Cherry Street Mission is urging people to save their old clothing this holiday season. “Clothing Your Community” will be collecting clothes starting Dec. 28 through Jan. 23.
The drive is promoting, “When you no longer wear it, share it,” said Dan Rogers, president and CEO of Cherry Street Mission. Cherry Street Mission will then distribute the clothing in the community in early February.
“Clothing Your Community” is a partnership between Cherry Street Mission, LaSalle Cleaners, Pro-Pak Industries, The Andersons, Cumulus Broadcasting, Fifth Third Bank, Toledo Free Press, YMCA and JCC of Greater Toledo, WTOL and H.O.T. Printing and Graphics.
Locations of collecting stations, and collection times will be released in the coming weeks.

Lucas County has the sixth-highest number of foreclosures in the state, according to the most recent numbers from the Ohio Supreme Court.
Of the 88 counties in Ohio, Lucas County is only behind  Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Montgomery and Summit counties in the number of foreclosure cases reported since September.
“In Ohio, Cleveland is the epicenter of foreclosures, but the Toledo area is not far behind,” said Kathy Broka, Northwest Ohio Development Agency and Toledo Fair Housing Center president and CEO. “Toledo was one of the first communities where predatory lending and toxic loans took place. Some of the loans with egregious terms are just beginning to catch up with residents.”
In Lucas County, two separate listings for foreclosure cases are filed; bank and tax.
The number of foreclosures in Lucas County has increased by 5.3 percent since last year, according to the Lucas County Clerk of Courts. Through November of this year 3,769 bank foreclosures have been filed in the county, 200 more bank foreclosures than were filed in 2008 at that time.
Foreclosures due to tax issues are also increasing. Through November this year there were 310 foreclosures, when in all of 2008 there were only 281.
“It’s a very serious problem that we have right now. It could be a multi-year cycle not just a one-time event. We keep looking for the foreclosure rate to level off, but we don’t see that happening soon,” said Steve Papadimos, chief of the county prosecutor’s office civil division.
The number of tax foreclosures would be “significantly higher” if the Lucas County Treasurer’s office was not working with taxpayers who were delinquent,”
Papadimos said.
“The treasurer’s office is doing a fine job trying to keep people in their homes. They’re putting people on multi month payment plans, waiving interest and penalties when the law allows,” Papadimos said.
If faced with a foreclosure the “worst” thing someone can do is ignore it, Broka said.
“You need to be proactive and be an advocate for yourself,” she said.
The first step for anyone who is facing a foreclosure is communication with the lender, said Eunice Glover, who is a foreclosure counselor for Northwest Ohio Development Agency.
“Constantly stay in touch with the lender. Let them know you want to stay, you want to pay and let them know what you can afford to pay,” Glover said. “With Obama’s Home Affordable Modification Program, banks are more likely to work with you to modify your loan and find a solution that is beneficial for you both.”
If the foreclosure goes to court it is important to seek legal aid, Glover said. Individuals going through a foreclosure should be leery of phone calls that may come offering assistance.
“Working with an agency to get a home mortgage modification should be free, it shouldn’t be costing you thousands of dollars,” Glover said.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Development has a list of certified counselors and agencies at the Web site www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/fc/.
For more information on foreclosure assistance visit www.noda toledo.org.

A new online store is making easier to show Toledo some love.
Brother and sister Steve and Sarah Streicher created ToledoLand Apparel as an outlet for people to showcase their Toledo pride.
“In recent history there have been larger branding efforts in Toledo,” Steve said. “We wanted to create a more grassroots branding effort. Create something that people can share what Toledo means to them individually, where they can express themselves. Simply put, we wanted and were motivated by having cool Toledo T-shirts.”

