A Lourdes University sports team brought home a conference championship last month. Some people probably won’t think the win is that big of a deal. Others may even question if the team members are real athletes. Read this column, and I will convince you otherwise. Continue reading Esports delivers success at Lourdes
Not long ago a very patient librarian at the King Road branch helped a technology-challenged old geezer download an eBook onto his iPhone. The lesson took at least 15 minutes. The geezer was me. Continue reading MARK LUETKE LOOKING SIDEWAYS
Last fall our family celebrated one of our adult daughters’ birthdays by dining outdoors at a local “special occasion” restaurant. Everything was impeccable — including the service. When the bill came, I added my usual 20-plus percent tip to the credit card, then popped a fiver in cash on top to underscore our appreciation to the waiter. Continue reading Are our kids better tippers?
I spent three hours at McCord Junior High recently, helping seventh graders master the skills they will need when they enter the future workforce. But the morning wasn’t about reading, writing, science or math. Instead, I was one of nearly 55 adult volunteers helping the students learn the “soft skills” that experts say will make them successful in life. Continue reading ‘Amazing Shake’ benefits McCord students
Back in 2010, the executive director of Leadership Toledo began looking for methods to help fund the organization’s tuition-free program to inspire civic involvement and leadership skills in our region’s high school students. “We wanted a fund-raising concept that was part of the community … that brought the community together,” recalled longtime Sylvania resident David Schlaudecker (now living in Cincinnati).
The result was Restaurant Week Toledo, which was first rolled out the following year with 22 establishments. “We developed a concept that would excite and benefit local owners, so it was purposely scheduled to fall right after the busy New Year’s Eve/Valentine Day period, when things tend to slow down a bit for them,” Schlaudecker said. “Participants agreed to create a special menu that reflected the quality and style of their restaurant and donate three percent of the gross sales to support youth programs through Youth Leadership Toledo (YLT).” Continue reading Restaurant Week benefits guests, students
Last year at this time I wrote about Valentine’s Day as a way of celebrating love: showing affection, understanding and intimacy for our beloveds. This year let’s talk about loving ourselves–especially dealing with the difficult twin emotions of regret and forgiveness. Continue reading Looking Sideways – Valentine’s Day includes love for ourselves
The year-end holiday marathon—the 40 days between Thanksgiving and New Year—has finally exhausted itself—and exhausted me along with it. On Jan. 2, I celebrated my own favorite holiday—National Introvert Day (yes, that’s a real thing) by finally getting some peace and quiet and recharging my batteries. I wasn’t depressed; I was just being myself, an introvert. Continue reading Looking Sideways – Introvert/Extrovert …Couples learn to thrive
The just-completed holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Year began on what economists say is the busiest grocery shopping day of the year, Turkey Day Eve. As I fought the supermarket crowds ramping up to the holiday that day, I discovered some remarkable kindness among my fellow shoppers. Call it “Supermarket Etiquette.” Continue reading Looking Sideways – Supermarket etiquette brightens holiday
We are entering the season of love and kindness. For some, this means God’s gifts to us while others take a more personal and humanistic approach. But a common factor seems to be an emphasis on providing the gift of good deeds to others.
There are dozens of examples of “Ordinary Angels” who quietly provide simple acts of goodness in Sylvania. This happens throughout the year, of course, but deserves special recognition during the holidays. Continue reading Looking Sideways – The quiet work of ordinary angels
November falls between two holidays dedicated to reading, writing and literature: National Book Month in October and Read a New Book Month in December. They come at a time when individual Americans are reading fewer books each year, but book sales are at the highest level in history. In short, more people are reading, but they are being more selective about the books they choose.
With that in mind, I’d like you to meet three Sylvania authors who have published their first books this year. All are fiction, but each is very different from the others. You may want to pick up a copy for yourself, or put one on your holiday gift list. Continue reading Looking Sideways – Meet the authors next door
