Sticks and stones may break your bones, but these words will hurt your feelings.
Many natives of Toledo call the Ohio Hip-Hop Awards the “Cleveland Awards,” since the show is held there, and it seems that Cleveland artists win the majority of the awards. But to their credit, several Cincinnati artists won awards as well this year.
The Awards were held the weekend of Sept. 17-19, with the actual award show Sept. 18 at Club Dream. Yes, a club. There were no chairs, tables, or stools for any spectator to sit. Unless you were media, a nominee, or presenter, you’d better have brought some comfortable shoes.
The attendance was overwhelming; each major city in Ohio was represented with nominees and supporters squeezing into the insufficiently-prepared building to cheer on their hometown heroes.
Other than the lack of seating or room to breathe, the ceremony itself was pretty decent. Toledo’s own DJ One 1x TyMe was the house DJ, and Hot 97-3’s Big Eddie Bauer co-hosted, along with Robyn Simone, a Cleveland radio personality.
Toledo music legend DJ Lyte-N-Rod was also present; he said he’ll be at the Awards every year “because [he] feels like Midwest is next up.” Rod moved to Nashville last year because he felt like he had “done all [he] could in Toledo, and needed to be challenged.” He won the Lifetime Achievement Award, so his efforts are definitely not going unrecognized.
Speaking of recognition, the Ohio Hip-Hop Awards couldn’t leave out Toledo crooner Jay Rush. No longer only known as the little brother of Lyfe Jennings, Rush is a star in his own right. Having traveled the country with Ohio legends, platinum-selling rap group Bone Thugs N Harmony, and telling me “the [record] deal is coming up,” Jay Rush won in both categories in which he was nominated, Best Male Vocalist, and Best Collaboration for a song he did with Bizzy Bone, who made a special appearance. Jay Rush said it meant a lot to him “for someone to actually sit on a computer and vote.”

Cuntry

Cleveland’s radio station WENZ beat the other stations in Ohio to earn the award for Best Radio Station. No one even seemed surprised by this, which was odd, because the Cincinnati nominee has higher ratings.
Toledo Hip-Hop group The 419ers were also present, and though they didn’t win Best New Artist, they have huge plans in the works. They’re planning a class-reunion-like concert with all of the popular Toledo artists from 1998-2006 to throw a concert for the city. They’ll definitely be the best new artists in Toledo if they pull that off.
There was a special appearance by Lady Rerun, star of the Safe Auto commercials, and daughter of the late Fred Berry, who played the character “Rerun” from the hit ’70s show “What’s Happenin’?”
Tracy may not have won the award, but we all know he had the best album. And he made strong connections and a lasting impression while there, so the plaque didn’t matter.
Perhaps the biggest winner from Toledo was the Master of Ceremonies, rapper and show host Cuntry. He won Best Host, and won a plaque, but he also won the performance showcase and won a three-day trip to Atlanta to record. For all the Toledoans who think the Awards are rigged, Cuntry won the showcase in Cleveland, by a unanimous decision. Perhaps you rappers should take note instead of complaining.
The Ohio Hip-Hop Awards may have been slightly unorganized, warm and uncomfortable, but they’re doing something that other people just talk about: recognizing the people of their state. So instead of complaining about their faults, embrace their assets.

As “Devil” opens, a narrator solemnly informs the audience of a story he was told as a child — that Satan himself often takes human form in an effort to punish mankind on Earth. My folks usually preferred “Little Red Riding Hood” or something, but never mind. We then get long shots of the Philadelphia skyline turned upside down during the opening credits, I guess because…um…this would be how the Devil sees the world? Things turn right-side-up as the narrator informs us that Satan’s coming is heralded by a suicide. At that moment, with perfect comic timing, an anonymous form crashes into a van, which goes completely unnoticed by anyone in the vicinity.

This is the first of “Devil”’s many, many bad laughs. If the movie had tried a little harder, it may have been hilariously awful, but it lacks the ambition to make even that effort. It’s satisfied with just being horrible. Here is the most ridiculous movie in many a moon, a horror film with no scares, with a plot that is laughably predictable, the most overbearing score imaginable, characters as dumb as a box of rocks, brought to life by actors who chew every bit of scenery they can — which, since the main players are trapped in an elevator, isn’t much.

Your plot: Five people get stuck in an express lift in a high rise building. At random, the lights conveniently blink out, and one-by-one, someone is killed. They start suspecting one another, as the most ineffectual security and police in the history of the world work tirelessly in an effort to pretend they’re doing something to help, though when you think about it, they accomplish absolutely nothing. Basically, we’ve got a half-scale “Ten Little Indians” mixed with “Paranormal Activity.”

The movie’s first mistake lies in its title. “Devil.” The film’s basic idea — people trapped together, everyone suspects everyone else of being evil, and they turn on each other — has been used since before Agatha Christie was in diapers, and could have made an effective, if derivative, thriller. But here, the audience knows who the villain is even before they walk into the theater — it says so RIGHT THERE in the picture’s name. That robs any suspense from the narrative. We know where it’s going.

Oh, sure. The movie tries to add mystery by making it clear (see opening narration) that — GASP — one of these people is the Devil in human form! Problem number 1: The movie keeps trying to add mystery by having the cops discover shocking information which hints that everyone in the elevator has done EVIL things. But if we already know the Devil is doing it, who cares what anyone else has done? Every other piece of information is just a red herring. Problem number 2: We in the audience know, from the moment we’re introduced to the five main players, who the Devil HAS to be. Even the movie’s feeble efforts to throw us off the scent don’t dissuade us. And, ta da, we’re right.

Since the heart of the movie is in the elevator, it seems all the more bizarre that the filmmakers take so much time with everyone outside of it — chief among the players being a cop (Chris Messina) who is on the wagon and whose family was killed in a hit and run. If you’ve already guessed that the person responsible for the accident has got to be in that elevator, too, congratulations, you have seen a movie at some point in your life. Messina and his fellow actors overplay every line as though they were on a radio drama, a feeling that is underlined by Fernando Velazquez’s music, which adds a stinger of chords to even the slightest screen action, like a demented Looney Tunes score. If it was possible for music to actually attack the audience, this is what it would sound like.

The film comes billed as being “from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan” — but sorry, Shyamalan Haters, we can’t blame him alone for this one. He just produced and wrote the story it’s based on. Full credit for this remarkable failure must also be spread to John Erick Dowdle, the director (whose “Quarantine” was more effective and scarier) and Brian Nelson, the screenwriter (whose adaptation of “30 Days of Night” looks like “Casablanca” compared to this). Each of these men has made better films in the past, and will probably make better films in the future. We can only hope. (Though the fact that this is the first of a supernatural trilogy by Shyamalan does not inspire confidence.)

This week, I had the pleasure of watching a four hour documentary by Martin Scorsese about the history of American movies. “Devil,” which runs only 80 minutes, feels twice as long.

Email Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com.

Toledo Mayor Mike Bell returned from China optimistic that relationships formed would be positive for Toledo.

“The trip that we made [to China] was a great trip. We believe in the near future it’s going really pay off in dividends for the city of Toledo … It was a great trip. Well worth the trip,” he said during a news conference on Sept. 20.

While on the trip, Bell spent all day in meetings with some days starting at 8 a.m. and ending at midnight, he said. Bell didn’t provide specifics about businesses he met with during the trip, but will go into further detail in the coming weeks.

“I don’t know of any businesses where you can start a business without at least starting a relationship first. What it’s enabled us to do, by at least going over there, is at least start the relationships. That went very well,” he said.

The Chinese were very “impressed” with Toledo and interested in opportunities within the city and Northwest Ohio, Bell said. In addition, the mayor said he spoke with some professors who are interested in making partnerships with the University of Toledo.

Bell said Toledo could learn from the way the Chinese plan for the future.

“They know what the growth is going to be and they’re building for that growth. It’s what they do. What we do build inside our small frame then if it gets a little bigger we’ll build a little builder… they build structures for 10 to 15 years out,” he said. “If trying to turn Northwest Ohio around we have to figure out how to think into the future and where we think this city and Northwest Ohio is going to go and try and build toward that.”

The Sept. 19 issue of Toledo Free Press is available as an electronic edition.

Mayor Mike Bell is being well received in China, according to Mike Farrar, a businessman who was on the trip.

“He was incredible well received,” said Farrar, owner of Automation and Control Technologies, which is located in Northwood, with an office Shanghai. “I’ve been in China for a number of years and know the cultural mindset. I think the Chinese are interested in pursuing opportunities in Toledo because of the mayor.”

The mayor’s delegation met with a number of businessmen, both American and Chinese as well as government officials. The group visited Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Ordos, Yulin and Beijing.

