With Phil’s exciting win at the Masters behind us, buds beginning to open on the trees and flowers spewing forth their brilliant colors, spring is indeed upon us.  One might even think it safe to venture again onto the verdant fairways and greens of one’s local golfing establishment.  Here are two helpful tips to make your 2010 golf the most enjoyable ever.
Develop a closer relationship with your ball:
Have you ever watched your golfing buddy stride confidently onto the first tee, tee up his brand new ProV1, take a wide stance and reach out as far as his arms will allow as he prepares to hit a massive drive? The ball might go 300-plus yards, but most of it is off line and way to the right, into the woods, a lake or maybe even the next ZIP code.
Many macho golfers believe that to increase their distance they must extend their arms as far as they are physically able at address.  They have read somewhere that to maximize power they must have full extension at impact.  This is about half right.
Full extension of the arms at impact is important, but for the average golfer full extension at address (preparing to hit the ball) places the golfer much too far away from the golf ball and will normally result in a shot that severely slices to the right.
Full extension at impact is a result of proper grip, stance and ball position at address. Notice stance and ball position, followed by a correct backswing and follow through after impact. Full extension actually occurs immediately after contact with the golf ball.
The arms at address should hang from the shoulders. Don’t droop or roll your shoulders forward. Stand tall, young man, just like your mother taught you. With feet set slightly wider than the shoulders and knees slightly bent, bend at the waist and let the arms hang naturally from your shoulders. This will place you in a strong athletic position.  Correct posture and ball position may actually put you a little closer to the ball at address.
So come on, show your sensitive side, improve your relationship and get a little closer to your golf ball.
Improve your short game:
The first tip involved everyone’s favorite part of the golf game, hitting the golf ball farther. However, there are many intricate parts of golf that do not involve swinging as hard as you can to make the ball travel outlandish distances.
For the average golfer who scores between 90 and 100 on his round, more than 60  percent of his shots are from within100 yards of the green. This includes an average of 38 putts per round, 12 missed greens from inside 100 yards and 10 errant chip shots. Want to improve your scores in 2010? Go practice chipping and putting.
First, find a club in your bag that you can be confident hitting 100 yards onto the green.
Then, before hitting the first tee of your favorite golf course this spring spend some time around the putting green. Chip 10 balls onto the green.  Take out your putter and proceed to putt in the 10 balls.
Keep practicing this until you can make a minimum of six of the 10 in two shots. If you get up and down six times in your round, you have just improved your score by six shots.
To improve your putting, place 10 golf balls in a 3-foot circle around a hole on the putting green. Repeat this drill until you can make a minimum of eight out of the 10 every time.
Then move the circle out to 4 feet, then 5 feet. As you increase the distance from the hole your percentage will decrease, but you will improve your confidence when you are on the course and your putts per round will decrease dramatically.
Remember: “Chicks dig the long ball,” but “you drive for show and putt for dough.”
So have fun on the golf course this year.  Improve your scores and your enjoyment.
I’ll catch you on “The Back 9.”

