FROM NOV 5 2007 - WHAT I LEARNED FROM DR. OZ (and still use today! 9-1-11!!)

Monday, November 5, 2007
Things I learned from OPRAH and DR. OZ today!
3 DRINKS
that will make you feel like a NEW PERSON
HI!
This post is not only about the 3 drinks, but also about Oprah Winfrey's friend, Doctor oz's Anti-again plan. I am reprinting most of this as a reminder to myself, to really think about how much better I could feel if I would just spend a little more on groceries for a month or two (yeah, right, LOL - I get groceries from the church half the time because we're so poor!)

1) THE GREEN DRINK THAT CAN MAKE YOU FEEL YOUNGER AND LIVE LONGER

"The Green Drink" aka, according to Oprah: "FRESH" in a glass!

Serves 1-2
Ingredients:
2 big handfuls of Spinach
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 rib of celery
1 thumb of ginger, skin peeled
1 lemon
1 medium cucumber
2 apples
ice cubes (optional)

In a juicer, place all ingredients except optional ice cubes in a juicer until juiced. Serve in your favorite wine goblet or other favorite glass of choice. If desired, add ice cubes for a refreshing cold beverage.

As always, you can adjust these ingredients to your own liking. Perhaps you really really like cucumber. Great! Add 2 cucumbers instead!

For a starter green juice, I recommend additional apples until you get used to the taste. There is no requirement to start out with swamp water that tastes like swamp water. Start with something fruity. Then over time if you want you can add more greens and less apples. That is why green smoothies are so popular - they are usually 60% or more of fruit, and 40% or less of greens.

The green color is a good indication that you have enough greens in the juice. As long as it is green, you know that you are getting the alkaline benefits of greens.

2) Dr. Oz's second drink might not be as pleasant, but it's still important:

a shot of cod liver oil.

"First of all, cod liver oil has the right kind of vitamin D in it—vitamin D3. That's why people who live in the north lands who don't get any sun at all can still survive. It's got the healthy fats that you want in it," Dr. Oz says.

3) Xango Mangosteen Juice and the Magosteen Fruit:

"Why Drink Mangosteen Juice?
There are two very good reasons for having a daily hit of mangosteen juice. First there is the flavour, and then there are the health benefits. Many people like to kick start their day with a glass of fruit juice and, sure, most juices are very good for you, but none have the combination of taste and goodness provided by the fruit of the exotic mangosteen tree.

Take orange juice, for example: great flavor and lots of vitamin C, which is, of course, a well known antioxidant. Mangosteen, however, has been shown to contain over 40 different antioxidants. In fact, laboratory tests have shown that juice from the whole mangosteen fruit is 20 to 30 times more effective at neutralizing dangerous free radicals than juice from most other antioxidant-rich sources.

Mangosteen fruit have been used for centuries in Asia, both as a delicious foodstuff and as a one-stop pharmaceutical gift shop. In more recent times, health researchers from around the world have conducted studies to establish whether the fruit may have a role to play in treating a whole raft of conditions, from cancer to mental illness. Although there is still much work to be done, the results thus far have been able to verify what has been accepted folklore for generations of Southeast Asians—mangosteen is one of Mother Nature’s great gifts to mankind.

So, if you are going to have a morning fruit drink, why not drink mangosteen juice?

Mangosteen Fruit

Rarely has a fruit that has been so unknown to the common man of the western world been so studied, examined, researched, and scrutinized by science than the remarkable Mangosteen. Study after study, research paper after research paper all extol the extraordinary benefits of the Mangosteen and its rich supply of antioxidant xanthones.

"The body's immune and other systems produce homemade antioxidants and some vitamins, such as E and C. But there exist other antioxidants even more potent than vitamins, and these powerful protective substances are only found in certain plants," writes Fred Templeman, M.D. "One such class of substances called Xanthones has recently been identified by scientists in a rain forest plant ... the Mangosteen."

Dr. Templeman continues, "Our secondary research has unearthed over forty scientific papers in which biochemically active components of the Mangosteen have been rigorously examined in the laboratory. . . It is already evident that the multiple health benefits of the fruit are supported by scientific investigation."
For centuries, the people of Southeast Asia have known all about those "multiple health benefits." Now science supports what they've known all along. The ancient wisdom of Southeast Asia. The certainty of modern science.

The Power of Our Whole Fruit Puree

It is not simply the juice of the Mangosteen. Instead, it is a whole fruit puree, utilizing the pericarp as well as the pulp of this extraordinary tropical fruit. As a whole fruit puree it delivers all the benefits of Alpha Mangostin and Gamma Mangostin, the xanthones that have proven to be so rich in life-enhancing qualities.

"Studies are showing that xanthones have positive effects on nearly all the body's systems," says researcher Fred Templeman, M.D. "From increased energy to protection from free radical damage, xanthones delivers a wide range of benefits."

A Taste Sensation

And the best part it is absolutely delicious! We're all familiar with tonics and potions derived from natural plants and herbs. Most have genuine beneficial properties, but the taste leaves so much to be desired. The naturally sweet and tangy flavor of the Mangosteen is a taste sensation you have to experience to believe. It has no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no added sweeteners. We don't need them!

In magosteen juice you get all of the miraculous benefits of xanthones: powerful antioxidants protection against free radical damage, support for cholesterol concerns, a natural energy enhancer, and more. And you get all this in a drink that you'll look forward to tasting!

The Mangosteen fruit is composed of the following:

Pericarp (rind or skin)- it is smooth, 4-8mm thick with a dark purple color
Pulp (fruit) - consists of 4-8 snowy white colored segments. It is soft & juicy with an exquisite unforgettable taste.
Seeds - one mangosteen fruit usually contains 2-3 well-developed seeds ranging between 1.5 and 2.5 cm in length.
Inside the Mangosteen
Size: Roughly the size of a tangerine
Color: Smooth, dark purple pericarp (rind)
Color Inside: "Snow white" colored fruit
Taste: Unbearably exquisite, impossible to forget

Did you know?

The pericarp, or rind of the mangosteen contains more xanthones than any other source on earth! These are the same powerful xanthones that make the Mangosteen the super star of health and nutritional supplements."

ALTHOUGH MANGOSTEEN JUICE WAS RECOMMENDED BY DR. OZ, THE INFORMATION ABOVE WAS NOT FROM HIM OR FROM THE OPRAH SHOW, IT WAS FOUND AT:

http://trythisjob.com/Whatismangosteenjuice.html

THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR 1 CASE OF "Xango" MANGOSTEEN JUICE ON EBAY, IS ABOUT 50.00 PLUS SHIPPING.

WHAT IS WRITTEN BELOW ABOUT A GUEST ON OPRAH IS EXACTLY HOW I LIVE!! BOY, I NEED TO START LIVING SOME OF THIS ADVICE..

MORE FROM TODAY'S OPRAH SHOW:

"Brenda, a 48-year-old single mother, is the first to admit that she had an unhealthy lifestyle. "I ate a lot of sugar. A lot of junk food. I do not exercise," she says.

Brenda says she received a major wake-up call when she started having heart palpitations while driving in the car with her daughter. "At the time in which this was going on, I thought I was going to die," she says.

After running a biophysical on Brenda, Dr. Oz found that on top of being anemic and vitamin D deficient, Brenda had a thyroid problem. "Your thyroid levels were the worst they had ever seen," he says. "You weren't making any at all. That actually was leading to your muscle literally breaking down." Dr. Oz says this may have caused Brenda's heart palpitations. "Over and over again, especially in women, we see the thyroid gland not functioning correctly. And when it happens in the severe nature, you actually fall apart—and your heart muscle, which is one of the muscles, can also stop."