Steve Streicher

ToledoLand Apparel started Oct. 1 with the launch of the Web site http://toledolandapparel.com/.
Individuals can purchase Toledo-themed shirts from five different designs or submit Toledo-theme designs of their own. T-shirts are $15 and hoodies are $28. Individuals who create shirt designs the site accepts receive $2 for every shirt sold.
ToledoLand is modeled after Oaklandish, an apparel company that supports the local arts community in Oakland, Calif., Steve said.
“We wanted to give people a way to support Toledo, even when they don’t still live here,” he said. “A lot of people care about it still and want to see it do well. The site offers a nice, easy affordable way to contribute to what’s going on here.”
Ten percent of every item sold is donated to a local charity. The company plans on rotating what charity receives donations every four months and solicits suggestions for recipient organizations from its fans on Facebook and Twitter.
Through February, The Village Players, a local nonprofit theater, will receive donations from ToledoLand.
The Streichers grew up in Toledo, graduating from St. Francis de Sales and St. Ursula Academy. Currently, Steve lives and works in West Toledo and Sarah lives in Oakland.
“We’ve both lived other places, but we’ve always loved Toledo,” Steve said. “If you ask people we’ve known in other places, they’d say, ‘Sarah and Steve talk about Toledo all the time. I’ve never heard of Toledo, but they made me want to go there.’”
Steve said he hopes the site will eventually turn into a place that Toledoans can showcase their design talents.

Tim and Marla Halko watched the premiere of TLC’s “6 Going on 60” Dec. 13 with their family — T.J., 12, Brendan, 10, Jacob, 8, and one of the stars of the documentary, Kaylee.
“Kaylee liked it,” Tim said. “When it was over, she got up and took a bow.”
“And she said, ‘Thank you, thank you very much,’” Marla added. “Kaylee loved it. She got up the next morning and wanted to watch it again before school, and I said, ‘No, just wait until you get home.’

Cameraman Sean Lewis, left, and producer Suemay Oram, far right, interview Kaylee Halko for the upcoming TLC documentary.

“She really liked seeing herself on TV. She cracked herself up; she kept laughing throughout it.”
“I love it,” Kaylee said of the film. “I can watch it over and over and over again. You know why? Because I DVRed it!”
When asked if friends from school and dance class watched, Kaylee replied, “Yep, everybody in the whole wide world.”
The Halkos have been inundated with calls and e-mails since the show aired.
Many people liked the documentary that focuses on Kaylee, 6, and Lindsay Ratcliffe, 5, who have progeria, a rare, fatal condition characterized by accelerated aging caused by a gene mutation.
“I’ve got a Facebook page and it’s kind of blown up; I’ve got so many e-mails and people writing on my wall and friend requests — I can’t even get through all of them,” Tim said. “When I came into work, I had over 100 e-mails from 10 o’clock Sunday night until Monday morning.
“A lot of people said they liked when [Kaylee] was putting on fake lipstick and then she blew a kiss to the camera,” he said. “People liked the part at the beginning where, the boys taught her to put her fingers in the air, and she said, ‘It’s rock ‘n’ roll!’ ”
“[The documentary] definitely showed Kaylee, and that’s her 24-7 — silly,” Marla said.
Tim and Marla were happy with how the program turned out.
“We wanted it to tell what the disease is, the basics of the disease, but we just really wanted to show the kids, their spirit and the fact that [Kaylee] likes to do all the things that a 6-year-old likes to do,” Marla said. “We wanted to show that side of the disease, too. That yeah, it’s sad, but there’s also a lot of good.”
“I loved the fact that it was very upbeat, had a nice message of hope and inspiration, and the girls were always laughing and giggling, and the families were very positive about things,” said Audrey Gordon, president and executive director of the Progeria Research Foundation Inc. “We at the Progeria Research Foundation are always about hope for the future and great optimism that we will develop treatments and find a cure for progeria, so we feel like the families really reflected that in their thoughts as well.”
Both Kaylee and Lindsay are taking part in the nonprofit foundation’s triple-drug trial.
“When Kaylee was diagnosed, Dr. [Jeffrey ] Innis [of the University of Michigan] who was in the documentary, pretty much told us the average life is 13 and that there’s not really anything they can do,” Tim said. “We’ve kind of gone from that to drug trials and a lot of optimism from the doctors involved. So it does keep us optimistic.”
Gordon is pleased “6 Going on 60” will continue to air on TLC; check the Web site www.tlc.dis
covery.com for the schedule.
“To be able to see that visual of these beautiful children and to recognize it as progeria around the world is a real challenge, and a show like this will certainly help us meet that challenge,” she said.
Kaylee and Lindsay are two of 54 children in the world diagnosed with the condition.
Of course, Kaylee is ready for a sequel: “Let’s do another one so I can be on TV over and over and over again!”