Farrar didn’t want to share too many details, because he doesn’t want to “steal the mayor’s thunder,” but said the trip is positive for Toledo.

“I think this trip is going to bear a lot more fruit than a lot of people think,” Farrar said. “I think the people of Toledo have two very good leaders in [Bell] and [Deputy Mayor] Dean Monske. They’re the first two private-sector minded people in government I’ve ever been around. I think Toledoans should be proud. They will lead Toledo into a new area of success.”

Farrar noted that there may be misconceptions that this trip was spontaneous, but he said that it was extremely well-planned ahead of time.

The delegation of Bell and area businessmen and women arrived in China on Sept. 11. Farrar returned to the U.S. on Sept. 17, while the mayor and the rest of the delegation will be back Sept. 20, Farrar said.

Marcy Kaptur’s former memorial chairman, Nick Haupricht, has filed a claim against Kaptur in small claims court on Sept. 17.

Haupricht claims “misguidance by her staff” and is seeking $3,458.02 in the Toledo Municipal Court Lucas County Civil Division. The money covers advertisements in local papers, flyers as well as applications for memorial stones, he said.

Steve Fought, communications director for Kaptur, said the claim is without merit.

“He took actions that weren’t authorized by anyone. He got out ahead of himself and is trying to find someone to blame,” Fought said.

Marcy Kaptur

Hapupritch said he was just following the paperwork given to him by Kaptur’s office.

In December 2009, Haupricht took a leadership role as chairman for the proposed veteran’s garden at the new VA Clinic. In this role, Haupricht was in charge of arranging transportation and a temporary staging area of a memorial stone.

Haupricht sent fliers to more than 400 motorcycle clubs asking bikers to accompany the memorial to its final placement. He said Dan Foote, who is in charge of veterans’ relations in Kaptur’s office, authorized him to send out materials. Haupricht also purchased ad space in local papers.

Meanwhile, Haupricht had been working with Tony Chiaravalloti, who worked for Granites of America in Rhode Island, which housed the memorial, about moving it to Toledo. Chiaravalloti sent a letter to Haupricht stating, “We are reluctant to send the stones until we … can review plans.”

Haupricht had a blueprint of the memorial made up and sent it to Chiaravalloti. Haupricht also began work on applications for stone pavers, or memorial stones, to accompany the memorial.

In May, Haupricht had also been hosting fundraising dinners with actress Chris Noel in attendance. He hosted two dinners at local VA locations; a third scheduled dinner was canceled by Kaptur’s office.

On April 13, Haupricht received a letter from Steve Katich in Kaptur’s office stating that the work on the memorial has been postponed and for Haupricht to suspend any activity promoting the memorial stone and any fundraising for it.

“The quarry owner whose stone it is has stated in order to give the mock up stones reverence they deserve he has offered the stones to communities which either already have a memorial or are currently building one. The completion of a veterans memorial on the campus of the proposed VA outpatient clinic site in Toledo is contingent on the completion of the clinic,” Katich wrote. “Since the clinic completion has been delayed, a veterans memorial cannot move forward.”

The letter also states that a design for the memorial would depend on a design of the clinic and would take “significant planning and organization.” Katich said for Kaptur to participate in any way, House rules require the existence of a nonprofit organization to manage the funding portion of such an effort.

Haupricht said he hadn’t previously been notified of any such stipulations.

Haupricht is currently working as a volunteer for the campaign of Rich Iott, Republican candidate for 9th Congressional District and Kaptur’s opponent.

“Because I can’t get Marcy to represent me in any shape of form, I thought it was time to get one in there that will be my representative,” he said.

Haupricht began volunteering for Iott two weeks ago, he said.

TO THE EDITOR,

Ni hao from Shanghai. I am traveling with Mayor Michael Bell’s business forum to various parts of China. We arrived Sept. 11 in Hong Kong and have had business meetings with potential business and trade partners. For most of the business contingent on the trip, this is not our first time in the Orient and we understand the hierarchy and traditions of business meetings.
In the Chinese community, the Mayor is considered one of the highest-ranking officials within the community; the office is above the business community. Bell is treated here with high regard and much respect and dignity. It is very important that you follow these customs and traditions if you want to be able to do business with the Chinese in the future. Bell has done an excellent job of assimilating into the culture and representing the City of Toledo.
Unfortunately, the negative press coverage the mayor is receiving is starting to resonate in our meetings. We are now defending ourselves at our meetings about this coverage; our Chinese hosts cannot understand how the Mayor is being attacked by the press; in this case, perception is everything.
What has not been good for us is the negative press coverage by The Blade and some of the ridiculous small and petty comments by current and past municipal politicians making it into print.
This needs to stop.
We as a community need to remake ourselves if we are going to overcome the difficulties of the times. The perception of the community divided will harm this mission this week and into the future. Toledo has great resources physically and culturally that the Chinese appreciate; it’s time we start working together and sell these assets.
Before anyone makes any more comments, please think about what you are saying and how it affects the community.
More to come …

ALEX JOHNSON, CEO
Midwest Terminals of Toledo-International
Red Lion Bio Energy

During the mid-1980s, I spent a few years working at the Bob Evans restaurant on Woodville Road. I frequently shuffle the mental deck of experience to choose which cards to play as I guide our sons through life’s lessons, so I am increasingly aware of how much of my understanding of life stems from my days “down on the farm.”
I was hired to work outside, keeping the parking lot and landscaping in order a few hours a week, but earned a meteoric rise to busing tables, running the dish tank and eventually landing in the kitchen as a prep cook. I was the last cook to make the biscuits at that location by hand, rolling the mixed dough in a ginormous frame to an exact and even thickness, then cutting them and placing them in pans to be frozen for later baking. I made hundreds of thousands of biscuits for Bob Evans, often joking I was risking exposure to “white lung disease” from the flour and dough that permeated the air, my clothes and my hands.
One black day, I learned the chain was going to stop making biscuits in-house every day and would begin shipping in pre-made frozen biscuits. I’m pretty sure I felt the same way the last horseshoe maker felt when he saw the first automobile drive by.
It was shortly after the “Great Biscuit Revolution” that I decided to take a good look at going to college. I learned a few things there, too, but I am often surprised at how much of my “life degree” I earned in that red building with the red-and-white-checkered décor.

• Keep an eye on food costs. At Bob Evans, wasting food prep materials was the greatest sin in the kitchen and getting every drop or crumb into service was a priority. It was the prep cook’s job to scrape every atom of cottage cheese, applesauce, butter, etc. from its container. It was critical to make sure raw goods for salads and sandwiches were used while they were fresh. To this day, I make sure every jar is definitively emptied of its contents and every leaf of every green is utilized. The day-to-day impact may seem trivial, but it really does add up as time goes by.
• Men and women are different. I had absorbed the most obvious elements of this fact long before I was hired at Bob Evans, but it was in the microcosm of the restaurant that I learned about the subtleties of communication between the sexes. There were women at Bob Evans who ranged from Shirley Temple sweet to Ilse Koch evil, and learning to (mostly) get along with all of them in the name of the job taught me a lot about the shades of gray sometimes required when talking to women. In a way, those staccato bursts of traded semantics across the stainless steel counter were a precursor to e-mail; a lot of nuance and intent can get lost in translation, so learning which words to choose was a slow and painful process.
• Find a mentor. At the Woodville Road Bob Evans, I was fortunate to work with Hal Holland, who had served the chain for decades and who knew the insides of every pot and the secrets of the kitchen as well as anyone who ever tied on a white apron and placed a white paper hat upon his head. Hal taught me lessons about dedication, honesty and follow-through that sustain me to this day. He also taught me the line between respecting managerial authority and refusing to be abused by that authority. I’m not sure I ever properly thanked Hal for his time and investment in me, so … thanks, Hal.
• There but for the grace of God go I. Bob Evans provided my first experience working with a mentally impaired co-worker. His name was Mickey and he was a nice guy, a hard worker, and I did not begin our time in the restaurant together on an intelligent or respectful note. My interactions with Mick taught me a great deal about understanding the challenges such people live with and greatly improved my subsequent relationships.
• Sometimes, by the book sucks. I served a second, shorter stint at the Bob Evans location on West Central Avenue by the U.S. 23 exchange. One winter day, my car failed to start and I had to get to the restaurant by 1 p.m. I took a TARTA bus to Westgate, then walked the 3.5 miles to the restaurant. It wasn’t snowing, or uphill, but it was a hike.

I arrived at the restaurant about 10 minutes late.

Bob Evans’ policy was to write up call-offs, no-call/no-shows and late arrivals. I had accrued a near-perfect attendance and on-time record at Bob Evans, and was surprised, upon my arrival, to see my timecard had been pulled and I would be subjected to the late-arrival “point” penalty.

“I just walked 5 miles,” I slightly exaggerated. “I have never been late. Is this really necessary?”

The manager said it was “by the book” and held out the form for me to sign. It was soon after that my earlier ruminations about college became reality and I left the restaurant business behind. I never forgot that feeling of injustice under the heel of “the book” and have tried to be as flexible as possible when administering other “books” as my life and career progressed.

• Respect people who work in restaurants; it’s a tough, dirty job. And while it offers many long-term lessons, the short-term reality of it is difficult enough without any lip and attitude from you.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

What would you do if your house lost power for multiple days? Do you have plan should a fire gut your home?
A new program by the Lucas County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the American Red Cross of Greater Toledo is designed to educate the public and help prepare individuals and families for potential emergencies in Northwest Ohio.
Ready U, a 10-session yearlong series, will help people “make a plan; get a kit; be informed.”
“Ideally, we hope people are more prepared and they understand there are simple things you can do to make yourself safer,” said Ken Robinson, director of programs and services at the Red Cross. “By doing this, if we have another disaster, and we will, people are more ready and recover a little more quickly from it once it happens. Anything you do in the front end mitigates the level of damage on the back end.”
Ready U is based on a program out of Shelby County — Preparedness University or Prep U.
This past spring, Matt Heyrman, director of the Lucas County EMA, heard a presentation about Prep U at an Ohio EMA directors conference and decided to bring it back to Lucas County.

Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak at a Sept. 16 news conference announcing Ready U.

“My biggest pet peeve with EMA so far is it’s really hard to reach out to the community and get them excited about citizens’ preparedness,” said Heyrman, who started as director in April. “I wanted to have a more dynamic, progressive way of getting out information. Once I heard about [Prep U], we put our own spin on it and moved forward.”
Heyrman said he hopes the series of programs reaches a population that doesn’t normally hear the message of emergency preparedness, including lower-income households and the younger  adult population of 20 to 40 year olds, he said.
Programs
Ready U’s first event will serve as a kickoff to the whole series, Heyrman said.
“We’re calling it ‘The Unthinkable.’ It lays out the realistic hazards that are here. It’ll also say here are the basic steps we want you to take — get a kit; make a plan; be informed,” he said.
Emergencies or disasters that are most likely to affect Lucas County residents are severe weather and hazardous material incidents.
“If the entire county loses electricity, your kids are at school, you’re at home, cell phones are down, how are you going to meet up? Do you have a common place?” Heyrman said.
Robinson said there are simple steps that individuals can take to make themselves more prepared for emergencies.
To prevent damage to memorabilia stored in a basement during a flood, make sure boxes are off the ground and on high shelves, he said. During power outages, individuals and families need to make sure they have food they can cook without a microwave or stove, Robinson said.
“Almost everything is addressable with some basic preparedness steps. The idea of the presentations is to let folks know based on what we’re talking about, these are the basic preparedness things that you can do as a family or individual to help protect life and property and get out of a disaster faster,” Robinson said.
The first presentation will be led by Bill Spencer of 13abc. Representatives from the Red Cross and Lucas County EMA will also be available to answer specific questions.
The program is scheduled for Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and will last an hour. It will take place at Maumee Fire Station No.1, 220 Illinois Ave.
Sessions will rotate from location to location to reach as many Lucas County residents as possible.
Each presentation is independent and individuals can take away valuable information from them all, according to Robinson and Heyrman both.
Other topics will include fire safety and prevention, cold emergencies, 72-hour survival plans, volunteering and victory gardens.
“We’ll talk about the different types of cold weather and what are things you can do. For example, you’re a parent and your kid has been outside because it’s snowing and they come in and they’re really in a funk. What are the signals of cold-related emergencies? What are the signals for hypothermia or frostbite?” Robinson said.
Each session will feature different presenters, experts and formats depending on the topic.
For the victory garden session outside experts, such as the Maumee Growers and Toledo GROWs will come in, Robinson said. For the session focusing on volunteering during a disaster, representatives from area organizations such, as United Way and The Salvation Army will present.
Ready U is open to the public and those in neighboring counties are also invited to attend.
“Our message is a national initiative, no one program is exclusive to Lucas County,” Heyrman said.
Downloadable materials will be available prior to all events on the Ready U website. Information on how to build an emergency kit, as well as figuring out what an emergency kit needs based on family size is also available. All programs will be shot and streamed by 13abc. Videos will be available on the Ready U website following each presentation.

Matt Heyrman, director of the Lucas County EMA.

Shelby County
Marc Burdiss, EMA director of Shelby County, is a big fan of the civil defense approach to preparedness where it is the individual’s responsibility to prepare for an emergency, he said.
“Individual preparedness is critical because there’s an unrealistic expectation you can get immediate assistance in an emergency,” he said.
“I was looking at the ever-dwindling county budget and thought if we could better prepare individuals, it would lessen the impact of a minor or medium county emergency,” Burdiss said.
Burdiss and the county’s EMA developed Prep U, which ran once a month last year. The program wasn’t designed to scare anyone, but to give individuals a peace of mind.
“If you’ve thought about things, you can sleep easier,” he said. “They know if we have another wind storm that knocks out the power in the county, it’ll be OK. It will just be an inconvenience, not devastation.”
The program was successful in Shelby County, Burdiss said. Despite the program being on a Wednesday evening, church night, each event had at least 40 to 50 individuals.
In addition, individuals told Burdiss they were there to take information back to their church and people were picking up information from meetings at the library, Burdiss said.
Shelby County will continue its Prep U every other year, Burdiss said.
After presenting his program at the EMA directors conference, Burdiss received calls from EMAs around the state about the program, but Lucas County is the only one to jump right in, he said.
The Future
Heyrman and Robinson hope to continue Ready U after this year’s series, but aren’t sure what form the program will take.
“Our hope is to continue the program, but we’ve never done anything like this. Maybe next year it will be bigger and better — more sponsorship and more events, Heyrman said. “We want to see how it goes this year before we expand.”
Funding for Ready U comes from a combination of grant money from the Department of Homeland Security to the Lucas County EMA and donations by The Andersons, Heyrman said.
For more about Ready U programs and information on how to prepare for an emergency, visit ready-u.com.

Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor for the Ready U program.

When Mike Bell was elected mayor last November, Toledo Free Press joined former University of Toledo President Dan Johnson and a group of local business leaders in trying to arrange an “international tour” for Bell to take Toledo’s message to the global marketplace.
Johnson wrote on Nov. 22, “I would like to see some of the leading Toledo businesses send Mike Bell on a world tour of four or five successful global cities so he can see for himself what it is like. You can’t describe it; you have to see it. He really needs to see what is going on in the world … These should be port cities or cities engaged in alternative energies.”
Logistics constraints kept that tour from taking place then, but Bell, Deputy Mayor Dean Monske and a delegation of Northwest Ohio business leaders are now on a trip to China “with the goal of developing economic connections and attracting jobs back to Northwest Ohio.”
According to a news release, “the delegation will visit Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Ordos, Yulin and Beijing … The 2010 Sustainability Conference hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai will be one stop, as will the 2010 World Expo also in Shanghai. The group will meet with large groups of CEOs in order to familiarize them with Toledo’s investment assets and encourage visits to the region. The group expects to interface with more than 120 CEOs in total. A presentation of the trip, including the potential for investment, will be held in the fall.”
When we made the case for the trip in a Nov. 29 editorial, we said, “The selection of cities should be on those cities, regions and nations that share the economic strengths of Toledo or represent potential markets for Toledo products, particularly in the area of alternative energy, health care, transportation and other strengths.” That seems to be exactly what Bell is doing.
But instead of supporting this dramatic outreach, many are complaining that Bell’s trip was planned in secret and launched without fanfare, which is their code word for “permission.”
What a sad, petty and short-sighted response. According to Alex Johnson, CEO of Midwest Terminals of Toledo, who is on the trip, “the negative press coverage that the mayor is receiving is starting to resonate in our meetings.”
City Council President Wilma Brown knew. Was Bell supposed to get a field trip permission slip from every single elected official and media outlet in Toledo? Are those “leaders” and media outlets complaining because they don’t like the idea or because they weren’t in the loop? How about a modicum of unity and vision from these people, who purport to want to see Toledo grow but who put their egos and playground politics ahead of the greater mission?
For a City Council that can’t wrangle a multimillion dollar budget to wring its hands over details of a few thousand dollars is ludicrous.
Toledo is in dire need of investment and new business. It’s not as if Bell is going to make any long-term commitments without working with local leaders, who will all have their turn to speak and contribute. Bell’s trip may not yield immediate results, but the seeds of globalization have been planted. Further explorations should be encouraged, not dragged into the pit of parochial politics as usual.

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