The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 had a major impact on long-term care planning. The DRA was passed to help reduce the national deficit by discouraging and making it more difficult for folks to qualify for Medicaid.
Medicaid is a state and federally funded program to help citizens pay for long-term care if they run out of money. In the past, it was not too difficult with some creative planning to shelter accumulated assets from being exhausted too quickly by the high cost of long-term care. It is appealing to many to hang onto what they have worked a lifetime to accumulate and have the government pay their nursing home bills.
Among the more significant changes was adjusting the “look back” period from 36 to 60 months. This is a period that Medicaid will look to see if there have been any “improper transfers” designed to get an individual down to the state- mandated level for resources to qualify. Typically, an individual is allowed only $2,000 or $1,500 in assets, depending on the state, and a married couple can keep half of their assets up to a little more than $100,000.  If a person applying for Medicaid had made one of these improper transfers in the 60 months prior to applying, a penalty period will be imposed and is determined by the amount of the transfer.
Another change, according to the DRA, is a limit on the value of a home that would be excluded from being a countable asset for qualifying purposes. In the past there was no limit on the value of a residence that could be owned while still qualifying for Medicaid.  Now, depending on the state the Medicaid applicant lives in, the residence value is limited to either $500,000 or $750,000.
This type of planning is just one more area where financial and legal planning overlap. It’s important to do non-crisis insurance and investment planning when it comes to protecting yourself from a long-term care crisis.   Although, there are many steps a family can take when a crisis hits so they don’t lose all of their assets, being proactive will give you the most choices.
Partnership for Long-term Care Insurance (LTC) programs also grew in many states to provide additional protection for families who purchase long-term care insurance because of the DRA.  Essentially, the state will match policy limits once a policy has been exhausted if Medicaid is required.  An example would be a single person who had a qualified LTC policy for $200,000 would have an additional $200,000 of protection from Medicaid spend-down if a crisis occurs.  Prior to this new partnership, an individual would only be protected up to $1,500 in Ohio.
Those who are considering protecting their assets from a health care crisis should review the partnership plans available in each state. If not, you still run the risk of depleting all of your assets if Medicaid is ever needed. If you purchased an LTC policy many years ago or are considering purchasing a new policy, make sure the policy matches the requirements to meet the new partnership program.  “If your current long-term care policy was purchased on or after Aug. 12, 2002, your insurance company must offer you the option to exchange it for a partnership policy. The insurance company cannot discriminate on the basis of your age or health status when making the exchange offer,” according to the Web site for Ohio’s Partnership for Long-Term Care Insurance.
Legally and financially, it makes sense to put a long-term care plan in place. Some people feel it will never happen to them.  But statistics prove otherwise. Nearly 60 percent of people over age 65 will require some form of care in their lifetime. Having a protection plan in place can also give you more control and independence in retirement. The government is not going to take care of you, so plan ahead.

For more information about today’s column and The Retirement Guys, tune in every Saturday at noon on 1230 WCWA and every Sunday at 11 a.m. on 1370 WSPD or visit www.retirementguysradio.com.  Securities are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC.  The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is located at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537.

It’s an outing that turns into a disappointment for a band that thought they had it made in the shade. Many local acts have a daydream or two about playing somewhere known for its music; somewhere where other bands have been discovered. They don’t care what the venue, who the patrons are or who they are playing the show with. They just know that there’s a chance, however slim it may be, that someone important might be in the audience somewhere at sometime. I was in that position more than a few times, and although I kept a high head and square shoulders, I was always met with some kind of disappointment. One time in particular, however, was an experiment only Mengele could fashion. Allow me to give a little insight before plight, though.
For an aspiring local band, Toledo is a great fishbowl to grow in. There isn’t a cut-throat mentality that’s commonly found in other cities, but coexistence; a mutual understanding of the odds, in other words. When a drum stick breaks, replacements are available, if equipment is forgotten, or worse, stolen, another band is there to offer a hand or an SWR 8X10 cab. Whatever the case, this phenomenon breeds strong relationships which lead to show exchanges, beer drinking, tour planning and general tomfoolery. It’s truly a wonderful environment to be a part of. If someone pops a string, five guitars spring from the backlines to take its place. If a drum head is punctured, you’ll surely have a replacement coming from one of the many bonds Toledo bands share.
Problems occur when an act leaves their environment. Perhaps we’re viewed as bumpkins from a location that, in other’s minds, doesn’t deserve recognition, or perhaps our brand of musical madness is ignored because the style of the locale stopped evolving in 1978. Nevertheless, we remain rocksteady; chugging along until the tracks run out, no matter where the switches take us.
Take, for example, a trip up to Detroit some years back. My group had never been north of Monroe before and we frankly had no choice but to jump at the chance to play the motor city. We, like other before us, were under the assumption that because of its “Rock-City” moniker, we were to be well received and emerge after the show as the shining heroes from the South. What met us, however, was a sobering, albeit thought-provoking experience.
The bar, the promoter and especially the bands will remain nameless because I have no desire to have any recollection of any of them. Also trust that after you put a lot of miles on your van, eat a lot of bad food and pay penance to the GHS guitar string corporation, it all becomes a blur. I can just say that it was a cold Thursday night and out of the six bands playing that evening, only one had brought a PA. It was surprising, actually, because when we walked into the room it was a bustle with tight jeans, bad hair and no sign of slowing down.
Here’s the crime. Band five gets done, and leaves, taking their fanbase with them. This should’ve come as no revelation to us, except for the fact that they were the ones that owned the aforementioned PA! Voiceless, left in a cavernous room with the promoter and an alcoholic who drew a lovely picture of Jesus in my sketch book. Good times, I guess.
Our suffering that evening is not the point, though. The topic sentence (which it’s a little late for, I know) is that even though we were alone, even though we were looking at empty hands at the end of the night, we did what any Toledo band would do. We calmly put on our guitars, slung a mic through the drop-ceiling and sang through a little Fender combo amp the bar had lying around. One Mic, three singers and we still scorched the room with rock that night. And you know what made this possible? Our environment. We carried it with us, and when we got back to Toledo we kissed the floor of our usual haunt, bleached our mouths out and scheduled our next one in Detroit a couple of weeks later.

