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| Ohio offers aid, tax-credit plan to save Seneca County courthouse TIFFIN - As Seneca County teeters on the brink of tearing down its historic 1884 courthouse, the Ohio Department of Development yesterday laid out a plan to provide up to $900,000 for renovation, plus up to an additional $2 million for the project in historic tax credits. In a letter to consultant Franklin Conaway that also was sent to the three county commissioners, Mark Barbash, assistant director and chief development officer for the development department, explained how the state could assist a yet unidentified, nonpublic owner/developer in returning the vacant courthouse to "productive use." "We believe efforts to leverage the state's existing assets and revitalize communities like Tiffin are important elements of Ohio's economic development strategy," he wrote. Contingent on Mr. Conaway finding a private entity to take on the courthouse, the state promised to: •Provide a $400,000 community development block grant and said it would "favorably consider" a request from Seneca County to reprogram up to $150,000 of the county's CDBG revolving loan fund money for the courthouse project. •Support an earmark of up to $500,000 to the Ohio Main Street Program in fiscal year 2010 to "offset the costs of the historic rehabilitation activities." •Allow Seneca County to amend its application for the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program filed last year to reflect the new, nonpublic owner of the courthouse. The owner/developer would be eligible for tax credits of up to 25 percent of rehabilitation expenses. Under the original $8 million renovation proposal for the courthouse, that would have meant close to $2 million in tax credits. Mr. Conaway has proposed a less-extensive renovation that he pegged between $4.5 million to $5.5 million, which would reduce the potential tax credit proportionately, Mr. Barbash said in his letter. The initiative by the development department is the latest effort by the administration of Gov. Ted Strickland to partner with Seneca County to save its historic courthouse, designed by noted American architect Elijah Myers. State and national historic preservationists say the Tiffin landmark is the most endangered historic building in Ohio and one of the most significant historic structures in the state. The two-page letter arrived two days after county commissioners met for a fourth time with Tiffin's Architectural Board of Review to discuss alternatives to demolition. The review board in June rejected the county's application to demolish the sandstone Beaux Arts-style courthouse, saying the plan was inconsistent with a city ordinance that seeks to protect historic architecture in Tiffin's historic downtown district. While Mr. Conaway is working on finding a private developer to renovate the courthouse and reopen it for new uses that could range from a conference center to retail space, county commissioners are running out of patience. Earlier this summer, the board sought bids to demolish the courthouse, and the bids are set to expire Sept. 10 if a contract is not awarded by then. Commissioner Ben Nutter said after reading the development department's proposal yesterday he was "not optimistic" about saving the courthouse. "What they are offering us is $400,000 in CDBG funds and they want us to chip in our $150,000 that we use on projects around the community and give that public money to a private entity," Mr. Nutter said. "They want us to take our public building, make it private, and they don't tell us how to do it. Everyone keeps glossing over the ownership issue. No one has ever come up with a plan of how we get this into private hands." By law, commissioners may transfer property to another governmental entity or by selling it at public auction. Mr. Conaway told commissioners at Tuesday's review board meeting that he knew of three "very viable" ways to transfer ownership of the courthouse. He declined to explain them at that time but asked for a meeting with commissioners. Commissioner Mike Bridinger, who has been supportive of saving the courthouse, said Mr. Conaway is scheduled to meet with the board Monday. Mr. Bridinger added that he was told the state would be sending additional documents that would outline, among other things, ways that the courthouse could be transferred to a private owner. "This is just a start. This is only a segment of it," he said, referring to the letter. He said he was encouraged that with the state's help, the courthouse would be revitalized. "I've been talking with the governor's office daily, and there are new updates in the morning and also in the afternoon," Mr. Bridinger said. "In my phrasing, they are turning over every stone, turning over every rock to see what they can do about saving the courthouse." Doug Collar, a review board member and one of six residents who took commissioners to court last year to try to stop demolition, said the state's offer represents a unique opportunity for Seneca County to benefit from Ohio financial support. "I think it is a remarkable commitment by the state to invest in Seneca County, and I think that this is really a chance to create two separate projects for downtown development: the new courthouse which the county is going to build and the restoration and reuse of the 1884 courthouse which I think is a vital part of economic development in the downtown and the county," Mr. Collar said. Mr. Nutter - who has found fault with every proposal for renovating the county's historic courthouse since he personally wrote a space-needs plan for the county calling for demolition of the structure - insisted yesterday the state's proposal was "not even close" to workable. If commissioners were to agree to it, he said, "We've given away our public building to private interests. We're spending public money on a now-private entity, and for all our efforts we get to go find a place to put our building which makes us less efficient. If I sound not optimistic, it's because I'm not." Mr. Collar said he was not surprised by Mr. Nutter's negativity. "It's consistent with the position that he's taken all along," Mr. Collar said. "I think this is a great solution. I think it would make sense to pursue it, and I just think it would be a mistake to reject it at this point." Contact Jennifer Feehan at: jfeehan@theblade.com, or 419-353-5972. |
| Bond set at $2 million for alleged killer of clerk; accomplices bond set at $500,000 Bond was set at $2 million during an arraignment Friday morning for the 22-year-old man charged in connection with the robbery and killing of a BP gas station clerk Wednesday morning, authorities said. Anthony Belton, of 934 Cuthbert Rd., was charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, both with gun specifications. 2 held in fatal shooting at West Toledo gas station From earlier editions of toledoblade.com Authorities yesterday struggled to understand why three men - all of whom have had little or no contact with police - robbed a BP gas station in West Toledo during which one of the men shot and killed the clerk. Anthony Belton, 22, of 934 Cuthbert Rd., the suspected gunman, and Dymon Bolton, 18, of 623 Ranch Drive, who allegedly drove the getaway car, were apprehended about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday - 13 1/2 hours after the crime - outside a house near 1018 Ranch Drive, six blocks from the gas station. Police questioned them at the Public Safety Building downtown, where they confessed and were charged about 4 a.m. yesterday, Deputy Chief Don Kenney said. An arrest warrant for aggravated robbery with a gun specification was issued for Tony Bivens, 17, who police believe was in the getaway vehicle. He was not in custody last night. "None of them had an extensive record of any sort," Chief Kenney said. But he stressed that doesn't mean the suspects haven't been involved in criminal activity in the past. According to police, Mr. Belton walked into BP at 3306 Dorr St. about 7 a.m. Wednesday, pointed a gun at clerk Matthew Dugan, 34, and demanded money. After getting an undetermined amount of money, Mr. Belton apparently told Mr. Du-gan to also give him telephone calling cards that were behind the counter. When Mr. Dugan turned around to get them, Mr. Belton shot him once in the back of the head and fled, Deputy Chief Kenney said. Mr. Dugan's body was found about 7:45 a.m. by a woman who had stopped at the gas station to buy cigarettes. Mr. Belton was charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, both with gun specifications. Mr. Bolton was charged with aggravated robbery with a gun specification. They are being held in the Lucas County jail without bond pending their arraignments today in Toledo Municipal Court. Toledo police Capt. Ray Carroll said officers are trying to comprehend why the shooting occurred. "It's hard to do, let alone trying to develop the mind-set of what would cause [someone] to shoot a guy who handed over the money," he said. Deputy Chief Kenney reiterated yesterday that Mr. Dugan did everything the robber asked of him. "There was absolutely no reason for him to be shot," he said. One day prior to the shooting, Mr. Belton was stopped by police for suspicious activity, the deputy chief said. He was issued a summons to appear in court for two misdemeanor warrants: one for loitering and another for failure to register dogs, Toledo Municipal Court records show. Deputy Chief Kenney said officers who regularly patrol the West Toledo area where the two suspects were arrested recognized Mr. Belton from surveillance video released Wednesday. Two search warrants were served simultaneously about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at 1018 Ranch and 1013 Broer Ave. in search of Mr. Belton, who was apprehended with Mr. Bolton in a car down the street from the Ranch address. The weapon used in the shooting was found nearby, Deputy Chief Kenney said. Mr. Belton had a "sizeable amount" of money on him when he was arrested, Deputy Chief Kenney said. Other than the two misdemeanor charges for loitering and failure to register dogs, Mr. Belton has previously been convicted of providing false information to police and disorderly conduct, also misdemeanors. Mr. Bolton had no juvenile or adult criminal record. Police said Mr. Bolton is a known gang member. The Bivens youth has been found delinquent in connection with several misdemeanors in Lucas County Juvenile Court, which include violating the safe school ordinance, drug abuse, menacing, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, said Dan Pompa, the court administrator. Police said the three suspects are not believed to be linked to any other robberies. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner and several police command officers held a news conference yesterday in Government Center to address the death of Mr. Dugan. He was the son of Tom Dugan, a longtime Toledo firefighter and former president of Local 92 of the International Association of Firefighters Local 92, who died of cancer in 2004. The victim's sister, Molly Dugan, also was present. "What happened yesterday is absolutely unexplainable, unforgiveable," Mr. Finkbeiner said. Molly Dugan, clenching a picture of her brother, briefly spoke at the news conference, thanking police officers for their hard work and dedication. "There are no words to thank them enough for what they have done for us," she said. "They were relentless in their pursuit. They are just heroes to us," she said. Contact Laren Weber at: lweber@theblade.com or 419-724-6050. |
| Jerry Wexler, famed music producer, dies at 91 NEW YORK Legendary record producer Jerry Wexler, who helped shape R&B music with influential recordings of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and other greats, has died, says his co-author, David Ritz. He was 91. Ritz, co-author of Wexler's 1993 memoir, "Rhythm and the Blues," said he died at his Sarasota, Florida, home at about 3:45 a.m. Friday. He had been ill for a couple of years with congenital heart disease. Wexler earned his reputation as a music industry giant while a partner at Atlantic Records. Atlantic provided an outlet for the groundbreaking work of African-American performers in the 1950s and '60s. Later, it provided a home to rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. |
