ago with the M-1 Garand." Now Summersett owns each of the rifles and shoots all the vintage matches. "The best part is I'm having a blast. I'm looking to beat myself, my last year's score. I'm not competing with anyone else on that line." Christopher Roberts of Charlotte, N. C., however, was competing with everyone on the line and he made it happen, winning the overall M1A title with a score of 467-12X and taking home $2,000 in prize money. The X in his score, by the way, represents the number of tie-breaking, dead-center bull's-eyes. The high service winner was Army Sgt. First Class Norman Anderson, of Tomah, Wis., at 458-9X, and the high woman was Marine Reserve Gunnery Sgt. Julia Watson, of Stafford, Va. Sunday's match turned out 403 shooters among 456 registered. The shooters, as with all the matches, came from all around the country. Many of them were warming up for high-power rifle championship events this week, some of which will be fired at an incredible 1,000 yards. The last shots will be fired the middle of next week in the long-range high-power shooting, which begins Saturday. A lasting memory of Sunday's match was that of peering through an M1A's metallic rear sight. I saw the black post of the rifle's front sight and that sun-sharpened, black bull's-eye, 300 yards away at firing point 85. The aim has to be steady while squeezing the trigger. The bullet does not always land in the X-inner ring of the 10-ring. But it always lands where the rifle has been pointed. So I smiled to myself when, walking back to the Jeep after the match, I overheard one of two other shooters reflecting on his performance. "If it was easy, everybody would be a high master," he said. • The popular Toledo Trap & Skeet Club at 3150 State Rt. 295 in Berkey has closed - "a casualty of my retirement," as owner Jim Fletcher puts it. Tedd Long is exploring formation of a new club, Richfield Conservation Club, to take over the Toledo Trap & Skeet grounds and operation. Interested individuals should visit on-line at richfieldconservationclub.org for details. On the Web site Long notes in part that Fletcher is heading into "a much-deserved retirement and we are grateful for the years he has operated the club to the benefit of the many shotgun sport enthusiasts of western Lucas County." • Russell Lamp is collecting stinging insects for use in making vaccine by the pharmaceutical industry, and offers free removal of nests of bald-faced hornets and in-ground nests of yellow jackets. Most in-ground yellow jacket nests are ready for removal in September, but Lamp said that when residents start seeing the gray hornet nests in trees, they can make note to contact him at 419-836-3710. He works on hornet nests into early September. • Michigan hunters are reminded that they may make only one application for an antlerless deer license, this to promote equitable distribution of private land and public land licenses in areas where demand is high. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is advising hunters who have made multiple applications to return to their license agent by Aug. 15 to void all but one application to avoid being disqualified. Unsold antlerless licenses will go on sale Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. For other details visit on-line at michigan.gov/.dnr. |
| Delta council again rejects water rate hike DELTA - A split council voted yesterday against a proposal to increase water rates in order to keep the village's two-year-old water plant financially solvent. Council members Rose Butz, Lynn Frank, Mike Wolford, and Marcy LeFevre supported the proposal, while Keith Lantz and Randy Jackson voted to defeat it. A 5-1 majority was needed for passage because it had been presented as "emergency" legislation, meaning it would have taken effect immediately. The proposal was immediately reintroduced and council unanimously voted yes on the first reading. A second reading is scheduled Aug. 18. The proposal would have increased a typical Delta water bill by 50 percent. Without it, village officials say they soon will have to dip into Delta's general funds to stave off bankruptcy at Delta's $6.4 million plant, which treats water using microfiltration and reverse osmosis. Current revenue is insufficient to pay $360,000 in annual debt service and other costs, Mayor Dan Miller said. The plant operated at a $250,000 deficit last year and the balance in the water fund has dwindled to about $70,000, he said. "The water plant [fund] will probably hit zero by the summer of next year," Village Administrator Derek Allen said. "We would have difficulty meeting next June's payments to the state." About 75 community members turned out for the meeting, many of whom expressed support for the rate hike. "I don't want to see Delta go into financial emergency," said Jeff Mazurowski, 38. "If nothing gets done I'm going to be mad. I don't want to go into financial emergency and I think a lot of other people feel the same way." Other residents asked whether the issue would lead to cuts at the village police department, the village's biggest budget item. "My intention is not to cut the police department," Mr. Miller said. "We'll cut other services if we have to." An identical rate increase proposal was rejected by a 3-3 vote of council last month. Councilmen Lantz, Jackson, and Wolford voted against the proposal. Councilmen Butz, LeFevre, and Frank voted in favor. Mr. Lantz said he voted against the legislation because the water department has not demonstrated fiscal accountability. Ms. Butz, who has opposed water rate increases in the past, said council had little choice. Village