Andrew Clark sings and plays guitar for Highbinder.

The Toledo Botanical Garden hosted its sixth Annual Crosby Award luncheon. This fundraising event recognizes the contributions of community leaders in the areas of gardening and the arts and raises money for the Garden’s projects. The selection committee recognized the work of Pat Appold, Adelaide Morse, and Mary Wolfe this year.

O-I employees (Sharon McConkey, Sandi Ball, Jennie Vancil and Stacye Fowler) with TBG executive director Janet Schroeder.

Executive Director Janet Schroeder said this year’s luncheon is expected to raise approximately $30,000. This year’s event proceeds will be earmarked for the new children’s garden.

The children’s garden is one of the first projects set to be completed as a part of the Garden’s new master plan developed in 2008 in consultation with the MESA Design Group. Once completed the children’s garden will provide a creative, natural, green space for people to intermingle, exploring gardens, the arts and nature in a free, family-oriented experience. The children’s garden design uses cutting edge research on the benefits of nature on children.

The Crosby Award Luncheon expenses were underwritten by O-I. The company’s generous gift made it possible for gifts from individuals to be designated directly to the children’s garden fund. O-I was pleased to offer its support to the Garden.

“We firmly believe that it is important to be involved in the community,” said Jennie Vancil government and community affairs manager for O-I. “We think that sponsoring the luncheon provides a wonderful opportunity to incorporate the community in support of the Garden.”

The Toledo Botanical Garden offers free admission and parking to all. Funding to build the world-class children’s garden is being secured so that once it is open to the public, it too will feature free admission creating a family-friendly venue that is accessible to all.

Recently a group of Sylvania Southview football players spent a Sunday washing cars at Soap City Car Wash to raise funds for their team during the upcoming football season. Students spent four hours toweling off cars and made $800 for the team.

Members of the Sylvania Southview Football team with Jim Walrod, manager of Soap City.

Parent advisor, Jeanette Hrovatich said that the money raised in these small events are used to pay for “activities that relate to the upcoming season such as equipment or food while traveling. Expenses the team has over and above our parents’ ability to pay-to-play.”

Hrovatich approached Soap City Car Wash Manager, Jim Walrod, with the idea of holding a fundraising event for the football team. Walrod then approached the owner, Tim Matthews. The car wash on Central Avenue opened within the past year an is looking to increase its visibility within the community.

“We are going to be a part of the community and this is a win-win for the school and us,” said Walrod. “The school raises money for their team and more people know what we do and where we are located.”

Small fundraising events like this help to keep pay-to-play fees as low as possible for families allowing students access to school activities regardless of their family’s financial situation. Additionally these small fundraising events teach teens to share with their parents the financial responsibility for school activities.

Upcoming events:

June 6-7: Old West End Festival. Wander through the Old West End, tour some of the signature homes, find bargains at yard sales and enjoy a parade, art fair and food. Visit toledooldwestend.com for more information.
June 26: Preview Party. Sample fine hors d oeuvres while getting a first look at the Crosby Festival of the Arts artists’ booths. Guests at the preview party will get the first opportunity to purchase artwork offered and speak with the artists. Tickets are $75. Visit toledogarden.org for more information.

Christine Senack is a Toledo-based consultant helping non-profit organizations, businesses and individuals work smarter together for the greater good of our community. On occasion she also presents the TMZ Report on FOX Toledo News First at 4. Connect with her on www.facebook.com or follow at www.twitter.com/csenack.

Photo 1
O-I employees (Sharon McConkey, Sandi Ball, Jennie Vancil and Stacye Fowler) with TBG executive director Janet Schroeder

Photo 2
Members of the Sylvania Southview Football team with Jim Walrod, manager of Soap City.

