I was in college and seminary in the seventies. Besides the war in Viet Nam, Nixon, and double knit polyester, I remember many discussions both in and out of the classroom around the gratuitous violence and sex found in movies. The angry violence in Sam Peckinpah’s work often inspired great debate. When Marlon Brando had his “Last Tango in Paris” many felt that Hollywood had gone too far. Some suggested that these films were harmful, making “deviant behavior” acceptable. Meanwhile, the ever present liberal elite would make their standard first amendment arguments that film makers were well within their rights to film what they want. “People don’t have to watch the stuff,” was the common argument (I know, I made it many times), “besides, it’s silly to think that a film would cause a person to act out inappropriately,” was boilerplate.

Later, into the eighties, we discovered MTV and the often raucous videos that seem to capture the imaginations of our youth and the concerns of their parents. Tipper Gore advocated a rating system so parents could decide what was safe for their children. I sat in meetings with church leaders gnashing their teeth over what this “smut” is doing to our youth. Meanwhile I, a card carrying member of the ”liberal elite” would sit back and issue the boilerplate argument about the first amendment.

Then came video games. Once again there was the concern, often by those with conservative voices, that these things were dangerous. The argument that over-saturation will lead susceptible and suggestible youth into unproductive or even violent behaviors was and is greatly debated. Like always, there was the so called liberal elite making the argument about first amendment rights. By this time I had a kid and my liberal biases were no longer so confident on the subject.

Today, it seems that this conversation is not so much what comes out of Hollywood or Nashville. It is about what comes out of talk radio or Fox news or Sarah Palins’ web site. Does a campaign ad by Ms. Palin marking Representative Gabrielle Giffords’ district with the cross hairs of a gun site help create the atmosphere that led to the attack on Representative Giffords and the six who were murdered? Does this talk on President Obama’s alleged hatred of white people, or the need of certain groups or individuals to get beaten up or “taken out” that has become commonplace on cable news shows and talk radio incite violence? Or is it simply hyperbole and metaphor?

What I find fascinating about the conversation is the reversal that has taken place. In the past, the liberal elite was a durable witness in defending the right of the so called artist to peddle his or her wares. More often than not, it has been the right who has raised the question on whether or not these behaviors are harmful to society. But in the conversation about the use of vitriolic language on Fox or Limbaugh or whatever, it is the right that is taking the traditional liberal view about the first amendment and it is the left that is taking the classic conservative view about the damage this practice may be doing to society. I guess, in the end, it all depends on whose ox is getting gored.

I am not as certain about these things as I used to be. Maybe Marlon Brando’s “Last Tango in Paris” has had a small part in the coarsening of our behavior. Maybe Glenn Beck’s many rants about President Obama has created some unhealthy volatility in our society. But I do know this. Just because we have the right to do something, doesn’t mean it is always wise to do it. Regardless if a cause and effect factor can be proven or disproven, a little discernment and civility along the way might make intelligent debate possible and problem solving doable again.

Eric McGlade is a United Methodist Pastor in Bowling Green.

Though most of us don’t realize its wonder until much later, there is a magical period between the birth of your first child and the time he or she discovers there is culture especially made for children. You can still watch your favorite TV shows, listen to your favorite music and possibly even fit in a newly-released movie on DVD from time to time. As your child begins to discover and wield the world’s cultural offerings for the toddler crowd, however, the comforting walls of your own adult culture slowly and quietly begin to crumble around you. You eventually find yourself waking up in the middle of the night with the “Sid the Science Kid” theme running torturously through your brain and singing along to Kidz Bop alone in the car just because you’ve forgotten that alternatives exist.

I still remember the moment six years ago when my husband, Mike, and I realized that our own pop culture needed to take a backseat for the good of our first child. We had not yet figured out that continuing to put our not-yet-two-year-old down for a daytime nap was what was keeping him wide awake until 11:00 p.m. After hours of unsuccessfully trying to get him to go to sleep each night, we would attempt to save our sanity by continuing our pre-parenting watch-TV-and-cuddle-in-bed routine with an extra cuddler in the middle. Jack would finally gain contentment just by being sandwiched between us or even quietly nod off to sleep. One night as we watched yet another “The King of Queens” rerun, however, we heard Jack giggle and then interject, “Silly Artur!”

