Two Claras

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November 28, 2012

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with two highly talented young women that are thrilled to be dancing the coveted role of Clara in Toledo Ballet’s 2012 Nutcracker. These credible young women are geared up and ready to hit the stage. Samantha Jacobs, a freshman at Notre Dame Academy and Charlotte Thurston, a freshman attending Ottawa Hills High School, are honored to carry the lead role in a ballet that has been part of Toledo’s history for 72 years.

The only leaping I do is over the pile of laundry in my teen’s room, and my to-do list is still a work in process. These young dancers (and honor students) gracefully soar through a schedule of company dance and performance rehearsals, and weekly technique classes. Samantha is also on NDA’s dive and dance team and Charlotte is a cheerleader for Ottawa Hills. “You learn to manage your time well,” explains Samantha. "If we get a half hour break, we do homework.” The dedicated ladies believe the hours of rigorous training are worth their efforts as they strive to perfect their mind, body and spirit. What a far cry from my “downtime” that consists of raiding the pantry and finding the remote.

Samantha and Charlotte believe that it is every young dancer’s dream to play Clara. “We love being role models for the younger girls. They see us and know that one day it could be them,” Samantha says. “It’s great that we get to share our love of dance and have the role of Clara together,” states Charlotte. Samantha and Charlotte, who have been dancing together for the past five years, know their dancing and their friendship will continue to grow in the future. I know they will dance into your hearts as they did mine.

The 72nd annual Nutcracker will be held at the Stranahan Theater on Saturday, December 15 at 2pm and 7pm and on Sunday, December 16 at 2pm. Tickets range from $21 to $51 and are
available by calling 419-381-8851 or by visiting ToledoBallet.net.

Sibshops

By

Alia Orra

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November 28, 2012

Often the focus of exceptional families can be on the child dealing with a disability. But how do parents support the special needs child’s siblings, who are often lost in the shuffle? Local mom and Lucas County Parent Mentor Wendy Smenner experienced those challenges with her own children, Wesley and Conor, firsthand. She was inspired to bring support group Sibshops to the area. Sibshops aims to provide a safe space for siblings of children with disabilities to talk, connect and have fun with other kids who understand their circumstances. Children can gather for fun games and hands-on cooking activities, and take a break from their regular routines under the guidance of professionals who “understand the impact a child’s special needs can have on brothers and sisters.” Sibshops is open to children from 8 to 14 and meets one Saturday a month from 10am-1pm at the Alternate Learning Center, 3939 Wrenwood Rd. Future meetings are January 5, February 9 and March 2.

For more information or to register (space is limited), contact Wendy at 419-471-0384 or email [email protected]. —AO

Green Options for Autism of Lucas County

By

Alia Orra

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November 28, 2012

When Barb Sabin’s son Patrick approached graduation, she looked at the occasion not with celebratory happiness but with the feeling many parents of adults with special needs experience: anxiety. Patrick’s adulthood meant a new set of challenges. “I saw that there weren’t very many appropriate options for him and other kids with autism,” says Sabin, a special education teacher and intervention specialist. “Sitting at home on the couch wasn’t going to be an option for him, because I believe all of these kids can work. The key is to have a program designed around them that’s built on their strengths and not their weaknesses.” Sabin got inspired and this year started Green Options for Autism of Lucas County, a school for students ages 5 through 22 and an adult services program. Job training is focused on environmental work in a greenhouse or other eco-friendly program, and will teach social and communication skills so that students can thrive in mainstream work environments. There are also goals to incorporate a residential, independent living facility in the future. “I think it gives them purpose, it gives them something to look forward to,” Sabin says. “It’s not about the paycheck — they just want to be thought of as an equal member of society, as they are.”

For more information on enrollment or opportunities to get involved, contact Sabin at 419-250-0401 or email [email protected]. Green Options for Autism of Lucas County is located at 1660 Amesbury. Visit facebook.com/bsabin58 or www.goautismlucas.com. —AO

The Green Boutique

By

Christine A. Holliday

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November 28, 2012

Earth-friendly chic

Customers call her “The Diva of Secondhand,” and describe her new store, The Green Boutique, as “thriftique.” Raechel Kolling calls herself a store owner who wants to give Toledoans “another way to be green and shop local, without overspending” on fashion, accessories, and home décor. After 15 years working in an office environment, Kolling decided to follow her dream of owning a chic boutique-type shop. She uses her lifelong interest in arts and crafts and a big imagination to make jewelry from broken, discarded, junked or vintage pieces and to restore and/or repaint used or discarded furniture, mirrors and home décor pieces. She offers gently-used clothes, purses, and shoes, and fashions second-hand threads, glue, and paint into unique pieces that appeal to people who believe in recycling and its ability to improve the economy and the environment. “I want to change the way shoppers view second-hand shopping with the look and feel of a high-end shop without the high-end prices,” Kolling says. “I offer unique pieces not found in department stores. Most shoppers who come in do not know I’m a thrift store until they see my prices or I explain what I’m about.”

The Green Boutique is located at the Marketplace West Shoppes,
3606 Sylvania Ave. (at Monroe St.) Store hours are weekdays 11am-7pm,
and weekends 10am-4pm. 419-206-9458. www.thegreenboutique.org. —CH

Byran DeKay portraits

By

Christina Cordova

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November 28, 2012

Personalized mugs. Monogrammed ornaments. Finger-painted Christmas trees. You’ve done it all for grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, and your significant other, but now you’re fresh out of ideas and in need of something that is just as unique as they are — or as you are. Why not go a little ‘old school’ by commissioning an artistic rendering of someone you love? Bryan DeKay, artist and teacher at Toledo’s Bennett Venture Academy, paints portraits of friends, families or children for that special, personalized gift. He uses photos of his subjects (anything from the family dog to grandparents) to paint modern, frame-worthy images that are fun to hang on the walls. His knack for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary transfers over to his subjects as well: thanks to DeKay’s paintbrush, you’ll look like rock-stars. DeKay charges $30 an hour; portraits typically take two to three hours.

For more information, visit muzukasii.deviantart.com or email [email protected] —CC

Madison Saint John

By

Christina Cordova

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November 28, 2012

Sugarplums, super-soakers and baby dolls are what many children dream of this time of year. But not seven-year-old Madison Saint John. The budding artist finds time in her busy school schedule — soccer on the weekends and spelling practice on weekdays — to create fun, quirky glass pieces she sells through her growing business, Madison’s Creations in Glass. While other children decorate their sidewalks with chalk or finger-paint while their mothers cook dinner, young Madison has watched — and learned from — her father, glass artist KC Saint John, while he works his magic in the studio. Once he recognized her talent, KC let Madison take over the glassblowing while he works on his personal campaign backing local artists, called Support Your Local Talent. The young artiste has created glass objects like T-Town Frogs to commemorate Toledo’s frog history, ladybugs, hearts and even a collection of life-like butterflies. You can find Madison’s Creations in Glass at art fairs across the state, in local boutiques, on the internet or even in her own front yard.

With the holiday’s fast approaching, this young Labino makes sure her glasswork is affordably priced — most pieces range from $10 to $20. 419-481-0102. www.facebook.com/#!/MadisonsCreations. —CC