Sitting pretty at 11-0 and unbeaten (4-0) in the highly competitive Northern Lakes League, Southview is everything its current record and Division I Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association state poll ranking of seventh indicates.
Coach Ed Mouch’s Cougars are on the hunt; they believe they’re even better than the team that went 20-9 and won the NLL title a year ago.
“Last year we weren’t expected to win but this year everyone is throwing their No. 1 pitchers at us trying to take us down,” said senior pitcher Kirk Stambaugh. “I think this team is starting to believe whereas last year no one believed in us.”
Mouch amassed a 166-83 mark during his St John’s Jesuit tenure (1999-2007). In just his second year at Southview, he’s (31-9) has quickly transformed the Cougars from an NLL also-ran into the target.
“Coach Mouch does a really good job with us,” said senior second baseman Everett Barton (.467, 13 runs, 10 RBI). “He’s got a great staff.”
Fresh off devouring perennial area powerhouse Anthony Wayne 5-0 behind another stellar start from Stambaugh in a key early conference matchup, Southview has solidified its case as the area’s top hardball unit.
Stambaugh (5-0, 0.21 ERA, 43 K, 11 BB, 33 IP), junior transfer David Vandercook (0.44 ERA, 16 K, 16 IP) and junior Andy Joseph give the Cougars vital pitching depth that Mouch said will become crucial in the postseason.
“You’ve got to have at least three, but preferably four really good pitchers to make a (tournament) run,” Mouch said.
The staff has posted a 1.87 ERA and held opposing hitters to a collective .195 batting average.
So far, the Cougars’ bats have shrugged off opposing aces, hitting .349 as a team and outscoring opponents 105-26.
Four Cougar regulars are hitting .419 or higher and seven .325 or higher. Shortstop Mark Dubow is second on the team in RBI (15) despite batting in the seventh hole.
Senior catcher Dan Ampfor has quickly stepped up in his first varsity starting role, handling the hurlers while hitting .385 with a home run, six RBI and 10 runs scored.
“Dan behind the plate (first year) has done a really good job and that’s a big hole to fill,” Stambaugh said. “Mark’s been really good for us at short, too.”
“We definitely put in a lot of hard work during the offseason which I think puts us a step ahead of the competition,” Ampfor said. “Our senior leadership really helps. We have a bunch of guys with experience out here.”
Senior first baseman Cam O’Reilly is hitting.324 with a homer and 11 RBI.
Junior transfer Todd Vandercook (.432, 12 runs) in center, senior Nick Kopfman (.429, 14 runs, 11 RBI) in right and Ryan Spratt covering left have been an error-free outfield trio.
While forming a feared 1-2 punch on the hill, Stambaugh (.419, two HR, 16 RBI, 18 runs) leads off and Vandercook (.345, three HR, 11 RBI, .966 on-base percentage) is the clean-up slugger.
Mouch is far from satisfied with his team’s offensive progress, citing 1-9 inconsistency. He also wants to see the infield (16 errors) shore up its defense.
“As as scary it sounds, our hitting needs to improve. So far we’re not getting consistent production from everyone on a game-by-game basis,” Mouch said. “We need to be able to put it all together.”

Do restaurants with clean restrooms have better tasting food?  One thing is for sure, no matter how good your food tastes, one visit to a disgusting restroom changes everything about your dining experience, including the taste of your food.
If the restroom is dirty, you are forced to start asking yourself what other dirty little secrets are hiding in the kitchen, the food-prep area or underneath the cook’s fingernails.
The opposite is also true.  When you see an impressive restroom, your opinion of everything improves.  You may call it the halo effect, or you may call it the power of a positive impression.  No matter what you call it, everything is connected.
Salespeople try to create this positive impression by making everything sound great.  No matter what they are asked, salespeople try to spin their words into a complimentary response. Left unchecked, salespeople will sprinkle delicious explanations on your proposal like a waiter with a fresh pepper mill staring at you waiting for the cue to stop grinding away.
Clients do not want unsubstantiated garnish, and most salespeople are incapable of straight talk. If you don’t believe me, just ask a salesperson to say something positive about their competition. It is like asking them to speak Mandarin.  They will just stare at you with an adorable look of confusion. Try it. It’s fun.
Yes, everybody trains their employees to recite all of the wonderful things about the products they sell, and this is fine, but it is equally important to teach them how to think like a consumer, to understand the positive things about competition and to truly understand the other viable options clients can choose from. This helps an employee learn how to give a straight answer.
Avoiding a straight answer, no matter how unflattering the response, is like having a dirty restroom in a wonderful restaurant. You may dance around objections, dodge tough questions and redirect the conversation all you want, but you’re leaving your client wondering what else they’re missing.
You may even start off the conversation by pointing out areas you normally would avoid. Yes, we do charge for delivery. No, we do not waive the fees. Yes, you will find our prices are 20 percent higher than our competition. Boom. The air is clear.
With the air cleared, you have done a few different things. Your preemptive admissions demonstrate absolute honesty to your client, they cast you as a straight shooter and they prevent you from being seen as a winded showman.
Clearing the air also prompts your client to ask questions.  Instead of you dreading the price conversation, your client will ask you why you are  20 percent higher than the competition. When the client is the one asking the question, he or she is genuinely curious to hear (and understand) the answer.
Preemptive admissions are only effective when stated with confidence and pride. They are effective because they allow the conversation to focus on the strength and validity of the ideas in a proposal, rather than the minor details such as fees, charges and prices.
Think of it as flipping your sales conversation around so you are starting at the end and working your way back to the beginning.  There is plenty of time at the end to talk about bowling trophies and football, and you’ll have more fun doing it with a signed contract on the desk.