Having our toddler not only reference a specific character but also laugh out loud at the appropriate time during one of our TV shows was enough to let us know that Jack was ready to discover his own, age-appropriate culture. Looking forward to network primetime quickly turned into looking forward to Jack’s excitement at seeing “Thomas the Tank Engine” Saturday mornings on PBS. As pop culture fans, Mike and I enjoyed watching our little man pick and choose the cultural backdrop he wanted to help define his childhood. He started with Elmo, Clifford, Jay Jay the Jet Plane and, of course, Thomas. Each new cultural introduction became a familiar guide with which our son could navigate his little world. Still, there was plenty of room for our cultural life to live in harmony with the cultural life of our offspring.

And then there wasn’t.

Our second child, Elaine, came along and was initially a bit deprived of the wide-open cultural space we had allowed Jack at the same age. The choosing of books, TV and music generally defaulted to her brother, as he was the one cognitively ready to realize that he actually cared about making such decisions. It wasn’t long, however, before Elaine caught on and the unrelenting, as-old-as-humanity sibling tug of war began to manifest itself within the confines of our family. As much as she did just want to be part of the mix, Elaine eventually realized that she also didn’t so much want to spend all of her time immersed in everything Pokemon and Ben 10. An all-out boy/girl, preschool/grade-school culture clash soon commenced, leaving me to trade in the Baby Bjorn I had grown so accustomed to wearing for a black and white shirt and a whistle.

Between all of the refereeing and the resultant evenly-doled-out pop culture allowances, the grown-up culture Mike and I had once taken for granted somehow quietly and completely slipped out the back door. Bye-bye, “Seinfeld” reruns. Bye-bye, music that doesn’t make me want to pull my ear cilia out. Hello, books with a seemingly endless number of lift-to-see-the-hidden-object flaps.

I used to scoff at other adults who allowed their children to dictate the cultural pulse running through their homes. I then became one of them, which seems to be a recurring theme of parenthood. Yes, Mike and I let “Top Chef” and “The Office” slide and gave up on evening reruns altogether. However, we put up a fierce fight for “Lost” right up until the bitter end. I hesitate to admit it publicly, but there was a weeknight in the not-so-distant past when a certain boy, who should have been sleeping soundly in preparation for school the next day, was not only allowed but actually sent downstairs to play Wii for an hour when bedtime just didn’t take before “Lost” began. It was not a proud or oft-repeated moment, but it happened nonetheless. Unlike our “The King of Queens” toddler incident early on, at least our seven-year-old remains in the dark about smoke monsters and creepy islands.

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

In our most recent columns that we call the Financial Fitness series we have outlined specific steps local residents can take to be in control financially now and in the future. First, resolve to be financially independent. Financial independence involves building up an emergency account, eliminate debts, and saving in retirement accounts. Next, get fit. Do this both physically and financially. Now, we are going to give you specific steps on how not to lose what you have.
In our Jan. 16 “Get Fit” column, Mark pointed out the fact that I have lost 40 pounds since summer. To date, I have lost six pants sizes, two inches in my neck and have gone from an XL shirt size to a size medium. Mark is also doing great, losing nearly 20 pounds in the past few weeks. I now know specifically how to better take care of my health and what choices I must make in order to not lose what I’ve worked so hard to get.
The same can be said when it comes to protecting what a family has financially. Recognizing what is important and gaining knowledge is good, but nothing happens until action is taken.  Two specific action steps can be taken to protect what is important; protecting investments against loss and using insurance to protect yourself and the entire family.
Looking at the stock market, it is great to see how fast the economy has recovered since the 2008 stock market collapse. Yet, unfortunately at this point many investors become lazy thinking their investments are doing fine and there is no need to make changes. Don’t make this mistake as it can be extremely dangerous. If the amount of loss an investor took in the past is not acceptable in the future, then there needs to be specific steps taken to prevent those losses from happening again, as Mark often describes, a mind shift needs to occur, or as Sara describes the keys to my physical fitness in the future is a lifestyle change. Protecting investment accounts against loss can be done in several ways.
The next way to protect against losses is to use good old-fashioned insurance. Buying insurance allows an individual or a family to transfer risk to someone else.  This can be done with car, home, health, life, disability and long-term care insurance to name just a few of the common types.
The solution is to do a comprehensive review of all of the insurances. Since insurance can be purchased in various amounts and for various risks, review protecting what is most important first. Several different software programs and analyses can be done to find out what is the right amount of coverage an individual or a family needs.
Protecting what a family has against loss is an important step in complete financial fitness. The logical conclusion is it is much better to protect against loss before the loss occurs. Reacting after the fact can lead to emotional purchases often at times when it might be too late. We realize reviewing insurances and strategies to avoid stock market losses when things seem to be going fine can seem unimportant. But trust us, now more than ever while everything seems fine is the most important time to review ways to protect against losses in the future.