| Prosecutors want Ohio inmate to wear stun belt COLUMBUS, Ohio Federal prosecutors want a prison inmate to wear a stun belt during his upcoming trial on charges he escaped from a hospital, robbed two banks and took hostages before surrendering. Billy Jack Fitzmorris, 35, requires extra security because he has damaged jail cell sprinklers and has been caught with contraband in his shoes, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Tom Genz. Fitzmorris also cursed a federal judge Thursday with a tirade of obscenities after being sentenced to 35 years in prison on separate drug and weapon charges. The stun belt is activated by remote control so that, at the push of a button, marshals could send an electric shock strong enough to render Fitzmorris unable to move, authorities said. Defense attorney Joseph Scott objected to the request, saying extra security could be prejudicial to a jury. U.S. Attorney Kevin Kelley argued that the stun belt could be worn under street clothes and shackles on Fitzmorris could be hidden from view by putting skirts around the defense and prosecution tables. U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Frost said he would issue a ruling later. Fitzmorris faces 45 years in prison if convicted of charges that he escaped last year from the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, where he was getting treatment. Investigators said he overpowered two guards, stole an officer's gun and then drove a carjacked vehicle about 150 miles to the Columbus area, where he robbed the banks of more than $50,000. Police said they chased Fitzmorris to a house in Hilliard, where he kicked in the door and held two women hostage. One escaped out of a second-floor window, and the second was released when Fitzmorris surrendered about two hours later. |
| Georgia signs cease-fire; Rice assured Russia will sign Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday he signed a cease-fire agreement with Russia that protects the former Soviet republic's interests despite concessions to Moscow. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, standing beside the pro-American Georgian leader, said she had been assured that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign an identical document. "With this signature by Georgia, this must take place and take place now," she said. An emotional Saakashvili said he will "never, ever surrender" in the showdown with Russia, and he accused the West of inviting Russian aggression by denying Georgia a door to NATO membership. Saakashvili said that Russia had interpreted NATO's snub of Georgia as capitulation. He spoke hours after President Bush accused Russia of "bullying and intimidation" against Georgia. Bush, delivering a formal statement outside the Oval Office at the White House, said the people there chose freedom and "we will not cast them aside." Saakashvili did not appear enthusiastic about the cease-fire pact, but Rice defended it as a good way to return all forces to their prewar positions. She said that the signed pact obligates Russia to withdraw forces from Georgia immediately. "Georgia has been attacked," and the world must help ensure that the country's independence and borders remain intact, she said following nearly five hours of meetings with Saakashvili. Their joint news conference was delayed by more than 90 minutes, a sign that the talks were difficult. "This is not a done deal," Saakashvili said. "We need to do our utmost to deter such behavior in the future." At one point, the beleaguered Georgian leader said: "Sorry for these emotions. But I feel emotion." Rice said the time has come "to begin a discussion of the consequences of what Russia has done. This calls into question what role Russia really plans to play in international politics." Bush, preparing to travel to his Texas ranch earlier Friday, said that while away from Washington, he'll keep in close touch with both Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as they try to end the showdown between Moscow and Tbilisi over two separatist provinces. "Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century," Bush said. He reiterated Gates' assertion of Thursday that Moscow's behavior in Georgia has damaged its relationship with Washington and its Western allies. Rice, on her way to Tbilisi with the cease-fire document, had said earlier that the immediate goal was to get Russian combat forces out of Georgia and more difficult questions about the status of the country's separatist regions and Russia's presence there could be addressed later. "The United States would never ask Georgia to sign onto something where its interests were not protected," she told reporters aboard her plane as she flew to the Georgian capital from France where she met French President Nicolas Sarkozy who brokered the cease-fire. "This is not an agreement about the future of Abkhazia and the future of South Ossetia," Rice said, referring to the two flashpoint areas. "This is about getting Russian troops out." The cease-fire require Russia to withdraw its combat forces from Georgia but allows Russian peacekeepers to remain in South Ossetia and conduct limited patrols outside the region. A draft of the document also does not commit Russia to respecting Georgia's "territorial integrity," but rather refers to Georgian "independence" and "sovereignty," meaning Moscow does not necessarily accept that South Ossetia and Abkhazia, are Georgian. Officials say the eventual status of the two areas will be worked out under existing U.N. Security Council resolutions which recognize Georgia's international borders and Abkhazia and South Ossetia as Georgian. The U.S. and its allies had been pushing for Russia to agree to restore the situation in Georgia to the "status quo ante," or how it stood before Georgian troops moved into South Ossetia last week, prompting Russia's severe response and seven days of bloodshed. Now they have been forced to back down on the key issues of the mandate of Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia, which did not previously include outside patrols, and the territorial integrity question, which Russia ostensibly accepted before but no longer does. U.S. officials concede the agreement is not perfect but maintain it will get Russian combat troops out of Georgia, ideally within days. In addition to the cease-fire document, Rice carried with her a letter signed by Sarkozy that clarifies the special security measures that Russian peace keepers will be allowed to take on Georgian soil, officials said. "These clarifications are meant to protect Georgian interests," she said. The cease-fire would allow Russian peace keepers who were in South Ossetia before the fighting broke out to stay and to patrol temporarily in a strip of up to 6.2 miles, or 10 kilometers, outside, officials said. Officials say the expanded mandate would end as soon as a team of international monitors could be sent to observe, something they believe can be done in weeks. |
| Kirk - Throwback Jerseys |
| Both parties fall short on energy crisis Like a growing number of Americans, I wish to express dissatisfaction with the politicians of both political parties for refusing to acknowledge the facts about the costs and availability of energy resources and what this country needs to do to attain energy independence. As a professional geologist, I can assert that the United States cannot drill its way to energy independence by opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or the outer continental shelf to oil development (as John McCain asserts), and that tax rebates (recommended by both political parties) and releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (suggested by Barak Obama) are short-sighted policies that in the end will make oil dependence worse, not better. Clear vision and clear thinking are required in a crisis, not soothing words and being lulled back to sleep. Both sides are pandering to the lowest common denominator among us rather that empowering us with facts and leadership. We need to face the reality of impending global depletion of oil and natural gas, coupled with population growth and rising standards of living in China and India. If you believe in free enterprise, then the realities of supply and demand apply here. Expect to pay more for heat, electricity, and transportation. The sensible solution is to raise, not lower, federal gasoline and other consumption taxes. This encourages us to conserve energy by reducing use and sets a market value that permits sustainable growth of alternative energy technologies. These technologies hold the hope of energy independence but will take decades to bring to full-scale commercial application. In the meantime, demand to be treated like adults and tell politicians of both political parties to get real about energy. This is not, unfortunately, a partisan issue - neither side thinks you're capable of intelligent thought. Jim Evans Bowling Green Slowing down saves lives and gasoline With all the talk about how to lower our gasoline consumption, why not start with a no-brainer - cut the speed limit to 55 miles per hour. When we had the 55 mph limit, it was reported that we saved on gasoline and lives were saved as well. Joan Wuest Oregon Initiative is assault on the Constitution The move to "Shift the electoral equation," as presented in the July 27 Behind the News section of The Blade, is a direct assault against the Constitution of the United States. The present system of the Electoral College gives to smaller states a voice in the national presidential elections that would be lost if a popular vote initiative were to become law. The decision of who should lead this nation is best served by allowing each state, no matter how small in population, to have a say in the decision and not be absolutely bound by the popular vote. After all, Adolf Hitler was elected by a popular vote. If this initiative were to pass, it would effectively change the Constitution without the prescribed two-thirds requirement for amendment and would ensure that people running for president who spend the most money, regardless of qualifications, would win. The United States is a democratic republic, not a democracy (thank God) and our system of government has made us the greatest nation this Earth has ever seen. Let's not screw it up now. Harold Roe Sylvania Electoral College has lost its usefulness Abolishing the Electoral College is a refreshing idea. Maybe, if the presidential election was decided by the popular vote, people would actually feel their votes do count. The Electoral College has lost its usefulness. The voters aren't uneducated anymore. Maybe this idea should be used for primaries too, instead of superdelegates making the final decisions. Voters need to contact representatives about this bill. Sally Blackburn Fremont Don't blame chief for response times In response to the July 28 letter writer who questioned why Chief Mike Navarre just doesn't fade into the sunset Hollywood style, here goes. I am not in law enforcement but I have ridden many times with the Toledo Police Department. In layman's terms, my understanding of a call to 911 is: 1) You call 2) The dispatcher gleans several bits of information from you such as location, weapons present, potential danger to you and the public, and descriptions. 3) Your call is put through to the officers on the street with a priority. What Primetime failed to mention was the priority of the call placed by the teen's aunt. My understanding was it was rated as "check the safety," which is a low priority call. "Check the safety" can mean "I haven't seen my neighbor in several days and I'm worried about her. She may be dead. Or she may in Phoenix." However, if a beating with a deadly weapon is occurring across town, that's getting service now. The neighbor waits. Please don't disrespect the TPD officers working the streets who are as frustrated about response time as you are. Spend your energy asking for a new police class or two to bring our safety forces up to the numbers needed to answer calls for service on a timely basis. As for Chief Navarre, cut him a break. He had a 20-second sound bite.That's showbiz. Jo Ellen Locher Kingsford Drive Police right to ticket cars at garage sale I fully support police giving out tickets during the Cedar Creek Woods' garage sale in Northwood. I agree that the situation was a mess, but it was created by the stupidity of those who felt they had to park near the subdivision entrance, in front of fire hydrants and blocking driveways, even though there was considerable parking space farther back in the development. If an emergency had occurred, access to the rear of the subdivision would have been difficult if not impossible, which is not acceptable. When a shopper refused to unblock a resident's driveway, the police were called. When some shoppers refused to cooperate with police or gave them lip, the police started to write tickets. That is what I expect them to do and has nothing to do with "making money for Northwood." Harold Hamilton Northwood Bar owners should decide on smoking Responding to the July 27 editorial, "No smoking exemptions," how would The Blade like it if an environmental group got a law passed that said no more trees could be cut down. Where would its business be? What if the voters passed a law telling The Blade which stories it can run? Do it want someone telling it how to run its business? Let the bar owners decide if their business will be smoking or nonsmoking. Put a sign on the front door saying this is a smoking bar or a nonsmoking bar. The editorial mentions the twin vices of smoking and drinking. Is it suggesting a prohibition on cigarettes and alcohol? It did not work in the 1920s; what makes The Blade think it will work now? Eighty-five percent percent to 90 percent of customers in bars are smokers. The Blade says advertise to the nonmokers. Not in the bars. The editorial also said there wasn't any confusion in the 2006 general election. We were confused but, being in the bar business, the ballot was explained to us. Does The Blade think other voters had the ballot explained to them? The Blade has had front-page stories about businesses shutting down and people losing their jobs. The smoking ban has caused quite a few bars to close. If our bar shuts down today, five people would not be able to pay their bills. What then? Unemployment, welfare, or is The Blade going to give us jobs? Gary Lampson Andrea Ueberroth Swanton Classmates will miss radio personality To the list of those who will greatly miss Toledo radio personality Bob Martz, you can add all of the surviving members of the Waite High School class of 1950. George Hartman Wauseon, Ohio |
