A source close to the negotiations has told Toledo Free Press that Huntington Bank is close to securing naming rights to the Lucas County Arena. The source said negotiations are not final and no commitment has been made, but the deal could close as early as Sept. 30.

Huntington Bank currently owns the naming rights to Huntington Park baseball field in Columbus.

Fifth Third Field was opened in 2002, and is seen as a marketing success for the title bank. It is one of three sports facilities to which Fifth Third Bank owns the naming rights.

360 Fitness, located in Arrowhead Business Park at 1703 Tollgate Drive, has notified employees it is closing Oct. 15. In an e-mail to employees, trainers were told they were free to pursue positions with other clubs. Norma Peiffer, the club’s Fitness Director and Manager, confirmed the closing and said members will receive refunds.

The Federalist Society at UT will host a debate Oct. 1 at noon in the law school auditorium, said Josh Brown, president of the organization.
The Federalist Society is a public policy organization that promotes conservative libertarian points of view. It brings speakers to the UT Law School throughout the school year, with 9 scheduled this year.
The debate, “Affirmative Action or Reverse Discrimination. The Ricci Case, Sotomayor, and the Future of Our Courts,” will feature Ilya Shapiro of the Cato Institute and Mark Fancher of the American Civil Liberties Union, Brown said.

Ricci v. DeStefano is a 2009 decision by the United States Supreme Court after firefighters sued the city of New Haven, Conn. for racial discrimination after being denied promotions, he said.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information call (614) 284-4394.

The Pregnancy Center, 716 N Westwood, is hosting an art show Oct. 15 from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

The show will feature pieces from local artists with prices ranging from $50 to $200. The event is free and open to the public, said development director Angela Sanders.

The Pregnancy Center is a nonprofit organization which offers a place to find hope, help and healing for pregnant women and women with children, Sanders said.
The center offers pregnancy tests, peer counseling and has a nurse on staff.
All profits will go into a ministry fund, used to keep items like formula and diapers on hand.
Not an art auction, show and they will have set prices. Open house come and go at will. No cost to get in. First one.
For more information, call Angela Sanders at (419) 578-7350.

Secret advance access to MySims Agents was granted by lead producer Rachel Bernstein and Geoff Mitchell at Electronic Arts’ 2009 Blogger’s Day event in Redwood City, California. This latest installment (Wii version) in the MySims game series expands into an engaging, more linear story about a burgeoning detective agency. The familiar block-style characters include Buddy the Butler who accompanies the detective agency on their journeys and sketches all their adventures. The fun themes and overall playful tone continues when players lock horns with the main antagonist, an evil corporate tycoon named Morcubus, after foiling his plan to… (gulp) steal a dog!

Use leads, clues and items to solve crimes and misdemeanors. Combine three clues together to confront characters and solve cases. The investigation actions also match the overall tone well. Brazen inspections, snoops and searches with other characters present keeps things moving while creating some mildly entertaining situations. Related mini games expand the game into forensics, repair, computer access and other gumshoe activities. As players progress, they can hop on the train and travel beyond Main Street into snowy mountains and urban areas. Any time saves and quick load times enhance this all ages spy game.

Players can enjoy nice character customizations (characters look in the mirror just like in the Sims3), new dialogue response choices and free roaming privileges in environments. The new fixed camera system works well within the expanded vertical movements and jumps. The lair…well, playable characters are good so we’ll call it a base … definitely has some of the coolest game elements. Developers utilize five properties similar to previously seen essences – paranormal, sports, nature, smart and management. Balance objects placement and character skills on each floor in the base for more successful missions.
MySims Agents is now available on the Nintendo Wii and DS consoles. Look for next week’s feature on Spore Hero on the Wii and Spore Hero Arena on the Nintendo DS.

Sean and Carolyn Savage released the following statement on Sept. 25:

“On Thursday, September 24, 2009, Carolyn Savage gave birth to a healthy baby boy at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio. At this time, we would like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to the Morell family on the birth of their son. We wish Paul, Shannon, their twin girls and their new baby boy the best, as they move forward with their lives together. Our family is deeply grateful for the support and prayers of so many people from around the world. We also would like to thank the medical professionals who provided superior care and treatment throughout the pregnancy and delivery. Our family is going through a very difficult time and requests privacy in the days ahead.”

The Associated Press is reporting that Paul and Shannon Morell of suburban Detroit said in a statement Sept. 26 the baby was five pounds, three ounces and 18 inches long.

The Morell family described birth mother Carolyn Savage of Toledo as their “guardian angel.”