For more information about The Retirement Guys, tune in every Saturday at 1 p.m. on 1370 WSPD or visit www.retirementguysradio.com. Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. NEXT Financial Group, Inc nor its representatives provide tax advice. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537.

The sole U.S. manufacturer of a key lethal injection drug said Friday it is ending production because of death-penalty opposition overseas — a move that could delay executions across the United States.

Over the past several months, a growing shortage of the drug, sodium thiopental, has forced some states to put executions on hold. And the problem is likely to get worse with the announcement from Hospira Inc. of Lake Forest, Illinois.

Hospira said it decided in recent months to switch manufacturing from its North Carolina plant to a more modern Hospira factory in Liscate, Italy. But Italian authorities demanded a guarantee the drug would not be used to put inmates to death — an assurance the company said it was not willing to give.

“We cannot take the risk that we will be held liable by the Italian authorities if the product is diverted for use in capital punishment,” Hospira spokesman Dan Rosenberg said. “Exposing our employees or facilities to liability is not a risk we are prepared to take.”

Italian Health Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.

All but one of the 35 states that employ lethal injection use sodium thiopental. In nearly every case, they use it as part of a three-drug combination that sedates and paralyzes the inmate and stops the heart.

There are other, similar sedatives on the market, but substituting one drug for another would require new laws or lengthy administrative processes in some states, and could also lead to lawsuits from death row.

Similarly, switching to another manufacturer could invite lawsuits from inmates demanding proof that the drug will not cause pain in violation of their constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Hospira is the only sodium thiopental-maker approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Because of what Hospira described as problems with its raw-material suppliers, sodium thiopental is already scarce in the U.S., and any batches Hospira made before it suspended manufacturing more than a year ago are set to expire this year.

In Texas, the nation’s busiest death penalty state, the Department of Criminal Justice said Friday it is exploring the use of another anesthetic. The state has four executions scheduled between now and July but has enough sodium thiopental to carry out only two February executions, spokesman Jason Clark said.

Ohio has enough to carry out a Feb. 17 execution but will not comment on its supply after that, or on Hospira’s announcement, said Ohio prisons spokeswoman JoEllen Smith.

Hospira has long deplored the drug’s use in executions but said it regretted having to stop production, because sodium thiopental has legitimate medical purposes as an anesthetic used in hospitals. Hospira continues to make two other drugs used in executions _ pancuronium bromide, which paralyzes, and potassium chloride, which stop the heart.

Without providing details, Rosenberg said the company’s state-of-the-art Italian factory was the only plant capable of manufacturing sodium thiopental.

Like most other European countries, however, Italy does not have capital punishment and opposes the death penalty. Italy’s Radical Party brought a motion to Parliament, which passed overwhelmingly on Dec. 22, requiring Hospira to ensure that the drug would be used only for medical purposes and would not find its way into prisons.

The current shortage of the drug in the U.S. has delayed or disrupted executions in Arizona, California, Kentucky, Ohio and Oklahoma.

In the fall, states including Arizona, Arkansas, California and Tennessee turned to sodium thiopental made in Britain. But that supply dried up after the British government in November banned its export for use in executions.

Oklahoma went a different route, switching to pentobarbital, an anesthetic commonly used to put cats and dogs to sleep. The state has conducted two executions with that drug.

___

AP Legal Affairs Writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus wrote this report, AP Business Writer Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.

My dad always hated Peter Pan. We’d watch the movie, as kids, and he’d warn us, “Peter Pan is a monster.”
Hear me out.

My dad’s argument, as I’ve fleshed it out over the years, is that there is something fundamentally wrong with someone who deliberately refuses to grow up and obstinately insists on residing in a “never-never land” of their own making. Think: sociopath.
Sure, it’s important to be imaginative, creative and the like. It’s also important to grow up. There’s something inherently dangerous about consciously choosing not to advance through proper developmental stages (at least those that are within that individual’s personal capacity). It’s even more dangerous when that person aims to recruit.

When I’m with my son anywhere, be it family gatherings, the grocery store or the park, I hear, “Enjoy it now — they grow up so fast!” Yes, life does go by quickly. For this reason, my father encouraged me to keep a journal and scrapbook things like ticket stubs, concert programs and Polaroid pictures. After all, we can never get enough of the things we enjoy.

And I enjoy my child. There is a natural and organic love in me that I never knew myself capable of (dare I call it “maternal?”). He presents me with a book and sits down on my lap with a perfunctory, diapery crunch. I read B is for Books for the third time that hour, making all the voices and counting every shape and object on each page — if I don’t, he blinks at me and emits a questioning syllabic note. When I do it just right, he unplugs the pacifier with a decided “smoock” sound and plants a kiss (with equal suction) on my face. Like many of you, my child is the backdrop against which every thought I have in a day plays out.

Did I bronze his first solid poop? Not exactly. His first pair of shoes? Even if it were an idea that appealed to me, it’d be impossible because instead of being bronzed, they are embedded in the mud in the backyard, forever a fossil testifying to future generations that sometimes little children play in the mud, lose their shoes, and delightedly discover the feel of the squish between their toes. He donated a pair of sandals to the Atlantic, too.

But not every aspect of parenthood is so enjoyable. The nagging refrain “they grow up too fast” is merely an addition to the innately guilty consciences of parents of young children; parents who have not slept through the night in months; parents who have to work to afford a future for their children, whose a child who may not be with them for waking hours, who are desperately clinging to each waking moment.

Do people really wish their children were babies again? Have they forgotten the sleepless nights, having to change eight different onesies a day due to poop explosions, spit-up explosions, mud puddles and more? Remember the fecal finger-paint? The detonation of the baby-powder tub? It’s funny now, for many of you reading this, but only because time has gone by.

I’m glad my son doesn’t poop eight times a day anymore (at least, on a good day). I’m glad he understands when I talk to him, and that he can run and stumble in the backyard. Pretty soon he’ll add some talk to that walk and as he gets older there will be some tang to that talk. But through it all, whether it’s Sesame Street, motorcycles, love or Shakespeare, I look forward to seeing what time will bring. If time moves as quickly as we all know it does, then there’s certainly not enough time for dwelling on things already come by, and kicking ourselves for time not yet lost.

Chiding children at social events or in public places that they are “growing up too fast” does nothing to relieve their parents’ sense of frustration as their young children, naturally, encroach upon mom and dad’s livelihoods. And by livelihood I mean the ability to sit through a 22 minute sitcom uninterrupted. Read a non Muppet-themed book that isn’t covered in crayon, uninterrupted. Take a shower, uninterrupted. Use the restroom, uninterrupted — you get my point.

I enjoy my child every day. I also enjoy my job, thoroughly, and I’m thankful for the moments I receive a chance to be “me” again. This “me” is forever changed, of course, since my son was born, and it changes every day that we create new memories together. I know that on his first day of school, at his high school graduation, and on his wedding day, I’ll think about B is for Books and I’ll smile. But let’s not mistake nostalgia for sadness or regret; and let’s not allow my son to feel guilty for growing up, or myself to feel guilty for “lost time.”

While I’m not going to forbid my children to watch or read Peter Pan (and I won’t make it a “monster” story), I’ll certainly encourage them to take the Wendy approach. Grow up at your own pace, pick up as many wonderful memories as possible, and cherish them. Never-never land is a nice place to visit, it’s a nice place to remember, but it’s never a place to stay forever.

Leah Lederman lives in Toledo with her husband, their 19-month-old son and a boxer puppy. She has 11 nieces and nephews.

During many 5K races, it’s not common for runners enjoy a donut afterwards.

But at the Donut Dash 5K in Perrysburg, a delicious treat is expected.

The annual event is put together by the Toledo Road Runners and held at Levis Commons in Perrysburg on Jan. 23. It combines family fun and fitness with donuts handed out after the race as nontraditional trophies, according to Toledo Road Runners Race Director Ed O’Reilly.

“It’s a good but silly reason to be running on a chilly day,” O’Reilly said.

O’Reilly, who has been a runner for two decades, said the Toledo Road Runners’ mission is to promote running, walking and fitness. They are a non-profit organization with more than 1,000 members established in the 1970s. They have a number of different races during the year, the Donut Dash being one of the more low-key, inexpensive ones. It is free for Toledo Road Runners members and costs $3 for nonmembers.

“Runners need motivation,” O’Reilly said, explaining that this specific event is more for fun than fitness, but gives people a push to get outdoors.

The 5K event, which is close to 3.1 miles, will be meeting at Second Sole at Levis Commons, registration beginning at 8 p.m. and the race starting at 9 p.m. The runners will trek around the outside of Levis Commons in one big loop.

All ages are permitted to the race, which encourages anyone of all shapes, sizes and ages. The oldest member is in his 80s, O’Reilly said.

This is the second year the race will be held at Second Sole, which Store Manager Matt Folk agreed to as a runner himself. Folk said there are 100 knitted hats provided to the runners, as well as “plenty of donuts and hot chocolate.”

“There’s not too many races in the area, especially at this time of year, that will give you a donut afterwards,” Folk said.

Folk also explained that this event will also be known as a “prediction run.” During registration, runners will give their guesses on how long they think it will take for them to finish the race. Awards will be given to the ten people who guess closest to their actual time. Watches will not be allowed to be worn during the run.

“You could walk it and still be a winner,” O’Reilly said.

Awards will also be given for costumes, which Folk said people tend to get excited for. One year, Folk explained, a man ran in his underwear and another year someone ran the race in a donut costume.

“People do have a sense of humor,” O’Reilly said, adding that he loves seeing people gather together and running.

This report was written by Matt Liasse

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As the awards season train rolls on, it’s time for the motion picture academy to chime in. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which puts on the Academy Awards, will announce its much-anticipated nominations Jan. 25. After following every stop along the awards season route, this columnist is ready to predict the nominees (and potential winners) — with approximately 80 percent confidence.

Best Picture
“127 Hours,” “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “Inception,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Social Network,” “The Town,” “Toy Story 3” and “True Grit”
Dark Horse: “Winter’s Bone”

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”), David Fincher (“The Social Network”), Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”), Christopher Nolan (“Inception”) and David O. Russell (“The Fighter”)
Dark Horse: Danny Boyle (“127 Hours”) and Joel and Ethan Coen (“True Grit”)

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges (“True Grit”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Inception”), Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”),Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) and James Franco (“127 Hours”)
Dark Horse: Robert Duvall (“Get Low”), Ryan Gosling (“Blue Valentine”) and Mark Wahlberg (“The Fighter”)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening (“The Kids Are All Right”), Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone”), Lesley Manville (“Another Year”), Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) and Michelle Williams (“Blue Valentine”)
Dark Horse: Anne Hathaway (“Love and Other Drugs”) and Nicole Kidman (“Rabbit Hole”)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale (“The Fighter”), Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”), Jeremy Renner (“The Town”), Mark Ruffalo (“The Kids Are All Right”) and Geoffrey Rush (“The King’s Speech”)
Dark Horse: Ed Harris (“The Way Back”) and John Hawkes (“Winter’s Bone”)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Helena Bonham Carter (“The King’s Speech”), Mila Kunis (“Black Swan”), Melissa Leo (“The Fighter”), Hailee Steinfeld (“True Grit”) and Jacki Weaver (“Animal Kingdom”)
Dark Horse: Amy Adams (“The Fighter”) and Barbara Hershey (“Black Swan”)

Best Original Screenplay
“Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “Inception,” “The Kids Are All Right” and “The King’s Speech”
Dark Horse: “Another Year”

Best Adapted Screenplay
“127 Hours,” “The Social Network,” “Toy Story 3,” “True Grit” and “The Way Back”
Dark Horse: “The Ghost Writer”

Best Animated Feature
“How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Illusionist” and “Toy Story 3”
Dark Horse: “Tangled”

Best Art Direction
“Alice in Wonderland,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I,” “Inception,” “The King’s Speech” and “True Grit”

Best Cinematography
“Black Swan,” “Inception,” “Shutter Island,” “The Social Network” and “True Grit”

Best Costume Design
“Alice in Wonderland,” “Black Swan,” “The King’s Speech,” “Secretariat” and “True Grit”

Best Film Editing
“Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “Inception,” “The King’s Speech” and “The Social Network”

Best Makeup
“Alice in Wonderland,” “The Way Back” and “The Wolfman”

Best Music — Original Score
“127 Hours,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Inception,” “The King’s Speech” and “The Social Network”

Best Music — Original Song
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours,” “Coming Home” from “Country Strong,” “I See the Light” from “Tangled,” “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3” and “Shine” from “Waiting for ‘Superman’”

Best Visual Effects
“Alice in Wonderland,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I,” “Inception,” “Iron Man 2” and “Tron: Legacy”

For the remaining seven categories, go to TheGoldKnight.com. Nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday morning, Jan. 25. Look for full coverage here at ToledoFreePress.com and TheGoldKnight.com.

Toledo Free Press Star Lead Designer James A. Molnar blogs about all things Oscar at TheGoldKnight.com. His column will appear online and in print periodically.

Randall Frame

Randall Frame has been named regional president of Toledo Edison for FirstEnergy Corp. based in Akron. Frame will assume his new position upon the completion of the proposed merger of FirstEnergy and Allegheny Energy, which could happen as early as Feb. 1.

The proposed merger was announced in February 2010 and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2011. FirstEnergy reported that shareholders of both companies approved proposals related to the merger.

It has received approval from the state regulatory agencies in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland and is awaiting approval in Pennsylvania. It does not require approval in Ohio since it doesn’t involve the acquisition of any utilities here, according to FirstEnergy.

“I’m excited about the area, the opportunity and it appears to be a great place to live. I have been to Toledo many times on business and look forward to getting involved there soon,” Frame said.

Knowing how important it is to take care of customers since they are what make the company, Frame said he will do his best to provide continued customer service to commercial and residential customers in Northwest Ohio.

Frame will be responsible for approximately 400 Toledo Edison employees in Northwest Ohio but not directly for any power generation employees at the Bayshore or Davis-Besse facilities, he said.

Frame has worked at FirstEnergy for 28 years, joining the company in 1982 as an engineering assistant.  In 1990, he was promoted to engineer and in 1994 was named industrial marketing supervisor.  In 1997, Frame was promoted to director, Sales, and in 2004 was promoted to director, Energy Delivery Supply Chain.  He was named as director of  Utility & Corporate Sourcing, Supply Chain, in 2009.

Frame earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in electrical engineering technology from The University of Akron.

He has worked in Akron, Mansfield, Springfield and Youngstown and now looks forward to coming to Toledo, he said.

He and his wife Pam are originally from the Akron area and are pleased to be staying close to their families in Ohio. They have two grown children, Mark and Megan, who live and work in Ohio.

Frame reported that they have begun looking at homes in the Toledo area.

FirstEnergy was created in 1997 by combining Cleveland Electric Illuminating, Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison. It later acquired GPU, Inc. a utility operating in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Allegheny currently operates in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

FirstEnergy retains the local operating company names to maintain established relationships with local customers, said a company spokesperson.

Stormwater is at the heart of the Toledo City Council debate on utility rate increases.
As has been covered in past columns, Toledo has a consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because our combined sewer and storm system, when overwhelmed, releases excess sewage, called a combined sewer overflow (CSO), into the waterways.
Many other areas that have consent decrees have opted to have a set fee on utility bills directly related to projects needed to satisfy the EPA.  It gives residents of an area a better chance of seeing the additional fee end when the projects have been completed.  That can not be said for an across-the-board increase.
That is one of the reasons Councilwoman Lindsay Webb suggested not only a lower percentage increase in water, sanitary sewer and stormwater rates, but included a set fee directly related to the consent decree.

While her plan was changed and the percentage rates increased so the overall plan generated the same as the administration’s plan, it appears to be the only other plan that Mayor Mike Bell supports.
Councilman Rob Ludeman has presented a utility rate plan, a 5 percent increase in water and sewer and no increase in stormwater.
A problem with Ludeman’s plan is it would severely impact funding of projects that deal with stormwater, like cleaning ditches of debris to prevent/reduce flooding.
While things could change before the Jan. 25 Council meeting, none of the plans have enough support to predict passage. Should Ludeman’s plan pass as written and the Mayor vetos it, there is no increase in utility rates.
That news may make many happy; after all, who wants to pay higher utility rates?
The risk is if there is a catastrophic failure of an element of our water treatment or sewer system, the money has to come from somewhere, most likely the General Fund, which would mean cuts or increased fees.
Part of the problem is some on Council do not have faith in the Bell administration’s numbers. This is compounded by the lack of transparency when it came to requests that were made by more than one member of Council.  Councilman D. Michael Collins repeated his request Jan. 18 at Council’s Public Utilities committee meeting for, “budget statements that reflect to Jan. 1, 2010, on all three accounts as to starting balances and ending balances on Dec. 31, 2010.”
Director of Public Utilities Tom Crothers in response said, “Indeed, I would have loved to have answered those more quickly as well, but because of the implementation of  the SAP system, and the parallel, if you will, operation of the Ross system, I have not yet to date, been able to answer that with the certainty that I feel comfortable with the numbers. and until I am, you will not see that referral.”
If he is not comfortable with the numbers as to expenses and revenues, it could be asked, how can anyone know how much of a rate increase is really needed? Crothers promised Collins’ request would be met before the Jan. 25 meeting.
One thing everyone does appear to agree on is that the consent decree is financially burdensome. The EPA announced plans to make regulatory improvements to strengthen its stormwater program this past summer.
The EPA acknowledged in “Green Infrastructure Case Studies: Municipal Policies for Managing Stormwater with Green Infrastructure” in August 2010: “City and county governments have limited financial resources to allocate to the many competing demands under local control. Municipalities are responsible for implementing and enforcing expensive CleanWater Act requirements, while also trying to pay for a large number of other programs, both environmental and non-environmental.”
It said, “Green infrastructure approaches have a range of benefits for the social, environmental and economic conditions of a community.”
Toledo has not made any serious attempts to renegotiate the consent decree with the EPA. As has been pointed out in the past and was restated by Katie Swartz, associate director for American Rivers, during the committee meeting, discussions with the EPA to increase green infrastructure instead of gray should take place and is taking place in other cities.
The sooner we find out what is possible when it comes to the consent decree, the better, from an environmental and a financial standpoint.

Lisa Renee Ward operates the political blog GlassCityJungle.com.

For 50 years, Judy Collins has been on a quest to find and write great songs.

Collins

“Something magical happens when you hear a song that you get attached to,” she said. “It’s mystical; you can’t diagnose it; you can’t examine it and explore it and get any kind of an answer, at least I can’t because it is magical.”
The folk icon is a music conjurer; there’s no misdirection, just a straightforward performance and voila! She’s made the song her own. Think “Both Sides Now,” “Amazing Grace” and “Send in the Clowns.”
On her 2010 disc, “Paradise,” the 71-year-old opens with the main song from “The Wizard of Oz.”
“I was given the opportunity to do a children’s book on the Peter Yarrow imprint of children’s music picture books, and he wanted me to do ‘Over the Rainbow,’ which I’d never sung, although I was named after Judy Garland, which is nice. I was born in the same year the movie came out,” Collins said.
A few seconds later during the phone interview, Collins, who was in London, recalled, “I sang [‘Over the Rainbow’] on ‘The Dinah Shore Show’ in 1981, and that program made it to YouTube, so you can see it there.”
Fans may see the Grammy Award winner perform that classic at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Hill Auditorium. Tickets are $47.50 and $30 or $85 and $50 for both nights.
“I think [folk music] was always a powerful force long before the ’60s happened, but certainly during the ’60s when it had kind of a rebirth, it was very helpful to focus people on the things that needed doing,” she said. “I think it’s a powerful force in galvanizing people emotionally and helping them to do the right thing.”
Collins is finishing a book, “Suite Judy Blue Eyes: Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n’ Roll and the Music That Changed a Generation,” which she said will be out this fall, along with a new disc.
While she couldn’t talk about the projects, when asked what it’s like to have a well-known Crosby, Stills & Nash song written for her, she replied, “It gets a girl’s attention.”
She and Stephen Stills sing a duet on “The Last Thing on My Mind” on “Paradise.”
“We’ve been friends all these years, but we’d never sung together,” she said. “We actually recorded together on my album in 1968 during that love affair when he wrote ‘Suite Judy Blue Eyes,’ but we’d never sung together, so it was thrilling.”

Ann Arbor Folk Festival

Jan. 28

The Avett Brothers

Citizen Cope

Vienna Teng with Alex Wong

The Spring Standards

The Paper Raincoat

Anais Mitchell

Theo Katzman

Jan. 29

Judy Collins

Mavis Staples

Red Horse

The Swell Season

Eilen Jewell

The Doyle & Debbie Show

Newfound Road

Hill Auditorium

6:30 p.m.

$47.50, $30 single night; $85, $50 both nights

Program subject to change