The Christ Child Society (CCS) of Toledo will be busy this fall and winter with several programs benefiting underprivileged children.
Working for children, especially those stricken by poverty, is CCS’ main purpose. “It’s very important to us because most of us have been able to attain an education and a status in life, and to leave behind those who need a handout would just be wrong,” said chapter president, Mary Murnen. Mary Virginia Merrick, who was confined to a wheelchair most of her life, founded CCS in Washington, D.C., in 1887. The organization is active in 17 states.
One of the Toledo chapter’s programs this fall was putting together layettes, packages containing clothing and supplies for newborns. CCS members gathered Oct. 11 for the Ninth Annual Red Wagon Shower at Brandywine County Club to assemble the 800 layettes. Members will present them to social workers, who will distribute them to new mothers, at the Mercy Professional Building on Oct. 25.
“It makes a big difference. Many newborns coming home from the hospital have nothing to come home in,” said Kitsie Valiton, a CCS member in charge of public relations.
Another major fall program for CCS is Clothe-a-Child. On November Saturdays through Nov. 19, members will distribute brand-new, cold-weather clothing to needy children. Families are given vouchers for coats that they take to the Mercy Professional Building on those days. CCS raises funds for the clothing, which comes in sizes for 18-month-olds to child size 16, through fundraisers and donations.
Murnen remembered one little girl “busting out of her coat,” who put on her new jacket, “and, oh my gosh, tears came to my eyes, she was so excited. She just danced around.”
Many of CCS’ other programs last all year. Parenting Today’s Kids teaches parents sent by the courts or children services “better ways to handle their kids,” Murnen said. Although many parents don’t want to be there in the beginning, “after about two weeks, that all changes and they become friends with each other and a support group for each other,” Murnen said. However, the class can only admit 16 people at a time. CCS previously offered a support group for graduates of the program, but had to cut it after losing part of its United Way funding.
In addition to several literacy programs, CCS also hosts Theatre Vision Interactive. For three weeks, about 90 children are taught about the different stages of caterpillar metamorphosis and proper social skills, all in preparation for a performance of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” at the Valentine Theatre.
CCS also partners with Lourdes University to host the Life Lab. All year long, CCS takes underprivileged students on field trips to a school lab, which teaches children about botany and biology and lets them interact with animals.
The 220 CCS volunteers completed more than 12,000 hours of community service during the past year, according to a news release. They are in the process of setting up a website at www.christchildsocietyoftoledo.org, which will include a page for donations. In the mean time, send donations to Mary Murnen, P.O. Box 352254, Toledo, OH 43635. For more information, visit www.national christchildsoc.org.
— Brigitta Burks

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dock David Treece is competing for a column on the financial news site MarketWatch.com. Readers are encouraged to visit http://blogs.marketwatch.com/great-columnist/2011/10/18/bernankes-money-binge/ and use the Facebook “like” button at the bottom of the article to vote for his work by Oct. 30.

Anyone who hasn’t heard about the Occupy Wall Street protest that has spurred demonstrations across the country obviously hasn’t been paying too much attention to the news lately. While it’s unclear exactly what these protestors want (they’ve admitted they don’t have specific goals), it is plain as day that these people are pretty upset, and rightfully so.
The unfortunate reality is that the anger expressed by these outspoken Americans is justified, but misdirected. Many have taken the rhetoric to heart and believed in politicians, many who have blamed business for the problems now facing our nation.
Of course, it seems completely natural for many of today’s elected officials to lay the blame on corporations, especially given that many officials, particularly those in the upper-echelons of the federal government, tend to pursue socialist agendas. They’re naturally anti-business.
The problem is that the protestors we’ve seen all over the news are mad at the wrong people. They shouldn’t be mad at businesses, but at the same government that has been telling them where to direct their anger. Though business certainly hasn’t helped, nearly all of this nation’s problems that have these protestors upset can be directly traced back to bad policy.

