The American Heart Association’s inaugural Glass City Heart Ball will be Saturday, March 14 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons, a news release said.
The event will raise funds for the American Heart Association-funded cardiovascular disease research. The news release said this research will “improve the lives of women, children and families in Northwest Ohio.” In the past two years, the American Hearts Association has allocated $1 million for research studies in the Toledo area.
The event will have live music, a candlelight dinner, dancing, and live and silent auctions. The event is black tie optional.
To purchase tickets or for more information, contact the American Heart Association’s Events Director Alexandra Hertel at (419) 740-6166 or e-mail alexandra.hertel@heart.org <mailto:alexandra.hertel@heart.org> .

Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority’s (TARTA) public comment meetings continued Feb. 18 in attempts to give the public and transit riders a chance to voice their opinion and give suggestions.
TARTA General Manager, James Gee, announced possibly adopting a hub system in Ddowntown Toledo and a sales tax covering Lucas County and Perrysburg in Rossford in Wood County. Smaller changes could occur as early as April and routes could see effects in June.
“Our region is changing around us,” Gee said. “TARTA as an organization needs to change as the region changes and as the passengers change.”
TARTA hired Parsons Brinckerhoff to conduct a $140,000 study funded by Federal Transit Administration funds, a news release said.
Gee said sales tax is the preferred way to fund transit systems statewide as it allows each community’s needs to be addressed. He said there would be a .5 percent increase in sales tax, or one cent on every $2, on taxable items such as electronics and clothing. Food, prescriptions and healthcare would not be taxed.
A second source of change is the proposed adoption of one transit hub downtown and the elimination of the current downtown “loop.”
TARTA will also look to improve the Call-A-Ride system, bus fleets, restoration of route 3, internet and technology communication and routes to Perrysburg.
The last of three public comment meeting is Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Maumee Branch Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. Comments can be filed by mail or online until March 31.

Send mail to:
TARTA
Attn: Bill Kelly
P.O. Box 792
Toledo, Ohio 43697-0792
Info@tarta.com

Students from Central Catholic High School will attend the 5th Annual 2009 Black History Brunch hosted by Perry Burroughs Democratic Women’s Club.
Mayor Clarence W. Hawkins of Bastrop, La., will speak at the Feb. 21 luncheon at Gladieux Meadows. The lunch is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and tickets are $35 for one person and $280 for a table of eight.
A donor who wished to remain anonymous purchased the table for Central’s minority students who have excelled in academics. The students from Central are seniors.

• Kaila Blanchard, 3.88 GPA, is involved in student government, African American Club, Youth in Philanthropy Encouraging Excellence and varsity track and field.
• David Gant, 3.7 GPA, is involved in football, track and Latin Club.
• Corion Jones, 3.9 GPA, is involved in African American Club, Glee Club and has been honored with an internship at UT Medical Center.
• Jasmine Shells, 4.4 GPA, is involved in Gospel Choir, African American Club, National Honors Society and drama.
• Amanda Suhrweier, 3.8 GPA, is involved in track and field, Gospel Choir, student council and National Honors Society.
• Jeff White, 4.1 GPA, is involved in National Honors Society, Regents Scholars Program, Spiritual Commission and was editor in chief of the school newspaper his junior year.
• Emerald Woodberry, 4.3 GPA, is involved in Gospel Choir, National Honor Society, varsity golf and Upward Bound. She will be attending Notre Dame Academy in the fall.
• Bobby Woodcock, 4.69 GPA, is involved in student government, Spiritual Commission and Enviro Club.

Toledo area families can receive donated food, smoke detectors, healthy and hygiene products, medical care and other necessities Feb. 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Chester Zablocki Center at 3015 Lagrange St., according to a news release.

The drive is part of a project of the Community Asset & Resource Engagement Team, along with Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak and other social service agencies.

“These days, more and more people are struggling to put food on the table, by bringing resources directly to neighborhoods in need, we hope to make things just a little easier during these difficult economic times” said Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak.

Dominating the headlines this past week, as well as the thoughts of many Americans, is the latest stimulus bill working its way through Congress. The Obama Administration, with all of its good intentions, still doesn’t seem to grasp the idea that we — and I say we, meaning people, corporations and our government — can’t spend our way back into prosperity.

Having lived for the past decade with one of, if not the lowest savings rates, in the world, America’s times for free spending and living beyond our means are over. This doesn’t mean that we don’t need a plan, quite the contrary.

Right now, more than anything, the market demands answers and transparency.

As new Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner found out, talk is cheap. While rhetoric works wonderfully in campaigns, the Obama Administration needs to learn, and quickly, that it won’t drive markets.