| Guns across the border AMERICA'S border with Mexico, it appears, is not a river flowing north, carrying drugs and illegal immigrants, but a road with illicit traffic in both directions. Traveling south are weapons and ammunition that end up in the hands of drug traffickers to be used eventually to battle Mexican law-enforcement officials. According to the Los Angeles Times, weapons began moving south in large numbers three to five years ago. Officials have no idea how many guns are making it across the border but last year, 2,455 weapons were traced to sellers in the United States, with Texas, Arizona, and California the source in nearly two-thirds of the cases. Currently, there are more than 6,700 licensed gun dealers along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico. While the gun dealers innocently claim they follow the law and run background checks on buyers, the fact that there are more than three gun dealers for every mile of border makes it difficult to believe they don't have some idea where the guns they sell are going to end up. And where these weapons end up is in the hands of Mexican drug dealers, who have been waging a war against Mexico's police and army, a war that has claimed the lives of more than 4,000 people in the last 18 months, including 450 police officers, soldiers, and prosecutors, not to mention cartel members, corrupt officials, and innocent bystanders. Compounding the problem, the Times reported, is the fact that while there are 16,000 Border Patrol agents - most on the lookout for illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico - there are only 100 U.S. firearms agents and 35 inspectors trying to keep thousands of high-powered weapons and ammunition from moving across the border in the other direction. Some arrests have been made on both sides of the border, but all too often the weapons are confiscated only after some bloody confrontation between drug cartel members and Mexican law enforcement officials. Both Mexican and American officials would like to end the cross-border weapons trade as much as they'd like to stem the tide of illegal immigrants and drugs, but because the guns are moving south the problem has received scant interest in the United States. It should come as no surprise that Texas and Arizona - states with very liberal gun-ownership laws - are often the source of weapons found in the hands of Mexican cartel members. The situation is one more example of why laws regulating the sale of firearms need to be both strengthened and stringently enforced. More important is the message Washington's relative inaction sends to Mexico: We don't want your illegal laborers or your drugs, but we don't mind selling the very guns used to protect the drug trade. If the United States really hopes to stop the northerly flow of drugs and people, it must also get serious about clamping down on gun dealers whose weapons by the thousands end up in the hands of Mexican drug traffickers. |
| Justice taken lightly EVEN as Attorney General Michael Mukasey tries to assure Americans that it won't happen again, he said he has no intention of prosecuting former officials at the Justice Department who may have violated the law by politicizing the hiring for certain career jobs. That's another example of Bush Administration impunity and lack of accountability through its disregard of laws by which the American government operates. A recent report by the Justice Department's inspector general and its internal ethics office revealed that political factors were used in hiring prosecutors, immigration judges, and other career officials. Instead of being chosen solely on the basis of experience, credentials, and legal competence, jobs applicants were asked whom they had voted for, what their position was on issues such as abortion, and what their track record was in terms of party loyalty. All but one of the seven officials who had done such hiring have left the department, according to the New York Times. An administration may make certain appointments based on political affiliation, but civil service laws and Justice Department policy say career posts must be filled on merit, not party allegiance. In a separate matter involving politics in personnel, the firings of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006 and the hiring practices in Justice's civil rights division are still under investigation. Mr. Mukasey's decision not to prosecute those who broke the rules puts him in the unsavory line of the two preceding attorneys general: Alberto Gonzales and John Ashcroft. He joins them in generally undistinguished performance, characterized for the most part by unquestioning, unprofessional adherence to political signals from the White House as opposed to judgment rooted in high legal standards. One might have expected better of Mr. Mukasey, based on his background as a senior, distinguished judge. No such luck. |
| Americans won't benefit from drilling In the last year, oil companies have taken about $610 in extra profits from every American driver, hurting working families, and draining our economy. Now the oil companies are using their record profits to launch multimillion-dollar ad campaigns to push for more drilling, while neglecting to mention that opening our beaches to drilling won't lower gas prices. The Energy Information Administration reported that drilling has increased 75 percent since President Bush took office but gas prices have shot up over 250 percent during that same time. This pattern will not change. The bottom line is that drilling only benefits "Big Oil," Mr. Bush, and their allies in Congress, not the American people. The only way to provide relief to consumers from high gas prices is to provide them with choices other than Exxon or Shell. We need to embrace American ingenuity and innovative technologies such as plug-in electric hybrids that will create jobs, drive the economy, and break our addiction to oil once and for all. Mike Eckhardt Policy director Ohio League of Conservation Voters 'Drill here, drill now' is the only solution Following in lock-step with the Democratic National Committee's rhetoric, The Blade editorial titled "Oil and campaign politics" labeled the profits earned by oil companies "obscene." Exxon made profits of $11.68 billion; its third quarter taxes were $32 billion. According to its July 31 news release, Exxon-Mobile paid 49 percent of its gross income in taxes already this year. The editorial suggested that "oilmen President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney" are unwilling to tax the big oil companies "appropriately"- now that's obscene. The Blade continued the Dems' mantra that offshore drilling "will have virtually no effect on the price of oil for years, if at all." Remember the law of supply and demand? When supply increases, prices fall. Consider what happened when President Bush announced June 18 that he would seek to end the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. With the possibility that the supply of oil might go up, the price of gas at the pump went down. The Blade suggested that "a national policy of energy conservation and substitution" would produce "a drop in demand for oil," entailing a substantial investment in developing these new strategies while altering every American's lifestyle. The Blade/DNC's argument against new drilling- "it wouldn't affect oil prices for years" - can be made against such a policy. The proven resources and technologies are available to increase the oil supply right now. Barack Obama thinks that maintaining our motor vehicles' tire pressure will answer the energy crisis, although he was accused in the editorial of "weaseling" in supporting some offshore drilling. I proudly count myself among the weasels who feel that John McCain's "drill here, drill now" approach is the only practical means of making the United States independent from foreign oil. Mark McGovern Sherbrooke Road World market sale is best use of U.S. oil A July 30 contributor to the Readers' Forum wondered why billions of taxpayer dollars were spent on the Alaska pipeline, yet the oil mostly goes oversees, and concludes with "I sure wish someone could answer these questions." Confusion on these points is common, but they can be made clear. First, the pipeline was actually privately financed, rather than being built with taxpayer dollars. It was the world's largest privately financed construction project when it was built. Second, oil is sold in a global market. Oil produced is sometimes sold here and sometimes sold elsewhere, depending on what's going on in the oil markets. This is why, while more offshore drilling would eventually add more oil to the world market, it can't be expected to lead to energy independence for the United States. Only if the United States opts out of the World Trade Organization, rejects free trade, and returns to protectionist economic policies could we be sure the oil would remain in the United States. But selling the oil outside the United States is not a bad thing. Exports are good, bringing income into the United States and providing jobs and economic development. The best use of American oil is to sell it to the highest bidder, because that creates the most wealth. James E. Hanley Assistant Professor Political Science Department Adrian College Alaska pipeline was not taxpayer funded First of all, I'd like to let the July 30 contributor to the Readers' Forum who said that American taxpayers paid for the Alaska pipeline know how wrong she is. That pipeline was built and paid for by eight multinational oil companies known as Alyeska at a cost of $8 billion. The American taxpayer did not pay for it. The pipeline opened in June of 1977, it has changed owners several times, and there are several American companies using it. Ed Coon Norwalk Only small percent of oil is exported In the interest of setting the record straight for the July 30 letter writer from Rossford concerning the Alaska pipeline. First, she bemoans all the "taxpayer dollars" spent on its construction. The fact is at the time (1975-1977) it was the largest privately funded project ever undertaken. We didn't pay for it. Not a dime. Still don't. Second, the bulk of the oil travels 800 miles south to Valdez, where it is loaded on tankers and then shipped to West Coast refineries where it is refined for domestic use. A very small percentage is exported. It's actually such a small percentage that a numeric value can't accurately be attributed to it. I responded to her query only because her contribution is the fourth time I have heard this same misinformation uttered as fact in the last month. Scott Sanford Sylvania Get legal 'pirates' off the Maumee River Last year, pirates boarded our boat at a local marina, causing about $5,000 in damage and stolen property. Local law enforcement was of minimal help. Recently, our boat was boarded by another band of pirates that stole our pleasurable day on the water. These pirates fly not the traditional skull and crossbones, but colors of one of the multitudinous agencies that harass Toledo boaters under the guise of "law enforcement." Why were we boarded? "Routine check." So routine, that it happens to us at least once a season. Over the last three summers, our boat has been boarded two out of every three times that she left the dock. Some boaters have been boarded as often as three times in a single day. No wonder we were the only boat in sight on a beautiful midsummer's day - Toledo boaters are so harassed that they seek friendly harbors elsewhere. Our Maumee River cruise showed zero boats at Portside, zero at the Docks, and only two at the new marina. All but two municipal slips were vacant. However, we did encounter law enforcement from multiple agencies: ODNR, Ohio Watercraft, Lucas County Sheriff, U.S. Coast Guard, etc. They outnumbered the pleasure craft. We watched them lie in wait to prey upon other boaters time after time. Small wonder that Toledo has a reputation as the worst harassment harbor on Lake Erie. Could these tax-funded agencies be directed to help boaters rather than harass them? More to the point, why do we fund so many different, uncoordinated agencies to redundantly and annoyingly patrol such a short stretch of the river? There are more agencies sponsoring "law enforcement" craft on the Maumee than there are boat clubs the river. Let's get some of the pirates off the river. Ralph Dobelbower Maumee Boys behaving badly Remember when little "Johnny McCain" and "Barry" Obama ran for class president in the eighth grade? Boy, the teacher would be mad if they had behaved as badly then as they are now. Shame on you boys. Gerry Laster Perrysburg |
| Liukin edges Johnson for all-around gold BEIJING - No runner-up finish to her friend and rival this time. Nastia Liukin won the biggest prize of all. Liukin edged teammate Shawn Johnson for the all-around gold in women's gymnastics Friday in an intense matchup that lived up to its billing at the Beijing Games. Liukin finished with 63.325 points, a mere six-tenths ahead of Johnson, the reigning world champion who beat Liukin at the U.S. championships and Olympic trials only a few weeks ago. Yang Yilin of China won the bronze. "I don't think it's really set in, but I feel like this journey has been so long," Liukin said. Made even longer by having to wait for Johnson to follow her on the floor exercise. Liukin paced back and forth while Johnson, the final competitor, completed her performance, clapping as her teammate floated high in the air. In the end, it was Liukin who soared. When Johnson's score was posted and Liukin realized she won, tears filled her eyes. Her father and coach Valeri grabbed her in a bearhug, squeezing her tight for several minutes. Valeri Liukin was a double gold medalist for the Soviet Union 20 years ago, but came up achingly short in a rivalry with his own teammate in the all-around. There would be no such disappointment for his only child. "It's not possible to describe how proud I am," he said afterward. Liukin wore a smile that lit up her face as she climbed atop the medals podium and waved to the crowd. She blinked back tears as the gold medal was placed around her neck, but let them flow when the U.S. anthem began to play. "Standing on the podium and hearing 'Olympic champion' next to my name was a dream come true," Liukin said. "Everything pays off at this very moment." For China, it was the first view from anywhere but the gold-medal step. The Chinese won both the men's and women's team titles, and Yang Wei ran away with the men's all-around gold on Thursday. But this was no surprise. Johnson and Liukin have been the world's two best gymnasts for two years now, and most expected the teammates would be each other's biggest competition. Johnson came in with all the momentum, winning every matchup with Liukin but one in the last few years. It was Liukin's grace under pressure, though, that made the difference. It had to, with everything coming down to the very last event, and the last two performers. "I gave my heart and soul out there today," Johnson said. "Nastia deserved the gold." Long and lean, Liukin has the elegance and classic lines of her mother, a former world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. While other gymnasts tumble on the floor, their music little more than background noise, Liukin puts on a polished performance. Every wave of her arm and brush of her fingertips oozes emotion, making it easy to forget how tough those tricks in her program really are. Valeri Liukin stood on the sidelines, pacing back and forth, barely able to watch his daughter, who flashed a big smile for the cameras after her final tumbling run. Her score of 15.525 put her in first place, and left Johnson with a huge gap to close. It was possible she could do it. Johnson is the reigning world champion on floor, a bundle of perkiness and power. She managed such great height on her opening pass she could have dusted off a light fixture or two, yet she landed as easily and confidently as if she was stepping off a curb. Her smile grew brighter with each second, and even Liukin was anxiously clapping as she watched. Johnson was thrilled when she finished, almost running off the podium. It was a great routine, no question. It just wasn't good enough for gold. "I just knew that I had to give the routine of my life," Johnson said. "I was pretty far behind, but I couldn't control that. I gave a great meet today. That was probably my favorite moment, finishing on floor, because I knew I had given it my all and I couldn't change anything." When the final mark flashed, Johnson smiled and immediately went to congratulate her teammate. Much has been made of their rivalry, with most people assuming there's no way they can be friends. But they truly are, even rooming together at these games. Liukin is the second straight American to win the all-around crown, succeeding training partner Carly Patterson as gymnastics' greatest champion. Liukin is the closest thing gymnastics has to royalty, her genes practically guaranteed to produce gold. If her parents had their way, she would be a pianist or anything but a gymnast. But Liukin had her own ideas, and her parents eventually relented. "It's a feeling I don't think any father can describe," Valeri Liukin said. "I'm very proud of my baby." "Just to know that he was so close to (the all-around gold) and didn't quite achieve it," his daughter said. "And I hope, you know, I cleared away any of those bad little memories for him. I hope that this definitely tops it. I have a few more to go, but it is an amazing accomplishment just to be here with him, out on the floor 20 years after he competed. I think it just means so much more to both of us. I don't know, just all the hard work paying off. All the injuries, tears, blood, rips everything." She would have been a favorite for gold four years ago but she was too young, and she was immediately anointed as the front-runner for Beijing. But an ankle injury before the 2006 world championships hobbled her for almost a year, right about the time the younger Johnson was beginning to make her grand splash. Once everybody's darling, Liukin learned how quickly everything can turn. When she struggled at the 2007 national championships and again in the all-around at the world championships, the criticism was fierce. She was washed up, some said. She should give up on the all-around, others said, concentrate on uneven bars and balance beam. The harshness stung, though Liukin smiled and tried not to let on. She would let her performances speak for her. Though the gold wasn't decided until the final routine, it was on uneven bars that Liukin made her mark. She has one of the most difficult routines in the world, filled with intricate moves that are linked together to make them even harder. But her grace and style make it look easy. When she pirouettes on the high bar, turning her body all the way around not once, not twice but three times, she looks just like a jewelry box ballerina. And when she moves from high bar to low, she seems to float, suspended in the air. Her only flaw was a big hop forward on her landing, but it was minor and her score of 16.65 moved her into second place behind Yang. Though Johnson is rock solid on beam, Liukin is simply breathtaking. From the moment she puts her fingertips onto the beam and presses herself up into the splits, her long legs unfurling like the petals of a flower, every movement is performance art. In one front somersault she lands without ever putting one of her feet on the beam, brushing it back until her leg is fully extended behind her. It's incredibly difficult few other people even try it yet she does it as easily as a cartwheel. Liukin knew she'd done well, smiling and blowing out her breath after she climbed down from the podium. When she saw her mark a 16.125 that moved her into first place she nodded as if to say, "OK, one more to go." Now there's nothing left to do, nothing left to prove. Her gold medal says it all. And she could have a few more before it's done. Liukin will compete on the uneven bars, balance beam and floor event finals, hoping to catch her father's total of four medals. |
| No. 6: Phelps grabs yet another gold medal, WR BEIJING Michael Phelps collected the sixth gold medal and stuffed it in his warmup jacket. No time to even savor that one as he rushed off to swim again. It was just No. 6, after all, equaling his haul from Athens in 2004. The most important ones are still to come. Phelps made it 6-for-6 at the Beijing Games with another world-record triumph Friday, his bid to take down Mark Spitz and the grandest of Olympic records looking less suspenseful by the day. The American hung on the lane rope in a familiar pose after winning the 200-meter individual medley but showed little emotion other than raising his left arm when his time of 1 minute, 54.23 seconds flashed on the board more than two seconds ahead of the next guy. With that, he quickly moved on. "The next two races are pretty important," said Phelps, whose sixth world record in China erased his own mark of 1:54.80 at last month's U.S. trials. "I have to conserve as much physical and emotional energy as I can." He's already the winningest athlete in Olympic history with 12 golds he also won two bronze medals in Athens but his sights are on eight in Beijing. Spitz won seven golds at the 1972 Munich Games. Phelps has two more events to remove any doubt he's the greatest Olympian ever. Ryan Lochte tried to pull off a daunting double, going against Phelps just 29 minutes after winning the 200 backstroke. He couldn't keep up, though he did hold on for bronze. Laszlo Cseh of Hungary picked up his third silver of the games all of them trailing Phelps. "It's not a shame," Cseh said, "to be beaten by a better one." When the official times were posted, Phelps extended his right hand to Lochte in the next lane. The friends shook hands and patted each other on the head. Later, they yukked it up on the medal stand before Phelps hustled off to grab his racing gear; he had to come right back for the semifinals of the 100 butterfly. "I switched from my dress sweats to my parka, shoes, threw my cap and goggles on and then they pushed us on out. No time," he said. "The medal was in my warmup jacket." History can't wait. A half-hour after winning another gold, Phelps was second-fastest behind Milorad Cavic of Croatia in the 100 fly, setting himself up to tie Spitz's record in Saturday's final. World record-holder Ian Crocker of the U.S. bounced back from a disappointing swim in the prelims to post the third-fastest time. "There wasn't much time," Phelps said, "but I think there's going to be a lot of time for me to rest over the next 18 hours or so, and I'll be able to be ready for tomorrow morning's 100." If all goes according to plan, Phelps will get No. 7 in the fly his signature stroke and have the coronation Sunday in the 400 medley relay. The Americans are always heavily favored for gold in that one. Nevertheless, he's taking nothing for granted, especially in the fly. Crocker has the best time ever (though it was three years ago) and Cavic looked strong in both the preliminaries and semifinals. "It's never a relief," he said. "Tomorrow is going to be a tough race. For me to be a player in that race, I have to be closer at the 50. If I'm not, then it will be tough. I was over a body length behind at the 50 in the prelims and came up a bit short, so I have to be there." Still, he showed little signs of tiring from the grueling schedule. He's already raced 15 times and has two more left both going for gold. "I actually don't feel too bad now," Phelps said. That can't be encouraging for those swimmers who've come up with all sorts of amusing theories for Phelps' dominance. He's from outer space. He's come back from the future in a time machine. He's some sort of human rocket. The official Xinhua News Agency dubbed Phelps "the American superfish." For those who believe Phelps might be using more illicit methods to produce these times, he shot down any speculation about doping. "Anybody can say whatever they want, but I know I'm clean," said Phelps, who took part in a special U.S. anti-doping program that subjected him to additional, more sophisticated testing. "People can question it all they want, but the facts are the facts. I have the results to prove it." Lochte got quite a consolation prize for his loss to Phelps: a world record and the first individual gold medal of his career in the backstroke. The laid-back Floridian edged teammate Aaron Peirsol in 1:53.94 to break the mark he shared with Peirsol. "I touched the wall and was like, 'Thank you, finally,'" Lochte said. "It felt good the whole way." Lochte was known as "Mr. Runner-up" for his frequent second-place finishes to Phelps and Peirsol. Then he stunned Peirsol at last year's world championships in 1:54.32, before Peirsol matched the time in beating Lochte at the U.S. Olympic trials last month. Lochte got Peirsol back despite a problem with his LZR Racer. "My suit came undone after the first 50," Lochte said. "I was just trying to control my legs." Lochte couldn't tame Phelps, however, which would appear to leave Crocker as the last man standing between Phelps and his destiny. A thoughtful, 25-year-old from Maine, who loves to cruise in vintage cars and jam on his guitar, Crocker is now trying to go down in history as the man who stopped Phelps. "You can start by not worrying about what everybody else thinks," he said. "Nobody knows what I've really gone through in the last eight years and what has gotten me to this point, besides myself and a few people that I know well. So it's