First things first: guys, don’t take a date to the Dimensions of Darkness (DOD) at the Parkway Plaza in Maumee.
“We’ve actually had two people crap themselves this year,” said DOD co-owner/operator Matt Thierry. “The actors get a bonus for making that happen. The problem became we couldn’t determine which actor made it happen, so we’re just going to have a party at the end of the season.”

A Dimensions of Darkness villain wants you to have a bloody good time.

For its first year as a local haunt, Dimensions of Darkness is belligerently entertaining, well-crafted and clearly geared for the more hardcore fright fan. According to Thierry, “About 10 percent of the people come right back out. Sometimes I feel bad but people don’t believe us when we say it’s scary.”
The show is on as soon as the front door is slammed shut.
“I enjoy working the door,” said co-owner/operator Tim Farnham. “I love people’s reactions, it’s instant high-energy.”
It’s apparent from the start that the production value is relatively high and the actors submerse themselves in character.
Dimensions of Darkness boasts energetic, involved and convincing cast members.
If you’re one with personal space issues, you might want to wait outside and hope your friends make it out. Part of what makes the DOD so intense is the proximity to the zombies, demons and general-purpose freaks.
“We really push the personal space bubble here” Thierry said.
For that reason, DOD makes sure to space  out “victims” and ensure they’re not pushed through like cattle.
“We will let six people in at a time,” Thierry said, “but if there are two together, we’ll send in those two.”
Farnham and Theirry said this attraction is “not about the money, it’s about he experience.”
“I’ve wanted to do this for 20 years,” Theirry said. “This is my ‘red convertible’.”
Farnham, Thierry and two other friends who operate the haunt gutted the storefront and built what is there now in less than six months. The roughly 4,000-square-foot maze of madness is certainly something to experience.
For dates, hours of operation, and ticket information, visit dimensionsofdarkness.com.

On Election Day Nov. 2, area residents will cast votes for important national and statewide races, with congressional races, an election for Ohio governor — and an equally important number of local races.
Toledo Free Press and the Toledo chapter of the League of Women Voters will host a three-in-one debate Oct. 26 between candidates in three of these races.
“The Art of Politics” starts at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Toledo Museum of Art’s Great Gallery. This public event will feature three debate pairings moderated by FOX Toledo anchor Laura Emerson and live blogged by Lisa Renee Ward on the Glass City Jungle and Toledo Free Press websites.
The debate begins with the Lucas County Auditor race, followed by the District 11 Ohio Senate race and then the Lucas County Commissioner race. Tickets for the debate are available through each candidate’s campaign.
Lucas County Auditor: Kaczala vs. Lopez
Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez (D) is seeking to retain her position against Gina Marie Kaczala (R), a former employee of the auditor’s office.
Lopez, who believes citizens are the boss, hopes to continue to work to make sure property values are fair and equitable and that citizens are engaged, she said.
“The more we can engage the public, the more feedback we get and we can make sure our descriptions of their properties are accurate,” Lopez said.

Lopez

Since 2007, Lopez has cut the previous administration’s department spending by $500,000 and has added three new tools to the Auditors Real Estate Information System (ARIES) to provide more transparency, she said.
The levy estimator allows citizens to see how much a proposed levy would cost them annually; the sales report allows citizens to see the price of sales in their market; and the tax distributor allows citizens to see dollar for dollar which government entity their property taxes are going to.
If re-elected, Lopez hopes to add links to the ARIES website that allow citizens to look directly at how money is being spent by the government entities receiving their property taxes, she said. In addition, Lopez hopes to work with the state to grant authority to the county auditor’s office to perform random audits on government entities.
“I think that’s important in these tough economic times,” Lopez said. “The state only comes around once a year. There’s no way of randomly keeping folks on their toes, to make sure they’re in compliance with the law.”
Prior to serving as auditor, Lopez was Lucas County Recorder and member of the Toledo Public Schools Board of Education.
Lopez’s opponent, Kaczala, said the development of ARIES has been virtually stagnant since her late-husband Larry Kaczala’s administration.
“That office was once a pinnacle,” she said. “We had people visiting the office from China, Europe and Australia just to view ARIES because of our financial responsibility. It’s no longer that pinnacle.”
Kaczala worked for 21 years in the Lucas County Auditor’s office and for 18 years as director of internal audits in the finance department.
“That experience is invaluable. I know every aspect of that office. I know financially how that office should be run,” she said.