Since Brenda has been following the You: Staying Young plan, she says she is feeling much better. "I'm better able to handle stress, I work out regularly and I'm not as tired," she says.

Dr. Oz stresses the importance of taking care of thyroid problems by having your thyroid levels checked. "It's one of the key blood tests you have to get on yourself," he says."

I AM GOING TO ASK MY DOCTOR FOR A THYROID TEST NEXT TIME I SEE HIM!

AND THIS IS ME TOO:

"Maureen says she had a serious problem with her energy level. "I had brain fog to the point where I could not concentrate or focus on the tasks and duties. Just simple things at home—helping my daughter with her homework—and definitely the career and the job."

Dr. Oz discovered that Maureen was anemic. "You've got to check your blood count," he says. "That's one of the tests you've got to get, no matter how you get it done."

By following Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen's anti-aging plan for eight weeks, Maureen receives the good news that she has brought up her low levels of iron. "Now I have more energy and I'm able to handle the day-to-day things," she says."

A REMINDER FOR ME TO TELL MY FRIEND BRENDA ABOUT/an 8 week anti-aging diet!

"Lisa also went on Dr. Oz's anti-aging plan for eight weeks to help treat her fibromyalgia, which is a chronic syndrome that can cause symptoms like pain and fatigue. "Seven years ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I have been on a gamut of medication," she says. "It would work for a few days, maybe a few weeks, and I would be in constant pain—my neck, my back, my arms, my legs."

Since then, Lisa has been following Dr. Oz's advice and working with a doctor who specializes in fibromyalgia. "About a week after I was on the supplements and walking, I could feel my body is warming," Lisa says. "I have energy. In fact, I have so much energy I have to kind of put a little reserve on because I'm back to being better than what I was before."

"I hope a lot of the audience members' eyes [are open] now to a problem that afflicts 8 million Americans," Dr. Oz says. "You don't have to live with that agony."

MORE WAYS TO HELP YOU LIVE LONGER, INSIDE YOUR OWN HOME!"The smallest particles are the ones that do the most damage.."


Regularly open up windows to air out your home of all the fumes and particles trapped inside.
Making your house healthier starts right at your front door. Take off your shoes when you enter to avoid tracking in pesticides and lawn chemicals.

When you microwave food, don't leave it in plastic containers or with plastic covering. That plastic could leak into the food. Instead, use glass or other microwave-safe containers.

Instead of using toxic chemicals to clean your sink and bathtub, Dr. Oz recommends using baking soda. And you can use white vinegar to clean your windows. Or look for brands like Shaklee's Get Clean line. Oprah says she loves their Basic H2 spot remover.

To avoid the chemicals used in dry cleaning, take your clothes out of the bags while you're outside and throw the bags away. Then, let your clothes air out for at least a day before wearing them.

Use a dehumidifier to cut down on potentially toxic mold in places like garages.
If you must store old cans of paint and varnish, only do it in well-ventilated places that are far from your living area.

Include plants like spider plants, golden pothos and philodendrons in your home. They are experts at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen.


ANOTHER BREAKFAST DRINK:


The Quick Magical Breakfast Blaster
2 servings, 136 calories per serving

1 scoop (1/3 cup) Soy protein (like Nature's Plus Spiru-Tein)
1/2 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 large ripe banana (or other fruits of your choice)
1/2 tablespoon apple juice concentrate or honey
1 teaspoon Psyillium seed husks

Peel banana; break into chunks. Put all ingredients in a blender. Add 12 ounces of water and ice, as well as powdered vitamins. Cover, blend until fairly smooth.


THE ONLY FOUR EXERCISES YOU NEED TO KNOW ACCORDING TO DR. OZ:


"You don't need balls, mats and elastic bands to get a great workout. Dr. Oz says there are only four exercises that you'll ever need to know—and none require fancy machinery!

First, Dr. Oz suggests that people walk for at least 30 minutes each and every day. "Walking is the foundation for all other exercises because it increases your stamina and prepares your body for strength training," he says. You should strive to walk 10,000 steps a day.

The second step is to build muscle by lifting weights for 30 minutes a week. You can lift a dumbbell, a gallon of milk or your toddler…just start lifting!

Now that you're on the right track, Dr. Oz says you have to work up a sweat for about an hour a week. "The number one predictor of how long you're going to live is how well you can exercise your heart," he says. "If you can push yourself to sweat for an hour a week, that's great. You can break it down into three little segments of 20 minutes each."

Finally, you have to stretch so that you don't get hurt. Dr. Oz likes to do yoga, but he says you can get the same benefits from stretches you learned in high school gym class.

There's one secret fat-burner that you can do anywhere—fidgeting!"


THE 14 DAY PLAN RECOMMENDED BY DR. OZ

http://www2.oprah.com/health/oz/programs/young/plan/plan_main.jhtml


Why 14 days? Because that's how long it takes for many healthy behaviors to become healthy habits.

The 14-Day Plan: Week 1

1 of 9

DAY 1: TAKING STOCK

1. Get out and go shopping! Buy these items, which should run you less than $125.

A tape measure
A heart-rate monitor (We use Polar products—they have chest straps and monitor watches)
A pedometer
A good pair of walking or running shoes
A hand-grip tester
A blood pressure cuff (Many have memory and download options…or you can use the one at the drugstore)
A notebook or access to computer website to record your results

2. Determine your real age at RealAge.com—that is, the actual age of your body (and mind) based on your health and habits, not your calendar age based on when mama thrust you into the world covered in goop.

3. Measure your blood pressure. Most drug stores have a device that can be placed on your arm if you haven't bought the home device yet.

4. Measure your heart rate in the evening, as well as the highest heart rate you achieve during your most intense exercise.

5. Measure your waist size. Circle the tape measure around your waist at the belly button, while you're taking a deep breath and sucking in. You would anyway, but it is the right way of measuring it as it gets the muscle we do not want to measure out of the way. Also measure your weight. The ideal is for your waist to be half your height.

6. Leave a space to record the average number of steps you take this week.

7. Make a doctor's appointment so you can get the medical tests you need.

8. Answer these questions.

Are you living life from (A) fear or from (B) passion?
Are you playing life (A) to avoid losing or (B) to win?
Are your goals based on (A) preserving the status quo or (B) achieving growth?

If you answered (A) to any of them, it's an indication that you're not moving forward in life. Remember, the only times that your vital signs are completely stable are when you're dead. Like sharks, we need to keep moving in order to live fully.

9. Ask yourself these questions to really determine whether you're really happy.

Are you happy most of the time?
Are you as happy now as you were 5 years ago?
Are you still expecting much from life?
Do your days seem to be passing quickly?
Are you often sad less than 10 percent of the time?

We obviously want you to have positive answers for these questions. If you're not there, our program, as well as professional help, can help you get there.

10. Ask three strangers how old you are. Asking friends and family doesn't count, since they either know or have a vested interest in not hurting your feelings. This will help give you some kind of baseline as to how others perceive you—based on appearance and demeanor—and can be a strong indicator of how healthy you actually are. In addition, you can ask a friend you trust to be honest with you about how you are aging compared to others.