It’s time again to play “Beat the Spread” with UT and BG football. For a refresher on the rules, consult the introductory article.

Note to self: invent games only if you know you’re going to be good at it.

Week 3 Results

Ohio State 38, Toledo 0

Actual margin of victory: OSU by 38

Sportsbook’s prediction: OSU by 20.5 (off by 17.5 points)

Sussman’s prediction: OSU by 13 (off by 25 points)

Marshall 17, Bowling Green 10

Actual margin of victory: Marshall by 7

Sportsbook’s prediction: Marshall by 3 (4 points)

Sussman’s prediction: Bowling Green by 7 (14 points)

The bookies win the week 39-21.5, and if these posts were actual money, at least one of my knees would be broken by now. For the season the sportsbook is ahead 97-75. It looks bad, but I’m just one wacky prediction coming true away from being back in this. What’s that? The eighth-ranked team in the country plays BG? That qualifies!

Week 4

Toledo at Florida International, 7 p.m. Saturday

This is a revenge game for the Rockets, who let FIU temporarily control the Glass Bowl last year in a 35-16 victory. The Golden Panthers are 0-2 this year, with road losses to Alabama and Rutgers, so their home opener is their best chance to get in the win column so far. However, after licking their wounds from Ohio State, UT is out with something to prove.

Even though it was against superior competition, FIU is only scoring 14.5 points per game. Despite that nasty shutout, UT is still averaging 28.3 per game against BCS conference teams. That offense will bounce back in remarkable ways against a mid-level Sun Belt Conference opponent. And with no proven running backs in the Golden Panthers’ arsenal, the Rockets secondary is going to have a field day defending the pass. After this game, Barry Church might want to play in Miami more often.

The Sportsbook Spread: FIU by 1

My Spread: Toledo by 16

No. 8 Boise State at Bowling Green, 7 p.m. Saturday

Boise State is officially the Gonzaga of college football. They’re the mid-major that “made it” on the national scene. It took year after disrespected year, but an undefeated season will probably mean the Blue Man Group could contend for a BCS title. Consider: when they upset Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl to finish undefeated, they came into that game ranked ninth. There are two things I would love nothing more to see this year:

(1) Boise State playing for a national championship, and

(2) BG winning this game.

Sadly, these two events are mutually exclusive and only one is grounded in reality. The Falcons are going to get pulverized in this game. However, the one surprising facet of this year’s BGSU team has been — and this is unexpected given Dave Clawson’s offensive expertise — the defense. They’re allowing less than 20 points per game against some pretty solid competition. The 40 points per game average for the Broncos may go down slightly in this game. They can probably hold Boise to 30 points, but don’t look for BG to light up the scoreboard against a team that shut out Miami University and let Oregon score just eight.

The Sportsbook Spread: Boise State by 16.5

My Spread: Boise State by 12

Think you can do better than me? Clearly you can’t do worse. Share your predictions in the comments.

In a special insert inside home-delivered copies of the Sept. 27 Toledo Free Press, DirectTV is offering a 5-month free “Premier Package” with more than 265 all-digital channels, 35 specialty sports networks included, 32 premium movie channels included (HBO and Showtime among them), free professional installation in up to 4 rooms and a free HD DVR receiver upgrade. Details are in the insert.

If you do not receive an insert in your paper, call 1-888-778-8967 and mention Toledo Free Press. Copies of the 4-page insert are also available at the Toledo Free Press office, 605 Monroe Street in Toledo.

Andrew Zepeda is best known for dishing on the radio, so it may not surprise people that he has always wanted to be in the restaurant business.
Zepeda has made a name for himself in Toledo from his radio show “Andrew Z in the Morning” on 92.5 KISS FM and as the Lucas County Commissioners’ “weight-loss czar.”
When looking for a location for Andrew Z’s Sportz Pizzeria, Zepeda said he focused on three areas: Downtown, by Westfield Mall and Levis Commons.