Sears is seeking potential investors for opening Sears Hometown Stores in northwest Ohio, advertising for locations in Toledo, Fremont, Ottawa, Port Clinton, Upper Sandusky and Wauseon.

Sears advertised for a Toledo location through its Authorized Retail Hometown Store Program with other listings for Canton, Cincinnati, Lebanon and Rochester, Ohio.

“Sears is looking specifically for a location for a Hometown Store along Alexis Road in north Toledo. We’re still interviewing candidates to own and operate a store there,” said Charles Todd, regional market development manager for Sears.

Todd said they are looking in that area to replace a Sears Appliance and Hardware store formerly located at Lewis and Alexis that was closed earlier this year. He said they are also looking for owners and store locations in Milan and Tecumseh, Mich.

“We recently opened a Sears store inside the Ashley Furniture Store in Bad Axe (Mich.) that is the first one located inside another store,” Todd said.

Sears already has Hometown Stores operating in Bowling Green, Bryan, Bucyrus, Tiffin and Van Wert.

Tim Wilkins opened the Sears Hometown Store on North Main Street in Bowling Green in 2001. Wilkins said they are holding their own in the today’s economy and their holiday business this year is about the same as last year.

“The Sears store has been accepted well by the local community,” Wilkins said.

The Sears Hometown Store concept was introduced 16 years ago and is designed for small to medium-sized markets. It has an overall goal of 3,000 independently owned and operated stores in 500 communities across the country. There are currently 900 Hometown Stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, according to the company.

Sears Hometown Stores carry all of the top home appliance brands, consumer electronics, tools and lawn and garden equipment.

The Hometown Store Program gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to invest in owning and operating a Sears store in desired locations listed by the retailer.

An initial investment for a Hometown Store may run from $55,000 to $100,000, depending on the size of the store and any leasehold improvements required. Owners must have $100,000 available without borrowing and a minimum net worth of $120,000, according to the company.

Sears claims its program is unique because it doesn’t include any initial franchise or licensing fees. The company may invest in the business with qualified owners.

The store owner is expected to devote his or her full-time personal efforts to the daily operation of the store. The owner may hire a manager but is ultimately responsible for all employee and staffing decisions.

The ideal candidate should be outgoing, results-oriented, committed to success and willing to focus their energies exclusively on the retail business. They would benefit from previous retail management or sales experience with a basic knowledge of business financial principals, according to the company.

A team from Sears will guide the owner through the market analysis, site location, financing options, lease negotiations, and construction or retrofit work. The retailer also provides help preparing the store for opening with instruction on fixtures and merchandising.

Sears training staff will instruct each owner in the daily operations and management of the store. Initial training would include three days in one of its certified training stores followed by a week of intense training at the company’s headquarters in Hoffman States, Ill.

Sears offers owners extensive advertising and marketing support, store inventory at no cost, merchandising and promotional expertise with exterior and interior signage.

Store owners earn a variable commission rated based on the merchandise they sell. Each store receives deliveries of Sears and other brand name products by truck every week.

The program differs from many franchise operations where owners have full responsibility for all capital outlay related to the business. Sears store owners are not charged any inventory fees, transportation costs or royalties by the company.

Profitability varies depending upon numerous factors including sales, location, number of households in the market, operating expenses, lease or real estate costs, and the ability of the dealer to manage the business.

Sears currently operates two department stores located at Westgate Shopping Center in Toledo and at Woodville Mall in Northwood.

Sears, Roebuck and Company has been a leading retailer of general merchandise for more than 100 years in the U.S.

For more information about store franchises, go to www.searshometownstores.com.

Finding the perfect Christmas gift can start right at home. And it can be done by enhancing store-bought items with some creativity.

Gretchen Fayerweather, a food, nutrition and hospitality instructor at Owens Community College, shared several ideas doing just that. Not only will it give you a chance to explore your artistic side, but she said these ideas can save time and money:

• A more sophisticated fruit bread. Start by buying a white or yellow cake mix, and instead of adding oil, try using pumpkin butter, apple butter or applesauce. Mix in your favorite nuts and fruit. Fayerweather’s favorite is a combination of pumpkin butter, cranberries and macadamia nuts. The recipe is a little more upscale than normal fruit bread, and people are more likely to eat it, she said.
• Cookie fun. Fill plastic mixing bowls with dry ingredients to make cookies, items to decorate, such as sprinkles, a small beater and cookie cutters. Fayerweather suggested checking out a local dollar store for the items. Attach a sticker with the recipe.