11. Ask your friends what your three biggest strengths are. Identify how you best use them.

12. In your notebook, draw a little box with an amoeba that fills up 70 percent of the box, but also goes outside of the box. The box is your job, and the amoeba is you. The empty spots in the box are where we often focus all of our effort, but perhaps you should focus on the part of the amoeba that lies outside of the box, as this represents your strengths.

13. Ask yourself this simple question: How have you aged over the last five years? Use a picture to compare how you looked between then and now. Your initial thought:

My oh my, I look like I did in high school, dahling.

I'm steady Eddie—about the same.

I'm about what you'd expect—little fatter, little wrinklier, and little more worn down.

I look like tree bark.

14. Ask yourself this: What activities did you do five years ago that you can't do today?

15. Ask yourself these big-picture stress questions, which can help you identify things to work on while using our program:

Is your perceived level of stress more than you enjoy? Remember that actual stress is a more predictable driver of aging than our perception of stress, so push yourself to be honest with yourself.
Do you control most of the stress in your life or are you a rat in someone else's experiment?

GO HERE TO READ ABOUT THE VIATMINS YOU NEED TO FEEL GOOD AND AGE WELL:


http://www2.oprah.com/health/oz/slide/20071105/oz_20071105_350_108.jhtml

DAY 2: RE-TOOL YOUR HOME AND MIND


Shop for vitamins and calcium supplements. Buy calcium tablets that have at least 500 milligrams of calcium, 200 international units of vitamin D and 150 milligrams of magnesium. Get your vitamin shopping list.

Shop for non-toxic cleaners.

Purchase and install water filters for your home.

Do the Chi-gong Workout to build your coordination and mind-body connection.

If you have any addictions, start a cessation program to quit. Smoking the issue? Try the program here: http://www2.oprah.com/health/oz/programs/young/extend/extend_smoking.jhtml


FOR THE REST OF THE SUGGESTIONS FOR PART TWO, START AT THIS PAGE:

http://www2.oprah.com/health/oz/programs/young/plan/plan_105.jhtml



DAY 3: START THE THREE-DAY BODY-BASIC DIET


"Start a calorie-restricted diet, and continue for three days. The goal of this body-basic diet: Recalibrate your settings to eating better foods—and more sensible amount of them.

Here's how it works: Eat about three-quarters of the amount of food you usually eat every day using only healthy foods now. You can do it by eyeballing, or literally filling your plate as usual and taking one-quarter of the meal away and storing it for tomorrow. If you find this too difficult, reducing your calorie intake by even 15 percent will work. And if that is too challenging, then just eat healthy foods in the usual amount for you.

Why? We're trying to get you to feel what calorie restriction, the only proven senility eraser, feels like. It will be a little uncomfortable, but you'll only do it for three days. Drink as much water with lime or lemon juice or fresh brewed green tea as you want, which will help clear toxins and prevent dehydration. Please take your vitamin supplements while on the program since we don't want to starve you if you're already nutritionally depleted from a life of kielbasa with mayonnaise.

When you add back a little more food on Day 6, chances are that even in three days, you'll have trained yourself and your stomach to need less food than you're accustomed to eating."


FIND THE REST OF PART THREE HERE: http://www2.oprah.com/health/oz/programs/young/plan/plan_105.jhtml



ON THIS PAGE YOU WILL FIND THE LINKS TO 2 WORKOUTS RECOMMENDED BY DR. OZ, INCLUDING AN EXCUSE-BUSTERS WORKOUT (that's what I need):
http://www2.oprah.com/health/oz/programs/young/extend/extend_workouts.jhtml

Long post but IMPORTANT! Have a great day!

FROM NOVEMBER 24 2007 - combining posts from blogs

UPDATE - THINGS HAVEN'T CHANGED MUCH! Sept 1 2011
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Saturday, November 24, 2007
Toledo Budget: Good News & Bad News

(thanks a lot Carty!)
There's lots more to talk about regarding the proposed Toledo Budget that Mayor Finkbeiner has announced, but these things stuck out in my mind:

There will be an elimination of two city pools, Roosevelt and NAVARRE! No more junior pool for our East Toledo children under 13.
That means more punks roaming the neighborhoods with nothing to do this summer.

B. He actually has the odacity to include another UTILITY hike!
Electricity @ 2.5% per annum
Gas @ 2.5% per annum
Water 5% per annum
Sewer 5% per annum
We just had a new charge added to our water bills this past year for refuse collection and a hike in the water/sewer charge...now he plans to raise it again!? We have some of the HIGHEST UTILITY RATES IN THE ENTIRE US!!
I didn't ask (nor was I given the opportunity to vote on it!) for a multi-million dollar bridge to be built, not a WAY TOO EXTRAVAGANT Mud Hens Stadium, and personally, I LIKED the Sports Arena before they tore it down and decided to build a huge one downtown (that was just started this past month) why should I have to pay for it? Because our mayor tells us, as he chuckles, "Bend over and take it up the ass!"

You can see this on page three at this location:
http://www.toledo.oh.gov/Portals/0/2008%20Proposed%20Operating%20Budget(f).pdf

The only good news to speak of is that we will have a ferry dock at the area along Front Street in East Toledo, called the new marina District, that will be gearedtoward the up and coming upper class professionals in the way of housing, shops and other things most East Toledoans can't afford. But it will provide a possible service to Put-in-Bay, Cedar Point, and maybe Windsor.
Completion:
The RF's were posted Friday, November 9th as scheduled. The RFPs are due December 7 with a recommendation scheduled to the New Project Development Committee on December 12.
The facility is available for banquets and rentals.

More info about this can be found at: http://www.toledoportauthority.org/pressroom/marinepassengerterminal.asp

If you want to try to sell your home (good luck) one of the inexpensive ways, AND get the hell out of here, to live somewhere more affordable, try going to:
http://www.toledohomes4sale.com/

FROM WINTER 2007 - posts combining from one blog to another

Thursday, December 13, 2007
GLOBAL WARMING OR JUST TOLEDO WINTER?
From the TOLEDO BLADE, DECEMBER 11, 2007:

"Freezing rain that has blanketed northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan contributed to a crash in Sylvania that killed two people from Perrysburg, authorities said.

Those icy conditions were expected to continue into this morning with more freezing rain overnight, but temperatures were predicted to warm up into the low 40s by this afternoon.

Authorities believe that an ice-slickened U.S. 23 caused a crash in which Heather Richie, 26, the driver, and her passenger, Joseph Lee Bekker, 26, both of Perrysburg, were killed after their sport utility vehicle traveling southbound struck a guardrail and went over a bridge railing near Holland-Sylvania Road between Monroe Street and Sylvania Avenue and plunged about 40 to 50 feet onto Norfolk Southern railroad tracks.

The crash likely occurred late Sunday or early yesterday, but the SUV wasn't found until noon yesterday by some children walking along the railroad tracks, authorities said.

THIS WAS ONE OF THE SADDEST WINTER STORIES FROM TOLEDO THAT I'VE EVER HEARD! THOSE POOR PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN ALIVE THROUGH THE NIGHT, BUT WEREN'T DISCOVERED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. I PRAY TO GOD THAT THEY BOTH PASSED AWAY UPON CONTACT>>>

They called police; the woman and the man were pronounced dead at the scene at 12:22 p.m., said Bob Hannon, an investigator with the Lucas County Coroner's Office.

Ms. Richie was wearing a seat belt; Mr. Bekker was not and was partially thrown from the SUV, authorities said.

