Leave it to a Democratic-controlled Congress and a Democratic White House to enact policies to hurt the working man. Thanks to the “Law of Unintended Consequences” recent shifts in public policy have resulted in some surprising consequences for small investors.

Due to increased regulation and added bureaucracy, the costs of doing business (for investment firms especially) have been rising of late. One result is that many firms have taken steps to avoid small investors. Firms simply can’t create sufficient revenue from such small accounts to justify the increased costs of catering to that market segment.

According to a recent Bloomberg article, Meredith Whitney predicts that Wall Street firms will likely cut approximately 80,000 jobs over the next year and a half. This comes on top of the fact that banks have shed more than 300,000 jobs worldwide since 2008 (Yalman Onaran, Wall Street Firms to Cut 80,000 Jobs in 18 Months, Whitney Says). While the statistics for potential layoffs aren’t yet public, it’s generally safe to say that a good number will come from customer service departments.

A 2009 article from the Wall Street Journal went even further, revealing several changes in Wall Street ritual that encourage the desertion of small accounts. Apparently the standard practice at Merrill Lynch these days is not to pay brokers for accounts less than $100,000 (Evelyn Juan, Firms Push Call Centers).

Meanwhile, the same article also presents small examples of changes in firm policy that aren’t particularly friendly to the less affluent. Case in point: Bank of America used to assign personal bankers to clients with more than $100,000 in assets with the bank; that minimum has since been raised to $500,000.

The irony, of course, is that the entire reason (read: justification, not logic) for added regulation was to protect small investors. Instead, it seems, these folks will be pushed out of the markets altogether. And it’s all thanks to the Democratic powers-that-be, supposed advocates of the working man.

Don’t think that the Democrat Congress and the Obama White House don’t know what they’re doing. They do; it’s standard operating procedure. One the one hand they sing the praises of the American working man, going so far as to pass a wildly unpopular Healthcare Bill as a blue collar pick-me-up. On the other they are trying, directly and indirectly, to evict small investors from the world’s financial markets.

In the mind of the Democrat politician small investors obviously lack the education or expertise to handle their own healthcare, much less operate motor vehicles at a safe speed. If so, they must also be simply too stupid to make decisions about investments, too easily tricked or fooled. Like defenseless snail darters, they must be protected.

But all the D.C. Democrats, it seems, forgot about one small, under-represented group: financial firms. In an industry so saturated with regulation that even small firms typically employ a small platoon of compliance consultants and attorneys, the success of any new policy is predicated entirely on the consent of the governed – namely investment firms and their associated persons.

Just as the regulatory body for brokerage firms (FINRA) has been recently reaching beyond its jurisdiction to scold firms over outside operations, the government seems to have forgotten who pays the bills. Take the case of FINRA, which is funded entirely by securities firms, acting almost like a union.

As is the case of any new tax, the immediate reaction of the taxed is to look for methods of avoidance. When new regulations are enacted and firms are placed under increased scrutiny, their initial reaction is rarely full compliance, as regulators intend. Instead, it is to seek out cost-effective solutions; a balance of cost and compliance.

In the same way, the US government ought to know by now that policy enacted without the support of those affected will be met with resistance or subterfuge. Maybe one day politicians might finally learn not to bite the hand that feeds them.

Dock David Treece is a money manager with Treece Investment Advisory Corp (www.TreeceInvestments.com) and Treece Financial Services Corp. as a stockbroker licensed with FINRA. The above information is the express opinion of Dock David Treece and should not be construed as investment advice or used without outside verification.

Pianist George Winston will perform at the Collingwood Arts Center on Oct. 17.

Winston’s most recent release “Love Will Come — the Music of Vince Guaraldi: Volume 2” features works from the late jazz pianist, including songs from the “Peanuts” animated specials.

Since the late 1980s, Winston has worked with a local food bank to host a can food drive at his shows. In Toledo, concert attendees are encouraged to bring can goods to benefit the Toledo Seagate Food Bank.

In addition, Winston will give 100 percent of his merchandise sales to the organization.

Ticket prices and times will be announced soon.

