An energy fair will add new dimension to the Sylvania Chamber of Commerce’s 2009 Showcase Sylvania Expo.
The sixth annual business expo is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 28 at the Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Center located at Tam-O-Shanter on Sylvania Avenue. Local residents can learn about the variety of retail, organizations and service-oriented companies in the neighborhood.
The show highlights and reflects the community’s diverse private and professional businesses.
Sylvania Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Pat Nowak said the Expo is “unique and different every year.”
This year an “Energy Fair” area will be available for consumers to learn what’s new in energy efficiency. “If you have a business to showcase, this is the place with the value,” Nowak said.
Visitors will see local products and services with interactive displays in a family-friendly environment. Showcase Sylvania will have 170 local businesses participating, including a 2009 student art fest from the Sylvania Community Arts Commission. Art fest includes artwork from Sylvania grade school and high school students.
Activities in the children’s area will be sponsored by the YMCA/JCC. Nowak said a consumer favorite of the expo is the Taste of Sylvania, including specialty foods, coffee shops and local supermarkets offering fresh ideas for dinner, entertaining and healthy eating alternatives.
Jim Armstrong from Metamora State Bank has been an executive sponsor since the first business expo. He said he looks forward to meeting residents and business owners in the community who are within the crowd of 5,000 that attend.
“It’s a wonderful event for the community. Bring the children; we have a little bit of everything” Armstrong said. He advises small -business owners looking to advertise their companies to rent a booth.
“It’s the most valuable place to expose their business inexpensively and for businesses to reach out for one-on-one contact” Armstrong said.
There are a limited number of booths available to rent. Interested businesses can call the Sylvania Chamber of Commerce at (419) 882-2135 to rent a booth, by Feb. 15. Most businesses will provide door prizes and giveaways along with entertainment from local schools, music and dance academies, Nowak said. Free parking is onsite at Tam-O-Shanter, Olander Park, Southview High School and Boulevard Church of Christ. A shuttle is planned for all off-site parking. For more information, visit www.sylvaniachamber.org.

In these challenging times, we must believe in ourselves. Opportunities for growth will invariably present themselves, and as a city, and a community, we must be ready when they do.
The City of Toledo is pleased to be participating in the development of the Meta-Plan, now known as the Toledo-Regional Economic Plan. This ambitious project could enable our region to collectively identify the resources needed and the investments that must be made, and then we can work together to create the optimum economic development delivery system.
The decision to align the regional plan with the state of Ohio provides consistency and timeliness that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. A key ingredient to fostering successful economic development is to grow, attract and maintain a highly educated and productive work force.
Educated cities prosper, and it is a sobering fact that only 17 percent of Toledoans have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
It is exceptionally important that every individual in our community understands the increasing importance of achieving a higher education, and that our educational system is able to effectively train our work force with marketable skills. If Toledo is to break through to the next level of prosperity, we must dedicate ourselves to collectively improving our educational level.
The bold new scholarship program offered by UT President Dr. Lloyd Jacobs, which guarantees all local students with a 3.0 GPA can attend the university tuition-free, is a step forward in improving our educational standing.
One of our challenges is to build a more globally competitive economy. We must make it as easy as possible to conduct business in Toledo and to be as prepared as possible to positively address the requirements of business.
While Toledo has been named “Most Business Friendly City in North America” by Foreign Direct Investment magazine (a supplement of The London Financial Times), we must increase our support of growing advanced technology businesses by encouraging the entrepreneurial mindset and funding the research that fuels their growth. We also must diversify our economy by building upon our longtime strengths and assets as we pursue new alternatives. Our knowledge and history with glass played a significant role in our recent successes in solar energy.
The Meta-Plan has identified major clusters that show growth potential and are related to our existing assets, which will enable our marketing plan to be more focused, and we believe, more successful.
Branding our region as the place for clean, green, alternative energy, advanced manufacturing and innovation is another worthy goal of the Meta-Plan.
Branding our community in this manner has already been achieved to some degree. The Toledo area has become internationally known and respected as a leader in solar energy research and development. In the past few months, there have been stories by The New York Times, Newsweek, CNN and ABC News about our emerging status as one of the world’s solar energy capitals. We must duplicate our solar energy marketing successes in the major clusters we are pursuing.
On the individual level, there are positive statements that each of us can make about our city and our region, but for some reason, consistently negative statements are being made instead.
Until each of us takes the responsibility of looking for and talking about the positive aspects of our community, we will be known as an underachieving community. If we cannot convince ourselves that our community has many assets, how will we convince others?  Our efforts will either be enhanced, or held back, by the attitude and statements of individual citizens.
The final point of the Meta-Plan is to create an economic development delivery system that is second to none. All of those involved in economic development must focus on the customer.
While some have expressed concern that the economic development groups in the region do not work very well together, my experience indicates that we have each developed certain specialties that allow us to coordinate development services quite well.
However, like every other aspect of economic development, we must search to see if there is a better way to deliver services.
In these challenging economic times, where the numbers of projects, investments and budgets have become seriously reduced, the areas that do the best job of continuously improving every aspect of their community and regional economic development efforts will be the communities that are most able to transform themselves successfully.
The Meta-Plan, the Toledo-Regional Economic Plan, is a bold step toward furthering this region’s transformation.