Take, for instance, the mortgage bubble. The beginnings of this travesty can be traced back to President Clinton and a Republican-controlled Congress. First, President Clinton established policy that home ownership was a fundamental American right. Next, they encouraged federal agencies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are completely unaccountable to voters or any other authority, to help pursue that policy.
As if that weren’t enough, under Clinton and a Republican Congress the Glass-Steagall Act was repealed, which allowed banks to mix banking and investment (read: gambling) operations. Glass-Steagall was enacted in the 1930s after the massive debt accumulated and encouraged among banks led to Black Tuesday, the Great Depression and a wave of bank failures (sound familiar?).
To summarize: First, politicians decided they wanted everyone to own a home, whether they could actually pay for it or not. Next, they repealed a law that had been on the books for more than a half-century that specifically restricted banks from making dumb loans and/or cheating their clients by selling them what they know to be bad investments. Finally, politicians encouraged banks and businesses to create a wave of expanding debt to finance home purchases and new constructions they had to know was unsustainable.
The bottom line here is that big business was hardly to blame for the catastrophe. What they did was not only legal, it was encouraged by government policy structured to win over the hearts of voters.
And when everything went south, did the government change its thinking? Of course not. Look no further than the 2008 bailouts. Instead of forcing businesses to deal with the consequences, the federal government decided to bail them out at taxpayers’ expense. In many cases businesses didn’t even want bailout money; it was forced on them.
There is actually a story about the heads of several banks being called into a boardroom at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where they were allegedly forced to sign letters of acceptance for government funds. Then-Secretary of Treasury Hank Paulson actually wouldn’t allow these CEOs to leave until they had accepted government money.
Admittedly Paulson served under a Republican president, but that doesn’t make him any less of a crook or a lowlife. The man should be facing kidnapping charges, among others.
So should the Occupy protestors be mad? Absolutely! They shouldn’t be on Wall Street demonstrating outside banks, though but marching on Capitol Hill calling for smarter policy.
All of this really goes to show the significance of the upcoming presidential election. It may be the most important in generations; for in the end it will come down to a socialist running against a capitalist — a Liberal Democratic candidate against a Tea Partier.
What we will see in 2012 on the one side is an anti-business candidate who finds it necessary for government to appropriate business and to provide a central planning authority for the US economy because, obviously, the market simply can’t be trusted to make sound decisions (warning: sarcasm).
On the other side will be a candidate who wants to limit government regulations to those necessary to keep businesses from making poor decisions that may have the catastrophic consequences we have seen since 2007, while at the same time permitting healthy economic growth. However, such a candidate will also want to force companies to suffer the consequences of bad decisions they make, as opposed to giving them a bailout to cushion their fall.
Between the two, the preferable choice would seem obvious.

Dock David Treece is a discretionary money manager with Treece Investment Advisory Corp. and is licensed with FINRA through Treece Financial Services Corp. He has appeared on CNBC and numerous radio programs, and also serves as editor of financial news site Green Faucet. The above information is the express opinion of Dock David Treece and should not be construed as investment advice or used without outside verification.

As The Retirement Guys, our mission is to help as many people as we can be financially independent so they might live a happy, productive and successful life as they approach or are in the so-called “retirement years.” Yet, are we really intended to retire? Many have the view of retirement as rest from the weariness caused by getting out of bed and getting it done each day. Sitting on the couch becomes a reward for the many years of hard work and sacrifice. Believe me, I (Mark) like my couch more and more. I find myself looking forward to sitting there to recharge my batteries so that I can get up and do it again. Yet, I don’t want to sit there too long. If I do, I might never get back up. As the saying goes, “Use it or lose it.”
I was fortunate enough recently to be invited to a spiritual retreat called “The Great Banquet.” It was a group of men who, for three days, were cut off from the world to focus on our personal relationships with our Creator. It was exciting, invigorating, stressful and emotionally touching all at the same time. It was stressful in that we had no contact with family members for three days and we had to adjust from our normal daily routine and go with the flow. Most of all, it was inspiring. A series of talks was given on the elements of a successful spiritual life. I was bowled over by the conviction and message of each speaker who truly spoke from their hearts.

The interesting thing is that some of the principles shared went along in a way with what I had recently read in an old book by W. Clement Stone. Mr. Stone was a rags-to-riches story way back in the day and shared in his books his personal system for success.
The elements of his system are similar to what The Retirement Guys have been sharing with clients for some time from a business perspective, and also similar to what was shared at “The Great Banquet” from a spiritual perspective. They are: 1. Inspiration 2. Knowledge 3. Action.
How do these apply to each one of us? Let’s talk about each one for a moment from the perspective of a successful retirement. First, what are you passionate about? What moves you? Family comes to mind for me. I am inspired by what kind of people my wife and children are. I see in them beauty, talent and great potential. I am inspired to do whatever I can to help equip them whether it be with moral or financial support.  They are a great source of inspiration for me. They are why I choose to get off the couch.
Secondly, knowledge is important to help me achieve my goals. Some knowledge comes from experience and some comes from learning from people who are much smarter than me. I have learned by doing, but also by going to those who possess the knowledge I need. Thirdly, all the inspiration and knowledge in the world means nothing without action. Many folks come to our public workshops and when someone tells me “that’s a lot of good information, Mark. I will go home and ponder it,” I know immediately that they lack the key element to success — action. It’s like the old “three-legged stool” analogy. If you don’t have all three legs, the stool will fall.
The Retirement Guys Formula for Success is nothing different than the principles that we have been sharing with our clients for years. Sometimes, it is all in how you communicate. Inspiration — are you inspired? If you are not inspired, chances are you will not act. Knowledge — do you have the critical information you need? If not, The Retirement Guys can share with you what we know. Action — get off the couch! Without action we become couch potatoes. There is no success if nothing ever gets done. The really cool thing is that you can apply this same formula to your spiritual life, too. Now, go get it done.

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. (419) 842-0550.

As Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre prepares for retirement and Deputy Chief Derrick Diggs gets ready to take over, the former classmates expressed mixed emotions about the power change.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but I am excited. But, it hasn’t hit me yet,” said Diggs, who was in the same police class as Navarre and also joined TPD the same day, July 12, 1977. Diggs will be Toledo’s first African-American chief.

“My feelings are mixed. This has pretty much been my home-away-from-home for the last 34 years so it will be tough leaving this building for the last time when I close this door and walk down that hallway,” said Navarre, who is the third-longest serving chief in Toledo’s history at 13 years of service.

