Community resident Clifford Warstler is worried. He’s worried for his “children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, [himself] , wife and [his] pocketbook” if H.R. 3200 passes, he said.

Among other things, H.R. 3200 “will discourage entrance into the health profession … cause loss of jobs and closure of facilities … lead to more illegal immigration … and allow complete government intrusion in all aspects of citizens lives, Warstler said.

To raise awareness and rally the support of the community, Warstler has organized a “Cap and Trade Health Care Fiasco Tea Party” at Dave’s Home Cooked Foods on 1855 S. Reynolds Rd. Tues. Sept. 1 from 6 – 8 p.m.

Warstler has lined up 10 concerned citizens to speak at the rally and warns: “If people don’t wake up and get involved, it’s going to be too late. If people don’t get involved now, there’s not going back.”

The Lucas County Development Group of the Libertarian Party of Ohio will host an “Introduction to Libertarianism” informational session at the Sanger Branch Library on Monday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.

The Libertarian party of Ohio is the fourth-largest state Libertarian group in the country and the Northwest Ohio region, which included Lucas and Wood counties has grown so much that it had to be split into to separate county regions, Ken Sharp, Lucas County Development Coordinator of the Libertarian Party of Ohio, said.

The informational session is part of the development process the Lucas County group is undergoing separate of Wood County.

One of the goals Sharp hopes to accomplish is to debunk myths and misconceptions about the Libertarian party. While they believe in limited government and maximum personal liberty and choice, they are often confused with the anarchist Libertines, Sharp said. The Libertarians believe that the government should serve to protect civil liberties and that people need to accept responsibilities for themselves and the fruits of their labors, he said.

Sharp and Chris Kalla, northwest liaison of the Libertarian Party of Ohio will be available to answer questions at the session. Sharp hopes to continue having monthly meeting s and develop fundraising and community outreach programs.

The Ohio Society of Professional Journalists Awards has named Toledo Free Press the best weekly newspaper in Ohio. In the Best of Show category for newspapers with a circulation over 100,000, Toledo Free Press was named “Best Weekly Newspaper” for its full body of work.

In 2008, Toledo Free Press won 2nd place in the category.

Toledo Free Press Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller received a first place award for Best Media Criticism for “Garbage In, Garbage Out,” a March 7, 2008 column deconstructing Blade coverage of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama’s visit to Toledo. Because of Toledo Free Press’ circulation, Miller competes against writers from all daily newspapers in Ohio.

WTOL reporter Jennifer Boresz won a second place award for Best Feature Reporting (Broadcast) for “The Greatest Rescue Mission Never Told.”

The Blade was recognized in several categories, including Best Web Site, Best Defense of the First Amendment for its suit to obtain records from the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, and Best Graphic Designer in Ohio for Sean McKeown-Young, a former Toledo Free Press graphic artist.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Cincinnati this fall.

Toledo Free Press was founded in 2005 by President and Publisher Thomas Pounds and is Lucas County’s largest circulation Sunday newspaper.