Carty Finkbeiner is mayor of the City of Toledo.

A group of leaders from our region recently shared our vision for the Toledo-Regional Economic Plan — a cohesive effort that began with the Meta-Plan and continues to grow under a collective unity of purpose.
The plan is based on the main points of the Ohio Department of Development’s strategic plan. The outcome of the plan is to bring greater clarification to the overall economic development service system and provide the forum for gathering resources and creating action plans around our clusters of development.
Through several studies conducted by the state and local agencies, we have identified five cluster areas of strength for Northwest Ohio:
1. Advanced and alternative energy
2. Advanced manufacturing and materials
3. Biosciences
4. Transportation and logistics
5. Architecture, engineering and construction Services
Our focus at the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority will mainly be on the transportation and logistics cluster. It is clear that this region is a robust international transportation, distribution and logistics hub, and that there is a convergence of mature air, rail, maritime and highway transportation assets here. Some of the future developments you will hear about over the coming months include:
Ironville docks
In May, the port authority acquired the former Chevron Property (now renamed Ironville Docks) on Front Street. The additional 181 acres makes the Port of Toledo the largest land mass seaport on the Great Lakes. Midwest Terminals of Toledo is developing Ironville Docks for manufacturing and heavy industry. The additional property allows Midwest to grow its current Seaport Operations and expand into new industries — creating jobs in our region.
In November, the state of Ohio announced that Lucas County would be the recipient of a $5 million Job-Ready Sites program grant for this property — a first for Lucas County. The grant facilitates the much-needed infrastructure improvements and transformed the project’s timeline from 10 years to three.
Toledo Express Airport
Toledo Express has a $640 million economic impact on the region, and we will work closely with our cargo partners to expand our offerings to facilitate growth.
A port authority investment of $1.8 million in roadway, water, sewer and utility infrastructure brought 750 acres of development-ready property to life near Toledo Express, and a new roadway improves access to the area. A newly constructed 80,000-square-foot warehouse — housed in a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) — has become home to two tenants, and construction plans for a second warehouse in the FTZ are under way.
Utilization of our resources
CSX has demonstrated its recognition of the region’s transportation advantages and strategic geography with its decision to develop a major transportation and logistics facility in North Baltimore. To capitalize on this development, we are focusing on the creation of an inland distribution hub in various locations around our region. The hub will allow inbound goods to be quickly off-loaded and moved to distribution centers for subsequent handling and redistribution within the country.
Our region is the perfect destination for moving products into and out of the American Midwest and Canada. In fact, 43 percent of United States and 47 percent of Canadian markets are within a 500-mile radius of our region. This close proximity coupled with the development in North Baltimore uniquely positions our region to capitalize on transportation and logistics needs nationwide.
As we begin 2009, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is committed to working hard for our community and closely with our constituents to drive development and job creation in our region through our transportation and logistics assets. We are proud to serve this area and will continue to do all that we can to ensure a viable future.