For more information about Winston, visit www.georgewinston.com.

Related Story: “The Cowboys are dead; long live the Cowboys” by Michael S. Miller

For Gayle Schaber, going to work at Libbey High School has been like “going to the same funeral every day for four months.”
Schaber, who is the former director of Libbey, has been completing inventory, moving student records and maintaining the building for one last alumni visit since the school closed in June.
The floor is gathering dust as boxes of books wait to be placed in storage and other usable items are sent to Scott, Waite and Bowsher high schools — schools former Libbey students now attend. Metal bars lock doors and trophy cases are being emptied.
Items that remain in the building, such as student artwork, desks and storage units, will be sold at an auction; that date has not been set.

Edward Drummond Libbey High School opened in 1923. Its last class graduated in June 2010.

As for the fate of Libbey’s structure, it has not yet been determined. The building will remain standing  until the Toledo Public Schools (TPS) Board of Education votes on what to do with it.
Looking back
Edward Drummond Libbey High School, named for the founder of Libbey Glass, opened in 1923.
During its 87 years, approximately 35,000 students graduated from Libbey, Schaber said.
In May, when the TPS board voted to close Libbey 3-2, the school had roughly 500 students enrolled. Libbey was built with a capacity for 2,000 students, but during its peak enrollment in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the high school had 3,000 students, Schaber said. During that time, split sessions were necessary to relieve overcrowding. Some students attended early while others later, she said.
Cowboy, Cowgirl spirit
For many Libbey alumni, memories of their time in high school live on.
“If there are four years I could live over again, my time at Libbey would be it,” said Orris Tabner, former sports director for WTOL-11 and 1950 graduate.

From left, Gayle Schaber, former Libbey director; Susan Terrill, 1966 graduate; and Larrie Baccus, president of the Alumni Association and 1973 graduate.

During his time at Libbey, Tabner was on the football team and ran track, but said what he enjoyed and remembers most are the people.
“It was such a unique group of people, and that included the teachers,” he said.
Larrie Baccus, president of the Libbey Alumni Association and 1973 graduate, remembers a large sense of school pride during his years as a Cowboy.
“When I got here, the spirit was such you could strike a match and it would explode. The excitement was so high,” he said.
Baccus attributes much of the spirit to the success of the basketball team at the time.
“We had one of the greatest in [former head basketball coach] Burt Spice. He worked so well with the program it propelled us into state prominence. Everyone wanted to come here and many wanted to play basketball,” he said.
To date, Libbey has won the most City League titles of any Toledo Public School, Baccus said.
Some of the many titles won by the school through the years include back-to-back state football championships in 1941 and 1942, a girls basketball state championship in 1981, a state championship for track in 1972 and two boys basketball state runners-up in 1966 and 2008.
Many alumni remember teachers who influenced them during their time at Libbey.

The ‘girls' gym’ at Libbey features a running track suspended at the top of the gym.

“We’re working class here. School was a place to not just get ahead but also see the world in a different way. Maybe you’re not getting the support from your family or even your neck of the woods, but at least the teachers are giving you inspiration or aspiration,” said Susan Terrill, a Libbey activist and 1966 graduate.
Terrill said the teachers at Libbey taught students the skills they needed for the next step.
Robert LaClair, regional president of Fifth Third Bank, said he had a number of great mentors at Libbey and still stays in touch with one of them.
“Libbey gave me a great foundation for dealing with diversity. I found great, caring teachers and have great memories of Libbey,” he said.
Toledo Councilman D. Michael Collins also remembers the role his teachers played in his education.
“My memories of Libbey High School are indelible in terms of the quality of the faculty and the commitment of principal Russie and vice principal Osgood. The teacher who had the greatest impact on me was Mrs. Snow. Her wise words for future challenges have remained with me,” wrote Collins, a 1962 graduate, in an e-mail to Toledo Free Press.
Bobbie John, a former writer who helped manage Johnny Cash’s career, credits her success to the “dedication of the excellent staff and teachers at Libbey who made learning exciting.”
The 1944 graduate can only remember one negative experience at Libbey — missing her Freshman Roundup because she was ill with the chicken pox.
Decision to close
The board of education’s decision to close Libbey was met by mixed responses from alumni. Some alumni understood the need for the closure, while other were — and are — upset.
“I feel that the Toledo Public Schools have given those who live in the Libbey district a great disservice,” Collins said. “To divide neighborhoods, such as the neighborhood I grew up in, and expect the students to go to Waite is unacceptable. This is not a reflection of the ability of education provided at Waite; it is an issue of geography. I doubt very much that there will be a homogenization within the student body. I believe the loss of Edward Drummond Libbey High School and the history that it has brought will leave a huge void in the City of Toledo and specifically the south end.”

Woodwork in the "old cafeteria" at Libbey.

Alumni have been fighting the board for more than 10 years to keep Libbey open, Tabner said. Tabner attended a number of board meetings and argued for the school, but in the end he understood the board’s decision.
“They didn’t do a lot of things they should have done, but when I finally looked at it I could see there weren’t enough people to keep the school open. They needed more activity, more children,” Tabner said.
Despite being upset about the school closing, Baccus said Libbey will live on.
“I’m not happy, but what I believe is, Libbey is what Libbey continues to do. And that’s beyond a building,” he said. “[The alumni] will have a presence in the community. We’ll be doing good things in the community. We have projects we’ll be doing in the community to continue to honor the Libbey name and make sure the name continues to be associated with good.”
The decision to close Libbey will save the district $1.2 million annually, Schaber said.
Memorabilia
Trophies and other memorabilia from Libbey will be moved to TPS administrative offices, Schaber said. Two original trophy cases, one donated in 1926 by Irving B. Hiett and the other in 1931 by that year’s senior class, will house the items.
In addition, sets of Libbey yearbooks, The Edelian, have been donated to four area Toledo-Lucas County libraries. The non-circulating volumes are available at the Main library, the South branch, Heatherdowns branch and Toledo Heights branch. Eventually, a fifth set will be delivered to the Mott branch.
Final roundup
Libbey High School alumni have one last chance to say goodbye to their school Sept. 25. The school will be open from noon to 5 p.m. for one final Cowboy and Cowgirl roundup.
Individuals in attendance will be able to tour the school and mingle with old classmates.  Food, music, raffles and gifts will also be available throughout the evening.
Items that have been removed for safekeeping, such as state trophies, will be on display that evening for alumni to enjoy.
In addition, old Edelian yearbooks will be on sale in the main office during the event for $10 cash; not all years will be available.
Some areas of the building, such as the balcony in the auditorium, won’t be open during the tour because of safety issues, Schaber said.
“We know it can’t be perfect, if it was perfect then we wouldn’t be where we are,” Schaber said. “I’ve been working with various departments to get [the building] in as good of shape as we can so the alumni can have one good last visit. I want it to be respectful.”

“Miller, Mike: Crystal newspaper, 2,3,4; National Honor Society, 3,4; Quiz Bowl, 2,3,4; Class President, 3,4; Prom Committee, 3,4; Graduation Committee, 4; Homecoming Committee, 4; Salutatorian. Future Plans — College, Work”
— 1985 Libbey High School Edelian yearbook

The first time I saw Libbey High School, I nearly turned and ran back to the suburbs I had been ripped from. Midway through the spring semester, my father relocated our family from the familiar suburbs to Toledo’s south end, in an apartment building on the corner of Field Street and Western Avenue.
Having been in the Walbridge/Lake school system from kindergarten through most of my freshman year, I was accustomed to a smaller building. Libbey seemed like a fortress to me, an impossibly large and imposing citadel. The culture shock was like a 50,000-volt Taser to the crotch. My younger brother and I went from a social bus ride with friends every school day to a three-quarter mile walk. We went from a small group of friends we had known since kindergarten to a sea of strange faces; those faces in Walbridge had looked mostly like ours — young, pinkish, well-fed, well-scrubbed and well-clothed. At Libbey, most of the faces were black. Many were Hispanic. There were Asian students. There were kids from all groups who were clearly not well-fed, not well-scrubbed and not well-clothed.
Libbey High School became the symbol for the upheaval and chaos we were unexpectedly dealing with, and I hated its massive hallways, millions of bricks and the hostility I imagined in the eyes of the waves of student strangers.
The first ray of light and hope manifested itself in the form of Margaret Fields, the guidance counselor who gave me a Libbey orientation tour. One of our first stops was to the classroom of Dave Merritt. Merritt was a math teacher, which did not improve my mood. But he was also the head football coach, and that greatly improved my temperament. The next person Fields took me to meet was Mark Coe, an English teacher with a welcoming smile and a knack for dropping the names of just the right books and authors.
In subsequent years, many of the strangers turned into friends. The number of people who impacted my life — if we are being honest, people who saved my life — grew to a number that still surprises and humbles me. The English teachers gave me focus and constant encouragement: Coe, John McKee, Judy Pfaffenberger and Randy Asendorf. Several teachers set examples for academics and life that still guide my thinking: Ron Hudson, the late Fred Wesoloski, the late Debbie Wilhelms, Albert Flores, Janet Beening, Matt Wiitala and critical thinker extraordinaire Ted Jobe. There were many whom I knew only by last name and courtesy title: Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Dunaway, Mr. Bourland, Mr. Denman, Mrs. Rivers, Mrs. King. In the main office, Principal Bunk Adams and Assistant Principal of Activities John Maxey set the tone of authority. Each of these people made a difference in the choices I made and the man I am today.
There were a number of fellow students in the Class of 1985 who were loyal and true to me at Libbey, and I hope they can look back and say the same about me. Antonia Tyson. Cliff Griffin. Hal Holland. Crystal Lockwood. Dawn Petoskey. Audra Wozniak. Renee Franz. Blong Siong. Rita Barlett. Coleena Butts. Angie Martinez. Heidi Zachel. Fred Perryman, who was the most intrinsically intelligent human being I have ever known.
I have read that the music one listens to in high school is the music that largely defines one’s taste through life. With hindsight, I can argue that one’s taste in women is also forged in the cauldron of discovery and exploration that high school offers, and while I was never romantically involved with Maria Dominguez, Kim Staton, Teresa Christian or Robin Reeves, their innumerable charms and qualities resonated for a long, long time.
On Sept. 20, I took a last walking tour of Libbey, with alumni Larrie Baccus, president of the alumni association and 1973 graduate; Susan Terrill, an activist for Libbey causes and 1966 graduate; and Gayle Schaber, former director of Libbey. I did not expect a misty-eyed nostalgia trip, and I did not get one. I thought a lot about the people I knew in the high school crucible, but I was not moved by the bricks, tile and wood that housed us.
I played football at Libbey, on the “Killer Bees” team that shut out St. John’s but was dismantled by Scott in the Shoe Bowl. I discovered journalism at Libbey, working with Sherry Clendenin at The Crystal. I read “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Flowers for Algernon” and “Wuthering Heights” at Libbey. I fell in love at Libbey, or what I thought was love.
But those moments were not shared with a brick or a hallway. It was the people at Libbey who made it special, and their spirit, through the alumni association and hall of fame, will not crumble when the wrecking ball hits. Their love and fellowship will not die, even as the fortress passes into dust. We are Cowboys. Our Libbey colors blue and gold, are emblems that we love. They fill our hearts with joy and pride, as they proudly wave above. The blue ever like the sky so fair; the gold like the sun shining bright; will lead us on to victory, in paths of truth and right.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. His e-mail is mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

She is a 14-term representative who has been nearly bulletproof during two decades of campaigning. He is a local businessman running for his first public office.
So the debate between Marcy Kaptur and Rich Iott should be an inexhaustible fountain of facts, ideas and civil discourse, right?
Not so far.
Kaptur’s “Sorry we’re closed” ad, which began airing after the first week of September, made claims that have been disputed and disproved. Iott “took over Food Town from his father” and “ran it straight into the ground,” the ad said. Not only did the Iott campaign immediately denounce the comments as “blatant lies,” the website factcheck.org published a report that discredited those statements.
It has been established that Iott’s father Wally remained involved in the business after its merger with Spartan and according to an Oct. 3 report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “From 1994 to 1998, earnings catapulted 300 percent on revenues that increased only 14 percent during the same period.”
There are former (and current) Food Town employees speaking out on both sides of the issue, but the facts do not seem flawed.
The ad is not a dignified way for someone of Kaptur’s stature to begin a campaign.
Not that the Iott camp has been saintly. Its news release on a recent guilty plea by “pay to play” lobbyist and Kaptur supporter Paul Magliocchetti was peppered with words such as “hustler,” “corrupt” and “gross misuse,” although credit it for mentioning that “one investigation, conducted by the Democratic Party majority in the House, was wrapped up with no findings of wrongdoing by Kaptur.”
Of course a race this contested is going to bring some rhetorical heat and the occasional handful of mud, but the foundation of this very important debate should center on what the next steps to recovery are, not character assassination.
The Oct. 11 Toledo Free Press/FOX Toledo debate, presented by Leadership Toledo, will be an opportunity to focus the discussion and give the candidates a chance to demonstrate why they deserve to serve District 9. Judging by the early requests for tickets, which will be available Oct. 1, there is a tremendous amount of interest in this race and there are a great many people on both sides of the political divide paying close attention.
It may be naïve to hope that the conversation will rise to a higher level between then and now, but a dash of optimism is a healthy thing, even during the most cynical of enterprises.

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

In these times of airport security hassles, the weak dollar, high fuel prices and airline cuts (of almost everything except prices), traveling vicariously through the silver screen is not such a bad idea. You can travel the world for the price of admission or even free with videos from the public library. “Eat, Pray, Love” has been at the forefront of this genre this summer. Another current “chick flick” with sumptuous scenery is “Letters from Juliet,” which I liked even more. “Knight and Day” was also touted as a good location movie, but the action was so fast and furious with bullets flying that it was difficult to savor the beautiful cities of Salzburg and Seville.
A movie had a very important role in my travel life since I retired from teaching. Our lunch group at school often talked travel, and one day my dear friend and colleague, LaTrelle Peterson, who is a movie buff supreme, asked me if I would, when we retired, take her to Austria to see the places connected with “The Sound of Music.” The plan in 1999 was for us to rent a car and do just that. As friends and family found out, our numbers grew to nine of us. The trip was so successful that it spawned several more wonderful European road trips.
On those trips, we were fortunate to visit several more “movie sets,” although in most cases this was not a deliberate move. My second favorite city next to Salzburg is Venice, and watching “Summertime” (completely filmed in Venice) with Katharine Hepburn always brings back wonderful memories. The movie also briefly shows the island of Burano, which Rossano Brazzi in the movie aptly calls “the island where the rainbow fell.” If you are ever in Venice, don’t miss it. Burano (not Murano, famous for glass) is less than one hour by boat across the lagoon, but a world away. It is a quaint fishing village with its own leaning tower.
Two more places in Italy that we visited because of movies were San Gimignano (“Tea with Mussolini”)  and Cortona (“Under the Tuscan Sun”). They did not disappoint. Other Italian movies are: “Light in the Piazza,” “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Roman Holiday,” “A Room with a View,” “Only You” and “When in Rome.” There are many more that can be found on the Internet, but these are a few that I enjoy.
France also has an abundance of films with Paris taking the lead. Some are action-adventure, but romance abounds. “Before Sunset,” “Chocolat,” “Paris When It Sizzles,” “French Kiss,” “Charade” and “Amelie” all can be a pleasant way to spend a “foreign” evening.
Other movies with a variety of European locations are: “European Vacation,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Chasing Liberty,” “Before Sunrise (Vienna),”  “Au Pair” and “Au Pair II” (some of the Austrian or Swiss scenes were actually filmed in the quaint town of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic), “Shirley Valentine” (England and Mykonos), and “Cold Mountain” (which is about the American Civil War but was filmed in Transylvania, Romania).
Even more exotic films can be viewed at the Way Library in Perrysburg as part of their International and Art Film Series. The films are presented free on Fridays at 7 p.m. complete with free refreshments. Oct. 15: “Departures” (Japan); Nov. 19:“Lemon Tree” (Palestine);  Dec. 10: “As It Is in Heaven” (Sweden). These are in the foreign language with English subtitles.
If you enjoy professionally photographed and narrated travelogues, the Kiwanis Club of Tecumseh Travel and Adventure Cinema might be what you’re looking for. They are held at 7:30 p.m. at the Center for the Arts, just off M-50 to the north, at the first traffic light (right turn coming from U.S. 23). Tickets are $5 at the door. Oct 12: “Gulf Coast RV Adventure,” Nov. 9: “Prague to Paris” and “A Cruise Too.” Tecumseh is about a 45-minute drive from Toledo.
I would like to dedicate this column to LaTrelle: friend, traveling companion, and “roomie.” Thanks for the incredible memories. To her I say “So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu” because she is moving to Texas to care for her sisters. I had hoped we would continue to “Climb Every Mountain” but we have done so many of “My Favorite Things.” One of my treasured memories is of the two of us standing on the stage of the empty Festspielhaus in Salzburg singing “Edelweiss.”
Corny, but “Something Good,” very, very good!

E-mail travel columnist Judy Pfaffenberger at letters@toledofreepress.com.

John Rzeznik. He sings. He writes hit songs. He plays memorable guitar riffs. He cooks.
“I’m very good with Italian food; I make unbelievable sauce,” the front man of the Goo Goo Dolls said.
“Do I have a secret? Yeah, I dated an Italian girl,” he said and laughed.
Does he have other hidden talents?
“I can juggle,” he offered.

Goo Goo Dolls

“That’s funny. We were doing a show the other day, and I was like, so the album’s coming out, so please go out and buy it because I really have no other marketable skills. If I have to go out and get a job, I’m going to be in big trouble,” Rzeznik said.
Not that he has to fret. The band has sold more than 10 million records thanks to a steady stream of hits — “Name,” “Iris,” “Slide,” “Black Balloon,” “Here Is Gone,” “Let Love In,” “Better Days.”
“I’m from Buffalo; you still worry about it,” he said.
That uncertainty is featured on the Goo Goo Dolls’ ninth studio disc, “Something For the Rest of Us.”
“I wanted to sort of deal with the emotional kind of fallout of what’s going on in the world right now and how this kind of separation and anxiety is sort of affecting all of us,” Rzeznik said during a call from the back steps of his Los Angeles home.
“Home” is the new single.
“I was just thinking that you’re trying so hard to go out in the world and make your pile of money and you’re feeling incredibly unsatisfied because what truly matters is what’s going on in your interior life — having a home and family and friends,” Rzeznik said. “I think a lot of people are starting to realize that, that there’s sort of a paradigm shift going on in America, I think. We’ve been put in a position where we’re forced to be less materialistic, and we’re sort of re-evaluating what’s important in our lives.”
He said the ballad “Notbroken” was inspired by a woman he talked to during a meet-and-greet event.
“She was just telling me about how her husband had gone away to Iraq and was injured and he was in the hospital and he didn’t want to come home because he was afraid that she wouldn’t love him the way that she did when he felt whole,” Rzeznik said. “I just walked away from that five-minute conversation and was like, ‘wow, you know, that was really heavy.’ So I took it upon myself to try to write a love letter to him from her, trying to say that everything is all right, it’s time to start our lives over again, I’m here for you.”
The Goo Goo Dolls — Rzeznik, singer and bass player Robby Takac and drummer Mike Malinin — have been around for almost a quarter of a century.
“Please don’t remind me — our silver anniversary, oh my God,” Rzeznik said and laughed.
And that’s with a band name Rzeznik isn’t crazy about.
“Robby won’t talk about it because he’s just like: Everybody remembers that name, it’s a great name. And I’m like, yeah, I know, but we could have done something cooler,” Rzeznik said. “Every once in a while I’ll come up with another name, and it’ll be like, oh yeah, but I forget them as fast as I come up with them.”
The Goo Goo Dolls will play a 7:30 p.m. show Oct. 6 at the Stranahan Theater. Tickets are $45 and $35. The Spill Canvas will open.

Owens-Illinois employees collected 4 tons of glass for recycling as part of North American Recycle Glass Week from Sept. 12-18 sponsored by the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI).
O-I employees exceeded the company’s goal of collecting 3 tons of glass for recycling through its employee collection drive at the Levis Commons campus where 750 employees work. Nationwide, 20 tons were collected for the 2009 event.
“We wanted to focus on raising awareness about the importance of recycling glass since many people may not realize that glass can be recycled over and over, saving tons of raw materials,” said Kristie Martin, a communications specialist at O-I who chaired the company-wide recycling effort.
“For every kilogram of cullet (recycled glass) that we use in manufacturing, we’re able to replace 1.2 kilograms of raw materials,” she said.
O-I hosted collection events and collected glass for recycling at its headquarters in Perrysburg and its manufacturing plants across in the U.S. The company built glass recycling stations for employees to deposit glass bottles and containers during the campaign.
All of the recycled glass was sent to cullet processors that provide recycled cullet to O-I for its glass manufacturing process to make more bottles and containers, Martin said.
Glass is 100 percent recyclable and is made into new glass containers over and over. One of the most significant issues affecting the glass industry today is the lack of quality recycled glass, according to O-I.
Although 17 million tons of glass enters the waste stream annually, only about 2.5 million tons is recycled by glass makers to produce more containers. By increasing the amount of recycled glass available by 10 percent, the environmental impact would reduce the energy required for glass production by 3 percent and carbon emissions by 5 percent, according to the company.
By hosting the collection drive and educating people about glass recycling, O-I is helping the glass industry meet its goal of using at least 50 percent recycled glass when producing new glass containers by 2013, Martin said.
If that goal is reached, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates the domestic energy savings would be enough to power nearly 22,000 households for an entire year and keep 181,550 tons of waste from reaching landfills.
Doubling the U.S. glass container recycling rate of 28 percent in 2008 would allow manufacturers to use 50 percent cullet or recycled glass to make new glass containers, according to the GPI. O-I was among 50 glass container manufacturing locations across the country holding events during Recycle Glass Week.

Two local auto dealerships, Dave White Chevrolet in Sylvania and McNeill Chevrolet Buick in Swanton, were the only dealers in Northwest Ohio to receive the Mark of Excellence 2009 Dealer Recognition Award from Chevrolet. Both dealers received a Mark of Excellence plaque to display in their dealership.
This award is an accomplishment reserved for only a select few outstanding Chevrolet dealerships and is a symbol of exceptional performance in sales and customer satisfaction excellence, according to Gerald Roberson, district sales manager for General Motors.
The award is not given until September of the following year because GM takes its time to gather all information and talks to customers from the previous year to determine the top dealerships.
The two biggest factors are a dealer’s sales performance and customer satisfaction in both sales and service. Sales volume is used to compare dealers of similar size that had an increase in sales from the previous year.
Customer satisfaction is based on the responses customers give GM after they purchase a vehicle and after they visit the dealer’s service department.
“We are very proud to receive this award from Chevrolet as a dealership. There are many factors that go into who wins this each year and we are compared with every dealership in the State of Ohio,” said Jason Kos, general sales manager of McNeill Chevrolet Buick.
“This is a true example of our dedication to our customers and our commitment to exceed expectations during as well as after the sale.”
Kos said the dealership “has a very loyal customer base because of the way they are treated every time they visit us, not just when they buy something. I hear from many first-time customers that it was their most enjoyable experience buying a car. I’m even more proud when I see them for the third or fourth time and they still feel the same way.”
Kos indicated that 2009 was one of the hardest years in the history of the auto industry, yet the dealership still increased sales in new and used vehicles  last year.
“It’s a testament to our employees who are committed to providing our customers with the best purchase and ownership experience possible. The training and product knowledge of our people is important in achieving that level of customer satisfaction,” said Dave White, president of Dave White Chevrolet.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus’ elephants were not the only opening night parade at the Huntington Center Sept. 22. Approximately 25 volunteers with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) protested in front of the circus venue as visitors arrived for the 7 p.m. show.