Though some Toledo Public School (TPS) institutions received high grades on the annual state report card, the district as a whole continues to maintain higher expulsion rates than the five Ohio districts deemed most like Toledo’s.
In 2008 to 2009, 390 students were expelled, for a total of more than 10,600 days. More than 5,020 students received suspensions, missing school for a combined 38,646 days. A punishment qualifies as expulsion if the principal sentences the student to 11 or more days out of school.
Out of every 100 students in the 2008-09 school year, 1.6 got expelled and about 38 received out-of-school suspensions.
The number has steadily decreased, compared to the previous year’s 1.7 expulsions and 44 out of school suspensions per 100 students, according to an Ohio Department of Education (ODE) database. The 2008-09 school year recorded  a year-to-year 20 percent decline in suspension days and an 18 percent drop in expulsion days.
“Over a period of time in the last three years those numbers have gone down,” Superintendent John Foley said. “We’ve done more in terms of educating our students and parents; we’ve tried to encourage the schools to use alternatives prior to suspension so if they have kids with chronic problems we try to help them.”
Advocates seek change
Out of the larger school districts in Ohio, Toledo has a higher expulsion rate than Akron, Cincinnati and Cleveland, but is lower than Dayton or Youngstown.
“For more than a decade, many of us have pointed out to TPS and asked them to address the high rates of suspensions,” said Steven Flagg, communications chairman of the Urban Coalition of Toledo. “In the end, if we don’t find ways to keep kids in school and learning, we will pay a far greater price given the direct and indirect costs of incarceration to our society.”
He said recently he has seen more cooperation to cut down suspension and expulsion rates, especially after school board members Darlene Fisher and Jack Ford made it their personal missions to improve the situation.
New initiative
This school year, the district launched a new initiative called the Positive Behavioral Support Program. TPS’s Chief of Staff Lonny Rivera said this will encompass procedures teachers have used in the past few years with new ideas to change administrators’ and teachers’ mindsets from reactive to proactive.
“Many times, we react to students’ behavior, but we think it’s appropriate to take a proactive approach,” Rivera said. “Many times we’re dealing with the symptom, not the cause and we’re quick to deal out the discipline.”
This year, more dialogue between teachers, cooks, bus drivers, custodians and administration members will open so everyone will understand exactly what type of behavior is expected. Starting at the elementary level, teachers can participate in training to help them better understand how to deal with delinquent children and emphasize the need to physically demonstrate how to behave in the classroom, rather than posting rules or reading them to students, Rivera said.
The program will also instate a new data-collecting system that will track each child’s specific offense so the administration can analyze who has which problems and where they’ve occurred the most, he added.
“One thing we are doing is that we have to start looking at data,” Rivera said. “A lot of decisions are made on gut feelings.”
He said this year the administration will develop a group to study principal referral forms. When a child is suspended or expelled, the principal must document specific details about the students’ actions and the reason for the punishment, he added. Diversity training, however, is not mandatory and has not been in the past, he said.
‘Alarming discrepancy’
Twila Page, the secretary of the African American Parents Association, said she has helped numerous students appeal suspensions and has noticed an “alarming discrepancy” in punishment given to black children versus white.
For every 100 white students, .7 were expelled and 15.8 were suspended during the 2008 to 2009 school year. For every 100 black students, 2.6 were expelled and 62 were suspended, according to ODE databases.
“I’m going to be very blunt — the blacker the school, the more suspensions you have,” Page said. “Black children are seen to be more disruptive, more disorderly, more unsafe; they drink more alcohol, have more weapons, they gamble, and white males and females don’t do that. We all know that’s not true. Kids are kids regardless of what color they are.”
Students can be expelled or suspended for truancy, fighting, vandalism, theft, possessing a weapon, tobacco, drugs or being disruptive, according to the state’s database. Page said too many students she has worked with have been punished for the broad “failure to follow directions” violation — and a discrepancy between races is apparent in this category as well.
Two hundred two black children were expelled in TPS last year for disobedient or disruptive behavior, compared to the 30 white students punished under the same violation, according to the ODE database.
The racial makeup for black and white students for the 2008-2009 school year was 45.5% black and 40.9% white.
Learning the rules
Page’s organization works with parents and students to educate them on the rules, their rights and how to advocate for their children. She said a lot of students she has helped were unclear on rules before they were suspended. Many students she has represented were suspended for two or three days because of dress code violations — which starts a habit of disobeying the rules, she said.
“When we started out, I always thought it was the high school student that would get expelled,” Page said. “We found out that it was the other kids in grade school — what does that teach a child when you’re taking his education away? They don’t have to give them the homework; they don’t have to teach them what they’ve missed when they get out of school; to me that just makes no sense.”
The junior high schools have the highest total number of students expelled — with 40 from East Broadway Middle School and Deveaux Jr. High School following close behind with 35 last year, according to Toledo Public School records. Waite Learning Community Elementary Schools tops off the elementary level with 279 students suspended from 2008 to 2009.
Fisher said she is confident that the Positive Behavioral Support program will help reduce the numbers but that she thinks the district still has a lot of work and cooperation to do.
“I think this has really been a big issue for us in the Toledo Public Schools compared to outlying schools, especially when we have such a large number of students our issues get blown up in public,” Fisher said. “We need to see the source of these problems and I don’t think as a district we are to that point yet.”