Navarre, 56, became chief in May 1998. During his tenure, Chief Navarre started the Retired Senior Volunteers on Patrol program in 2000, and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies accredited the police department in 2003.

He grew up in a police family—his father James was a detective, who retired as homicide captain. Navarre decided to take the civil service test when his brother Daniel did. At the time, Navarre was doing manual labor for Pepsi-Cola.

“We knew it was very competitive, very difficult. Literally, a 1,000 people take that test and there’s only a handful of jobs,” Navarre said. Although, he hadn’t had much previous ambition to become a police officer, Navarre knew it was right for him after his first day.

“I was hooked. I knew this was what I was going to do the rest of my life,” he recalled. Daniel retired from TPD as a detective last year.

Diggs said he became a police officer because of a “childhood ambition.” He attended Adrian College on a football scholarship, graduating in 1977 and received his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Toledo in 1999. Despite his ambition and education, Diggs said that he didn’t foresee himself becoming chief.

Mike Navarre, left, and Derrick Diggs

“When I joined the police department I had no vision of ever becoming chief. I had no vision of really getting to the upper-command ranks. My whole thing was to be a cop and be on the street and go after bad guys. That’s what I wanted to do and what I liked to do,” Diggs said.

The 56-year-old has worked in several departments over his career, including Operations Division, Community Affairs, Public Affairs, Investigative Services Division and Special Enforcement Division, according to a news release.

“It’s easier probably to tell the places I didn’t work than the assignments I did have,” Diggs laughed.

Still, the responsibilities keep coming as Navarre has been assigning him chief duties on a gradual basis since January, Diggs said.

At a news conference in September, Mayor Mike Bell emphasized that Navarre is “not being booted out. He’s being timed out” and that a retirement date was set eight years ago.

Diggs said no retirement date has been set yet for him.

Once he retires, Navarre said he has remodeling plans and will travel to Florida to visit his father and daughter.

“I haven’t taken a lot of vacation in the last few years and there’s a lot of reasons for that. It seems every time I want to take a vacation, something would happen,” Navarre said. He also noted that he would likely look for another job, potentially in business.

“At some point, I’m going to have to find something to do with my life because I think I’m too young to not do that,” Navarre said, adding, “I’ve always had an interest in the business side. Business is what keeps communities thriving, keeps people employed. That’s the capitalist society we live in.”

Retirement will also leave more time to spend with his wife, Julie, and their four adult children, including Assistant Lucas County Prosecutor Lindsay Navarre. Diggs also has a grown son, who he raised as a single parent.

“At the time he was young, I was working in narcotics, undercover work, lots of hours and stuff and somehow we did it. Sometimes, I think back and I don’t know how it happened. How I was able to get him to school on time, go to all his football games, cross county meets, lacrosse games,” Diggs said.

During their tenures, Navarre and Diggs have seen many changes, both positive and negative.

“When I took over as chief in 1998, we had I believe, 730 officers. Today we’re down to 550. The number’s going to continue to decline before that next class graduates,” Navarre said.

Diggs said that a class of six officers was hired this September. “We put them through an accelerated police class to get them out on the streets as soon as we can because of the shortage of manpower,” he said, adding that he expects 44 more to be hired in November with an expected May graduation. If the budget allows, another additional 50 officers will be hired before then.

“Our problem is we’re losing officers faster than we can hire them, train them and put them on the street because of the lack of hiring that’s been done in previous years. Now we’re trying to catch up and it’s very, very difficult, and the budget is working against us as well,” Diggs said.

Another difficult time for Navarre was in early 2007 when Detective Keith Dressel was shot and killed while on the job. Navarre called it “difficult for me as a chief, very difficult for the department. [It] presented many challenges, dealing with arrest and prosecution and more importantly, dealing with the loss.”

That is really a true test of your leadership skills. I don’t know if I passed the test. I’d like to think I did.”

2006 also brought a challenge—a demotion from former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner. Navarre spent about five and a half months as interim executive director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council before Finkbeiner asked him to return when the other candidate didn’t work out. “Obviously, he didn’t have any cause, he just wanted someone else there. He was coming in as a new mayor and he wanted to come in with a new cast of leaders. I accepted that,” Navarre said.

Navarre said he returned because “I enjoyed the job (as chief). I didn’t particularly like what I was doing. I was bored. I wasn’t challenged. And coming back gave me some sense of vindication.”

Despite their issues, Navarre thanked Finkbeiner for appointing him at the news conference announcing his retirement. Finkbeiner told the Toledo Free Press, “He (Navarre) had a gift of handing the extremely tense and dramatic times, the death of Keith Dressel a few years ago, reductions in manpower in the department, sometimes significant youth-related challenges to the police department with a great deal of coolness and confidence.”

One of Navarre’s major achievements stemmed from having less manpower—he implemented photo-enforcement throughout the city in 2000, making Toledo one of the first Midwestern cities with the technology.

“You’re going to see a greater reliance on video technology that’s going to fill that void that’s been left by decreasing tax bases, where police departments can’t have the number of officers that they once did. We’re a perfect example,” Navarre said.

