Five Things You Might Have Missed: 1-06

Top stories from this weekend's editions of The Blade

1/6/2014
BLADE STAFF
  • BIZ-LIBBEYxx

    Libbey hopes its ‘Brown Liquor Collection’ will tap into the growing thirst for expensive whiskey, especially among younger people.

    The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
    Buy This Image

    • David J. Johns of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African-Americans will be keynote speaker.
    David J. Johns of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African-Americans will be keynote speaker.

    1. Forum to address minority gap in education system

    The achievement gap — the disparity in academic achievement between white and minority students — is so persistent, has been around so long, that it often elicits little more than a shrug, a collective “what can you do,” an acceptance that it’s inevitable, unchangeable, not worth the resources or fight.

    But while many accept the gap, others continue to fight to close it.

    On Thursday, community members will gather to seek ways to combat that gap. The second Changing Minds, Changing Lives forum will begin at 7 p.m. in the University of Toledo’s Nitschke Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the Toledo Community Coalition and The Blade, part of a series of forums meant to combat racism. READ MORE

     

    SPIEGEL I and II outside of the Toledo Museum of Art.
    SPIEGEL I and II outside of the Toledo Museum of Art.

    2. Toledo Museum of Art offers plenty of works outside, too

    If it’s a Sunday evening in the middle of winter and you get the desire to visit the Toledo Museum of Art, don’t fret about the weather.

    The outside sculptures at Toledo’s jewel on Monroe Street beg for an after-hours visit. Just bundle up and be sure to pull on heavy leggings or snow pants so you’re plenty warm, especially if you want to sit on the marble Polar Bear Bench or on the granite Pair of Parallelogram Chairs.

    Brrrrr! READ MORE

     

    Libbey hopes its ‘Brown Liquor Collection’ will tap into the growing thirst for expensive whiskey, especially among younger people.
    Libbey hopes its ‘Brown Liquor Collection’ will tap into the growing thirst for expensive whiskey, especially among younger people.

    3. Libbey quenches growing thirst for better glassware for booze

    Spurred by classy-cool shows such as Mad Men, a booming micro-distillery movement, strong marketing, and the return of classic cocktails, the U.S. appetite for top-shelf booze is soaring.

    And Libbey Glass Inc. is riding high on that 80-proof wave.

    “Restaurateurs don’t want to serve a really good bourbon in an ordinary bar glass,” Robert Zollweg, Libbey’s creative director, said. “When you’re spending $25 or $30 for a really expensive scotch, you’ve gotta put it in something that looks like $25. Perceived value is everything.”

    That has cocktail clubs, steakhouses, and even home entertainers clamoring for better and more unique glassware. READ MORE

     

     

    An employee works on suspensions for the new Jeep Cherokee at the Toledo Assembly Complex.
    An employee works on suspensions for the new Jeep Cherokee at the Toledo Assembly Complex.

    4. Toledo-built Jeeps drive Chrysler sales

    December auto sales failed to meet analysts’ expectations of a 4 percent gain, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at what Toledo builds.

    Chrysler Group LLC said it sold more Jeep Wranglers in December than ever, but even that record-setting achievement was overshadowed by the new Jeep Cherokee, which outsold it by nearly 3,000 units in its second full month on the market.

    Though it’s too soon to call the Cherokee a hit, the Toledo-built sport utility vehicle has debuted strongly. Chrysler said Friday it sold 15,038 Cherokees in December, about 5,000 more than it sold in November. The vehicle went on sale in late October. READ MORE

     

    Southgate Senator Jordan Comilla, center, follows the puck during a game against LJK White at the Ottawa Park Ice Rink. The Senator players at first struggled to skate on the rougher ice but adapted. Teams from four states and Ontario took part in the event.
    Southgate Senator Jordan Comilla, center, follows the puck during a game against LJK White at the Ottawa Park Ice Rink. The Senator players at first struggled to skate on the rougher ice but adapted. Teams from four states and Ontario took part in the event.

    5. Ottawa Park hockey festival has feel of outdoor classic

    Cold winter air was no match for the high spirits at Toledo’s Ottawa Park Ice Rink Saturday during the fifth-annual Winter Chill Outdoor Festival.

    The recreational hockey games, organized by Toledo-based Playmaker Sports USA, began Friday and extend through today before picking back up for a second three-day weekend next Friday. Visitors and players alike bundled up to experience the sport where it began: outdoors.

    More than 100 teams from four states and Ontario are slated to take part in the festival. Jake Norris of London, Ontario, made the drive to watch his son Cal play with the London Junior Knights. READ MORE