officials said the rate hike is the only viable option. "We looked at closing the water plant and buying our water, we looked at different options," Mr. Allen said. "What happens if we have to default on a loan we just borrowed? It just doesn't make a lot of sense to close a water plant that's working perfectly well." The water treatment plant has long been a source of controversy in the village. A group of residents launched a referendum to overturn an 8.7 percent water rate increase approved by council in 2004. The effort was ultimately struck down in Fulton County Common Pleas Court. The water plant was also blamed for the unseating of two incumbent councilmen in 2005. Financed over 30 years at 4.1 percent, interest payments on the plant will cost the community an additional $4 million, over its $6.4 million cost. Contact Angie Schmitt at: aschmitt@theblade.com or 419-724-6104. |
| Bowling Green debates ban on driving while on cell BOWLING GREEN - Drivers here may soon have to pull over if they want to make a call. City Council further discussed a proposed ban on talking and text messaging on cell phones while driving. The issue came up at a meeting of council's transportation and safety committee last night. The potential ban would still allow hands-free phones to be used, and would make exceptions for police and fire officials, as well as people using their phones in emergencies. The ban would be enforceable as a primary offense, like speeding. Republican at-large councilman Bob McOmber, who introduced the proposal for safety reasons, said there seems to be widespread support for the idea. The police chief and prosecutor are "not particularly in favor" of enacting the ban, Mr. McOmber said. Other opponents say the ban would limit personal freedom, and cities don't legislate against eating or applying makeup while driving. The councilman said he came up with the idea for the legislation based on observations of people talking and driving, as well as reading about other places that have restricted cell-phone use behind the wheel. New York, Connecticut, and California all forbid use of hand-held phones statewide while driving Council will have a committee of the whole meeting Sept. 15 to gather public input. Mr. McOmber said he anticipates a vote on the ban by mid-October. |
| Sandusky County Juvenile Court to get state funds FREMONT The Sandusky County Juvenile Court will receive $389,515 in state grant funds during fiscal year 2009, court officials announced recently. Michelle Gill, a juvenile court administrative assistant, said the funds will be used in the courts youth works department and Genesis program, which serve youth ages 11 to 17 who are considered high risk for re-offending. Program organizers help these at-risk teens and adolescents with their homework after school and offer counseling for criminal thinking, sex education, and decision making skills, among other services. Some grant funds will contribute to the salaries of court probation officers and cover admission cost for behavioral rehabilitation centers, Ms. Gill said. Juvenile Court Judge Brad Culbert said some programs would not be possible without state grant funding. State funding is critical in maintaining a creative and effective juvenile justice system, he said in a press release. Sandusky County Juvenile Court has received more than $4 million in state grant funds since 1995. |
| Ex-sergeants lawsuit against Fostoria closed FOSTORIA A former Fostoria police sergeants lawsuit seeking back pay for sick time has been dismissed. Fostoria Law Director Tim Hoover said the case was dismissed Friday in Seneca County Common Pleas Court, just a day after Fostoria City Council gave Mr. Hoover authority to negotiate with the attorney for Nick Portentoso. Portentoso resigned from the force in 2003 and was later convicted of stalking and menacing his estranged wife. He was seeking nearly $25,000 for accumulated sick time. A trial was to have begun yesterday. |
| Seneca County auditor is to retire on Aug. 31 TIFFIN Seneca County Auditor Larry Beidelschies plans to retire Aug. 31, more than two years before his third full term in office ends. Mr. Beidelschies was appointed to the post in 1995 and made three successful bids for election. He said he had no real reason for leaving the office early. Im 63, and its time for younger people to come in, he said. You pick a time, and its my time. The commissioners are expected to appoint an interim auditor. Because there are more than two years remaining in the auditors term, a special election must be held to fill the vacancy permanently. |
| Fostoria Fire Chief Rife plans to exit in October FOSTORIA Fostoria Fire Chief Russ Rife plans to retire in October. Chief Rife said he has enough service years and is old enough to retire. His decision did not surprise Mayor John Davoli. He is one of the best fire chiefs around, and we will miss him, the mayor said. |