Conditions have been just about perfect the last couple days for dangerous, icy conditions, said Mike Abair, a meteorologist at the Cleveland office of the National Weather Service.

As a result, schools across the region closed for the day yesterday, many events were canceled, and there were numerous traffic accidents."

THE ICY CONDITIONS ACCOMPANIED BY SNOW, POSSIBLY UP TO 4 INCHES, ARE GOING TO BE APPROACHING THE NORTHEAST U.S. TODAY AND TONIGHT. HOPEFULLY IT WILL DISSIPATE AND BECOME LESS OF A HORROR AS IT DID FOR US LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE FREEZING RAIN IN THE PRE-DAWN HOURS< BUT BECAUSE IT TEETERED AT 32 DEGREES, IT MERELY RAINED.


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I'd also like to mention the terror of having no heat or electricity like many (at least 20,000 people!) throughout the "tornado belt" including Oklahoma City and all the surrounding area. Can you imagine being a new mother and your brand new baby risking getting a too-low body temperature? or Having to be on life-support in the hospital and have to spend on a generator, or in a home and worrying about the carbon monoxide that a generator puts out to care for an elderly adult that may be on oxygen to begin with? PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS, THAT THEY FIND COMFORT AND RESCUE TODAY!!

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The weather that Georgia and the Southeast is having this week has to be a global-warming effect, I believe. When cities that should be very cold, have temperatures from 75 to 82 in early December, something's not right.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?? PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS! THANK YOU, TTOWNROBIN


PS. THERE ARE AMAZING ICE STORM PHOTOS AT TORNADOVIDEOS.NET FROM AN ICE STORM THAT OKLAHOMA HAD IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR...I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS AREA HAD BEEN HIT SO HARD WITH THIS TYPE OF EXTREME COLD AND PRECIPITATION ALREADY THIS YEAR!! NOW do you think it might from the effects of GLOBAL WARMING???

HAPPY EASTER & me the lazy Procrastinator

WELL I GOT UP WHEN THE ALARM WENT OFF, BUT MYSELF IS TRYING REALLY HARD TO TALK ME OUT OF GOING TO CHURCH..LAZINESS, sure, SHYNESS, of course with me (People i don't know) excuses (hard pews and my back/neck - always hurts after service, that's why I don't go other times to STA)..almost have myself completely talked out of it even tho my hair is 3/4 curled and I am running right on time. NEED PRAYERS FOR HOLY SPIRIT TO PUSH ME PLZ!

ACTUALLY - I'VE DECIDED - I WILL BE ATTENDING THE CHURCH ON STRAYER (in Maumee). LIVE ONLINE STREAMING HERE; http://thechurchonstrayer.com/livestreaming
Won't have to go out in the rain. THANKFUL!! Hope to see someone I know there at 9 or 11 am!

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL, including GOD'S BLESSINGS and a reminder of HIS PROMISE TO US, that keeps me going on!

XOXO TTR

Official Announcement - posting my thoughts on my blogs in stead of FACEBOOK from now on!

Just chose to "FOLLOW" the blog "RV LIFE IS GOOD"...you bet it is!! One day - somehow - I want to live this way so badly. Will elaborate more later. Have decided to stop 'blogging" my life on FACEBOOK, and take it back over here to my blogs WHERE IT BELONGS...that way none of my friends are FORCED to listen to me bitch, or go on and on about my new favorite band 30 SECONDS TO MARS.

TTFN
TTownRobin
xoxo

PS. THE real END of Summer in Toledo

I HOPE I can AT LEAST get a ride of the Black Swamp Arts Festival- I LOVE THAT ONE!! I could walk to the Greek Festival, but it's too expensive to go in and pay again just to eat...There's not much else to do there, except drink Ouzo and watch Greek dancing. Not worth 8.50! (that's what the admission was in 2008! Then as soon as we got our food, it started pouring buckets and we couldn't get any of our edmission money back!)

September 10, 2010 - September 12, 2010

Greek-American Festival

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Toledo


September 10, 2010 - September 12, 2010

Black Swamp Arts Festival

Downtown Bowling Green, Bowling Green

HERE's WHAT'S GOING ON NEXT WEEK:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=resources/lifestyle_community/community/events&id=6032829

Toledo's Labor Day parade to include Biden, Strickland - Topix

Here is the info for September 6 2010, if you happened to find my OLD OLD post while conducting a GOOGLE search:


All the other festivals and events that were in downtown Toledo are OVER. And there was NO FIREWORKS AGAIN this Labor Day, just like 2008, but there WERE fireworks if you were at the MUD HENS GAME. I just head them, with a rounding applause after ward, at 9:30 pm on Sunday night Sept. 5.
TOMORROW, Monday, all that I can find to do nearby is the PARADE in the morning, from 9 am until 11:30 am., along the parade route in downtown Toledo (I will post the photo for the parade route map)
I'm not sure if Blockwatch is going to march in it, but if they are, and usually they do, I will just join in when they come past me, IF I CAN GET UP EARLY ENOUGH TO CATCH THE TARTA BUS and get downtown before they close the streets off. I really doubt it. If I had a car, mind you, I would NEVER miss a parade, AND I WOULD TAKE MY DOG!!
Still Love, TTR 2010!

Toledo's Labor Day parade to include Biden, Strickland - Topix

MOST EAST TOLEDO RENTERS REALLY RAISE MY BLOOD PRESSURE!

RENTERS!!
95 percent of renters do not care about their neighbors. They let weeds grow all along the fence that turn into trees, they leave papers in their yard and walk past them without a thought of picking them up, and they let their kids bother all the surrounding neighbors while they are inside their homes watching TV. I AM SO SICK OF THE NEIGHBORS I KEEP GETTING! All the homeowners on my street take care of their homes...oh sure, not all of them will pick up a cup if they walk by it either, and none of them pick up their dog shit that they let their dogs do in everyone else's yards, but at least they give a damn more than MOST renters do. If you disagree, come over here and I'll show you..AND give you examples of what I've had to tolerate for the past 11 years, just to get along with my renter-neighbors.

Is it SPRING or SUMMER?

Summer has arrived- in the 80's (HIGH 80's) this week! So sorry I didn't post about Spring..I was too busy enjoying it! Well, it is STILL SPRING but it won't be feeling like it for the next 4 days...here comes the sweat..

New Beginnings and clean yards in East Toledo

Everything seems a lot less dismal in the Spring...Thank you God!

SAVING MONEY SHOPPING WITH "COUPON CODES"

I am having fun Christmas shopping, with no money. I have recently learned that you can save LOTS of money by getting coupon codes that you link to different store sites with, then the savings show up when you check out. I am filling up "wish lists" right now..that way if something goes on sale, it will show the new price when I come back, ready to purchase things.
Normally I would post these links at my TTown Bookmarks page, but I think lots of people in my neighborhood and family would like to save some money this year, so I am going to post them here on my "main" blog:

Offers.com: Save Offers - Save Time - Save Money

www.dealspl.us
www.couponalbum.com
www.mycoupons.com

I'll add more as I run across them!
Have a happy, stress -free holiday "shopping" season!

XOXO TTownRobin

Famous? Not for this I hope!