And even though the stimulus plan is not yet in effect — and we’re sure it will be soon, with or without Republican support — there are bright spots in this economy nevertheless.

Auto dealers, of all people, have reported seeing improvement as of late. We’ve heard that this past January, usually a slow month in cars, was a good month overall, and the best January in a long time, especially for used cars, both imported and domestic.

In addition, the market for corporate debt appears to be loosening. In the past week, Cisco issued $4 billion to use for buying out its competitors, and Intel announced a $7 billion expansion in plants in the United States.

With these new developments in the credit markets, it is quite possible that what we are witnessing, in response to tight bank credit recently, is a return to 1980s-style alternative financing. In the 80s, it became extremely popular for companies to issue bonds rather than using bank financing. It worked wonders for the spree of leveraged buyouts then, and it is providing a great option of financing today. And the stock market seems to be recognizing these developments, as it has stayed relatively stable since bottoming in November.

However, precious metals have been shining especially bright as investors flock to gold and silver for safe-haven investments, as well as hedges against the inflation this stimulus plan is likely to cause.

Dock David Treece is a stockbroker licensed with FINRA. He works for Treece Financial Services Corp., www.TreeceInvestments.com. The above information is the express opinion of Dock David Treece and should not be used without outside verification.

An increasing number of Ohio parents are using religious or personal exemptions to delay or refuse immunizations for children amid fears that vaccines contribute to autism.

Ohio Department of Health data shows the number of religious and philosophical exemptions nearly quadrupled in Ohio between 1998 and 2008, though that figure still represents fewer than 1 in 100 children.

All states require children to be immunized for school. All but Mississippi and West Virginia allow religious exemptions, and Ohio and 19 others also permit exemptions for personal reasons.

A 2007 Associated Press analysis of states and federal data found many states were seeing increases in the rate of religious exemptions claimed for kindergartners.

Doctors say they’re concerned that more exemptions could lead to outbreaks of preventable illnesses among children who haven’t had the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.

“It doesn’t take a lot of unvaccinated kids to start a little pocket of infection and epidemic,” said Dr. Patricia Manning-Courtney, medical director of the Kelly O’Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Health officials haven’t done a good job of explaining vaccine risks, which leaves parents with doubts, she said.

For years, scientists have debunked the theory of a link between children’s vaccines and autism.

A special federal court upheld that view Thursday, turning down families in three cases who contended that a combination of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine plus other shots triggered autism. Special Master Denise Vowell of the U.S. Court of Claims concluded the families, who had hoped to win compensation, were “victims of bad science.”

That won’t necessarily stop the small but vocal movement of anti-vaccine parents that includes actress Jenny McCarthy, whose son has autism.

Also among the naysayers are Jim and Jennifer Hansel of suburban Cincinnati, who decided not to get their 7-year-old son vaccinated after their older son developed autism.

The older boy, now 11, began showing signs of autism within a month of his measles-mumps-rubella vaccine when he was one year old, said Jennifer Hansel, who blames the vaccine for the developmental disability.

She says her younger son will be vaccinated before he goes to college, once his immune system is more developed.

“Would I rather have my child get measles than push him into autism? Yeah,” she said. “I’m definitely much more worried about autism than measles.”

Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, has suggested that vaccines may affect some children more than others, though health officials haven’t determined what might make some more susceptible.

“Are vaccines safe? It’s like asking me if aspirin is safe,” she said. “It’s safe most of the time, but in certain people it may not be.”

According to a news release Feb. 17, the FOX Toledo, Toledo Fire and Rescue and the Red Cross Toledo Area Chapter will again distribute free smoke detectors to Toledo area residents.

Residents with proof of Oregon or Jerusalem township residency can go to the Oregon fire station at 5002 Seaman St. Feb. 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. to sign up for a free smoke detector, while supplies last. A representative from the fire department will install the smoke detectors in homes at no cost.

The Toledo Opera announced its 2009-2010 season Feb. 17, according to a news release, a season that promises to “inspire Toledo’s opera lovers.”

“We’ve assembled a season with great breadth of repertoire,” wrote General and Artistic Director Renay Conlin in a news release. “This season promises a very well-rounded experience for the many thousands of opera lovers in Toledo. In addition to the star vocal artists that we engage, we are excited to be bringing a consistently high quality of theatre to our audience through productions that are visually alluring and musically moving.”