Or try this variation: Prepare your favorite cookie dough, cover it with colored plastic wrap and twist the ends closed and tie with ribbon. And then attach the baking instructions. Fayerweather said the cookie dough needs to be refrigerated and can be kept in the freezer for three to six months.

“You can have Christmas cookies in July,” she said.

• Going green. Inexpensive canvas bags can be filled with homemade granola, trial-size cleaning agents and bowls or a cutting board made of bamboo. For an added touch, buy remnants of fabric, cut them into squares, sew the edges and tie them together with ribbon for a homemade set of napkins.
• Share some flavor. Fill small jars with your favorite mix of herbs and add a label that is handwritten or created on the computer. Fayerweather suggested buying herbs in bulk to save money. Some of her favorites are a tri-mix that contains 90 percent kosher salt, 5 percent white pepper and 5 percent granulated garlic, and an Italian mix that has basil, oregano, a little bit of crushed red pepper and salt. The herbs could also be placed in a planter with a recipe to create a winter windowsill garden.
• Hot and chocolate. Dip an iced teaspoon in chocolate and put it in a mug, along with some homemade or store-bought biscotti. The biscotti can be dipped in chocolate, too. For adults, add 4-ounce samples of coffee. For kids, include hot chocolate samples.

To get your creative juices really flowing, Kevin Schroeder, Owens assistant professor of fine arts and program facilitator, offered the following ideas:

• Make your own Christmas cards. Cards can be embossed by soaking the paper in water and pressing it with a piece of cardboard cut to the desired shape. Soaking the paper makes it pliable. Pine needles can also be used to emboss the image on the paper while leaving the scent behind.

Another technique involves using wood, leather or linoleum to create an image to be used like a rubber ink stamp. After the ink or paint is applied, use a wooden spoon to rub across the stamp to pick up the image details. A slightly different technique involves using a piece of Plexiglas. Schroeder said the image can first be drawn on a piece of paper, and then placed under the Plexiglas as a guide when painting the design. Take the painted Plexiglas and transfer the wet paint onto another piece of paper.

“You can do whatever speaks to your personality,” he said.

• Play with some clay. Activ brand clay can be modeled into any shape and can be air dried, Schroeder said. Other clays, such as Premo and Sculpey can be baked in the oven to produce a unique gift.

James Cameron is a director who lives by the adage, “Go big or go home.” His films have taken audiences from the farthest reaches of alien worlds to the mysteries of the deepest oceans, from the future to the past and back again. And best of all, he insists his films be about something: They’re not just spectacle for spectacle’s sake.

Now, Cameron has crafted perhaps his most audacious yet. “Avatar” is a rip-roaring action adventure with genuine ideas about colonization, spirituality and the harmony of nature. And the universe Cameron and his collaborators have created here is one of the most memorable in recent cinema.

A scene from James Cameron's 'Avatar.'

Pandora, the alien moon which is home to the story, is an amazing place. It is lush and green, populated with plant life that looks familiar but foreign, floating mountains tethered by ropes and remarkable animal life lurking in every corner. These filmmakers spoil the audience with beauty, and I, for one, was grateful.

The story (no spoilers): It’s the 22nd century, and a human colonization is underway on Pandora, not because we could live there, but because of a rare ore which is on the moon in abundance. The major obstacle in humanity’s path is an indigenous culture called the Na’vi, a towering race of warriors with blue skin.

To interact with the natives, a scientific project headed up by the brilliant Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) creates synthetic bodies called avatars, which their operators control remotely. Each avatar is crafted from the DNA of the wearer, which is why it’s inconvenient when one of the operators is killed. To fill his shoes, his twin brother Jake (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed former marine, is pressed into service.

These early scenes establishing the story are richly complex — almost to a fault. It feels like too much information is being thrown at the audience too fast. If I had to guess, I’d say that Cameron had to sacrifice some running time (the film as-is runs 162 minutes), and decided to cut from these introductory scenes. But as a result, it feels almost too fast-paced early on.