"Toledo City Paper Bachelor and Bachelorette Poll "

Thur, 20 Aug 2009

http://www.toledocitypaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1915:backelor-a-bachelorettes-poll&catid=96:cover-stories&Itemid=508

"Yes, there are still plenty of proverbial fish swimming around in the Toledo dating pool — and we’ve caught some of the best. Peruse our roster of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, then visit www.toledocitypaper.com to read more of their answers and cast your vote for who should be named Most Eligible Bachelor and Bachelorette of 2009! "


the photo I submitted...this was done on a whim..I NEVER thought I'd make the cut. I think I might need to thank my friend from the All America City competition, Jason Webber, as well..he may have put in a good word for me....THANKS JASON.

Name: "TTownRobin"
Age: 49
Occupation: mother, homemaker, Blockwatch Leader, human being
Best pick up line: "Hi, I'm Robin."
Favorite love song: "Love Song" by Tesla
Never would I ever: smoke crack
Three words that describe me: creative, neat, private (smoker)
When I get a day off work, I: move the furniture
In High School I was voted most likely to: be a writer

THANK GOD MY FRIEND, MARY TOTH, VOTED FOR ME OR I WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN ANY VOTES!! THANK YOU MARY! - you are so sweet, kind, and thoughtful!

Oh sure other people noticed, and mostly just poked fun at me.

At least my friend and neighbor, Vickie, met someone at our nearby neighborhood block party! A really nice guy too - just goes to show ya, love finds you when you LEAST expect it!

Not that I'm looking. I just wanted to see if aanyone would notice, I guess.

I am so content right now with my life, I could do a cartwheel. Seriously!

(I probably just jinxed myself.)

XOXO TTownRobin !!

GETTING MOTIVATED: When you're BROKE, Transportation-less, and ALONE

Getting Motivated When You're Down
Also known as: "I can dish it out but I can't take it"
OR
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink"

FOUND AT: http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/printview

Chris Woolston
CONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVE

Below:
• When you're feeling stuck
• Exercise: The original antidepressant

There may come a time in your life in which the days go by in a monotonous blur. None of the activities that you used to enjoy so much give you any pleasure; nothing excites you; no one makes your pulse race. You feel listless and empty, although plagued by a vague anxiety and dread. Family members may accuse you of being irritable and snapping at them for no reason, and it's true that at present their demands seem overwhelming. Even the smallest task defeats you: All you really want is to be left alone.



Curiously, when we're depressed, retreat may seem the easiest way out. But health care professionals strongly disagree. If you're feeling hopeless and blue, they say, it's the worst time to be alone with your thoughts. Your reverie will likely be peppered with stinging self-criticism and feelings of worthlessness. Not surprisingly, the increasingly bleak cast to your mental landscape will worsen your mood disorder and sap your remaining energy.



If the scenario above describes your mood and has lasted for two weeks or more, you need to seek professional help: You're in the grip of a punishing depression. Both antidepressants and some forms of therapy can bring you relief. But say you're in treatment and still find it difficult to even get out of bed. The pain of depression has diminished, but you're still distant from your friends and family, since you want nothing more than to close the blinds, pull up the covers, and hunker down.



What can help pull you out of this vicious cycle? For one thing, you can learn to slow the stream of the negative thoughts that darken your mood. But just as important, you can find a way to stay active. Walk the dog, call a friend, work in the garden -- almost anything will help distract you from your dark thoughts. No matter what you do, you can probably expect to feel better.



Choosing some activities that put you in contact with other people is especially important. In his classic book Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life, Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi, a psychologist and researcher who is widely published in the area of work and creativity, explains the benefits of even the simplest encounter with a friend or stranger. "Over and over, our findings suggest that people get depressed when they are alone, and they revive when they rejoin the company of others. Alone a person usually reports low happiness, [little] motivation, low concentration, apathy, and an entire string of negative states such as passivity, loneliness, detachment, and low self-esteem. The moods that people diagnosed with chronic depression have… are indistinguishable from those of healthy people, as long as they are in company and doing something that requires concentration. But when they are alone with nothing to do, their minds begin to be occupied by depressing thoughts. This is also true, to a less pronounced extent, of everyone else.



"The reason is that when we have to interact with another person, even a stranger, our attention becomes structured by external demands... By contrast, when we are alone with nothing to do, there is no reason to concentrate... The mind begins to unravel, and soon finds something to worry about."



When you're feeling stuck

As anyone who's been clinically depressed knows, feeling good doesn't come easily -- or quickly. As psychiatrist David D. Burns explains in his book Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (Little, Brown, &Co., 1999), depressed people often feel that there's nothing they can do to feel better. Nothing seems fun anymore; nothing seems worthwhile. Or else there's so much to do that it's exhausting even to think about. To someone who's depressed, these gloomy thoughts have the force of law.



Of course, some laws deserve to be broken. In Feeling Good, Burns has come up with a very practical plan for people so depressed that the smallest activities -- from taking a shower to eating lunch -- seem beyond their grasp. He suggests keeping a Daily Activity Schedule, a simple but effective tool that can help you organize your day and regain your motivation.



Here's how it works: At the beginning of each day, write down what you'd like to accomplish in each hour. (A daily appointment calendar could be a helpful place to keep these notations.) And what you plan to accomplish, at least until you feel better, may be very basic. From 8 to 9 am, for instance, you may write eat breakfast, balance checkbook, or read the paper. At the end of the day, record what you actually did. Burns further recommends marking each productive activity with an M (for mastery) and each fun activity with a P (for pleasure.) According to Burns, many depressed people do not plan any activities that could give them pleasure; a mix of both practical and pleasurable activities, he says, is important.



After listing your activities you can score them on a scale from 0 to 5. Something really fun or challenging gets a 5; anything dull or simple gets a 1 or 0. You can set different goals that you want to reach each week, raising them slightly each time.



Czikszentmihalyi has also suggested engineering daily activities so that you reap the most rewards from them. Of course, he says, this is easier said than done. "This sounds simple, but the inertia of habit and social pressure are so strong that most people have no idea which components of their lives they actually enjoy, and which contribute to stress and depression," he writes. "Keeping a diary or reflecting on the past day in the evening are ways to take stock systematically of the various influences on one's moods. After it is clear which activities produce the high points in one's day, it becomes possible to start experimenting."



People with an artistic or creative bent don't need to feel at all constricted by a schedule, he adds. "Creative people are especially good at ordering their lives so that what they do, when, and with whom will enable them to do their best work. If what they need is spontaneity and disorder, then they make sure to have that, too."



If you keep your schedule for several weeks or so -- and really try to stick to it -- you may begin to regain a sense of control over the most basic parts of your life. According to Burns, you'll see that you can enjoy yourself and get things accomplished. As he points out, life doesn't seem so overwhelming when you take it one hour at a time.



Exercise: The original antidepressant

If at all possible, make some room in that schedule for some exercise. According to a recent report in The Physician and Sports Medicine, exercise is a potent remedy for depression. A walk around the neighborhood or a good swim can enhance self-esteem, provide a sense of accomplishment, and burn pent-up anger and stress. Exercise may also boost the brain's supply of serotonin, mimicking the effects of Prozac and many other antidepressants.



If you haven't had much exercise lately, take it slow at first. Your doctor can help you find an exercise program that's right for you.



Whether you decide to go for a jog or read a book, remember: Something is much better than nothing. Whatever it takes, try to resist the temptation to curl up and hide. Depression may drain your energy, but it doesn't have to bring your life to a halt.



-- Chris Woolston, M.S., is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive, and was the staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. He has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health, WebMD, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. His reporting on occupational health earned him an award from the northern California Society of Professional Journalists.