Passing out fliers showing baby elephants tied in ropes and holding signs that said “Boycott the circus” and “Ringling Beats Animals,” PETA volunteers sought to educate circus-goers on training practices they deem to be unethical.

Rachel Wilbarger protests the circus.

A PETA member met Wendy Wood, 53, of Toledo with a flier as she walked across Huron Street to the Huntington Center. Wood was bringing her four-year-old granddaughter to the circus.

“I totally forgot!” Wood exclaimed. “I was about to go to the circus last year when I saw on the news about an elephant being abused in another state,” Wood said. “I had a fit about the animals. Last year I was in tears.”

Hugh Collins, a self-employed creative director with an office Downtown, showed up to the corner of Jefferson and Huron as a sympathetic supporter of PETA’s protest.

Jessica Campbell, left and Terri Miller at the protest.

“I don’t like mistreatment of animals. They don’t have language to tell us they’re not happy,” Collins said. “I think people in Toledo are ignorant. They’re not sympathetic to animal welfare.

According to Donna Lake, Midwest regional PR manager for Ringling Brothers, “It [the protest] happens nearly any city we visit. It’s nothing new.”

Ringling and its owning company, Feld Entertainment, have had a history of clashes with PETA and the ASPCA. A court case against Feld Entertainment was dismissed in December 2009 after the judge ruled the testimony of an ex-Ringling employee was not valid. The employee said he witnessed beatings of the elephants with bullhooks. Most recently, the Sacramento, Cali. branch of the SPCA issued a boycott order against the circus in July 2010.

“The bottom line is, no matter how well we take care of our animals, no matter that we meet and exceed care, activists will never be satisfied,” Lake said. “The protestors outside have every right to be there, as long as they respect other people’s choices to see the show.”

Gary-Alan Hopkins, a student at Owens Community College, volunteered to organize the PETA protest. According to Hopkins, there were between eight and 12 people at the protest in 2009.

“It really boils down to how Ringling Brothers is treating their animals. So many things that go on behind the scenes people don’t even know about,” Hopkins said. “It’s not that people are going into circuses and saying ‘We don’t care’ it’s that they don’t know. That’s what PETA and other groups are there to do to get the knowledge out.”

The Zing Zang Zoom unit of the Ringling Brothers show appearing in Toledo transports its animals by train. Toledo marks the 29th city on the cross-country tour. The show will be journeying to New Hampshire after it completes eight shows in five days at the Huntington Center. All nine elephants perform at every show and are currently housed in the parking lot behind the Huntington Center with the circus’ tigers, horses and dogs.

“That’s what your actions are supporting – the beating of animals, the disregard for their health, their well being, being packed on train cars or trailers for 50 weeks out of the year,” Hopkins said. “I think Toledo as a city is just not as conscious of animal rights or animal welfare as bigger cities are, or even cities on our scale.”

Lake said every city requires permits and health certificates for the circus animals and the USDA can inspect their operations at any time. John Dinon, executive director for the Toledo Humane Society, said that it is his responsibility to investigate the circus when it visits Toledo. Dinon, who said he has an extensive background in exotic animals, brings his cruelty officers with him when he inspects the facilities.

“When I inspected a year ago, I found no evidence of animal cruelty. I was pretty impressed with the level of animal care that I saw,” Dinon said. “Their animal care is very proactive. The animals looked good, the facilities were clean.”

“I’m not saying the Humane Society isn’t doing their job or anything like that, I’m just saying that they get blindfolded. If you have someone over to your house, you’re going to clean it up,” Hopkins said.

According to Dinon, there is a fundamental difference between the Humane Society’s stance on animal welfare and PETA’s concern with animal rights. The Humane Society is primarily concerned with animal health and does not hold a position against their involvement in zoos or circuses, Dinon said.