I’m broken-hearted, as are many others in the viewing public, to see reports of the real, life-altering turmoil in the home of Jon and Kate Gosselin.
Who would have guessed that a seemingly innocuous one-hour TV special could precipitate the possible end of a happy family just a few years later? Who would have guessed that a show about the ups and downs of child rearing could turn into media frenzies?  Who would have guessed that we would care so much?
This isn’t the Hogans or the Osbournes, whose pre-reality TV days suggested the likely possibility of their tabloid-worthiness. In fact, it was their presumed improprieties that put them on the air in the first place. Their shows were an attempt to reveal some sort of relational functionality where most had assumed it didn’t exist.
The Gosselins were different. They started out like most of us and only came to be known publicly due to a biological twist of fate. At first their every day looked like our every day multiplied by two or three. It was comforting to see our own family triumphs and defeats paralleled on the small screen, perhaps lending us some sort of validation that it wasn’t just us.
As the seasons went on, and the family’s popularity grew, however, we began to do what we tend to with just about anything that enters the general public forum — we dissected it and took sides.  All of a sudden it was no longer, “Have you seen that family with the eight kids?”  It instead became about how Kate was a dictator or Jon was a lazy bum.  The family’s intricacies that once reminded us so much of ourselves became ammunition with which we could covertly shoot off our own domestic complaints and demonize those we once adored.
We took the clichéd road in building up the Gosselins only to tear them down.
It is as if reality TV is a new sort of lottery in which the public handpicks a winner.  People are plucked from obscurity, celebrated, scrutinized and then left to deal with a life they may not know how to handle or even be able to accept.  They are handed a huge win that may end in devastating loss if not managed just right.
I am not suggesting that we, the public, are solely responsible for the upheaval being experienced in the Gosselin family. We are all dealt our own hands in life, and it is ultimately up to us how to play them. Each of us is at risk of losing our way.
There will always be those moments when our kids seem like too much or our spouse not enough, when the outside world seems to be pulling us in harder than we can pull back.  Whether it is through our money, our job, our friends or our critics, we can all find an excuse to selfishly change course.
However, it is our duty as parents to take a group of innately diverse individuals and establish a cohesive whole that will last a lifetime. When we sense ourselves or our spouses or our children drifting toward the edge, it is our obligation to remember how we came together in the first place and find a way to all meet back in the middle.
Maintaining a good life for our families does not mean never changing course. It means that as we change, we need to find ways of continuing to grow together instead of allowing ourselves to drift apart.
Unfortunately, it seems that the Gosselins have admittedly drifted apart. It breaks our hearts not only because there are eight kids who may have a much tougher road ahead of them, but because we can still see ourselves in them. Are we one lottery win away from losing that which was once more important than anything?
Hopefully, the Gosselins will somehow find their way back to their middle. Let’s stop pulling them in any other direction.

Shannon Szyperski and her husband Michael are raising three children in Sylvania. E-mail her at letters@toledofreepress.com.

While doing our research for the purchase of a new car, we can often find ourselves reading over detailed technical specifications. Along with other information, the vehicle manufacturers will supply technical data covering a vehicles maximum torque output and maximum horsepower and state those values at a given engine rotations per minute (rpm). Further, the vehicle manufacturers will supply the expected average fuel efficiency for the vehicle for both city and highway driving. Many new car buyers will not pay attention to any of the technical data provided except the miles per gallon (mpg) information.
As the miles begin to build up on a new vehicle, the consumer may become upset because they have never been able to consistently realize the manufacturers stated mpg averages. Consequently, many new car buyers believe that the mpg averages have been “padded” by the manufacturers in order to sell more cars. I can understand your reasoning, but I think it is much more likely that you simply did not buy the right vehicle for your needs or driving style.
If you frequently drive with several passengers, do a lot of in-city driving, primarily drive on the highway or frequently carry heavy loads or perhaps tow a trailer, then an understanding of some of the other technical information provided by the manufacturer could actually help to improve your overall fuel consumption and overall driving experience.
Torque is like a sprinter and can help get you up to speed fast. Horsepower is like a marathon runner and can help sustain speeds for long distances. There is a relationship (mathematically and physically) between the two, but a proper explanation of that relationship would take more space than this newspaper is willing to give me. Torque and horsepower are important units of measurement because they can allow us to save money on fuel all the while supplying sufficient power when we purchase the correct combination of the two for a particular task.
Let’s take any given vehicle that has at least two engine options available to us. One option is a four-cylinder engine with a stated 22 mpg/city and 28 mpg/highway fuel average. The same vehicle with a V-6 engine option gets a stated 20 mpg/city and 26 mpg/highway. You purchase the four-cylinder option because fuel mileage is a major concern for you. After driving the vehicle for a while you find that your overall fuel mileage average is 23 mpg for combined city and highway driving. You become upset because you thought you would get better fuel mileage with the four-cylinder engine option. The V-6 engine option may actually have allowed you to achieve a higher overall mpg fuel average. Or it may have equaled the fuel average of the four-cylinder engine all the while giving you better acceleration and performance.
The reasons for this fuel mileage advantage from the V-6 engine are torque and horsepower. Your particular driving style and the amount of work you perform with your vehicle may require, or benefit from, an increase in torque and horsepower.
Every additional pound of weight that your vehicle has to pull down the road requires more power. Adding even one more pound of weight increases the power requirement of your engine. Any resistance to the forward movement of your vehicle will adversely affect fuel efficiency as well. Increased vehicle speeds and wind speeds will increase overall drag and, therefore, decrease fuel efficiency.
The air conditioning system, when operating, requires more power. The headlights, when operating, require more power. The radio, the GPS, the electronic suspension system, the air bag system, the anti-lock brake system, they all use more power when operating. Many of those systems are operating whenever the car is turned on without our knowledge. There is a point at which a larger engine becomes more efficient than it’s smaller counterpart.
Driving habits have a great effect on efficiency and performance as well. The rate at which we accelerate our vehicles and how consistent we are at sustaining our speeds can adversely affect the fuel consumption of a given engine. Other factors are the type of transmission (sometimes referred to as the torque box), the size of the final drive assembly (differential) and the tire and wheel size. All can aid in fuel efficiency or all can adversely affect fuel efficiency depending on many variables.
Manual transmissions, when properly used, are more efficient than automatic transmissions. Larger wheels will generally lower engine rpm which equates to better fuel mileage. Higher final drive ratios are usually more efficient than lower final drive units. The more valves an engine has, the better it breathes. The better an engine breathes, the better it can sustain power and, therefore, the better the overall fuel efficiency.
There really is no “one size fits all” in the automotive business. An understanding of the mechanical variables that are in play during the operation of your vehicle can aid in your overall driving experience and fuel efficiency. Sometimes bigger is better.