Kaczala

Kaczala said if elected she already has an award-winning team with experience in finance and real estate ready to start working right away in the auditor’s office.
As auditor, Kaczala would immediately reevaluate all properties to make sure the values were fair and accurate because state reports show property values being inaccurate, she said.
Kaczala said senior citizens in Lucas County have been neglected and she will make sure they are being taken care of in a responsible manner.
Kaczala worked on the office’s comprehensive annual financial report that helped the county come up with its yearly budgets, she said. Every year the team received awards for its report, Kaczala said.
Kaczala is a graduate of the University of Toledo where she received a degree in political science.
District 11 Ohio Senate: Brown vs. Waniewski
Ohio House Representative for District 48 Edna Brown (D), who cannot run for re-election due to term limits, is seeking office within the Ohio Senate to continue serving Northwest Ohio.
“I want to continue the work I’ve done in the House,” she said. “Take that experience to the Senate. I think that it will serve this area well.”
Brown said more than eight years isn’t very long to get up to speed and get legislation moving, so she is seeking election in the Senate to continue her work.
Brown said she understands Columbus and how the legislature works and will be able to utilize that experience, she said. Brown previously worked with some current Senate members in the House and will be able to use her past relationships to help the region, she said.

Brown

Toledo City Councilman Tom Waniewski (R) decided to run for Ohio Senate because politicians were hopping from one legislature to another and he “couldn’t reward bad behavior.” While Waniewski hasn’t completed his full term as councilman, he said serving on Senate would be a greater way for him to assist the region.
“I want to ramp up my public service. There’s nothing wrong with that if it’s in true public service fashion,” he said. “Some politicians may be looking for their next paycheck, and I see it as an opportunity to shout more loudly and more clearly for Northwest Ohio.”
Waniewski hopes with a little energy and engagement he can help Northwest Ohio get out of its “funk.”
Waniewski wants to engage the community and work with them to find solutions, he said.
“Instead of being, “Here’s what we’ve done, let’s do this because it’s what we’ve always done,” let’s look at analyzing and finding new solutions,” he said.
Waniewski wants to focus on fiscal responsibility and the education system, he said.
“Government is spending more than they have. The culture of government has to change from one of politics to one of public service,” he said.

Waniewski

In addition, Waniewski wants to explore underemployment insurance, putting people back to work and not having them depend on the government, he said.
Prior to serving five terms, Brown was a member of Toledo City Council for six years.
Waniewski worked for 25 years a journalist before starting an Internet company. He has served as resource director for the Boys & Girls Club of Toledo. He is also a past chairman of the United Way of Greater Toledo board.
County Commissioner: Contrada vs. Sarantou
Both Sylvania Township Trustee Carol Contrada (D) and Toledo City Councilman George Sarantou (R), candidates for Lucas County Commissioner, said if elected commissioner they’d focus on economic development and fiscal responsibility.
Sarantou, who has experience working with joint economic agreements with Maumee, Monclova and recently Perrysburg as part of Council, said he would bring 28 years of business experience to the commissioner position. His top priority would to make sure the county is focusing on sound economic development, he said.
If elected, Contrada would begin securing federal dollars to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy for the region, she said.
Both said they’d go through the county’s budget line by line, eliminating waste.

Contrada

“I think it’s critically important to manage expenses and be accountable to the taxpayer. We need to make sure the service they think they’re paying for, is what they are getting,” Contrada said.
Sarantou said he has helped cut the city’s budget for the past nine years.
“We need to go through each department’s budget. They just found a reserve in the dog warden’s budget. I suspect there are other reserve funds,” Sarantou said.
Contrada wants to bring an outside voice to the Board of Lucas County Commissioners. Her experience in Sylvania Township will help her represent the 11 other townships in the county, she said.
Sarantou said if elected to the commissioner’s office, he would host meetings in townships and villages.
“My goal is to improve the communications, work with the suburban government,” he said. “It’s important for us to go out and find out what we can do to improve their situations.”
Sarantou said electing him as commissioner would help balance the county government, which is run by two Democrat commissioners.

Sarantou

Sarantou has served eight years on council and was re-elected for this third term as an at-large member in November. Sarantou is finance committee chairman and is a member of Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Government’s transportation council as well as a member of the Downtown Improvement District board of directors.
As trustee, Contrada helped the township achieve a Double-A rating, maintained and improved the township’s infrastructure and improved emergency services, she said. Contrada has served seven years as trustee and is first chairwoman of TMACOG’s executive board.
A personal injury lawyer, she is a member of the practice Contrada & Associates.

A world record might be broken Oct. 28 downtown Adrian, Mich.

Croswell Opera House workers are hoping to rally at least 1,636 people for the Time Warp Dance from Rocky Horror Picture Show, said Deveny Rosebrock, officer manager and graphic designer at Croswell.

But she said she’d like to see bigger crowds.

“It’d be great to break the record, but it’d be even better to completely blow it out of the water,” she said.

Participants should arrive at 124 S. Winter St. around 9 p.m. to check in; the dance will start at 9:30. The dance is easy to learn and no experience is required, Rosebrock said.

Participants will receive a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for tickets to Rocky Horror Picture Show at Croswell, which runs 8 p.m. Oct. 29-30, midnight Oct. 30 and 3 p.m. Oct. 31.

The musical debuted in the 1970s; it was later made into a movie and eventually became “a big cult-monster,” said Eric Parker, the director.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show movie-watching experience includes yelling and throwing objects at the screen, Parker said, and fans will be able to do most of that at the Croswell.

“They should expect to have a lot of fun,” he said. “They should expect to yell everything that they would yell at the movie.”

He’s been a part of the musical at various theaters about a dozen times, and he said he expects many fans to show up in costume.

“It’s like going to a monster movie convention or a Star Trek convention,” he said. “There’s a whole weird language.”

Musical numbers include “Time Warp,” “Sweet Transvestite,” “Damnit Janet” and two numbers not in the movie: “Once in a While” and “The Sword of Damocles.”

The show runs less than two hours, Parker said. He advised parental guidance for a “couple cuss words” and “comically performed innuendo.”

“It’s a fun time,” he said. “Wear costumes, be prepared to sing and yell and have a great time.”

At a private screening of the documentary “Waiting  for Superman”  on Oct. 24,  United Way of Greater Toledo CEO Bill Kitson told the audience that the United Way is endorsing the 7.8 mill Toledo Public School levy on the November ballot.

Details and a formal announcement on the United Way endorsement of Issue 5 to come.

Should voters approve the 7.8 mill levy, it would be the highest millage amount passed for Toledo Public Schools in the past four decades, it is expected to generate $22 million in tax revenue each year. Toledo Public Schools recently revised their estimated deficit for 2011/2012 from $44 million to $36 million.

Updated at 8:07 p.m. United Way of Greater Toledo released the following statement:

According to United Way officials, the organization has chosen to endorse Issue 5 because its partnership with Toledo Public Schools is yielding success and progress within the district’s schools and, more importantly, in the lives of Toledo students. Officials stated supporting this levy is in the best interest of kids, the economic viability of our community, and United Way.

It is rare for United Way to take an established stance on political issues and acknowledges this one in particular is controversial.

“We realize this issue causes conflicting opinions and emotions across our community,” said Bill Kitson, United Way of Greater Toledo president & CEO, “but the bottom line is this is about kids. Period. Our children are too important for us to stand on the sidelines.”

This past year, United Way of Greater Toledo invested approximately $1.9 million in programs advancing its education goals in Lucas, Wood, and Ottawa counties. Much of that progress has been made either directly in Toledo Public Schools or in programs supporting TPS students.

“Our endorsement is an effort to protect the progress and investments we and our partners have made in education,” said Cindy Dana, chair of United Way’s Public Policy Advisory Council (PPAC).

After a presentation from TPS Superintendent Dr. Jerome Pecko and TPS Board President Bob Vasquez, the PPAC voted to recommend endorsement of the levy to United Way’s Board of Trustees. The Board overwhelmingly approved endorsement earlier this week.

According to Pecko and Vasquez, TPS lost approximately 1,400 students this year after making $39 million in cuts. Faced with a $44 million deficit next year, losing at least another 1,400 students is a very real possibility.

“Not all of these children are finding alternative education,” Kitson continued. “We are losing a good number of these kids because they are simply dropping out.”

“Endorsing the levy now and choosing to work with TPS to create a viable plan is vastly preferable to paying more down the road as these kids enter the prison system, social service agencies, and businesses leave town as a result,” Kitson concluded.

The announcement was made as part of the organization’s Waiting for “Superman” screening and roundtable discussion. More than 350 people, including representatives from TPS, charter schools, unions, United Way funded partners, donors, volunteers, and the general public were in attendance.