I have an issue with birthdays. Well, not my own.  It’s my children’s birthdays I take issue with. As much as I want my children to grow and mature into happy, healthy, productive, upstanding adults, I’ll be honest, these birthdays sting a bit.
Just shy of his first birthday, I took my son, Jack, my oldest child, to have his 1-year portraits taken. I originally tried to make portraiture a family affair so that my husband, Mike, and I would be able to lovingly decide together which photos most carefully captured the true essence of our little pride and joy. However, when I discovered that all of the planning that goes into picking out just the right outfit, having just the right haircut, and ensuring just the right amount of sleep at just the right time of day was completely lost on Mike, I decided to start trying it as a solo gig instead. One little whimper in place of a smile at the portrait studio was enough to make my husband insist that we start all over again on another day.  Um, no thanks.
Having always stuck to the least expensive $10 or so coupon package up until that point, I returned home from Jack’s 1-year portrait session having purchased $100 worth of portraits. Considering our family’s transition from two incomes down to one had transitioned $100 from the “a little pricey” category to the “small fortune” category in our household budget, such an executive decision was a risky one. Still, I didn’t quite anticipate Mike’s look of surprise when I told him of the purchase, just as I don’t think Mike or I quite anticipated me immediately bawling hysterically about how my baby would only be 1 once.
Sometimes we don’t even know exactly why we’re doing something until someone asks. I thought I just couldn’t make up my mind about which of Jack’s photos were best until I was later pushed to explain myself. The truth was that I couldn’t stand to think that any part of my beautiful boy would be left behind at the portrait studio. I was surely going to hold onto as much of his perfect little pre-1-year-old self as possible, even if it meant buying it in the form of ink on paper.
That 1-year birthday is the first real mile marker that screams at us “they won’t be little forever!” We spend countless hours preparing for our little ones before they’re born and then countless more tirelessly getting to know their every nuance that first year. Although we’ll always be their mom or dad, they won’t quite always be our baby.
I didn’t think anything could compare to the sting of that first birthday, but Jack just turned 7 and it took me aback just as much. Thankfully, we don’t have time to consider the weight of it all on a daily basis, but our children’s birthdays give us a moment to glimpse just how far we’ve come together. We remember that first day, that first step, that first day of school and we wonder how we got all the way to this point. When did we trade in the tiny socks for soccer cleats, crying for conversation? It never fails to amaze me and tug at my heart all at once.
What’s truly astounding is that it’s not just that first child that first year. I feel it with each of my children, each and every birthday. Just how and when did my tiny 4-pound baby, Elaine, get to be my tall and engaging 4-year-old girl?
When did my youngest, Lucy, become a toddler when the decision to have a third child feels like it happened just moments ago?
As much as it does sting, the love we experience and the knowledge we gain along the way is well worth having to leave certain moments behind. I am especially thankful that my husband has now learned that money is no object when it comes to making a heart-heavy mother feel even just a little bit better about another year gone by.