my own personal deal at this point." Peirsol won the 100 back in Beijing, but failed to match his backstroke double from Athens four years ago. He earned the silver in 1:54.33, while Russia's Arkady Vyatchanin claimed the bronze. "That's the theme of the meet. You have to break a world record to win. I gave it my all and I had nothing left," Peirsol said. "I'm very proud of what I've done. Ryan swam well. He earned it." Rebecca Soni gave the U.S. women's swim team a much-needed boost, setting a world record in the 200 breaststroke with an upset of Australia's Leisel Jones. Soni had already claimed a surprising silver behind Jones in the 100 breast, a race she wasn't even supposed to be in. She took over when Jessica Hardy failed a doping test at the U.S. trials and was dropped from the team. Jones was out front over the first 100, but Soni came on strong at the end, finishing a full body length ahead of the Aussie in 2:20.22. She beat Jones' mark of 2:20.54, set two 2½ years ago in Melbourne. Soni's victory came about 14 hours after American distance hopes Katie Hoff and Kate Ziegler failed to make the final of the 800 freestyle, and two summers after Soni underwent a minor heart operation. "It's been a long road to get here, and I really can't believe that just happened," she said. Jones claimed silver and Norway's Sara Nordenstam took bronze. "I really couldn't breathe that last 50. I was just digging deep and couldn't breathe," Jones said. "A silver medal is still a silver medal in the Olympics. I gave it everything, I couldn't have given more." The only non-American gold of the morning went to Germany's Britta Steffen in the 100 freestyle, ahead of Australia's Libby Trickett by four-hundredths of a second. Steffen set an Olympic record, 53.12. American Natalie Coughlin claimed the bronze for her fifth medal of these games, matching her total from Athens with the medley relay still to go. "I'm very proud of how I've handled the heavier workload," she said. In other semifinals, Brazil's Cesar Cielo was top qualifier in the 50 free (21.34) and 100 gold medalist Alain Bernard of France won his heat in 21.54. American Ben Wildman-Tobriner slipped into the final, tying for the seventh-fastest time at 21.76, but teammate Garrett Weber-Gale was eliminated. In the 200 backstroke, Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry led the way at 2:07.76, just ahead of 15-year-old Elizabeth Beisel (2:07.90), the youngest member of the American team. World record-holder Margaret Hoelzer of the U.S. advanced to the final with the fifth-best time, 2:08.25. Phelps' win was the 21st world record set in swimming during the Olympics, with two days left. Two days that could make history. |
| Hornish siding with UM for now, but MIS driver could choose OSU later ANN ARBOR - Assuming everything goes according to plan this year, when Michigan and Ohio State renew their annual football rivalry Nov. 22 in Columbus, Sam Hornish Jr. will root for the Wolverines - and not because he watched them practice yesterday. Hornish, the Defiance native who graduated from Archbold High, said he pledges his allegiance to whichever team in this historic football series is the underdog in that particular season. "Growing up as a kid, it was 50-50," Hornish said while on campus at UM yesterday. "You were either an Ohio State fan or a Michigan fan, and people always wanted you to pick one. I never did." Hornish, a former three-time season champion in the IndyCar series who is in his first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and Brad Keselow-ski, a Nationwide Series driver, a Rochester Hills, Mich., native, and UM fan, both attended the Wolverines' practice yesterday. The two were in the neighborhood because of this weekend's events at Michigan International Speedway. To illustrate the UM-OSU divide in his personal life, Hornish said his brother went to Ohio State, and his wife, Crystal, and her father are Buckeyes fans. But Crystal's mother and sister cheer for the Wolverines. Though Hornish has no loyalty to either side, he did come bearing a gift for UM coach Rich Rodriguez - a pit crew shirt featuring decals consistent with his No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger. Was it a gift, or perhaps a bribe? "My dad said to see if they have any scholarships for ex-race car drivers," Hornish said. "My mom and dad both want me to retire from racing and do something else." BENEFIT FOR MEALERS: The Wolverines will participate in Bowling for Brock, a charity event to help cover the medical costs incurred during Wauseon native Brock Mealer's rehab efforts at the UM Medical Center from a tragic auto accident. Brock's brother, Elliott, is a freshman offensive lineman for the Wolverines. Brock was paralyzed - and Elliott suffered a shoulder injury - in an auto accident Christmas Eve that took the lives of Brock and Elliott's father, David, and Elliott's girlfriend, Hollis Richer. The charity bowling event will take place Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Colonial Lanes in Ann Arbor. Admission for the event is $50 for adults and $25 for children. Rodriguez said that Elliott Mealer likely will redshirt this season as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. "Brock, with his fight to walk again, and how the whole Mealer family has responded has been an inspiration not only to me, but to our entire football team," Rodriguez said. "Elliott's been around rehabbing his shoulder. He's been working very hard. He's a great young man. "He doesn't want to be treated any different than any of the other guys. He said, 'Coach, if I mess up when I start practicing, I want you to yell at me, too.' And I said, 'No problem.'•" BIG HOUSE UPDATE: University officials took media members on a tour of Michigan Stadium, which is undergoing a $226 million renovation and expansion. Thus far, construction crews have finished two family restrooms; erected the steel structure and poured the concrete for future elevated club seats, suites, and a press box; installed underground utilities; and completed new buildings at the north end of the stadium for restrooms, concessions, security, and a medical clinic. When completed in 2010, the stadium will have 82 suites and over 3,000 club seats. Joe Parker, UM's associate director of athletics in charge of development, said suites range in cost from $55,000 to $85,000 annually, and club seats require gifts of between $1,500 and $4,000 per seat, plus the price of tickets. He said UM has received 51 commitments for suites and almost 1,600 commitments for club seats. Because of ongoing construction at the Big House that will restrict certain areas from access, UM officials are asking fans to arrive at least 30 minutes early and enter through the gate that is closest to their seat sections. Contact Joe Vardon at: jvardon@theblade.com or 419-410-5055. |
| Buckeye CableSystem, WTOL team up Buckeye CableSystem and WTOL-TV, Channel 11, are teaming up to produce the "The T Sports Report," a revamped nightly sports segment for the CBS affiliate, as well as a new 90-minute weekly sports program that will air Friday nights on the Buckeye CableSystem Sports Network, BCSN. "The T" launches at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 22, and will feature WTOL sports director Dan Cummins and BCSN anchors Jordan Strack and Jim Heller discussing top sports stories and game results. Recently hired WTOL weekend sports anchor Natalie Grise will handle field reports. Aug. 22 also marks the beginning of the 90-minute "The T Sports Report" show on BCSN, which will feature scores and game highlights from local football and basketball games. From 11:15 p.m. to 11:35 p.m., both stations will carry WTOL's Big Board Friday-T Sports Report segment. From 11:35 p.m. to midnight BCSN will continue with local coverage, delivering coaches reports, live guests, roundtable discussions, highlights and interviews. "This unique collaboration combines two great brands, WTOL and BCSN," said Bob Chirdon, WTOL general manager. "We will deliver the most expansive, hyper-local sports coverage in the market. Together, we now have more than 30 people dedicated to providing unmatched coverage of the local sports scene." The sports program will be produced at Channel 11's downtown Toledo studios and will run through the high school and college football and basketball seasons. Buckeye and WTOL are considering expanding their joint programming venture, too. "We are excited about teaming up with WTOL sports," said W.H. Carstensen, president and general manager of Buckeye, "and look forward to even more innovative in-depth coverage on the Web and on video." Buckeye CableSystem is owned by Block Communications, Inc., parent company of The Blade. |
| Tradition continues: Keselowski second in points in NASCAR's Nationwide Series BROOKLYN, Mich. - As the points leader in the ARCA Series at the time, Bob Keselowski got to move to the front of the line at registration when the series rolled into Flat Rock Speedway almost 20 years ago. After completing his paperwork, the veteran driver from Rochester Hills set out to pull his truck and trailer into the facility. Bob and his wife Kay had instructed their young sons, Brian and Brad, to stay inside the rig and out of sight, since children were not allowed in the pit area. "When he fired it up, there was all this smoke and noise, and there must have been 200 people waiting in that line, and they all turned around to see what all that commotion was," ARCA president Ron Drager recalled. "Brian stayed down where nobody could see him just like his dad had told him to do, but there was Brad, waving out the window to everyone, and flashing this big grin." Brad Keselowski, the cantankerous younger brother, goes through the front gate these days, with no need to disguise his presence. The 24-year-old has parlayed his racing pedigree, and the blue collar mettle that has made this racing family legendary in this part of the country, into a full-time ride in NASCAR's Nationwide Series. Keselowski's employer - Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport's biggest rock star - put him under the direction of veteran crew chief Tony Eury Sr., and the combination has the No. 88 U.S. Navy Chevrolet second in the points as the series rolls into Michigan International Speedway for tomorrow's CARFAX 250. "Brad has done a great job staying focused, learning from his mistakes and listening to the advice that either I or Tony Sr. gives him," Earnhardt said. "He's always had raw driving talent, but pairing him with Tony Sr. has helped him greatly. I knew that with his talent and Tony Sr.'s experience, they could win races. "He's lived up to the expectations I had for him when I hired him last year, and I think he's turned a lot of heads in how sharp he is on and off the track." There may be some folks in Daytona or Talladega or Mexico City that are surprised by his accomplishments, but not in the greater Detroit-Toledo quadrant, where Keselowski just means racing. Brad's grandfather, John Keselowski, raced motorcycles and snowmobiles and started the family racing team more than 40 years ago. Ron Keselowski, an uncle, raced in Winston Cup and was a two-time ARCA crew chief of the year. Brad's dad won 26 ARCA races and the 1989 series championship. Bob was also the Late Model track champion at Toledo Speedway in 1983, a year before Brad was born. "Being around the race track or the shop is really second nature for me. When we were growing up, that was our playground, our ball field," Brad said. "My family's been involved in racing for a long time, so it's what I know. It's just part of who we are." The K Automotive Motorsports team had 10 wins and more than 100 finishes in the top 10 in its dozen years in the Craftsman Truck Series, but the financial burden of fielding a team, plus some health issues Bob confronted, forced the family to cut back on the operation, and the sons had to look elsewhere for racing options. "The way this sport used to work, if you were good enough, you got an opportunity presented to you. The way it has evolved now, if you can arrange financing, you get the opportunity," Drager said. "But Brad Keselowski is a perfect example of someone not buying their way up the ladder. The Keselowskis scratched out a living doing this, and by no means were they wealthy from it. Brad is where he is because he has worked hard at this." Keselowski drove to victory at Nashville in June, is second in points on the strength of 14 top-10 finishes in 24 races, and leads the series in "quality passes," a hybrid stat NASCAR keeps that reflects a driver's ability to get around other cars in competition. "The kid can flat out drive a race car," Drager said. "And knowing he came from pretty humble beginnings, it is real gratifying to see him do so well." Keselowski and Earnhardt first built a friendship over the internet, racing against each other on-line. Junior put him in the car last year, and Keselowski hopes to bring JR Motorsports a championship with a strong finish in 2008. "My family always had a good team, with smart racers, but we couldn't get the funding you need to do this right. Dale Jr. obviously had the name, and the backing, and it's exciting to be competing for a championship under his banner," Keselowski said. "We just have to dig down deep and remember that we're racing for all the marbles now. We can contend for this thing, and that's exciting. You race because you love it, but you also want to win championships out here." Contact Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6510. |
| Mud Hens fall to Louisville Losing at the pace the Mud Hens are losing games, not to mention the juncture at which they're losing them, turns a long season into an eternity. With last night's 4-2 loss to Louisville, Toledo has dropped three of its last four and 10 of 12, and less than three weeks remain in a regular season that can't end fast enough. Hens manager Larry Parrish is worried that because his players can see the finish line - the last of their remaining 18 games is Sept. 1 - they'll let their struggles get the better of them. "This is the time of year you've got to keep fighting," Parrish said. "It's easier to let it beat you down if you're struggling this time of year than in May. In May, you think you've got a lot of season left. But when you start struggling at this time of year, you think, 'I've got two weeks to go of this and then I'll be home.'•" The conclusion of last night's game was prolonged after Bats pitcher Matt Belisle was injured with two outs while stretching for an errant throw covering first base. Both teams waited several minutes while Louisville closer Jon Adkins warmed up. Once he was ready, he struck out pinch hitter Dusty Ryan with the tying runs on base to end it. If you're still keeping track, the loss dropped the Hens 12 games behind the Bats for first place in the International League West. Toledo went 7-14 against Louisville this year. "Man, I'm tired of losing," Parrish said with a sigh. At least Parrish's bunch made it interesting. Trailing 4-1 heading into the ninth, Jeff Larish and Erick Almonte each singled, and Larish scored on Luis Bolivar's bad throw that led to Belisle's injury. Parrish's problem was with the first eight innings. Toledo managed just one run on four hits against Bats starter Matt Maloney and reliever Josh Roenicke, the lone run coming on Kody Kirkland's second-inning homer. "It wasn't exactly Sandy Koufax out there," Parrish said. Lost for answers, Parrish said he turned to Toby Harrah, Detroit's minor league hitting coordinator, for any kind of advice. "I said, 'Toby, if you've got anything right now, I'll take it,'•" Parrish said. NOTES: The Tigers optioned reliever Freddy Dolsi to Toledo yesterday following Detroit's 5-1 victory over Toronto. Dolsi, 25, skipped Triple-A when the Tigers promoted him from Double-A Erie to the big leagues May 3. He went 1-4 with two saves and a 3.96 ERA in 33 games for Detroit in his first stint as a major leaguer. The right-hander had never pitched above Double-A prior to this season. Reliever Matt Rusch was sent back to Erie to make room for Dolsi. Rusch was only with the Hens this time for one day, promoted Wednesday to take Francis Beltran's place. The Hens begin an eight-game road trip tonight in Richmond. Left-hander Dontrelle Willis is scheduled to pitch for Toledo for the first time since being promoted from Single-A Lakeland earlier this week. The Hens' final homestand this year begins a week from tomorrow. Brent Clevlen (fatigue) didn't play for the second straight game. Freddy Guzman (finger) pinch-ran in the ninth inning and stole his league-high 46th base, but Parrish said he won't be able to bat for the next few days. |
| Bats take eighth straight vs. Mud Hens If the Mud Hens were going to make a final, last-gasp charge at the Louisville Bats in the International League West, they needed this one. Friends, there isn't going to be a division championship in Mudville this year. The Bats beat Toledo 6-4 in 12 innings last night, stretching their IL West lead to 11 games over the Hens with 19 games to play. Toledo (65-60) has won the last three division titles, but has lost nine of its last 11 contests to fall so far behind Louisville. "We knew what position we were in," said Toledo second baseman Michael Hollimon, who came in battling a 4-for-48 slump but collected two hits. "Our backs were against the wall. That's not to say we're going to lay down now, we're going to keep fighting. But it definitely would've been big to win tonight." The Bats have won 11 of their last 12 games and 32 of their last 42, including their two most recent games in extra innings. Luis Bolivar led off the 12th inning last night with a single against Toledo reliever Francisco Cruceta and scored on Michael Griffin's two-out double. Drew T. Anderson reached on an intentional walk and scored an insurance run on a wild pitch. Tonight's game between the Hens and Bats is their final meeting this year. Since June 28, Toledo has dropped eight in a row against Louisville. "You had to win both of these against them to have any chance," said Hens manager Larry Parrish, whose club also trails Pawtucket by 9 1/2 games for the wild card. Louisville starting pitcher Homer Bailey entered the year as the Cincinnati Reds' No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America, but has struggled for much of the season. In fact, Bailey has not won a game since he beat the Hens on April 30 - a streak covering 11 starts for the Bats and eight for the Reds that continued last night. Now, you might be questioning just how bad things actually are for Bailey if he's able to earn two promotions to the Reds this season, but consider this: Since he beat the Hens, his ERA has jumped over two runs, and he went 0-6 with a 7.93 ERA in eight games for Cincinnati. Last night was Bailey's first start for Louisville since he was sent down Sunday. He was staked to leads of 3-0 and 4-3, but couldn't hold either. The Hens scored three runs in the third on Freddy Guzman's double, Max Leon's sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch that allowed Guzman to score from third. But that would be all for Guzman, who left the game with an injured finger suffered while sliding into third base for his IL-best 45th stolen base. Derek Wathan singled home Kody Kirkland in the seventh against Bailey to forge a 4-4 tie. The Bats had taken the lead in their half of the seventh on Drew Stubbs' solo homer off Toledo reliever Casey Fien. Leon started in right - it was just his second outfield start this year - because Brent Clevlen (extreme fatigue) was scratched from the lineup. When Guzman left the game, Wathan moved from shortstop to left field and made a diving catch to end the sixth. And with Francis Beltran's promotion to Detroit, the Hens didn't have a closer last night. Parrish said he didn't have one particular pitcher in mind to close, and will consider match-ups when a save situation arises. Saving Toledo's season, however, doesn't sound like an option. Contact Joe Vardon at: jvardon@theblade.com or 419-410-5055. |
| Willis slated to pitch in Richmond Dontrelle Willis arrived at Fifth Third Field yesterday sporting a new, full beard. He was laughing and joking with teammates during batting practice, chatting with Eddie Bonine and Max Leon about possibly playing winter ball together, and working out to some loud rap music inside the Mud Hens' weight room. Tomorrow, though, is when his first real work begins as a regular on Toledo's roster, when he pitches for the Hens in Richmond. Willis, a former 22-game winner in the majors who suffered so mightily from control issues this season that the Tigers optioned him all the way to Single-A Lakeland in June, showed enough for Detroit's deep thinkers to promote him to the Hens. He took the place of Bonine, who was placed on the disabled list Monday with a shoulder injury. Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday that the goal was to get Willis ready to pitch in the majors by 2009, and if it happened earlier, so be it. Willis, who was uncharacteristically quiet while being interviewed yesterday, said he didn't know if he'd be able to earn a September call-up to Detroit. "You'd have to ask them that," Willis said. "I don't really get into all of that. I just do what they tell me to do." Willis, who came to the Tigers in December in the trade that also brought Detroit Miguel Cabrera, has had a rough first season in Motown. He suffered a hyperextended knee in April, and had accumulated a 10.32 ERA and walked 21 batters in 111/3 innings through his start against Cleveland on June 9. After spending some time working on his mechanics away from game action, Willis pitched in six games for Lakeland, going 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA and 11 walks in 28 innings. Signed to a three-year, $29 million contract extension shortly after arriving in Detroit, Willis described the progress he made in Lakeland as: "I'm in Toledo now. That's pretty much it." Willis pitched for the Hens earlier this season while on rehab assignment, going 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA and seven walks in three games. Toledo manager Larry Parrish talked with Willis upon his arrival yesterday. "He was typical Dontrelle - full of energy and ready to go," Parrish said. SIDELINED: Hens outfielder Brent Clevlen was scratched from last night's lineup for what he described as extreme fatigue. Clevlen has been taking medication for allergies and said he hasn't felt well for the last four days. "I don't think it's just allergies," Clevlen said. "I've had allergies before and they didn't make me feel like I had no energy." Clevlen also said: "It's not like I feel sick, but I don't feel right." Clevlen has four hits in his last 25 at-bats (.160). He said he hopes to be able to play tonight against Louisville. "It's pretty obvious that he has no energy right now," Parrish said. LOSE ONE, ADD ONE: Hens relief pitcher Francis Beltran was promoted to Detroit yesterday to take the place of Joel Zumaya, who was placed on the DL with a sore right shoulder. Beltran, 28, was 2-5 with a 4.81 ERA and three saves for the Hens. The right-hander was converted to the team's closer when Blaine Neal left to join Team USA for the Beijing Olympics late last month. This is Beltran's second stint with the Tigers this year. He was 1-0 with a 5.79 ERA in five games with Detroit in April. Taking Beltran's place in Toledo is right-hander Matt Rusch, who was promoted from Double-A Erie and is back for another tour with the Hens. Rusch was 2-0 with a 4.71 ERA in 20 games for Toledo earlier this season. Contact Joe Vardon at: jvardon@theblade.com or 419-410-5055. |
| Willis promoted to Mud Hens Pitcher Dontrelle Willis has been promoted by the Detroit Tigers from Single-A Lakeland to the Mud Hens and will pitch for Toledo Friday night in Richmond. In another move, the Tigers have given Freddy Garcia a chance to prove he can still pitch. Willis will take the place of the injured Eddie Bonine in the Hens' starting rotation. Willis, who is 0-1 with a 10.32 ERA and 21 walks in 111/3 innings for the Tigers this year, was sent from Detroit to Lakeland to work on his pitch control June 10. He went 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA and 11 walks in 28 innings at Single-A. "He has shown a lot of improvement the last few times, and people feel he's ready to pitch there [Toledo]," Detroit president Dave Dombrowski said. "He's eager to do that." Out of the majors since June, 2007, the two-time all-star Garcia agreed to a minor league contract with the Tigers. He had surgery on his right shoulder last August while with Philadelphia. The right-hander previously pitched for the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners. "He's a proven big league pitcher at a time in which it's hard to find pitching. He's always pitched well," Dombrowski said. "He's healthy now after the surgery. It's just he needs to build up his arm strength. I don't know if there's enough time to do it, but we also figure that we don't have anything to lose to try. He's a guy that we've always liked." Said Garcia: "Right now, I'm feeling really good. I need to throw innings, so I'll throw some innings [at Lakeland]." Garcia said he wouldn't mind pitching for Detroit next season. Dombrowski said there is no commitment by either side for 2009. Tigers manager Jim Leyland said the 33-year-old Garcia was a good gamble. "I think it's a shot. I think Freddy took a shot and obviously thought enough of us to sign with us, and certainly we thought enough to sign him," he said. "Take a shot. See what happens. I don't think either party has anything to lose, but I think it's a good deal for both parties." Garcia was a free agent looking for a team. More than a dozen clubs sent scouts to Miami to watch the righty throw last week. The Phillies got Garcia in December, 2006, from the Chicago White Sox for two minor leaguers. He had $10 million left on his contract but never found his form. Garcia began last year on the disabled list because of biceps tendinitis and went 1-5 with a 5.90 ERA in 11 starts for Philadelphia. |
| Hens' Vasquez blanks Tides Virgil Vasquez did something last night that no Mud Hens pitcher had done since well, Virgil Vasquez. Toledo edged the Norfolk Tides 2-0 behind Vasquez's complete-game shutout - the Hens' first since Vasquez blanked Indianapolis on Aug. 21 last season, according to the team's media relations staff. The going was much different for Vasquez a year ago, when he went 12-5 with a 3.48 ERA for the Hens and enjoyed three major league stints with the Tigers. He entered last night's contest 1-4 with an 8.96 ERA in his previous five starts, and with a losing record and an ERA over five for the year. "Obviously he showed us tonight why he was 12-5 a year ago," Tides manager Gary Allenson said. Vasquez (8-12) gave up four hits, walked one, and struck out six in a game that took only 2:14 to complete. Mike Costanzo, Norfolk's cleanup hitter who had walked and tripled earlier, grounded into a game-ending double play in the ninth. Costanzo was in scoring position twice, and Chris Roberson reached on an infield single and advanced to second on Vasquez's throwing error to lead off the fifth. But Vasquez pitched out of that jam by retiring Norfolk's No. 7, 8, and 9 hitters on fly balls. "When he made a mistake tonight, he made it to the right hitters," Hens manager Larry Parrish said. "He made them to their little guys, and they just flew out fairly deep. The middle [of the order] guys, he made some pitches to." Vasquez threw first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 31 hitters he faced, and 75 of his 114 total pitches were strikes. Parrish said he had command of the lower portion of the strike zone and used his breaking ball as the game wore on. "It was about strike one, pitching to contact, and getting downward movement," Vasquez said. "It's kind of a clich, but that's truly what was working for me tonight." Radhames Liz, Norfolk's starting pitcher and the Baltimore Orioles' No. 2 prospect, was nearly as tough on the Hens as Vasquez was on the Tides. The lone run he allowed came on Max Leon's RBI groundout in the fourth. Otherwise, Toledo managed just five hits and struck out eight times against Liz. Tides pitchers recorded 13 strikeouts total. Jeff Larish, who also scored the Hens' first run after he led off the fourth with a single, doubled with two outs in the eighth against Norfolk reliever Jon Leicester and scored on Clete Thomas' single. Larish also made a diving stop on Jeff Fiorentino's sharp grounder near first base and threw to Vasquez covering the bag to end the seventh. "We made some plays and did some things," Parrish said. "We didn't score a whole lot, but we didn't have to tonight." Toledo second baseman Michael Hollimon also turned in a fine defensive play in the seventh, but his struggles at home plate continued. Batting ninth for the first time this year, Hollimon went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and is stuck in a 4-for-48 slump. Contact Joe Vardon at: jvardon@theblade.com or 419-410-5055. |
| Willis could rescue Mud Hens With pitcher Eddie Bonine ailing, the Mud Hens' rotation could receive help from Dontrelle Willis. Bonine was placed on the disabled list yesterday with what the Mud Hens called a right shoulder strain. He was removed in the fifth inning of his start Sunday night against Norfolk with tightness behind the shoulder, and was examined by Dr. Luke Ragan in Toledo yesterday. Hens manager Larry Parrish said Bonine, who also underwent an MRI, will miss at least one start but could be out for longer, depending on further examination by Tigers team physician Dr. Stephen Lemos. This is where Willis comes in. Willis, who the Tigers acquired in December and handed a three-year, $29 million contract extension, has been in Single-A Lakeland since June trying to work through control problems. He pitched Sunday night against Dunedin, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks in 71/3 innings. Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said in a telephone interview that he wouldn't discuss any moves until there was something official to announce, but didn't refute that Willis was at least being considered for Bonine's spot. Parrish didn't deny it, either. "We definitely have to do something, at least for his next start," Parrish said. Parrish said Rick Porcello, last year's No. 1 draft pick, probably wasn't an option. The Hens manager said an internal candidate to move into the rotation is Jeremy Johnson, a reliever who started eight games for the Hens this year. Willis was optioned to Lakeland June 10 after a disastrous start against Cleveland in which he gave up eight runs on two homers and five walks in 11/3 innings. He has a 10.32 ERA with 21 walks in 111/3 innings for the Tigers this year. After spending some time working on his mechanics away from game action, Willis has pitched in six games for Lakeland, going 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA and 11 walks in 28 innings. If Willis does get promoted to the Hens, he wouldn't pitch until Friday or Saturday in Richmond. Willis has already pitched three games for Toledo this year while on rehab assignment for a hyperextended knee. As for Bonine, he said he first felt his injury early in the second inning but continued on. "I was trying to throw through it, but by the fifth inning it was really affecting the way I pitched," Bonine said. BALLS AND STRIKES: An attendance record was set - and a milestone was reached - at Fifth Third Field last night. The crowd of 8,973 was the park's 12th consecutive sellout, breaking the old record of 11 set in the final 10 games of the 2002 season through opening day in 2003. |
| Mud Hens not the same; Heart of order goes 0-for-10 with 4 strikeouts The Mud Hens hitters - including the ones who were good enough to be called to the big leagues earlier this year - aren't trying to make outs in key situations. The pitchers aren't intending to give up runs, and the defenders behind them would rather avoid making costly errors. But good intentions aren't enough when the team is in a funk. And that's where Toledo is right now. The Hens lost to Norfolk 7-6 last night for their eighth loss in nine games. They are 10 full games behind Louisville in the International League West with 21 to go. "You saw tonight how we've been playing around here lately," Toledo manager Larry Parrish said. Brent Clevlen is an all-star outfielder who enjoyed a tour with the Tigers earlier this year. Jeff Larish has slugged his way to two major league call-ups and performed admirably for Detroit. So when those two hitters - batting, naturally, in the middle of Parrish's order - get three chances with runners in scoring position in four innings, one of them has to deliver, right? Not last night. They went 0-for-6 with a runners at second base and 0-for-10 with four strikeouts overall last night. "If this were April or May, one of those guys would've gotten a big hit," Parrish said. Michael Hollimon, another former Tiger, is batting .158 (15-for-95) since he was optioned back to Toledo July 7. Larish is hitting .235 (19-for-81) since he returned to the Hens July 21, and Clevlen is at .260 (49-for-188) since the Tigers sent him down June 20. Eddie Bonine, last night's losing pitcher, went 2-1 for Detroit in June and July. Against the Tides, he allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and left the game with one out in the fifth because of a sore shoulder. These players, along with the likes of Matt Joyce, Dane Sardinha and Casey Fossum (all now with the Tigers), and Mike Hessman and Blaine Neal (currently with Team USA at the Olympics), led the Hens to one of the best starts in franchise history earlier this year. But this is not the Toledo team that stormed out to a 33-17 record by May 24. It's a team that has made 111 roster moves, used five catchers (six, if you count Brandon Inge on a rehab assignment), and is just five games over .500 at 64-59. "This is different than anything I've experienced in pro ball," said Larish, who, like Clete Thomas, Hollimon and Joyce, was drafted in 2005. "Clete and I have played together the past three years and been on teams that stayed consistent. We haven't had that revolving door like there's been this year." Thomas, Larish and Hollimon are each in their first full seasons at Triple-A. Parrish believes the IL is starting to catch up with them, and they need to adjust. Toledo's pitchers were staked to a 4-2 lead last night thanks to Max Leon's sacrifice fly, Freddy Guzman's RBI single and Timo Perez's two-run double in the second inning. But a Larish throwing error from third base jump-started the Tides' four-run fifth in which Bonine and Ian Ostlund allowed a triple, double, single, and double to four consecutive hitters. The Hens left runners on base in the fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings. "I don't have the answers," Parrish said. "It's just one little thing here or there that's making us lose them instead of win them right now." Contact Joe Vardon at: jvardon@theblade.com or 419-410-5055. |
| Hens eager to hear from Olympians There hasn't been much communication between Mike Hessman, Blaine Neal, and the Mud Hens they left behind for the Beijing Olympics. But when Hessman and Neal return to Toledo after their stint with Team USA later this month, their Triple-A teammates will be eager to hear their tales from the Far East. Of the Hens players polled yesterday by The Blade, only infielder Jeff Larish had heard from Hessman or Neal since they left Toledo to join Team USA July 28. Larish said he exchanged text messages with Hessman Aug. 4 - the night Hessman hit two homers in Team USA's 17-5 exhibition victory over Team Canada in Durham, N.C. "He sent me a text just to see how everybody was doing, and I was asking him how it was going there," Larish said. Brent Clevlen, an all-star outfielder, said he saw Hessman and Neal on TV during NBC's coverage of the opening ceremony Friday night. Clevlen said he could see their faces as they entered the stadium with the other American Olympic athletes. "That would be pretty sweet to be over there," Clevlen said. Ian Ostlund, a Hens reliever and friend to both Hessman and Neal, said he's sent text messages to them since they left for China but hasn't heard anything back. He said Hessman consulted him before departing the Hens about purchasing a digital camcorder. "I can't wait to hear their stories when they come back," Ostlund said. "We'll all be gathered around watching those videos." Hessman, Toledo's all-star third baseman, and Neal, the Hens' all-star closer, both saw action in Team USA's four exhibition games against Team Canada before leaving for Beijing. Hessman went 3-for-13 with three homers and six RBIs, and Neal allowed a run on a hit in 11/3 innings (two appearances). Team USA will begin Olympic play Wednesday against Korea. Pool play will continue through Aug. 20, and the medal rounds take place Aug. 22-23. LAST LOOK: Jim Olander, in Toledo for the Hens' series against Norfolk, is the last of the Tigers' four major league scouts to watch the Hens play this season. The Tigers have each of their big league scouts watch their Double-A, Triple-A and major league clubs play a few games each year to assist in making decisions on September call-ups and the next season's 40-man roster. TURNAROUND: Hens pitcher Virgil Vasquez, who is scheduled to start the finale of Toledo's four-game series against the Tides tonight, is 1-4 with an 8.96 ERA in his last five starts. Of those five outings, his last two were definite improvements from the first three. He tossed seven shutout innings on Aug. 1 in a 3-0 win over Indianapolis, and surrendered four runs on nine hits in six innings in an 8-4 loss to Louisville last week. In a three-game stretch from July 17-27, Vasquez allowed 22 runs (18 earned) on 24 hits in 91/3 innings. The right-hander is 7-12 with a 5.14 ERA overall this year. - Joe Vardon |
| Cincinnati newspaper seeks buyout volunteers CINCINNATI The Cincinnati Enquirer is asking for 50 volunteers companywide to take buyouts, part of nationwide cost cutting by the Gannett Co. Gannett, The Enquirer's parent company, said Thursday it is eliminating 1,000 jobs, including 600 layoffs, across its newspaper operations. The Enquirer employs some 1,000 people in divisions including news, advertising, circulation, finance, production and marketing. Publisher Margaret Buchanan said layoffs could follow the buyouts if economic conditions worsened or not enough volunteers were found. The cost-cutting drive at the nation's largest newspaper publisher is the latest effort by the industry to deal with declining revenues due to an economic downturn and the move of advertising dollars online. |