To learn more about United Way’s work in education, visit www.unitedwaytoledo.org/education.

While football is a game of inches, it’s also a game of patterns. For Toledo, that pattern has been another home game at the Glass Bowl means another disappointing first quarter performance, which is exactly what happened Saturday night. For the second week in a row, though, the Rockets were able to overcome those early woes with 31 unanswered points en route to a 31-24 victory over visiting Ball State.

“I’ll tell you what, we’re worth our money,” Toledo head coach Tim Beckman said. “Four quarters, baby. They know that it’s a four-quarter football game.”

Toledo (5-3, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) started off the game in a 17-0 hole after the first quarter, but responded with 17 points of its’ own in the second to tie the game up. In the second half, it was all Rockets until the final 12 seconds of the game, when Torieal Gibson caught a 12-yard touchdown pass that finished off an 11-play, 79-yard drive to pull the Cardinals within seven. Ball State (2-6, 1-3 MAC) recovered its’ onside kick, but senior cornerback Desmond Marrow sealed the win with an interception on the game’s final play.

“We stubbed ourselves early in the football game, and the kids had some resiliency to come back and fight and end up winning the football game again,” Beckman said. “We’re 4-0, and we’re excited about being 4-0. We’ve got a lot of things we need to improve, but I can’t be more proud of the seniors and this football team for fighting back and becoming 4-0.”

Junior running back Adonis Thomas led the Toledo offense with a career-high 130 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Junior running back Morgan Williams combined for 109 total offensive yards, with 57 rushing and 52 receiving. Sophomore wide receiver Eric Page had seven receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown, his fourth consecutive game with at least 100 receiving yards.

In the first quarter, the Cardinals went 51 yards on their opening drive in 10 plays, capping it off with a 35-yard field goal from Ian McGarvey at the 11:13 mark to take a 3-0 lead. On the Rockets’ ensuing possession, sophomore quarterback Austin Dantin was intercepted on his first pass attempt by Travis Freeman, who returned it 14 yards to give Ball State possession back at the Toledo 29-yard line with 10:25 to go in the quarter.

Senior defensive end Alex Johnson came up big for the Rockets on the Cardinals’ next possession, forcing a fumble from Keith Wenning as sophomore linebacker Danny Molls recovered to give Toledo the ball back at its’ own 26-yard line. However, the Rockets were unable to answer on their next drive, and a 24-yard punt from freshman punter Vince Penza gave Ball State the ball back on its’ own 46-yard line. It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to get on the board again as they went 54 yards in four plays, scoring on a 42-yard pass from Wenning to Jack Tomlinson over the middle to go up 10-0 with 4:44 on the clock.

Dantin was intercepted for the second time in the quarter after his pass to the left side to junior tight end Danny Noble was picked off by Jason Pinkston at the Toledo 35-yard line at the 4:31 mark. Six plays later, Wenning hooked up again with Tomlinson from four yards out to extend the lead to 17-0.

“We know how good we can be as a team,” Dantin said. Dantin completed 14-of-18 attempts for 197 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions, also rushing for 58 yards on 15 carries. “The two early picks didn’t help, but I still felt good.”

After two big runs at the end of the first quarter from Thomas and Williams, the Rockets were able to gain position inside the 50-yard line and quickly took advantage. Dantin hit Page on a drag route, and Page turned on the afterburners as he galloped 46 yards down the sideline to the end zone to make it 17-7 with just nine seconds off the clock in the second quarter. Toledo got within three at the 6:15 mark after a one-yard sneak from Dantin capped a 10-play, 71-yard Rockets’ drive to make it 17-14.

On Toledo’s ensuing defensive possession, senior linebacker Archie Donald deflected a Wenning pass and junior safety Mark Singer picked it off at the 36-yard line, returning it 14 yards to midfield with 5:38 left before halftime. The Rockets went 52 yards in 12 plays following the interception, ending the half on a 25-yard field goal from junior kicker Bill Claus to tie the game at 17 apiece.

Toledo closed out the first half with 236 yards to Ball State’s 199, also edging out the Cardinals 10-9 in first downs. Thomas and Williams were crucial pieces to the offensive success in the second quarter, as both players combined for 143 yards and averaged more than six yards per carry. Thomas racked up 68 yards on 11 carries, while Williams had three receptions for 42 yards.

The Rockets continued their comeback on the first play of the third quarter after junior safety Isaiah Ballard’s 56-yard kickoff return to the Toledo 35-yard line. On the first offensive play, Thomas took the handoff from Dantin, bounced out to open space on the right side of the field and took it to the house to give the Rockets a 24-17 lead with just 18 seconds off the clock in the quarter.

“The o-line has been getting better every week,” Thomas said. “There’s not too many teams in this conference or this country that can battle back the way we do.”

Ballard came up with another big play on Ball State’s second offensive possession of the third quarter, ripping the ball away from Tomlinson at the 50-yard line at the 9:03 mark. While the Rockets couldn’t muster a first down on the next drive, Thomas made another big play for Toledo as he caught Penza’s 42-yard punt at the one-yard line.

The Rockets’ defense held on the ensuing drive, but the Cardinals didn’t go quietly as Jamill Smith returned Penza’s 47-yard punt 34 yards to the Toledo 29-yard line with 1:57 remaining in the quarter. Two plays later, Wenning completed a 27-yard pass to Tomlinson to get all the way down to the Rockets’ two yard-line. On the fourth play of the drive, MiQuale Lewis bounced it out around the left side and looked like he was going to waltz in untouched. However, Lewis lost the ball out of bounds in the end zone while attempting to switch from his right to left hand as he crossed the goal line, resulting in a touchback to give Toledo the ball back on its’ own 20 with four seconds left in the third.

With 7:56 left to play in the game, Dantin rushed up the middle from four yards out to cap a 16-play, 80-yard drive to put the Rockets up 31-17 as his team held on for the win.

“Our kids bent a little bit but didn’t break,” Beckman said. “There’s things that we’ve got to get so much better at, but you see us making strides and getting ourselves better.”

Toledo will travel to Ypsilanti, Mich. next Saturday to take on Eastern Michigan (1-7, 1-3 MAC) at 4 p.m.

Editor’s note: Toledo Free Press will follow the Blank family of Millbury for the next year as they rebuild their lives after a June 5 tornado destroyed their Main Street home.

The latest effort to raise money for Lake High School will benefit students like sophomore Casey Blank.
The student councils from Perrysburg and Maumee high schools are giving Lake the proceeds from the Rivalry Run: Race for the Bell. Casey lost both his home and his high school June 5.
The 5K run/walk starts at 1 p.m. Oct. 24 on the towpath at Side Cut Metropark (between Jerome Road and Wayne Street) and includes running across the Maumee-Perrysburg Bridge.
Perrysburg student council president Alexis Eckel didn’t know anyone affected by the tornado, but she feels badly for students like Casey.
“I heard about it, but I didn’t realize how bad it was until I saw it,” Eckel said. “This isn’t a little thing that happens.”
The councils decided to earmark the money raised at the Rivalry Run for new technology at Lake’s new school.
“We figured it would mean more if we donated to a certain department in the school,” Eckel said. “Plus, at Perrysburg, we are big into using computers and using online resources in our classes.”
Heather Dansack, adviser for Maumee student council, said the race kicks off spirit week before the Maumee-Perrysburg football rivalry game Oct. 29. Dansack likened the high school rivalry to the Ohio State versus Michigan game. In 2009, Maumee took home the victory bell.
“Last year was our first race and we raised more than $4,000 for Hospice of Northwest Ohio,” Dansack said. “Lake had been part of our NLL family and seeing something like this happen to a school that the students had been to or passed by, they wanted to do something to help.”
Dansack said 100 runners have pre-registered for the race, which is more than last year. The bulk of last year’s participants showed up on the day of the race, which is allowed this year, too, she said.  The participation fee is $20 for students and $25 for adults and includes a T-shirt. Without a T-shirt, the price is $10 for students and $15 for adults.
Eckel said Maumee and Perrysburg are usually only rivals on the night of the game and during the race, but this year, they wanted to come together to help Lake.
Registration information is at www.maumee.k12.oh.us or visit the Maumee High School or Perrysburg High School main offices.

The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010, signed into law Sept. 27 by President Obama, offers numerous tax incentives targeted to help small business owners but can apply to large corporations as well.
“That label (Small Business Jobs and Credit Act) does not reflect the true impact this bill will have on businesses of all sizes,” said Charles Heid, a tax partner and leader of the Manufacturing Group at Gilmore, Jasion & Mahler Ltd. (GJ&M) in Maumee.
“There are specific provisions that will impact local businesses in Northwest Ohio across the board,” he said. “The extension of the bonus depreciation is huge for business and doesn’t matter what size the business is.”
The law restored the bonus depreciation tax break that expired at the end of 2009. Businesses may claim a deduction equal to 50 percent of the cost of qualified assets placed in service by Dec. 31.
Heid said the carrying cost for the government to offer this incentive is $29.2 billion, making it the most expensive part of the bill.
The law doubles the maximum deduction for depreciation from $250,000 to $500,000 for 2010 and 2011 with a phase-out threshold of $2 million under Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code. The previous threshold was $800,000 with the $250,000 maximum deduction.
Heid said this incentive gives larger businesses the opportunity to take advantage of the enhanced depreciation deductions in Section 179.
Eligible assets include computers, office equipment and furniture with some real estate improvement costs now qualifying for deduction.
Another provision of the bill provides a better tax break on qualified small business stock gains under Internal Revenue Code Section 1202, according to Heid.
It raises the exclusion to 100 percent on any gain in qualified small business stock after a five-year holding period. It previously allowed 50 percent that was increased to 75 percent by the federal stimulus law.
“The bill now takes it up to 100 percent but there is a small window for this tax break as it applies only to qualified original-issue stocks purchased before the end of 2010,” Heid said.
“It’s a great incentive for startups looking to raise capital today and for investors to make investments in new companies,” he said.
GJ&M recently published a report on the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 in an e-mail newsletter that is available at www.gjmltd.com.
GJ&M is a locally owned accounting, assurance, tax and consulting firm that was founded in 1996 and employs 75 professionals.
SBA loans
The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act aims to create up to 500,000 new jobs through a $30 billion fund that will provide local community banks with capital to lend small business owners. The fund will provide capital to startup enterprises and small businesses that want to hire additional workers but are unable to get funding through larger banks.
The law also made some significant enhancements in the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan program that are already stimulating some activity.
“The enhancements to the SBA program are exciting and valuable to small business owners in our footprint,” said Craig Street, national director of SBA Lending for Huntington National Bank.
The law increased the maximum loan amount available through the SBA to help start a business or cover short-term capital requirements. The maximum for an SBA 7A loan increased from $2 million to $5 million and for an SBA 504 loan from $1.5 million to $5.5 million.
“It’s significant for capital-intensive businesses and opens the door to many more businesses that need capital to operate and grow,” Street said.
The law extended elimination of SBA loan fees for another 90 days through Dec. 31. It also increased the amount the SBA will guarantee on loans from 75 to 90 percent.
If a small business owner defaults on an SBA loan, the bank that lent the funds would only owe a maximum of 10 percent, thereby  encouraging banks to loan to businesses that may be more of a risk.
“Waiving the fees for customers and increasing the guarantees for banks is a perfect incentive for borrowing by small businesses,” Street said.
Huntington Bank recently committed $360 million for SBA loans in Northwest Ohio and $4 billion overall over three years. The bank is ahead of schedule working toward those amounts, Street said.
Small business lending has performed better than expected increasing by 62 percent from first quarter 2010 to the second quarter. The increase is ahead of Huntington’s projected goal to increase lending by 40 percent from 2009 to 2010.
“We’re actively working with business owners and companies every day about the enhancements to the SBA program. The fee waiver is a real game changer,” said Jeremy Gutierrez, vice president, Business Banking Market Manager at Huntington National Bank.
Gutierrez said Huntington was closing on an SBA 7A loan for $1.4 million with a company in Northwest Ohio on Oct. 7. The loan will allow that company to enhance its cash flow, retain its existing employees and possibly add new workers.
“We’ve seen depreciation in real estate values, historically low interest rates, and now SBA loans without fees that provide an opportunity for a small business to purchase a building they may have been leasing,” Gutierrez said.

Incidents involving fire are the most common disasters.
Since October 2009 more than 1,890 calls, approximately five calls a day — for services related to fires have been made in Lucas County, according to the Lucas County Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
“I would say, at least with the Red Cross, fires are the No. 1 disasters that we respond to,” said Sheri Meeker, community disaster education specialist for the Red Cross of Greater Toledo. “Whether it’s a single home fire, an apartment fire or business, you just never know when there could be a fire.”
To better prepare the public for fire emergencies, the Red Cross and Lucas County EMA will address fire safety at its next Ready U session, “Fire Safety and Prevention.”
The hour-long presentation fits in with October’s fire safety month, said Matt Heyrman, director of the Lucas County EMA.

From left, Brandon Loboschefski, Sheri Meeker and Matt HeyrmaN.

“It’s a great subject to start with. One, it’s not the pie in a sky, like a tornado. For some people, even after Lake, that’s something that’s never going to happen,” he said. “Fire is one thing most people can relate to.”
The program will kick off with an introduction by Mayor Mike Bell, former Toledo fire chief, followed by presentations and videos from Brandon Loboschefski, Maumee fire prevention chief.
Discussions will cover the leading causes of fire, fire injuries and what to do to prevent those things, as well as developing and practicing escape plans and maintaining smoke detectors, Loboschefski said.
“[Participants will] get a lot of great information, but it’s practical information. Stuff you can use every day in their house and their lives,” Loboschefski said. “It will wake them up to a lot of things they don’t think about, things they take for granted every day … That smoke detector that sits on your ceiling 24/7, when was the last time anyone changed it?”
“Hopefully, they will think twice about some stuff. It’s just like, you never know what’s going to happen. You never know when you’re going to get into a car accident; you never know when a disaster is going to strike.”
In addition, the audience will participate in a pre- and post-test covering fire safety knowledge.
Ready U, a 10-session yearlong series, is designed to educate the public and prepare individuals and families for potential emergencies in Northwest Ohio.
“Fire Safety and Prevention” is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. and will last an hour. It will take place at Maumee Fire Station No.1, 220 Illinois Ave.
The program is free and the audience has a chance to win raffle prizes, including The Anderson’s gift certificates, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers.
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.

New campaign finance reports show Republican John Kasich has more cash on hand to spend than the Democratic incumbent in the final days of Ohio’s governor race.

Kasich on Oct. 21 reported more than $4 million left in his campaign war chest ahead of the Nov. 2 election. That’s roughly $900,000 more than Gov. Ted Strickland — who reported about $3.1 million on hand to spend.

Kasich also slightly outraised Strickland during the most recent reporting period — which covered a little more than two weeks. Kasich gathered about $1.5 million in contributions, compared with the roughly $1.2 million that Strickland raised.

Total fundraising in the Ohio governor race had already broken the state’s record ahead of the reports.

Governor

Ted Strickland (D): $1.2 million raised, $10.8 million spent, $3.2 million on hand.

John Kasich (R): $1.6 million raised, $8.9 million spent, $4.1 million on hand.

Attorney General

Richard Cordray (D): $225,000 raised, $4.1 million spent, $433,000 on hand.

Mike DeWine (R): $281,000 raised, $2.6 million spent, $2 million on hand.

Secretary of State (office currently held by Democrat Jennifer Brunner)

Jon Husted (R): $96,000 raised, $1.7 million spent, $1.5 million on hand.

Maryellen O’Shaughnessy (D): $95,000 raised, $452,000 spent, $376,000 on hand.

Auditor (currently held by Republican Mary Taylor)

David Pepper (D): $122,000 raised, $2 million spent, $148,000 on hand.

David Yost (R): $154,000 raised, $524,000 spent, $205,000 on hand.

Treasurer

Kevin Boyce (D): $110,000 raised, $1.2 million spent, $385,000 on hand.

Josh Mandel (R): $283,000 raised, $3.2 million spent, $656,000 on hand.

Supreme Court Chief Justice

Maureen O’Connor (R): $53,000 raised, $334,000 spent, $476,000 on hand.

Eric Brown (D): $49,000 raised, $277,000 spent, $233,000 on hand.

Supreme Court Justice

Judith Ann Lanzinger (R): $50,000 raised, $316,000 spent, $408,000 on hand.

Mary Jane Trapp (D): $33,000 raised, $238,000 spent, $57,000 on hand.

Supreme Court Justice

Paul Pfeifer (R-unopposed): $0 raised, $2,000 spent, $82,000 on hand.

The final snapshot of Ohio’s job market before Election Day shows the state’s unemployment rate slipped in September to 10.0 percent.

Joblessness was down from 10.1 percent in August and continued a six-month decline from March’s 26-year high of 11.0 percent.

Department of Job and Family Services spokesman Ben Johnson says Ohio’s falling unemployment is a trend that indicates a growing economy.

Employment also declined last month.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio dropped to 591,000 in September, from 601,000 the month before. Overall employment outside of farms fell by 17,300.

Unemployment remains well above the 5.5 percent rate from four years ago, when Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland was running for his first term.