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

We have about 20 full-time employees. Our health as a group has been fortunate, even though our average age has (surprise, surprise) increased.
This is the time of  year when we go through the exercise of renewing our health care insurance. We begin this exercise with trepidation — we have been programmed to expect an increase in our premiums no matter what our experience has been. During the past several years, the increase has been modest.
Then came the miracle of Obamacare.  Note: a “miracle” is an unexpected event caused by divine intervention.
Maybe our collective expectation level was out of wack.  But consider this: Our president raises his magnificent baritone urging  Congress to reform health care. Enough listen (the very best are even able to grab a bit for themselves) and, even though a normally  overwhelming percentage of the populace is opposed, the fix —  Obamacare — is bestowed upon us by Those Who Know More Than Us: our  keepers, our president and his henchmen, the congressional Democrats.
Further consider that the proponents of Obamacare say it   applies only to employers of 50 or more. We are less than half that  size. So it doesn’t apply to us, only to those Big employers who surely can afford any costs associated. Big business after all is  really prospering these days and has lots of excess cash laying around to pay for all the new insureds Obamacare has embraced. I even heard  that someone was hiring. Oh — I forgot — those new jobs are for the  Census.
Back to Obamacare. Our president actually was also able to  alter base mathematical principles so that we as a nation will really save billions (maybe more) from Obamacare. Somehow we provide  health care insurance to an additional 30 million people and the cost  goes down, not up. Sorta like Superman creating diamonds from coal. Superman isn’t divine so this example may understate our president’s feat.
So imagine our surprise recently when we received our new  bill for our health care insurance — an increase of 38 percent from the incumbent insurer, by far the best in the bid package. Second place  was 120 percent. This was apples to apples; we will now go through the  further exercise of looking at alternatives — increasing deductibles,  etc.
What this increase means to us is a net increase per covered  person of more than $100 per month. In this economic climate, we  cannot pass this cost on to our clients.
The impact of Obamacare on us, my firm and our employees, is  more than $27,000 in one year — the cost of a nice car every year sucked out of our collective pockets never to return, a year of  tuition at a good college no longer available or the down payment on a  home bought out of a foreclosure, instead remaining empty.
Our president and the congessional Democrats are betting we will have forgotten about this when we vote this November. I bet they are dead wrong.

David J. Rohrbacher is an attorney with the Toledo firm Rohrbachers Cron Manahan Trimble & Zimmerman, which represents Toledo Free Press.