Beginning in November, the Toledo Opera will open its season with Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff, the story of a con man who tries to entice two married noblewoman at the same time in hopes of winning their fortunes. According to the news release, the theme of the opera is “in life, we are all fools and he who laughs last, laughs best.” Performances begin Nov. 7 and 13 at 7:30 p.m and Nov. 15 at 2:30 p.m. in the Valentine Theatre. The opera is sung in Italian with English translations provided via projection about the stage.

To kick off 2010, the Toledo Opera’s 2010 Opera Gala will feature April in Paris only once, Feb. 13, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. at The Peristyle at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Benjamin Britten’s ancient Roman tale, Lucretia will be performed in March. The performance will be sung in English on March 13 and 14, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. in The Peristyle.

To end the season, the Toledo Opera will perform Gaetano Donizetti’s comedy, The Elixir of Love, a tale of shy Nemorino’s innocent love and attempts to win the heart of the beautiful Adina. The opera will be sung in Italian with English translations at the Valentine Theatre on May 1 and 7, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. and May 9 at 2 p.m.

Visit the Toledo Opera’s Web sit for season subscriptions and more information

www.toledoopera.org or call (419) 255-7464.

WGTE TV released the following statement on Feb. 17:

“For nearly two years, WGTE, like most television stations, has been advising the public about the digital transition. Although Congress has passed and the President signed legislation to extend the transition until June 12, 2009, WGTE will end analog broadcast, with approval from the FCC, on Tuesday, February 17.

“Marlon Kiser, President and CEO of WGTE Public Media, stated that ‘Over the past six months, our messaging has been frequent and relentless, and we feel that we have done an excellent job of informing our audience. We feel that they are well prepared.’

“The decision to end analog transmission on February 17 is an economic one. Kiser states, ‘The fiscal year 2009 budget approved by our community board of directors allocated funding to pay for electricity to power the analog transmitter through February 17. It would cost WGTE approximately $30,000 to power the transmitter until June 12. This is money that was not budgeted, and money we do not have as we lose revenue during the economic downturn.’

“Although we know there are still viewers who are unprepared for the transition, WGTE has allocated a great deal of financial, staff and on-air resources to educate the public. ‘Over the past year, we have spoken with hundreds of viewers through email, on the phone, and at public events about the steps they can take to make sure they are ready for digital television,’ says Darren LaShelle, Director of Television Broadcast Services. ‘PBS is the only network that has produced primetime programs designed to lead viewers through the DTV set up process.’

“On February 17, the last day of analog broadcast, WGTE will only air DTV transition programming on our analog channel, including a phone number to call with questions. WGTE employees will staff a call center to give viewers specific information about their individual situations, including converter box set up, reception issues, channel scanning, and the U.S. government coupon program. The call center will continue to be available on February 18 as well. February 17-18, viewers with questions can call 1-866-380-4664.

“After the transition, WGTE will broadcast three digital channels, including WGTE HD at 30.1, WGTE Family at 30.2, and WGTE Create at 30.3. These channels are available over-the-air and on area cable systems. For more information on the broadcast schedules of each of the channels, visit www.wgte.org.

Continuing a trend of falling natural gas costs, Columbia Gas of Ohio Feb. 16 announced a March Gas Cost Recovery (GCR) that is the lowest March GCR since 2005. Filed today with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the GCR adjustment of $.95 per Ccf (100 cubic feet) is effective March 2 and continues through March 30, 2009.

According to a news release, this is a $.02 reduction from the February 2009 GCR of $.97 Ccf and a $.15 reduction from the March 2008 GCR of $1.10 Ccf. As a result, the average residential bill is projected to be $162.33, making it the lowest average March natural gas bill for Columbia Gas customers in four years. It also reflects a 17-percent reduction in the average residential bill in February of 2009 of $195.59; the average consumer bill in March of 2008 was $172.01.

The March GCR comes on the heals of the January GCR, which was the lowest January GCR since 2004, and the February GCR, which was the lowest February GCR since 2005, the news release stated.

These prices only impact the 18-percent of Lucas County customers that purchase their natural gas directly from Columbia Gas. The residential bill projections are based on average weather conditions.

Under Ohio law, natural gas utilities may not profit on the sale of gas to their retail customers. The GCR is designed to recover the utility’s gas costs on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Columbia earns its profits on gas delivery charges and adjusts the GCR monthly to reflect market conditions.

Columbia Gas cautions consumers that unpredictable factors such as abnormally cold weather could upset the supply-demand balance and send natural gas prices higher. A spike in oil prices could also impact natural gas prices. The long-term solution to unstable prices is to bring new domestic sources of gas to market.

More information about Columbia Gas of Ohio is available at: ColumbiaGasOhio.com.