Nick Shultz is an instructor of Automotive Technologies at Owens Community College. He is an arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau who specializes in cases involving the Ohio and Michigan Lemon laws. He is a certified master automotive technician by ASE, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. Shultz, a Toledo native, will take questions at letters@toledofreepress.com.

When Northwood resident Elizabeth Niederkorn thinks about her childhood, she pictures the long, happy days she spent in her grandparents’ backyard, helping her granddad with the gardening, picking dandelions for her grandma and going for walks along a nearby creek.
Now grown up and with a family of her own, Niederkorn wants her children to develop the same love for nature and the outdoors. When the weather permits, she takes children, Cecil, 3, and Lydia, 1, outside in the garden to play with their toys and read books.
In the backyard, Niederkorn and her husband, Tim, have a vegetable garden where their kids get to plant, weed and water their own crop of tomatoes, lima beans and pumpkins.
“Occasionally, Cecil will step on a plant … and Lydia frequently picks leaves off of the plants that we want to keep,” Niederkorn said. “But to me it’s more important that they’re out there enjoying themselves than that every single plant be completely successful.”
In an age of high-tech toys, computer games and cable TV, Niederkorn is one of many parents who want their children to experience the joy of simply being outside. Along with encouraging a healthy lifestyle, Niederkorn hopes  her children will grow up to be environmentally sensitive citizens.
“I think the best stewards for the environment aren’t the kids who are brought up being told, ‘Oh we’re destroying the rainforest. And oh this animal’s endangered’,” Niederkorn said. “That’s all very important stuff, but I think the best stewards are the people who just love to be outside. You protect what you love.”
Heather Norris, who runs environmental education programs for Toledo Area Metroparks, said that many children could benefit from spending more time in nature. She lamented that kids in the schools she and her staff visit often seem to know more about the Amazon rainforests and the Arctic than they do about habitats in Northwest Ohio. This despite the area’s rich variety of rare plant and animal species, including the federally endangered Karner Blue Butterfly reintroduced to the Oak Openings region in 2007, she said.
Norris said parents can do a lot to get their kids clued into the environment by taking them to nearby parks, going on hikes and pointing out plants, birds and animals to their children. She said it doesn’t matter if parents don’t have much knowledge of the environment themselves.
“Just getting the kids out is very important. Parents don’t have to know what’s the name of that bird or the name of that bug,” Norris said. “Just get them out and inspire and let them learn.”
Norris encouraged parents to enroll their kids in nature-related activities outside of school, including this year’s Metroparks summer camps. The camps offer children the chance to participate in local conservation efforts and learn about the area’s plant and animal species.
“They’ll get out and learn about their environment, that Northwest Ohio has natural areas, but there’s not necessarily lions and tigers and bears,” Norris said. “We may not have a rainforest here, but we have really spectacular and really rare natural areas.”
At the Wildwood Environmental Academy, a public kindergarten through sixth grade school in Maumee, teaching kids about the environment is at the core of the curriculum. School leader, Elizabeth Lewin, also encourages parents to adopt green habits at home.
Among her suggestions are:

• Setting up recycling bins at home and getting kids to decorate them.
• Challenging kids to find products made with recycled materials at the grocery store.
• Getting kids to decorate their own bags to use when shopping.
• Taking walks and bicycle rides.
• Taking an extra bag on walks for picking up litter.

For Jennifer Taggart, author of “The Smart Mamma’s Green Guide” about reducing environmental toxins in the home, teaching children to care about the environment is as important as passing on other values like faith and kindness to others. She said parents can use everyday activities, such as shopping at the farmers market or watching movies like “Wall-E,” to discuss environmental issues with their kids.
Taggart said she tries to use the things her children love to teach them about the environment. With her 4-year-old daughter, she plays “Green Princesses,” making homemade makeup and chap sticks out of natural ingredients to use in dressing up.
Most importantly, Taggart said, parents need to show concern for the environment themselves, turning off lights and computers when they leave a room, recycling and taking their own totes to the grocery store.
“I think you have to walk the walk in addition to talking the talk,” Taggart said. “If you do what you can to be green, your kids are going to learn from that.”

If you could build the model Toledoan, a person who embodies the heart and work ethic of this great city, there are specific attributes you would look to assemble.
You would want a person who could rise from sweeping the floors to running the boardroom.
You would want a person who could mentor fellow entrepreneurs.
You would want a person who is a tireless volunteer, who would serve on boards and community organizations.
You would want a person who has vision and leadership qualities, but who understands the importance of teamwork and coalition building.
You might be surprised to learn that person already exists in the form of James Murray. Murray, who is retiring as president of the Ohio operations for First Energy, has made the most of his decade-plus in Toledo.
He has served on boards for the Red Cross and Owens Community College, and chairs or serves on numerous civic and community groups.
Murray’s bio has more of the facts: He was named 2005 Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals as founding chairman of the Bay Park Community Hospital Foundation, and for other civic work. Murray chaired the 2005-06 campaign for the United Way of Greater Toledo and was the 2006 chairman of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Golf Classic. He also chairs the Greater Toledo Urban League and the ProMedica Physicians Board.
Murray headed Downtown Toledo Inc., which has grown into the Downtown Toledo Improvement District, a leader in the revitalization of Downtown. Without Murray, it would not exist.
When he headed the United Way campaign a couple of years ago, the campaign showed a year-over-year gain, something that was thought to be extremely difficult.
Murray treats everyone with respect, and that respect has been returned 10-fold.
His love for baseball and golf shows his fondness for civil competition and hard work.
Though he is retiring, Murray and his wife Kay are staying in Toledo, having invested in a new home and several volunteer opportunities. His continued presence is good news for Toledo’s future.
Murray has many, many friends in Toledo, and I am proud to count myself among them.
There are far too few role models, far too few people who say what they mean, mean what they say and boldly lead where others are afraid to even think of following.
If more of Toledo’s corporate citizens lived to the standards Murray has set, Toledo would be a titan of achievement and success.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Maybe it’s the lackluster line-up of network TV shows that’s to blame. Or our attention span. But more and more often we find ourselves dialing up mini-docudramas on cable TV for our evening’s entertainment. Programs like “Project Runway” on Bravo. The pasta, pizza, panini and ground pepper shows on the Food Channel. And, absolutely anything on HGTV.
It’s not that we’re homebodies. Or particularly house-proud. But we just can’t seem to get enough of the chattering about crown moldings and granite countertops, hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances, curb appeal and designer colors. And, oh yes, that large fenced-in backyard for Rover. And “enough space to entertain.”
Tops on our list, understandably perhaps, is “House Hunters International,” where we jealously look on as the deep-pocketed search for the perfect Caribbean beach-front hideaway, restored farm house in Provence or Tuscany or one bedroom walk-up in Paris, London or Rome … that’s going to cost a million whatevers.
Another of our more recent HGTV not-to-be-missed hits is “Property Virgins,” hosted by a telegenic and real estate-savvy agent, Sandra Rinomato, “with 12 years experience,” who leads first-time buyers through the intricate maze of home ownership.
She begins each and every show by quizzing her clients as to why they want to buy a home, where they want it located and how much they’re willing to pay. Then she shows them three potential places. And pushes them in.
Sometimes they buy. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they get cold feet and simply run away. But it’s very informative. And always good fun.
In fact, it’s not unlike what we’ve been doing for the past 35 years. Trying to help first-time travelers — “Travel Virgins,” if you like — plan their first independent overseas trip instead of simply signing on to some highly organized package coach tour of the “If It’s Tuesday This Must be Belgium” variety.
We started our re-action by developing a continuing ed class at BGSU (in conjunction with a professor friend) in which we tutored our “students” on every aspect of foreign travel that we could possibly think of … from proper research and planning and packing light … to finding affordable accommodations, using public transportation, reading train timetables, renting cars, working with travel agents, handling money and staying safe. And so on.
We continued that education a few years later through our weekly travel columns, leading small group tours and counseling individuals.  And it’s been quite a ride.
But, just like on TV,  everything has to begin with a few basic questions. And some serious Self-analysis 101.
Questions like: Where do you want to go? And when can you go? Why do you want to go there? How much do you have to spend? And precisely what will you want to do when you get there? And then, most important of all, perhaps, … what are your specific  interests … and how can you best work them into a trip?
Only after all that’s sorted can the actual research and planning stage begin.
But, oh my, how things have changed since we began.
In the old days (that would be pre-fax machines and home computers) basic research was a totally time-consuming and frequently frustrating experience involving writing to national tourist offices in New York or Chicago for brochures, events calendars and hotel lists.
Badgering local travel agents for airline fares and rental car costs and train tickets. Poring over guide books for potential hotels and prices. Then writing actual letters asking  a whole list of hotels for possible reservations … and,  if you ever hoped to hear back, enclosing international reply coupons.
Now everything is a mere click of the mouse away. From buying airline and train tickets and renting cars to selecting hotels rooms (that you can actually preview online), making reservations and even downloading whole guide books onto a Kindle.
This does not, however, mean that the average person actually does a better job of planning.  The temptation is to obsess on airfare bargains and hotel deals — very small parts of a satisfying travel experience.
Because in the end it all comes back to asking the age-old who, what, where, when, why and how questions.
And then answering them.
Honestly.
That’s what makes a great trip.  Today, it’s just easier.

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

Something needed to be changed in Amanda Ballard’s life — not just her baby boy’s diaper.
The Sylvania mom switched to cloth diapers after the first eight months of his life ended up being quite expensive. When she realized she could help other parents make the same economic switch, she started an online cloth diaper store, Tender Loving Cloth Diapers (tlcdiapers.com). She is hosting a cloth diaper class 10 a.m. to noon June 6 at the Sylvania Branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.
“I am totally into saving money,” Ballard said … “It started out as an economic decision, and after using them, I realized how much I was wasting.”

Amanda Ballard watches her son Gavin, 17 months, test her cloth diapers.

According to the Real Diaper Association, “each baby will need about
6,000 diapers during the first two years of life” so the expense for
each child can easily be more than $1,500, Ballard said.
Her husband, Justin, was not on board at first. He didn’t want to give up their disposable ways and he refused to deal with diaper duty, she said.
“I tried it and said, ‘This is not bad. This is not hard to do.’”
The initial purchase is probably the most difficult, she said. Ballard began researching on the Internet and discovered that while disposable diapers became all the rage, cloth diapers also became more varied and convenient. Don’t worry about pins, she said. They can be secured easily with Velcro strips or snaps.
“It is a learning process,” she said. “I recommend people start with a couple of different kinds.”
Ballard ordered her diapers from a lady in Arizona and found that she liked the one-size pocket diapers, which can be used from birth to potty training. The diaper includes a waterproof outer layer, which is stuffed with a microfiber or hemp insert. When the baby is wet or dirty, remove the insert and wash that and the actual diaper, she said. She washes diapers every other day and uses flushable liners if the mess just needs to go away.
Ballard said cloth diapers make sense for her son, now 17 months, because he is prone to rashes, and the cloth ones allow more air to circulate and are a little softer on his chubby legs. She is expecting a second child in November and plans to use her son’s cloth diapers.
A stash of cloth diapers with all the fixings can run $300, Ballard said. It also depends how often a parent wants to do laundry. A newborn would need about 10 per day, while a toddler might need seven or eight.
“People are welcoming it more because the economy is so bad,” she said. “A mother of twins is going to use cloth diapers, and everyone thinks she is crazy.”
Ballard said it’s not all or nothing, either. Parents can continue to use disposables when they are out on the town and cloth when they are home.
“Every little bit counts,” she said.
Babysitters might be intimidated by cloth, so that might be a time to go back to disposables, but “my aunt babysits in the house and she uses the cloth with no problem ,” Ballard said.
Lori Wagner of Waterville borrowed a cloth diaper from Ballard and used it for one month, eventually deciding to switch. Her child uses a disposable at night and when going out, but estimates saving $40 per month because of her switch to cloth.
“I had no idea how easy it was going to be,” Wagner said.

10 points in Ben Konop’s candidacy:
1. He says he offers a new direction.
2. He argues he can help attract knowledge-based jobs.
3. He admits he is young, but stresses he is experienced.
4. He wants to establish a scholarship fund.
5. He promises better communication with city council.
6. He promises accessibility.
7. He says he will put public safety first.
8. He says he is not a “good old boy.”
9. He promises he will fight for the under-represented.
10. He says he is a “change agent.”

Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop intends to sink his mayoral opponents the same way he sank three-pointers in high school.
He said no one ever believes the 5-foot-9-inch Democrat played varsity basketball at Ottawa Hills High School or was recruited to play collegiate ball at Emory University in Atlanta, where he earned a varsity letter.
He was too short then, too young to run for mayor now. It’s all just motivation for the 33-year-old Toledo native.
“Having a young mayor would be the most powerful message to the younger generation that Toledo welcomes them,” Konop said, “that there is opportunity for them, someone who understands their situation and someone who is willing to encourage and provide resources to help them succeed.”
Konop said he has “a strong base of young people who are hungry for a new direction.” If elected, he will be the second-youngest mayor in Toledo’s history. Mayor Doug DeGood from the late 1970s would best him by just a few years.
Lisa Brock is one of his supporters on the social networking site Facebook. Konop garnered 1,500 supporters on the site in the two weeks after he announced his bid for mayor March 30.
“I have just recently moved into the city limits and have been here a mere four months,” Brock wrote via Facebook … “I can tell you since I have been here, my trash day has changed three times; I have been interviewed by 13 Action News for having my garbage out on the wrong day and I never had my leaves picked up … I am ready for a change.”
Change is what Konop is offering, but his appeal goes beyond those who are technologically savvy, he said. As commissioner, Konop started the 911 Cell Phones for Seniors program, as well as the Veterans Business Resource Center located at the job bank, The Source. He also prides himself on fighting for the working class.

Ben Konop

“I have just tried to represent people outside of Government Center. Like I said, there is this clique — connected folks, the good old boys network, who have their voices heard very clearly and they give a lot of campaign contributions and they get seats on commissions and they get no-bid contracts. They are accounted for; I don’t represent them. I have fought against them.”
Konop said Democrat Keith Wilkowski and Independent Mike Bell — the two candidates he considers his most serious opponents — are not what Toledo needs.
Republican Jim Moody is also running. Konop said he believes, based on polling by his campaign, he is the final major candidate to enter the race; Mayor Carty Finkbeiner will not run , Konop said.
“Frankly, the older generation of politicians, who I think Mr. Wilkowski and Mr. Bell belong to, have had their shot … they have been in power one way or another for 30 years, and look where we are as a community,” he said.
“I am the only candidate who understands the urgency to either adapt or become the next Gary, Ind.”
Knowledge-based economy
Konop said he is running for mayor because the economic opportunity that was there for his grandparents and his parents is gone. Many people are to blame, and there’s still no sense of urgency, he said.
Government leaders were complacent, he said, because the auto industry was fairly robust for decades. They “put things on cruise control,” he said, thinking the economy would be fine and tax revenue would still come in — no one established an overarching plan for Toledo.
“I have obviously thought about it long and hard,” Konop said about running for mayor. “For me, it is in many ways a personal reason. This community has been very good to me and to my family.”
He said public safety has to be the highest priority as far as providing government services.
“I don’t think the mayor has handled negotiations with the police union very well, but I think there has to be concessions on the part of the police union as well.
Economic development is right behind public safety, if not equally important.
“You cannot have long-term public safety without jobs,” Konop said. “The numbers just don’t work out. I think of the major candidates; I have the best understanding of where our economy needs to be and how we need to transition our economy into the 21st century.”
Konop said the good-paying jobs of the future are knowledge-based. When he traveled to China, New York City and Atlanta — on his own dime — business leaders inquired about Northwest Ohio’s work force: they wanted the number of attorneys, writers, engineers and computer scientists, he said.
Konop said he is establishing an $80 million scholarship fund for high school graduates and displaced workers. The fund would provide scholarships for the training/education needed to be competitive in the global economy. The money would come from cost-saving measures on the county-level, including the privatization of emergency medical services, he said.
“It’s not enough to be a hard worker anymore,” Konop said. “If it was just about hard work, Toledo would have a very low unemployment rate.”
Political bug
Konop first became interested in politics after serving as a page in Washington, D.C., before his senior year in high school.
Konop described his job as a “glorified gopher.” It was before the popularity of e-mail, so he spent his days delivering memos and delicately waking up elected officials who were taking naps in the cloakroom.
“It was a fantastic learning experience,” he said. “I got to sit on the floor of the House of Representatives every day for a summer and just watch things unfold.”
Konop said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who appointed him a page, is a mentor. He worked for Kaptur’s office after his freshman year in college, and then spent the summer at The Blade after his sophomore year. His aunt, Sandy Isenberg, former Toledo city councilwoman and Lucas County commissioner, was involved in politics throughout his life, too.
“I don’t really talk to her about politics very often, if at all,” Konop said. “She is a good aunt in that she takes me out for birthday dinners and buys me a tie here and there and calls to check up on me now and again.”
Isenberg said she did not influence her nephew to run for county commissioner, although explained what the job entailed.
“I am extremely proud of Ben. He has done a wonderful job. He is a very bright, thoughtful, articulate, young man,” she said.
“I certainly plan on helping him any way that I can. I think he brings a new vigor to the campaign and I think he will certainly bring many new ideas … I think he is a great asset to this area and I am glad he is one of the young men who came home.”
Brain drain
Konop almost became one of the casualties of Northwest Ohio. When he left, he wasn’t sure he would return.
Born March 1, 1976, to Alan and Barbara Konop, the boy with one green eye and one brown eye attended Sylvania Schools until his family moved to Ottawa Hills before seventh grade.
Konop enjoyed being an only child, although had the company of three older half-siblings from his father’s first marriage. He had four half-siblings, but his oldest brother, who suffered from a mental illness, committed suicide when Konop was in grade school.
“I have spoken publicly about it because I think it is important that people know it is a serious problem in our society,” he said.

Konop graduated from Ottawa Hills High School in 1994 and left for Emory University in Atlanta, where he received a bachelor’s in history and English, also studying history and literature at Oxford University in England. He graduated with his law degree from the University of Michigan in 2000. His father is a longtime Toledo attorney who also graduated from Michigan.
“Becoming an attorney was his choice,” his father said. “I think it is very healthy that he made a choice totally independent of his parents.”
Dad said the young Konop was always interested in politics, although no one thought he would one day run for mayor.
“We were obviously very happy to have him come home,” he said. “We were always happy to see him enthused about doing positive things in Toledo and Lucas County.”
Konop once dreamed of becoming a shortstop for the Detroit Tigers or a point guard for the Wolverines. Although he played Division III basketball in college, the game was over after that.
“My dad is originally from Detroit,” Konop said. “He raised me a huge Michigan fan … I knew that the Tigers wasn’t going to work out when I first saw a curve ball thrown at me; and when I stopped growing at 5 foot 9 inches, I realized I wasn’t going to be point guard for the Michigan Wolverines,” he said, laughing.
In 2001, Konop moved to D.C. and began to practice corporate law at Fulbright & Jaworski, one of the largest law firms in the country. Konop was leaning toward a job in public service when Kaptur asked him to run against incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Oxley in Republican 4th Congressional District in Ohio.
“It was out of thin air. I hadn’t even thought about it for one second,” Konop said.
He took three days to consider the offer.
“Any political race I run after that will seem relatively easy,” Konop said. “That district has 12 counties, all Republican counties — it goes from Mansfield to almost Dayton.”
Konop lost, but was the first federal Democratic candidate since 1932 to carry Allen County.
“It was a moral victory,” he said.
Back in Toledo
After his 2004 defeat, Konop returned to Toledo as a full-time visiting law professor at UT in the 2005-06 school year.
A self-proclaimed urban pioneer, he bought a condo in the Toledo Warehouse District.
It was nice to be home, even if most of the people he grew up with had left.
“As mayor, I could communicate that to my generation. I know what it is like to live in a big city. I know there are some things you cannot replicate, but here are the advantages of living in Toledo. I am someone who can make the case because I have done it.”
His mortgage is less than his rent in D.C. and square-footage wise, his garage in Toledo is larger than his entire apartment in Washington.
“I love where I live. I love being able to walk to the baseball stadium, walk to The Blarney, walk to the Erie Street Market … it is a really cool place to live, and I couldn’t have afforded that in D.C.”
The pledge
His decision to run for county commissioner was not calculated. When it became fairly clear to him that Maggie Thurber would not seek reelection, he declared his candidacy.
“Things just kind of pop up and opportunities present themselves,” he said.
He went on to beat Toledo City Councilman George Sarantou in the general election, although the campaign would come back to haunt him. Konop had made a pledge to fulfill his four-year term if elected county commissioner. He will have served three of four years if elected mayor.

Ben Konop exchanges a laugh with Charlene Brown at a Downtown Biggby coffee location.

“I am the best candidate to take our community in a new direction,” Konop said. “That was my calculus in evaluating my pledge. It was an equation. What is in the best interest of the community?”
Konop keeps the written pledge in his office at One Government Center. The pledge includes other promises that he said he has kept, including being open and accessible; donating his income from teaching at UT to a scholarship; and implementing evening meetings so working people can attend.
“You can look at the entire pledge and that is not a bad record,” he said.
Time is right
Konop said he wouldn’t have a good case to run for mayor if Toledo was performing better. In addition to a high unemployment rate, foreclosures are through the roof and Toledo residents have some of highest personal debts in the country, he said
To help alleviate the city’s budget deficit, Konop has proposed a short-term merger of five city and county departments like building inspection, economic development and IT, which would save an estimated $5 million to $7 million, he said.
Konop doesn’t want to be a career politician. He wants to be mayor now because this is when his city needs him. In the future, he would consider a job as an inner-city teacher or a high school or college basketball coach.
“I could not imagine myself being in politics for 30 years,” he said. “I think it is very hard to maintain a sense of integrity, a sense of understanding of what people want.”
Konop said if elected mayor he would take steps to improve the relationship between city council and the mayor. He said lack of communication between council members and the mayor is a serious problem, and a reason for the haphazard approach to police layoffs and negotiations.
As mayor he would appear in front of council each week for one hour and invite the public and labor unions to ask questions.
“That is a very tangible first step in fostering better communication,” he said.
As commissioner, Konop said he is proud of being a change agent. He demanded accountability from the Lucas County Improvement Corporation, which angered a lot of the good old boys, he said.
“I think my fight to bring more accountability and results to the board have paid off.”
He’s disappointed several proposals to create jobs in the county have been outvoted 2 to 1.
“I wish I could have done a better job of convincing my colleagues to go along with it,” Konop said. “I will take some responsibility for that.”
He also accepts responsibility for driving without car insurance because of what he calls a “clerical error.” It’s a mistake that didn’t lead to his license suspension, but plenty of headlines. The attention — the good and the bad — is something Konop knows is part of the job.
Konop also took some heat when he replaced his black female assistant, Gabrielle Seay, with a white male, former Blade reporter Joe Vardon.
“My former employee is still an employee,” Konop said of her reassignment. He said he doesn’t think it is proper to vent personnel issues in public.
“She did a great job, nothing based on her performance. It was a mutually agreed-upon move,” he said.
But for all the negative attention, he also receives encouragement.
“I get a lot of young people who come up to thank me for what I am doing and give me their support,” Konop said.
“I have made mistakes. I don’t have all the answers. I probably don’t even have most of the answers. What I do represent and what my record speaks to is that I am a serious challenger to the status quo, and the status quo is not working for Toledo, Ohio.”
If Konop doesn’t win the mayoral race, he would have to decide immediately about kicking off a 2010 re-election campaign for Lucas County commissioner.
But he’s not worried.
“I think it is a campaign that I will win,” he said. “I am very optimistic … the overall sentiment is that people are really ready for a serious, new direction and fresh start for Toledo.”

ON THE COVER: Ben’s 10 — The animated series “Ben 10,” in which Ben fights evil forces through bold and imaginative plans of action, inspired this week’s homage cover, illustrated by Toledo Free Press Graphic Designer Kelly Heuss.