There has been a great hue and cry since recent Tax Day protests. Apparently those protesting are accused of overlooking that their taxes were slightly smaller this year than last when doing so. That they may have understood that entitlement spending is out of control and will ultimately lead to higher taxation going forward, however, seems to be overlooked by those accusing them.
None of this is surprising, as conservatives are often misunderstood when it comes to spending on those in need. In fact, conservatives consistently give more to charities than their more liberal counterparts. How then do we reconcile this apparent generosity with the consistent and vigorous opposition that they have to the establishment and growth of entitlement programs in this country?
Perhaps, it’s not generosity to worthy causes or helping those in need that these protesters object to, but the imposition of government in a process where it doesn’t belong. For government does not by its nature encourage generosity, it instead seeks to enforce obedience (usually with the threat of force behind it). Government does not work toward efficiency, but instead seeks bureaucratic conformity as its goal.
In this quest, government consistently uses the same methods in its attempts to address such challenges, regardless of its current suitability or prior success rate. Any subsequent charge of failure is then met with equal parts of loud denunciation and cries to expand the program, as if such methods will convince us that a larger failure is the equivalent of success.
We, therefore, see programs like unemployment, Welfare, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid begin with relatively small budgets and expectations. Soon however, their growth rate rivals that of a malignant weed, and the likelihood of killing them seems impossibly remote.  Each of these programs has now fallen into funding shortages in the trillions of dollars, with little hope that they will be able to survive in present form to fulfill their original purpose (let alone their expanded mandate).
Only decreases in benefits and increases in taxation can hope to extend (let alone recover) their already depleted reserves.
Not content with these failures however, we are now told by the authors of what can be considered little more than bankrupt ponzi schemes that they are the ones most able to reduce costs and save health care in this country.
In point of fact, the very nature of the government bureaucratic mentality determines its failure. Unlike their private sector counterparts, the efforts of government agencies are torn in a schizophrenic split between serving the needs of those seeking aid and expanding the control, power, and money that the system determines they eternally seek. These efforts are likewise complicated by the desire of increasingly unionized government workers to share in such funding for these charitable efforts by negotiating generous compensation for their members, a path which diverts available (and necessary) resources from those most in need to those processing the paperwork.
This is not to say that such efforts and programs are not begun (at least in part) with the best of intentions and do not show anecdotal examples of success.  Neither is anyone being accused here of evil intent in either the creation or perpetuation of such efforts (though I fear that some could).  This is to say instead that as an instrument of charitable work, government has proven itself largely ineffective.  It simply cannot compete with either the level of success or efficiency of private charitable groups around the country, groups who could perhaps do even more if their potential donors were not being drained through taxation.
Many tools can be used for more than one purpose, though often doing as much harm as good in the process. A regular screwdriver can often be used on a Phillips head screw, but will do a far worse job and often damage the screw in the process. Pliers can be used to tighten a bolt or a nut, but not as well as the a proper wrench, since they often strip the sides and ruin it in the process.
Perhaps the simple truth is that these conservative protesters were simply better at recognizing that government is ill-suited to the task of serving those who require assistance in time of trouble. They have figured out that taxation is the wrong tool to attain generosity, and government bureaucracy the wrong tool to administer charity. They also seem to understand that no matter how lofty the goal or noble the purpose, for some things government is simply the wrong tool for the job.

Tim Higgins blogs at http://justblowingsmoke.blogspot.com/.

Originally conceived to celebrate and embrace our environment, Earth Day has evolved and changed in the past 40 years. For 2010, Earth Day is being positioned as “a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs” by earthday.org. It sounds like a new, bold and fresh approach to energy conservation and conserving our resources.
While the sentiment and movement continue to push forward, traditional energy sources and existing utility companies seem to be pushed toward the back of the room in this discussion.
In other words: your utility company is not seen as new, bold or fresh.
I’m here to tell you, despite being a utility company with a long history in Toledo — one that we can trace back to the late 1800s — and utilizing a (gasp) fossil fuel, Columbia Gas of Ohio is part of the green movement. Many, if not all, of the initiatives celebrated for Earth Day 2010, we have and will continue to embrace.
There are obvious impacts of natural gas on the evolution of our energy needs. The environmental advantages of natural gas are well documented, including:

• Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel.
• The combustion of natural gas emits almost 30 percent less carbon dioxide than oil and 45 percent less than coal.
• Emissions of particles from natural gas combustion are 90 percent lower than oil and 99 percent lower than coal.
• 87 percent of all U.S. natural gas is domestically produced, an advantage that extends beyond environmental, as we try to wean ourselves from foreign energy dependence.

Beyond the issue of usage, Columbia Gas has initiated several programs to help with energy conservation. The most basic, Simple Energy Solutions, offers homes the opportunity to reduce their natural gas consumption with rebates for energy-efficient products, including programmable thermostats and energy-efficient showerheads.
Upgrading a conventional showerhead with one that’s energy-efficient can save between 1,800 and 3,600 gallons of water annually. Additionally, the program is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 458,000 tons. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, that is the environmental equivalent of removing more than 76,097 cars from the road for a full year. Additional programs offering home energy audits and rebates for efficiency upgrades, as well as a program designed for small business have recently been rolled out.
These programs not only help the green movement, but leave more green in your bank account as well.
Columbia Gas is also proud to announce that a recent campaign to encourage customers to utilize paperless bills in exchange for a contribution to The Nature Conservancy has resulted in 80,000 trees being planted. This program was offered across the nine-state footprint of our parent company, NiSource, and ultimately helped to plant more than 190,000 trees. The e-bill’s environmental impact is a savings of:

• 1 ton of paper
• 16,450 gallons of water
• 1941 pounds of solid waste
• 60 pounds of atmospheric emissions
• 5058 pounds of greenhouse gases

Not that a green approach is new to NiSource. The company was recently ranked the fourth-best utility company in the Newsweek “Green Rankings.” The company was noted for its resource use and emissions; policies and strategies; and reputation among peers. Additionally, NiSource’s “Green Policies” score — an assessment of a company’s environmental policies and performance — was first in the utility sector and 40th among all companies in the ranking.
As Earth Day continues to evolve from a celebration of our environment to a call to action for energy conservation and renewable resources, I hope Columbia Gas of Ohio can be viewed as a partner. We’ll continue to encourage a smart, conservation-based approach to energy consumption that can and will significantly lower energy bills. We’ll also utilize natural gas as an environmentally friendly resource that helps save and preserve our planet for future generations.
For more information on Columbia Gas of Ohio energy efficiency programs, please visit our Web site, www.columbiagasohio.com.

Chris Kozak is the communications and community relations manager for Columbia Gas of Ohio.

On May 4, two state issues will be on the ballot as well as several local issues depending on where you live in Lucas County. It’s important you know the basics to help you decide.

Issue 1: Statewide issue, “To extend the Ohio Third Frontier Program” On Nov. 8, 2005, voters approved the constitutional change that created the Third Frontier program. At that time, authority was given to allow general obligation bonds up to $500 million for research and development. This constitutional change allows up to $700 million and extends the program. Those in support of Issue 1 state it will not increase taxes in Ohio and it will allow the state to continue funding important research and development in Ohio that will bring jobs to the area. Those opposed to Issue 1 state that this will increase Ohio’s debt and that the funding for Third Frontier does not expire until 2012. They state the additional $200 million “is money that Ohio doesn’t have and can’t afford.” The League of Women Voters of Ohio recommends supporting Issue 1.

Issue Two: Statewide issue, “To change the location of the Columbus Casino Facility” On Nov. 3, Ohio voters approved the constitutional change to allow a casino in the cities of Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo. The City of Columbus wants the location of the casino to be changed and because of the way the previous ballot issue was written requires this to be approved by Ohio voters. Those in support of Issue 2 state the General Motors/Delphi Automotive manufacturing plant on Columbus’ west side is a better location and is an area “devastated by the economic downturn, in need of economic development.” Those opposed to Issue 2 point out that the majority of Franklin County voters did not support the 2009 ballot issue and do not believe this change in venue addresses their lack of support. The League of Women Voters of Ohio opposed the 2009 ballot issue on Casino gambling; they have taken a neutral position on the change in locations.

Issue 3: Toledo issue, “Proposed School District Income Tax” Toledo Public Schools (TPS) has previously relied on property tax as a way to collect local revenue. This proposal, if passed, would create a 3/4 percent income tax on earned income for those living in a Toledo Public School district. Those in support of Issue 3 point out this will end reliance on property tax and those who receive Social Security or unemployment will not be taxed. They state with TPS expecting a $30 million deficit this is necessary because the money generated will cover more than half of the deficit and save some programs from being cut. Those opposed to Issue 3 have used the phrase, “Wrong Tax, Wrong Time,” pointing to the problems experienced by the City of Toledo, as far as fluctuation of income tax revenue, the lack of a clear plan, the permanence of the tax and the impact on making Toledo’s total taxation amount even higher in our region, as being some of the reasons for their opposition. The Toledo-Lucas County League of Women Voters has not taken a position on any of the local issues.