Further Resources

National Institute of Mental Health 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857 Phone: (800) 421-4211

National Foundation for Depressive Illness, Inc. P.O. Box 2257 New York, NY 10016 Phone: (800) 826-3632




References


Beck, Aaron T., MD. Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. Penguin, 1976

Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. David D. Burns, MD. Avon Books, 1999.

Artal M. Exercise against depression. The Physician and Sports Medicine. October 1998. Vol 26(10)

National Institute of Mental Health. Depression. May 2006. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depression.cfm

Mayo Clinic. Depression. February 2006. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression/DS00175


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS IS WHERE I'M AT. AT LEAST I'M TRYING TO LOOK UP STUFF TO HELP ME FEEL BETTER AND GET MOVING AND MAKE ALL THE CHRISTMAS GIFTS I WANT TO START MAKING.

My Step-Mom, Nan, (who doesn't like me very much and is mean to me on the phone when I call to see how she is) has colon cancer and is not doing very well. I don't think she will be here by this time next year. Who is going to take care of my Dad?
STRESS DEPRESSES YOU.

ANYWAY....Have a nice day!! Happy Halloween!!I get to go out FINALLY to karaoke with my neighbor friend Vickie for her birthday on Halloween! There's something to look forward to! I even got my "Sober-X" Hangover prevention sample patches in the mail today!!
:o)
TTownRobin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Article was First published May 25, 2001
Last updated February 14, 2008
Copyright © 2001 Consumer Health Interactive
Copied with permission from the website at: http://www.ahealthyme.com/

COOLEST MINI-INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS ON INDOOR HOUSE PAINTING, EVERwhat a purdy paint doctor he is!

LISTEN TO THE "PURDY" PAINT DOCTOR AT:

http://www.purdycorp.com/dvd/playqt/purdy

UPDATE: 8-18-08 "KEL HAS BEEN LOCATED. There is still a reward for info leading to her arrest!

I JUST SAW HER ON HER FRONT PORCH...A YEAR LATER.

....AND SHE SAW ME AND MY DOG TOO.


She lives at 1308 NEVADA STREET IN EAST TOLEDO,

and she STILL owes me a new back door which is still all busted up from her kicking it in, and some new screens.

Is she a DRUG-ADDICT, an idiot, or just plain stupid, or does she just want to lose her kids (from what the neighbors have told me)..again ?
The lady who watched her daughter told me that she had given this "Kel" all her money to "get something" (some mothers are real idiots) and allowed her 13 year old daughter (who was smoking and cussing like a sailor at the corner at 6 years old) to go out to a party and get wasted till dawn with this 20 something nasty woman, whose last name she did not even know, then actually complained to me that "Kel" left her kid there and never came back for her and then...ACTUALLY ASKED ME ID I KNEW WHERE SHE WAS!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE SOME PEOPLE???
It's people EXACTLY LIKE THIS THAT GIVE EAST TOLEDO A BAD NAME.


PLUS THIS LADY WAS UPSET BECAUSE THIS "KEL" USED UP ALL HER MONEY!! awww.
What a bummer, huh? You didn't get your drugs "Mom", your daughter and her friend you barely knew, did them all up. Gosh DARNIT!! What a world; what a world!

Yes folks. I am still bitter. i actually forgot to pray to ask God to help me forgive Kel for this. Seeing her is actually a reminder. So for that I am thankful.

This was one time then the TOLEDO POLICE let me down though, and I cannot forget that. Well, this was actually 2nd time...The male officer that responded after an hour and a half and expected me to do the detective work myself.

WELL - I DID. NOW LET'S SEE IF ANYONE ELSE CAN COME THROUGH FOR ME. FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE WHO ARE TIRED OF GETTING RIPPED OFF AND THE LAW DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THERE HAS BEEN, AND STILL IS, A REWARD ALL THIS TIME FOR HER LAST NAME AND INFORMATION WHICH WILL LEAD TO HER ARREST (that part is very important). AND THIS STILL STANDS, as of AUGUST 18th, 2008.
PLEASE EMAIL ME VIA THIS BLOG.

If I had done what she did, which I never would, I would, at the very least, apologise, when she was drunk and drugged out of her mind and managed to break halfway into my back door, screaming every name in the book at me and telling me she had to pee..As explained once again, below, she must of thought it was her house...who knows. She hasn't been around this part of the neighborhood since that incident.

But the gig is almost up MISS "KEL".
Charges are soon to be pressed.



HERE IS THE INFORMATION REPEATED FROM A YEAR OR SO AGO, WHEN THE INCIDENT FORST OCCURED:


DO YOU KNOW "KEL"?
"This morning at 6 a.m., on Saturday, September 29th, 2007, a wasted-out-of-her-mind, dyed-diswater-blond, trash-mouthed 29 year old ** named KEL ** (petite: about a size 3**) with thick lips and a weather-worn, partied-out face, broke into my back door, after coming out of my screen room screaming loudly, to "let her in because she had to "piss".
She was yelling and calling me every name in the book at the top of her lungs and not one neighbor came out to help me. The men (spoiled 20-something father-babied-boys) neighbors on my right side were UP with the lights on and they didn't even come over after it was and said and done to see if we were alright.


**About 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, the white trash parent who lives down at the end of the street, a few houses from the Sports Center Bowling Alley, came down about 1:45 p.m. to see if I knew where she went because the tramp left her little (around) 3 year old at their house and had not been in touch or come back to get her, as well as her purse (full of make-up only from what we could see using a stick to open the top**) and her JEANS (!!) were still hanging from the outside of my fence along the sidewalk on Greenwood Street(that she took off out on my sidewalk evidently before she came in my house with just her white nasty cotton undies and t-shirt on),

...but JUST moments before they came to ask me this, the jeans disappeared.

I looked out the front door, and there that trampy-looking-girl was, talking to the 15 year old (named Jordan) that she had gone out partying with the night before, the mother, whom had just been at my door,, and sister, handing over her daughter to her in a stroller. As soon as she saw me, she took off down the street with the stroller and the daughter in tow. I followed her for 6 blocks, up White Street, then Nevada, then Plymouth, then Willard, taking her picture with the digital the entire way. I was determined to find out where she lived or hung out at because it was evident that the police were going to do absolutely nothing about her break-in. I finally got up to the area of Idaho and Willard, and she had hid somewhere there..and learned from the mother of the 13 year old that that is where her girlfriend lives and where she hangs out.

When the police FINALLY came back a 2nd time (about an HOUR after 3 of us called about her...oh it was longer than that...THEY GOT HERE AT 5:00 PM!!) they said they would drive over to that area and see if they saw her. WELL DUH! Who with any brains (especially a white-trash girl who had already lost 3 of her kids, and must be familiar with the law) whatsoever would stay in a place with the one kid they have left (that isn't in Child Protective Services out of the 4 total she has**) knowing that so many of us had called the police and that I knew where she had gone and had a picture of what she looked like.

She threatened to kick my ass, and I have no intention of starting anything with her. I have better more productive ways of dealing with this. It may take some time, but I believe in fate and God's laws.

I refuse to allow this to just drop. She terrorized my child, broke all the screens on the street side of my house and broke the front and back doors as well as the screen room door. They're trashed. I don't have the money to fix them! And the officer this morning said, "Well, if you find out who she is through Block Watch or something, then you can press charges", and he took a report of some of the damage..I found more damage after he left) just because some waste-case chose my house randomly to be the one where the white-trash tramp decided to want to go to the bathroom at.
HOW IN THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND OUT HER LAST NAME AND ADDRESS!!?? THAT'S THEIR JOB!!
THIS IS BULL SHIT!

I never claimed to be a vigilante. But when no one will tell you her last name, (even the MOM who claimed to have given that girl all her money and lost it out of her pants pocket or whatever (this was told to me later - like I care - (WHY WOULD SHE GIVE A TRASHY GIRL WHOSE LAST NAME SHE DID NOT KNOW, ALL OF HER MONEY??? WHAT DO YOU THINK??? I CAN PRETTY MUCH TELL YOU WHY IF YOU DON'T FIGURE IT OUT) but everyone in the neighborhood knows her...I refuse to be a victim again.

And with the dispatcher for the police dawdling around asking stupid questions, my phone number TWICE, my spelling of my FIRST AND LAST NAME JUST WASTING TIME!! WHILE THAT GIRL WAS SCREAMING SO LOUD THAT THE DISPATCHER COULD BARELY HEAR ME - I KEEP SAYING SEND THEM NOW _ I'LL GIVE YOU THE REST _ JUST PLEASE DISPATCH THEM NOW and she wouldn't until she was all done taking information..when my child is screaming and crying - I will never wait on them or depend on them again. I'm done.

One of us could have been lying in the road by the time the officers got here the second time (AN ENTIRE HOUR!! AFTER I TOLD THE DISPATCHER I HAD BEEN THREATENED! THEY DROVE RIGHT BY ME AND WAVED AND WENT TO ANOTHER CALL!) I can't wait for them anymore.


We are virtually ON OUR OWN PEOPLE!! and everyone needs to make sure they have a weapon to protect their homes and their children in case someone comes into YOUR HOME and then comes back and threatens you like what happened to me.


I have protection - do you? All it would have taken was one more footstep into my door...(of course I could have dragged her in, but I was trying to give the drug-addicted-whore the benefit of the doubt..sorry, Lord)...At the time, I actually felt sorry for her. Not any more.

PLEASE NEIGHBORS AND CITIZENS!!
STAY INVOLVED WITH YOUR LOCAL BLOCKWATCH!!
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON EACH OTHER FOR HELP
..Like the wonderful neighbor, DEB - I will never forget your kindness..) that came by in her car to help me find that girl when I was on foot.

We can't depend on our law enforcement, especially with the budget cuts as they continue to be, and the fact that we have ONE UNIT from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. some days, as I was told by a local officer. If they need another one, it has to come from Downtown. LIKE THEY CAN SPARE A UNIT FROM CENTRAL CITY!

IF SOMEONE COMES INTO YOUR HOUSE YOU HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO PROTECT YOURSELF. DON'T WAIT AROUND FOR THE POLICE TO DO IT. They might not ever show up at all.

I found out also that the girl went into another man's house before mine and he pushed her out too, but not without a fight**

I used to love East Toledo. I SUPPOSE I STILL DO. I HAVE EAST SIDE PRIDE - THERE's NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT...BUT I'VE FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL to make it nice. Today is just one of my bad days. I could tell you so much more. But I'd rather go to bed and start all over again tomorrow. Today really sucked.

Keep up that East Side Pride!!
That old fashioned TOLEDO PRIDE!!!
Toledo "LAW ENFORCEMENT" can take a big suck of my ass today. I'm tired of beating a dead horse.

Later,
TTR

If you give last name AND info leading to her arrest, there will be a reward:
GO YOU KNOW THIS GIRL NAMED "KEL"?

East Toledo is only a "stones-throw' fom OREGON,OHIO

I am so sorry I have neglected oregon for so long!! I was raised in Oregon, Ohio and Oregon is actually THE PLACE where most East Toledoans wish they lived if they could afford it (if we had to live in this area anyway..)

So here is the run-down on th history of OREGON, OHIO as well as a few links to give you more information:

Oregon - City History

Oregon was once part of the Great Black Swamp. The swamp area was rich with oak, hickory, ash, walnut, elm and maple trees. This led to the establishment of numerous sawmills and settlements.


The harvested forests created rich farmland, but the area remained swampy and there was a need for storm drainage. Major ditches, usually along roadways that followed the path of old Indian trails, were constructed. These ditches continue to provide storm drainage today carrying storm water into Maumee Bay.

"The town was name Oregon by Pierre M. Irving, a nephew of Washington Irving, author of the popular book Astoria. This book attracted considerable interest in John Jacob Astor's trading lands which were located in what is now the city of Oregon. The story, however, is an account of Astor's fur trading in the territory of Oregon; but since the nephew was representing Astor's interest in fur trading east of the Maumee River, he succeeded in having the town named Oregon. In 1838, Mr. Irving accompanied by his wife, went to New York expecting to remain there for the summer; but for some reason he never returned." Quoted in the "History of Oregon and Jerusalem" book, authored by Josephine Fassett.

The first government was Oregon Township, formed in 1838. The land was surveyed and there were public sales for settlements. The area that was the township, is now the City of Oregon, which is bounded on the west by the City of Toledo, the North by Maumee Bay/Lake Erie, on the east by Jerusalem Township (Lucas County) and on the South by the City of Northwood (Wood County). In 1856 the township took ownership of two cemeteries which remain owned by the City today.

The 1800's and 1900's saw the development of an extensive rail system. The Port of Toledo began operations on the south bank of the Maumee River in the early 1800's and developed port operations on the Maumee Bay in Oregon in 1955. These operations continue in the Northwest area of the City.







Because of the water, rail, and surface transportation access that was available in the City, two major refineries, British Petroleum (BP) and Sun Marketing located in Oregon around the turn of the century. These two refineries have historically been two of the City's largest employers..



The northwestern end of the City grew as an industrial center with a coal powered electrical generating facility and several chemical plants. Pipelines were laid to carry petroleum products to and from the port facilities and other regions. Buckeye Pipeline has the largest pipeline distribution system in Oregon.

As industrialization continued, commercial and residential growth followed. Generally, urban growth continued eastward from Interstate 280 - one of the nation's first Interstates. Recently, residential growth has also occurred south of Maumee Bay in the waterfront areas and with perimeter development in the more rural areas.

In 1954 Oregon Township trustees sought to zone the area. At about the same time, City of Toledo officials sought to annex the northwest industrial area of Oregon Township. The annexation failed, and in 1957 there was an election for Oregon to become an incorporated City. The vote was 3,660 in favor and 2,925 opposed. A key issue in incorporation was to have Oregon own and operate a water and a wastewater plant.


The City of Oregon adopted their Charter in 1958. The new City adopted a slogan of "City of Opportunity." In the mid 1980's the City added Oregon on the Bay to the City of Opportunity. In 1959 voters approved an "earnings tax" now known as the municipal income tax. The water plant was constructed in 1964 and currently over 90% of the land in Oregon is serviced with waterlines. Plans for an estimated $17.9 million in improvements to the water plant continued in 1998. The









original water plant was paid for by a combination of local and federal funds. The City also has a wastewater treatment plant, constructed in 1977, with local and federal funds, which can process up to eight million gallons per day. In 1997 a major upgrade to the wastewater plant was completed. Approximately one-third of the land in the City is serviced by sanitary sewer lines. The City's water and wastewater operations also service portions of Jerusalem Township, northern Wood County and northwest Ottawa County.

Form of Government
The original Charter adopted in 1958 called for a Mayor/Council form of government. The City was divided into five wards, each represented by a councilman, and there were two at-large members for a total of seven councilmen. The Charter named the Mayor as the Administrator. The Mayor and Council were elected for two-year terms. In 1968 the Charter was amended to elect all councilmen at large. In 1988 the Charter was amended to change the term of the Mayor to four years. In 1993 there were two Charter changes: one was to create the position of City Administrator who would report to the Mayor; and the other was to abolish the position of Clerk Auditor and to create the positions of Finance Director and Clerk of Council. Other technical charter changes, such as reading the title of an ordinance instead of the entire ordinance, have been periodically approved by the voters.

Location
The City of Oregon is located in northwestern Ohio in the Toledo Metropolitan area. Oregon is Lucas County's largest suburb with 28.5 square miles and a population of 18,326. The City has approximately five miles of shoreline along Maumee Bay/Lake Erie. The City's elevation is approximately 606 feet above sea level. Local temperatures average 73 degrees in the summer and 25 degrees in the winter. The City has approximately 120 miles of roads with I-280 (which links the east - west Ohio Turnpike, I-80/90 with north-south I-75), State Route 2 (Lake Erie access road) and State Route 51 (Wood County and Ottawa County access road). The port facilities service foreign and domestic cargo for shipment in the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes.

The City of Oregon provides a variety of recreational opportunities for residents, workers, and visitors to the area. The City is home to Pearson Metropark, Maumee Bay State Park, South Shore Park and the Coontz Recreational Complex. Maumee Bay State Park has over 1,800 acres. The northern border is one mile of shoreline on Lake Erie. Maumee Bay has an eighteen hole Arthur Hill golf course, lodge and conference center, cabins, campgrounds, inland lake, nature trail, tennis courts, sledding hill and amphitheater. Wave runners, parasails, paddleboats, bikes and canoes are available for rent at the park. Pearson Metropark has 320 acres for biking, a nature center, fishing, picnicking, and paddle boating. The City of Oregon has two municipal parks, Coontz Park for active recreation with eight lighted ball fields and South Shore Park with a sledding hill, picnic area, and fitness trail.

Oregon schools offer a full range of programs from advanced placement courses to vocational education. The Oregon City School District includes a high school, two middle schools, and four elementary schools, one of which is located in Jerusalem township. Also located in the City is Cardinal Stritch High School, a coeducational parochial school. In addition to the Oregon schools, the region is serviced by the University of Toledo, Medical College of Ohio, Lourdes College, Owens Community College and Bowling Green State University. All of these schools are within approximately one-half hour drive time of the City.

Municipal Services
The City provides a wide variety of services authorized by its Charter and administrative codes. City services include police and fire protection, emergency medical service, municipal court, planning and engineering, zoning, code enforcement, street maintenance, traffic control, parks and recreation, building inspection, cemetery, community development, curbside recycling, solid waste collection and disposal and general administrative services. The City does not operate hospitals, schools or landfills. In 1998 the City continued to receive federal funding for persons, with qualifying income levels, to rehabilitate and/or receive down payments to purchase homes.

The City also operates two enterprise activities: water treatment and distribution, and wastewater collection and treatment. The enterprise funds are used to account for activities operated in a manner similar to a private business. The intent of the City is that the costs of providing the services to the general public on a continuing basis be financed primarily through user charges. The cost of capitalizing the water and wastewater plants is subsidized with a voter-approved designation of approximately twenty percent of income tax revenues for said purpose.

The City's enterprise activities are not subject to rate review or determination by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio or any similar regulatory body. The City Council has the necessary authority to establish and to amend appropriate user rates as required. The rates are monitored on an ongoing basis to insure their adequacy to meet operational and maintenance needs. The rates remain competitive in Northwest Ohio. Responsibility for the frequency and amount of rate change lies solely with the City Council.

FOUND AT: http://www.ci.oregon.oh.us/history/history.htm

THIS PAGE OFFERS LINKS TO THESE PAGES OF INFORMATION ABOUT OREGON, OHIO AS WELL:

Mayor Welcome and Link
City Departments
Schools
City Council (I was searching for the 2007 City Council candidates, and ran across this site...unfortunately, I STILL haven't found the 2007 candidates and their afiliation for my Aunt Sissy!)
Attractions
Directory
Search

MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT OREGON IS THAT IS IS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO LAKE ERIE and offers the beautiful MAUMEE BAY STATE PARK (and campground!).

HOROSCOPE=Real Life ALSO: "LIFE" on NBC

THIS - REALLY, honest to God, happened to me today:

October 17, 2007
Capricorn (12/22-1/19)

"You can expect to start this day with a lot of high energy -- so much so that you might jump out of bed and dance the tango! There are a lot of ideas swimming around in your head right now, and they are giving you a blast of physical strength that will carry you through the entire day. There is no question that you will have all the drive, rhythm and stamina you need to tackle all your tasks -- and complete them with the grace and ease of a real dancer."
Ever since Jo told me that she started playing her Bob Seger every day and trying to dance around and move (even if it's just tapping a foot) constantly, that she took off 4 more pounds, i have started trying to at least listen to more music and MOVE MY BODY.
OH SURE...I DID lie in bed and sleep off and on till almost 3 pm today...it was a cloudy, moist, cool morning, and I had stayed up all night on the computer looking for "writing programs, and grammar checker" downloads, as well as material to use in my NEW, UPDATED WEBSITE that I am going to begin re-vamping this month and throughout the winter..which is at http://www.geocities.com/webscoollinks
THEN when it's complete, I will purchase the domain for it again, but this time under a catchier name.
ANYWAY...GTG - "LIFE" my new favorite Fall program, Channel 24, 9:30 pm, is on. I Can't miss it.
TTYL!!
God Bless,
TTR
PS. LIFE on NBC:
http://www.cinemablend.com/television/2007-Fall-TV-Preview-Life-on-NBC-6264.html

Life - Season 1

Premieres: Wednesday, September 26th at 10:00 p.m. EST
Network: NBC
Creator(s): Rand Ravich
Starring: Damian Lewis, Sarah Shahi, Adam Arkin
Website: NBC.com

Watch Life on NBC
Don't Miss the New Series - Life on Wednesdays at 10/9C only on NBC!
www.NBC.com/Life

THE RUN-DOWN:
Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) was a succesful Los Angeles detective before he was sent to jail for a triple homicide he did not commit. After years in prison, in solitary lockdown because of his reputation as a cop, Charlie is finally exonerated and sent back to the force. He’s partnered with Dani Reese (Sarah Shahi), who served her own time in rehab after her career working undercover in the drug world got a little too real. He’s also got the help of Ted (Adam Arkin), a friend from the inside who’s genius with money-- even though he’s an ex-felon. Now Charlie has to do his duties as a detective while still coping with the new reality of life on the outside.

"PREVIEW PULP"
Meh. Police procedurals do little for me unless they’ve got a neat hook (the upcoming New Amsterdam, for example). The idea of a cop who’s been in prison just doesn’t intrigue me-- don’t all TV cops act like they have some special insider knowledge? It’s also strange that there’s been virtually no promotion for this show, given that it comes right after Bionic Woman, which NBC is clearly expecting to be their new cash cow. As someone who can barely watch House without getting annoyed at the formula, I have my doubts that Charlie Crews will be a character worth watching this show for.

Social Media: scholarship for blogging

Social Media: scholarship for blogging

Social Media: scholarship for blogging

Social Media: scholarship for blogging