The heart of the film begins as Jake uses his avatar to interact with a native tribe of Na’vi, in particular a female warrior named Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana). She helps bridge the gap between him and her people. Their relationship is key, and doesn’t feel forced or artificial in the slightest.

The Na’vi are a remarkable creation of special effects. They are completely computer-generated, but move with a heft and weight that one doesn’t often see in animated characters. At first, I marveled at the effects that created them, and then I forgot about them and just got lost in the story — as it should be.

Of course, the Na’vi and human races clash over the fate of Pandora, with the military led by the scarred-and-iron-jawed Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), and it’s all headed for a slam-bang action climax. But Cameron knows how to deliver with the slam and the bang, and the movie’s core themes remain intact, as the action is in support of some genuine ideas. It’s impossible not to view its tale of occupation and perceived entitlement and think of the relocation of Native Americans — or even more contemporary examples.

These themes have been examined before in cinema, but what Cameron brings to the table is his talent for crating memorable universes, as well as a remarkably sure narrative hand that spins a very engaging tale. The film, as noted, is nearly three hours in length, and if anything feels too short.

“Avatar” is a triumph of storytelling, effects and imagination. In the years after “Titanic”‘s remarkable success, it began to seem as though Cameron may never make another feature, and when he did, the pressure on him to deliver must have been enormous. But he has. He went big, and succeeded. I just hope it won’t be another decade before we hear from him again. Movies need a lot more genuine grandeur these days.

NOTE: I saw the film on a good old-fashioned 35mm print, but many will want to see it on a 3D screen. Although I usually find 3D a pointless annoyance, I must admit I am curious to see “Avatar” in the format, if only to see to what use Cameron puts the effect. I must say the lush environs and visuals may very well be remarkable in the third dimension.

“AVATAR”: ***1/2 stars (out of four)

A 20th Century Fox Film, directed by James Cameron. Running time: 162 minutes. Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking.

Columbia Gas of Ohio’s January natural gas costs will be 56 percent lower than they were in January 2009, according to a news release from the gas company.

In January 2009 the Gas Cost Recovery for Columbia was $.94 per 100 cubic feet and in January 2010 it will be $.41 per 100 cubic feet, which is the lowest January cost since 1999, according to the release.

The Gas Cost Recovery is the cost Columbia pays for the natural gas. The company charges the customer the same amount and only makes money through charging for distributing the gas, according to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s Web site.

The changes affect only the 25 percent of Lucas County customers who purchase their gas directly from Columbia because the other 75 percent buy their gas through third parties that regulate their own prices, according to the release.

The average customer will pay $114.61 for natural gas this January. The January 2010 prices are effective Dec. 30, 2009 to Jan. 28, 2010, according to the release.

An 8-year-old boy living in Maumee has a Christmas wish with special urgency.

Gabriel DuBois was diagnosed with lung cancer in early December and doctors have told the family that he will not live much longer, said Barb Sparks, a DuBois family friend.

For Christmas, he wants cards from as many people as possible, she said.

On Tuesday, Dec. 15 alone he received 75 in the mail, she said. Today, most students in Holland Elementary School busted out the crayons and colorful paper to send him a greeting, said Principal Gary Devol, adding that other schools in the Springfield Local School District are participating as well.

Gabriel started feeling ill in November and after weeks of testing and hospital visits, was diagnosed with a rare type of lung cancer that normally affects older people.

Doctors told the family that there have been only five documented cases of such an illness amongst children in the past 50 years, according to the site.

Operation is not an option because Gabriel’s tumor is located between his heart and his lungs, Sparks said.

Make a Wish Foundation will send Gabriel to Disney World, but the family is still accepting Christmas cards.

For more information, visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gabrield.

— Toledo Free Press Staff Writer Kristen Rapin contributed to this report.

Anytime Fitness is opening a new fitness center in Sylvania on Jan.4.

Located at 7602 W. Sylvania Ave., the co-ed Anytime Fitness will offer customers 24-hour access.

Grand opening celebrations will take place from Jan. 4 to Jan.9, with the official ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 9. Tours of the facility will be available during the ceremonies.

Anytime Fitness is a franchise located across the United States, Canada and Australia that offers reciprocity between clubs.

For more information visit www.anytimefitness.com or call (419) 725-5575.