Andrew Z

“We’re going to be a destination location,” he said. “There’re going to be listeners from all over and I want them to be able to find the place very easily.”
He settled on Levis Commons, where he saw need for a pizzeria and a sports bar.
“I think it was a hole in the market,” he said. “BW3s or Jed’s focus around chicken and sports. There haven’t been any places that focus around pizza and sports.”
Zepeda recruited business partners Demetrius Nicodemus, from Andrew Z in the Morning, and his uncle Paul Zepeda from San Antonio.
“I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant,” Nicodemus said.
Head Chef Dave Guevara is also from San Antonio. He has created the items on the menu, including the restaurant’s original “Glass City Style” pizza.
“A friend of mine who was from Chicago was always talking about deep dish pizza,” Guevara said. “And I’ve never had a deep dish; I’m from San Antonio. I thought ‘You know, it would be nice if I made a medium dish pizza.’”
Zepeda said the crust is not thick or thin, but the edges of the crust are high, almost deep dish. “It’s something that we’ve never really seen done anywhere, but it’s phenomenal, and we hope it takes off.”
As “weight-loss czar,” Zepeda has lost 110 in less than two years and takes his responsibilities seriously, he said.
The menu offers pizza, salads and sandwiches starred as “czar friendly.”
“That’s a tough thing about this. You’ve got to try it all, especially this, where the food is so good,” Zepeda said. “I definitely made sure we had things that were low fat.”
From the pizza crust to marinara sauce, menu items from scratch with fresh ingredients, Guevara said.
Quality of menu items is very important, Zepeda said.
“I made sure that the product is phenomenal,” he said. “People will try it out because of who you are, but they won’t keep coming back. So, I’d honestly put any of our pizzas or whatever you try up against anybody’s.”
Another thing Zepeda is careful about is using his radio show for free advertising.
“I won’t say, ‘Yeah, it’s 48 degrees here, I wonder what the temperature is down at the pizza place.’ I try to only mention it when it makes sense,” he said.
Andrew Z’s Sportz Pizzeria will host its grand opening celebration Oct. 2 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. each day.
“It’s been amazing how supportive the business community has been,” he said. “It’s been overwhelming to see that.”

Many people in the Toledo community give a lot of their valuable time to help those less fortunate. But for one family, it’s been nearly a life-long commitment.
The Martin Luther King Kitchen for the Poor, 650 Vance St., Toledo, opened April 1, 1969, under the guidance of the late Rev. Harvey Savage Sr.

From left, La-Toya Jackson, Dorothy Goings and Henrietta Armstrong.

“I grew up in it,” said Juanita Savage Person, 55, who’s served as executive director for about 15 years.
Person, one of Rev. Savage’s daughters, said she started helping at the kitchen when she was 15 years old.
“This is all I know. It’s the only job I’ve ever had.”
Person’s brother, Harvey Savage Jr. has served as the president of the MLK Kitchen board for eight years. He also has been involved with the kitchen from a young age.
In addition to Person and Savage Jr., their sister, Henrietta Armstrong is the head cook, and their brother, Raymond Savage, is the driver. Person, Armstrong and Raymond Savage are the kitchen’s only paid employees. Another sister, Irene Campbell, volunteers.
The MLK Kitchen serves about 200 people every day. The kitchen opens Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. and serves lunch from noon until 1:30 p.m., before closing at 2 p.m. It also is open the second weekend every month, when it hosts a prayer breakfast, organized by the neighboring Lo Salem Missionary Baptist Church.
Savage Jr. said the prayer breakfast typically draws 50 men.
In addition to the daily meals, the kitchen distributes 50 to 60 food boxes every month. The boxes contain enough food to feed a family three meals a day for three days. Other services include clothing, delivering food to elderly and shut-ins, and a case worker helping clients to obtain eligible aid. The case worker is made possible through a federal grant obtained with assistance from United Way of Greater Toledo.
Savage said the type of clients the kitchen serves has expanded in recent months.
“We’ve noticed more families and more of what we’d call middle class. As jobs go, it’s getting harder and harder for everybody,” he said.
He said the case worker has been a big asset to assist those who are not familiar with the welfare system and “need help to manage through the system.”
Person said the MLK Kitchen has solid support from its volunteers and three senior citizens who each work about 18 hours a week as part of the Title V Senior Community Service Employment Program. She also said the seven-member board is “fantastic. It’s a working board that means a lot to us.”
Savage said financial support for the MLK Kitchen comes from several sources, including individual donations, fundraisers like a recent Bowl-A-Thon, FEMA grants, and community development block grants.
However, more is always needed to continue the kitchen’s efforts and deal with unexpected emergencies like when a freezer recently broke down.
In addition to funding, Savage said the kitchen is currently seeking food donations — such as turkeys to assist with Thanksgiving and Christmas meals and food boxes — and toys for its annual Christmas party.
Person said she can’t see herself doing anything else.
“It’s like a ministry to us. We minister to the poor and needy,” she said. “We have a good staff, and it is through them that we’re able to carry out this ministry.”