Paul Toth is interim president of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

Many might have figured out by now that Sen. Barack Obama was not my first choice as president. I have nothing against the man personally, but the policies that he outlined during his campaign and the principles that I hold dear do not seem to have much in the way of correspondence.  An election has been held; however, my position did not carry the day, and Obama won both the popular election and a sufficient number of electoral votes to become president of the United States. On Jan. 20, he took the oath of office and assumed the title and responsibilities commensurate with that high office. In the spirit of this peaceful transfer of power, I too will make an oath:
I, Tim Higgins, do solemnly swear to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States to the best of my abilities as a citizen. In my attempt to do so, I may disagree with the policies put forth by the new president. If this should be the case, I also swear that I will not attack the man who is attempting to enact those policies, but only the policies themselves.
I recognize that this oath may sound familiar, as it is similar to the one that the President Obama just took.  I also know that as a citizen, a blogger and columnist that such a lofty oath is not required of me and may seem a bit pretentious.  I believe that such an oath is necessary, however.
You see, I do in fact hope for the success of the presidency of Obama. The United States is in a time of economic and ethical crisis and it is only by the judicious use of power that I believe the president can hope to be a positive influence on either. It is further my belief that the office of president of the United States, while not deserving of any special reverence, is one deserving of my respect, as is the person who holds that office. I believe it likely; however, that the new administration and I will differ from time to time on how to achieve the best interests of the country, both in general and in particular.
Unfortunately, too much of the rhetoric these days comes out as personal attacks; however, and I for one I am finding this kind of politics of personality and destruction more and more offensive. Good people are capable of making both good and bad decisions.  It is the obligation of their friends, their supporters and even their detractors to tell them when they do so. It is absolutely the obligation of a reasoned opposition to give credit for good decisions and oppose those that they feel are bad.  I believe that this can be done without insult or personal attack.  This does not rule out the use of sarcasm, irony and creative metaphor, which are always available to reasoned debate; but those should be limited to the proposals and not the person.
My oath is to do just that.  It is to use the tools of language in a civil discourse to encourage adherence to the principles that I hold dear and that I believe the Founding Fathers espoused when framing the document that our new president just swore to protect and defend.  It is my oath to do so in a way that they would approve of (in theory at least, as history has shown us that they could be quite vicious with each other in practice).
As for Congress, I’m afraid that these same rules do not apply. It is my opinion that both parties and both Houses of Congress have betrayed the public trust far too long and far too often to take the gloves off when dealing with them. (Besides, there appears to be no reasoned debate with this rabble.) They are fools and scoundrels who need to be dealt with as such.  I will therefore call out those that I deem fitting for a proper pillory.  I do at least promise to handle all parties with the equal contempt and disdain that they deserve.

Tim Higgins blogs at the Web site http://justblowingsmoke.blogspot.com.

After 20 years of hosting a weekly radio morning show, Mike Scott is jazzed to be making the jump to a daily program.
Not that his voice will actually be heard all that much more over the airwaves, however.
That’s because Scott prefers to do more listening than talking on the Mike Scott Jazz Show, which returned to the Toledo airwaves Jan. 5 on AM 1230 WCWA.

Mike Scott

Scott said he sees the latest incarnation of his smooth jazz show, which has aired on FM stations in the past, as a chance to “raise the bar” for AM radio.
“To me and to the normal person on the street, if you’re scanning for music on your radio, you’re scanning FM,” Scott admitted. “You’re not thinking AM for music. Once people understand that there is quality music on WCWA now, I’m going to get people turning from satellite or FM to the AM channel. I really, truly believe that my show, numbers-wise, ratings-wise, can compete with some of the [Toledo] FM stations and all of the AM stations.”
The Mike Scott Jazz Show airs on WCWA and on www.wcwa.com 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. In addition to playing smooth jazz artists such as Joseph Vincelli, Peter White, Tower of Power and The Rippingtons, Scott will also mix in some crossover artists like Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Buddy Guy and B.B. King. The program will also feature a “Saxy Hour,” a segment on a featured artist of the day, concert news from in and around the area and interviews with artists, agents and record producers in the smooth jazz industry.
Scott said the jump from a Sunday morning show to a Monday through Friday morning show has been a welcome adjustment for him.
“On Sunday programming, you have an audience that can’t wait to hear Sunday’s programming because they only get to hear it once a week, considering there’s no smooth jazz radio program in the area,” he said.
For Sunday’s show, Scott said he usually put in four or five hours of prep time. For his daily show, he’s prepping for up to four hours each night before the show, in addition to the 20 hours each week on the air.
“Pretty much it’s a full-time job now, where before it was my little hobby on Sundays,” Scott said. “But I enjoy it more.”
Scott’s smooth jazz résumé includes hosting his show on a number of area radio stations since its inception in October 1988. Scott’s friend, Buddy Carr, owned WRED 95.7 and allowed the aspiring DJ to purchase some airtime from him. The show jumped back and forth between several radio stations before ending two years ago after a four-year run at WFRO 99.1 in Fremont due to Scott’s struggle to secure enough advertising there.
A chance meeting this fall with Andy Stuart, Clear Channel general manager, resulted in Scott’s first chance after a two-year hiatus to bring his love of smooth jazz to Toledo airwaves.
“I just love music, period; it doesn’t matter what kind it is,” Scott said after his first week back on the air. “I lean toward smooth jazz, R&B and the blues because it’s my favorite.”
Scott said listeners can count on hearing a heavy dose of tunes on his show, rather than the talking found on most A.M. radio.
“There’s so many opinionated people and one-sided thinkers that they have to express their views and opinions, I guess,” Scott said about the ample supply of word-heavy programs in the morning hours. “I’m not a talk-show listener because it’s only one person’s opinion.”