Technology played an important role in Navarre’s legacy. After 9/11, Navarre, Sheriff James Telb and former Fire Chief Bell worked together to create a county-wide emergency radio system. Also, although the police department didn’t transition to a paperless office during Navarre’s tenure, he said he believes it could happen within in the next year.

Bell noted Navarre’s technological achievements at the news conference. “We’ve got a chief that has served our city for 34 years and he’s just been unbelievable. As a police officer and as a police chief, he brought a lot of new technology in, really calmed a lot of waters and he’s done it with full integrity,” Bell said.

As the days before Oct. 22 when he officially becomes chief dwindle, Diggs is reluctant to share future plans as Navarre is still in charge.

“We still have a chief who’s still running the department and for lack of a better term, we have a chief-in-waiting, like some of the NFL teams are doing. You’ve got the head coach and the head coach in-waiting.”

However, Diggs did note at the news conference that his plan will be “very ambitious and very bold” and he told the Toledo Free Press that community outreach will be one of his focuses.

“We can only have so many police officers on the street and there’s so much demand out there. But we also to have the citizens support us and work with us and give us information and believe in what we’re doing if we’re going to make the name for this community safe,” Diggs said.

When asked if he had any departing advice for the new chief, Navarre said, ““He needs to be open, listen to people. There’s a lot diff opinions out there. You can’t make everyone happy. Be fair. Be consistent.”

Still Navarre won’t be too far. “I’m still gonna have his cell phone. There’s going to be times, I’m still going call him,” Diggs said.

After 25 years, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” called it a wrap on May 25. It was a glorious 3-show farewell celebration fit for a Queen, or as we call her… Oprah. The remarkable farewell shows featured the biggest names alive from Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will Smith and even highlighted the first public appearance of Maria Shriver following her very scandalous split from husband Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Finals Shows were taped in front of a massive audience of 13,000 screaming fans at the United Center, and I believe Oprah herself heard the screams of joy and sadness from two different newsrooms in Toledo.

“The Oprah Winfrey Show” has long been the perfect lead-in for WTOL Channel 11’s newscast and the longstanding nemesis of WTVG 13 ABC.

There is no better ratings race in Toledo than WTVG and WTOL. Both feature iconic anchors. WTOL has Jerry Anderson and Chrys Peterson, WTVG has Lee Conklin and Diane Larson. Both have outstanding weather personalities, and although WTVG has more with Stan Stachak and ‘Blizzard’ Bill Spencer, do not discount the lai back delivery of Robert Shiels. The sports edge would go to longtime anchor Dan Cummins, whose involvement in the community makes him an irreplaceable asset to the station. WTVG took a big loss with Rob Powers’ exit to NYC’s WABC. Dave Holmes is trying but those are some huge shoes.

So when Oprah announced that May 25 was her last day, the collective moans and screams could be heard across Toledo. TV show’s ratings are only as good as the show that is one before you, WTOL had Oprah and WTVG has “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Oprah’s ratings had been dwindling, but bounced back for her final season. Oprah beat Ellen in Toledo by a full share this last year.

The 4 o’clock hour is the most crucial hour of programming for local TV stations. This time slot allows the stations to promote what is coming up and why Toledoans should stay tuned to watch their 5 O’Clock news. This is called a “lead-in”.

The back and forth ratings battle between WTOL and WTVG ended in a tie with a 6 share in July for the 5 o’clock news hour… A TIE!!! WTVG and WTOL would like to claim victories in certain demographics but in the hopes of keeping this piece simple, I will not even attempt to break those down. The simple explanation is that the same number of households in Toledo watched WTVG and WTOL.

The Million Dollar Question in Toledo television is … how do you replace one of the most beloved personalities in TV history? The bigger markets decided to start their newscasts an hour earlier in hopes of competing, but Fox 36 proved that is an incredible task to undertake. Channel 11 went a different direction and this is where this story gets interesting. WTOL was recently purchased by Raycom Media, the former owners of WNBC 24. Raycom’s solution in replacing Oprah is America Now, a TV Show that Raycom owns. In case the last sentence confused you as it did myself, let me repeat it… Raycom replaced Oprah with a show… that Raycom produces…. not good!

“America Now” is hosted by Leeza Gibbons (Entertainment Tonight) and Bill Rancic of NBC’s Apprentice but who may be better known as the husband of Giuliana Rancic from E. The show’s format features news and infomercial like segments. America Now is beyond the worst case scenario for the fine newspeople at WTOL, and in my opinion the worst of the 4 shows that air on local stations.

The November Sweeps will be crucial as it will be the first time since Oprah’s exit and America Now’s premiere that Toledo’s TV stations will see the ripple effect of the Queen’s exit. My fear is the loss of Oprah’s lead-in will greatly lower WTOL’s ratings which will lead to budget cuts, firings etc.

Toledo‘s 5 O’Clock ratings war has given us two exceptional newscasts to choose from as viewers. The competitive nature of the programs drive the other to be better and give Toledoans a choice. Raycom’s purchase of WTOL and cheap solution of replacing Oprah with America Now will have long lasting effects, not just for Channel 11 but 13 as well. If WTVG begins to dominate, WTOL will reduce staff and cost. The scarier thought is what WTVG will do… will they be satisfied with winning or will they want to win and save money? A dollar saved is a dollar earned, but will Toledoan’s pay the price?

My prediction and hope is WTOL will have a 4 O’Clock newscast starting in January of 2012. Let’s hope that Oprah’s exit does not mark the death of local TV news.

Jeremy Baumhower is a self-proclaimed media expert who writes and produces for morning radio shows across the country. Please follow him on twitter @jeremytheproduc.

Since early August, I have been listening to holiday music. Not because my Microsoft Entourage calendar is ahead of itself; I have been working with scores of local artists to compile a CD to a benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Jamie Farr, Alyson Stoner, Crystal Bowersox, Mannheim Steamroller, Pat Dailey and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra are a few of the contributors who have donated their talents to the CD, titled “Holiday Wishes: NW Ohio Artists Unite for Make-A-Wish.”
I have been thinking about producing a holiday CD of local artists for a couple of years, but had not seriously pursued it until late this summer, during a meeting with Eric Slough, executive director of Make-A-Wish’s Northwest Ohio Region. Slough mentioned his organization’s annual fundraiser, coffee mugs featuring art by a local Make-A-Wish child that are distributed in Panera Bread locations. As we were talking, the proverbial light bulb went off in my head and I pitched the notion of compiling a CD that would feature local artists; the art normally wrapped on a mug could be used for the front cover. Slough pitched the idea to Development Officer Ellie McManus and their board of directors; we met with Panera Bread; and in early September, we received a green light.

While I contacted artists and matched them with songs, Slough secured funding for the project from General Motors/UAW Local 14, ensuring there would be no costs charged to Make-A-Wish (and that 100 percent of the $9.99 retail price of the CD will go to Make-A-Wish).
My wife Shannon has long worked with Make-A-Wish, and I have seen firsthand the literal miracles the organization is capable of. Raising two blessedly healthy boys adds to my appreciation for the Make-A-Wish mission. That standard meant I would not compromise on the quality of the CD, and I set my sights on the stars.
Then, the first three artists I contacted turned me down. That initially shook my confidence and had me doubting I could make the CD a reality.
But immediately, Jeff Stewart, Kyle White, Kerry Patrick Clark and Ramona Collins all jumped in with great enthusiasm, and we’ve never looked back.
I have faced very few projects with such enthusiasm — and such ignorance. I had no idea just what I was asking of the musicians, producers and engineers, in terms of time and effort. There will be another time for a more thorough thank-you list, but it is important to note that without Christopher Stoll of Zeta Recording Studio, David Mariasy of Audio Matrix Recording Studio, producer Mighty Wyte and attorney Larry Meyer, who guided us through the licensing maze, this never would have become reality.
There will be two dozen tracks on the CD, ranging from a harp solo by Nancy Lendrim to a Stones-y blast through Chuck Berry’s “Run Run Rudolph” by Voodoo Libido. Dave Gierke of Toledo School for the Arts helped secure Tower Brass, the Toledo Jazz Orchestra and Crystal Bowersox. Many of our media friends — 13abc’s Lee Conklin, K100’s Harvey Steele, Clear Channel “Voice of the Rockets” Mark Beier and FOXToledo’s Laura Emerson & Shaun Hegarty — stepped up and contributed vocals to spoken word tracks. Chrys Peterson of WTOL 11 brought Graceland to Zeta Recording with Hepcat Revival and channeled Elvis on a blistering version of “Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me.”
I will not give away all the surprises on the CD, but mixed with classics recorded by Tapestry, Sheri LaFontaine, Kate Jordan, Chris Brown and Candice Coleman, and a chorus from the Toledo Museum of Art are original, newly recorded works by Reedius Maximus, Clark, Jameil Aossey and Charles Lane, and Rugby.
I was humbled by the lengths the artists went to. The Toledo Symphony Orchestra recorded “Sleigh Ride” during a September concert in Findlay, and captured a playful, majestic performance that redefines the song. Farr went into Marc Graue Voice Over Studios in Burbank, Calif., and performed a lively “Visit from Saint Nicholas” that will be cherished by many generations of Toledoans. Dailey and Sylvania native Chip Davis, founder of Mannheim Steamroller, generously and speedily donated tracks to the cause. Jeff Stewart recorded a Johnny Cash-inspired version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” then unselfishly opened the track to a singing chorus of local Make-A-Wish kids.
There will be a number of ways to purchase the CD. Regional Panera Bread stores will sell the album, starting around Thanksgiving. There will be a public kick-off concert at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at The Blarney Bullpen; those CDs will be signed by some of the artists, and special packages donated by Alyson Stoner will be available. If your company is interested in buying bulk copies as a corporate gift, please contact Eric Slough at EricS@makeawishohio.org.
The Thanksgiving issue of Toledo Free Press will contain a complete guide to the CD, with behind-the-scenes stories and photos from several of the recording sessions.
Since early August, I have been listening to holiday and Christmas music. People are asking me if I am sick and tired of hearing these holiday songs.
The answer is an emphatic no. I love every one of these songs, what they represent, and the kids who will be helped by them. I’m already thinking about 2012. I can’t believe no one asked about “White Christmas” this year, and I know exactly who I am going to ask to record it for next year …

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

When discussing Toledo’s competitive advantages, transportation is a key element, from rail, roads and waterways.
As reported by Toledo Free Press Senior Business Writer Duane Ramsey, transportation professionals came from around the state, several neighboring states and Canada to participate in the fifth annual Ohio Conference on Freight in Toledo on Sept. 20-21 and brought to light several interesting points. The conference brought about 160 transportation professionals together to focus on the movement of goods through Ohio and the Great Lakes Region, according to Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG).
“Transportation is the key to economic growth in the U.S.,” Leslie Blakey, executive director of the Coalition for America’s Gateways and Trade Corridors in Washington, D.C., told Ramsey. Blakey said that President Barack Obama supports transportation infrastructure and the American Jobs Act would provide funding for transportation that would positively affect the economy.
Ramsey reported that the conference included discussions of transporting freight by air, highway, rail and water as well as intermodal, which involves more than one of those modes.

“Ohio has a significant geographic advantage for transportation of goods,” Mark Locker, freight and maritime planner for the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), told Ramsey, citing the convergence of air, highways, railroads and seaport modes in the state. “Economic competitiveness in Ohio has resulted in a strong transportation system.”
One of the major topics at the conference involved the shipment of goods from seaports on the East Coast on the CSX and Norfolk Southern rail systems that connect Ohio and the Midwest to those ports, Ramsey reported.
“Both CSX and Norfolk Southern have connections to the Port of Toledo and intermodal projects in Northwest Ohio.
“CSX opened its new intermodal facility in North Baltimore earlier this year that handles moving container freight from train to train, train to truck and truck to train,” he wrote.
CSX is planning a new terminal in Maryland to handle the large volume of freight that comes into the Port of Baltimore. Much of that freight has destinations in Ohio or passes through the state for other locations in the Midwest. Norfolk Southern is developing the Airline Junction intermodal project in South Toledo, which is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, according to company officials.
Another topic at the conference was Ohio’s connection with Canada, which is the state’s largest trading partner, according to officials on both sides of the border. Ohio is Ontario’s second largest trading partner, trailing only Michigan.
The opportunities with intermodal and Canadian freight are not pie-in-the-sky dreams. They are real, money-making paths right in front of us. Regional branches of government need to be in tune with TMACOG and ODOT to make sure the Toledo area is accessing the most of these opportunities.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jessie Pullie remembers feeling nervous when a car with its lights on would slowly drive past his grandfather’s home in rural Mississippi every night.
“Grandpa would turn his lights off,” Pullie said. “It was scary. No one told us kids anything.”
It was the 1960s, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, and the men in the car were looking for any suspicious gatherings.
The family, who worked as sharecroppers, regularly tuned their radio to a Memphis station, where 12-year-old Pullie first heard Martin Luther King Jr. speak.
“He would talk about the nonviolence movement and people out struggling for change and justice,” Pullie said. “He was a great mentor and a great preacher.”
King’s speeches were inspiring, but segregation was still the rule in day-to-day Mississippi life.
Pullie recalls his grandfather addressing all white men, including young boys, as “sir,” while they called him by his first name. He remembers using the back entrance to the doctor’s office and having to order a hamburger through the window of a restaurant rather than sit at the counter.

n Visitors take their first look at the MLK memorial, Oct. 16 in Washington, D.C.

“I remember one time I almost tried to go inside, but my cousin said, ‘You can’t go in there,’” Pullie said. “Basically, that’s the way it was.”
At age 18, looking for better opportunities, Pullie moved to Toledo, where he found a job at Ford and met his wife, Jackie, a waitress at her family’s soul food restaurant on North Detroit Avenue.
“I was working in place of someone who had called off sick,” Jackie recalled. “I was supposed to be off that morning, but I’m glad I wasn’t. Otherwise, he might have married my cousin.”
Dedication in D.C.
More than four decades after first hearing King’s voice as a boy in the South, Pullie and his wife celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary with a trip to Washington, D.C., to witness the dedication ceremony for the recently unveiled Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
The couple was part of a group of 35 Toledo area residents who took a weekend bus ride to the capital, joining tens of thousands of others who flocked there Oct. 16 to honor King’s legacy.
The four-acre, $120 million memorial — the first on the National Mall to honor a black leader — features a granite statue of King standing with his arms folded, emerging from a “Stone of Hope” and gazing across the tidal basin toward the Jefferson Memorial. A thin entrance path through a granite “Mountain of Despair” represents the struggles King faced in the pursuit of social equality and peace. The memorial also features two inscription walls filled with King quotes.
Among the dozens of speakers and performers at the dedication were President Barack Obama, King’s children, the Rev. Al Sharpton, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Tommy Hilfiger, poet Nikki Giovanni, actress Cicely Tyson and many others.
“It’s honoring a historic person,” said trip member Lisa Griffin, who called the experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “He made the way for colored people to do a whole lot of things.”
“His dream changed our lives,” her daughter Marlydia King added.
It was the first visit to Washington, D.C., for both.
University of Toledo freshman Allaina Peraza, a history buff who plans to major in African-American studies, said it meant a lot to her to be at the dedication.
“I have freedoms that, when my grandmother came up from Mississippi, I wouldn’t have had,” said the 18-year-old, who recently registered to vote for the first time. “It’s just a symbol of freedom. I was looking forward to seeing it this whole week.”
Verna Anthony of Toledo treated herself to the trip as a 70th birthday present.
“I have been waiting on this and waiting on this and waiting on this,” Anthony said. “1968 until now has been a long time, but we finally got here. Eventually I knew it was going to get here; I was just hoping I’d be here to see it. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”
The best part was seeing people of so many different backgrounds celebrating harmoniously, Anthony said.
“This is like the United Nations here,” Anthony said. “This is just a prelude to equal opportunities for everybody. It’s not as good as no color to be seen, but it’s getting there. It’s just so beautiful.”
Exciting and uplifting
Trip organizer Michael Huggins said the day was moving, exciting and uplifting.
“I think everybody enjoyed it. I can’t wait to take it back to Toledo and share it,” sad Huggins, who also organized a bus trip to Washington, D.C., for Obama’s inauguration in January 2009. “I think the youth that went down fulfilled the legacy they had heard on King. I could see it on their faces. They were really excited. I think we all got what we were looking for.”
Ben Williams, executive director of Ben E. Williams Youth Services and a longtime local coach and educator, was also instrumental in organizing the trip.
His daughter, Leah Williams, who rode the bus to Washington, D.C., said her father shares King’s passion for equal rights.
“It was important to him that the accomplishments of Dr. King be recognized and that there be people, especially young people, from our community there,” Williams said.

Jessie and Jackie Pullie traveled to Washington, D.C., for the dedication.

Ben Williams said organizing the trip was challenging, but rewarding.
“We worked so hard, especially Michael Huggins, to try and create awareness. It was very challenging trying to get the needed financial support to pay for the bus rental and make this program a reality, but fortunately there were enough people who saw the importance of what we were trying to do,” Williams said. “I look at Martin Luther King and see what he stood for and what he endured for all people. It touched the whole world. Many great leaders have sacrificed big portions of their lives to make things better, not only for our people but all people, and I think Martin Luther King epitomizes that. He left a legacy for us to reach for.”
Ed Blankenship, a trustee at Ben E. Williams Youth Services, said that although the trip didn’t attract as many people as organizers had originally hoped, those involved were passionate and diverse.
“We were fortunate to have a crosssection of people who helped out — Democrats, Republicans, all different sizes, shapes and colors of people,” Blankenship said. “One of the things we talked about was what sorts of people will we get on the trip. Will it be people who are older that actually remember King when he was alive, or will it be people in their 40s and younger who only know what they read in history books? I think we got a nice crosssection of people and on a small scale brought diverse people together to try and accomplish something and we did and that’s pretty cool.”
Donations from former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner and BET radio personality Darian “Big Tigger” Morgan as well as the Rev. Stanley Clark and the congregation at United Vision Baptist Church, Indiana Avenue Missionary Baptist Church, local businesses, government officials, labor unions, community members and others made the trip possible, Huggins said.

A woman waves an african flag in celebration at the Oct. 16 dedicatIon of the MLK Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Finkbeiner addressed the group before the bus departed, telling riders they were on their way to celebrate one of the most respected individuals ever to walk and talk on this earth.
Toledoan Josh Fowler said watching the dedication made him proud and he hopes sentiments expressed during the ceremony will be honored upon everyone’s return home.
“I think the trip proves people can unite for a common purpose and a common cause, but it’s still vital to sustain that unity,” Fowler said. “Oftentimes, trips are over and we just wait on the next trip. I believe it’s time to step up to the plate and exude the characteristics of this trip and what it represented, to be active in the community and raise social awareness.”
Toledo connections
Others with Toledo connections were also at the event.
Toledo native Erika Manuel came to Washington, D.C., with a group of students from Tennessee State University in Nashville, where she is a senior.
“Not a lot of people get memorials in their names, especially African-Americans,” said Manuel, a Woodward High School graduate. “I can’t even imagine living in a time when people say I’m not good enough because I’m black or a female. I challenge things like that. I don’t know if I would have been as peaceful as Dr. King, so I admire him for that.”
Kristin McMillan was at the ceremony with a group from Morgan State University in Baltimore. The Cincinnati native attended UT for two years before transferring.
“Martin Luther King means freedom to me,” said McMillian, who wanted to come so she can one day tell her children she was at the historic event. “He showed the way.”
The dedication was originally scheduled for Aug. 28, the anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, but was postponed due to Tropical Storm Irene.

On a rare day off on tour, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews knew what he wanted to do: slide behind the piano.
“We do 200-plus dates a year, so whenever I get a chance, I try to practice the piano a bit,” he said during a call from St. Louis.
While the talented musician also sings and plays several instruments, he’s known for packing brass in both hands when he takes the stage. The trombonist and trumpeter has won fans with his bold, exuberant playing and tours with Lenny Kravitz, Jeff Beck and the Dave Matthews Band.
And he’s got the cache to back up that flash.
Released Sept. 13, “For True” by Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Album Chart while his 2010 disc, “Backatown,” was still in the top 10.
“I’m always surprised and very blessed and honored that people are reacting the way they are to my music and me,” Andrews said. “Being on the charts, I never even dreamed about anything like that. I just always thought about playing music. So to be on the charts and do well is just a plus.”

Trombone Shorty (photo by Kirk Edwards)

“For True” features guest appearances by Kravitz, Beck, Kid Rock and Ledisi, and opens with a powerhouse called “Buckjump.”
“ ‘Buckjump’ is just basically a collaboration between two worlds of New Orleans music,” Andrews said. “We have one of the great bounce rappers in New Orleans, 5th Ward Weebie, helping us with vocals, and the world-famous Rebirth Brass Band on top of my band, and it was just one of those things, taking the New Orleans music and putting it all in one pot.”
The 25-year-old songwriter is all about cooking with dashes of musical genres thrown in.
He calls it “superfunkrock.”
“It’s basically like a musical gumbo. You might hear different influences of all styles of music,” he said. “Growing up in New Orleans, I spent a lot of time with The Neville Brothers, and playing different styles of music, and Dr. John, and it’s just the influences of my childhood and what we’re experiencing at this moment.”
As a kid, Andrews received more than his nickname from his older brother.
“My brother, James Andrews, is the one who’s really responsible for me playing,” he said. “By the time I was 7, he had me touring around the world, so I got a lot of real-life experiences right on the spot, growing up and being able to play with him in Europe and Haiti, Cuba, Saudi Arabia — he took me all over as a kid — and I was able to experience and learn firsthand from him and my cousins.”
The horn player is still blown away by the power of music.
“I know some of the places we go around the world, I don’t think they really understand what I’m singing or saying, but music in itself makes them feel good,” he said. “The influence of music on everyday life is a beautiful thing. I couldn’t imagine a world without music. It’s a universal language with a healing power; it picks people up.”
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will play at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 in the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle. Tickets are $27.50, $45 and $75 for the concert, which is sponsored by the Art Tatum Jazz Heritage Society.

NOTE: This is the 10th installment of a weekly series in which staff writer Mike Bauman will follow sixth-year Toledo senior cornerback Desmond Marrow for the 2011 season.

Toledo cornerback Desmond Marrow was named as the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week following a 28-21 victory over Bowling Green on Oct. 15.
The senior cornerback had 10 tackles and a career-high three passes defensed against the Falcons.
With Marrow’s award, Toledo has had a player honored by the MAC for a weekly award in six of seven weeks this season. Junior wide receiver Eric Page has been honored three times while junior linebacker Robert Bell and senior kicker Ryan Casano have each received a weekly honor once.
But Marrow was almost a RedHawk instead of a Rocket.
Miami (Ohio), which upset No. 24-ranked Northern Illinois 26-21 in last season’s MAC championship game, was the school Marrow originally committed to back when he was a junior at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown.

Marrow tackles a Falcon Oct. 15.

“Yeah, that is kind of crazy,” Marrow said. “Actually, that crossed my mind. I thought about that like, ‘Man, I would have been there winning the MAC Championship,’ but I got my second chance. I’m just now trying to make the best of it here at Toledo and win this year.”
At the time of last year’s MAC Championship, Marrow did not know whether he would be back with the Rockets in 2011. He was still waiting to hear from the NCAA to see if his waiver request to receive a sixth year of eligibility due to medical hardship would be granted.
“I was more mad at the fact that we lost to Northern [Illinois], so I kind of wanted Northern [Illinois] to lose just because we had a bad taste in our mouth from that game,” Marrow said. “Just seeing Miami pull that game out, I know they were the underdog by, like, a lot of points and they came out and won. So that was good for them.”
After just one unofficial visit in high school, Marrow made a verbal commitment to the RedHawks, the first college he remembers offering him a full ride. His parents were big on academics, and Marrow was also impressed with former Miami assistant coach Tim Cooper.
“I think I kind of jumped the gun and just committed too early,” Marrow said. “Just a kid from Youngstown hearing I could go to school for free, that just sounded, like, amazing to me and my parents.”
Once Marrow sat down and gave his decision some thought, he retracted his verbal commitment from the RedHawks. A number of factors helped change his mind. His uncle, Vince Marrow, played at Toledo. Two of Marrow’s good friends from Youngstown in senior tight end Jerome Jones and former Rocket Joe Underwood had committed to UT. Toledo was also closer to home.
As his days at Cardinal Mooney wound down, Marrow had visited the UT campus with his parents and liked what he saw. Still, the night before national signing day in 2006 he had yet to decide if he was going to play for the Rockets.
“I wasn’t sure where I was going to go,” Marrow said. “But the night before signing day, I prayed about it and then I just committed with Toledo.”
Now Marrow has come full circle. Miami was picked to win the MAC East Division in the conference’s preseason poll, while UT was picked to win the MAC. A victory over the RedHawks on Oct. 22 would help Toledo achieve that goal. In his career, Marrow has never beaten Miami.
The RedHawks are the first opponent in a three-game home stand for the Rockets. The other teams coming to the Glass Bowl during that stretch are Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.