Issue 4: Springfield Local School District issue, “Proposed Tax Levy (Additional).” Springfield Local School District is seeking an additional levy for 3.9 mills (39 cents for each $100 of property valuation). Those in support of the levy state that Springfield receives 17 percent of its funding from the State of Ohio, property tax collection is on the decrease and this additional levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 home 32 cents per day. There appears to be no organized opposition to this levy. Traditional arguments against additional levies are the increased burden on property owners and the constitutionality of the continued reliance on property owners to fund schools.

Issue 5: Toledo issue, “Proposed Reallocation of the 3/4 percent Income Tax” The formulation of where the temporary 3/4 percent income tax will go to has been changed in the past. This latest change would eliminate any revenue being allotted to the Capital Improvement Fund and place it in the General Fund. There is no organized campaign to promote Issue 5, though those in support have stated it will give the City of Toledo flexibility with revenue needed during the current economic situation and will not increase taxes for the residents of Toledo. There is no organized campaign against this issue though concern that the money will be used in part to reimburse Local 92 union members instead of for city services has been expressed publicly by Toledo area residents. Others have expressed concern this would further reduce the chance of capital improvement projects being done.

Issue 6: Oregon issue, “Police Tax Renewal.” This is a tax levy of 0.5 mills (5 cents for each $100 of property valuation) that is up for renewal for the City of Oregon. It’s stated purpose is for police salaries and additional equipment necessary for the police department. There has been no reported movement for or against this levy issue.

Issue 7: Richfield Township issue, “Fire Tax Renewal” This is a tax levy of 2.50 mills (25 cents for each $100 of property valuation) that is up for renewal for Richfield Township. Its stated purpose is for fire and emergency services including salaries and equipment. There has been no reported movement for or against this levy issue.

Issue 8: Village of Swanton issue, “Proposed Electrical Aggregation” This issue, if passed, would allow the village of Swanton to enter into agreements to negotiate prices and be able to sell and buy electricity to businesses and residents in Swanton. It also provides for the ability for a consumer to opt out. There has been no reported movement for or against this levy issue.

Toledo Free Press contributor Lisa Renee Ward operates the political blog Glass City Jungle.com.

We all know Lucas County politics are complicated, conducted in backrooms and dirty on a scale from a little bit dirty to full-blown pigpen. But if candidates are running for office to serve the greater good, there are times when they need to put the partisan nonsense aside and face the public. On April 19, the Children of Liberty sponsored a debate for the Democratic county commissioner hopefuls (an earlier debate for the Republican counterparts has already taken place).
Yes, the Children of Liberty are very conservative and aligned with the Tea Party movement, but they do not endorse candidates and have done more than any other local entity to host debates and forums that put candidates in front of voters.
Plus, the Children of Liberty are distrusted by local Democrats and Republicans alike, which means they must be doing something right. Four of the six Democratic candidates (Carol Contrada, Art Jones, Earl Murry and Tim Porter) showed up to the April 19 debate, despite reported pressure from their party bosses to not appear at the event.
The two candidates who did not, Ben Krompak and Mike Zychowicz, have revealed themselves to be unworthy of public office. If you can’t face the opposition as a candidate, what good will you be as an elected official? If you can’t unite and surmount differences of opinion, you are wasting the public’s time and are undeserving of any vote, Republican, Democrat or otherwise.
Krompak issued a statement that said he was bowing out — after initially reportedly committing — because of “philosophical” differences, an act that pretty much defines dodgy and timid. Neither quality is welcome.
Zychowicz reportedly declined without giving a reason, an act that makes up in rudeness what it lacks in Krompak’s puerility.
Again, we understand the dynamics of Democrats being asked to appear at a debate sponsored by a conservative group, especially one that is aiming to overthrow the region’s reigning Democrat, Marcy Kaptur. But those who claim they will serve all if elected but serve only those who fit their mindset while running have told us all we need to know about how they play politics, and how far short they fall in qualifying to serve.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. E-mail him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

The University of Toledo hosted two informational forums this week to help local businesses learn how to get public contracts from the State of Ohio and UT.