Because running his show largely remains a do-it-himself project for Scott (he still buys airtime from the station), he’s constantly seeking advertisers to help keep the program on the air. Businesses that would like to be a sponsor of the Mike Scott Jazz Show may contact him at (419) 283-7299.

Visit www.wcwa.com for more information.

Being a leader at a small school brings its own set of challenges. But Sameh Zarour and Mohammad Elnoory are motivated and doing their best to cater to the student body.
Zarour is a senior and vice president of student council at Toledo Islamic Academy (TIA). Elnoory is a junior and president of council. Last year, they held the opposite positions. Zarour’s senior class has a total of three people, while Elnoory’s class has a total of 10. The middle and high schools have a total of 60 students.
“There are not that many activities so it’s hard to reach out to a lot of numbers,” Elnoory said. “The advantage is because it’s so little; the kids in your class almost become your family … not the typical ties you see at schools.”
“I observed TIA a lot just to see how the student-teacher relationship went,” he said. … “I sat back and observed how things were conducted at TIA. I came to the conclusion that students were not given that much freedom of choice. When you don’t have that, problems occur. When I wanted to run for president, I knew that kids aren’t scared to come up to me.”
Elnoory and Zarour started a Red Cross club this year and are planning a soccer tournament in the community. They also started a school lunch program.
“Over the years, sometimes you see leaders and notice their mistakes,” Zarour said. “My fellow students, for example, I try to give them what they wanted, not what I wanted. A leader isn’t someone who isn’t position-conscience”.
Their budget is also a struggle. They were left with less than $20 when they began their positions. One change this school year is that their adviser has to “approve” of their activities beforehand.
“It’s hard for me personally,” Zarour said. “When I was president last year, it was just us: the council board, two boys and two girls. We never have the chance to prove ourselves, but so many people have potential.”
Elnoory said they also struggle with criticism from older people.
“Sometimes it’s out of our hands, but we try our best … The question should be what can we do, not what have we done. You get criticized lot. It’s hard.”
Elnoory and Zarour both plan on attending the University of Michigan to study pre-med/biology.
If Elnoory was mayor of Toledo, he would establish a community where everyone depends on one another.
“I’d work on bringing the community together. You’re always going to need help in everything you do and you can’t do everything as ones.”
Zarour said he would like to provide more jobs.
“Jobs are becoming worse; the economy is going down,” he said. “Only certain people get hurt. I would go down and get to know people, find things, take a walk, look at the differences between some parts and other parts [of town].”

Dieppe, France, 31 March 1952” — the first stamp in an old passport, opening day to a lifetime of travel experience that’s not easily distilled into a manageable form.
But for our first Toledo Free Press column, we decided to try. So today, some travel rules to live by … in five easy pieces.
To make them a little easier to remember, we’ve also assigned memory joggers.
Like R&P, which in our lexicon now stands for Research-and-Plan.
There’s just no substitute, in our view, for thorough trip planning. And there’s no excuse for not doing it, whether you’re taking an independent vacation or letting someone else organize your tour or cruise.
R&P guarantees the biggest bang for your buck, while at the same time cutting costs, saving time and minimizing aggravation.
In today’s Internet-connected world, there are no shortages of places to go for information and answers … and in future columns we’ll delve more deeply into those possibilities, but for the moment, think guide books. Think travel magazines. Think Internet.
A feet-up,  comfy way to prep for a place you’re about to visit is to read novels set in that locale.  Experience Venice with Donna Leon, for example, or Botswana with Alexander McCall Smith, Edinburgh with Ian Rankin, San Francisco with John Lescroart and so on.
Next up: The Ralph Syndrome.
Alas, poor Ralph, we know him well, and have been using his name in vain for decades. And while we love him, Ralph is still the quintessential “Type-A” traveler, a guy who simply can’t stay in one place for very long, has to see and do absolutely everything and cram it all into too-few days.
That means that a single delay, a single minor hiccup, a swollen ankle, will cause his whole itinerary to crash and burn. It also means that he never gets very much out of what he sees or does.
So don’t do a “Ralph,” please. Slow way down … and take the time to smell those roses.
Now, Roomie Blues. There’s no more certain guarantee for an ugly or unfulfilled trip than traveling with the wrong companion. It’ll drive you nuts.
Be aware that someone being your very best friend at home doesn’t necessarily translate into compatibility on the road.
We’ve seen far too many relationships, marriages even, collapse under the stresses of traveling together. Often, one person gets lumbered with all the work and organization while the other follows along passively … complaining vociferously, of course, when things don’t work out quite right.
Instead, insist on dividing the chores and responsibilities. And talk the nitty-gritty over very carefully before departure. Who thinks lunch is a foolish extravagance or goes to bed at 7:30 needs to be addressed on home turf.
Then there’s “Go-Lightly, Go-Happy.” Of all the travel topics we’ve ever written or talked about, luggage and packing has always created the most buzz and correspondence. Now, with increased security and airline surcharges, our favorite topic takes on even greater significance.
So, whether you’re flying, driving or taking the train, the only way to go in today’s world is light. As in one carry-on-size bag, 22 inches max. End of discussion. What goes in, what stays out, and how you get all the stuff you need into such a bag has been endlessly discussed and documented by us and by others and we’ll do it again some day soon … but for the moment, suffice to say that “lighten-ing up is the best revenge,” and you can do it.
Yes, you can!
Finally, The Pepys Show. Keeping a detailed diary of your trip will extend the experiences way beyond the event itself. Having probably spent a small fortune on the vacation to begin with,  you really owe it yourself to preserve the memories well into the future.
If you were simply to follow what the great diarist Samuel Pepys did between 1660 and 1669 and scribble down notes about everything you do and see, your memories could also survive for 340 years … and that should be long enough for most of us.

E-mail travel columnists Roger Holliday and Claudia Fischer at RogerHolliday@wcnet.org.