| High oil prices stoke interest in extracting Toledo area deposits You might not know it looking across the topographically-challenged lakeside landscape, but there's probably oil under Oregon. Bowling Green, too. And Cygnet, and Lima, and a whole crescent-shaped swath of northwest Ohio. There's also some under southern Michigan. While politicians in Washington discuss and debate the merits and perils of drilling for oil along America's coastlines, billions of barrels' worth is believed to lie in subterranean pockets across the continental United States. Maybe as much as 4.5 billion barrels may be beneath northwest Ohio, according to state geologists. There's just one problem: How to draw it out of the ground? "I know there's a lot of oil still left up there in northwest Ohio, it's just a matter of figuring how to get it out and trying to do it economically," said Ron Riley, senior geologist with the Ohio Geological Survey. "There's so much unknown about what's not there and what's poorly documented, it makes it difficult to go in and try to find what works." For nearly 20 years in the last part of the 1800s, northwest Ohio's skyline was dominated by oil derricks drawing up high-quality crude from the Lima-Indiana tract. Geologists and historians believe that more than 100,000 wells were drilled in a huge arc from Bowling Green, through Lima, and west to the Indiana line, extracting an estimated 250 to 400 million barrels of oil. The boom - which created the precursor of Marathon Oil and drew thousands to Bowling Green and Findlay - went bust just after 1900 when huge oil deposits were discovered in Texas and the price of crude fell to just 3 cents a barrel. Mr. Riley and other state geologists said the early oil boomers probably extracted only about 10 percent of what the deposit holds 1,400 feet below the surface. But they punctured the ground in so many places that it's nearly impossible for modern-day oil extraction efforts to develop enough pressure to force oil to the surface. Still, historical challenges are looking less daunting in the face of $115-a-barrel oil. The federal government estimates that the continental United States other than Alaska has approximately 39 billion barrels of discovered crude-oil deposits that are "technically recoverable," and an additional 18 billion barrels of deposits yet to be discovered. Oil-rich Alaska is believed to hold more than 26 billion barrels of recoverable oil. For decades, however, prospectors and geologists had few clues to go on in their hunt for oil. That changed with the advent of computer modeling and advanced underground surveying. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the number of domestic crude-oil wells drilled last year - 14,477 - reached the highest number since 1987. Although the success rate for exploratory wells ranged historically between 57 and 70 percent during the last half of the 20th century, new technology has pushed that number closer to 90 percent. As Ohio experiences increased drilling along the Appalachian ridge on the east side of the state, oil companies have begun reopening areas of southern Michigan looking for oil. "We're about 100 permits behind last year, and this is only August," said Rex Tefertiller, permit coordinator and geologist with the permit and bonding unit of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Geological Survey. "This year, we're seeing an increase in companies looking for oil in old fields, old wells, because what wasn't economical 20 years ago now starts looking economical with today's oil prices," he said. Much of the activity is focused on the Albion-Scipio oil field, which extends from south of Lansing to northern Hillsdale County, Mr. Tefertiller said. Several companies have drilled new wells into the formation recently and have stuck oil. "It's the state's biggest oilfield," said Mike Bricker, supervisor of the petroleum geology production unit. Contact Larry P. Vellequette at: lvellequette@theblade.com or 419-724-6091. |
| Local entrepreneur develops eco-friendly dishes How does one go from raising orchids to creating a line of dinnerware? "It's actually not that far of a deviation," said local entrepreneur Larry Ohlman III, who has spent the last 18 months designing a line of ecologically friendly plates and bowls. Four years ago, Mr. Ohlman, 29, was growing and selling varieties of orchids for his family's Ohlman Farm and Greenhouse Inc., of Toledo. But he was experimenting with materials to make an eco-friendly flowerpot. "From there it kind of segued into tableware production," he said. Next month, a limited list of retailers will begin carrying his Eco-Collection tableware, which the Food and Drug Administration has certified as 100 percent natural. The products - dinner plate, salad plate, and bowl in shades of mocha and light natural brown - are made primarily of powdered bamboo fibers mixed with biological-based polymers at high temperature. However, when an owner tires of the dinnerware it could be buried in a landfill or even a backyard. "It would break down 100 percent in a landfill. We have already tested it for compostability," Mr. Ohlman said. "It would be gone in six months." Dan Seigel is chief executive of EVO.com, a Web site that evaluates the eco-friendliness of "green" consumer products and provides links and information on where to buy them. He said Mr. Ohlman is not the first to come up with eco-friendly dinnerware but he probably has "the best of both worlds." Several EVO vendors have plates that are fully biodegradable and will break down in six months. But such plates, made from palm leaves, sugar cane fibers, or corn-based plastics, are mostly for short-term use and are not too durable, Mr. Siegel said. "It sounds like what he's got has more durability and lasts longer," Mr. Siegel said. John DuVall, owner of Honey I'm Home, a home decor specialty store on Monroe Street in Sylvania, said Mr. Ohlman's invention has another quality: aesthetics. It has "great colors and its's got a great feel to it," he said. He added: "It's just a great concept. Going 'green' is the new hip thing." The product is priced at $10 for an 11-inch dinner plate, $9 for a 8 1/2-inch salad plate, and $8 for a bowl. That's much higher than more common dinner sets. At Target, for example, a set of four dinner plates, four salad plates, four bowls, and four mugs costs about $30. Mr. Ohlman plans to sell his dinnerware beginning Sept. 1 through his Web site, www.ecologicproduct.com. In October, it will be in stores including Claudia's Natural Food Market. He hopes to place it in national retailers. Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128. |
| Prices off 5.2% for homes in Toledo area Selling prices for northwest Ohio houses dropped 5.2 percent in the second quarter from a year ago, but that was not as much as the national average, a new study has found. The local price, $104,100, is in line with those in 115 other metro areas in the nation where prices declined, according to the National Association of Realtors. "Every homeowner has felt it but I think we've seen the worst of it," said real estate agent Jon Modene, of Re/Max Masters in Perrysburg. "The worst is over." Nationally, the median home selling price for the second quarter dropped 7.6 percent, to $206,500, the trade group said. Thirty-five of 150 metro areas showed gains in prices, the group said. In northwest Ohio, the median price was up 16 percent over first-quarter figures, but one real estate expert cautioned not to read too much into that because winter sales are fewer and numbers often are skewed. Sales rose in 13 states, the trade group said, but that was from buyers responding to discounted home prices. Recent sales figures for Lucas and Wood counties showed prices had flattened, which Mr. Modene said was good news. "It looks like the trend has probably bottomed out," he said. "You can't say our market has turned around. On the street it hasn't turned at all. There's too many houses and not enough buyers still." A few metro areas in Ohio fared better than Toledo, according to Realtors figures. Dayton prices dropped 2.8 percent to $116,9000 and Cincinnati fell 4.6 percent to $139,500. Elsewhere, Columbus fell 5.32 percent to $145,700; Youngstown dropped 6.5 percent to $71,700; Akron fell 15 percent to $106,500; and Cleveland slumped 17 percent to $117,500. The national report said home sales dropped 0.8 percent to 4.9 million in the second quarter. They were down 16.3 percent for the year. In Ohio, sales were down 5.4 percent to 230,800 units. Michigan's fell 21.3 percent to 140,800. |
| Columbia Gas seeks drop in rate to $1.09 COLUMBUS Columbia Gas of Ohio has asked state regulators for permission to lower its natural gas rate in September to $1.09 per 100 cubic feet, 26 cents less than its August rate and the largest single month-to-month decrease since the utility began filing monthly rate requests in October, 2004. The rate is subject to approval of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. The utility a year ago charged 98 cents. The rate applies only to customers of Columbia Gas, or about a quarter of all northwest Ohio customers using natural gas. |
| Limbaugh takes lumps from Olbermann "...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. FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 SOME PEOPLE TALK TOO MUCH: Whether you agree with Rush Limbaugh's politics or not, he sure does say some controversial things that make it really easy for guys like Keith Olbermann to let him have it. (RL) FOR THE ROOKIES: So you've broken down and purchased a Madden NFL 09 game and now you're mucking around on it, but it just feels like you're twiddling your thumbs. Here are a few places you might want to explore. Bet you didn't know there's a whole planet for the game filled with all kinds of tips. If you're puzzling over defensive formations and all sorts of other stuff, there are Web sites out there with plenty of advice. (RL) REMEMBER THIS GUY? You know, the former actor known as Ahnold? Well, he likely won't be back reprising his iconic role as The Terminator, but with a new Terminator flick in the works, the Thin Slices staff recommends the original and its first sequel as your weekend DVD picks. It's a twofer. (RL) LULLABY: Yeah, let's see the Dog Whisperer do this. Cuteness factor off the charts. (KC) SERIOUS EATS: What does Michael Phelps eat? Watch! The big man moves through several Ann Arbor area restaurants. (RS) THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 THEY'RE BAAAAAACK: No more therapy, no more ranting about downloading, no more rehab, Metallica's ready to roar again with a new disc a tour that brings them to Detroit in January, and a lot of love for producer Rick Rubin. (RL) TROPIC THUNDER FALLOUT: No, not the controversy over the use of the word "retarded," we're talking about Tom Cruise, who can't get a break even when he shows up on the red carpet acting subdued. For the record, The Blade's Kirk Baird thought the movie was worth three and a half stars. (RL) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13 DISNEY'S FIRST BLACK PRINCESS : New concept art has been recently released for Disney's new animated feature, The Princess and the Frog. The film, scheduled to hit theatres in December 2009, depicts Disney's first African-American princess, Tiana. The company previously received criticism for the film, which was formerly titled, The Frog Princess, because that version depicted a black heroine named, Maddy, who worked as a chambermaid. After much criticism, Disney reworked the film, which is depicted in early-20th century New Orleans. Disney says princess Tiana will be added to its line of princess characters, including Cinderella, Snow White, Mulan, and Aladdin's Princess Jasmine. (CA) HERE'S NEWS YOU CAN USE: With tips on everything from making pancakes to getting out of a speeding ticket, this Web site is an invaluable resource for both the big stuff and the little stuff. (RL) TOLEDO ROCKS: Saturday night the new Toledo Civic Theatre will host the six piece Flobots , a band that's not afraid to take a political stance even though their first single "Handlebars" might seem a bit light. It's not. (RL) TUESDAY, AUGUST 12 REST IN PEACE, SOUL MAN: Isaac Hayes was a performer who transcended generations, from his early career as a Memphis soul legend to his iconic role in transforming a blaxploitation flick into something more with his soundtrack to Shaft. Finally, he's remembered for his irreverent turn on South Park. Hayes died Sunday. (RL) REST IN PEACE, FUNNY MAN: Bernie Mac had a unique ability to be both edgy and mainstream, but he was always funny. Bernie Mac died Saturday at the age of 50. (RL) ROLLING: Yes, even Barack Obama has been RickRoll'D. You've never been RickRoll'D? You have now. Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you." (KC) MONDAY, AUGUST 11 NEW 'DO: X17 has photos of Katie Holmes' new hairdo. Find our favorite classic Katie 'dos and sweaty-running-the-New-York-City-marathon 'do. (KC) OLYMPICS BAH: You want real athletes? Go to the Sauna World Championship. Leila Kulin sweated her way to the Women's title with a time of 5:22 minutes. "I could do 5:22 in a sauna," you say. In a 'contest' sauna? (KC) BAD JUJU: Top 10 pop culture curses: everything from The Dark Knight to Madden video games. (RS) ACID SOUNDS: A Protein Primer: A Musical Introduction to Protein Structure takes 20 amino acids and assigns them to a musical scale. Music samples are produced from protein and DNA sequences using software to give you the sounds of a Beta Globin and a Blue cone receptor? (KC) THIN SLICING Have some Thin Slices to contribute or comment on? Rod Lockwood Kevin Cesarz ARCHIVES Week 1 Slices Week 2 Slices Week 3 Slices |
| Movie review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars ''''</ |