| Seneca courthouse called 'opportunity' The Seneca County Courthouse in Tiffin is among four historic buildings in northwest Ohio deemed "opportunities" for redevelopment by Heritage Ohio, a statewide preservation and revitalization organization. Also making the group's just-released "Top 10" list of preservation opportunities were the Edgerton Town Hall in Williams County, the Marsh Hotel in Van Wert, and the Keller Building in Sandusky. While the 1884 courthouse in downtown Tiffin is slated for demolition, Seneca County commissioners are working with the city's Architectural Review Board to see if any alternatives to demolition are feasible, including renovation by a private investor. "We think it's the most critical piece of architecture in the entire county," Joyce Barrett, executive director of Heritage Ohio, said of the courthouse. "I don't think there is any architecture that rivals it in [Seneca] County." Ms. Barrett said all the structures on the list are assets that make their communities distinctive, and could be used for community and economic development. Rather than the list being of just endangered properties, the point is to emphasize "what can be," Ms. Barrett said. "That's what we see when we see that building," she added. Among the top preservation opportunities on the group's inaugural list last year, the Cla-Zel Theatre in Bowling Green now is being renovated as an entertainment venue. |
| Federal bureau offers up wild mustangs for adoption at auction in Lima LIMA, Ohio - For Lisa Wenger, mustangs are a symbol of the American past. She has been out West, where wild horses have roamed since the frontier days. She has seen them running loose on open range, manes flying and sturdy hooves kicking up the dust. And now, she says, a little piece of history is living on her farm in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Ms. Wenger bought her own mustang - a 4-year-old mare she named Goldy - at the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption in Lima, Ohio, two years ago. This weekend, wild horses and burros once again will fill the corrals in Sarge's Sale Arena on Defiance Trail in Lima. The Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, is holding an auction during which about 45 mustangs, from western states such as Nevada and Wyoming, will be available for adoption. The fee is $125 for animals younger than 3 years, and $25 for animals 3 and older. "There's just something about them - their spirit, their nature, their endurance - that makes them incredible animals," Ms. Wenger said. In 1971, the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act gave the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management the authority to maintain and protect mustangs and burros on public lands. But a subsequent population boom has led to strained resources, as western land is unable to provide all the animals with sufficient food and water. "The Bureau is facing a real dilemma," said Susie Stokke, wild horse and burro specialist for the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada. "We're spending about $30 million a year caring for and holding these animals in short and long-term holding facilities throughout the country." She estimated that every adoption saves the Bureau of Land Management $12,000, which would have been spent caring for an animal over the course of its life. If the horses and burros are not adopted, Ms. Stokke said, the only alternative may be humane euthanasia. Since the Adopt-A-Wild Horse & Burro Program began in 1973, more than 20,000 animals have been adopted - 3,347 of them in Ohio. But taming a wild horse is not a task to be taken lightly. It requires a good deal of patience and compassion, Ms. Wenger said. "Since they've been out in the wild, they haven't had a lot of human contact," said Martha Malik, a spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management Eastern States-Milwaukee Field Office, which includes Ohio. "You train them by building trust, gradually coming around them and letting them come near you." Once tamed, or "gentled," the animals can be trained for western-riding events, dressage, trail riding, and predator control. Younger horses tend to be easier to train. Ms. Wenger chose Goldy, a tawny palomino and sorrel mix with a short, stocky frame, because the horse perked her ears up and made eye contact when spoken to. It took eight or nine months of spending time in the stable with her and brushing her mane before Ms. Wenger could ride her. "When I was breaking her, I landed on the ground a few times," Ms. Wenger said. The adoption at Sarge's Sale Arena will be on a first-come, first-served basis, from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to noon Sunday. Prospective owners must have corrals that are at least 20 feet square and have fences at least 6 feet high for an adult horse. A shelter must be attached to the corral for harsh weather conditions, and adopters must bring their own bridle and trailer to the arena. "A wild horse is not just something that you put in the pasture and look at," Ms. Wenger said. "If you're going to do that with them, they might as well be left out West to run free." Contact Laura Bennett at: lbennett@theblade.com or 419-724-6728. |
| Toledo taxpayers, neighbors bear woes of vacant sites Toledoan Sue Postal hates the vacant house on her street. The house, in the midst of foreclosure, has been empty for three or four months, she estimates. "It blatantly looks empty," she said. "It just says, 'Come over and pick on me.'