Ft. WAYNE, Ind. — “And they’re off!” WFFT anchor Jim Blue exclaimed introducing a story on ostrich racing on the fledgling FOX-55 television news station in Fort Wayne, Ind.
The ostrich segment on Aug. 10 was a kicker, the term newscasters use for an amusing story that ends their newscast.
While the 57-year-old Blue has a sense of humor, he takes journalism seriously and hopes his new station flies better than ostriches. The new gig began less than a year after Blue’s contract wasn’t renewed after six years at WNWO-TV NBC24 in Toledo.
The nonrenewal was disappointing for Blue, a former Toledo Free Press columnist, who has a home in Toledo and had no desire to leave.

Jim Blue

“On the other hand, it opened up this opportunity here and this is the most challenging and exciting thing I’ve ever done,” said Blue, who, in addition to anchoring the station’s nightly 10 p.m. newscast, is also the news director. “To start up a newscast from absolute scratch, just the very beginnings and to be able to use some years of experience to do that, I’ve found to be very gratifying.”
Blue — whose career began in 1989 and includes stints in Columbia, S.C., and Dayton — said he loves getting out from behind the anchor desk and into the field. And in one case, into the water. Blue, an avid scuba diver, reported underwater for NBC24 for a 2007 story on the Anthony Wayne, a steamship that sank in Lake Erie in 1850.
Stories like that made Kevin Kistner, NBC24 senior producer, admire Blue’s drive. And Kistner relied on Blue’s experience.
“I always turned to him to help me in terms of knowing whether to put a story on the air,” Kistner recalled. “He was a good teacher, a good journalist and he has great journalistic instincts.”
But, despite his credentials, anchors like Blue are becoming extinct as newsrooms contract because of budget cuts. Well paid, veteran anchors in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and St. Louis all left their jobs this year. Last year, 1,200 employees lost their jobs, approximately
4.3 percent of the local TV industry, according to the 2009 Radio-Television News Directors Association/ Hofstra University annual survey.
Despite the industry decline because of the distractions of the Internet, corporate news monopolies and the recession, WFFT believes people in Fort Wayne will tune in.
While age and experience work against some veteran journalists as stations turn to younger and cheaper reporters, Blue’s veteran status made him attractive to a startup newscast relying on rookie reporters.
“He’s a fantastic journalist and that demeanor translates well for mentoring some of our young V.J.’s (video journalists),” said Bill Ritchhart, WFFT general manager. “He has a ton of leadership and that adds integrity to our staff.”
Initial reviews for the newscast, which debuted on April 6, are positive. Citing Nielsen ratings, Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly reported Fox-55 recently won the 10 p.m. time slot versus Indiana’s News Center, Fort Wayne’s ABC affiliate which airs a 10 p.m. newscast for the CW Television Network.
Rich Reynolds of Fort Wayne Media Watch, a blog with an often acerbic take on local media, says initial feedback about Blue from blog contributors has been positive.
“Blue has credibility cachet because of his dignified demeanor,” Reynolds wrote in an e-mail.
“We have tremendously popular anchors in Northeast Indiana, so they made a wise choice in hiring a veteran,” said Jerry Giesler, Indiana’s News Center manager and president.
Facing well-established stations, Blue, who hired the station’s four reporters, said the newscast will try to be different. Reporters are asked to enterprise and avoid press releases and routine news conferences when possible. Accidents, crashes and crimes, staples of local TV news, will be shied away from unless they’re serious. Reporters describe Blue as hands on, but not a micromanager.
While the new job is time consuming, Blue says he tries to visit Toledo — where his wife Kay teaches writing at Owens Community College — every couple of weeks. Despite the demands and pressures, Blue said he has no plans to leave journalism anytime soon.
“I love the news business and getting out into the community and talking to people,” he said. “I’ve never really wanted to do anything else.

Rundgren ‘happy and successful’ in Texas

Karl Rundgren might have left FOX Toledo a year ago, but he took what he learned from Toledo’s fast-paced news scene with him to pick up the speed of his television station in Odessa, Tex., KMID.
After leaving his position as FOX’s anchor and managing editor for a news director position at Odessa’s ABC affiliate, he said he misses reporting on Toledo politics, but has obtained a level of happiness he and his wife, Jordan, couldn’t find anywhere else.
“When you’re in the media, there are two goals,” said Rundgren, a former Toledo Free Press columnist. “Make it to a giant network and be with your family. I accomplished one of those things; we never saw this as a step back. We looked at it as a success.”
Rundgren said he moved to Texas to be close to the numerous family members who live in the area.

Karl Rundgren

KMID, known as “Big 2,” once dominated the television news market in Odessa but recent setbacks left the station in second place, so Rundgren said he is constantly experimenting with news content to compete with other stations.
“My challenge is to rebuild this station and bring it back to what it used to be; obviously, that’s no small task,” he said. “The thing about working for a station that’s not in the lead is you can try things and you can be a little more tenacious.”
He has used specific techniques he learned in Toledo to improve his Texas station. When he moved to Odessa, the newscast was slow-paced and focused on a single person behind the desk. He used what he knew about fast-paced newscasts from working in Toledo to speed up the news and energize the setting.
He said he even had the anchor desk ripped out to ramp up energy. Now, his reporters write brief scripts, packed full of information opposed to the longer, wordy forms of newscasts he saw at the station when he moved there, he added.
He also took the necessity for balanced news from the Toledo area as well, something that can be difficult in his town because most people share the same views.
“In Toledo, you have a very democratic area but the surrounding areas are conservative so being fair was not just an option, it was a necessity,” Rundgren said. “Out here in Texas this is a conservative area; the Democrats in west Texas tend to be more like Republicans. Because of that, there is a temptation to lose a little bit of that fairness to play to the crowd. But that’s the thing I took from Toledo — being fair is not an option, this is a necessity.”
Though he misses Toledo and has been “admiring the mayoral race from afar,” he said he plans to stay in Odessa with his wife and 4-year-old son Dane and continue his career with KMID.
His hottest topics on his station right now are the oil industry and the economy and health care reform, he said.
“To me, the most important thing is to listen; I’ve been amazed when I go through this industry how many people go in and do interviews and they’re waiting to hear that one magic thing they are looking for. If you listen, sometimes you get whole other ideas from interviews,” he said. “The other thing is to be fair. As long as you give people your fair shake, most people are appreciative.”

— Caitlin McGlade

The United Way of Greater Toledo (UWGT) will announce its 2009 campaign goal at its Lucas County kick off Sept. 2 at St. Luke’s Hospital, Maumee. Recently, Wood County kicked off its own campaign with an event at Bowling Green State University. The Wood County campaign is lead by Jill Kegler of Kellermeyer Inc. The Ottawa County effort is lead by Steve and Megan Lovitt of Gem Beach Marina.
Last year, United Way of Greater Toledo raised $13.5 million in its campaign — about 10 percent short of its 2008 goal, and 7 percent less than it raised in 2007. United Way’s efforts in 2008 echoed a national trend that saw total charitable giving drop 5.7 percent, according to Giving USA.
“The needs of the community far surpass what our recent United Way campaigns can provide,” said Bill Kitson, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Toledo, in an e-mail interview.
In Lucas County, the campaign chairman is Richard Hylant, president of Hylant Group-Toledo.
Because the community needs typically surpass the annual campaign goals, Kitson said United Way is moving to a needs-based goal. Typically, each year’s campaign goal is based on the previous year’s totals. A needs-based goal, according to Kitson, is determined by the amount of funding requests United Way receives from the programs it plans to serve for the following year.
“There are 600,000 people in Northwest Ohio, and only 30,000 actually give. Can you imagine what our campaign would look like if even just half of the rest of those people gave $50?” Kitson wrote.
Given the current uncertain and unsteady economy, Hylant said giving to United Way is like an “insurance policy.”
“Giving back to help fund United Way 2-1-1 or another agency is almost like an insurance policy for someone you know or maybe even yourself,” he said.
One of the main efforts for 2009, Hylant said, is to get more of Toledo’s larger employers involved.
“We want more penetration among our larger employers in town,” Hylant said. “About 60 percent of employers offer payroll deduction, and that needs to be higher.”
One new twist for the 2009 United Way campaign is the assistance from Toledo-born celebrities and public figures.
“We’ve had pretty good success with our native sons and daughters. They all have been pretty responsive and open to what role they can play and some are even giving their time,” Hylant said.
He said the positive responses from native Toledoans includes the likes of Jamie Farr, who hosted a United Way event during the summer’s Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic golf tournament; author and columnist Christine Brennan; Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton; Middle East Region Division Chief, U.S. Joint Staff Colonel David Sutherland; journalist and author P.J. O’Rourke, and WJR radio host Paul W. Smith.
Already, fundraising efforts for the 2009 campaign are under way, according to Kitson. In working with the Toledo Mud Hens, United Way initiated Strikeout Paycheck. Companies agreed to sponsor each month of the Mud Hens’ season and donate $10 to United Way each time a Mud Hens pitcher struck out an opponent.
As of early August, that effort has raised nearly $8,000, Kitson said. The sponsoring companies include Columbia Gas of Ohio, BP, The Tyo Team of RE/MAX Preferred Associates, and the Lathrop Group.
In an economy where every dollar does count, Hylant said he can understand that prospective donors want to be sure their contributions are well-spent.
“For those employed in the community, if they subscribe to United Way’s role of efficient giving, of being a watchdog and want to get the biggest bang for their buck, the United Way is definitely doing that job,” he said. “And, it’s doing a pretty good job of it.”

When Toledo police faced their Spanish counterparts on the basketball court at the World Police and Fire Games in Vancouver, Canada the teams shared at least one common trait — a city of “Toledo.”
But the Toledo team soon realized it shared a more profound connection with the rival Spaniards through their dedication to protect.
“We all knew on the court it was competitive, but afterward, we respected each other because we’re all in the same profession,” said Ralph Green, deputy sheriff for the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office. “We all realized our lives are on the line based on the profession we do.”

Toledo Pride: Back row, from left, Willie Carpenter, Mike Campbell, Derek Kizer, Anthony Amison and Andre Cowell. Front row, from left, Eddie Norrils, Ralph Green, Will Young and Mark Barnes.

Law enforcement and fire-fighting officials from around the world converged in Vancouver from Aug. 3 to Aug. 10 to compete in the World Police and Fire Games. Ten thousand participants from 45 nations competed in 65 sports, including basketball.
The “Toledo Pride” played various teams, including those from Spain, New Caledonia and Seattle, among others, to win the gold medal. It took months of preparation — financial and physical — to compete in the World Police and Fire Games.
“We had no idea what we were getting into,” Green said. “We had no idea what level of competition and talent we’d run into.”
The team had played successfully for seven years at the Ohio Fire and Police Games in Columbus. They decided to go one step further to the world games.
It took months of independent fundraising to gather the $17,000 needed to send the 10 Toledo law enforcement members to Vancouver. Meanwhile, the team had to practice five hours a week on the court for months. Green’s nephew is Tennessee Titans NFL player Nate Washington. He coached the team in basketball. The men were between 35 and 45.
“We practiced against some guys a lot younger and athletic than us,” Green said. “They challenged us to the fullest.”
After months of practice, team members were prepared.
“When that plane landed, I was ready to put my uniform on and go play,” Toledo Police Officer Andre Cowell said.
Cowell and Green said it was a powerful moment when they realized they had taken the gold. Twenty basketball teams from around the world had competed.
“When that last horn goes off, and you know the game’s over, emotions kicked in,” Cowell said. “We laughed, joked and shook hands with other teams, but then you get your medal. It’s all worth it in the end.”
Cowell said he was excited after the victory, as were his relatives.
“They were excited,” he said. “As soon as the game ended, I sent many texts at a time, and I texted, ‘World champs, baby.’”
When “Toledo Pride” received the gold, the national anthem played in the stadium.
“Emotions kind of took over, and reality set in that we’re representing the city of Toledo, the state of Ohio and the United States of America,” Green said.
Despite the competition on the court, “Toledo Pride” enjoyed socializing with foreign rivals off the court. Green and Cowell said defeated rivals would show up to cheer on “Toledo Pride” and bestow mementos. They exchanged pins and jerseys with their on-court rivals.
“It’s hard to believe that you beat someone, and in the aftermath, they present you with gifts as an act of kindness,” Cowell said.
While walking alone to a bar, the Spanish team recognized Cowell and circled him, he said.
“I saw guys from Spain we just beat the day before, and they formed a circle and started chanting, ‘U-S-A!’ Cowell said. “[At first,] I thought I was going to get robbed.”
Green said it was rewarding to meet with their foreign counterparts and learn about their cultures.
“Whether you win or lose, the experience of dealing with law enforcement officials from other countries builds everlasting relationships,” he said.
He said he was glad to represent his hometown on the world stage. They’re looking forward to the 2011 games in New York.
Green and Cowell said many foreigners weren’t familiar with Toledo, but they were happy to help put it on the map for them.
“We are very proud to be from Toledo, Ohio,” Green said. “For those who don’t know where Toledo is located — they know now.”

The German-American Festival Society is throwing its 44th celebration of German and Swiss culture Aug. 28 through 30 at Oak Shade Grove in Oregon.
The event is rich in history. Festival chair Timothy Pecsenye said by 1966, the Toledo area was home to seven different German and Swiss ethnic societies. In an attempt to establish a sense of unity among the organizations, representatives from each group came together to create Toledo’s first German-American Festival. The success of that initial collaborative venture resulted in a more permanent association of the seven original ethnic societies in the form of the German-American Festival Society (GAF).
Pecsenye said the GAF Society continues its mission of promoting its collective ethnic heritage by offering up the entertainment, Germanic fare and extensive beer and wine collection festivalgoers have come to expect over the years.
The festival continues in its tradition of lively musical performances by showcasing five-piece headliner band Die Sandler, straight out of Steinach, Germany, and homegrown Pink Floyd-inspired, accordion-meets-rock ‘n’ roll group, Polka Floyd. Music will continue live on three stages throughout the weekend.
The festival’s commitment to making each year’s festivities better than the last continues this year with several new offerings. Pecsenye said he is excited to announce that the festival is taking on a fresh look this year with the switch to a new amusement ride operator. A first-ever baking contest is slated for Aug. 29.
Through an exclusive deal with the Build-a-Bear company, event mascot Moritz the raccoon and his sweetheart, Mitzi, will be available for purchase at this year’s festival.
Also of interest to children will be the 18th Annual Hummel Look-Alike Contest for children ages 2 to 10. Roughly a dozen pint-sized entrants will don the attire and strike the pose of a figurine of their choosing. Adults will battle it out in the Swiss Steinstossen stone-throwing contest. Men and women will compete to see how far they can toss 138-pound and 75-pound stones.
Pecsenye emphasizes the dedication of those who make the festival possible each year.
“The festival is a labor of love for our volunteers,” he said.
In an attempt to give something back to those helpers, the festival began offering a German language Sunday morning service for members eager to work but wanting to worship. This year’s worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and is open to the public. Anyone attending the worship service will receive free admission to the festival.
The Toledo German-American Festival’s reach extends beyond the northwest corner of Ohio.
“It’s very much a regional festival,” Pecsenye said. Visitors are expected to arrive from Illinois, Indiana and from as far away as Texas.
The 2009 German-American Festival runs 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Aug. 28; 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. Aug. 29; and noon to 11 p.m. Aug. 30. For more information, visit  www.German AmericanFestival.net or www.GAF Society.org/fest.htm.

There are about
102 million licensed women drivers in the United States, according to the 2006 census. Today, women are more likely to be involved in deciding where and when to have their vehicles serviced than ever before. Automobile care and maintenance was once almost exclusively handled by the man of the house. Not anymore.
A recent study conducted by the Automotive Service Association indicated that in some types of repair shops as much as 64 percent of the service and maintenance work was being authorized by women. In most independent repair shops that number is closer to 50 percent. Still, that’s an astounding turnaround from the models of a few years ago. It means that service repair facilities have had to learn what it takes to satisfy their women clients versus the traditional male customer they had been servicing for years.
Those numbers also suggest that women are much more comfortable discussing their vehicle maintenance needs and concerns with service shops.
I am a firm believer in regular maintenance. Apparently, not everyone is. The Independent Garage Owners of America (IGOA) recently contracted to have a survey done on preventive maintenance trends in the United States and their findings were astonishing. According to the IGOA survey, more than 60 percent of scheduled maintenance goes unperformed each year. That’s an amazing figure. The survey indicates that about 60 percent of the used cars on the road have not had proper maintenance. Scary stuff!
With more and more women being more involved in the vehicle service work and maintenance decision making process these days, it is important that women be educated in how to follow vehicle maintenance schedules. It is also very important that women know and understand their rights when service work is being performed.
A woman should be aware of what Ohio law demands of service repair shops. You have the right, under Ohio law, to request a written estimate if the expected cost of the service repairs will exceed $25. You further have the right to be notified if the initial estimate of repairs will be exceeded by 10 percent. Always execute this right. Do not leave the service repair shop without a written estimate, no matter how well you know the people you are dealing with. You should also demand that the service repair shop call you if the estimated cost of repairs will be exceeded.
Furthermore, Ohio law demands that the service repair shop include on the repair order an exact description of your concern. Make sure the full description of your concern is clearly outlined on the face of the repair order before you sign it. Once repairs have been completed by the repair facility, they are required by Ohio law to detail clearly the work that was actually performed. The complete description of work done must also include the name of the technician who performed it. Before you pay for the service work make sure you can understand everything detailed of the repair order.
You also have the right to carry home with you, or look at, any parts that were replaced. I urge you, ladies, to also exercise this right. Take the parts home with you just in case any issues should develop with the work performed. You can always dispose of the used parts at a later date.
Having your vehicle serviced should not turn into a nightmare. Understanding your rights as a consumer, and then executing them, is a great way to ensure that you are not taken advantage of by unscrupulous service repair shops, regardless if you are a man or a woman.

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 from readers at letters@toledofreepress.com.

“It’s not you, it’s me.” The words have been spoken so often, they’ve become famous (or infamous). The phrase is often used as a way to soften the bad news when breaking up a romantic relationship. But the words are applicable to other types of relationships.
Look at your relationship with the economy. We blame the economy for our moods, our lack of enthusiasm at work and for keeping us from taking that family vacation. No, Mr. Economy, “it’s not you, it’s me.” It’s a sharp but honest statement. This admission can re-ignite our business enthusiasm and suddenly make those vacation plans feasible again.
What about your relationship with your company? When times are tough, we covet greener grass that must exist somewhere. We look at what we’re missing instead of what we have. No, Mr. Employer, “it’s not you, it’s me.” Heeding this truth can once again help us to see that we have things to work with; we have tools and opportunities that, if we actually fought a little, we would be able to utilize.
It’s strange that a simple phrase could have such special powers, but its potency lies in the realizations that necessarily follow. It forces action on anyone who is discontent with a deteriorating situation. Refuse to be a victim of your environment; it’s only a way to make failure comfortable.
But the idea doesn’t need to have such a negative tone. Flip it around; put it in a positive situation. Imagine winning an account others thought was impossible. Taste sweet victory when others lacked the bravado to even make an attempt. “It’s not you, its ME!” is much more refreshing from a positive perspective. You were the one who made the decision to do something, while others dragged their feet; you were the one who saw water, where others saw desert.
We’re talking about personal responsibility, but we’re also talking about a different kind of responsibility. Not the “remember-to-take-out-the-trash” kind of responsibility — the type of responsibility that puts you in control of your own success no matter what.
Every moment of every day, you have a choice to make. You can take what you’re given in life or you can decide to do as much as possible with what is available. Your responsibility is simple: You must make a choice.
It’s quite simple, but difficult. All you need to do is to constantly find the brighter side of the situation, but that is not at all natural. Saying you are going to find the positive side of things is easy; truly believing is an entirely different challenge.
It’s been said that worthwhile accomplishments are never easy, but that hasn’t stopped you before. Thinking positively, feeling grateful and seeing opportunity is no different than any other challenge you’ve pursued. If you’ve tried and found yourself slipping back to the negativity, then you simply haven’t understood the challenge properly.
The challenge is to catch yourself when you slip, redirect your thoughts and stick to it. The trick is to not condemn yourself when you slip. Condemnation and guilt are not positive thoughts. When you catch yourself thinking negatively, forgive yourself, thank yourself for catching it and put a smile back on your face.
Like any relationship, you need to work at it; you cannot give up when times are tough. The more committed you are to your relationships, the better they’ll become.
Receive tips on improving your relationships by going to www.boltfromtheblue.com and entering the word RELATIONSHIP into the blueprint box.

Tom Richard is a Toledo-based sales and marketing consultant, keynote speaker and owner of Bolt from the Blue direct response advertising. For more information, visit www.BoltFromTheBlue.com or call (419) 441-1005.