Suites and special seating are sold out at the renovated Savage Arena and are selling quickly for the new Downtown arena.
Sources for both facilities have reported that it hasn’t been easy, but the local business community is responding well, despite current economic conditions.
“We have the right balance for the community based on research we’ve done,” said Joe Napoli, president of Toledo Arena Sports Inc., referring to the total number of suites at the new Downtown arena, Fifth Third Field, UT’s Glass Bowl and Savage Arena.
Napoli reported having sold 17 of 20 suites and is in discussion for the final three. The company plans to hold two to four suites for rentals at individual events and games similar to the three suites rented at Fifth Third Field. The company has sold 800 club seats, surpassing the goal of 650 and will probably cap it at 850, Napoli said.
“We’re very pleased with the results so far. We like to be optimistic that we will sell the naming rights before the arena opens this fall.”
Napoli reported Toledo Arena Sports Inc. is still negotiating with three companies for the naming rights, but declined to identify them. He said the rights will be sold on the merits of the deal and that the terms will likely determine who  lands the long-term lease. The new arena will have 20 corporate suites with 12 seats in each suite. Leases for the suites will cost $40,000 for the two sports teams or $55,000 for all events in the arena and will permit sharing of suites by up to three tenants.
All club and loge seats and 12 private suites at the renovated Savage Arena are sold out for this year, according to Michael Karabin, deputy athletic director at UT. He said that 90 percent of the seats in the lower part of the arena are sold for this season of men’s and women’s basketball.
“As tough as the economy is, we couldn’t be happier about what we’ve sold, but it wasn’t easy,” Karabin said.
“The Downtown arena was not a factor for us,” he said about selling suites and special seating at Savage Arena. “The suites and special seats at Savage and the Glass Bowl are equivalent to any professional venues in the country.”
The 12 suites at Savage sold for $30,000 each per year, plus the cost of tickets for the individual events and any catering or food service. Some of the suites were sold to individual companies, while other suites were leased on a shared basis to multiple businesses.
Brooks Insurance Agency leases a suite in Savage Arena, as well as at the Glass Bowl and Fifth Third Field. The company is utilizing the latest one in a variety of creative ways, said Denny Johnson, president of Brooks Insurance Agency in Toledo.
Johnson said that UT and SSOE’s design team did a wonderful job in providing an excellent environment for entertaining clients, networking opportunities and social interaction for businesses and families.
“We’re very pleased with the response from our clients, employees and potential customers in the interactive environment,” Johnson said. “We also loaned the suite to a client for their business use and donated one night in it for a charity auction.”
Bostleman Corporation shares a suite with The Hylant Group, SSOE and TTL Associates, all local companies that have business and clients in common. The four firms divide up the 24 tickets in the suite among them.
“We use the suite for client entertainment, local networking and employee perks,” said Bill Bostleman, president of the family-owned business. The company also shares a suite at the Glass Bowl and has supported UT athletics for many years, he said.
The loge seating includes 30 boxes with eight to 20 seats that sold for $1,200 per seat. Another 200 club seats sold for $500 each. Both club and loge seats have beverage and food service available through servers taking orders during games or events.
“We’re on schedule to pay off the $30 million renovation project in seven years,” Karabin said. “After that, those dollars will help support the athletic programs at UT.”
UT is also aggressively pursuing more concerts and entertainment events at Savage Arena, such as the professional wrestling program set to be hosted Jan. 24, according to Karabin.
UT was out of the concert business for several years before the renovation because the roof at Savage did not meet the standards for holding such events.
“The better facility is an enhancement for student athletes and should help us recruit quality student athletes, improve the teams and provide more entertainment value for students and the entire community,” Karabin said.
UT is taking bids for construction scheduled to begin in April on a new indoor practice facility that will be built along the track between Savage Arena and the Health Education Center. The 750,000-square-foot facility will be used by multiple athletic teams upon its completion by late this fall, according to Karabin.

Downtown arena on schedule for opening

The Downtown arena remains on schedule to open in October with a number of events, according to Joe Napoli of Toledo Arena Sports Inc.
“We’re confident the community will be very pleased with the final results,” he said.
The Toledo Walleye hockey team will play the first sports event in the new facility, but Napoli said SMG has several surprises to open the facility. The Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus is already booked for Nov. 11 through 15. SMG is the global manager of arenas and convention centers that will operate the new 8,000-seat arena along with Fifth Third Field. Napoli said his team is working closely with SMG to bring a variety of events to the new arena.
“There will be more demand for event marketing when the economy starts to improve. Promoters are already looking at this market for more entertainment events,” Napoli said.
“The arena will be another great community gathering place.”
Napoli said they expect to attract more than 1 million visitors to Toledo each year because of the new arena, Fifth Third Field and SeaGate Convention Centre. The final cost of the arena will be determined by the county and Lathrop Company, the local construction management firm. They are working on a final maximum cost for the project and will come to terms before it’s completed, Napoli said.
It is expected to cost $75 million to $80 million. There has been a high level of competition for all construction bids for it and they have been keeping local trade workers busy, he reported.

A new bookstore in West Toledo is offering gently used books at prices that are easy on the pocketbook. Located at 3237 Sylvania Ave. just east of Secor Road, Book Cents carries a wide selection of paperback and hardback books in all categories, owner Marilyn Leach said.

Marilyn Leach

“It’s a small store packed with lots and lots of books,” she said. “We offer a wide variety, and they’re very inexpensive.”
Leach offers customers a chance to recycle their books by giving them trade-in credit on the books they bring in. Leach said she gladly keeps a copy of the credit receipt on file at the store, so that customers don’t have to worry about taking it with them and misplacing it.
“People really like to recycle nowadays,” Leach noted. “That wasn’t true years ago when I had a store. You had to talk to them about it. But now they’re really interested in recycling, and I like that.”
If it sounds like Leach knows her way around a bookstore, it’s because Book Cents is her second venture. She operated The Book Trader in Downtown Toledo 20 years ago.
“I love books and I love to sell,” she said. “I love dealing with the public and selling them something I like. And you never know what’s going to come in, which is one of the reasons why I like the business.”
Book Cents is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (419) 593-0093.

Based on a 1984 film of the same title, “Footloose” is a musical about Ren McCormack (Erik Keiser), an adolescent from Chicago who moves to the country town of Bomont. Once there, he discovers that there is a law which prohibits dancing. In hopes of having this law repealed (and upsetting the town in the process), he organizes a school dance. Even though the plot is unbelievable, the cast and crew entertained the audience.
To send the audience back in time, Van Halen’s “Jump” played in the background, and “Footloose” was displayed in large white letters on the curtain. This concert-like atmosphere made the audience excited for the production to begin. After the curtain opened, disco lights flashed as dancers came out singing the title song, “Footloose.” The story progressed at a rapid pace, and prevented the audience from looking away. Most of the cast did an impeccable job at portraying their characters. Erik Keiser performed poorly.
While musicals generally call for vibrant displays of emotion, the actor’s performance should still be believable. Keiser’s performance was not. When Ren sang “I Can’t Stand Still,” Keiser’s facial expression was overblown. He appeared to be making his dance moves up as he went along. When Keiser was not being over-dramatic, he lacked emotion. When Ren stated “maybe mom can find a job,” Keiser appeared devoid of any compassion. His singing was coarse. He made the duet “Almost Paradise,” sound more like “almost unbearable.” As Ren’s love interest, Ariel Moore, Lindsay Luppino captivated the audience.

Wearing a pink halter top, low-cut jeans, and blood-red boots, Ariel was the epitome of a rebellious daughter. When she sang “Holding Out for A Hero,” Luppino stepped out of predictability and into someone who desires freedom from the mundane. Luppino portrayed Ariel’s wild personality with gusto. In the restaurant scene, when she threw back her long hair, then stood on a bar and smiled, Luppino exhibited unbridled passion. Her voice added a divine touch to the song “Learning to be Silent,” and humanity to “Almost Paradise.” Michael Kennan Miller, who played Willard Hewitt, also wowed the audience.

As the “unintelligent hillbilly,” Hewitt made the audience care about Willard. His stage presence and dancing were exceptional. When he ended the song “Mamma Says (You Can’t Back Down)” with a big grin, the audience instantly fell in love with him. In the Country-Western Dance Hall scene, Miller did a flip from the bar to the floor. This move was a show stopper, and drove the audience wild with applause. The crew’s minute adherence to detail kept the audience’s attention, as well.

A backdrop of a wide open countryside evoked comfort for the church scenes. The 1950′s restaurant “The Burger Blast” was complete with silverware, drinks, and roller skates worn by the employees. In the scene under the bridge, the bridge’s pillars were filled with writing. The Country Dance Hall had a neon bull head, which gave it an authentic “country bar” atmosphere. The props also accentuated a theme.

The house of Reverend Shaw Moore (Glenn Wall) had a radio, a Bible, paintings of flowers on the wall, and flowers in a small pot. Also, Vi Moore, the reverend’s wife, wore a dress with flowers on it. This flower motif symbolized the interdependence of the Moore family. As a plant needs water and sunlight to grow, the Moore family needed each other to persevere through rough times. The lighting also enhanced the production.
Besides signifying the time of day, light was used to let the audience know when they were seeing an authentic side of the characters. The song “Somebody’s Eyes” was a warning to Ren to be careful with what he says in a small town. In this song, blue light on the townspeople conveyed the message that, while the residents of Bomont may appear to be minding their own business, they are actually eavesdropping. When the Reverend was alone and crying out to God in the song “Heaven Help Me,” blue light let the audience see that inside, he is not as adamant as he appears in front of others. Blue light communicated the message that people do not reveal their true selves or purposes in public.

The musical “Footloose” has noticeable weaknesses. The characters’ thoughts and motivations are barely touched. Most of the songs are “filler” to keep the plot moving. This musical should be looked at as more of an accompaniment to the original film, rather than just an adaptation. One of the musical’s strengths is that it sheds more light on the supporting characters, such as Willard and the Moore family, instead of just Ren. The cast took a ridiculous story filled with stock characters, and gave it a personality.