•" It also makes the neighborhood look bad to potential home buyers, she said. Luckily, in the Old West End, one of Toledo's most historic neighborhoods, neighbors have pitched in to mow the property's grass, Ms. Postal said, and there haven't been any of the break-ins or copper-pipe thefts that plague empty houses in other parts of town. A study about vacant properties in Ohio released earlier this year said vacant and abandoned properties cost Toledo taxpayers at least $3.8 million in 2006 in demolition, boarding-up, grass-mowing, and trash-removal costs. "I'm sure this isn't just the Old West End, I'm sure it affects every part of Toledo," Ms. Postal said. "I'm sure in other neighborhoods, there are other people with the same scenario." Ms. Postal is correct: Many Toledo neighborhoods are struggling with what to do about vacant and abandoned properties. In fact, Toledo's problem with vacant properties "is poised at the proverbial tipping point," according to a draft report of a study its authors plan to release later this week. The study was conducted by the National Vacant Properties Campaign and was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Local Initiatives Support Corp., and the city of Toledo. The study, titled "Toledo at the Tipping Point," states the city has moderate levels of abandonment and vacancy when compared with other cities, but warns "powerful market forces could bring on a vacant property crisis." While city and county programs have helped keep the number of vacant properties somewhat in check, "without aggressive action and political commitment, the number of vacant properties could quickly increase beyond the reach of local programs," the study states. The study uses census data from 2000 to estimate the number at about 7 percent of the city's 139,880 housing units. That's not as serious as the number of vacant housing units in other Ohio cities like Cleveland, Dayton, and Youngstown, said Joseph Schilling, a professor at the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech and one of the study's authors. Those cities all have double-digit percentages of housing units vacant. But the problem in Toledo could get worse, because of the area's declining housing sales and increasing foreclosures. "Vacancy and abandonment will likely increase as borrowers and lending institutions walk away from properties when the foreclosure process begins, because the home is worth less than the outstanding mortgage and encumbrances," the study states. Toledo has been trying to chip away at blight with consistent demolition, Mr. Schilling said. "Toledo has a lot of positive individual programs and policies - housing court, a good code-enforcement program that has been on top of the demolitions, a LISC [Local Initiatives Support Corp.] office that helps with community development," Mr. Schilling said. "The challenge is harnessing all of these individual programs into something that is more powerful and effective." Thus, the study's main recommendation is the creation of a task force of high-level city, county, community, and business leaders meeting regularly to deal specifically with the vacancy issue. Additionally, it suggests expanded code enforcement and a more robust land-banking program. "Toledo has this window of opportunity," Mr. Schilling said. "It might be six months, a year, it might be less. They need to take aggressive steps now to really control and manage the blight and abandonment from vacant properties." "We're telling Toledoans and their leaders to be proactive and contain vacant properties now. Hopefully some ideas in this report will get them going in that direction," he said. Toledo and Lucas County officials discussed some of the study's recommendations and implications during a conference last month at the University of Toledo's Urban Affairs Center, which is organized by Toledoans United for Social Action. Joe McNamara, chairman of city council's neighborhoods and community development committee, said he believes the idea of creating a task force to deal with the problem could be effective. "Intergovernmental cooperation is critical for any problem. The city and the county, everybody has different resources they could bring to the table." Contact Kate Giammarise at: kgiammarise@theblade.com or 419-724-6133. |
| East Toledo neighborhood selected for cleanup effort Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner yesterday announced the city's selection of an East Toledo neighborhood for its fourth Model Block cleanup effort this year. Under the program, city employees clean streets and alleys, trim trees, enforce nuisance laws, and serve criminal warrants. The latest Model Block area is bounded by Greenwood and Spring Grove avenues, Idaho and White streets, and Navarre Avenue. The cleanup campaign began yesterday and will continue through next week. The mayor made the announcement in front of the construction site for the new Raymer Elementary at the corner of Raymer and Nevada streets. City Councilman Mike Craig praised the area's Block Watch leaders for their efforts with the program. "Without these people, the Model Block program really can't succeed," he said, citing Jackie Kropaczewski and Robin Sopko, co-leaders of Block 422A. Mr. Finkbeiner said participants in the three previous Model Block campaigns collected about 14,000 pounds of debris. |
| Coaches show changing Fricker's locations I met with Coach Amstutz today to discuss the beginning of fall practice starting on Thursday, and he let me know his weekly coaches' radio show on Mondays is moving to the Fricker's in Maumee on Reynolds. WSPD is hoping to get more fans out there. it was previously held at the downtown Fricker's. |
| Casino backers submit petitions to state Tue, 5 Aug 2008 13:20:00 EST MyOhioNow.com has completed its first big step toward putting on the fall ballot a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the creation of a casino complex in southwest Ohio. |
| Norwalk Furniture finds a buyer Tue, 5 Aug 2008 08:46:00 EST An investment firm affiliated with Industrial Realty Group, in partnership with a Cincinnati investor, has agreed to purchase the assets of the troubled furniture maker. |
| TransDigm Group reports big profit gain Tue, 5 Aug 2008 09:10:00 EST The maker of aircraft parts has posted a 63% increase in third-quarter earnings, but has cautioned about modest growth in the airline business next year. |