The “Building Connections: Facilities, Construction and Purchasing Informational Forum” was held April 22 on the Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation.

The program included information on the procedures for the bidding process, upcoming state bid opportunities and new small business loan programs. Attendees met with purchasing and construction officials from UT and had the opportunity to be added to the Ohio Department of Administrative Services and UT outreach database systems.

“The University is committed to working with local firms, particularly reaching out to minority-owned firms. We hope this event will increase that participation and our relationship with community businesses,” Lawrence Burns, vice president of external affairs and interim vice president for equity and diversity at UT, said in a statement about the forum.

UT has invested more than $250 million in construction and renovation projects in which local firms have played a key role since the merger with the medical college, said Chuck Lehnert, vice president for facilities and construction at UT.

“It’s a complicated process but we show businesses how to navigate it and apply to work on University projects,” said Jennifer Pastorek, director of purchasing services at UT, who participated in the forum with Lorie Sarnes, UT compliance officer.

David Wood, director of the Minority Contractors Business Assistance Program and Jessica Ford, northwest Ohio regional community affairs director for the State of Ohio Treasurer, participated in that forum.

Several local firms are involved in the design and construction of the new $25 million College of Pharmacy Building on the Health Science Campus. The two-story building includes 100,000 square feet of laboratories, lecture halls, and a simulated pharmacy practice for the college’s growing enrollment of 1,500 students, up 75 percent since 2001.

Lehnert said the UT funded project was bid as one project for two locations including the addition of a 500-seat auditorium to the adjacent Collier Building. Upon completion in July, the College of Pharmacy will move into its new home from its current location on the main campus.

The college worked with Poggemeyer Design Group of Toledo to plan and design the facility that will offer pharmacy students hands-on experience in an integrated medical community. It is located near the UT Medical Center between the Block Science and Health Education Buildings.

Mosser Construction based in Fremont is the general contractor for the project. Dunbar Mechanical of Defiance is providing the heating, cooling, ventilation, and plumbing systems. Regent Electric of Toledo is the electrical contractor for the Pharmacy Building while Colgan Davis of Maumee has the electrical contract for the Collier addition.

Royce Kohman, president and CEO of Mosser, said 85 to 90 percent of the employee-owned company’s work involves public projects such as the Pharmacy Building. Mosser has worked on the renovation of Savage Hall at UT, construction of the Huntington Center, and the U.S 24 highway project for ODOT.

“Mosser is a company that can handle the tough projects and has very good project supervision,” said Lehnert. “We have great contractors and construction workforce in Northwest Ohio.”

The other forum, “Ohio Projects: The Ins and Outs of Doing Business,” was held April 19 at the Alternative Energy Incubator on UT’s main campus. It attracted 35 attendees from local businesses.

The forum was designed to help business owners learn about working with the state of Ohio and provide information on business, certification and training opportunities for the private sector.

“Navigating the process to do business with the state can seem overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be,” said Rob Puppos, director of the Ohio Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) based at the UT incubator.

“The presentations showed local business owners how they can utilize their knowledge, skills and experience to compete for contracts that will benefit them, the state and local economy,” said Puppos who led a discussion titled “Helping Business Sell to Government.”

“The state is doing a good job of promoting diversity in companies to work on public projects,” said Gary Johnson, president of American Flooring Installers of Toledo who attended both forums.

The program included an overview of Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 2 construction projects for 2011 by David Dysard, deputy director of ODOT District 2.

Another presentation featured the ODOT Rails Program that will start with the high-speed rail projects between Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati and Toledo to Chicago connection.

“I was extremely impressed with the high-speed rail projects, especially including Toledo in the plans,” said Johnson.

The Minority Contractors and Business Assistance Program offered information about proper business practices, planning, and certification required for public contracts.

“If you’re certified, you need to know how to market your firm’s qualifications to get those contracts,” Johnson said.

The forum was co-sponsored by PTAC and the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce.